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.

Remote luxury is an oxymoron to those who have yet to spoil themselves with a lavish overnight stay, and do so while tucked away from the world in an off-grid hotel.

Luxury Gold travelers, of course, are no strangers to staying in the best city-center hotels in the world, though many will confess that they prefer the particular feeling of escapism that only remote luxury hotels can deliver. 

Whether you’re a nature lover, a thrill seeker, or just desire a break from the crowds on your next vacation, take a peek into the luxurious remote and inaccessible accommodations that globetrotters will stay at during a Luxury Gold tour. 

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Canada

 

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Set on the shores of Lac Beauvert, Jasper Park Lodge mixes its backcountry heritage with chalet-style lavishness to create one of the most opulent outdoor retreats in Jasper. Rest your soles after a day hiking with a foot massage at the spa or tighten your cleats and play eighteen at one of Canada’s top-ranked golf resorts. 

Discover the Majesty of the Rockies on this 9-day guided tour. Trek through Alberta and British Columbia, seeing Canada’s best natural playgrounds. From wildlife spotting in Banff National Park to crossing hiking through the canyons of Jasper National Park, this Canadian adventure is unrivaled. 

Te Waonui Forest Retreat, New Zealand

Impeccable eco-luxury surrounded by pristine wilderness, Te Waonui Forest Retreat is remote luxury at its finest. The West Coast of the South Island is your home for the night, but don’t feel limited to just viewing the rainforest from your suite. Explore it. Every step through the lush bush uncovers glaciers, rivers, mountains, lakes — and all of the wildlife that inhabits it.

The Long White Cloud covers 19 cities in just as many days, instantly becoming one of Luxury Gold’s most comprehensive tours of New Zealand. Discover this country from every angle, with curated experiences including an exciting river safari, dinner with a former rugby star, and a private boat tour to the Waitomo Cave.

GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca, Peru

 

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Set adrift on Lake Titicaca, the private island of Esteves hosts an unforgettable overnight experience. GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca stands alone on a rocky bayside hill, surrounded by reed forest. You’re welcome to turn in early after a soak in the jacuzzi or sit in the sauna, but the best way to say goodnight is sitting at the hotel’s sunset viewpoint with a hot chocolate in hand.

Feast your eyes upon the Treasures of the Incas during Luxury Gold’s 12-day otherworldly excursion of Peru. From Lima, through the Sacred Valley, and onto Cusco, this tour showcases the landscape of a country that’s far more rich in beauty than its metallic tokens will ever be.

Sails in the Desert, Ayers Rock Resort, Australia

 

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Leave it to Australia to redefine remote luxury in the desert. Sails in the Desert, Ayers Rock Resort refines the standard five-star experience yet leaves your favorite forms of relaxation untouched. Dine on Indigenous-inspired cuisine paired with regional wines then find a shady spot under a gumtree where only the thick heat of the Northern Territory stands between you and a sparkling pool.

Feel revitalized after 13-days spent exploring Inspiring Australia. Start and end in Sydney, departing only to cruise the Great Barrier Reef, savoring a barbecue in the outback, and drinking in the Hunter Valley wine region.

Hotel Union Geiranger, Norway

 

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It goes without saying that remote luxury in Scandinavia will include a bevy of spa services so allow Hotel Union Geiranger to slide you a menu without a word. The roaring fireplace crackling beside the pool in the Union Spa does the talking: between the sauna, steam bath, Japanese hot bath, and hydra walk, every muscle of yours will unwind in warm relaxation.  

The Timeless Scandinavia tour combines popular city breaks in Stockholm and Copenhagen with a visit to the mythical Geiranger fjords. Once in a lifetime places to travel are hardly as accessible as this tour makes it seem: the ride on the Flåm Railway Scenic Train itself will show you the raw, untouched beauty of Scandinavia that few people other than passengers ever see. 

Ashford Castle

Ireland’s Ashford Castle is far more than a remote luxury hotel in the regal County Mayo. This site has seen nearly a millennia travelers come and go. Follow their footsteps across 350-acres of rolling hills as you engage in falconry, fishing, traditional boating, and archery. And as any good guest should, you’ll pay homage to the Guinness family that once called Ashford Castle home with a pint in the George V dining room.

