Peru really does have some world class attractions – world beating restaurants in Lima, a wonder of the world with Machu Picchu, the world’s deepest canyon and some of the best preserved ruins in the world courtesy of the master builder Incas. The below 2/3 week itinerary lets you enjoy these key sites, plus great activities like hiking, paragliding, zip-lining; and gives you those critical ingredients in a great trip – a sense of fun and adventure as you head a bit off the beaten track
As with all such trips, having more time is ideal. I’m sure you could easily take months on this itinerary, and indeed far longer for the rest of Peru. But 2.5 weeks felt about perfect for this trip with the right combo of full-on days mixed in with chill-out days in each of the stops to soak up the place and generally recharge the batteries after the travelling and hiking. Similarly, you could also, if super pressed for time, knock off the 5 chill-out days and blitz through this trip in 2 weeks – and indeed many have done – but just be aware that there are two quite strenuous hikes and the need to acclimatise to the altitude when you land in Cusco
One of the best 2/3 week adventures I’ve been on. Highly recommend
Luscious green mountains hiding little coffee village gems, treks deep into the jungle to see lost cities, a world-class old colonial town that lets you lose yourself in dreams of pirates and discovery, and a country that has recently / hopefully put a recent history of blood-bloodcurdling violence behind it. Colombia, cracking country to visit
Due to the spread out nature of many of Colombia’s highlights and the slow travel between each, you really need 2-3 weeks to do the place justice and I’ve listed out below which is a great itinerary for 3 weeks
The must see highlights (with links to their individual travel entries) are Hiking the Lost City Trek, Soaking up the Cartagena Old Town and Walking the Valley de Cocora and soaking up Salento. Also cool are hanging out in Tayrona National Park and spending a Couple of days in Medellin riding the cable cars are also cool. Further down the list of classic highlights are Bogota (see Cycle trip around Bogota), which makes sense to visit as you’ll likely fly into there (and its the same distance to the Valley de Cocora as it is from Medellin), and if you have a spare day check out the Guatape Lakes outside of Medellin
Moving from one spot of paradise to the next; super friendly people; picture perfect spots that scream “I want to go!”; and having some truly unforgettable adrenaline-throbbing moments by swimming with Humpback Whales and diving with the Tiger Sharks. For sure Fiji, Tonga and Samoa are in the middle of nowhere, but this is a world class 2 weeks
Below I’ve given the itinerary we took and the links to the individual entries on each of the travel experiences
If you look through a typical European highlights itinerary it will invariably be dominated by the cities. For instance, the Lonely Planet’s top itinerary for Europe is 12 cities and nothing else, and of its 24 overall European highlights, only 6 are not cities (the Norwegian Fjords, the Matterhorn, Greece’s Santorini, Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, Transylvania, North Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid . . . if you’re interested). It’s understandable – Europe is a centre for culture and stunning capital cities, but it also has some world class experiences to be found outside of the cities and this itinerary gives you a flavour of those with a focus on its mountain and wine regions
With this itinerary you will enjoy:
- Mountains – the most spectacular views of Europe’s premier mountain regions with Switzerland’s “big three” of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau from Interlaken, and the Pyrenes’ Cirques de Gavarnie
- Wine regions – 4 of the best wine regions France has to offer with Bordeaux, Provence, Alsace and Champagne
- Lakes – 2 of the world’s truly stunning lakes with the simply magnificent Lake Como and the Swiss Lakes surrounding Interlaken
- Coastline – the epitome of luxury and style with the most famous stretch of coastline in Europe with the Cote d’Azur, its trio of corniches and Monaco
- Hilltop villages and rural regions – the prettiest in Europe with the hilltop villages and elegant treelined streets of Provence and the timbered fairytale villages of the Black Forrest
- Roman Ruins – some of the best preserved Roman Ruins with the Pont du Garde and the Arles Amphitheatre
- Driving – and of course, some of the best driving scenery in all of Europe as you pass from one mountain range to another and along some of the prettiest countryside on the continent
