25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Most of us have a list we keep, either on paper or in our heads, of those ultimate destinations we dream about. Getting to those bucket list places and having those experiences seem to have taken on new urgency for many after the tribulations of the past few years. Though some popular cities like Rome, Paris, and Barcelona are probably on many bucket lists, we've opted to highlight a few out-of-the-box choices along with some perennial favorites.
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25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
The Arctic and Greenland
Adventure-seekers have turned their attention to the northern polar destination: the Arctic, accessible via wild and remote Greenland, the world's largest island. Two thirds of Greenland lie above the Arctic Circle. Its thick ice sheets are shrinking but are still a main draw, along with its unique landscapes. There's just one airport big enough for jets, in Kangerlussuaq; it's a departure point for polar ice-cap tours. Some cruise ships are now plying the coast, sailing up Romer Fjord (part of the world's largest fjord system), promising glimpses of walrus and polar bears, and making visits to Inuit communities.
Kayakers might spy one of 15 species of whale or get up close with a calving iceberg. Enjoy fine dining in the capital, Nuuk (population 20,000); visit the National Museum of Greenland; or walk to the edge of town for a hike up to the top of 2500-foot Ukkusissat for stupendous views. The far northern town of Ilulissat boasts a four-star hotel and some of the best whale watching. Its thick ice sheets are shrinking but are still a main draw, along with its unique landscapes. Greenland is hard to get to, and most cross-island travel is accomplished by small plane or boat.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
Each of these Southeast Asian nations has its own character, but all offer deep culture, ancient temples, bustling towns, beautiful beaches, and delicious food. In Vietnam, delve into traditions in Hanoi, take a street-food tour, marvel at the vibrancy of Ho Chi Minh City, explore the floating markets on the Mekong River, and boat through the karst towers (rock structures) of Halong Bay. The Cu Chi tunnels, a 155-mile underground network used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, is now a tourist site.
You may see Buddhist monks seeking alms in Luang Prabang, Laos's imperial city, home to the 16th-century temple Wat Xieng Thong. You can visit an elephant sanctuary or maybe ride the rails of the new cross-country Boten-Vientiane railway to see more of this nation's splendor.
Cambodia is best known for the ruins of Angkor Wat and other temples in and around the resort town of Siem Reap. Learn about the history of the Khmer Rouge and the genocide that the party was responsible for at the Killing Fields memorial near the country's capital, Phnom Penh. You may choose to visit Battambang, a city popular with expats, known for its authentic Khmer cuisine and its unique bamboo train.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago
The pre-Lent festival in this Caribbean island nation is Mardi Gras to the extreme: a fantastical, colorful costumed celebration that brings 300,000 people (including 40,000 foreigners) to the capital, Port of Spain. Fully participating means advance planning: choosing the "band" you want to parade with and ensuring that you have the appropriately themed costume to play Mas (masquerade). Or book a tour (at least 9 months in advance) that will take care of all of the organizational details. It's possible to attend all-you-can-drink fêtes morning, noon, and night in the days leading up to Carnival.
The street party gets started predawn on Monday with J'ouvert, the playful opening celebration that has revelers covering each other's bodies with mud, powder, and paint. Monday's parades are a dress rehearsal for the big Tuesday show. On Carnival day, be ready to bounce to nonstop Soca music and to see lots of skin and a fair amount of ecstatic dancing along with amazing costumes. You can always watch from the sidelines, but what's the fun in that?
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Bhutan and the Himalayas
The Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas, which officially measures gross national happiness instead of economic output, has strictly controlled tourism since it first opened to foreigners in 1974. It closed for 30 months during COVID but reopened in fall 2022. Bhutan now requires visitors to pay a $200 daily sustainable development fee. Landing at the airport in the capital of Thimphu makes a great first impression: The terminal houses the nation's largest art gallery.
