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If you want a more back-to-nature romantic sleep, head off the main island of Providenciales and onto the less resort oriented Grand Turk and stay at the historic Grand Turk Inn. A charming bed-and-breakfast in a 150-plus year old Caribbean clapboard inn, it doesn’t allow children under the age of 16, and has an old fashioned allure, where time still feels like it moves slowly. In a prime Front Street location, it was originally build as the Methodist Manse, but today has been converted into a stately B&B with just five elegant, sunny suites and overlooks the beach and turquoise waters of the Columbus Landfall National Park. Despite the historic style of the inn, rooms are modern and have satellite TV and air-con, as well as full kitchens and West Indies colonial era furnishings made from rattan and bamboo. Don’t skip the huge rooftop sundeck facing the ocean and historic waterfront. The included breakfast is delivered to your room each morning based on your menu selection from the night before. There is also an on-site restaurant serving an Asian influenced menu. Also take a stroll down Front Street to explore more restaurants and listen to local artists playing nightly on the street.

Climb the grand baroque staircase and pass the Jesuit church, cross Gundulić Square, and follow the COLD DRINKS WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEW signs. Then, yes, walk through the walls. Buža translates to “a hole-in-the-wall,” and a hole-in-the-wall it is, one that leads to a cliffside ledge with a bar on it. From the moment you order a cool beverage off a simple menu, you begin to unwind. The backdrop to your drink is stunning: a sky-high stone parapet on one side and nothing but the blue sea between you and the horizon. This is the ideal spot for swooning over Adriatic sunsets.

An address won’t help you much on Burano. If you’re looking for a specific spot on this tiny archipelago off the Venetian coast, let color be your guide. According to legend, island homes were painted in vivid hues to help fishermen find their way in the fog as far back as the 6th century. While neon shades of blue, green, orange, and lavender may seem random, they’ve been determined by a regulated system for centuries. Even today, property owners must request permission and a selection of permissible colors from the Italian government before slapping a new coat of paint on their aging buildings. Visitors who make the 45-minute vaporetto ride from Venice to Burano are rewarded with a kaleidoscope of tropical hues and a serene island ambience that seems worlds away from the madding crowds in Piazza San Marco. While edible vestiges of its roots as a small fishing village remain in waterfront restaurants serving up heaping plates of frittura mista, seafood risotto, and spaghetti vongole, Burano is better known today for its hand-hewn lace and colorful homes. In the 15th century, its artistic prominence surged when island women began making the famed lace. Demand peaked after Leonardo da Vinci visited to shop for the Burano lace that covers the main altar of the Duomo in Milan. If you’re lucky enough to visit Burano during the pre-Lent Venice Carnevale, you may find new dimensions of color on its four canal-laced islands and picturesque footbridges. A multicolored palette of some 3,000 islanders provides a rainbow of backdrops for costumed revelers. Primping and posing, the fantasy personae inspire storms of clicks from photographers eager to capture the visual feast.

One of the most popular day trips from Reykjavík, this dramatic and scenic rift valley is both the historical site of Iceland’s Viking parliament and a geological wonder in its own right. Among the highlights are the Almannagjá cliffs, where the island’s chieftains and most of the Icelandic population traditionally congregated for an annual Alþing (general assembly), the last of which was held as recently as 1798. Wooden walkways around the park lead to other sites of interest like the black-roofed Þingvellir Church and Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. There are also waterfalls, flower-filled valleys, and abundant wildlife. It is possible to organize a diving trip to explore the tectonic rift that divides the Eurasian and North American plates, and there’s a visitor center with great views and decent coffee as well as exhibitions and a gift shop.

December 2, 2025 | 18:00–19:30 CET

December 1st, 2025 | 17:30–19:30 CET

Iceland’s largest and most famous geothermal spa lies around an hour outside Reykjavik, quite close to Keflavik Airport. With a dramatic setting amidst large black lava boulders, the steam-filled, creamy-blue pool area is a striking and surreal sight. The Blue Lagoon has been open since the 1980s and today draws some 700,000 visitors a year. The pools are actually created by heated seawater that flows from the adjacent geothermal power station. The waters allegedly cure all manner of skin-related ailments (eczema, psoriasis), but whether these claims are true or not, it’s certainly an atmospheric place to unwind, with very comfortable (99 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures. The complex includes a small bar that dispenses healthy juices and beer, as well as a spa area for massages andbeauty treatments, and a very good restaurant; there’s also an upscale hotel if you wish to stay overnight.

UNESCO got it right when it declared Quito’s historical center the world’s first Cultural Heritage site. Hidden among the baroque churches, cobbled streets, and colorful markets lies a square of endless entertainment. If you find yourself in Plaza Grande on Sunday, then cancel your plans for the rest of the day. From morning to night, this square, no bigger than two soccer pitches, chimes with traditional music, vendors peddling their wares, theatrical performances, and religious preachers. On stone benches, gray-bearded men strum the hypnotic sounds of pasillo music. Sprawling up one side of the Catedral de Quito’s steps, hundreds of locals watch a group re-enact Ecuador’s fight for independence. Up the other side, howls of laughter bellow against the 16th-century white walls as a face-painted comedian delivers his routine. Then, as the clouds above the Presidential Palace turn a deep red later in the day, suited men divulge the secrets of the Bible in front of studious locals.

From kayaking and biking to spa treatments and great eats, this itinerary blends adventure and relaxation.

Visit the Smithsonian museums, kayak in Georgetown, see pandas in one of the oldest zoos in the U.S., and play mini golf on this family-friendly itinerary.

These towering fiberglass figures were America’s supersize salesmen in the 1960s. On this episode of Unpacked, America 250 learn earn how they went from coast-to-coast marketing phenomenon to beloved roadside relics.

This 6-day itinerary takes you through the Danish capital’s epicurean delights and the centuries-old historical sites of North and South Zealand.

Enjoy global cuisines, explore Eastern Market, and visit renowned museums in this six-day itinerary.