Search results for

On a perfect spring day, Boston turns into a giant walking tour. The city’s top attractions tend to spill over from one to the other, inviting visitors to just keep going. On other days? Well, luckily there’s the T. For one of America’s most celebrated walking tours, walk the Freedom Trail, which takes you to 16 sites central to American history, including the Massachusetts State House and the Paul Revere House and so much more. Here are some of the best things to do in Boston.

With over 1,000 years gone by since its founding, Hanoi is one of Asia’s grande dames and is not lacking in historical attractions. The city’s many traditions are reflected in its top historic attractions, including stately pagodas, churches, and architecture. The more tragic modern history is not so apparent but can still be glimpsed in remnants and monuments throughout Hanoi.

Denmark is known for its genius designers, including Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, and Jacob Jensen. Much of their work and influence is on display in the capital, Copenhagen. Great design touches everything in the city from the futuristic hotels to the pilgrimage-worthy restaurants and the New Nordic food they turn out. Walk the city and take in the great architecture or pack or hit the shops and take home super cool Scandi souvenirs from a new breed of design talent.

São Paulo is one of the world’s largest cities and the largest city in South America. It’s also home to huge Japanese and Italian populations (a result of immigration in the early 20th century as São Paulo was an important part of the coffee industry). The city is known for its variety of food, nightlife, and culture, including art and museums. It’s also a great place to experience Brazil’s indoor and outdoor markets and see some very cool architecture thanks to Oscar Niemeyer’s work here.

Los Angeles is a beacon for people from around the country who want to revel in its sunny weather, mountainous coastal landscape, and boundless creativity, and visitors will find themselves well entertained.

A recent makeover of the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago from Houston-based Rottet Studio did away with the dark and clubby vibe common in older Chicago hotels in favor of a brighter natural palette. Today, the lobby is open and bedecked in oversize floral arrangements; the open-plan lounge there, with its modern glass chandelier, has become a high-end local watering hole known as the Social Bar. The new Adorn restaurant is now a big-night-out dining destination courtesy of chef Richie Farina’s creations that range from a perfectly prepared filet mignon to caviar and eggs. Upstairs, the 345 guest rooms—more than half are suites—feature understated grays and pale greens and come with deep soaking tubs and (if you ask) unimpeded views of Lake Michigan.

Nantucket is a perennial favorite summer destination, with Atlantic Ocean beaches, picturesque harbors, and iconic lighthouses. Accommodations on the island range from cozy bed-and-breakfast rooms to marina-side cottages to penthouse loft apartments. Water views and beach shuttles are in-demand amenities, and most hotels can arrange boat rides and lobster bakes for a quintessential New England vacation.

Hungry travelers have a few options, including the hotel’s signature modern French brasserie and café, Venteux, but the real action is upstairs at the French-inspired rooftop, Château Carbide. Set in what would be the cork of this (literally) gilded bottle-shaped tower, the secret plein-air space had never been open to the public until 2021; in June 2023, it was reimagined as an absinthe bar, where the plant-based liquor takes center stage on the cocktail menu, with spectacular city views as the background.

You don’t have to sleep on the ground after a day spent exploring the Grand Canyon’s rim trails on foot or by air via helicopter tour. We’ve rustled up a passel of our favorite national park lodgings so you can spend time where it counts: planning visits to the skywalk and Hopi House.

A weekend in Marrakech offers just enough time to take in the Red City’s gardens, the medina, and to tumble through the city’s souks and boutiques, your arms filled with purchases. Of course, the food: from traditional Moroccan dishes to European-inspired meals, and plenty of local red wine. Don’t miss a night of food stalls and snake charmers at Djemma el Fna. Tempting as it may be to stay put in Marrakech’s oldest section for the weekend, leave the medina to tour the stunning gardens French painter Jacques Majorelle left behind, and the museum dedicated to legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. And do go to a hammam on day one because, really, you’ll quickly see why it should be your daily habit while in town.

There are a handful of appealing options in the West Loop, but the most exciting is the Hoxton Chicago, whose laid-back lobby is filled daily with locals and guests working, meeting, dining, drinking, or hanging out with a coffee. Part of the socially focused Hoxton hotel group that launched in London’s East End in 2006, this 182-room hotel has become the West Loop’s top rendezvous spot for meetings (unless you’re a member of nearby Soho House), but upstairs is just as enticing. We love “Flexy Time,” which allows guests to check in and out whatever time of day they like, so long as they book directly through the hotel website.

Hyde Park is happening. Catering to the University of Chicago crowd and its visiting dignitaries, the five-year-old Sophy takes inspiration from hometown literary and musical heroes, whose artworks ornament the walls in the popular and always convivial Mesler restaurant. Taking the title of the first boutique hotel on Chicago’s South Side when it opened in 2018, the property occupies a prime spot on 53rd Street—a vibrant commercial hub lined with shops and restaurants owned and frequented by a diverse population that range from academics to local politicians to the city’s cultural influencers. Former UofC professor Barack Obama’s home (and his under-construction presidential library) are nearby.

Spend the day indulging your senses with experiences as diverse as this vast and wondrous city. Wake up early to wonder at the Christian and Islamic architecture then cross the Galata Bridge for modern art, a baklava break, and an indulgent soak at a hammam. Later, relax on a popular rooftop restaurant and hear the call to prayer echo throughout the city. Just one perfect day in Istanbul will leave you craving more.

From a hip up-and-coming art and architecture scene to iconic, tile-covered monuments, Porto has a lot more on offer than port and bacalhau. So take a day or two to explore Northern Portugal’s charming unofficial capital.

Whether facing the Sea of Cortés, the Pacific Ocean, or sandwiched between both (ah, Los Cabos), the beaches and waters of the Baja California Peninsula serve up surfing, some swimming (be careful out there, the waters can be pretty rough), boating, wildlife viewing, and, of course, all the sunny days you can handle.