Five-Star Road-Tripping (32 days)
Driving across America isn't all dodgy motels and brightly lit roadside diners—unless you want it to be. Even a lengthy road trip through the U.S. can be a well-planned, luxury experience. All Roads North will tailor your itinerary and organize high-end accommodation along the way. One recent package saw a client spend 32 days exploring the country's West, kicking off on Montana's Beartooth Highway and taking in sights that included the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. The agency will ensure you've got your dream wheels, too, organizing a vehicle switch along the way if required. You could spend the first part of your trip tearing up tough terrain in an SUV, before switching to a sports convertible to feel the wind in your hair.
Best of the West, All Roads North, from $42,500 for two
On Top of the World (33 days)
For a comprehensive Scandinavian adventure, this creatively packed itinerary through Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Greenland neatly mixes road tripping, rail journeys, and cruising. You’ll have a total of eight nights at sea, where you’ll see puffins and orcas in the Arctic Circle, ending at Kirkenes, the land of the midnight sun, famed for stunning views of the northern lights. Epic landscapes are a given, but the trip also dips into city life, taking in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo. A road trip around Iceland and three days of whale-watching and hiking in the Arctic village of Ilulissat in Greenland round off the experience.
The Great North Tour, Nordic Visitor, from $15,570pp
The Sea on Your Right (80 days)
We know what you’re probably thinking. Wales? (Or, where?) But this mammoth 80-day, 1,400-kilometer hike takes in some of the most breathtaking, wild scenery Britain has to offer, much of it falling into protected National Park territory. The route runs the entire length of the Welsh coastline, with the occasional foray inland as you dodge obstacles or marshes, giving walkers a glimpse of industrial-era Wales. All you have to do is keep the sea on your right and follow the path. The price includes 80 nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation in guesthouses, inns, and farmhouses and luggage transfers to take the weight off your shoulders.
Wales Coast Path, Celtic Trails, from $7,450pp
Life in the Saddle (87 days)
This one may make you ache a little. Cycling more than 7,000 kilometers from Shanghai to Singapore is a pretty mammoth undertaking, but what better way to view the unfolding Asian landscape than from the saddle? By the time you get to sip your first Singapore Sling at the city’s legendary Raffles Bar, you’ll have pedaled through China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia. While the accommodation may not be all high-end—you’ll spend your nights in a mix of two- to four-star hotels, hostels, and guesthouses—this one’s all about the open road, fresh air, and working for your supper.
Bamboo Road : Southeast Asia, TDA Global Cycling, from $16,500pp
A Flavor of India (44 days)
For otherworldliness, India remains at the top of many people’s wish lists, but where do you go when you’ve got 3 million square kilometers to choose from? This 44-day trip does a good job covering the length and breadth of the country, on everything from overnight trains to auto rickshaws, and taking in no fewer than 15 Unesco World Heritage Sites. In a nice twist to the usual sightseeing tour, you’ll be joined in Delhi by author William Dalrymple and in Mumbai by historian Patrick French for talks on their experiences in the country. The sights are too numerous to list in full, but you’ll tick off the Taj Mahal, the holy city of Varanasi, Bengal tiger-spotting, caves, temples, beaches, and much more.
The Great Indian Adventure, Wild Frontiers, from $16,690pp