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Whether you’re looking for an ultramodern take on Tokyo, like the one you’ll find in Shibuya, or something like Nakameguro, where you’ll find trendy restaurants and shops, as well as residential streets, Tokyo has neighborhoods that will give you a distinctive taste of Japan. Find old temples and cutting edge art galleries, neighborhoods where sassy teenagers pose in outlandish outfits and shopping streets that boggle the mind (and fill up the suitcase). Welcome to Tokyo, land of the past, present, and future.

New York City’s distinct neighborhoods offer up all kinds of shopping experiences. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the side streets of SoHo are hubs for designer and indie boutiques. Department stores have their flagships planted on Madison Avenue around 57th Street, and you can score bargains at downtown’s Century 21. Here are some of the most unique places to shop in the Big Apple, including flea markets and museums.

A weekend trip to visit Berlin offers just enough time to explore some of the city’s history and cultural hotspots, and, of course, tuck into some German cuisine and street food (hello currywurst). If it’s a meet the locals sort of weekend you’re after, pick a few neighborhoods to focus on: perhaps the restaurants, street art, and galleries of Mitte and Friedrichshain? Don’t miss the East Side Gallery. And, on Sunday, Prenzlauer Berg for its open air flea market. A perfect weekend indeed.

Italians have a wonderful tradition of winding down the day and gearing up for the night—the early-evening aperitivo. Here are places to enjoy a glass of sparkling prosecco with a plate of savory snacks.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent Vendela Vida on a spontaneous journey to St. Maarten.

Lisbon is rich in art and culture. Visit palaces and the cathedral, and hear concerts in gardens and live music in bars. Enjoy art galleries and the colorful tiles at Museu Nacional do Azulejo. (Note that many Lisbon museums are free on Sundays till 2 p.m.) Art can also be found in the streets or parking lots, where the walls are covered with street art. Lisbon’s cultural offerings are many.

With everything from street food to Michelin-starred cuisine, Seoul boasts an extensive culinary scene. Be sure to sample specialties like bulgogi (barbecued meat), japchae (stir-fried noodles), and comforting soups, all served with kimchi.

An evening out in Florence often kicks off at around 7pm with an aperitivo and there are plenty of great bars in the city to choose from. The drink of choice for many Florentines is a Spritz, a refreshing mix of prosecco and either Campari or bright orange Aperol, a similar but sweeter concoction. In many bars, a serve-yourself buffet of hot and cold snacks is included in the price of your aperitivo setting you up for your evening entertainment of choice.

Inspired by vibrant Southeast Asian night markets, D.C. chef Erik Bruner-Yang (of Toki Underground fame) and D.C. streetwear mogul Will Sharp created a sleek, two-story indoor/outdoor space that’s part menswear store, part café and restaurant. The first level is all about shopping, and the floor is lined with glass-encased displays featuring Sharp’s clothing line, Durkl, as well as a library full of designer sneakers. Upstairs, sip locally roasted Vigilante coffee while snacking on Frenchie’s pastries and desserts. The best part, though, is when you step onto the patio and take a seat at the open kitchen serving up Yang’s blazing hot and flavorful Cambodian and Taiwanese cuisine. Don’t miss out on the American Wagyu tartare, the Khmer tamarind salad, the steamed pork bao buns, and zha ji pai (Taiwanese fried chicken).

A journey into Morocco’s Berber territory, where tradition and modern life meet.

Charming any time of year, Brussels’ arcades and shopping streets offer top designer boutiques, whimsical gifts, or that perfect vintage treasure. Brussels may be known for diamonds, but you can find everything here: designer fashions, trendy vintage clothes, housewares, gifts for gourmets, and so much more.

First off, you should know how to say ‘cheers’ in Polish: Twoje zdrowie! You’ll hear the toast often as you wander the medieval streets of this welcoming city. Student spots, elegant rooftop lounges, old taverns, vodka bars—drink the vodka, the local beer, or a flute of sparkling wine and practice this important Polish phrase.

Japan’s former imperial city offers awe-inspiring Shinto and Buddhist temples, beautiful gardens, streets lined with old wooden town houses, and narrow stone lanes where you might see modern-day geisha and stop at an izakaya for a meal.

Amsterdam—a mecca for design fans—is a shopper’s paradise for everyone else, too, with vintage stores, one-of-a-kind boutiques, Dutch design outlets, and pop-up shops lining the streets and canals.

Adobe streetfront: door...window...sky. Color. Much of Tucson, like most western U.S. cities, is devoted to strip malls and parking lots, but the historic core still has blocks of 19th-century Sonoran-style row houses. In the 1960s, acres and acres of the Barrio Viejo was razed, but fortunately not all of it. Today it’s a combination of gentrification and the pleasantly decrepit: attorney’s offices, student rentals, and family homes share this yard-less streetscape in a bilingual neighborhood. In reading about the history of the neighborhood, I came across this description, written back in the 1930s by Dr. James Harvey Robinson of Columbia University, who was visiting Tucson for the first time: “But this cannot be the United States of America, Tucson, Arizona! This is northern Africa - Tunis! Algiers! - or even Greece, where I have seen as here, houses built flush with the sidewalks with pink, blue, green and yellow walls, flowers climbing out of hidden patios and overall, an unbelievable blue sky. And the sweet-acrid smell in the air? Burning mesquite. Lovely! And the people - charming. But all this is the Old World, not America.” The Barrio Viejo is perfect for a bike ride. You do feel as if you’ve left reality-TV-obsessed Gringolandia...if only for a few blocks...