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Hoi An’s iconic noodle dish was tangled in mystery for decades. Then writer David Farley came to town.

If you only have three days in Amsterdam, a walking tour, boat tour, museum-crawl, and evening concert are just a few of your activity options. Over three days, you can also experience Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District, get lost in the canal ring, chill out in Vondelpark and take a ferry to Amsterdam-Noord. Plus: get out of town and see picture-postcard Holland a short cycle-ride away, but worlds apart from bustling Amsterdam.

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

With countless museums, numerous parks, and abundant art and cultural happenings, Brussels offers much for the culturally curious. Entertaining yourself in the city can be as cheap and easy as lacing up some comfortable footwear and taking a self-guided walking tour.

New Orleans’ cemeteries are part of the city’s culture as well as its landscape—and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous. Opened in 1789 on the edge of the French Quarter, the cemetery is home to the tomb of Marie Laveau, a free woman of color who earned a reputation as the city’s most powerful voodoo queen in the 1800s. Her tomb is littered with tributes (money, alcohol, candy, trinkets) left by those who hope the queen will grant their desires from beyond the grave. In the Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 made a cameo in several movies, including Interview with a Vampire and Double Jeopardy. Save Our Cemeteries, a non-profit dedicated to cemetery restoration and preservation, runs tours of both St. Louis No. 1 and Lafayette No. 1.

If you plan to visit Yellowstone National Park in the summer—when grizzly bear sightings, hot spring treks, and Grand Teton Mountain vistas are at their peak—remember to reserve a room far in advance. With their guided tours and unparalleled access to nature, these lodges fill up fast.

Bracingly fresh wines, just-picked organic vegetables, and local cheeses are served alongside Indian curries and Indonesian noodles in New Zealand’s increasingly cosmopolitan cities. While touring vineyards, stop for food and wine paired perfectly with stunning landscapes. Wine lists are, as expected, top notch in every part of the country.

The art collections housed in the great museums of Los Angeles are as varied as the museums themselves. At Getty’s grand villa above the Pacific, marble statues from ancient Greece oversee gardens and fountains. Behind the dazzling ultramodern facade of the Broad, visitors find ultramodern artworks, too. Even when the beaches and rooftop bars beckon, leave time in your schedule to tour these outstanding museums.

When visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines, you’re missing out if you’re not spending at least some time by, on, or under the water. Whether you opt for a sailing excursion, a whale-watching tour, or a scuba-diving trip, you’ll be amazed by the crystal-clear ocean and the abundant sea life that thrives below the surface.

Mexico’s first and only Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Luis Barragán is best known for his modernist work in Mexico City. However, his hometown of Guadalajara, where he and his contemporaries developed their signature Mexican-Arabic-Islamic style, features some of his most interesting early work. While much has been built over, you can still tour private homes and repurposed spaces—or even stay in an Airbnb designed by Barragán—to get a sense of his remarkable legacy.

While you’ll never have time for all of Shanghai’s best sights, here are some of our favorites. Seek out the city’s art and mind-blowing architecture, decompress in tranquil gardens, or tour long-forgotten nightclubs. Trust us: You won’t be bored.

Laurel Hill Cemetery is a hidden gem that many locals don’t know about, and those who do have put it on their bucket list of places to go. The cemetery is also on many “first” lists: The first planned rural cemetery for the city. The first architecturally designed cemetery in the US. The first US cemetery designated a National Historic Landmark. A sprawling 78 acres of hillside overlooking the Schuylkill River, Laurel Hill is now within the city limits but when conceived in 1836, this area was considered a rural suburb. Laurel Hill was the final resting place for Victorian gentry, Civil War generals, a signer of the Declaration of Independence (who was re-buried here), architects, spiritualists and industrialists, and local hero and beloved Phillies sportscaster Harry Kalas (on whose grave are blue seats from the old Veterans Stadium). To appreciate the architecture of the tombstones and mausoleums, visitors can wander the winding paths on a self-guided tour. Download a map from the website or get one in the gift shop (Yes! There is a charming gift shop). Or consider checking the website for unique and informative tours, held year-round. Spring and fall are the best times to go; the grounds are elegantly landscaped and maintained. If you drive, there is a parking lot across from the cemetery’s gatehouse entrance. By public transit, Septa’s Route 61 bus from Center City stops near the entrance. There is a small museum across from the gift shop that shouldn’t be missed.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent writer Ryan Knighton to Egypt’s sprawling capital with just 24 hours’ notice.

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.

The Spirit of Istanbul