The Itinerary Mountains & nature
For the trips where the landscape is the point: alpine valleys, safari plains, fiords, dunes and the roads that link them.
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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: 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: White-sand beaches above the Arctic Circle, in daylight at midnight
Lofoten in 8 days: Arctic beaches and the midnight sun
Bodø → Moskenes → Reine → Nusfjord → Henningsvær → Svolvær → Narvik
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Best for: Three islands, two flights, one sardine run
The Visayas in 10 days: Cebu, Bohol and Siargao
Cebu → Moalboal → Kawasan → Bohol → Panglao → Siargao
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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: Two separate chances at the aurora, from two countries, in one trip
Iceland and Norway in 10 days: the south coast, and the lights from Tromsø
Reykjavík → the Golden Circle → Vík → Jökulsárlón → Oslo → Tromsø
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Best for: The aurora, and the caves that only exist in winter
Iceland in winter in 6 days: northern lights and ice caves
Reykjavík → the Golden Circle → Seljalandsfoss → Vík → Jökulsárlón → Reykjavík
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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: One island, properly, instead of two in a hurry
New Zealand's South Island in 10 days: Milford, the glaciers and Aoraki
Christchurch → Lake Tekapo → Aoraki/Mount Cook → Wānaka → Queenstown → Te Anau → Milford Sound → the West Coast → Arthur's Pass → Christchurch
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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: Big Five without the malaria tablets, on a road anyone can drive
The Garden Route in 9 days: Cape Town to Addo, malaria-free
Cape Town → Hermanus → Mossel Bay → Knysna → Tsitsikamma → Addo Elephant Park → Gqeberha
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Best for: The safari-and-beach honeymoon, with a real city at the front of it
South Africa and Mauritius in 12 days: Cape Town, a safari and an island
Cape Town → the Cape Peninsula → the Winelands → Kruger → Mauritius
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Best for: The Colorado Plateau on one tank-and-a-half
US national parks in 10 days: Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon
Las Vegas → Zion → Bryce Canyon → Page → Grand Canyon → Las Vegas
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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: The island at a third of the villa price, with the scooter question answered honestly
Bali on a budget in 7 days: homestays, a scooter and warung food
Ubud → Canggu → Uluwatu
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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: 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: Three days on a big, cheap, high mountain three hours from the Gulf
Georgia in winter: Gudauri skiing and Tbilisi in the cold
Tbilisi → Ananuri → Gudauri → Tbilisi
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Best for: A three-hour flight from the Gulf where the food is cheap and nobody minds a toddler
Georgia with kids in 6 days: cable cars, parks and short drives
Tbilisi → Mtskheta → Kazbegi → Tbilisi
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Best for: Half-price rooms, a waterfall that only exists now, and beaches you have to yourself
Goa in the monsoon: waterfalls, spice farms and an empty coast
North Goa → Dudhsagar → Ponda → Panjim
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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 classic valley honeymoon, slowed down — and read the advisory section before you book
Kashmir honeymoon in 6 days: a houseboat, Gulmarg and Pahalgam
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Srinagar
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Best for: A three-week window in April when the valley does the thing it is famous for
Kashmir tulip season in 5 days: the garden, the blossom and the valley
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Srinagar
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Best for: Deep snow at 4,000m and a houseboat with a bukhari going — behind a live travel advisory
Kashmir in winter: Gulmarg, the gondola and a frozen Dal Lake
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Srinagar
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Best for: The season Kerala is cheapest, greenest and the one locals book treatments in
Kerala in the monsoon: Ayurveda season, green Munnar and low rates
Kochi → Munnar → Alleppey
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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: The months the south is washed out and the other coast is at its best
Sri Lanka in July: Trincomalee, Pigeon Island and Arugam Bay
Trincomalee → Nilaveli → Arugam Bay
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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: Three stops, one famous train ride, and elephants you can rely on seeing
Sri Lanka with kids in 7 days: the hill train, elephants and a calm beach
Kandy → Ella → Udawalawe → the south coast
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Best for: Three bases instead of four, and the train journeys treated as the destination
Switzerland honeymoon in 7 days: lake towns and the panoramic trains
Lucerne → Lauterbrunnen → Montreux
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Best for: The scenic rail country with snow on it, costed honestly including the mountain railways
Switzerland in winter: Jungfraujoch, Zermatt and the snow trains
Zurich → Lucerne → Grindelwald → Zermatt → Zurich