With imposing fortresses lining the countrysides, Great Britain and Ireland have long coveted remote luxury far removed from the town center. Luxury Gold’s Castles & Kingdoms tour affords you 20 days to indulge in regal experiences throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, including a night spent in the five-star hospitality of Ashford Castle. 

Extraordinary hotel stays are just an average travel day with Luxury Gold. Book the trip of a lifetime today and discover a new level of luxury. 

For Dubliner Trevor White, accomplished author and founder and curator of Dublin’s award-winning Little Museum, there’s no place quite like this effervescent and welcoming city. From the generosity of its people to the richness of its history, a visit to Dublin will leave a fond memory etched on your soul. And, just ahead of St Patrick’s Day, this is the perfect reason to throw a spotlight on the Emerald Isle.

Travel with us on our Ultimate Ireland small group journey and enjoy an exclusive VIP invitation to meet with Trevor in Dublin, for a personal after-hours tour of Little Museum, which he founded. Here you will find history, humor and a warm Irish welcome as you learn about the city, his work and what it means to be a Dubliner.

We had the privilege to speak with Trevor to ask him more about The Little Museum, his life as a Dubliner and to get some expert Dublin local tips.

The Little Museum

Photo credit: @littlemuseumdub on Instagram

Known as the “people’s museum of the capital”, the Little Museum is housed in an 18^th century townhouse in the beautiful setting of Dublin’s St Stephens Green. “The Little Museum is Dublin, bottled,” explains Trevor. “Our work is about building civic pride; documenting the past; making guests feel welcome; kindling memories, tears and laughter; and, ultimately, bringing people to a closer understanding of who they really are.“

When asked what makes the Little Museum so special, he tells us, “Ordinary citizens are responsible for the success of the institution, because our collection was created by public donation. Philanthropists, patrons and the Irish government have also been generous supporters. There are over 5,000 artefacts which have been donated by Dubliners at home and overseas, and together they allow us to tell the stories of the city.”

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Small things tell big stories

Photo credit: @littlemuseumdub on Instagram

Trevor tells us “In the Little Museum we use small things to tell big stories, such as the shutter with a bullethole from the Easter Rising, or the letter from 20-year-old James Joyce, asking Lady Gregory for money. Some of the highlights are more commonplace. My favorite artefact at the moment is a collection of tennis balls discarded by the dogs of Dún Laoghaire.” It was a rite of passage for many Dublin kids growing up to head to this coastal suburb for a “Teddy’s 99 ice cream (cone with a flake) and a walk on the pier.”

A charming item in the collection is a letter that John F Kennedy wrote in 1963, rather poignantly in the year that he was assassinated. Donated to the Little Museum by its owner, the letter was sent in reply to a little boy who wrote to ask the US President whether fairies only appear to Irish people. President Kennedy took the trouble to write quite a long response to this child to say that fairies appear to all those who believe in them.

“This artefact is a really sweet thing that speaks to political history and also has a very human flavor to it. It shows an intimate side of this very public figure’s personality.” Trevor explains.

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A Dublin welcome for everyone

Photo credit: @littlemuseumdub on Instagram

We asked Trevor how the idea for the Museum initially came about. “I spent my career writing about Dublin and have a deep love for the city,” he says. “I published a magazine called The Dubliner for many years and sold it in 2008. I spent some time traveling but needed a new challenge.”

“I was in a Dublin pub one night with a friend we fell into conversation with an Australian. We bought him a pint which is a very Irish thing to do, shared stories and told him the best things to do in Dublin. At the end of the evening my friend and I reflected that it was a really positive and rewarding experience.

“That night I bounded home to my wife, woke her up and enthusiastically told her that I was going to set up a greeter programme and open a museum of Dublin and we were going to welcome people from all over the world,” he recounts, “and she simply asked me if I had remembered to put the bins out!””

From that small seed the Little Museum was born. In its first year it had 25,000 visitors and in 2019 it had 120,000. The Museum has grown and has built an extraordinary collection, which Trevor tells us “Is a true reflection of the generosity of the people of this city. Dubliners have a big heart. There’s a huge warmth and generosity and hospitality in this city and we try to embody that in the museum.”

