Colombia
Colombia · Bogotá · Medellín · Coffee Region
A loop through the Colombian highlands, from the capital to the heart of coffee country. In Bogotá, walk the colonial center, eat and drink your way through the markets, and visit the Gold Museum, home to the world's largest collection of pre-Columbian gold. Fly to Medellín and climb the staircases of Comuna 13, a hillside neighborhood transformed by music and street art. Then on to Salento and the Quindío coffee axis, where you ride refurbished WWII Willys jeeps out to the Cocora and Carbonera valleys, stand beneath the tallest wax palms on earth, and tour a working farm to taste coffee from cherry to cup.
Tunisia
Tunisia · Sidi Bou Saïd · Kairouan · El Jem · Sahara
Tunisia runs from Mediterranean blue to the edge of the Sahara, and you can cross most of it in a week. Start in Sidi Bou Saïd, where blue doors line the streets and cafes serve mint tea and bambalouni, then walk the courtyard of the Great Mosque of Kairouan and climb the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem. Drive south to the Berber country around Tataouine, where the granaries of Chenini and the ksars near Metameur are cut straight into the rock. Finish at the dunes past Douz, watching dates come down from the palms by day and sleeping by the campfire under the stars.
Vietnam
Vietnam · Ha Long Bay · Hanoi · Pu Luong · Hue
A run down the spine of Vietnam, from limestone water to imperial ruins. Cruise Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bay by junk, weaving past floating fishing villages and watching men row their boats with their feet. Inland to Hanoi and the villages of Pu Luong, where the women run the markets, bundle incense, and weave rattan, and where the Black Tai live in wooden homes on stilts. Finish in Hue: the seven-story Thien Mu Pagoda, the emperor's old Tiger Arena, and An Bang, the City of Ghosts, where colorful mausoleums run all the way to an empty beach.
Laos
Laos · Luang Prabang · Luang Namtha · Wat Phou
A slow trip down the length of Laos, from the far north to the deep south. Start in Luang Prabang, where the temples are some of the most golden I have seen anywhere, and wake before dawn to watch the monks collect alms. Ride the new Laos to China railway south and stop at the morning markets of Luang Namtha, the province with the most ethnic minorities in the country. End at Wat Phou in Champasak, an ancient Khmer temple reached by climbing stone stairs under hundred-year-old champa trees, the national flower of Laos.
Mexico City
Mexico · Mexico City · Coyoacán · Teotihuacán
A week in the valley capital, a temperate, walkable city that runs on culture, color, and street life. Wander Roma and Condesa under green thoroughfares, past flower shops, leafy courtyards, and old VW Beetles parked in the shade. Stand in the Zócalo beneath the national flag, take in the Aztec Sun Stone and the wall of skulls at the Anthropology Museum, and catch a night of lucha libre. Then ride out to Teotihuacán to climb toward the Pyramid of the Sun, one of the largest ancient cities the world has known.
Arctic Scandinavia
Sweden · Norway
Experience winter like never before in the far north. From Stockholm, fly to Kiruna and the famous Ice Hotel, then train to Abisko, a national park renowned for clear Northern Lights. Hunt the aurora, alternate sauna and snow, and ride a dogsled through the park. Hop to Narvik and the Polar Park, wolves, lynx, arctic foxes, and end on an overnight sleeper train back to Stockholm.
Fiji Beaches & Jungles
Fiji · Mamanuca · Viti Levu · Taveuni
Some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. Spend mornings at the Rainbow Reef in the Somosomo Strait off Taveuni. Drive Viti Levu visiting papaya plantations, eating the most authentic Indian food outside India, and sampling Fijian treats at local markets. Learn to make kava, dive with sharks, and visit villages for a taste of true Fijian life, then relax at a remote island resort.
Swiss Alps & Medieval Cities
Switzerland · Liechtenstein
Wake to birdsong in the Alps and drink from one of the world's most pristine glacial sources. Hike traffic-free Gimmelwald, taste local cheese, and drink dark beer brewed from a recipe monks perfected over 500 years ago. Drive the picturesque Lauterbrunnen canyon, flanked by waterfalls, then on through Spiez and Thun to the Old City of Bern, a UNESCO-listed, beautifully preserved medieval capital.
Alaska Glaciers & Mountains
Alaska · Juneau · Anchorage · Denali
Start in Juneau. Walk on glaciers and explore the fjords, watching for bears, whales, and bald eagles, then take a flight through the Juneau Ice Fields. Visit Anchorage and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, home to all of Alaska's native species. Explore Denali National Park, hike the remote corners and opt for a flightseeing tour to the highest peak in North America.
Tahitian Atolls & Island Life
Tahiti · Mo'orea · Rangiroa
One of the most romantic destinations in the world, and a chance at true island living. Rent a scooter on Mo'orea and drive out at dawn for fresh papaya and mango. Do a food tour, visit a vanilla plantation, and dive some of the most pristine lagoons anywhere. When you're ready to slow down, fly to Rangiroa, stay on a private island, visit black-pearl farms, and settle into your overwater bungalow.