Many visitors are now coming to trek on the newly renovated 250-mile Trans-Bhutan Trail, a native footpath that connects 400 historic sites, including fortresses and temples, affording vistas of unparalleled natural beauty. The colorful monasteries along the way and elsewhere in the country, including the cliff-hanging Tiger's Nest, offer inspiration, sanctuary, and cultural immersion. Home stays are available along the trail, but luxury tours along with luxury accommodations have also gotten a foothold in Bhutan. Aiming to be the first fully organic nation on earth, Bhutan is devoted to conserving its heritage, wildlife, and woodlands.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Australia and New Zealand
These nations frequently figure on bucket lists, in part because of the wide range of experiences, climates, and terrains. Take in the cuisine, museums, cultural landmarks, and the cosmopolitan buzz of Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland. Tour some of the world's great wine areas: from Auckland's former hippie haven, Waiheke Island, to the South Island's Marlborough region to Australia's Yarra Valley.
Adventure abounds from southern New Zealand's Fiordland National Park to Australia's Western Cape Walk and Great Barrier Reef. Learn about the beliefs and customs of the Anangu (the name used by several Australian Aboriginal groups to describe themselves) in the red rock majesty of the Uluru area. Explore the richness of Maori culture at Te Pa Tu village in Rotorua, where you can also immerse yourself at the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Check off some of the animals and birds on your bucket list too: You may see kangaroos, koalas, penguins, platypuses, wallabies, dingoes, albatrosses, and kiwis, of course.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
African Safari
For many, the yearning to see wild animals in Africa starts in childhood. Kenya, long renowned for its safari tours, has also been a pioneer in sustainable tourism. The Maasai people have recently collaborated to help protect the black rhino in Mount Kenya National Park; Maasai Mara National Reserve is home to more than 450 animal species, including the Big Five: lion, leopard, black rhinoceros, African bush elephant, and African buffalo.
Take in the Great Migration of wildebeest in the Serengeti or delve into the unique ecosystem of Ngorongoro Crater, both in Tanzania. By day, observe hippos in Botswana's Okavango Delta, then bed down in luxury tents in the evening, complete with infinity pools overlooking a lagoon. Spy giraffe, elephants, rhinos, and lions in Namibia's Namib desert; Namibia is also home to the world's largest cheetah population. At night, sleep in air-conditioned luxury chalets with open-roofed star-gazer rooms.
Or hitch a ride on the Elephant Express, a 22-person rail train offering a slow pass across Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, where zebras, lions, and baboons play.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Around-the-World Cruise
You'll need to set aside at least 3 months or longer for this much sought-after bucket-list trip that will hit multiple continents and many Wonders of the World. Big and small cruise lines offer many US ports of departure; accommodations range from windowless cabins to posh suites, with voyage costs ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.
Seasoned cruisers will recognize ports in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and Europe, but these journeys also wander around South America (with excursions to spots like Iguazu Falls and Machu Picchu) and the Pacific, hitting Hawaii, French Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, and China. Some adventures include Antarctica or Greenland, the Amazon, or Easter Island; others take visitors to India, Jordan, Israel, Abu Dhabi, Morocco, Namibia, or the Canary Islands, all without having to repack a suitcase or stand in a TSA line. But plan ahead: Many sell out a year or 2 in advance due to popularity and a limited number of sailings.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Visit all 63 US National Parks
Whether you do it in one trip or in multiple jaunts over a few months or a few years, visiting all 63 of the US National Parks reveals North America's wondrously varied and breathtaking terrain, from the fjords and peaks of Alaska to the Texas badlands to coastal Maine to stellar beaches in the US territories of American Samoa and the Virgin Islands. National parks, with diverse scenery and endless recreational opportunities, saw visitation soar during the pandemic, but this bucket list trip is always popular.
Make it a road trip and conquer the parks in sections: Alaska; the Pacific Northwest and California; and the Rockies, Arizona, and New Mexico are potential itineraries. Bloggers offer abundant advice on how to plan drives that efficiently connect the parks. Visit more popular destinations like Acadia, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Teton, and Glacier outside traditional tourist seasons. Make sure to get an America the Beautiful Pass: $80 for 1 year, or for those aged 62 or older, for a lifetime.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
The Galápagos Islands
What was once almost unreachable has become ever-more accessible: a chain of volcanic islands some 600 miles off the Ecuador coast that inspired Charles Darwin's evolutionary theories. The well-preserved biodiversity is a main draw: 80% of the land birds, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals, and more than 30% of the plants are found only in the Galapagos Islands. The government created the Galápagos National Park in 1959; in 1998, the Marine Reserve expanded it by 23,000 square-miles.
