Unique travel destinations are subjective: Paris, for instance, may not be a unique place to travel for a museum-hopper yet be a hidden gem for one who enjoys exploring the subterranean levels beneath our cities. 

Luxury Gold knows all too well that every group of travelers will have both common interests and diverse passions. We tailor our itineraries to you, first by selecting only the travel destinations with the potential for the most unique experiences.

We then weave these activities together, connecting them with a range of exciting transportation options and luxurious accommodations that have signature surprises in store. If you’re searching for a unique travel destination that speaks to your soul, we invite you to join a Luxury Gold tour and immerse yourself in our favorite unique places to travel every single day.

For the culturally-curious: Japan

If you’re one who dissects an itinerary in hopes of unlocking the smallest differences and details that make a place unique, then Japan will leave you engulfed in an enriching experience.  

Discover a deeper message and meaning to the magnificent and the mundane when you spend 11 days in the Land of the Rising Sun on our Majestic Japan journey. The itinerary is strewn with golden threads linking the past and the present. You’ll speak to a survivor of the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb, enjoy a private sake tasting, and engage in a traditional Sendai tea ceremony.

Allow your curiosity to go farther with optional experiences like a visit to the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum to marvel at the astounding kimono collection or a private sushi-making class that demonstrates why a decade is required to perfect the art of rolling sushi.

For Movers and Shakers: USA

Music history, Black history, and American history converge in the Deep South. A literal soundtrack was written during a chapter which saw the birth of the Mississippi Delta Blues, New Orleans jazz, and Nashville country genres.

Savor a sensory experience like no other when you devote 9 days to music and food on our Southern Grace journey. This itinerary was designed to touch your soul, starting with a lesson in music history in Nashville. Catch a live musical performance at the Grand Ole Opry, take a VIP tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame, then record your own song at the legendary Studio B. 

The King awaits your arrival to Graceland and so do stacks of Memphis BBQ. More exceptional dining is on the menu at Mississippi’s Monmouth Historic Inn and Gardens and Dunleith Historic Inn. Finally, explore the Big Easy and dance your way through the streets of New Orleans.

For Soulful Escapists: Australia

Australia is one of the most unique travel destinations if for no other reason than this continent’s varied, and often harsh, geography. The Australian Outback, infamous for its inhospitable nature, is your retreat on our Inspiring Australia journey.

You won’t be without creature comforts for all 13 days: much of this 8-city adventure includes cruising out to the Great Barrier Reef, sipping artisanal wines in the Hunter Valley, and pub crawling through Sydney. But for four days, you’ll venture into the Outback where you’ll take guided walks through Walpa Gorge, seek out an ancestral water snake at the Mutitjulu Waterhole, and reflect during sunrise walks in Kings Canyon.

For Lovers of Rugged Luxury: New Zealand

New Zealand’s remote location makes it a unique travel destination for travelers who tend to visit locations with only one geographical hallmark. New Zealand, however, doesn’t make you choose a landscape for your selfie backdrops: glaciers, fiords, mountains, ancient forests, volcanic craters, and dramatic coastlines are all ready for you to explore on Luxury Gold’s The Long White Cloud journey.

This 19-day excursion is one that will rival even the most picturesque of places you’ve visited abroad. You’ll venture across New Zealand’s islands with opportunities to see the changing landscape from every vantage point possible. A catamaran will sail you past cascading waterfalls and imposing cliffs. You’ll cycle along the Arrow River, descend into the Waitomo caves, and trek across the valleys, glaciers, mountain peaks, and lakes of Milford Track. You’ll also stay in 5-star, luxury hotel, such as the Te Waonui Lodge, pictured. 

For Timeless Romantics: United Kingdom

In the Golden Age of Streaming, we’re treated to period dramas that weave as much historical accuracy possible into every scene. If you’ve ever wanted to travel to the unique travel destinations where these royal shows and period-piece movies are filmed, this 10-day British Royale journey transports you through centuries of royal rule and luxuriant glory.

