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Follow the sound of music to the iconic Mirabell Palace and Gardens, where Fräulein Maria and the von Trapp children delightfully sang “Do-Re-Mi.” Mirabell has become a dream destination for marriage ceremonies, boasting what some call the most beautiful wedding hall in the world. Of course, you don’t have to tie the knot to enjoy this elegant slice of Salzburg: Stroll through the gardens and admire the charming flower beds, statues of Roman gods, hedge theater, Pegasus fountain, and garden of baroque marble dwarfs.

Eat dinner like a conquistador at Restaurante Sobrino de Botin. The combination of its central location off Plaza Mayor and its claim to be the “Oldest Restaurant in the World” makes it charming and fun for family and friends. Make sure to put in a reservation in advance and order a traditional dish. I particularly enjoyed the incredibly thin jamon because it was light and not oversalted.

Myeongdong is a dizzying shopping mecca where every major Korean cosmetic and fashion brand has a store—or several. The Korea Tourism Organization estimates that more than 1 million visitors pass through the area every day. Anchored by the Lotte and Shinsegae department stores, Myeongdong is packed with stalls and shops, both above- and underground. Don’t worry about a language barrier—most salespeople speak English and will even try to lure you in with the promise of free goodies like sheet masks. (Remember to bring your passport to qualify for tax-free refunds at participating locations.) At night, the energy intensifies with mazes of neon lights and vendors selling street food like rice cakes, egg toast, tornado potatoes, dumplings, steamed corn, and anything that fits on a skewer.

The description may sound daunting: a 2,000-vertical-foot gain in less than a mile. OK, it is a little daunting—but the trick is to take your time. This nearly mile-long wooden stairway was converted from a funicular railway that washed out in a rock slide in 1990. Averaging a 24-degree slope, it has a few “false summits,” where it looks like you’re about to get to the top only to discover there’s still more to go. The reward for this effort is an incredible view looking out from the foothills over Colorado Springs. Up for the speed challenge? The current record was set on Sept. 25, 2015, by U.S. mountain-running team member Joseph Gray, who did it in 17 minutes, 45 seconds. Good luck.

Sitting pretty on seven acres below Canyons Resort, the Waldorf Astoria is one of Park City’s preferred stays thanks to its elegant suites, sleek spa, and signature service. Opened in 2009, the stone-and-log lodge projects alpine grandeur. Interiors mix natural elements with posh details like a Baccarat crystal chandelier, an Italian marble fireplace, Oriental rugs, and leather furnishings. Outside, the hotel’s private gondola whisks skiers to the slopes and back, after which they can take a soak in the heated outdoor pool or indulge in a massage at the sunny, 16,000-square-foot spa—one of the finest in the Wasatch Mountains. Come dinnertime, guests head to onsite restaurant Powder, an antler-lined spot offering locavore fare and stunning mountain views.

The 174 guestrooms and suites all feature gas fireplaces; many also have balconies. Available with one to four bedrooms, the Bi-Level Suites even include fireplaces and gourmet kitchens outfitted with Viking appliances.

Over the past two centuries, the covered market at Borough, not far from London Bridge, has become one of the country’s most famous foodie spots. From Wednesday to Saturday each week hundreds of traders gather to sell homemade breads, hand-reared pork, artisan chocolate and all manner of ingredients—plus excellent coffee, fresh juices and organic wine. Plentiful samples add to the convivial vibe, and restaurants around the market’s edge provide additional sustenance for longer stops.

There’s a bit of the Wild West at this luxurious wine country inn. Vintner Fess Parker, of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone TV fame, opened the inn in 1998. Today it’s still run by his family, and you can wade in the nostalgia by visiting the gallery off the lobby, which displays black-and-white images of Parker from his Hollywood days. Each of the 19 spacious rooms and suites is slightly different. Grand Garden rooms have cozy gas fireplaces and views of Los Olivos, while suites with living rooms are expansive enough to spread out and relax. At the Bear and Star restaurant, ingredients for the “refined ranch cuisine” are sourced from the Fess Parker Home Ranch, just seven miles from the inn. Wagyu specialties abound—from carpaccio to burgers, meatloaf to steaks—while the Fess Parker Winery supplies the restaurant with estate-grown rhône varietals. Lounge by the pool, or drop in at the spa for a massage or facial (a highlight: the Heaven on Earth package, which blends the Unwind massage with a customized Elemis facial). Pro tip: End the evening on a nostalgic note, borrowing a Fess Parker movie from the library for guests.

Located down on the harbor and hidden inside the chic Reykjavik Hotel Marina, this vintage-cool bar is run by master mixologists who create dapper cocktails from fresh, local ingredients and house-made syrups. Behind the handsome wooden bar there are also several types of beer (including Icelandic brews) on tap, a bunch of wines, and a wide choice of liquor—including ten different types of rum. The food menu is pretty good too, with steaks, fish, lamb, and vegetarian options.