Most visitors used to tour via small, usually luxury, live-aboard ships (none exceeding 100 passengers), which helped keep tourism under control. Those ships, some with French chefs, on-board naturalists, and all-suite cabins, still ply Galápagos Islands' waters; but now, up to half of the annual 250,000 visitors stay in hotels and book boat trips to get to different islands or go on snorkel or scuba adventures. It's possible to see a lot without an official tour, but national park visitors must use licensed guides.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
India
From the Himalayas to the buzzing cities of Kolkata and Mumbai to beach destinations on the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean — not to mention the Andaman Islands — there's a lot to see. The 17th-century magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra tops most tour lists. Tiger sightings are also a much sought-after experience; the big cats can be spied in reserves across the country, including Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and Bandhavgarh National Park, which is known for its biodiversity.
In the desert state of Rajasthan, with its regal palaces and forts of Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur, you may feel like you have been transported back centuries to an era of Indian nobility. Camels are essential to Rajasthani culture, and the Department of Tourism organizes an annual Camel Festival in Bikaner. Nearby Ranthambhore National Park is another tiger-spotting location.
No matter what part of the country you choose to explore, you'll find delicious dining along the way: from the tandooris of the north to samosas from a street vendor in New Delhi to coconut-inflected seafood curries in the south.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Island-Hopping in Indonesia
Because Bali has been overrun, leading to new tourism restrictions, individuals have sought out more-remote havens among the 17,000 islands of Indonesia. A variety of experiences beckon, including surfing, hiking up volcanoes, paddling, birding, diving, and snorkeling. Accommodations range from luxury lodges on private islands to over-water huts to hostels and camp sites. Lombok's Gili Islands attracts party-seekers, especially to Gili Trawangan; Gili Meno is quieter.
The Secret Gilis, a cluster of smaller islands off Lombok's southwest coast, have superb snorkeling, but if you want to stay overnight, you'll have to camp. Komodo, home of the namesake dragon, offers lush jungles and stunning diving at the much-visited national park. Go to Sumatra's Gunung Leuser National Park to see orangutans or to Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo, where great apes cavort in the rainforest canopy and sun bears and pygmy elephants romp across the forest floors. You'll be hungry after all your adventures, and the food will not disappoint. Indonesian cuisine is a tasty fusion of Chinese, Indian, and Malay flavors.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Republic of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji comprises a multicultural archipelago of 333 islands influenced by Chinese, Indian, Australian, and other South Pacific Islander cultures introduced by those who have joined the island's Indigenous iTaukei people in enjoying its beaches, turquoise waters, and mountainous terrain.
It's simple enough to fly into Nadi on Viti Levu and quickly plant yourself, fruity drink in hand, at a resort on Denarau Island, but you'd be missing out on a world of adventure: zip lining, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, or white water rafting through Viti Levu's interior. Visit traditional villages on the way to less-touristed Coral Coast or Pacific Harbour. Check out the white sandy beaches of the Mamanuca Islands, with their calm waters, or the Yasawas Islands, first opened to tourism in 1986, where you can swim with manta rays.
Charter a trip on a liveaboard ship to dive Kadavu's Great Astrolabe Reef, one of the world's largest, and the Namena Marine Reserve. Or you can opt stay in an ecolodge just off the Namena barrier reef, where first-timers can get their dive certification. Land-lovers can try a village-to-village hike that includes summitting 4340-foot Mount Tomanivi.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Morocco
This North African nation offers adventure and a historic culture, from teeming cities bustling with souks and enlivened by calls to prayer to miles of Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline with perfect waves to snow-capped Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert. The US State Department urges travelers to "exercise increased caution," but Morocco is widely considered to be safe and welcoming. People of many nationalities and origins are all part of the story, influencing architecture, food, and culture.
