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1. Play It Again: Alaskan Adventure 

The Last Frontier’s network of waterways carved by glaciers millions of year ago tops expedition-cruise to-do lists. Sprawling across 3.3 million acres, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve is the place to find fjords and forests, not to mention whales, porpoises, sea lions, and bald eagles. “Take a Lindblad Expeditions cruise to get up close and personal, or a Natural Habitat Adventures trip to view the amazing grizzlies on the Kenai Peninsula,” says Angela Wallace, a Virtuoso travel agency owner.

Up Next: Norway’s Fjords

“From the fjords to Svalbard, Norway cruises reveal majestic scenery and charming port towns,” says Jenny Westermann, a Virtuoso agency owner. Photo fodder: the country’s southwestern coastal region, where deep blue inlets cut into mountains to form the country’s famous inlets. A cruise or kayak into Geirangerfjord, a 62-mile-long behemoth of 5,000-foot gneiss walls and waterfalls, is essential, as is sailing through the 127-mile-long Sognefjord, which crosses three preservation areas. Norway’s small towns make good springboards for outdoor adventures and visits to see medieval wood-stave churches around Bergen, and to Haugesund, homeland of Norway’s Viking kings, who ruled the country between ad 800 and 1066.

Play It Again: Mykonos Beaches

The party crowd descends on Mykonos every summer – as do scores of cruise ships. This is the Platonic ideal of Grecian glam: The windmills, painted doors, and bougainvillea-draped corners of whitewashed Mykonos town, with its cobblestoned streets, underscore the Greek good looks that have made the Aegean island a perennial favorite. Cerulean seas lap at the island’s more than 40 beaches. At some, such as Paradise Beach, the party never stops, while travelers looking for the quieter side of Mykonos should unroll their towels at serene Panormos for reading and napping sans nce-nce music. Even within such a hot location, you can find plenty of hidden gems and tucked-away tables, says Rachelle Kontos, a Virtuoso travel advisor. “I suggest visiting Kiki’s, a taverna in Agios Sostis, which uses no electricity and serves up delicious homemade cooking. You can drink a complimentary glass of rosé and enjoy the view of the beach while waiting for your meal.”

 

Up Next: Mellow on Mallorca 

For a less-trafficked, idyllic beach scene, Jenny Westermann recommends Mallorca. On this largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, about 120 miles off the country’s eastern coast, sites such as the Royal Palace of La Almudaina draw visitors. The capital of Palma thrums with dance clubs, while more than 200 beaches offer a chance to lounge and swim during the island’s 300-plus sunny days per year. For cooler air and sheer-sided mountain views, hike in the Tramuntana range, along the island’s northern coast.

2. Play It Again: Kenya’s “Big Five” Bounty

Kenya reliably delivers the African safari of daydreams, with its vast savanna and majestic wildlife. The variety of landscapes shines here, from the grassy plains and gentle hills of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, home to the great wildebeest and zebra migration between June and October, to safaris in Amboseli National Park with Mount Kilimanjaro as the backdrop. Daily game drives reveal the “big five” (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo), as well as gazelles, hippos, giraffes, and warthogs. Joshua Bush, a Virtuoso agency owner, recommends off-season stays (March through May and October through December) for more-intimate treks, and visiting conservancies, which are privately run, for more-flexible game viewing than public parks can offer. “The Mara North Conservancy is a personal favorite,” he says.

Up Next: Wild for India 

Travelers have long flocked to India for the Taj Mahal, the Amber Fort, and Humayun’s Tomb. But it’s also a rising wildlife destination, says Kemi Wells, a Virtuoso advisor. While elephants, rhinos, reptiles, and 1,300 bird species draw visitors, it’s the regal Bengal tiger that makes India a safari star. “India has one of the biggest and safest tiger habitats around the world,” Wells says. Of the country’s 50 sanctuaries, Bandhavgarh National Park has one of the highest densities of tigers in the 40 square miles of the park open for tours, and the 514-square-mile UNESCO World Heritage site Sundarbans National Park counts around 100 Bengals. If you can stand the heat, visit between March and June, when the striped cats seek out pools of water to cool down, making them much easier to spot.