Located in the charming harbor town of Portpatrick, Campbell’s is the perfect combination of welcoming informality and smart professionalism—with views of pleasure crafts and fishing boats, to boot. The best dishes highlight the fruits of the sea, whether it’s grilled langoustines or poached halibut, but also worth trying are the Thai green curry, the surf-and-turf with Galloway beef, and desserts like chocolate marquise and crème brûlée. Most ingredients come from the nearby coastline and surrounding farms, and bread is made daily on the premises. There’s also a decent wine list for pairing with your meal. Designed to mimic the seaside, the dining room is done up in shades of green, blue, and gold, with fresh flowers, candles, elegant glassware, and rustic cutlery lending the restaurant a homey yet elegant feel.

There’s something about a place being “secret” that makes it exponentially more exciting. Counter Reformation, the European-style wine bar hidden from sight inside the Parker hotel, lives up to that notion. Open from Thursday to Monday, 3 to 10 p.m., the pocket-sized shrine to great wine has no tables and takes no reservations (though leaning at the low-lit 14-seat bar is encouraged). But there is food, and fantastic food at that. Instead of trying to be everything to everybody, Counter Reformation’s tapas menu is short and original, including caviar served with crème fraîche and a quail egg, plus a layered summer tomato salad with melon. The wines are carefully curated from California, France, and Italy, with a few wild cards from places like Portugal and Oregon, and are all priced the same. While the spot has the feel of an insider’s club, it’s without pretense, with the experts behind the bar providing enthusiastic guidance. For dessert, order the foie gras macarons with sea salt, with a sip of champagne. If you overdo it, don’t worry: You can ask for forgiveness in the restaurant’s authentic confessional booth, shipped in from Italy.

Opened in 1980, Willi’s, with its bright blue facade, is a fixture in the 1st arrondissement. This French wine bar, which is actually owned by an Englishman, is perhaps most famous for its wine-themed posters, which are commissioned each year and created by contemporary artists. A selection of them hang throughout the two-room space, which includes a long wood bar area with stools and an adjacent, larger dining room. The wine list specializes in the best Rhone vintages, but also includes a nice selection of White Burgundies. Affordable a la carte dishes and prix-fixe menus of French classics, as well as Spanish charcuterie, are also a draw.

This sweet restaurant in West Ashley serves up all the Southern classics, from fried green tomatoes to pimento cheese and grits, but makes everything with local ingredients. The grits come from nearby Edisto Island, and much of the produce is sourced from Johns Island. Come at lunch for one of the delicious (and enormous) po’boys, or swing by for dinner and pair fried pork chops with beer, wine, or cocktails from the extensive drink menu.

Let the Urubamba River set your course during a thrilling rafting adventure along the Ollantaytambo rapids, available through the Belmond. The river helped form what is now the Sacred Valley, and along the way you’ll not only sense its power, but also get a feel for some less visited corners of the region it created. You’ll pass towering eucalyptus trees and the ruins of Inca terraces and more as you make your way down river, ending with a picnic lunch before returning to the hotel by car. Photo by Rod Waddington/Flickr.

A Hawaiian fantasyland on Oahu’s more remote leeward coast, about 40 minutes from Waikiki, Aulani is so seductive—for all ages—that many guests are loath to leave the property at all. And who can blame them? The beach is an idyllic cove (albeit a man-made one) stocked with kayaks, boogie boards, and everything else little beach bums could want. Then there are the three pools, including one for adults only and one filled with tropical fish for snorkelers-in-training, two impressive waterslides, and the biggest crowd-pleaser of them all, a 900-foot-long lazy river where guests, big and small, splash around on inner tubes as they meander around a faux-rock grotto. Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, and the rest—all in their vacation outfits—make occasional cameos at the breakfast buffet or by (sometimes, in) the pool. But while Aulani is most assuredly every kid’s dream, it is not every parent’s nightmare. The resort decor is more traditionally Hawaiian than obnoxiously Magic Kingdom; the lobby is built to recall an old canoe house, on a grand scale, and is covered in murals, painted by local artists, depicting island life. Hawaiian storytellers gather around a fire pit at night, and rooms have warm woods, with a single subtle reference to the Mouse King—a wooden carving of Mickey with a surfboard and ukulele that doubles as a desk lamp. Perhaps best of all, the Aulani has an outstanding, supervised kids’ club that’s free to guests ages 3 to 12. Babysitters are available for kids as young as six weeks old.

If you only see one temple in Bangkok, make it Wat Pho: home of the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand. The 141-foot-long statue is an artistic masterpiece plated in gold leaf and inlaid with mother of pearl. You could easily spend all day wandering the grounds, looking at reliquaries, visiting the massage school, and admiring the 400 statues of Buddha in the outer cloister—each posed and sculpted slightly differently. Before you leave, drop some money in one of the 108 begging bowls (one bowl for each of the characters of Buddha). The money goes to maintaining the Wat and the gift will bring you good luck. That seems like a fair trade.