One of the classic overland routes across Africa is from the thunderous Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe to the big hitting wildlife meccas of the Masai Mara and Serengeti in Kenya and Tanzania, with the paradise island of Zanzibar and the tranquil Lake Malawi en route. Each of those destinations are world-class experiences that are must sees in their own right. Combined, you have one of the world’s great travel experiences with the added benefit of seeing the wonderful African landscape in-between
That being said, the experience isn’t for everyone. These overland tours are often done in an overland truck which is fantastic for the elevated views with its large windows and their ability to go off-road, but they are not a luxury, comfortable coach or a private 4×4. There is a lot of driving – roughly 80 hours in the truck in total, which also means that you’re hoping that you get a good group of people to enjoy the trip with (typically 20 or so will be on the tour). And of course, there is the camping which, whilst there will naturally be a few nights when you stay in rooms with beds, will form the majority of your evenings. Looking back, it is a truly amazing experience, and I’d highly recommend it for those with heaps of energy for an adventure and maybe a little tight on money . . . dare I say a younger traveler? But I think it all really depends on the individual – we saw a couple in their 70s who embraced it and loved the experience, in comparison there were a group in their 20s who struggled. Looking back, the long hours sat in the truck, a few breakdowns and the camping might just push me over the edge! At the time though, in my late 20s, it was fantastic
To shorten, I’d consider flying from Tanzania to Victoria Falls. The major highlights are really in Kenya (the Masai Mara), Tanzania (The Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar) and Victoria Falls. You’ll be doing a lot of driving, so the big stretch between Tanzania / Lake Malawi to Victoria Falls you could maybe skip
My favourite road trip – the contrasts of natural landscape along the way with snowy mountains, red / yellow deserts, and temperate rainforests; the tasters of the different culture snapshots of the US with conservative cowboys through to uber-liberal SoCal and Pacific North West; the sheer world-fame of some spots like Las Vegas, LA, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon; but more than anything – its a trip that is simply perfect for driving. The distances involved, the way the US in particular is set up for the drivers and the scenery to take in in between the obvious highlights is just world-beating
It’s also a super high octane trip – 4200 miles / 6760km of driving – the sort of thing you rattle off in your 20s, when you have the energy, 2 weeks of vacation and are keen to see and do everything. There’s something just so incredibly fun and fantastic about seeing one world-famous site one after the other in rapid succession – one day being in the likes of Yellowstone National Park, the next in Arches National Park, the next the Grand Canyon, the next Las Vegas, the next LA etc etc. An exciting whirlwind that creates a feeling most will never forget . . . and in a way equally spoils / sets the bar incredibly high for any other trip
A bit rushed? – on the trip itself, we didn’t feel overly rushed. Again, we had 2 weeks vacation and wanted to see as much of this part of the world as possible. For example, I actually found a day / half day in each of the national parks perfect to do a basic walk, see the main attractions and get the feel for them. But of course, it would have been nice to spend longer in each – perhaps take a 3 day hiking trip across one of them. Or perhaps see some of the other pieces we of course missed along the way. Ultimately, I always suggest avoiding the mass tourism standard experience on offer, and I shudder just thinking of trying to do this again, but in a part of the world that has world class sites one after the other, the gorging on them was great fun
The Western Balkans don’t tend to be towards the top of the classic European adventures list, but they really should be and especially so if you’re looking for a 2-3 week adventure. Whilst the likes of Spain, France and Italy offer the beautiful settings and a similar(ish) geographical area, the Western Balkans offer the variety of 8 different countries, are more compact, less busy and go toe-to-toe with those countries in terms of beaches, dramatic settings and cute old towns. Examples? The Havar area has the best beach and boat setting in Europe; Lake Bled and Sveti Stefan must be up there with the most picturesque spots in Europe; Dubrovnik has arguably the best Old Town and city walls in the world; and, in my opinion, Montenegro has the most beautiful coastline in the world. Don’t believe this? Give it a go – as I say, one of the best 2-3 week European adventures in Europe
