The Itinerary Culture & history
Ruins, palaces, markets and the cities that repay a slow walk — with the opening hours and ticket traps already worked out.
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Best for: The centre of the continent, then the wet green top of it
The Red Centre and the Top End in 10 days: Uluru, Kings Canyon, Kakadu
Alice Springs → the West MacDonnells → Kings Canyon → Uluru → Kata Tjuta → Darwin → Kakadu
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Best for: Afro-Brazilian Salvador, then islands with no cars on them
Bahia in 9 days: Salvador, the turtles and Morro de São Paulo
Salvador → Praia do Forte → Morro de São Paulo → Boipeba → Salvador
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Best for: French North America, and belugas in a fjord
Québec in 7 days: Montréal, Québec City and the whales at Tadoussac
Montréal → Québec City → Île d'Orléans → Charlevoix → Tadoussac → Montréal
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Best for: The best food in Mexico, then a Pacific beach to sleep it off
Oaxaca and the Pacific coast in 9 days: markets, mezcal and Mazunte
Oaxaca City → Monte Albán → Hierve el Agua → Puerto Escondido → Mazunte → Huatulco
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Best for: The Moorish south, done in the right order
Andalusia in 8 days: Seville, Córdoba, Granada and Ronda
Seville → Córdoba → Granada → Ronda → Málaga
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Best for: The half of Croatia that isn't the Dalmatian coast
Istria and northern Croatia in 7 days: Rovinj, Plitvice and Pula
Zagreb → Plitvice → Opatija → Rovinj → Pula → Motovun → Zagreb
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Best for: Four cities, one visa, no hire car and no internal flights
France and Italy in 12 days: Paris, the Riviera, Florence and Rome
Paris → Nice → Florence → Rome
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Best for: Walking in rather than taking the train
The Inca Trail in 8 days: permits, altitude and Machu Picchu
Lima → Cusco → the Sacred Valley → the Inca Trail → Machu Picchu → Cusco
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Best for: The two subcontinental classics in one trip, at a pace that survives both
India and Sri Lanka in 12 days: the Golden Triangle, then the hill country
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Sigiriya → Kandy → Ella → Galle
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Best for: Lakes then mountains, entirely by train, on one Schengen visa
Italy and Switzerland in 10 days: Milan, Lake Como, Zermatt and Lucerne
Milan → Lake Como → Zermatt → Lucerne
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Best for: Two of Asia's best food countries, three hours apart, at half the cost people expect
Japan and Taiwan in 12 days: Tokyo, Kyoto, Taipei and Taroko
Tokyo → Kyoto → Taipei → Hualien → Taipei
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Best for: Mountains and the Atlantic instead of the Sahara
The High Atlas and Essaouira in 8 days: Marrakech, mountains, Atlantic
Marrakech → Imlil → the High Atlas → Ouirgane → Essaouira → Marrakech
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Best for: The south of France without Paris
Provence and the Riviera in 7 days: Nice, the Luberon and Avignon
Nice → Èze → Antibes → Aix-en-Provence → the Luberon → Avignon → Marseille
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Best for: Two days of city, four of Highlands, one loop
Scotland in 7 days: Edinburgh, Glencoe and the Isle of Skye
Edinburgh → Loch Lomond → Glencoe → Isle of Skye → Loch Ness → Edinburgh
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Best for: Greek temples, a live volcano and the best street food in Italy
Sicily in 8 days: Taormina, Etna, Syracuse and the temples
Catania → Taormina → Etna → Syracuse → Noto → Agrigento → Palermo
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Best for: Two places that are nothing like each other, two and a half hours apart
Singapore and Bali in 10 days: three days of city, seven of island
Singapore → Ubud → Uluwatu
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Best for: Two ruined capitals and one living one, in the order that makes sense
Thailand and Cambodia in 12 days: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Angkor and Phnom Penh
Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Siem Reap → Phnom Penh
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Best for: Crossing a border by speedboat, with the best street food in Asia at the end
Thailand and Malaysia in 12 days: Bangkok, the Andaman islands, Penang and KL
Bangkok → Krabi → Koh Lipe → Langkawi → Penang → Kuala Lumpur
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Best for: Two of Southeast Asia's best countries without the Cambodia detour everyone else makes
Thailand and Vietnam in 14 days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Ha Long and Hoi An
Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Hanoi → Ha Long → Hoi An
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Best for: Two empires and one skyline, on a four-hour flight
Istanbul, Cappadocia and Dubai in 9 days
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Dubai
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Best for: The newest skyline in the world and the oldest monuments in it, three hours apart
Dubai and Egypt in 9 days: the skyline, the pyramids and a Nile cruise
Dubai → Cairo → Luxor → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan
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Best for: The shortest two-country trip in Europe, and the one most people get slightly wrong
London and Paris in 7 days: two capitals, one train
London → Windsor → Paris → Versailles
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Best for: Mountains first, then the Silk Road, on one flight and two fast trains
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in 10 days: Almaty, Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara
Almaty → Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara
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Best for: Skiing at 3,000m with a proper city to come down to every evening, visa-free for most passports
Almaty in winter: Shymbulak, Medeu and a city under the Tian Shan
Almaty → Medeu → Shymbulak → Almaty
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Best for: A long weekend where the ski resort is an hour from the capital and the monastery is in the village
Armenia in winter: Tsaghkadzor skiing and Yerevan
Yerevan → Tsaghkadzor → Lake Sevan → Yerevan
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Best for: A purpose-built ski resort in the Greater Caucasus with Baku's old city on either end
Azerbaijan in winter: Shahdag skiing and a night in Baku
Baku → Quba → Shahdag → Baku
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Best for: Completing the yatra in five days when the ten-day road version is not physically possible
Char Dham by helicopter in 5 days: the four shrines without the trek
Dehradun → Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath → Dehradun
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Best for: A city where the heat decides the timetable, planned around that instead of against it
Dubai with kids in 5 days: parks, the aquarium and indoor afternoons
Downtown → Old Dubai → the parks → Marina
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Best for: Three great cities, two long bus rides and a fortnight on about fifty-five euros a day
Eastern Europe on a budget in 14 days: Prague, Kraków and Budapest
Prague → Kraków → Budapest
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Best for: Two bases, trains instead of flights, and sightseeing you can do sitting down
Europe with parents in 10 days: Paris and Switzerland, slowly
Paris → Lucerne → Interlaken
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Best for: Two nights facing a 5,000m mountain and two on a working wine estate, three hours from the Gulf
Georgia honeymoon in 6 days: Kazbegi lodges and Kakheti wine estates
Tbilisi → Kazbegi → Kakheti → Tbilisi
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Best for: The same three places for about two-thirds of the package price, with an honest account of what the third buys
Georgia on a budget in 5 days: marshrutkas, guesthouses and the real difference
Tbilisi → Kazbegi → Sighnaghi → Tbilisi
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Best for: Three hours from 45°C to alpine meadows, and the one region the standard route never reaches
Georgia in summer: Svaneti's towers and Kazbegi, out of the Gulf heat
Tbilisi → Mestia → Ushguli → Kazbegi → Tbilisi
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Best for: Ten fixed days in December when every Naga tribe is in one place
Hornbill Festival in 5 days: Kisama, Kohima and the Naga villages
Dimapur → Kohima → Kisama → Khonoma
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Best for: The better half of the Japanese year — longer, cheaper and calmer than the blossom
Japan autumn leaves in 7 days: Nikko's koyo and Kyoto in November
Tokyo → Nikko → Kyoto
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Best for: The two weeks the country is at its best, booked before anyone knows the dates
Japan cherry blossom in 7 days: routed around the bloom forecast
Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka
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Best for: The standard route with every meal worked out, including the fish stock hiding in the vegetables
Japan for vegetarians in 7 days: the dashi problem, solved
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka
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Best for: A country where the trains are the attraction and the temples are optional
Japan with kids in 10 days: Ghibli, trains and a slower Kyoto
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka
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Best for: Working out that the rail pass no longer pays, and eating extremely well for very little
Japan on a budget in 7 days: the rail-pass maths and konbini meals
Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka
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Best for: A cheap, easy, English-speaking week with a theme park built for exactly this age