Begin in London waving to Westminster Abbey while en route to a private Tower of London tour. Pass by other iconic sights you’ve only seen on the screen as you visit Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon, and medieval York. Tour the 11th-century Alnwick Castle and cruise Ullswater Lake before toasting to an unforgettable trip with a visit to Edinburgh for whiskey tasting. 

For Gourmets (and Gourmands): Italy

What makes Italy such a unique travel destination is that it evokes a different set of feelings and expectations in every traveler. Some envision the ruins of Rome while others think about the fashion trends in Milan. Traditional Tuscan cuisine is at the top of the menu for one traveler while another may desire only white truffles from Alba, pizza from Naples, and gelato in Florence. 

The Luxury Gold Ultimate Italy journey is the ultimate buffet of history, food, and culture for a traveler with an insatiable wanderlust. 12 cities in 12 days means only stopping for the tastiest bites of history and cuisine: viewing the Faraglioni Rocks in Capri, after-hour tour of Doge’s Palace in Venice, and wandering the Vatican Museums. Unexpected delights are also on the menu by way of a journey through the villages of Cinque Terre, an Umbrian tasting experience, and wine sampling in Guardastelle.

For Collectors of Colorful Crafts

From the Sacred Valley to the streets of Lima, artisans long-devoted to their crafts welcome you to admire their handiwork on our Treasures of the Incas journey. Peru is more than Machu Picchu, as you’ll soon discover. Discuss all things art with a local sculptor in Lima. Learn about traditional Peruvian weaving techniques from a Quechua scholar. Break bread with a local family on Amantani Island as you learn about handicrafts that encapsulate thousands of years of Incan culture. And when one of these artisan wares returns home with you, you’ll forever be reminded of this souvenir’s amazing backstory. 

For Drinkers and Thinkers

The French Riviera has a stunning coastline, but if you turn away from the beach, you’ll find a sea of vineyards. If all you need is a bottle of vino, a farm-to-table meal, and a stroll through vibrant, rolling fields, the Luxury Gold Ultimate Southern France journey lets you uncork the French interior. 

Spend a few days under the sun, letting the coastline from Monaco to Saint-Tropez captivate you. Then, begin your wine tasting experience in Aix-en-Provence with organic wine sampling while you learn to make a classic French dessert. More wine awaits with a picnic at Domaine de la Citadelle and a cruise along the Canal du Midi through Languedoc wine country. Finally, savor every last drop of this wine tour opening bottles in Bordeaux and St. Émilion, the oldest active wine-producing appellation in the city. 

Luxury Gold showcases the world’s unique travel destinations through itineraries tailored to diverse travelers. Whatever your age or ability, we have a curated journey featuring the activities and experiences you’re passionate about. Book your vacation today and indulge in your interests.

As Shakespeare had it, “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” ‒ but this flower and its name are inextricably bound up in ideas of Englishness, beauty and love.

Throughout history it has been a symbol of royal clans, goddesses of love, passion, purity and even socialism. Meanwhile, with literary appearances from Lewis Carroll’s Queen of Hearts to Anne Brontë’s poetic warnings about its thorns, England’s storytellers have been inspired by this classic British flower for generations.

Valentine’s Day may have passed, but that doesn’t mean the appreciation of this most lovely of flowers has to end, too. Immerse yourself in its distinctive scent on a stroll through one of England’s most abundant rose gardens, often attached to storied stately homes. Here are just a few of them.

Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire

 

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This Jacobean manor house, 20 minutes’ drive from Cambridge, is most famous for having a still-working watermill, its parts dating back to the 18th century. But Anglesey’s most fragrant nook is its rose garden, with an impressive 40 varieties of bloom on display. Lord Fairhaven bought the estate in the 1920s, and the Rose Garden was one of his first labours of love; today you’ll see plump candy-pink, sunshine yellow and true scarlet booms filling its walls. Flowering from early June to October, there’s a generous chunk of the year you can visit, too.

Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

 

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Not only is there an Alnwick Castle, there’s an Alnwick Rose, one of 200 species bred by one of Britain’s most famous horticulturalists, David Austin. You’ll see its dense, blush-pink petals on display at Northumberland’s Alnwick rose garden, part of the Alnwick Castle estate, which is home to a staggering 3,000 roses ‒ making it one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Count up to 300 different varieties, then move on to the Ornamental Variety which has around 30 more. Luxury Gold clients will enjoy a leisurely visit to Alnwick on our 10-day British Royale tour, one of our luxury holidays in England.

Mottisfont Abbey, Hampshire

 

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Bursting with blooms trained around genteel old trail walls, pergolas and arches, the walled garden at this lovely 18th-century Hampshire pile is a romantic setting. The older, pre-1900 species of rose grown there tend to flower just once a year, unlike modern varieties, so most people visit in the peak flowering month of June. The garden was the brainchild of Graham Stuart Thomas, a collector or rare and historic roses in the 1960s and 70s; at its peak you’ll see 500 varieties in bloom, including the damask “Quatre Saisons” rose, first grown by the Romans, and clouds of the thornless, white Lykkefund rambling rose.

Cliveden, Buckinghamshire

 

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Among 376 acres of gardens at this 400-year-old aristocratic estate, the tucked-away rose garden is a highlight. Sitting alongside a zig-zagging Parterre garden, an Asian-influenced Water Garden and a war memorial garden, the rose garden’s flowers are climbers trained over romantic arches and shrubs nestled beneath pensive statues. Over 900 roses in total adorn the garden, in shades from buttercup to coral and deep lipstick pinks; they’re encircled by tall trees giving a sense of hushed privacy. Stop by the gardens’ gift shop to pick up your own David Austin rose variety to take home.

Castle Howard Walled Garden, Yorkshire

 

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On the outskirts of the handsome, historic city of York, to the south of North York Moors National Park, is this grade-I-listed stately home with 1,000 acres of gardens. One of the loveliest patches is the rose garden, made up of three enclosures swathed in low shrubs, with trailing boughs of rambling roses and tree roses to admire. The end of June to the beginning of July is when you’ll see and smell them in all their splendour. Guests on Luxury Gold’s lavish British Royale tour enjoy a stop at Castle Howard while visiting York.

Chartwell, Kent

 

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Winston Churchill’s home from the 1920s to the 1960s has long had an association with roses. The former British prime minister and his wife Clementine were said to have first courted in the rose garden at Blenheim Palace, and dedicated plenty of space in Chartwell’s gardens to her favourite flower. You can still visit Golden Rose Avenue (built in honour of their golden wedding anniversary) and Lady Clementine’s Rose Garden, where the roses are at their most impressive from mid-June and through the summer.

The Savill Garden, Berkshire

 

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Deep in Windsor Great Park, this colourful ornamental garden contains its own circular rose garden with a sculptural viewing platform in the middle. Opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, it has low beds of different-hued rose shrubs, ranging from bright white to pale pinks and deep reds, plus sunlit benches for a pause among the scented flowers. Take a guided tour of the wider gardens (Monday-Friday, year round), where a volunteer will point out seasonal highlights; the best months for roses are June and July.

There’s no better way to see Switzerland than by train.

From the shores of Lake Lucerne to the Top of Europe, the best train rides in Switzerland are innumerable. Even a simple commuter train from Interlaken to Grindelwald offers jaw-dropping views that are breathtaking. Luxury train rides in Switzerland only enhance the view with fine dining, a host of convenient in-carriage amenities, and the opportunity to see Switzerland’s mountain peaks, gorges, forests, and valleys in a way no other mode of transportation can.

From quick day trips to towns you’ve never heard of to day-long excursions that allow you to sit back and spend your vacation in a state of bliss, at least one of these luxury train rides in Switzerland should be on your bucket list.

Swiss connection: Roger Federer, Trevor Noah and the timeless beauty of Switzerland

Transalpin Express

Route: Zurich, Switzerland to Graz Austria 

Europe’s extensive rail network means you can explore countless landscapes in a matter of hours. The Transalpin Express may not limit itself to Switzerland, but this nine-hour journey through three countries gives you a glimpse into how the Swiss Alps compare to the Austrian Alps. It has a panorama carriage for maximum views, and unlike some other luxury train rides in Switzerland, the Transalpin Express is all about the Alps. Plus, you’ll ride through Sargans, Buchs, and then over the River Rhine, granting even well-ridden Swiss travelers a view that they likely haven’t yet seen.

