Journeys we’ve designed
Real trips, planned by us
A few journeys we’ve put together for our clients. Every trip we plan starts from scratch, so use these for ideas, not as packages.
Family
Japan with the kids
13 days · Family of four · Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hakone
From CA$8,800 per person, excluding flights
Private sushi lessons, the bullet train and Kyoto’s temples, at a pace that leaves room to wander.
See the journey
In Tokyo, the family learns to make sushi from the owner of a 60-year-old restaurant in a private lesson, explores the digital art of teamLab Borderless, and spends a day at the Ghibli Museum and the laid-back neighbourhoods of Kichijoji and Shimokitazawa. The bullet train carries them to Kyoto for temples, a day trip to Nara’s deer park and a private walk with a local guide. Then come two nights in Osaka for the food, and a slower finish in Hakone, with mountain views, a ropeway and a boat across Lake Ashi.
The details that make it easy
- A private driver from the airport and back, so nobody wrangles luggage on day one
- Luggage sent ahead between cities, so the family travels by train with just a day bag
- Guides on the busy days, free time on the others
Hotels: Park Hotel Tokyo · Ace Hotel Kyoto · Zentis Osaka · Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora
Family
Costa Rica family adventure
12 days · Two parents and an 11-year-old · Gulf of Papagayo, Arenal, Monteverde, Poás
From CA$4,200 per person, excluding flights
Beaches, volcanoes, cloud forest and a Costa Rican Christmas, with a new landscape every few days.
See the journey
It starts on the Pacific coast at the Gulf of Papagayo, with a morning of sailing and snorkelling and a boat trip along the Tempisque River to spot monkeys and crocodiles. Inland at Arenal, there’s a private guided hike on the 1968 lava trails, a swim below La Fortuna Waterfall, a private organic cooking class and evenings in the hot springs. In the cloud forest of Monteverde, a guided night walk and a day of zip lines and hanging bridges, followed by a traditional Christmas dinner. The trip ends at Poás, with a volcano crater and waterfall gardens before the flight home.
The details that make it easy
- Lands in Liberia, now with new nonstop flights from Vancouver this winter
- A private transfer on arrival, then a rental car for freedom between regions
- Private guides where they matter most, and free afternoons in between
Hotels: Hotel Bosque del Mar · Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs · Ficus Sunset Suites · Poás Volcano Lodge
Bucket list
Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
Five weeks · Two travellers · Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Northern Thailand, Koh Samui, Hua Hin
From CA$19,300 per person, excluding international flights
Three countries and some of Asia’s great hotels, paced like a long, unhurried holiday.
See the journey
It opens in Hanoi at the historic Sofitel Legend Metropole, with egg coffee in the Old Quarter, then a night aboard a suite on a boat among the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay. In Hoi An, a pool villa by the river, a lantern-making class at a community teahouse and a noodle lunch cooked by students at a hospitality training restaurant. Cambodia brings Angkor from Siem Reap and the colonial grandeur of Raffles in Phnom Penh. Thailand fills the second half: five nights on the river in Bangkok, the temples and hills of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, a full week of beach time on Koh Samui, and a final stretch in Hua Hin.
The details that make it easy
- VIP fast-track on arrival, with visas arranged in advance
- Long stays in each place, so there’s time to rest between the big days
- Guided days balanced with free ones, and a week by the sea near the end
Hotels: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi · Namia River Retreat · Park Hyatt Siem Reap · Raffles Hotel Le Royal · The Peninsula Bangkok · Le Méridien Chiang Rai · InterContinental Chiang Mai · Kimpton Kitalay Samui
Cruise
Alaska’s Inside Passage
8 days · Two travellers · Round trip from Vancouver on Serenade of the Seas
From CA$1,800 per person
Glaciers, whales and frontier towns, sailing straight from Canada Place.
See the journey
After a day cruising the Inside Passage, the ship calls at Sitka, with its Russian cathedral and open-ocean setting. Next comes a morning in Tracy Arm Fjord, gliding between granite walls towards the glaciers, followed by an afternoon and evening in Juneau. Then Icy Strait Point, the gateway to whale country, and Ketchikan for totem poles and floatplanes, before a last day at sea back to Vancouver.
The details that make it easy
- Round trip from Vancouver, so one flight in and out, or none at all for local travellers
- Dining, shows and lounges all on board, with a balcony cabin for two to watch the glaciers go by
- Shore excursions worth booking ahead, chosen before departure
Ship: Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas · More on Alaska cruises from Vancouver
Family
Venice, Florence and Rome
14 days · Family of four · Venice, Florence, Rome
From CA$6,500 per person, including flights from Vancouver
Italy’s three great art cities, four unhurried nights in each, with the big sights booked ahead.
See the journey
Arrival in Venice is by private water taxi, straight to the hotel’s door. A guided walk uncovers the hidden corners, and a private gondola ride for the four of them slips under the stone bridges. The train carries on to Florence for guided visits to the Accademia, to stand before Michelangelo’s David, and the Uffizi. In Rome, a hop-on hop-off bus pass makes the city easy on tired legs, alongside a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s, and a chef-designed food tour through Trastevere and Campo de’ Fiori.
The details that make it easy
- Flights from Vancouver, a water taxi on arrival and a private transfer to the airport at the end
- Fast trains between cities, with no driving
- Free days in Venice and Florence, so the guided days never feel rushed
Hotels: Hotel Ca’ dei Conti, Venice · Hotel Cellai, Florence · Hotel Valadier, Rome
Couples
The Albanian Riviera and Corfu
8 days · A couple · Ksamil, Dhërmi, Corfu
From CA$8,400 per person, excluding flights
Turquoise coves on one of the Mediterranean’s best-kept secrets, finished with Corfu’s Venetian charm.
See the journey
After landing in Corfu, a short ferry and a private driver bring the couple to Ksamil, with its white beaches and islets just offshore. A private guide leads a morning in Gjirokastra, the UNESCO-listed “City of Stone”. The drive north along the Riviera ends in Dhërmi, with an afternoon at a beach club, a free day by the sea and a full-day private boat trip along the coast near Himarë. The last two nights are back in Corfu, with a guided tour of the island and a final day on the beach.
The details that make it easy
- A private driver for every transfer, including the ferry crossing between Corfu and Albania
- Private guides and a private boat, never a crowded group
- Free days built in, because this trip is about slowing down
Hotels: Arameras Beach Resort, Ksamil · Hotel La Brisa, Dhërmi · Angsana Corfu Resort & Spa
Prices are a guide, based on the dates and hotels shown, and change with season and availability. Your trip is quoted for your own dates and choices.
