Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Guided lagoon snorkel with rays and sharks
Join a guided lagoon trip to snorkel where many species of sharks and rays live; shark fishing there has been banned since 2012.
33k readers a month
Luxury travel · by mood · by month
Go where it feels like you.
Tell us the mood and the month. We'll show you real places, why they fit, and the moment to go.
Fly + stay
Where are you flying from?
Pick a place and a month. We pull live fares from Kiwi.com and show the hotels we'd book there. You book with them directly.
Do this in October
Moments worth the flight
Experiences at places that are at their best this month. Open one to see the whole trip.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Matira Beach
Swim at Matira Beach in the southwest, where most of the island's beaches and hotels lie between Pointe Paopao and Pointe Matira.
33k readers a month
Hong Kong, China
Peak Tram and the Lugard Road walk
Ride the Peak Tram up Victoria Peak, then walk Lugard Road, a path about 400 m above sea level with wide views over Victoria Harbour.
258 readers a month
Hong Kong, China
Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour
Cross the harbor on the Star Ferry, the service between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon run by a company founded in 1888.
1.9k readers a month
Shanghai, China
The Bund promenade in the morning
Walk the landscaped riverside promenade of the Bund, a protected historical district of former bank buildings facing the towers of Pudong.
13k readers a month
Shanghai, China
Yu Garden
Walk the Ming-dynasty garden begun in 1559, with over 40 scenic spots including pavilions, ponds and a 12 m rockery of huangshi stone.
5.8k readers a month
The Seychelles
Vallée de Mai palm forest
Walk the UNESCO-listed palm forest on Praslin, home to the coco de mer, which has the largest seed of any plant, and the rare Seychelles black parrot.
451 readers a month
The Seychelles
Swim at Anse Lazio
Spend an afternoon on Praslin's northwest beach, bordered by large granite boulders, with clear water for swimming; Lonely Planet calls it the island's best beach.
537 readers a month
Tuscany, Italy
Piazza del Campo and Siena Cathedral
Cross the scallop-shaped Campo, one of Europe's great medieval squares, then see the cathedral, built in alternating white and greenish-black marble stripes.
2.5k readers a month
Tuscany, Italy
Brunello tasting in Montalcino
Taste Brunello di Montalcino, a Sangiovese wine, at an estate near the hill town. Most estates want an appointment, so book ahead.
Hangzhou, China
Su Causeway at dawn
Walk or cycle the Su Causeway across West Lake in the early morning, before the day-trip crowds arrive.
5.8k readers a month
Hangzhou, China
Boat on West Lake
Take a boat out on West Lake, then look back at the causeways, pagodas and wooded hills that ring the water.
5.8k readers a month
Step one
What's your trip's vibe?
Four taps. We match you to places using when they're at their best, who they suit, how long they need, and the feeling they're known for. Every match shows why.
Vibe check · 4 taps
Who's coming?
What should it feel like? Pick up to two
When can you go?
How long?
When to go
Pick a month. See where it's perfect.
Drag through the year. Places light up when they're at their best, glow when they're still lovely, and the best-rated rise to the top.
October:
Cards are ordered by a month score: the Luxe score in peak months, 0.5 lower when a place is still lovely, 1.5 lower off season. How we score →
The atlas
Every place, where it is.
Tap a pin to open the postcard. The map follows the filters on the places wall below.
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The places wall
Fall for a place
Filter by vibe, region, company and month. Heart the ones you love to build your trip board.
Vibe
Where
With
63 places
United States
New York City
A martini at the bar, a museum by day, a bagel at 2 a.m.
Portugal
Lisbon
Tiled facades, yellow trams and fado after midnight.
Morocco
Marrakech
Riad courtyards, souk lanes and rooftop mint tea.
Türkiye
Istanbul
Domes, ferries on the Bosphorus and long meyhane dinners.
Italy
Tuscany
Cypress roads, Brunello and a villa with a view.
Argentina
Buenos Aires
Steak at midnight, tango until dawn.
Tanzania
Serengeti
The great migration, from a tented camp.
Mexico
Mexico City
Taquerías, galleries and jacaranda-lined avenues.
French Polynesia
Bora Bora
A lagoon in every shade of blue.
Seychelles
The Seychelles
Granite boulders, giant tortoises and empty coves.
Spain
Mallorca
Stone villages in the mountains, coves below.
United States
Big Sur
Redwoods, cliff-top hot tubs and Highway 1.
China
Hong Kong
Dim sum, Star Ferry crossings and skyline bars.
South Korea
Seoul
Palaces by day, pojangmacha by night.
Bhutan
Bhutan
Cliffside monasteries and prayer flags in the wind.
Hungary
Budapest
Thermal baths, ruin bars and the Danube at night.
India
Udaipur
Marble palaces floating on a lake.
Jordan
Wadi Rum & Petra
A rose-red city and a night under desert stars.
China
Shanghai
Art deco on the Bund, neon in Pudong, soup dumplings at midnight.
China
Beijing
Imperial palaces, hutong alleys and the Great Wall at dawn.
China
Chongqing
A mountain megacity of neon cliffs, monorails and fiery hotpot.
China
Guangzhou
Dim sum capital of the world, on the Pearl River.
China
Chengdu
Giant pandas, teahouse afternoons and the boldest Sichuan food.
China
Hangzhou
West Lake mists, pagodas and Longjing tea terraces.
China
Xi'an
The Terracotta Army and a Ming city wall you can cycle.
China
Guilin & Yangshuo
Karst peaks, bamboo rafts and the Li River at dawn.