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For the love of entertainment

“It is such a privilege to be able to extend hospitality to Luxury Gold guests,” he continues, “to join over a glass of wine or bubbles and have the opportunity to tell people about our work. Guests look forward to a warm welcome when they come to Ireland. The museums home was designed in the 18th century to enable its owner to host and entertain guests. We are very proud to have brought our townhouse back to its original purpose. These magnificent drawing rooms are not designed for intimate conversations, they are designed for entertaining on a grand scale and as such it is such a pleasure to be able to share such a building with visitors from all over the world.”

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History, hospitality and humor

“There are three themes to our work in the museum” Trevor elaborates. “History, that is our subject, the history of Dublin and Dubliners. Hospitality, which is such a hugely important part of what we are doing on the museum and why it is such an honor to welcome guests from over the world. And thirdly, humor. When you ask what is it that makes the Irish Irish, conversation is a big part of our character and way of life. We try to embody that within the museum which is why all of our visitors are able capture the salty humor of Dublin itself,” he explains with a laugh.

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In the footsteps of literary greats

 

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Trevor is a former restaurant critic, publisher of The Dubliner, and author of five books, including The Dubliner Diaries. Of being a Dublin writer, he tells us “I am certainly conscious of the great literary tradition of the city.” Dublin boasts James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and W B Yeats amongst its esteemed stable of authors. “Anyone who writes anything in this town feels the weight of history on their shoulders,” Trevor admits. “In one sense it is a burden, but it is also a privilege to have grown up in a society where literature is taken seriously.”

“I am just finishing a concise history of Dublin to be published in the spring of 2023, hopefully to be ready in time to share with Luxury Gold guests,” he shares with us. “The whole purpose of this book is to provide a very lithe overview of the history of Dublin for visitors. So somebody coming to Dublin who knows nothing about it, a curious visitor, could sit down for a couple of hours and ingest the whole story.”

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Europe’s biggest village

Renowned for its vibrant, friendly atmosphere and rich history, Dublin is a city with much to offer every traveler. Described by Dubliner Trevor as “Europe’s biggest village,” we asked him to elaborate on this.  He tells us “What I am really talking about is the intimacy of this city.”

“Dublin is a small, easily navigable city. You can explore Dublin in a couple of hours, and that intimacy is part of its charm. The phrase Europe’s biggest village also references the gift for conversation that Irish people, an intimacy that visitors will experience first-hand.”

“When people come to Dublin, the first thing I tell them to do is go to a local pub. You will meet Irish people, and what will inevitably happen is that you will find yourself in conversation with a really good storyteller. That is one of the most distinctive and likable aspects of life in this city. And the city is full of gorgeous pubs.”

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A cultural haven

Photo credit: @nationalgalleryofireland on Instagram

As well as a visit to the pub, Trevor advises any visitor to Dublin to spend time at the city’s national cultural institutions, of which there are many. “The National Gallery of Ireland, recently refurbished, in the center of the city, offers treasures galore, with everyone from W.B. Yeats to Pablo Picasso represented in their extraordinary collection” he says. A visit to the National Library is also one of the memorable things to do in Dublin.”

“Dublin is big on theatre and is blessed with two world class institutions,” Trevor enthuses. “Our national theatre, the Abbey Theatre was set up by William B Yeats, the great Nobel prize winning poet and you are guaranteed to see a memorable production. And the Gate Theatre, where Orson Wells started his career as an actor before he went on to make Citizen Kane. It has a very storied history and offers world class theater for a fraction of the price of Broadway and the West End.”

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Delicious cuisine

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As a former restaurant critic, we just had to ask Trevor for his best places to eat in Dublin and he suggested four great ways to taste the city:

Etto – an excellent Italian European restaurant which serves wonderful food with a great, fun atmosphere.

Glovers Alley – fine dining in a spectacular setting overlooking St Stephens Green.

Chapter One – Michelin starred dining offering real Irish hospitality and an extremely accomplished chef.

Roly’s Bistro – very buzzy with a delicious menu.

To experience this exclusive VIP after-hours meeting with Dubliner Trevor White at The Little Museum, book onto our Ultimate Ireland luxury guided tour.