Hi Reader,

Some trips are vacations. Others become the stories you tell for the rest of your life. January is when our clients start to dream big. When they plan the kind of trips they've always said “someday,” and finally decide this is the year.

Here are a few trips that combine all that we love — great food, local culture, and active adventure — to stoke your wanderlust...

An Alps Hut-to-Hut Hike

A week walking through the Alps. Sleeping in mountain huts along the way. Waking up above the clouds.

The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt is the gold standard. For those who want the magic without going extreme, custom routes mix hut stays with valley hotels, baggage transfers, and guides who know every wildflower and shortcut. The views are earned, which makes them hit different.

Best timing: Late June through September

All-Island Hawai’i

Most visitors see one or two islands. But our clients' favorite experience is to visit all four major islands — Maui, O’ahu, Kaua’i, and the Big Island — in a single, thoughtfully paced journey.

Budget two to three weeks, so each island gets its due. Maui’s beaches. Kaua’i’s dramatic Nā Pali Coast. O’ahu’s cultural depth. The Big Island’s otherworldly volcanoes. You come home, actually understanding how different each island truly is.

Best timing: Spring and fall avoid peak crowds

Hot Air Balloon Over French Wine Country

Sunrise from 1,000 feet up. Vineyard rows lining the hillsides below. Morning mist lifts from the valleys as you float in complete silence.

Most balloon rides in France are over Burgundy or the Loire, and both are worth it. Burgundy means floating over the Côte d’Or, the most storied vineyard slopes in the world. The Loire means châteaux punctuating the landscape like something out of a film.

Build a week around it. Château stays, historic domaines, dinners where the chef knows the winemaker.

Best timing: May through October

Vintage Car Tour Through Italy

Drive the lakefront of Lake Garda, the rolling hills of Chianti, or along the rugged coastline of Maremma in a classic FIAT Spider, an Alfa Romeo, or a vintage Lancia.

Inspired by the historic Mille Miglia rally, these self-drive tours pair the romance of classic cars with curated routes, hand-picked agriturismi, and reservations at local trattorias. You just drive, and stop for espresso whenever the mood strikes, of course.

Best timing: April through October

California National Parks Grand Tour

From Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, to the Channel Islands, California's nine national parks showcase more diversity than most countries.

Multi-week road trips hitting the parks in the right order, at the right times of day, staying at lodges that book up a year in advance. This is the trip for families who want their kids to understand why wild places matter, or for anyone who’s always meant to see these parks and never made the time.

Best timing: Year-round

Planning trips like these is what we do. When you're ready to turn "someday" into a departure date, we're here.​