Malaysia with kids in 6 days: Kuala Lumpur and Legoland Johor
Kuala Lumpur → Johor Bahru
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Best for: Getting into a tent, staying upright, and seeing Bavaria while you are there
Oktoberfest in 4 days: tent strategy, and Bavaria on the other days
Munich → Theresienwiese → Neuschwanstein
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Best for: Eight weeks a year, and the fields outside the garden are the better half
Keukenhof and the tulip fields in 4 days: Amsterdam and Giethoorn
Amsterdam → Keukenhof → Giethoorn
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Best for: A livestock market that became a spectacle, caught in the days before it tips over
Pushkar Camel Fair in 4 days: the fair, the lake and Jaipur
Jaipur → Pushkar → Jaipur
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Best for: The one week Jaipur lights every bazaar and competes with itself over it
Rajasthan at Diwali in 6 days: Jaipur's lit bazaars and Udaipur's lakes
Jaipur → Udaipur
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Best for: The easiest city in Asia to push a buggy around, used at a four-year-old's pace
Singapore with kids in 5 days: the zoo, the Gardens and Sentosa
The zoo → Gardens by the Bay → Sentosa → Jewel
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Best for: Second-class reserved seats, homestays and rice and curry, with the one line you cannot cut
Sri Lanka on a budget in 7 days: local trains and guesthouses
Negombo → Kandy → Ella → Mirissa
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Best for: Doing the standard route on roughly half the money, without pretending it is free
Thailand on a budget in 7 days: what it really costs, line by line
Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Krabi
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Best for: The largest water fight on earth, with the logistics worked out in advance
Songkran in 5 days: Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and how to survive it
Bangkok → Chiang Mai
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Best for: The balloon morning and then four days of doing nothing on a turquoise coast
Turkey honeymoon in 7 days: a cave suite, the balloon and the Lycian coast
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Kaş → Antalya
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Best for: The balloon photograph everyone wants, taken over snow instead of dust
Turkey in winter: Cappadocia under snow and skiing Uludağ
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Bursa → Uludağ → Istanbul
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Best for: The length of the country on sleeper transport, with the full cost written down
Vietnam on a budget in 10 days: sleeper buses and the whole country
Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City
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Best for: Four nights in one town, a night on a boat, and the traffic designed around
Vietnam with kids in 8 days: a Ha Long cabin and a Hoi An base
Hanoi → Ha Long → Hoi An
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Best for: A free stopover hotel, one mosque at dusk and a museum under a dome
Abu Dhabi in a 24-hour stopover: the mosque and the Louvre
AUH → Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque → Louvre → Corniche → AUH
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Best for: Two days, and the one ticket you must book six weeks out
Amsterdam in 2 days: the canals, the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank
Rijksmuseum and the canal belt → Anne Frank House and the Jordaan
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Best for: Two days that are mostly indoors, which in this climate is the point
Abu Dhabi in 2 days: the mosque, the Louvre and Yas
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque → Qasr Al Watan → Louvre Abu Dhabi → Yas Island
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Best for: A hill city with a Roman theatre in it, and two of the best day trips in the Levant
Amman in 3 days: the Citadel, Jerash and the Dead Sea
Citadel → downtown → Jerash → the Dead Sea
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Best for: Nabataean tombs with no queue, in a country that was closed until 2019
AlUla in 3 days: Hegra, Elephant Rock and the old town
Hegra → AlUla Old Town → Elephant Rock → Dadan and Jabal Ikmah
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Best for: Two days before an island ferry, done in the right order and the right hour
Athens in 2 days: the Acropolis, the Agora and the museum
The Acropolis and its museum → the Agora, Plaka and the National Archaeological Museum
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Best for: Three days that use the river instead of the traffic
Bangkok in 3 days: the river, the old city and Ayutthaya
The river and Wat Arun → the Grand Palace circuit → Ayutthaya
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Best for: Three days with the Gaudí booked and the pickpockets anticipated
Barcelona in 3 days: Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter and Montjuïc
Sagrada Família and Gaudí → the Gothic Quarter and the beach → Montjuïc and Park Güell
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Best for: Two cities either side of a river, a thermal bath in a palace, and the best value in Europe
Budapest in 3 days: Buda Castle, the baths and the ruin bars
Buda Castle and the Bastion → Parliament and the baths → the Jewish Quarter and the Danube
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Best for: The pyramids at opening and a museum that now holds Tutankhamun entire
Cairo in 2 days: Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the khan
Giza plateau → Grand Egyptian Museum → Islamic Cairo → Khan el-Khalili
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Best for: Thirty temples inside a moat, and the one elephant question worth getting right
Chiang Mai in 3 days: the old city, the elephants and Doi Suthep
Old city temples → an ethical elephant sanctuary → Doi Suthep and the hills
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Best for: Two days in a capital most visitors skip, and the kite-flying hour that makes the case
Colombo in 2 days: the Fort, Galle Face and Mount Lavinia
Fort and Pettah → Galle Face at dusk → temples and Mount Lavinia
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Best for: Two days that split the city by era instead of fighting the traffic
Delhi in 2 days: Old Delhi, the Mughal tombs and New Delhi
Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk → Humayun's Tomb → Qutub Minar and New Delhi
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Best for: Two days where the two best museums in the Gulf sit twenty minutes apart
Doha in 2 days: the souq, the museums and the desert
Souq Waqif → Museum of Islamic Art → Katara → the inland sea
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Best for: The shortest airport-to-city run in the Gulf, and a loop that fits in eight hours
Doha in an 8–12 hour layover: souq, museum, Corniche
DOH → Museum of Islamic Art → Corniche → Souq Waqif → DOH
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Best for: Thirty-six guild streets, the best free hour in the city, and the day trip worth choosing carefully
Hanoi in 2 days: the Old Quarter, the lake and Ninh Binh
Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem → the mausoleum quarter → Ninh Binh or Ha Long
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Best for: Two days built around the hardest hour in Vietnam, and what to do after it
Ho Chi Minh City in 2 days: the war museums and Cu Chi
War Remnants Museum and District 1 → the Cu Chi tunnels → Cholon
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Best for: Three days where the best views cost almost nothing
Hong Kong in 3 days: the Peak, Kowloon and Lantau
Central and the Peak → Kowloon and the harbour → Lantau and the Big Buddha
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Best for: A fort with acoustics you can test, tombs almost nobody visits, and the best biryani in India
Hyderabad in 2 days: Charminar, Golconda and the biryani
Charminar and the old city → Golconda Fort and the Qutb Shahi tombs → Ramoji or the museums
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Best for: A weekend that covers the old city and the water without a wasted hour
Istanbul in 2 days: the old city and the Bosphorus
Sultanahmet → Eminönü → the Bosphorus → Galata
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Best for: Three days that cross two continents without rushing either
Istanbul in 3 days: the old city, the Bosphorus and the Asian side
Sultanahmet → Bosphorus and Galata → Kadıköy and Üsküdar
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Best for: Twelve hours between flights, spent in the old city rather than the terminal
Istanbul in a 12-hour layover: what actually fits
IST → Sultanahmet → Eminönü → IST
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Best for: Two days, the elephant ride declined, and an observatory whose instruments still work
Jaipur in 2 days: Amber Fort, the City Palace and the bazaars
Amber Fort and the stepwell → City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal
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Best for: Seven UNESCO monument zones inside one valley, and three of them are towns
Kathmandu in 3 days: Durbar Square, Boudhanath and Bhaktapur
Durbar Square and Swayambhunath → Pashupatinath and Boudhanath → Bhaktapur and Patan
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Best for: Two slow days in a port that has been trading for six hundred years
Kochi in 2 days: Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Kathakali
Fort Kochi and the Chinese nets → Mattancherry, Jew Town and a Kathakali evening
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Best for: Two days where the best photograph of the towers is the free one
Kuala Lumpur in 2 days: the towers, Batu Caves and old KL
Batu Caves and the Petronas Towers → colonial KL, Chinatown and the food streets
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Best for: Two days that beat the crowds by starting before them, twice
Kyoto in 2 days: Fushimi Inari, Gion and Arashiyama