The imperial city of Marrakech attracts bargain hunters to its alleyways and markets. Jemaa el-Fnaa, a marketplace in Marrakech's old city, comes alive at night with dancers, acrobats, and street food. Stop and smell the blossoms at the 12-acre Jardin Majorelle at the deep-blue Yves Saint Laurent Mansion. Take a camel trek and stay in a Berber-run luxury tent camp near the Erg Chebbi dunes, some of which rise to 1000 feet. Admire the artistry inside Casablanca's Hassan II mosque, which accommodates 25,000 worshipers.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Filming Locations for Succession
The hit HBO series with the most Emmy nominations in 2023 is an all-you-can-eat buffet of over-the-top drama and flashy wealth. The yachts, luxury hotels, and mansions may be beyond a mere mortal's budget, but the locations are not. Season 1 finds the Roy family at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, England, for Shiv's wedding and Newport, Rhode Island, for a boating outing. In Season 2, Logan returns to his ancestral Dundee, Scotland, with side trips to Glasgow and London, while Kendall rehabs in Iceland.
Season 3 features another wedding, at a 17th-century villa near Siena, Italy, and the Roy men meet with a suitor at his Lake Como estate too. Otherworldly Norway, featuring its isle-to-isle Atlantic Ocean Road and eco-resort Juvet Landscape Hotel, is the Season-4 star. Later, the Roy siblings hole up at mom's Barbados beachfront villa, swimming by moonlight on Bathsheba Beach. The heart of the action is always the Big Apple, though, with the timeless Hamptons as a side player.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
The Northern Lights
Also known as the aurora borealis, the northern lights occur when electrically-charged particles emitted by the sun collide with particles trapped in the Earth's magnetic field. The resulting green, blue, or violet lights, which seem to dance in the sky, are best seen at night and in remote areas with little light pollution. The best places for viewing the phenomenon are above the Arctic Circle in North America and Scandinavia.
Prime time is late August or September to April. Head to Norway, where the Sámi people herd reindeer, Abisko National Park in Sweden's Lapland, or Finland, where you can watch the lights from a treehouse or a glass igloo. Get a northern lights wake-up call at an Icelandic resort or cruise to Greenland's polar north.
Share the view with polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, and enjoy the lights from the comfort of a heated glass pod. Watch the skies as you float in a 104-degree natural spring in Fairbanks, Alaska, considered optimal because of its winter darkness and wealth of lights-oriented tourism. Wherever you choose, it will be a sight never forgotten.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Egypt
Even though the US State Department considers the country a potentially dangerous spot, tourism persists because people are drawn to the pyramids, temples, and ancient treasures that continue to be unearthed. A cruise allows leisurely views of a landscape that seems hardly changed from the days of the pharaohs. Ships range from 10-person–capacity wooden two-masted dahabiyas that harken back to the 19th century to small luxury boats with marble bathrooms to 100-passenger boats with private tours.
Start in Cairo for a taste of modern Egypt or take a boat or train along the 130-mile journey from Luxor to Aswan. You'll be agog at the Temple of Kom Ombo, honoring the crocodile-headed Sobek; the temple museum boasts hundreds of mummified crocodiles. Marvel at the Temple of Karnak, one of the largest ever built. The Valley of the kings features more than 60 royal tombs, including those of the pharaohs Tutankhamun and Ramses VI. Add on a trip to Jordan for more mind-blowing ancient history; Petra, the 102–square mile, 2300-year-old "Rose City" is one of the most visited sites in Jordan.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
All Four Tennis Grand Slams
For tennis fans, attending all four majors is a dream trip, allowing travel to top destinations combined with seeing great athletes in action. Some tours ensure that you get in some play yourself — if not at the grand slam venue then at a nearby, often-historic set of courts. Start with the Australian Open in January for an early summer down under. What's not to like about buzzy Melbourne, with its fine dining, excellent viticulture, and fabulous art? Hit Paris for the French Open in late May before the summer rush. Prepare for long battles and sliding acrobatics on red clay. Spend evenings sipping Bordeaux and taking in the City of Lights.