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Best for: A country where the transport is the entertainment and every village has a playground
Switzerland with kids in 8 days: trains, playgrounds and easy ridges
Lucerne → Lauterbrunnen → Zermatt
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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: 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: 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: 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: One island, three nights, and the best beach in India
Andaman in 5 days: Port Blair and Havelock
Port Blair → Havelock → Port Blair
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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 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: The classic hill-station pair, with a UNESCO railway to get there
Himachal in 6 days: Shimla, Kufri, Manali and Solang
Shimla → Kufri → Manali → Solang → Manali
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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: A palace, a tiger reserve and coffee country, all within a short drive of one airport
Karnataka in 6 days: Bangalore, Mysore and the Coorg hills
Bangalore → Mysore → Coorg → Bangalore
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Best for: All four Kashmir valleys at a proper pace — behind a live travel advisory
Kashmir in 7 days: Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg
Srinagar → Doodhpathri → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Sonmarg → Srinagar
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Best for: The Dal Lake houseboats and two valleys — behind a live travel advisory
Kashmir in 5 days: Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Srinagar
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Best for: A first taste of Kerala on a short break, without the drive to Thekkady
Kerala in 5 days: Kochi, Munnar and one night on the backwaters
Kochi → Munnar → Alleppey → Kochi
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Best for: The full hills-and-water circuit, with spice country added to the short version
Kerala in 7 days: Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady and the backwaters
Kochi → Munnar → Thekkady → Alleppey → Kochi
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Best for: The full circuit, with the altitude given proper room
Ladakh in 10 days: Lamayuru, Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri
Leh → Lamayuru → Nubra → Pangong → Tso Moriri → Leh
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Best for: High-altitude desert, Buddhist monasteries and two days of acclimatisation built in
Ladakh in 7 days: Leh, Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso
Leh → Khardung La → Nubra → Pangong Tso → Leh
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Best for: Living root bridges, the wettest place on earth, and a river you can see the bottom of
Meghalaya in 6 days: root bridges, Cherrapunji and the Dawki river
Guwahati → Shillong → Cherrapunji → Nongriat → Dawki → Mawlynnong
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Best for: A hill station and a tiger reserve within a day's drive of Delhi
Nainital and Corbett in 5 days: a lake town and India's oldest tiger reserve
Delhi → Nainital → the Kumaon lakes → Jim Corbett → Delhi
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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: 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: 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: Two bases, one island day trip, and no two-hour transfer every morning
Bali in 7 days: Ubud, Uluwatu and Nusa Penida
Ubud → Uluwatu → Seminyak → Nusa Penida
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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: 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 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: 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: Lakes and one mountain valley, without the Zermatt leg that needs a week
Switzerland in 5 days: Zurich, Lucerne and Interlaken
Zurich → Lucerne → Interlaken → Zurich
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Best for: Four stops, all by train, with the mountain excursions costed honestly
Switzerland in 7 days: Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken and Zermatt
Zurich → Lucerne → Interlaken → Zermatt → Zurich
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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: Four Andaman stops by ferry, with no backtracking and no Bangkok
Thailand island hopping in 8 days: Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Lanta
Phuket → Phi Phi → Krabi → Koh Lanta
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Best for: All seven emirates' worth of country, including the mountains and the east coast nobody visits
The UAE in 10 days: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah
Dubai → Abu Dhabi → Al Ain → Ras Al Khaimah → Fujairah → Dubai
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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: Orangutans from both sides of one island, and the difference between them
Borneo in 12 days: Sepilok, the Kinabatangan, Danum and Tanjung Puting
Kota Kinabalu → Sepilok → the Kinabatangan → Danum Valley → Pangkalan Bun → Tanjung Puting
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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: The driest desert on earth, crossed into the largest salt flat
Chile and Bolivia in 11 days: the Atacama, the lagoon route and Uyuni
Santiago → San Pedro de Atacama → the Eduardo Avaroa lagoons → Uyuni → La Paz
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Best for: Cloud forest and volcanoes, then the canal and an autonomous archipelago