Fushimi Inari and southern Higashiyama → Arashiyama and the north-west
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Best for: Three days of hills, tiles and custard tarts, with Sintra booked ahead
Lisbon in 3 days: Alfama, Belém and a day in Sintra
Alfama and the miradouros → Belém and the river → Sintra
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Best for: Three days where the best museums in the world are free
London in 3 days: Westminster, the Tower and the museums
Westminster and the South Bank → the Tower and the markets → museums and the West End
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Best for: Three days of serious museums, late dinners and one AVE day trip
Madrid in 3 days: the Prado, the Royal Palace and a day in Toledo
The Golden Triangle of Art → the Royal Palace and old Madrid → Toledo or Segovia
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Best for: Three days in a city of Victorian Gothic, Art Deco and twenty million people
Mumbai in 3 days: the Gateway, Bandra and Elephanta
Colaba and the Fort → Elephanta Island → Bandra, Dharavi and Marine Drive
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Best for: A Gulf capital with no skyline, and a fort-and-souq day trip inland
Muscat in 3 days: the mosque, the corniche and Nizwa
Grand Mosque → Mutrah → Old Muscat → Nizwa and Jebel Akhdar
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Best for: Japan's best eating city, and the day trip to the deer
Osaka in 2 days: Dotonbori, the castle and Nara
Dotonbori and Namba → Osaka Castle → Nara or Universal
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Best for: Three days with one museum done properly instead of three at a trot
Paris in 3 days: the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles
Louvre and the Seine → Eiffel Tower and Montmartre → Versailles
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Best for: Three days, the bridge at dawn, and beer cheaper than water
Prague in 3 days: the Old Town, the Castle and Vyšehrad
Old Town and Charles Bridge → the Castle and Malá Strana → Vyšehrad and the beer halls
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Best for: Three days, three bookings, and the rest done on foot
Rome in 3 days: the Colosseum, the Vatican and Trastevere
Colosseum and the Forum → the Vatican → the fountains and Trastevere
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Best for: Four days with room for the DMZ, which needs a whole one
Seoul in 4 days: palaces, Bukchon, Gangnam and the DMZ
Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon → Myeongdong and Namsan → the DMZ → Gangnam and Seongsu
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Best for: A tight three days in a city where nothing is more than forty minutes away
Singapore in 3 days: Marina Bay, Sentosa and the hawker centres
Marina Bay and the Gardens → Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam → Sentosa
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Best for: The one layover where the airport is genuinely worth an hour of its own
Singapore in a 24-hour layover: Marina Bay, the Gardens and a hawker stop
Changi → Gardens by the Bay → Marina Bay → Chinatown → Changi
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Best for: One day, done on the fast train, with the three-hour ticket rule understood
Taj Mahal day trip from Delhi: the train, the sunrise slot and Agra Fort
Delhi → Agra by Gatimaan → Taj Mahal → Agra Fort → Delhi
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Best for: A sulphur bath, a supra, and two UNESCO churches half an hour away
Tbilisi in 3 days: the old town, the baths and Mtskheta
Old Town → Abanotubani → Mtskheta → Kakheti or the Chronicle
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Best for: Three days of city done properly, and two day trips that are worth the train
Tokyo in 5 days: the city, plus Kamakura and Nikko
Shibuya → Asakusa → the bay → Kamakura → Nikko
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Best for: Three days arranged by rail line, so no hour is spent crossing the city twice
Tokyo in 3 days: Shibuya, Asakusa and the waterfront
Shibuya and Shinjuku → Asakusa and Ueno → teamLab and Ginza
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Best for: Two slow days in the one Rajasthani city built around water
Udaipur in 2 days: the City Palace, Lake Pichola and the old city
City Palace and Jagdish Temple → Lake Pichola by boat → Monsoon Palace and the old lanes
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Best for: Two days arranged around a sunrise on the river, which is the whole reason to come
Varanasi in 2 days: the ghats, the aarti and Sarnath
The ghats and the evening aarti → the dawn boat and Sarnath
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Best for: Two days, and getting lost on purpose for half of them
Venice in 2 days: San Marco, the Doge's Palace and the lagoon
San Marco and the Doge's Palace → Murano, Burano and the quiet sestieri
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Best for: Two days, one palace each, and standing opera tickets for the price of a sandwich
Vienna in 2 days: the Hofburg, Schönbrunn and the coffee houses
The Ring and the Hofburg → Schönbrunn, the Belvedere and a coffee house
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Best for: A pink tuff city with Ararat on the skyline and two monasteries an hour away
Yerevan in 3 days: the Cascade, Garni and Khor Virap
Republic Square → Cascade → Garni and Geghard → Khor Virap
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Best for: A first trip to India that sees one region properly and ends in a city
India in 10 days: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Mumbai
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Udaipur → Mumbai
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Best for: A first India trip that sees the north, the Ganges and the south
India in 14 days: the Golden Triangle, Varanasi and Kerala
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Varanasi → Kochi → Munnar → Alleppey
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Best for: One long trip instead of three short ones — the Mughal north, the desert, the Ganges and the south
India in 21 days: the north, Rajasthan, the Ganges and Kerala
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur → Varanasi → Kochi → Munnar → Thekkady → Alleppey
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Best for: A long weekend around one of the most welcoming buildings on earth
Amritsar in 3 days: the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagah
Amritsar → Wagah border → Amritsar
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Best for: The four Garhwal shrines in the traditional order, with the trekking stated honestly
Char Dham Yatra in 10 days: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath
Haridwar → Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath → Rishikesh
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Best for: Kanchenjunga at sunrise, a UNESCO railway, and a first taste of Sikkim
Darjeeling and Sikkim in 7 days: tea, the toy train and Tsomgo Lake
Bagdogra → Darjeeling → Gangtok → Tsomgo Lake → Bagdogra
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Best for: A first India trip on a long weekend, or a stopover stretched to its limit
Golden Triangle in 5 days: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur
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Best for: A salt desert, the last wild Asiatic lions, and India's first UNESCO heritage city
Gujarat in 7 days: Ahmedabad, the white Rann, Gir's lions and Somnath
Ahmedabad → Bhuj → Rann of Kutch → Gir → Somnath
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Best for: Ruins in a boulder landscape, and the temples that came 800 years before them
Hampi in 4 days: the Vijayanagara ruins, Badami and Pattadakal
Hampi → Badami → Pattadakal → Aihole
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Best for: Skipping Shimla for the Parvati valley and the Tibetan exile capital
Himachal in 8 days: Manali, the Parvati valley and Dharamshala
Manali → Kasol → Manikaran → Dharamshala → McLeod Ganj
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Best for: Seeing the whole state once, properly, instead of three cities twice
Rajasthan in 14 days: the complete circuit, tigers to the dunes
Jaipur → Ranthambore → Bundi → Pushkar → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur
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Best for: Rhinos, a river island of monasteries, and the wettest hills on earth
Northeast India in 12 days: Kaziranga, Majuli and the Khasi hills
Guwahati → Kaziranga → Majuli → Jorhat → Shillong → Cherrapunji → Dawki
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Best for: The three great cities, two nights each, no desert detour
Rajasthan in 7 days: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur
Jaipur → Jodhpur → Udaipur
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Best for: Going north past the last towns, into valleys that close for half the year
Sikkim in 10 days: Gangtok, North Sikkim's high valleys and Pelling
Gangtok → Lachen → Lachung → Yumthang → Gangtok → Pelling
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Best for: Crossing the peninsula coast to coast, temples first and water last
South India in 14 days: Tamil Nadu's temples and the Kerala coast
Chennai → Mahabalipuram → Pondicherry → Thanjavur → Trichy → Madurai → Thekkady → Alleppey → Kochi
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Best for: A cold desert valley of 1,000-year-old monasteries, driven in the safe direction
Spiti Valley in 8 days: Shimla to Manali the hard way
Shimla → Kalpa → Tabo → Kaza → Chandratal → Manali
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Best for: Dravidian temple architecture, a French colonial detour, and no hill stations
Tamil Nadu in 7 days: Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and the temple towns
Chennai → Mahabalipuram → Pondicherry → Thanjavur → Madurai
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Best for: The Ganges plain's four great religious cities in one loop
Varanasi in 5 days: the ghats, Sarnath, Ayodhya and Prayagraj
Varanasi → Sarnath → Ayodhya → Prayagraj
