Your dream vacation is waiting. Ski Antarctica, fly-fish Alaska, beach-hop in Cuba, and cross four more adventures off your bucket list with our picks for the best classic trips.
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Machu Picchu and the Galápagos
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Hit Machu Picchu and the Galápagos in one adventure with ’s new multisport itinerary. The 14-day trip includes rafting Peru’s Class I–III Urubamba River, a train ride to Machu Picchu with a guided hike among the ruins, and hiking, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, and cycling in the Galápagos. From $5,799.
Float the Grand Canyon in a Dory
Much more elegant than a raft
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A classic 87-mile trip from Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch with , the grandfather of Colorado River running. Pass the cliffs of Marble Canyon, hike to Native American ruins, camp on sandy beaches, and ride 19 major rapids in a storied wooden dory, which holds four guests and is much more elegant than a raft. Six-to-eight-day trip from $2,943.
Ski-Trek Antarctica
Re-create Shackleton’s 1916 route
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Twelve skiers pull their own 70-pound sledges from Antarctica’s King Haakon Bay more than 20 miles to Fortuna Bay, re-creating portions of Shackleton’s famed 1916 route. The precipitous alpine route, with hazardous crevasses and high winds, makes for an unforgettable journey. From $14,630, .
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
See the Big Five
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This journey starts with a ten-day climb of Kilimanjaro via the Grand Traverse, a little-traveled route that virtually circumnavigates the famed 19,341-foot peak. Add on a 12-day safari, including game drives in the most wildlife-rich area of northern Tanzania and three days walking in the Great Rift Valley. $14,500, .
Fly-Fish Alaska
All about the fish
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, on the shore of Lake Iliamna, the largest lake in Alaska, has always been the gold standard for serious fishermen. Under new ownership, the rustic, seventies-era cedar-log lodge underwent a makeover with major upgrades. But it’s still about the fish. With three DeHavilland airplanes and private leases to more than 98,000 acres, fly-fish for trophy king in the morning and deep-sea-fish for halibut in the afternoon. , except for air transfer.
Trek New Zealand
A new long-distance trail to get lost in
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After ten years of trail building, New Zealand’s Te Araroa—the Long Pathway—is open. The 1,864-mile path starts at Cape Reinga, at the northern tip of the North Island, requires a ferry ride across the Cook Strait, and ends on the southernmost tip of the South Island. For routes and map notes, go to .
Explore Cuba
(Legally)
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Take advantage of thawing relations between the U.S. and Cuba with ‘s 100 percent legal, nine-day, total-immersion trip, which includes visiting a tobacco plantation, an organic farm, artisan cooperatives, and a tour of Old Havana led by the city’s official Historian’s office. Dine on traditional meals in private homes, stay at the five-star Melia Cohiba, and cruise the seaside Malecón in classic American autos from the 40’s and 50’s. $4,498.