Costa Rica and Panama in 12 days: Arenal, Monteverde, Boquete and the Canal
San José → Arenal → Monteverde → Manuel Antonio → Boquete → Panama City → San Blas
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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 three Lapplands in one winter, and four separate chances at the lights
Lapland in 10 days: Rovaniemi, the aurora, Tromsø and the Icehotel
Rovaniemi → Saariselkä → Tromsø → Abisko → Kiruna → Jukkasjärvi
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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: Three island nations, and the one place you can legally swim with humpbacks
The South Pacific in 13 days: Fiji's Yasawas, Samoa's To Sua and whales in Tonga
Nadi → the Yasawas → Apia → Savai'i → Vava'u → Nadi
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Best for: One mountain range, one road, two park systems and a border in the middle
USA and Canada in 12 days: Banff, the Icefields Parkway, Jasper and Glacier
Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → the Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Waterton → Glacier
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Best for: The two countries everyone combines, done in the order that actually works
Australia and New Zealand in 16 days: Sydney, Uluru, the Reef and the South Island
Sydney → Uluru → Cairns → Queenstown → Milford Sound → Mount Cook → Christchurch
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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, 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: Both halves of the same migration, then a week's worth of beach in three days
Kenya and Tanzania in 12 days: the Mara, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar
Nairobi → Masai Mara → Serengeti → Ngorongoro → Zanzibar
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Best for: A glacier that calves while you watch it, and the two best trekking massifs in the Americas
Patagonia in 13 days: Perito Moreno, Fitz Roy and Torres del Paine
El Calafate → El Chaltén → Torres del Paine → Puerto Natales → Punta Arenas
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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: Two gorilla treks in two countries, and the price difference that explains the route
Rwanda and Uganda in 10 days: gorillas twice, chimpanzees and the Rift Valley
Kigali → Volcanoes → Lake Bunyonyi → Bwindi → Queen Elizabeth → Entebbe
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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: The self-drive circuit, which is a different trip from a fly-in camp
Southern Africa in 18 days: Cape Town, Sossusvlei, Etosha and the Okavango by road
Cape Town → the Garden Route → Fish River Canyon → Sossusvlei → Swakopmund → Etosha → the Okavango → Chobe
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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 waterfall from both banks, and the country that invented the walking safari
Zambia and Zimbabwe in 10 days: both sides of Victoria Falls, Hwange and South Luangwa
Livingstone → Victoria Falls → Chobe → Hwange → South Luangwa
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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: A forest clearing where a hundred elephants gather at once — the only place on earth you can count them
Central African Republic in 8 days: Dzanga Bai, forest elephants and the BaAka
Bangui → Bayanga → Dzanga Bai → Bai Hokou → Bayanga → Bangui
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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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 highest waterfall on earth, falling off a tabletop mountain
Venezuela in 9 days: Angel Falls, Roraima and Los Roques — and the warnings first
Caracas → Canaima → Angel Falls → Gran Sabana → Los Roques
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Best for: An island where a third of the plants grow nowhere else on earth
Yemen in 8 days: Socotra's dragon's blood trees — and a mainland you cannot visit
Socotra — Hadibo → Dixam → Detwah → Arher → Homhil
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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: Mountains without the Alpine price, and a country run by two princes
Andorra in 4 days: the Pyrenees, Romanesque churches and Europe's highest capital
Andorra la Vella → Ordino → Canillo → Madriu valley → Andorra la Vella
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Best for: Water that does not look real, and the deepest blue hole in the world
Bahamas in 8 days: the Exumas, Dean's Blue Hole and pink sand
Nassau → Exumas → Thunderball Grotto → Eleuthera → Harbour Island
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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: One of the largest active volcanic craters on earth, and turtles nesting every night of the year
Comoros in 6 days: Karthala's crater, Mohéli's turtles and the perfume islands
Moroni → Mount Karthala → Lac Salé → Mohéli → Nioumachoua → Moroni
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Best for: Swimming with whale sharks, and the lowest point in Africa
Djibouti in 6 days: Lake Assal, the chimneys of Lac Abbé and whale sharks
Djibouti City → Lac Abbé → Lake Assal → Tadjoura → Gulf of Tadjoura
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Best for: A six-hour hike to a boiling lake, and sperm whales resident year-round
Dominica in 8 days: the Boiling Lake, sperm whales and the Waitukubuli trail
Roseau → Trafalgar → Boiling Lake → Kalinago Territory → Portsmouth
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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: Forest elephants on an Atlantic beach, and hordes of a thousand mandrills