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Best for: A three-hour flight from the Gulf to petroglyphs, mud volcanoes and a fire that has burned for centuries
Azerbaijan in 5 days: Baku, Gobustan, Absheron and Gabala
Baku → Gobustan → Absheron → Gabala → Baku
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Best for: A city break three hours from Dubai, with prehistoric rock art and a burning hillside attached
Baku in 4 days: the old city, Gobustan and the fire sites
İçərişəhər → Gobustan → mud volcanoes → Absheron → Baku
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Best for: A long layover or a weekend, with the old city included rather than skipped
Dubai in 3 days: a stopover itinerary
Downtown → Old Dubai → desert
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Best for: The modern city, the old one most visitors never find, and a day in Abu Dhabi
Dubai in 5 days: Downtown, Old Dubai, the desert and Abu Dhabi
Downtown → Old Dubai → Marina → desert → Abu Dhabi
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Best for: Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings on a long weekend, with no cruise and no pretence
Egypt in 5 days: Cairo, Giza and a flying visit to Luxor
Cairo → Giza → Saqqara → Luxor → Cairo
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Best for: Pyramids and the Theban necropolis, without a Nile cruise eating half the week
Egypt in 7 days: Cairo, Giza and Luxor
Cairo → Giza → Saqqara → Luxor → Cairo
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Best for: East to west across the whole country, finishing on the Black Sea
Georgia in 10 days: Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Kakheti, Kutaisi and Batumi
Tbilisi → Kazbegi → Kakheti → Gori → Kutaisi → Batumi
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Best for: A three-night break from the Gulf that still reaches the Caucasus
Georgia in 4 days: Tbilisi, Mtskheta and Kazbegi
Tbilisi → Mtskheta → Ananuri → Gudauri → Stepantsminda → Tbilisi
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Best for: A long weekend from the Gulf that still gets you to the Caucasus and the wine country
Georgia in 5 days: Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kazbegi and Kakheti
Tbilisi → Mtskheta → Kazbegi → Sighnaghi → Tbilisi
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Best for: The mainland as well as the islands, which is the half most visitors never see
Greece in 14 days: Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Santorini and Crete
Athens → Delphi → Meteora → Athens → Santorini → Crete
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Best for: One city, one island, and no day lost to a second ferry
Greece in 7 days: Athens and Santorini
Athens → Santorini → Athens
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Best for: Java's temples and volcanoes first, Bali as the reward at the end
Indonesia in 14 days: Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Mount Bromo and Bali
Jakarta → Yogyakarta → Mount Bromo → Ijen → Bali
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Best for: The south as well as the centre, which is the half the classic week leaves out
Italy in 14 days: Rome, Naples, the Amalfi coast, Florence, Venice and Milan
Rome → Naples → Pompeii → Amalfi coast → Florence → Venice → Milan
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Best for: Two cities instead of three, which on five days is the difference between seeing them and passing through
Italy in 5 days: Rome and Florence
Rome → Florence → Rome
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Best for: The classic three, with the train times that make them fit
Italy in 7 days: Rome, Florence and Venice
Rome → Florence → Venice
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Best for: The Golden Route with the two things everyone regrets missing: Kanazawa and Miyajima
Japan in 14 days: Tokyo, the Alps, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima
Tokyo → Nikko → Hakone → Kanazawa → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka → Hiroshima → Miyajima
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Best for: Three weeks and a southern island most visitors never reach
Japan in 21 days: the Golden Route, the Alps, Hiroshima and Kyushu
Tokyo → Nikko → Hakone → Takayama → Kanazawa → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka → Hiroshima → Miyajima → Fukuoka → Beppu → Kagoshima
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Best for: A first trip, or a stopover, that does not waste two of its five days on trains
Japan in 5 days: Tokyo, Kamakura and Hakone
Tokyo → Kamakura → Hakone → Tokyo
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Best for: The Golden Route done properly rather than the ten-day version with three days cut out
Japan in 7 days: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka
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Best for: The whole peninsula plus five days in Sabah, where the orangutans are
Malaysia in 14 days: the peninsula and Borneo
Kuala Lumpur → Cameron Highlands → Penang → Langkawi → Kota Kinabalu → Sandakan
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Best for: The peninsula's three best stops, with tea country instead of a beach
Malaysia in 7 days: Kuala Lumpur, the Cameron Highlands and Penang
Kuala Lumpur → Cameron Highlands → Penang → Kuala Lumpur
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Best for: The hill country and the train, without pretending five days reaches the beaches too
Sri Lanka in 5 days: Colombo, Kandy and Ella
Colombo → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Colombo
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Best for: Hill country and the south coast, with the train ride that is the point of the trip
Sri Lanka in 7 days: Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Galle
Colombo → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Galle → Colombo
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Best for: North and south in one trip, with enough nights in each to stop moving
Thailand in 14 days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and the Andaman coast
Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai → Krabi → Koh Lanta
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Best for: A long weekend from the Gulf that stays in one city and gets it right
Thailand in 5 days: Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Amphawa
Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Amphawa → Bangkok
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Best for: One city, one ruined capital and one beach, without a domestic flight every other day
Thailand in 7 days: Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Krabi
Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Krabi
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Best for: The classical coast added to Istanbul and Cappadocia, without doubling back
Turkey in 14 days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale and Ephesus
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Antalya → Pamukkale → Ephesus → Izmir
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Best for: A long weekend that still gets you the balloons, if you accept the risk
Turkey in 5 days: Istanbul and Cappadocia
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Istanbul
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Best for: Two places, one short flight, and the balloon morning you came for
Turkey in 7 days: Istanbul and Cappadocia
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Istanbul
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Best for: The whole country north to south, with the rice terraces and the delta that shorter trips cut
Vietnam in 14 days: Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long, Hue, Hoi An and the Mekong
Hanoi → Sapa → Ha Long → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Mekong Delta
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Best for: The north only, with no internal flight and no wasted day
Vietnam in 5 days: Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay
Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Ha Long Bay → Hanoi
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Best for: The north done properly, plus one flight south for the lanterns
Vietnam in 7 days: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long and Hoi An
Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Ha Long → Hoi An
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Best for: The south on its own, with a beach at the end instead of a flight north
Southern Vietnam in 6 days: Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc
Ho Chi Minh City → Cu Chi → Mekong Delta → Phu Quoc
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Best for: The falls from both banks, which are two completely different sights
Argentina and Brazil in 13 days: Buenos Aires, Iguazú from both sides, and Rio
Buenos Aires → Iguazú → Foz do Iguaçu → Rio de Janeiro → Paraty
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Best for: Two islands, three countries, one trip, and a ferry in the middle
Britain and Ireland in 14 days: London, the Highlands, the Causeway and the Wild Atlantic Way
London → Bath → Edinburgh → the Highlands → Skye → Belfast → the Causeway → Dublin → Galway
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Best for: A thirty-hour train from one of the world's densest cities to one of its emptiest countries
China and Mongolia in 14 days: Beijing, the Trans-Mongolian and the Gobi
Beijing → the Great Wall → Trans-Mongolian railway → Ulaanbaatar → Terelj → the Gobi
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Best for: Two countries, four hundred years of North America, and a waterfall in the middle
Eastern USA and Canada in 13 days: New York, Niagara, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec
New York → Boston → Niagara Falls → Toronto → Ottawa → Montreal → Quebec City
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Best for: The two things everyone wants from South America, in one trip
Ecuador and Peru in 14 days: the Galápagos, Quito and Machu Picchu
Quito → the Galápagos → Lima → Cusco → the Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu
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Best for: Churches cut downwards into rock, and the savanna an hour's flight south
Ethiopia and Kenya in 14 days: Lalibela, the Omo valley and the Masai Mara
Addis Ababa → Lalibela → the Omo valley → Addis → Nairobi → the Masai Mara → Amboseli
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Best for: The city and the mountains, joined by a three-hour train
France and Switzerland in 11 days: Paris, the Jungfrau and the Matterhorn
Paris → Annecy → Zermatt → Interlaken → Lucerne → Zurich
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Best for: Bavaria, the Tyrol and the Salzkammergut, ending in the city that ran an empire
Germany and Austria in 12 days: Munich, Neuschwanstein, the Tyrol, Salzburg and Vienna
Munich → Neuschwanstein → Innsbruck → Salzburg → Hallstatt → Vienna
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Best for: Three countries, the largest religious monument on earth, and a bay full of limestone
Indochina in 16 days: Bangkok, Angkor, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay
Bangkok → Siem Reap → Ho Chi Minh City → Hoi An → Hanoi → Ha Long Bay
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Best for: The two halves of the Holy Land, a Nabataean city cut into a cliff, and a desert you can sleep in
Israel and Jordan in 12 days: Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum
Tel Aviv → Jerusalem → Masada → the Dead Sea → Madaba → Petra → Wadi Rum → Amman → Jerash
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Best for: The classical world in the order it actually happened
Italy and Greece in 14 days: Rome, Pompeii, Matera and the ferry to Meteora
Rome → Pompeii → Matera → Bari → ferry → Meteora → Delphi → Athens
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Best for: One civilisation, two continents, and fourteen kilometres of water between them
Morocco and Andalusia in 13 days: the Alhambra, the Mezquita, Fez and Marrakech
Seville → Córdoba → Granada → Tarifa → Tangier → Chefchaouen → Fez → Marrakech
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Best for: One civilisation, three modern borders, and a reef at the end of it
Mundo Maya in 14 days: Tikal, Copán and the Belize barrier reef
Antigua → Lake Atitlán → Copán → Tikal → San Ignacio → Caye Caulker
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Best for: Two Himalayan kingdoms that answered modernity in opposite ways
Nepal and Bhutan in 12 days: Kathmandu, Pokhara, Punakha and Tiger's Nest
Kathmandu → Pokhara → Paro → Thimphu → Punakha → Paro
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Best for: Two countries that have argued over one sea for three thousand years
Turkey and Greece in 14 days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and the Aegean islands
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Kuşadası → Samos → Santorini → Athens
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Best for: The three countries the transatlantic slave trade ran through, and the religion that survived it
West Africa in 12 days: Ghana's forts, Togo's hills and the Vodun coast of Benin
Accra → Cape Coast → Kumasi → Lomé → Togoville → Ouidah → Ganvié → Abomey
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Best for: Three countries in one hire car, and the only coast in Europe with a fjord in it
The Balkans in 12 days: Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro by road
Zagreb → Plitvice → Split → Mostar → Sarajevo → Kotor → Dubrovnik
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Best for: Three countries in nine days, and no journey longer than three hours
Benelux in 9 days: Amsterdam, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels and Luxembourg
Amsterdam → Delft → Bruges → Ghent → Brussels → Luxembourg
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Best for: Three countries, three alphabets, and one border you cannot cross
The Caucasus in 12 days: Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan, with the closed border worked around
Baku → Sheki → Tbilisi → Kazbegi → Yerevan → Tatev
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Best for: The subcontinent's three great cities and then the mountains above them
India and Nepal in 13 days: the Golden Triangle, Varanasi and the Himalaya
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Varanasi → Kathmandu → Pokhara
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Best for: Two countries people assume are similar, which is the reason to do them together
Japan and South Korea in 14 days: Tokyo, Kyoto, Busan and Seoul
Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka → Busan → Gyeongju → Seoul
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Best for: Two of the ancient world's great sites, and a river between them
Jordan and Egypt in 12 days: Petra, Wadi Rum, the Pyramids and the Nile
Amman → Jerash → Petra → Wadi Rum → Aqaba → Cairo → Luxor → Aswan
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Best for: The two great Andean sights, joined by the highest navigable lake in the world
Peru and Bolivia in 13 days: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and the Uyuni salt flat
Lima → Cusco → Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu → Puno → La Paz → Uyuni
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Best for: Three capitals and the best railway journey in Europe, with no flights needed
Scandinavia in 12 days: Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and the Norway fjords by train
Copenhagen → Stockholm → Oslo → Flåm → Bergen
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Best for: Three blue-tiled cities and then the high pastures the caravans crossed to reach them
The Silk Road in 13 days: Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and the Kyrgyz jailoo
Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Khiva → Osh → Song-Köl → Bishkek
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Best for: Five cities, four high-speed trains and one short flight
Spain and Portugal in 12 days: Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Lisbon and Porto
Barcelona → Madrid → Seville → Lisbon → Porto
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Best for: Eight days of everything, then four of nothing at all
Sri Lanka and the Maldives in 12 days: Sigiriya, the hill country, Yala and an atoll
Colombo → Sigiriya → Kandy → Ella → Yala → Galle → Malé → an atoll
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Best for: Two days drifting down the Mekong, with a border crossing you do by boat
Thailand and Laos in 11 days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the Mekong slow boat to Luang Prabang
Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai → Huay Xai → Mekong slow boat → Luang Prabang
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Best for: The Gulf's two opposite answers to the same desert, a two-hour flight apart
UAE and Oman in 9 days: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and the Wahiba Sands
Dubai → Abu Dhabi → Muscat → Nizwa → Wahiba Sands → Muscat
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Best for: The classic Indochina run, with the temples at the end rather than the start
Vietnam and Cambodia in 12 days: Hanoi, Ha Long, Hoi An, Saigon and Angkor
Hanoi → Ha Long → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Siem Reap
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Best for: Six lakes dammed by natural travertine, and two empty niches that tell you what was lost
Afghanistan in 8 days: Band-e-Amir, the Bamiyan niches and Herat
Kabul → Bamiyan → Band-e-Amir → Mazar-i-Sharif → Herat
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Best for: Two UNESCO castles and a forest of wild bison — behind a serious set of warnings
Belarus in 6 days: Mir, Nesvizh and the last primeval forest in Europe
Minsk → Mir → Nesvizh → Brest → Belovezhskaya Pushcha
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Best for: A mud mosque older than the country, eroded stone fins, and the biggest film festival in Africa
Burkina Faso in 8 days: Bobo-Dioulasso, the Sindou peaks and Loropéni
Ouagadougou → Bobo-Dioulasso → Banfora → Sindou → Loropéni → Ouagadougou
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Best for: Crocodiles in a Saharan gorge, eighteen lakes in a desert that gets no rain, and the best elephant recovery in Africa
Chad in 9 days: the Ennedi arches, the Lakes of Ounianga and Zakouma
N'Djamena → Zakouma → N'Djamena → Fada → the Ennedi → Ounianga → N'Djamena
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Best for: The only great ape found nowhere but here, and the loudest music city in Africa
DR Congo in 7 days: Kinshasa, the bonobos of Lola ya Bonobo and the river — and the east you cannot reach
Kinshasa → Lola ya Bonobo → Zongo Falls → the Congo River → Kinshasa
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Best for: A whole city of Italian futurist architecture, and a railway that climbs 2,300 metres on steam
Eritrea in 8 days: Asmara's modernism, the Massawa road and the Dahlak islands
Asmara → Keren → Asmara → Massawa → Dahlak → Asmara
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Best for: The largest fortress in the Americas, built by people who had just freed themselves
Haiti in 7 days: the Citadelle, Jacmel and Cap-Haïtien — and why not now
Cap-Haïtien → Citadelle Laferrière → Sans-Souci → Jacmel → Bassin Bleu
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Best for: One of the great architectural traditions on earth — behind a serious detention risk
Iran in 10 days: Persepolis, Isfahan's square and the mudbrick city of Yazd
Tehran → Kashan → Isfahan → Yazd → Shiraz → Persepolis
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Best for: Where cities were invented — and the one region where visiting is now ordinary
Iraq in 8 days: Erbil's citadel, Babylon and the marshes of the south
Erbil → Lalish → Sulaymaniyah → Baghdad → Babylon → the Marshes
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Best for: One of the Pacific war's bloodiest beaches, and an atoll nation spanning every time zone it can
Kiribati in 8 days: Tarawa's battlefield, North Tarawa and the atoll nation
Tarawa → Betio → North Tarawa → Abaiang → Tarawa
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Best for: The best-preserved Roman city in the Mediterranean, with almost nobody in it
