Trending Travel Styles

Where you travel matters, but how you experience a destination can make all the difference. Travelers are looking for trips that offer more than sightseeing, with opportunities to taste regional cuisine, understand local culture, explore important historic sites, encounter extraordinary landscapes, and experience places they have dreamed about for years. Guided tours and river cruises are especially well suited to these experiences. With transportation and many of the details arranged, plus experts who provide insight and connect you with the places you visit, you can experience more without planning every step yourself. From culinary and cultural journeys to bucket-list adventures, history-rich destinations, spectacular landscapes, and European river cruises, explore the travel styles inspiring where and how people travel.

For travelers who want to understand a destination beyond its famous landmarks, food and culture provide a natural way in. Visit markets filled with regional ingredients, taste wine where the grapes are grown, learn recipes and traditions from chefs, and explore the art, architecture, and customs that have shaped a place over generations. Guided travel can bring these experiences together in ways that would be difficult to arrange independently. A day of sightseeing might include a famous museum or historic landmark alongside a family-run farm, vineyard, cooking experience, or regional meal. Experts add the stories and context that help connect what you see, taste, and experience to the culture around you.

Top Places for Culinary & Cultural Travel

Italy: Tuscany is a natural choice for travelers drawn to food, wine, art, and history. Explore Florence's Renaissance treasures, visit vineyards and farms, taste regional wines, and experience the traditions behind Tuscan cuisine. Beyond Tuscany, Sicily, Southern Italy, and other regions reveal just how dramatically Italian food and culture can change from one destination to another.

France: Food, wine, art, and history come together across France, from Paris and the Loire Valley to celebrated wine regions and smaller towns. Markets, vineyards, châteaux, regional specialties, and centuries of artistic heritage provide countless ways to experience French culture.

Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Spain's many distinct regions pair remarkable architecture and history with equally distinctive culinary traditions. Markets, tapas, regional wines, and local specialties make food an important part of understanding the destination.

There is something powerful about standing in the places where history actually happened. Ancient ruins, castles, archaeological sites, monuments, and historic cities bring the stories of the past into view, whether you are exploring the foundations of democracy in Greece, centuries of royal history in Great Britain, the castles and ancient sites of Ireland, or the iconic pyramids and temples of Egypt. Traveling with an expert adds another layer to these experiences. Rather than simply seeing a historic landmark, you can learn about the people who lived there, the events that unfolded, and how they shaped the destination you see today.

Top Places for History & Heritage Travel

Great Britain: Explore centuries of history through royal palaces, medieval castles, ancient monuments, historic cities, and landmarks that have shaped Britain and the wider world. From Stonehenge and the Tower of London to Edinburgh Castle and the historic streets of York, each stop reveals another chapter of the past.

Ireland: Ancient ruins, medieval castles, historic estates, and centuries-old cities reveal the stories that have shaped Ireland. Explore Dublin's heritage, visit dramatic castles and monastic sites, and discover traditions, folklore, and history preserved throughout the countryside.

Greece: Walk among the remains of one of the world's most influential ancient civilizations. Explore the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, visit ancient archaeological sites and temples, and discover the mythology, philosophy, art, and architecture whose influence can still be seen around the world today.

Egypt: The pyramids, ancient temples, royal tombs, and archaeological treasures along the Nile offer an extraordinary window into one of the world's great ancient civilizations. Expert guidance helps decipher the stories, beliefs, and achievements preserved within these sites.

Some destinations inspire years of dreaming before the trip finally happens. But reaching an iconic place does not have to be the end goal. Bucket-list travel becomes more rewarding when the journey includes the landscapes, communities, traditions, and history surrounding the place you came so far to see. Guided travel can be particularly valuable in destinations where transportation, reservations, distances, or unfamiliar logistics might otherwise take attention away from the experience. Instead of simply reaching the landmark, travelers can understand why it matters and experience more of the destination along the way.

Top Places for Bucket-List & Cultural Adventures

Machu Picchu, Peru: Journey through the Andes aboard the panoramic IncaRail train, explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley, and learn about Inca history before experiencing Machu Picchu. The surrounding landscapes, food, architecture, and Andean traditions make the journey much bigger than a visit to the famous citadel.