Gabon in 8 days: Loango's beach elephants, Lopé's mandrills and the Ivindo falls
Libreville → Lopé → Ivindo → Loango → Libreville
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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: The world's first underwater sculpture park, and rum made by water wheel since 1785
Grenada in 7 days: the underwater sculptures, nutmeg and Carriacou
St George's → Grand Anse → Grand Etang → River Antoine → Carriacou
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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: Hippos that swim in the sea, and an archipelago run by its women
Guinea-Bissau in 7 days: the Bijagós islands, saltwater hippos and Bissau
Bissau → Bubaque → Orango → João Vieira → Bolama → Bissau
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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: 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: A freshwater lake with more fish species than any other, and parks brought back from nothing
Malawi in 9 days: Liwonde's elephants, Mount Mulanje and the lake
Lilongwe → Liwonde → Zomba → Mulanje → Cape Maclear → Lilongwe
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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: Whale sharks and manta rays off a beach you can walk to
Mozambique in 9 days: Tofo's whale sharks, Bazaruto's dunes and Maputo
Maputo → Tofo → Inhambane → Vilankulo → Bazaruto → Maputo
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Best for: Arguably the best diving on earth, and a lake full of stingless jellyfish
Palau in 8 days: Blue Corner, the Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake
Koror → Rock Islands → Blue Corner → Peleliu → Babeldaob
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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: Tracking western lowland gorillas in Congo Basin rainforest
Republic of the Congo in 7 days: Odzala's gorillas, forest baïs and Brazzaville
Brazzaville → Lésio-Louna → Odzala-Kokoua → Brazzaville
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Best for: Two volcanic spires rising straight out of the sea, and a crater you can drive into
Saint Lucia in 7 days: climbing Gros Piton, the drive-in volcano and Marigot Bay
Castries → Marigot Bay → Soufrière → the Pitons → Rodney Bay
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Best for: Sailing a chain of 32 islands, and swimming with turtles inside a horseshoe reef
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 8 days: Tobago Cays, Bequia and La Soufrière
Kingstown → La Soufrière → Bequia → Mustique → Tobago Cays → Union Island
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Best for: A volcanic needle in rainforest, and the plantation where relativity was proved
São Tomé and Príncipe in 7 days: Pico Cão Grande, the roças and Príncipe
São Tomé → Roça Bombaim → Praia Jalé → Príncipe → Roça Sundy
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Best for: Empty white-sand beaches an hour from a capital, and eleven primate species on one island
Sierra Leone in 8 days: the peninsula beaches, Tiwai Island and Freetown
Freetown → Tacugama → River No. 2 → Banana Islands → Tiwai → Freetown
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Best for: Wreck diving over a 1942 battlefield, and the largest saltwater lagoon on earth
Solomon Islands in 9 days: Iron Bottom Sound, Marovo Lagoon and Tetepare
Honiara → Guadalcanal → Munda → Marovo Lagoon → Tetepare → Honiara
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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: The richest reef fish counts ever surveyed, and Asia's newest country
Timor-Leste in 7 days: Atauro's reefs, Dili and the Ramelau highlands
Dili → Atauro Island → Maubisse → Mount Ramelau → Dili
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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: One of the few countries where you may legally swim with humpback whales
Tonga in 8 days: swimming with humpbacks in Vava'u, 'Eua and Tongatapu
Tongatapu → 'Eua → Tongatapu → Vava'u
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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: 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: Central America's smallest country, done properly
El Salvador in 6 days: volcanoes, coffee towns and surf
San Salvador → Ruta de las Flores → Santa Ana → Suchitoto → El Tunco
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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: 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: 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: The Pacific's best lagoon
Cook Islands in 8 days: Rarotonga and the Aitutaki lagoon
Rarotonga → Aitutaki → Rarotonga
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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: 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: 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: Walking safari, properly
Zambia in 9 days: the Falls, South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi
Livingstone → South Luangwa → Lower Zambezi
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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: 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: Delta + big game
Botswana in 9 days: the Okavango Delta and Chobe
Maun → Okavango Delta → Moremi → Chobe
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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: 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: Wildlife + rainforest
Costa Rica in 10 days: Arenal, Monteverde and the Pacific
San José → Arenal → Monteverde → Manuel Antonio
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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: Winter + family