Libya in 9 days: Leptis Magna, Ghadamès and the Acacus rock art
Tripoli → Sabratha → Leptis Magna → Ghadamès → the Acacus (conditional) → Tripoli
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Best for: An Alpine principality with no airport, no border posts and a cliff path with a chain to hold
Liechtenstein in 2 days: Vaduz, the Fürstensteig and a passport stamp you pay for
Vaduz → the castle path → Triesenberg → Malbun → Balzers
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Best for: The largest mud-brick building on earth, and an honest account of what is now out of reach
Mali in 7 days: Bamako, Ségou and the mosque at Djenné — and the three-quarters you cannot reach
Bamako → Ségou → the Niger → Djenné (conditional) → Bamako
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Best for: Two square kilometres with a Grand Prix circuit running through them
Monaco in 2 days: the Rock, the Casino and the Oceanographic Museum
Monaco-Ville → the Palace → the Oceanographic Museum → Monte-Carlo → Larvotto
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Best for: A plain of three thousand temples — in a country at war with itself
Myanmar in 9 days: Bagan, Inle Lake and Shwedagon — and why not to go
Yangon → Bagan → Mandalay → Inle Lake
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Best for: Seeing what a century of strip mining does to an island, from the island itself
Nauru in 4 days: Topside, Command Ridge and the smallest republic
Yaren → Command Ridge → Topside → Buada Lagoon → Anibare Bay
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Best for: A mud minaret twenty-seven metres tall, and the only wild giraffes left in West Africa
Niger in 8 days: Agadez, the last wild giraffes of West Africa and the Aïr
Niamey → Kouré → Niamey → Agadez → the Aïr (conditional) → Niamey
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Best for: Understanding the questions before deciding — this is not an ordinary trip
North Korea in 7 days: Pyongyang, the DMZ and what a guided tour actually shows you
Pyongyang → Kaesong → the DMZ → Myohyangsan → Pyongyang
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Best for: Three UNESCO sites, and the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth
Palestine in 6 days: Bethlehem, Hebron and the terraces of Battir
Bethlehem → Battir → Jericho → Ramallah → Nablus → Hebron
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Best for: Three fortresses on a limestone ridge, in the world's oldest surviving republic
San Marino in 2 days: the three towers, Monte Titano and the oldest republic
Borgo Maggiore → the cable car → Città di San Marino → the three towers
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Best for: Five-thousand-year-old paintings so well preserved the pigment still looks wet
Somalia in 7 days: Laas Geel, Hargeisa and the Berbera coast
Hargeisa → Laas Geel → Berbera → Sheikh → Hargeisa
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Best for: Six million antelope moving at once — more than the Serengeti, confirmed only in 2023
South Sudan in 8 days: the Mundari cattle camps and the largest land migration on earth
Juba → Terekeka → the Mundari camps → Boma or Badingilo → Juba
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Best for: More pyramids than Egypt, standing in open desert with nobody else there
Sudan in 8 days: Meroë, Jebel Barkal and the pyramids nobody goes to — and the war that closed them
Khartoum → Meroë → Naqa and Musawwarat → Karima → Jebel Barkal → Khartoum
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Best for: Six World Heritage sites, every one of them on the danger list
Syria in 8 days: Damascus, Krak des Chevaliers and Palmyra — and the warnings
Damascus → Maaloula → Krak des Chevaliers → Hama → Aleppo
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Best for: An airport runway that is the town's park, and one of the least visited countries on earth
Tuvalu in 4 days: Funafuti, the runway and the conservation area
Funafuti → Fongafale → Funafuti Conservation Area → Funafala
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Best for: Understanding what is at stake — and planning the trip for when it is possible
Ukraine in 7 days: Kyiv, Lviv and the Carpathians — and why not yet
Lviv → Kyiv → Chernihiv → the Carpathians
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Best for: The smallest country on earth, and the one with the most art per square metre
Vatican City in 2 days: St Peter's, the Sistine Chapel and the Scavi
St Peter's Square → the Basilica → the dome → the Vatican Museums → the Scavi
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Best for: The best-preserved Roman cities in Africa, almost entirely to yourself
Algeria in 8 days: Roman cities, the Casbah and the M'zab valley
Algiers → Tipasa → Djémila → Timgad → Constantine → Ghardaïa
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Best for: One of Africa's great waterfalls, and a cliff edge with a kilometre of nothing below it
Angola in 8 days: Kalandula Falls, the Tundavala gap and the Namibe desert
Luanda → Kissama → Kalandula → Lubango → Tundavala → Namibe
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Best for: A Georgian naval dockyard still in use, and a frigate bird colony of five thousand
Antigua and Barbuda in 7 days: Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley Heights and pink sand
St John's → English Harbour → Shirley Heights → Barbuda → Devil's Bridge
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Best for: Two coasts that behave like different islands, and rum made since 1703
Barbados in 7 days: Bathsheba's surf, the Garrison and the oldest rum
Bridgetown → Garrison → West coast → Bathsheba → Scotland District
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Best for: The birthplace of Vodun, and a city of twenty thousand people built on stilts
Benin in 7 days: Ganvié, Ouidah and the palaces of Dahomey
Cotonou → Ganvié → Ouidah → Grand-Popo → Abomey → Porto-Novo
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Best for: Primary rainforest and the largest water village on earth
Brunei in 4 days: a water village, a rainforest canopy and the Sultan's capital
Bandar Seri Begawan → Kampong Ayer → Ulu Temburong → Bandar Seri Begawan
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Best for: Drummers on UNESCO's list, and a beach on the world's second-deepest lake
Burundi in 5 days: Lake Tanganyika, the royal drummers and the Kibira forest
Bujumbura → Rusizi → Gitega → Gishora → Kibira → Bujumbura
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Best for: A waterfall that falls into the sea, and a sultan's palace still in use
Cameroon in 8 days: Kribi's beaches, the Bamoun palace and the western highlands
Yaoundé → Kribi → Douala → Bafoussam → Foumban → Yaoundé
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Best for: Africa's only Spanish-speaking country, and a rainforest island almost nobody reaches
Equatorial Guinea in 6 days: Bioko's volcano, Malabo and the Monte Alén forest
Malabo → Pico Basilé → Moka → Bata → Monte Alén → Malabo
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Best for: Walking among zebra with no predators about, and the best black rhino viewing in southern Africa
Eswatini in 5 days: black rhino at Mkhaya, Malolotja's ridges and the Ezulwini valley
Mbabane → Malolotja → Ezulwini → Mlilwane → Mkhaya → Hlane
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Best for: Mainland Africa's smallest country, and one of its best places to watch birds
Gambia in 7 days: the river, Kunta Kinteh Island and 500 bird species
Banjul → Abuko → Makasutu → Juffureh → Janjanbureh → Tanji
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Best for: Trekking a highland plateau that three of West Africa's great rivers rise from
Guinea in 8 days: the Fouta Djallon, Ditinn Falls and the Îles de Los
Conakry → Dalaba → Pita → Doucki → Ditinn → Conakry
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Best for: Four thousand years of layers, and the lowest point on earth
Israel in 7 days: Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Galilee and Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv → Caesarea → Haifa → Galilee → Dead Sea → Jerusalem
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Best for: A basilica bigger than St Peter's, in a village of 200,000 people
Ivory Coast in 8 days: the world's largest church, Grand-Bassam and the mountains of Man
Abidjan → Grand-Bassam → Yamoussoukro → Man → Abidjan
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Best for: The best-preserved Roman temple on earth, and cedars older than the Bible
Lebanon in 6 days: Beirut, Baalbek, the Qadisha valley and the cedars
Beirut → Byblos → Tripoli → Qadisha valley → Baalbek → Chouf
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Best for: The only country entirely above 1,400 metres, on a Basotho pony
Lesotho in 6 days: Sani Pass, Maletsunyane Falls and the Kingdom in the Sky
Maseru → Thaba Bosiu → Semonkong → Katse → Sani Pass
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Best for: Empty point breaks, and a country founded by freed American slaves
Liberia in 7 days: Robertsport's surf, Monrovia and the Sapo rainforest
Monrovia → Robertsport → Lake Piso → Monrovia → Harper or Sapo
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Best for: A UNESCO fortress city, and the only country where every bus and train is free
Luxembourg in 4 days: a capital on a gorge, castles and free transport
Luxembourg City → Moselle valley → Vianden → Clervaux → Mullerthal
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Best for: An atoll nation two metres above the sea, and the fleet sunk to test the bomb
Marshall Islands in 7 days: Majuro, the Bikini wrecks and the nuclear legacy
Majuro → Laura → Arno atoll → Majuro
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Best for: Riding one of the longest trains on earth, on top of the ore
Mauritania in 7 days: the iron ore train, Chinguetti and the Adrar
Nouakchott → Banc d'Arguin → Nouadhibou → Atar → Chinguetti → Ouadane
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Best for: The greatest wreck dive on earth, and a megalithic city built on the reef
Micronesia in 9 days: Chuuk Lagoon, Nan Madol and Yap's stone money
Pohnpei → Nan Madol → Chuuk Lagoon → Yap
