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When you’re ready for a proper pisco, Miraflores’s PiscoBar is a capital choice, both for traditional cocktails as well as heady new creations. As is to be expected, owner Ricardo Carpio is a celebrated pisco expert, which makes this the ideal laboratory for personal tastings of some of the country’s premier brands. Happily, it’s also a fabulous place to eat, whether you’re craving tapas or a full-on meal. Dishes like the seafood risotto and the beef with tacu tacu (Peruvian refried beans and rice) make you wish you had a Peruvian grandmother; the welcoming staff provide a warm facsimile.

The Larco Museum is the starting point of your visit to Peru. It has the largest collection of pre-Columbian pieces in the Americas and tells the history of Peru without being tiresome. That’s a feat in itself, because we’re talking about 10.000 years of history! Everything you’ll see in Lima and around the country will make sense after this visit. The quality and beauty of the pieces are amazing, showing all the complexity of the local cultures. It’s a beautiful museum, very well curated, the exhibits are simple and to the point and everything is explained in displays and videos. The museum offers also a super interesting guided visit for families with children. Other famous part of this museum is two private rooms dedicated to erotic pieces, showing the connection between erotic and fertility.

Galeria Delbarrio is an extraordinary place to see Peruvian pop art. The gallery mixes the old and new, modern and traditional, in a very fun way. They have paintings, comics and an extensive collection of rustic-pop furniture spread throughout a 1840’s house. Just the house itself would be worth the visit. It has the traditional architecture from the time Chorillos was a beach resort town where the rich families from Lima spent their summers. The restoration preserved the domes, glasswork and original ceilings, adding a splash of color that brought the place to life. After the visit, take a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy its tranquil old town atmosphere. Make sure you finish by the boardwalk, where you’ll be wowed by one of the best views of Lima.

Born free, today’s post-apartheid generation asks, what’s next?

You probably didn’t think of traveling to Peru for world-class French cuisine, yet here it is. The minute you walk in, you leave the Andes behind in favor of a European vibe, reflected in music, decor, and, of course, what’s on the table. Everything on the menu is French, including the expansive choice of wines. The five- or seven-course tasting menus are the perfect way to sample as many flavors as possible, but if ordering à la carte, save room for sumptuous desserts and a delicious coffee, picking your personal ideal from a wide range of blends.

No matter your passion, Portland has you covered. The tax-free shopping wonderland is loaded with stores to tickle the fancy of shoppers both casual and obsessed. From Powell’s City of Books—easily one of the best bookstores in the United States—to Wildfang, where the coolest patriarchy smashers hang, and, yes, all the chain stores, Portland’s got the goods. Some of the city’s shopping hubs include downtown Portland, Pioneer Place, 23rd Avenue, and the Pearl District. Fuel up with some java at the coffee shop of your choice because there is serious shopping to be done.

If all you know about Toronto is hockey and the CN Tower, you are in for an eye-opening visit. Groundbreaking film festivals, fantastic architecture, a design community so strong that the city’s become a destination for innovators and buyers, art and cultural museums, unique neighborhoods and industrial districts that have been transformed—you won’t be able to leave without planning a second visit.

Canals, culture, and cannabis are just a few of the reasons Amsterdam, the capital of the Dutch Golden Age, remains one of Europe’s most popular cities. Two of the must-visit Amsterdam museums include the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. After visiting one or both, step into one of the hundreds of coffee shops—legal marijuana dispensaries—with the more well-known ones located in the Red Light District.

Tours of the Sacred Valley, and the entire Cuzco area, often feature side trips through gorgeous landscapes like Moray, an archaeological site with remarkable concentric agricultural terraces. It’s believed the Incas used these terraces—on which temperatures vary 59 degrees Fahrenheit from the top tier to the bottom—as a way to acclimatize non-regional crops for highland cultivation. Even if you don’t find that fascinating, it’s hard not to appreciate the beauty of the spot, and given that this part of Peru is not so heavily visited, it’s a nice escape from the beaten path. The Boleto Turístico covers this admission.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent comedian Jorma Taccone on a spontaneous journey to Nairobi, Kenya.

Located at the Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, this open-air restaurant specializes in grilled meats and seafood but also offers several delicious pastas. The executive chef hails from Peru, which explains why the menu includes a traditional ceviche with sweet potato garnish, along with a few other Peruvian dishes. Look forward to everything from grilled rib-eye and salmon to penne with chicken and prosciutto, and be sure to save room for desserts like lemon pie and flan.

A journey into the ethnic neighborhoods redefining the City of Light

It’s easy to fill a long weekend with Orlando fun. Spend one day at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot (with some Morimoto and tequila, to insert some adult-pleasing activities to the classic theme park day), of course. Engage in some other local magic, too, like the wildlife of Central Florida with a kayak exploration of the headwaters of the Everglades, or an afternoon viewing the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany at the Hosmer Museum in Winter Park. Try some of Orlando’s food truck fare and sip international vintages at a wine bar. And, if you have some time, get out and explore the charming neighborhoods, up-and-coming restaurants, and boutique shopping in this sprawling and modern metropolis.

Istanbul is a city where the past collides with the present. The Raffles Istanbul, connected to the high-end retail hub of the Zorlu Center, beautifully exemplifies the contrasts. To get a taste of the Ottoman empire, book a room at the Four Seasons Bosporus, set in the restored Atik Pasha Palace. Modernists should stay at the Marti Hotel, located in the heart of the city’s business district. For the cool kids, there’s the House Hotel, which oozes urban Bauhaus style. And no matter where you stay, the hotel concierges will be more than happy to direct you to the city’s biggest sites, from the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace to the Hagia Sophia.

La Catedral is actually three churches in one, each of which are exquisite. It is decorated in the Baroque style, with more gilt and gold trimming than you can imagine. In order to convert the Incan people to Catholicism, the Spanish used symbols from Incan religion throughout the church. Look for the hundreds of mirrors, as well as the triangle shape associated with the Mountain God. La Catedral hosts a couple of particularly unique pieces, including a Peruvian rendition of the Last Supper featuring a guinea pig as the main dish. El Señor de Los Temblores is a crucifix that stopped the Cuzco earthquake of 1650, and is featured prominently in the cathedral. Pictures are not allowed inside, but the exterior of La Catedral is picturesque both during the day and at night when it’s lit up with the rest of La Plaza de Armas.