Finland in 6 days: Rovaniemi and the real Santa
Helsinki → Rovaniemi → Lapland
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Best for: Island-hopping, not one resort
French Polynesia in 10 days: Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine and Bora Bora
Tahiti → Moorea → Huahine → Taha'a → Bora Bora
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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: Lemurs + endemic wildlife
Madagascar in 12 days: lemurs, baobabs and the Tsingy
Antananarivo → Andasibe → Morondava → Tsingy
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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: Self-drive + desert
Namibia in 10 days: Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha
Windhoek → Sossusvlei → Swakopmund → Etosha
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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: 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: Lakes + fairy tale
Slovenia in 6 days: Ljubljana, Bled and the caves
Ljubljana → Lake Bled → Bohinj → Postojna
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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
Australia in 10 days: Sydney, the Reef and Melbourne
Sydney → Blue Mountains → Great Barrier Reef → Melbourne
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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: Mountains + road trip
Canada in 8 days: the Canadian Rockies
Calgary → Banff → Icefields Parkway → Jasper
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Best for: Road trip + nature
Iceland in 8 days: the Golden Circle and south coast
Reykjavik → Golden Circle → South coast → Jökulsárlón
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Best for: First-time visitors
Bali in 10 days: Ubud, Uluwatu and the islands
Ubud → Nusa Penida → Uluwatu
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Best for: Mountains + value
Kazakhstan in 7 days: Almaty and the mountains
Almaty → Shymbulak → Big Almaty Lake → Charyn
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Best for: Safari + wildlife
Kenya in 7 days: Masai Mara and the Rift lakes
Nairobi → Masai Mara → Lake Naivasha
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Best for: Adventure + culture
Morocco in 10 days: Marrakech, the Sahara and Fes
Marrakech → the Sahara → Fes → Chefchaouen
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Best for: First-time visitors
Nepal in 10 days: Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan
Kathmandu → Pokhara → Chitwan
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Best for: Road trip + adventure
New Zealand in 12 days: both islands, one road trip
Auckland → Rotorua → Queenstown → Aoraki/Mt Cook → Christchurch
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Best for: Fjords + scenic rail
Norway in 7 days: Oslo, the fjords and Bergen
Oslo → Flåm → Nærøyfjord → Bergen
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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: History + desert
Saudi Arabia in 7 days: Riyadh and AlUla
Riyadh → Diriyah → AlUla → Hegra
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Best for: Safari + city
South Africa in 10 days: Cape Town and a Kruger safari
Cape Town → the Winelands → Kruger
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Best for: First-time visitors
Sri Lanka in 10 days: the classic island loop
Sigiriya → Kandy → Ella → Galle
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Best for: First-time visitors
Switzerland in 10 days: Lucerne, the Jungfrau and Zermatt
Lucerne → Jungfrau → Zermatt
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Best for: Safari + beach
Tanzania in 9 days: Serengeti safari and Zanzibar
Arusha → Serengeti → Ngorongoro → Zanzibar
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Best for: First-time visitors
Vietnam in 10 days: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An
Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Hoi An
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Best for: Nature + photography
China's nature epic: Zhangjiajie and the Li River in 10 days
Zhangjiajie → Longji terraces → Li River → Yangshuo
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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: Road trippers
California road trip: Pacific Coast Highway and Yosemite in 10 days
Los Angeles → Big Sur → Yosemite → San Francisco
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Best for: Cities + canyons
USA West in 10 days: Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco
Los Angeles → Las Vegas → Grand Canyon → San Francisco
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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: 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: Slow-paced travellers
Kerala in 9 days: Kochi, Munnar, the backwaters and the beach
Kochi → Munnar → Backwaters → Kovalam
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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: Winter travellers
Hokkaido in winter: snow festivals, penguins and powder
Sapporo → Otaru → Asahikawa → Furano
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Best for: Adventure travellers
Siberian winter: Baikal ice, the Trans-Siberian and the coldest village on Earth
Krasnoyarsk → Baikal → Yakutsk → Oymyakon
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Best for: Second-time visitors
Turkey's Black Sea: Trabzon, Uzungol and the Ayder highlands
Trabzon → Uzungöl → Ayder
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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.
- Culture & history Old cities, great museums, food worth travelling for.
- 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.