The world’s longest and most famous train journey. Crossing all of Russia, the route takes you through a landscape that was previously so impenetrable that it used to be quicker to cross the Atlantic, America and the Pacific than it was to make the overland from Moscow to Vladivostok. Considering there are unlikely to be any other ways you will get to see this vast expanse of territory, this feels like a must for an adventurous traveler
But two things to bear in mind – firstly, the route is not one single train / journey, rather it is a series of trains and with various stops. Secondly, there are three final destinations – Vladivostok, Beijing or Zabaikalsk. This provides a series of combination from where you could go, and the journey I took was from Omsk to Beijing, via Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk & Lake Baikal, Ulan Ude, Ulan Bator & its surrounding national parks. Its a great adventure and one that can easily be combined with a trip around Central Asia
I’ve written below some Travel Tips for this journey, but my main two tips are: #1. Prioritise Lake Baikal – it is the highlight stop of the journey, and far more fun than the grey city stops of the likes of Omsk and Krasnoyarsk; #2. Finish in Beijing – the Trans-Siberian is know for Moscow-Vladivostok, but it is a no-brainer to travel to Beijing instead. Vladivostok vs Mongolia and Beijing? No comparison
Vietnam is a wonderful country to spend 3 weeks working your way through. Hill tribes tucked in misty mountains surrounded by emerald green rice terraces and long palm-lined beaches; vibrant cities riding the wave of a country booming alongside idyllic small towns miraculously unaffected by the Vietnam War or commercialisation; and several truly world-class experiences within picture perfect landscapes that look like they were carved from a fairy tale. Its also still super cheap and easy to travel through based on its long thin shape and the established bus routes that make hoping on and off sleeper buses simple
The below itinerary will allow you to see the highlights of Vietnam over 3 weeks using the bus network, without being super rushed and without having to double back on yourself other than using Hanoi as a hub for the experiences in the north
The Queensland coastline includes some of the highlights for the whole country and, with world-class beach experiences such as 4WDing on Fraser Island, sailing the Whitsunday Islands and diving the Great Barrier Reef, it is one of the premier coastal roadtrips in the world. Throw into the mix the the hedonistic glitzy skyscraper Gold Coast, the natural phenomenons of the Daintree Rainforest and Atherton Tableland, chilled out islands like Great Keppel and Magnetic Islands, plus the very Australian quirky habit of needing each town to have its own “Big Thing” (think giant prawns, bananas, mangos etc), and you’ve got an unmissable experience
Itinerary below for a 3 week trip and 3 top tips:
- Go in winter – despite most of the Queensland coast being in the tropics, majority of people (Aussies and International) think it’s cold in June and July in Queensland. Whilst it’s certainly colder than normal, the temperatures are very mild in the south and still very much warm enough in the north. Go in winter – it’s cheaper and it’ll be a far more enjoyable experience
- Start in Brisbane or Sydney? – obviously starting in Sydney gives you more to see and includes the wow factor highlights like walking along Sydney Harbour (see the individual travel Sydney Harbour for more tips), the Blue Mountains (likewise the travel entry Train ride from Sydney to Katoomba and checking out the Blue Mountains) and wine tasting in the Hunter Valley. But these highlights are clustered around Sydney. The remainder of the New South Wales coastline between Sydney and Queensland is mainly beach towns like Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay, which are nice, but very similar to what you’ll get all along the Queensland coast and will be that bit colder in winter. It makes sense to start in Sydney if you want to see the highlights around Sydney, less so for the rest of the New South Wales coast
- Can do in 10 days, but 3 weeks better – if you wanted to smash the key highlights of Fraser Island, the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef, you could do this in 10 days, but it would be hectic as it’s around 2,400km / 1500miles of driving. The three weeks gives you plenty of chill out time and the opportunity to see some of the slightly more off the beaten track places like the Daintree Rainforest, Atherton Tableland and Great Keppel Island