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Best for: The world's largest wine cellar, and a monastery cut into a cliff
Moldova in 5 days: wine cellars, a cave monastery and Europe's least visited country
Chișinău → Cricova → Mileștii Mici → Orheiul Vechi → Purcari → Chișinău
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Best for: Africa's biggest city, and the art that Europe spent a century arguing about
Nigeria in 8 days: Lagos, the Osun-Osogbo grove and the Benin bronzes
Lagos → Abeokuta → Osogbo → Benin City → Lagos
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Best for: Thirty-eight species of bird of paradise, and highland cultures that met the outside world a lifetime ago
Papua New Guinea in 10 days: Huli wigmen, the Sepik and the birds of paradise
Port Moresby → Tari → Mount Hagen → Karawari → Sepik → Port Moresby
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Best for: Two UNESCO Jesuit missions almost nobody visits, and South America's cheapest week
Paraguay in 8 days: the Jesuit ruins, Asunción and the Chaco
Asunción → Areguá → Encarnación → Trinidad → Jesús → Filadelfia
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Best for: A fortress called the Gibraltar of the West Indies, and the last railway in the Caribbean
Saint Kitts and Nevis in 7 days: Brimstone Hill, the sugar train and Nevis Peak
Basseterre → Brimstone Hill → the scenic railway → Nevis → Pinney's Beach
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Best for: A Dutch wooden capital in the Amazon, and Maroon villages up a jungle river
Suriname in 8 days: Paramaribo's wooden city, the Upper Suriname river and Galibi
Paramaribo → Commewijne → Upper Suriname river → Brownsberg → Galibi
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Best for: Fortified mud tower-houses on the UNESCO list, and the world's largest fetish market
Togo in 7 days: Koutammakou's tower-houses, Kpalimé and the fetish market
Lomé → Togoville → Kpalimé → Kara → Koutammakou → Lomé
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Best for: The birthplace of steelpan, and a rainforest protected since 1776
Trinidad and Tobago in 8 days: Carnival, scarlet ibis and the oldest rainforest reserve
Port of Spain → Asa Wright → Caroni Swamp → Tobago → Main Ridge
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Best for: A Gulf weekend with four thousand years under it
Bahrain in 4 days: Dilmun, pearls and the island long weekend
Manama → Qal'at al-Bahrain → Muharraq → the south
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Best for: The world's largest mangrove forest
Bangladesh in 7 days: Dhaka, the Sundarbans and tea country
Dhaka → Bagerhat → Sundarbans → Dhaka → Srimangal → Dhaka
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Best for: Medieval old town + forest
Estonia in 7 days: Tallinn, Lahemaa and Tartu
Tallinn → Lahemaa → Tartu → Tallinn
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Best for: Rock churches and highland escarpments
Ethiopia in 7 days: Lalibela, Gondar and the Simien Mountains
Addis Ababa → Lalibela → Gondar → Simien → Bahir Dar
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Best for: Maya carving, then the world's second-largest reef
Honduras in 7 days: Copán's Maya city and Roatán's reef
Copán Ruinas → San Pedro Sula → Roatán
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Best for: Europe's youngest country, and its cheapest
Kosovo in 5 days: Pristina, Prizren and the Rugova canyon
Pristina → Gracanica → Prizren → Peja → Pristina
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Best for: A Gulf capital almost nobody visits
Kuwait in 4 days: towers, souqs and Failaka island
Kuwait City → Failaka Island → Kuwait City
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Best for: Art nouveau + river valleys
Latvia in 7 days: Riga, Sigulda and Kuldīga
Riga → Jūrmala → Sigulda → Kuldīga → Riga
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Best for: Baroque, modernism and sand dunes
Lithuania in 7 days: Vilnius, Kaunas and the Curonian Spit
Vilnius → Trakai → Kaunas → Hill of Crosses → Curonian Spit
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Best for: Volcanoes you can look into, and two colonial cities
Nicaragua in 7 days: Granada, León and Ometepe
Granada → Masaya → Ometepe → León → Managua
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Best for: One of Europe's oldest lakes, at Balkan prices
North Macedonia in 7 days: Skopje, Matka and Lake Ohrid
Skopje → Matka → Mavrovo → Ohrid → Bitola → Skopje
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Best for: The world's highest mountains, and a Mughal city
Pakistan in 8 days: Hunza, the Karakoram and Lahore
Islamabad → Gilgit → Hunza → Khunjerab → Islamabad → Lahore
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Best for: A capital that stays up, and canyons nobody photographs
Serbia in 7 days: Belgrade, Novi Sad and the western hills
Belgrade → Novi Sad → Mokra Gora → Uvac → Studenica → Belgrade
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Best for: Mountains without the alpine price
Slovakia in 7 days: Bratislava, the High Tatras and Spiš
Bratislava → Banská Štiavnica → High Tatras → Spiš → Košice
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Best for: A gas crater that has burned for fifty years
Turkmenistan in 6 days: Ashgabat, Darvaza and Merv
Ashgabat → Nisa → Darvaza → Mary → Merv → Ashgabat
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Best for: Reef + Maya caves
Belize in 8 days: the barrier reef, the ATM cave and the Cayo
Caye Caulker → San Ignacio → Hopkins
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Best for: Hiking and morna, not resorts
Cape Verde in 9 days: Mindelo, Santo Antão and Cidade Velha
São Vicente → Santo Antão → Santiago
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Best for: Ruins, mountains, both sides
Cyprus in 8 days: Paphos mosaics, the Troodos and a divided capital
Paphos → Troodos → Nicosia → Famagusta → Larnaca
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Best for: Colonial city + whales
Dominican Republic in 9 days: Santo Domingo, Samaná and the mountains
Santo Domingo → Samaná → Jarabacoa → Punta Cana
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Best for: History you cannot unsee
Ghana in 9 days: Accra, the slave castles and the Volta
Accra → Cape Coast → Kakum → Kumasi → Volta
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Best for: Rainforest with nobody in it
Guyana in 9 days: Kaieteur Falls, Iwokrama and the Rupununi
Georgetown → Kaieteur → Iwokrama → Rupununi
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Best for: The island behind the resorts
Jamaica in 8 days: Kingston, the Blue Mountains and Port Antonio
Kingston → Blue Mountains → Port Antonio → Treasure Beach
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Best for: Deep history, short distances
Malta in 7 days: Valletta, the megalithic temples and Gozo
Valletta → the south → Mdina → Gozo → Comino
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Best for: Rainforest + bioluminescence
Puerto Rico in 8 days: Old San Juan, El Yunque and the glowing bay
San Juan → El Yunque → Vieques → Ponce → Rincón
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Best for: Fa'a Samoa, and beach fales
Samoa in 8 days: To Sua, the lava coast and Savai'i
Upolu → Lalomanu → Savai'i → Apia
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Best for: Music, history, river delta
Senegal in 9 days: Dakar, Gorée, Saint-Louis and the Sine-Saloum
Dakar → Gorée → Saint-Louis → Djoudj → Sine-Saloum
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Best for: The second highest road on earth
Tajikistan in 11 days: the Pamir Highway, Khorog and the Wakhan
Dushanbe → Kalaikhum → Khorog → Wakhan → Murghab → Karakul
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Best for: Slow coast + Tannat
Uruguay in 8 days: Montevideo, Colonia and the wild east coast
Montevideo → Colonia → Punta del Este → Cabo Polonio
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Best for: Standing on a volcano rim
Vanuatu in 9 days: Mount Yasur, blue holes and the Coolidge
Port Vila → Tanna → Espiritu Santo
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Best for: Mediterranean on a budget
Albania in 9 days: the Riviera, Berat and the Accursed Mountains
Tirana → Shkodër → Theth → Berat → Albanian Riviera
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Best for: Cities + glaciers
Argentina in 12 days: Buenos Aires, Iguazú and Patagonia
Buenos Aires → Iguazú → El Calafate → El Chaltén
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Best for: Old towns + value
The Baltics in 8 days: Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius
Tallinn → Riga → Vilnius → Trakai
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Best for: Old towns + short hops
Belgium in 6 days: Bruges, Ghent and Brussels
Brussels → Bruges → Ghent → Antwerp
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Best for: Salt flats + altiplano
Bolivia in 11 days: La Paz, Uyuni and Lake Titicaca
La Paz → Uyuni → Southwest circuit → Titicaca
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Best for: Old towns + history
Bosnia and Herzegovina in 7 days: Sarajevo, Mostar and the waterfalls
Sarajevo → Mostar → Blagaj → Kravice
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Best for: Beaches + waterfalls
Brazil in 10 days: Rio, Iguaçu and Paraty
Rio de Janeiro → Paraty → Iguaçu
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Best for: Old towns + monasteries
Bulgaria in 8 days: Sofia, Plovdiv and the Rila mountains
Sofia → Rila → Plovdiv → Veliko Tarnovo
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Best for: Three capitals, one visa
Central Europe in 10 days: Prague, Vienna and Budapest
Prague → Vienna → Budapest
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Best for: Desert + Patagonia
Chile in 12 days: the Atacama, Santiago and Torres del Paine
Santiago → Atacama → Puerto Natales → Torres del Paine
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Best for: Cities + coffee country
Colombia in 11 days: Cartagena, the coffee region and Medellín
Cartagena → Salento → Medellín → Bogotá
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Best for: Music + old cities
Cuba in 9 days: Havana, Viñales and Trinidad
Havana → Viñales → Trinidad → Havana