Kenya, Tanzania Safaris: Seeing elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife roaming freely across East Africa is a bucket-list experience unlike any other. Explore legendary landscapes such as the Serengeti and Maasai Mara on guided game drives, with experts who know where to look for wildlife and can explain the behaviors and ecosystems you encounter. Cultural experiences add another dimension to the journey, creating an adventure that extends well beyond the excitement of a safari.

New Zealand: Dramatic mountains, fjords, lakes, coastlines, Māori culture, and distinctive cities make New Zealand a destination where extraordinary scenery and cultural experiences naturally come together.

River cruising offers a different way to see Europe, making the journey between destinations part of the experience. Rather than simply traveling from one city to the next, watch vineyards, castles, villages, and countryside unfold along waterways that have connected European communities for centuries. Sail the Danube through Austria and Germany, follow the Rhine past vineyards and medieval towns toward the Netherlands, cruise the Seine through France, or travel the waterways leading into Amsterdam. Each route offers its own combination of historic cities, smaller communities, regional food and wine, architecture, and scenery.

Why Take a European River Cruise?

One of the greatest advantages of river cruising in Europe is being able to experience multiple destinations while unpacking once. There is no need to repeatedly change hotels or independently coordinate trains and transportation between cities. Step ashore to explore, return to your ship, and continue toward your next destination.

River ships can also bring travelers directly into or close to historic cities and towns that developed along Europe's waterways. Shore excursions add opportunities to explore with experts, while time aboard provides a completely different perspective on the landscapes connecting each destination.

River cruising also changes with the season. Spring and summer showcase vineyards, countryside, and riverside communities, while Christmas market cruises transform the experience with decorated historic centers, traditional foods, handcrafted gifts, and festive celebrations throughout Europe.

Top European River Cruise Destinations

The Danube: Travel through the heart of Central Europe, including Austria and Germany, with opportunities to experience grand cities, historic abbeys, wine regions, villages, and centuries of architecture.

The Rhine: Cruise past vineyards, castles, medieval towns, and the landscapes of the Rhine Valley while exploring destinations across Germany and the Netherlands, with many journeys including Amsterdam.

The Seine: Pair Paris with the towns, countryside, artistic heritage, and history of northern France, including opportunities to explore Normandy.

Europe's Christmas Markets: Holiday river cruises along the Rhine, Danube, and other waterways make it possible to experience several Christmas markets in one journey, from grand city celebrations to festive squares in smaller riverside towns.

For some travelers, the landscape itself is the reason to go. Glaciers, mountains, fjords, wildlife, national parks, and wide-open spaces provide experiences that simply cannot be replicated in a city. Experiencing the world's great landscapes does not have to mean strenuous outdoor activity. Guided tours can also simplify the significant distances and transportation involved in many nature-focused destinations while experts reveal the geology, wildlife and cultures behind the scenery.

Top Places for Scenic & Nature Travel

Alaska: Glaciers, mountains, fjords, wildlife, and vast wilderness make Alaska one of North America's great scenic destinations. Rail journeys, cruises, and guided excursions provide different perspectives on the landscape, while experts introduce Alaska Native cultures, Gold Rush history, wildlife, and life in remote communities.

The Canadian Rockies: Turquoise lakes, soaring peaks, national parks, wildlife, and spectacular roads and railways make the Canadian Rockies a journey where the scenery rarely stops. Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, and the surrounding landscapes offer some of Canada's most recognizable natural sights.

Costa Rica: Rainforests, volcanoes, cloud forests, beaches, and extraordinary biodiversity make Costa Rica a standout destination for nature lovers. Look for monkeys, sloths, toucans, and other wildlife, explore landscapes surrounding impressive volcanoes, and experience the country's remarkable ecosystems with experts who can help you spot and understand what you might otherwise miss.

America's National Parks: From Yellowstone and Grand Teton to Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon, the American West offers dramatically different landscapes. A guided journey makes it possible to connect multiple parks and major sights without having to coordinate the long drives and logistics between them.