Things to do
Things to do
Choose the experiences first. The destination, season and budget usually follow on their own.
Pick the experiences first, then the place
It is easier to plan a trip around three things you genuinely want to do than around a country you have only seen photographs of. Choose the dive, the walk, the festival or the market first, and the destination, season and budget tend to sort themselves out.
The collections below are sorted by effort as well as interest, so you can tell at a glance whether something needs a permit booked months ahead or can be decided the night before.
Adventure and the outdoors
Multi-day walks with hut accommodation
Where to learn to dive properly
Ski seasons around the world
Food, culture and slow days
Regional food worth travelling for
Neighbourhood bars over rooftop bars
Ruins that are still worth the queue
Morning markets and how to shop them
Travel that leaves a place better than it found it
Stay with locally owned operators, travel in shoulder season, use ground transport where it exists and book wildlife experiences only with operators that keep their distance.
Book ahead or decide on the day
- Book months aheadPermit-limited hikes, dive courses in peak season, major festivals.
- Book weeks aheadSmall-group tours, cooking classes, popular restaurants.
- Book days aheadDay boats, museum timed entry, rental cars in shoulder season.
- Decide on the dayMarkets, beaches, most city walking, local transport.