China
Zhangjiajie
Sandstone pillars floating in the clouds.
China
Suzhou
Classical gardens and canals, a short train from Shanghai.
China
Macau
Portuguese lanes, egg tarts and Cotai glamour.
China
Lijiang & Yunnan
A Naxi old town beneath a glacier-capped mountain.
Taiwan
Taipei
Night markets, hot springs and mountain hikes inside the city.
Vietnam
Ha Long Bay
An overnight cruise among 1,600 limestone islands.
Japan
Osaka
Japan's kitchen: neon canals and street food.
France
Paris
Zinc bars, Left Bank bookshops and the light on the Seine.
United Arab Emirates
Dubai
Desert dunes, rooftop pools and a skyline in the sand.
Italy
Amalfi Coast
Lemon terraces, cliff-cut roads and a Spritz at golden hour.
Greece
Santorini
Whitewashed cliffs above a flooded volcano.
Japan
Kyoto
Temple gardens, lantern-lit lanes and a ryokan bath at dusk.
Finland
Finnish Lapland
Glass igloos, husky trails and the aurora overhead.
Japan
Tokyo
Neon, counter-seat omakase and alleys that never end.
Indonesia
Ubud, Bali
Rice terraces, jungle villas and morning yoga.
France
Provence
Lavender fields, market mornings and long lunches.
Italy
Lake Como
Villa gardens, Riva boats and an Aperol on the terrace.
Thailand
Bangkok
Temples by day, rooftop bars and street food by night.
Cambodia
Siem Reap & Angkor
Sunrise over Angkor Wat and jungle-wrapped temples.
Laos
Luang Prabang
Saffron-robed monks at dawn on the Mekong.
Singapore
Singapore
A garden city of hawker stalls and rooftop bars.
Italy
The Dolomites
Pink-tinged peaks and rifugio lunches.
Denmark
Copenhagen
Harbour swims, design shops and new Nordic tables.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Pacific
Howler monkeys at breakfast, surf after lunch.
Scotland
Isle of Skye
Fairy pools, sea cliffs and a dram by the fire.
Maldives
The Maldives
Overwater villas, house reefs and nothing on the schedule.
Chile
Torres del Paine
Granite towers, glacier lakes and wind with a personality.
Mexico
Tulum
Maya ruins on the sand, cenotes in the jungle.
Iceland
Iceland's South Coast
Waterfalls, black sand and a hot spring at midnight.
Switzerland
Zermatt
A car-free village under the Matterhorn.
South Africa
Cape Town
Table Mountain mornings, winelands afternoons.
New Zealand
Queenstown
Alpine lakes, pinot noir and a little adrenaline.
Norway
The Norwegian Fjords
Sheer cliffs, waterfalls and a cabin on the water.
United States
Aspen
Powder days, après and golden aspens in autumn.
Canada
Banff & Lake Louise
Glacier-blue lakes and a château in the mountains.
Japan
Niseko
Bottomless powder and an onsen to finish.
Vietnam
Hoi An
Lantern-lit lanes and tailors on the Thu Bon River.
No place matches all of that. Try removing a filter.
Today on the travel desks
What the best travel writers filed today
80 stories from 7 newsrooms, refreshed every 30 minutes · updated 15 min ago.
Departures
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Trip kit
Three things to do before you fly
The short list we send friends. Partner links, chosen because we'd use them.
1
SquaremouthCompare travel insurance in minutes
Protect the trip
Compare policies before you pay for anything non-refundable.
SquaremouthCompare travel insurance in minutes2
Discover Car HireCompare rental cars worldwide
JayrideCompare and book airport transfers
Get there and around
Transfers and cars sorted before you land.
Discover Car HireCompare rental cars worldwideJayrideCompare and book airport transfers3
Take WalksSmall-group tours and day trips
ToursByLocalsPrivate tours with local guides
KKdayLocal experiences across Asia
Fat Tire ToursBike tours past the big sights
Wildland TrekkingGuided hikes and backpacking trips
TourRadarCompare multi-day tours
Book one unforgettable thing
One guided day you'll still talk about in ten years.
Take WalksSmall-group tours and day tripsToursByLocalsPrivate tours with local guidesKKdayLocal experiences across AsiaFat Tire ToursBike tours past the big sightsWildland TrekkingGuided hikes and backpacking tripsTourRadarCompare multi-day toursThe Journal
Our own guides, from the archive
Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about our destinations, scoring method, and trip planning.
How does Luxentravel select and score luxury destinations?+
Luxentravel curates 63 premier destinations worldwide. Each destination is evaluated across 10 rubrics including culinary depth, natural scenery, boutique luxury stays, traveler safety, transit ease, and crowd density, with city metrics verified against Nomads.com data.
What is the best way to plan a trip by season and mood?+
Our interactive Atlas and Vibe Check allow travelers to filter destinations by mood (warm, slow, romantic, cultural, alpine), travel party, and exact calendar month. Each destination card indicates peak season, shoulder months, and off-season realities.
Are the destination photos verified and authentic?+
Yes. All photography on Luxentravel is sourced from Wikimedia Commons contributors under Creative Commons open licenses. We document full photographer attribution, high-resolution original URLs, and licensing terms on our dedicated Photo Credits page.
How often is the travel wire updated?+
The Luxentravel wire reads verified RSS feeds from leading global publications—including Condé Nast Traveler, Robb Report, The New York Times, and The Points Guy—refreshed every ten minutes to surface breaking luxury travel intelligence.