Wimbledon stands alone for its grass courts and storied history. Legions of nattily dressed celebrities and royals flock to Center Court, along with ticket-lottery winners, all hoping for the next legendary finals. Last but not least is the US Open, with its hardcourt fights in front of raucous crowds, juiced by New York's adrenalin and a few cocktails. If 2 weeks of tennis doesn't exhaust you, then a visit to the city's top sites will.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Walking the Camino de Santiago, Spain
The Camino is one of the most influential pilgrimages, which has been trekked for 1000 years by Christians seeking to honor the apostle Saint James, who is believed to be buried in Santiago de Compostela's cathedral, the pilgrimage's terminal destination. The well-marked and relatively nonchallenging route is increasingly followed by those seeking the healing of a long walk in some glorious countryside, from forests to rivers to rolling hills. Along the way, you can bed down in an albergo and grab some fine local Spanish cuisine. Make sure to have a slice of almond-flavored tarta de Santiago for dessert.
Walkers come from hundreds of nations and are of all ages. There are multiple ways to reach Compostela; the most popular route is the 500-mile Camino Frances. It starts in France, on Spain's northern border, and can take a month. Others walk from Lisbon or Porto or just complete the last 60-100 miles of the trail. You must collect stamps from destinations along the way if you want to get your Compostela certificate of achievement.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Immerse yourself in fresh spices and herbs on Zanzibar's two major islands, Unguja and Pemba, part of what is known as The Spice Islands because of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper cultivation. Persian, Indian, and Arab traders historically frequented this Indian Ocean archipelago, influencing Tanzania's traditional Swahili culture, and traces of past Portuguese colonization are still evident.
Visit Stone Town, a historic Swahili trading post in the center of the capital of Zanzibar City, dedicated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each night, the oceanfront Forodhani Gardens becomes a gallery of street food markets.
Wildlife, both on land and sea, is plentiful. Snorkel or dive at Mnemba Atoll or at the spectacular Chumbe Island Coral Park, with 200 coral species, 440 fish species, turtles, and dolphins. Zanzibar is home to the endangered red colobus monkey, which is found in Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, along with other monkeys and 40 bird species. If animals aren't your interest, you can opt to settle in on one of the white sand palm-fringed beaches for an extended stay in paradise.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Machu Picchu and Incan Civilization Sites, Peru
The 15th-century Incan city of Machu Picchu, 8000 feet up in the Andes, was never lost. The architectural marvel, built out of stone without mortar, was abandoned during the second half of the 16th century for unknown reasons. But it was slowly inhabited by local farmers and became more widely known after 1911, when a Yale lecturer wrote about his forays to the mountain city.
Millions visit annually, most coming by train from Cusco. Some hike their way there along the Inca Trail, with overnight camping stops. Some also climb nearby Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu peak, both strenuous hikes offering stupendous views of the steep terraces, gardens, and granite and limestone temples, including the towering Temple of the Sun. Hours can be spent poring over the ruins, pondering the meaning of the city's deft placement in the environment. Take a side trip to the less-visited Choquequirao, another Incan city in the sky, three times the size of Machu Picchu, that can only be reached via a 4- or 5-day hike.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Exploring the Amazon
The world's largest tropical rainforest, spreading across 4 million square-miles over nine South American nations, is home to the world's largest river by volume and thousands of species of birds, animals, and reptiles. Given the impact of deforestation and climate change on the region's Indigenous peoples and wildlife, small-scale travel and eco-conscious tourism are attractive options for those wishing to visit the Amazon. Double- or triple-decker boats carrying 40-50 passengers are a preferred mode of exploration through the heart of the forest.