Experience it: Majestic Switzerland through the lens of a Traveling Concierge

The Vigezzina – Centovalli Railway

Route: Locarno, Switzerland, to Domodossola, Italy

Not all of the best train rides in Switzerland take you beyond the border, but the Vigezzina-Centovalli Railway does. Also known as the Centovalli Express, this route was designed for nature lovers. The narrow-gauge railroad powers along through thick forests, rugged cliffs, dark green slopes, and cascading waterfalls. Best of all, it’s only a two-hour adventure, making it an effortless day trip for those who want a spectacular train ride and to add a little Italian stopover to their Swiss vacation schedule. 

Gotthard Panorama Express

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Route: Lucerne to Lugano

Envision the Gotthard Panorama Express as an attempt to window-shop Switzerland. This popular rail line puts two of Switzerland’s prettiest places front and center: the Italian Ticino and Central Switzerland. It’s a route that operates daily, including with standard commuter trains, so it’s accessible even for those with tight itineraries. Traveling through the 19th century Gotthard Tunnel is especially exciting, but perhaps the element of this near-six-hour excursion that really pushes it into icon territory is the included boat ride between Lucerne and Flüelen. As you can imagine,theGotthard Panorama Express route would be quite chilly in the winter, so while it does cease operations when the temperatures drop, you can still tackle the Gotthard panorama route via the Treno Gottardo in the winter months.

Read next: 7 reasons to visit Le Montreux Palace in Switzerland

Jungfrau Railway 

Route: Kleine Scheidegg to the Top of Europe

When it comes to the best train rides in Switzerland, the Jungfrau Railway is never left out of the conversation. The completion of the railway itself was a remarkable feat; the fact that you can reach 3,454m above sea level in a matter of minutes is just as unbelievable. Riding through the Eiger and Monch mountains via tunnel is unforgettable, as are the views from the Top of Europe and Eismeer station. The Jungfrau Railway operates all year round, and with so much to experience including exhibits, restaurants, and shops, it’s worth devoting a full day to this excursion. 

The Glacier Express

Route: Zermatt to St. Mortiz

Switzerland knows how to do slow travel the right way and the Glacier Express proves it. This eight-hour journey may only traverse three cantons but this popular luxury train in Switzerland still delivers an equal measure of quality and quantity. From Zermatt to the holiday resorts of St. Moritz, you’ll leisurely look out of your carriage window and see sights like the Rhine Gorge, the Matterhorn, the Oberalp Pass, and the Landwasser and Solis spiral tunnels and viaducts. The Glacier Express shuts down between October and December, but since you get book tickets three-month in advance, it allows you to plan your Swiss vacation around this century-old railway experience. 

Destination inspiration: 5 incredible photographs to take from Switzerland’s Glacier Express

The GoldenPass Express

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Route: Interlaken and Montreux

The GoldenPass between Central Switzerland and Lake Geneva has long been regarded as one of the best train rides in Switzerland, thanks in equal parts to its beauty and its inclusion in the Eurail Pass. In 2023, this luxury train through Switzerland got a lavish facelift via a new “Prestige” class. The panoramic views this route was known for can now be experienced from a more private carriage with elevated, heated leather seats that can rotate 180-degrees. Champagne and caviar are also exclusively served to Prestige class passengers, adding one more undeniable reason why this grand train tour of Switzerland is always one of the best. 

No visit to Switzerland is complete without a train ride through the country’s magical landscape. That’s why Luxury Gold delivers not one but two unique train journeys on Luxury Gold’s Majestic Switzerland tour. Over the course of 10 days, you’ll experience Swiss culture, history, and cuisine, including a ride across the country on the Glacier Express, snapping photos you’ll cherish for decades. You’ll also board Europe’s highest open-air cogwheel train to Gornergrat Summit where you’ll spy the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa in the distance.