3. Play It Again: Kyoto’s Traditions

As the cultural and historical heart of Japan, Kyoto’s big – and busy – draws are its astounding number of gardens, temples, and shrines. The gleaming Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple) is a must here, as is Fushimi Inari-Taisha, a shrine with wildly photogenic orange torii gates. Try kaiseki for dinner, perhaps in Kyoto’s famous geisha district of Gion. The multicourse meal consists of precisely prepared seasonal dishes. For a new way to get to all the sites, go on two wheels, says Virtuoso agency executive Charlotte Harris: “The city is mostly flat, roads are well maintained, and there are plenty of places to rent a bicycle.”

Up Next: Takayama’s Mountain Air

Sometimes called “Little Kyoto,” the mountain village of Takayama in the Gifu Prefecture distills the essence of old Japan. The narrow streets of its Sanmachi Suji historic district are lined with wooden merchant houses dating to the Edo period (1603 to 1867). They brim with cafés, shops, and restaurants, where Virtuoso agency owner Claudia Rossi Hudson recommends dining on miso soup and local Hida beef. Takayama is a major sake-producing region, and sake breweries are scattered around the neighborhood. During the city’s festivals each April and October, gilded floats parade through the streets. In winter, a dusting of snow renders the alpine town a snow-globe scene.

4. Play It Again: Machu Picchu Pilgrimage 

Shrouded in mystery – and often in mist – at 7,972 feet in Peru’s Andes, the sprawling fifteenth-century Incan citadel induces awe with its temples, terraces, and huge blocks of stone. Many arrive via train from Cuzco, about 70 miles away, or stay the night in nearby Aguas Calientes. Hardier types can hoof it for several days along the breath-capturing Inca Trail. Even better: Hike the lesser-known Salkantay and Lares routes, says Cristina Buaas, a Virtuoso agency owner. The UNESCO World Heritage site enforces strict visitation rules, including advance-ticket purchase, set entrance times, and mandatory guides. July and August are busy, as are Sundays, when Cuzco Province residents can visit the site for free.

Up Next: Kuélap Exploration 

The fortress of Kuélap, which sits at 9,842 feet in northern Peru, predates Machu Picchu by nearly a millennium. “It’s hard to believe the Kuélap ruins, and the whole region of Chachapoyas, have remained so untouched,” says travel advisor Geordie McDonald. “More bromeliad flowers grow on the trees than people visit each day.” Overlooking the Utcubamba Valley, some 400 ruins spread over more than 1,100 acres here. Until recently, the walled complex was a four-hour hike or bumpy 90-minute bus ride from the village of Nuevo Tingo, but a cable car that opened in 2017 streamlines the ascent to 20 minutes.

5. Play It Again: Vintage Napa Valley 

More than 400 wineries pack Napa’s 30-mile-long valley, with renowned labels such as Stag’s Leap pouring the area’s prized cabernet sauvignons and chardonnays. Travelers come to worship at the prix-fixe altar of The French Laundry and other Michelin-starred restaurants. Fall is golden, literally, when leaves change and wineries’ crush season arrives. Virtuoso agency director Anthony Goldman recommends getting off the main highway with a biking tour through the Napa Valley and adjacent Sonoma County. “By day, pedal through vineyards, sip on world-class wine, and enjoy fabulous Californian fare; by night, bed down at some of the region’s premier hotels, including one of my favorites, Solage, an Auberge Resort, in Calistoga,” he says.

Up Next: Okanagan Valley Vineyards

“Imagine Napa Valley with a 90-mile lake down the middle,” says Jill Anglehart-Hamilton, a Virtuoso travel advisor, adding that, in some ways, the Okanagan Valley feels like Napa did 40 years ago. The valley stretches about 125 miles between the Washington State border and Armstrong, British Columbia, punctuated with laid-back towns and crystal lakes with vineyards rising from their shores. Headliners are the pinot noirs and rieslings, but innovative boutique wineries, such as CedarCreek, offer robust reds, crisp rosés, and even ice wine. “Don’t miss Mission Hill Winery, where Prince William and Kate visited on a recent trip to Canada,” Hamilton advises. Summer brings alfresco dining and sandy lakeside beaches, while for active travelers, winter competes as the best time to go: Skiers and snowboarders can hit the fresh powder at nearby alpine resorts one day, and warm up during winetastings the next.