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Best for: Design + cycling
Denmark in 6 days: Copenhagen and the coast
Copenhagen → Helsingør → Roskilde
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Best for: Galápagos + Andes
Ecuador in 11 days: Quito, the Galápagos and the cloud forest
Quito → Galápagos → Mindo cloud forest
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Best for: Maya sites + volcanoes
Guatemala in 10 days: Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Tikal
Antigua → Lake Atitlán → Flores → Tikal
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Best for: Coast + culture
Ireland in 7 days: Dublin, Galway and the wild west
Dublin → Galway → Cliffs of Moher → Dingle
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Best for: History + desert
Jordan in 7 days: Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea
Amman → Dead Sea → Petra → Wadi Rum
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Best for: Mountains + yurts
Kyrgyzstan in 9 days: Song-Kul, Issyk-Kul and the Tian Shan
Bishkek → Song-Kul → Issyk-Kul → Karakol
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Best for: Slow Southeast Asia
Laos in 8 days: Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane
Luang Prabang → Vang Vieng → Vientiane
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Best for: Steppe + desert
Mongolia in 10 days: the Gobi, Orkhon Valley and ger camps
Ulaanbaatar → Gobi → Orkhon Valley → Kharkhorin
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Best for: Fjord bay + mountains
Montenegro in 7 days: Kotor Bay, Durmitor and the coast
Kotor → Perast → Durmitor → Sveti Stefan
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Best for: Two oceans + islands
Panama in 9 days: the Canal, Bocas del Toro and San Blas
Panama City → San Blas → Bocas del Toro
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Best for: Machu Picchu, done right
Peru in 9 days: Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu
Lima → Cusco → Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu
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Best for: Old towns + history
Poland in 7 days: Kraków and Warsaw
Kraków → Auschwitz → Wieliczka → Warsaw
-
Best for: City break + culture
Qatar in 4 days: the Doha long weekend
Doha → Inland Sea → Katara → The Pearl
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Best for: Castles + old towns
Romania in 8 days: Transylvania, Bucharest and the mountains
Bucharest → Brașov → Sighișoara → Sibiu
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Best for: Mountain gorillas
Rwanda in 8 days: gorillas, Nyungwe and Lake Kivu
Kigali → Volcanoes → Lake Kivu → Nyungwe
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Best for: First-time Southeast Asia
Singapore and Malaysia in 10 days: two countries, one easy border
Singapore → Melaka → Kuala Lumpur → Penang
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Best for: Design + islands
Sweden in 7 days: Stockholm and the archipelago
Stockholm → Archipelago → Uppsala
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Best for: Roman sites + desert
Tunisia in 9 days: Carthage, the Sahara and the coast
Tunis → Dougga → Tozeur → Matmata → Djerba
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Best for: Gorillas, for less
Uganda in 10 days: gorillas, chimps and the Nile
Entebbe → Kibale → Queen Elizabeth → Bwindi → Lake Bunyonyi
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Best for: The Falls + safari
Zimbabwe in 8 days: Victoria Falls, Hwange and Matobo
Victoria Falls → Hwange → Matobo Hills
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Best for: First-time visitors
Austria in 9 days: Vienna, Hallstatt and Salzburg
Vienna → Hallstatt → Salzburg
-
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Best for: Temples + history
Cambodia in 7 days: Siem Reap and Phnom Penh
Siem Reap → Angkor → Phnom Penh
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Best for: Coast + old towns
Croatia in 8 days: Dubrovnik, Split and the islands
Dubrovnik → Split → Hvar → Krka
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Best for: Old towns + castles
Czech Republic in 7 days: Prague and Český Krumlov
Prague → Kutná Hora → Český Krumlov
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Best for: First-time visitors
Egypt in 10 days: Cairo and the Nile
Cairo → Luxor → Aswan → Abu Simbel
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Best for: Winter magic
Germany's Christmas markets: Nuremberg, Rothenburg and Munich in 7 days
Nuremberg → Rothenburg → Munich
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Best for: Couples + first-timers
Greece in 10 days: Athens, Mykonos and Santorini
Athens → Mykonos → Santorini
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Best for: City + thermal baths
Hungary in 6 days: Budapest and the Danube Bend
Budapest → Danube Bend
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Best for: Food + beach
Malaysia in 10 days: Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi
Kuala Lumpur → Penang → Langkawi
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Best for: Adventure + culture
Morocco in 10 days: Marrakech, the Sahara and Fes
Marrakech → the Sahara → Fes → Chefchaouen
-
Best for: First-time visitors
Nepal in 10 days: Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan
Kathmandu → Pokhara → Chitwan
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Best for: Canals + museums
Netherlands in 6 days: Amsterdam and beyond
Amsterdam → Zaanse Schans → Keukenhof
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Best for: Road trippers
Oman in 8 days: Muscat, mountains, desert and turtles
Muscat → Nizwa → Wahiba Sands → Wadi Shab
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Best for: Cities + coast
Portugal in 8 days: Lisbon, Sintra and Porto
Lisbon → Sintra → Porto → Douro valley
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Best for: History + desert
Saudi Arabia in 7 days: Riyadh and AlUla
Riyadh → Diriyah → AlUla → Hegra
-
Best for: First-time visitors
Singapore in 6 days: Marina Bay, hawker trails and Sentosa
Marina Bay → Sentosa → Jewel
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Best for: First-time visitors
Sri Lanka in 10 days: the classic island loop
Sigiriya → Kandy → Ella → Galle
-
Best for: First-time visitors
Thailand in 10 days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket
Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Phuket
-
Best for: First-time visitors
Vietnam in 10 days: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An
Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Hoi An
-
Best for: First-time visitors
Azerbaijan in 7 days: Baku, fire country and Sheki
Baku → Gobustan → Sheki
-
Best for: First-time visitors
China in 10 days: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai
Beijing → Xi'an → Shanghai
-
Best for: First-time visitors
France in 9 days: Paris and the Riviera
Paris → Versailles → Nice → Monaco
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Best for: First-time visitors
Germany in 10 days: Munich, the Alps and Berlin
Munich → Neuschwanstein → Berlin → Potsdam
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Best for: Culture + beach
Mexico in 10 days: Mexico City and the Yucatán
Mexico City → Chichén Itzá → Tulum → Cozumel
-
Best for: First-time visitors
Spain in 10 days: Barcelona, Madrid and Seville
Barcelona → Madrid → Toledo → Seville
-
Best for: First-time visitors
United Kingdom in 10 days: London and Edinburgh
London → Windsor → Edinburgh → the Highlands
-
Best for: First-time visitors
USA in 10 days: New York, Washington DC and Niagara Falls
New York → Washington DC → Niagara Falls
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Best for: First-time visitors
Armenia in 7 days: Yerevan, ancient monasteries and Dilijan
Yerevan → Geghard → Noravank → Dilijan
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Best for: First-time visitors
India's Golden Triangle in 7 days: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur
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Best for: Desert + dunes
Jaisalmer and the Thar: the golden fort and a night in the dunes
Jaisalmer → Thar dunes → Longewala
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Best for: Returning India travellers
Rajasthan royal circuit: Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur
Jaipur → Pushkar → Jodhpur → Udaipur
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Best for: Culture and spiritual travellers
Spiritual north India: Varanasi and Amritsar in 7 days
Varanasi → Amritsar
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Best for: First-time visitors
Japan in 10 days: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka
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Best for: Second-time visitors
Japan beyond the Golden Route: Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go and the Alps
Kanazawa → Shirakawa-go → Takayama → Matsumoto
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Best for: First-time visitors
Russia in 10 days: Moscow, St Petersburg and the Arctic
Moscow → St Petersburg → Murmansk
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Best for: Second-time visitors
Russia beyond the capitals: Golden Ring to Kazan in 9 days
Moscow → Suzdal → Nizhny Novgorod → Kazan
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Best for: First-time visitors
Turkey in 11 days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale
Istanbul → Cappadocia → Ephesus → Pamukkale
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Best for: First-time visitors
Uzbekistan in 9 days: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Khiva
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Best for: First-time visitors
Georgia in 7 days: Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Kakheti
Tbilisi → Kazbegi → Sighnaghi
Other ways to travel
- Beach escapes Sand, snorkelling and somewhere to do nothing.
- Mountains & nature Peaks, parks, deserts and the long views.
- Couples & honeymoon Slower days, better dinners, a view worth the detour.
- Family travel Short hops, real breaks, nothing that needs queueing for an hour.
- Multi-country Several countries, one trip — and one set of paperwork.
- Budget-friendly Great trips under $100 a day.