Buddhist Monasteries in Bhutan
Bhutan · Paro · Thimphu · Gangtey
Steep yourself in Buddhist culture and Himalayan living. From Paro, drive east to Trongsa through some of the region's most stunning landscapes. Visit yak-herding nomads in the Gangtey Valley, hike to remote monasteries deep in the mountains, and relax at five-star all-inclusive resorts. Try archery, the national sport, sip butter-and-rice tea, and, if you're brave, eat like a local and brave the famously spicy cuisine.
The Baltics: Castles & Soviet Remnants
Lithuania · Latvia · Estonia · Finland
From Vilnius to Riga to Tallinn, visit the three Baltic states. Learn the Hanseatic League and Gothic architecture, climb the Soviet-era bobsleigh track in Sigulda, and explore the crumbling castles of the Estonian countryside. Get lost in the 14th-century alleyways of Tallinn's Old Town and old KGB offices, all while eating at modern, zero-waste, hyper-sustainable restaurants.
Mayan Ruins & Caribbean Beaches
Belize · San Ignacio · Ambergris Caye
Belize is all dramatic contrast: beaches and jungle, ancient ruins and modern hotels. Walk through the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich and Caracol, and trek burial caves to see the skeletons of ancient sacrifices. Then hop to Ambergris Caye for the famous Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and, for advanced divers, the Great Blue Hole, the world-famous sinkhole of the Caribbean.
A 7-Country Balkan Road Trip
Croatia · Montenegro · Albania · Kosovo · N. Macedonia · Bosnia · Greece
Drive through the walled cities of Dubrovnik and Kotor, visit the beautiful mosques of Shkodër and Tirana, watch the sun set over Lake Ohrid, and wander the charming capital of Skopje. Sip Turkish coffee and experience secular Islam in Kosovo, then wind through the gorgeous mountains of Montenegro, stopping in the countryside to stay at a riverside cabin. Christianity and Islam, side by side.
The Greek & Turkish Sides of Cyprus
Cyprus
Bathe in the warm Mediterranean at luxury hotels, explore ancient Greek mosaics, and visit the birthplace of Aphrodite. If you're lucky, see the no-man's-land between the two sides, an abandoned airport untouched for decades. On the Turkish side, visit pristine white-sand beaches and stroll the cobblestone streets of Nicosia, the world's last divided capital.
Factories & Food in Dhaka
Bangladesh · Dhaka
Not for the faint of heart, there's no escaping the noise, smells, and density of one of the most crowded capitals on earth. Try meat-heavy local food and breads, sip tea with locals, and wander the markets. Watch blacksmiths forging utensils, visit a brick-making factory on the city's edge, and take a 'river cruise' on the economically crucial Buriganga.
Death Valley & Red Rock Canyon
California · Nevada
The lowest point in North America, and some of the strangest geography on the continent. Stargaze under a zero-light-pollution sky, climb sand dunes, and explore the geometric salt flats. Take a 4x4 to the rocks that move themselves, then catch sunrise over the mountains. On the way back to Vegas, hike the stunning Red Rock Canyon.
From Everest to Chitwan
Nepal · Kathmandu · Chitwan · Pokhara
Everest without the months of preparation: take a helicopter from Kathmandu to Base Camp, walk at 18,000 feet, and have lunch at the highest-elevation hotel in the world. Explore Kathmandu's ancient temples, then head to Chitwan National Park for a jeep safari in search of a tiger. Finish in Pokhara, where you can skydive, kayak, and paraglide to your heart's content.
Following the Vikings
Denmark · Norway · Sweden
Retrace the history of the Vikings across the best-preserved sites in the world. Learn about Gorm the Old, the first Viking king of Denmark, and follow his son Harald Bluetooth through his conquest of the Nordics. Visit Oslo's Viking Ship Museum and Stockholm's open-air museum, all while drinking coffee from some of Europe's best cafés and eating world-renowned pastries.
Paraguay, Iguazú & Uruguay
Paraguay · Argentina · Brazil · Uruguay
Asunción sits in the middle of the jungle, rich with colonial history. Visit the Paraná River and eat delicious indigenous food, then fly to Iguazú Falls, one of the Natural Wonders of the World, spending days on both the Argentine and Brazilian sides. Finish in Uruguay: wander 16th-century Colonia, live the gaucho life, and soak up some of South America's best weather.
Island-Hopping the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands · Denmark
North Atlantic life at its finest, rugged islands, incredible seafood, temperate weather. From the famous 'lake above the ocean' at Trælanípan to the Kallur Lighthouse, this is a hiker's paradise. Drive through undersea tunnels connecting the islands, stay in grass-roof houses at the mouth of a fjord, and dine on the highest-quality salmon in the world. Go before it becomes the next Iceland.
