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Philadelphia, famous as a historic city, is more than a dusty archive of Americana. World-class museums, thriving markets, busy streets full of shops and terrific restaurants: Visitors may come to see the Liberty Bell, but they’ll fall for Philly.

From the cool cafés on Bree Street to the refined dining rooms along the V&A Waterfront, you’ll find Cape Town’s food scene almost as thrilling as its dramatic setting. The freshest ingredients—harvested from surrounding farms and wine estates and from the Atlantic itself—give every tasting menu or just-baked croissant an almost unfair advantage. With every bite, you’re tasting South Africa.

Culture lovers won’t have time to sleep once they hit the Toronto pavement. Not only are institutes like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) filled with major works of art, street art is everywhere—take a guided tour of Toronto’s colorful back alleys. Toronto is known, too, for its arts, music, dance, and film festivals. For an authentic taste of a city so rich in culture, check the calendar and catch whatever’s playing in town.

From street food to white-tablecloth restaurants, Mexico City has a meal for every palate and budget. Plus, local, fresh, and heritage aren’t just buzzwords here—they’re a way of life. Come taste for yourself.

I’m on the hunt for perfection, Japanese style.

Some of New Zealand’s best souvenir shopping is found at art and craft galleries around the country. Locally-made crafts include Maori woven pieces and wood carvings. One color you’re sure to see all over the place: green, the color of pounamu, the Maori name for greenstone. But the country’s shops don’t just stop at souvenirs, of course. You’ll find local designer labels at shopping centers, including Auckland’s High Street. Watch for pieces by Karen Walker, one of the country’s best-known designers. Living in a camper van during your stay? Stop at the many farmers markets around the country to restock your cooler.

Featured in countless films, novels, and TV shows, Venice can evoke a sense of deja vu in travelers who have never previously experienced the Grand Canal, Bridge of Sighs, and gondola rides. Those are worthy experiences, yet Venice also rewards those who seek out its small islands and give in to getting lost down quaint neighborhood side streets. Museums and a local’s cooking class round out the mix of must-do activities.

Cairo Beyond the Headlines

In this modest Asian city, a vast galaxy of street food, night markets, and closet-sized seafood restaurants awaits. Don’t forget that small can be mightily good.

Today’s cosmopolitan, cool Berlin is a global dining city with top places to eat that range from casual street stands selling affordable snacks to elegant restaurants offering Michelin-star fine dining and local ingredients. Sample everything from falafel to Jamaican specialties—and some surprisingly good Tex-Mex burritos. But even modern-day Berlin does classic German fare very well so get in on all the currywurst you can handle. If you just have time to eat around one neighborhood, head straight to Prenzlauer Berg for top-notch brunch spots and some of the city’s best people watching.

Norwegians supposedly drink the most coffee in the world. It’s easy to believe. Stroll the streets of Oslo, and you’ll find coffee shops on every corner.

Housed in side-by-side 19th-century townhouses amid the gas streetlights and cobblestoned streets of Boston‘s Beacon Hill, the high-end Beacon Hill Hotel retains a distinctly European feel. The original owners and neighborhood residents Peter and Cecilia Rait bought the properties with the intent of opening a hotel and bistro. Nowadays, the property is managed by Saunders Hotel Group, but the who’s-who clientele hasn’t changed. Since the hotel opened in 2000, the intimate property has hosted innumerable A-listers seeking a lower profile, including Todd English.

Each of the 13 rooms has plantation shutters, pedestal sinks, flat-panel TVs with DirecTV, and windows that actually open for fresh air. The second-floor common area invites guests to meet and mingle. Plus, the hotel has a private, residential-feeling roof terrace overlooking Charles Street, perfect for morning coffee or afternoon reading.

Far above the plains where lions roam, there’s another Kenya, where life moves slowly and the people run fast. Writer Matt Gross tries to keep up.

Athens is infused with counterculture, ranging from the anarchic and graffitied to global-nomad hipster. Bohemia tends to concentrate in a few neighborhoods, notably Exarchia, Kerameikos, Metaxourgeio and the road leading toward Pireaus, but street art and edgy eateries can dot even posher neighborhoods. Of note are Athens’ many wonderful collective DIY art venues combining nightlife, music, art, performance and sometimes even daytime work.

To the west of Santiago’s historic heart of downtown, here the Chilean capital was founded at present day Cerro Santa Lucía with its lush garden. Now a trendy neighborhood, here top restaurants, bars, cafés, boutiques, parks, and stately apartment buildings make up this happening area around Lastarria street.