Most start in Brazil, which is 60% covered by the forest, or Peru, with its vast clay deposits where animals and birds gather. You may choose to marvel at Victoria amazonica waterlilies, which can grow to 9 feet across; watch cavorting pink river dolphins; listen for the calls of red howlers, squirrel monkeys, and growling jaguars; or laugh at cartoonish sloths. Bird watchers will be in heaven, with large-billed toucans, blue-and-gold and scarlet macaws, parrots, kites, hawks, and jabiru storks flying among the 1300 species in the basin. For unique perspectives, take a nighttime jungle hike or a canopy tour via zip line.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Mongolia
Only a few million people live in this ruggedly remote, Alaska-sized nation between China and Russia, known for nomadic culture and once serving as the seat of the world's largest land empire, ruled by generations of Khans. Mongolia is now making a tourism push. Start at the newly opened Chinggis Khaan Museum in Ulaanbaatar, then ride a two-humped camel and sleep in a felt-covered ger (yurt) surrounded by massive Gobi Desert dunes, and finish with a jeep tour to the snow-capped Altai mountains in Western Mongolia and witness iconic Kazakh Golden Eagle hunting, in which the majestic birds work with humans to spot prey. Mongolia can be cold: Average winter temperatures range from 14 °F to 22 °F, and average summer temperatures range from 50 °F to 80 °F.
Join a pack trip through the northern Khuvsgul Taiga Wilderness, where you'll see reindeer herders, or explore the ruins of Kara Korum, Genghis Khan's 13th-century capital. Time your visit for the Naadam Festival in July, with contests in archery, wrestling, and horse racing, or for the Thousand Camel festival, with racing and polo matches. Catch a throat-singing performance; singers use circular breathing to create unique harmonies echoing the sounds of animals, streams, and harsh steppe winds.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Around the World by Private Jet
For the price of an expensive sports car, $70,000-$180,000 and up, you can have your own jet tour of the world, along with 10-40 others who will join you on a luxury-outfitted jet, usually 757s with lie-flat leather seats or living room–like interiors. The plane tours come with private chefs and onboard doctors, along with local guides, subject experts, special access to top sites, and five-star hotels lined up at every destination. You won't have to worry about lost luggage, standing in security lines, or finding a place to eat at the end of a long travel day; everything is right on board with you.
A month-long itinerary might take you from Hawaii to Fiji to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Sri Lanka, Zambia for a safari, and the Amazon. Many stop at some of the wonders of the world: Stonehenge, Great Pyramids, Petra, Taj Mahal, Serengeti, Angkor Wat, Easter Island, Galápagos Islands, and Machu Picchu, with side trips such as Rwandan forest hikes in search of gorillas, a helicopter ride over Mount Everest, or diving with whale sharks in the Philippines.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Island-Hopping in Greece
Narrowing down where to visit among the 200-plus inhabited Greek isles is tough. The choice depends on whether you're looking for tourist hotspots like Mykonos and Santorini, ancient history, laid-back charm, ease of access, or luxury resorts. Budget-minded travelers take to ferries or cruise ships to explore, whereas flights or private charters are a more efficient, less crowded — and when sailing, less hurried — way to make the trip. Close to Athens, the Saronic Islands beckon, with the car-free island of Hydra attracting many Greek and European vacationers.
Luxury can be found at Corfu in the Ionians, with its forested mountains and Italian-influenced architecture and food. Hikers will love the trail network on Andros, in the northern Cyclades. Similarly, Sifnos is a good hiking spot with a fabulous foodie culture. Families and quiet-seekers will love the solitude on the 12-square-mile Folegandros. Ikaria, 30 miles west of Turkey, is a bare-bones, unique experience, with its gorges and long-lived islanders.
25 Once-in-a-Lifetime Bucket List Vacations for Doctors
Japan
One of the most densely-populated nations, Japan's archipelago offers thousands of miles of coast, deep forests, snow-capped mountains, centuries-old history, world-class cuisine, and exciting cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. Explore samurai culture and attend a tea ceremony. Walk the 745 miles of the Shikoku Pilgrimage trail, seeing 88 Buddhist temples as you circumnavigate Shikoku Island, or hike the 637-miles of the Michinoku Coastal Trail. You can take a break from it all on one of the Okinawa beaches.
Soak in an onsen, a natural hot spring, found all over the country thanks to its volcanic underpinnings. Schedule a spring trip to see the cherry blossoms or go in the fall to witness amazing foliage. Get a guided tour of Japan's pop culture, learning about anime, art, and fashion in Tokyo or explore the regal past in Kyoto, with more than 1600 traditional Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, and Zen gardens; you may even catch a glimpse of a geisha in the city. Cap your trip with a hike to the summit of 12,300-foot iconic Mount Fuji.
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