Aurea Design my trip
  1. Home
  2. Journeys

Journeys designed around how you want to feel.

Ten sample journeys to start from. Every one can be shortened, extended or combined — a starting point, never a package.

10 journeys

Mount Fuji framed by cherry blossom

CultureAsia12 days

Japan

Temples, tea houses and Tokyo after dark, with rare private access.

From $9,800 pp
Machu Picchu above the clouds

Adventure · CultureSouth America10 days

Peru

Andean villages, Inca trails and Machu Picchu before the crowds.

From $7,400 pp
Clay kasbah village below the Atlas Mountains

CultureAfrica9 days

Morocco

Riads, mountain kasbahs and a night under desert stars.

From $5,900 pp
Seljalandsfoss waterfall over green fields

WildernessEurope8 days

Iceland

Black-sand beaches, glacier lagoons and roads with no one on them.

From $6,800 pp
Overwater villas above a turquoise lagoon

Coast & islandsAsia7 days

Maldives

One island, one villa, a house reef and nowhere else to be.

From $11,200 pp
Tengboche monastery beneath the Everest range

AdventureAsia14 days

Nepal

The Khumbu trail with lodge comforts and a Sherpa guide.

From $8,600 pp
Safari vehicle at sunset on the Serengeti

WildernessAfrica10 days

Tanzania

Private guiding across the Serengeti, timed to the herds.

From $12,400 pp
Whitewashed island house with blue doors and bougainvillea

Coast & islandsEurope9 days

Cyclades

Three Greek islands chosen for calm water, good tables and few crowds.

From $6,200 pp
Sandstone buttes of Monument Valley

AdventureNorth America11 days

American Southwest

National parks, desert lodges and the long road between them.

From $7,900 pp
Limestone islands rising from a turquoise bay in El Nido

Coast & islandsAsia8 days

Palawan

Hidden lagoons, island picnics and some of Asia’s clearest water.

From $5,400 pp
When to go

The best months for each journey.

Most journeys work year-round; these are the months we recommend most. Select a journey to see its details.

JourneyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mar: recommendedApr: recommendedMay: recommendedOct: recommendedNov: recommended
May: recommendedJun: recommendedJul: recommendedAug: recommendedSep: recommended
Mar: recommendedApr: recommendedMay: recommendedSep: recommendedOct: recommendedNov: recommended
Feb: recommendedMar: recommendedJun: recommendedJul: recommendedAug: recommended
Jan: recommendedFeb: recommendedMar: recommendedApr: recommendedNov: recommendedDec: recommended
Mar: recommendedApr: recommendedMay: recommendedOct: recommendedNov: recommended
Jan: recommendedFeb: recommendedJun: recommendedJul: recommendedAug: recommendedSep: recommendedOct: recommended
May: recommendedJun: recommendedSep: recommendedOct: recommended
Apr: recommendedMay: recommendedSep: recommendedOct: recommended
Jan: recommendedFeb: recommendedMar: recommendedApr: recommendedMay: recommendedDec: recommended
Key:RecommendedPossible, with trade-offs
Somewhere else in mind?

We plan journeys in 42 countries.

If your destination isn’t listed, tell us where you’re dreaming of and a specialist will shape something new.

Design my trip →
Mount Fuji framed by cherry blossom

CultureAsia12 days

Japan: Tradition in motion

Twelve unhurried days from the calm side of Tokyo to the lantern-lit lanes of Kyoto, with a ryokan night beneath Mount Fuji and an evening in Osaka’s food alleys.

Highlights

  • Private dawn visit to a Kyoto temple before it opens
  • Kaiseki dinner and onsen at a lakeside ryokan
  • Tea ceremony with a fourth-generation tea master
  • Guided izakaya evening through Osaka

Sample route

  1. Days 1–3Tokyo

    Design districts, market breakfasts and a quiet garden hotel.

  2. Days 4–5Fuji Five Lakes

    Ryokan stay with views of Fuji and the Chureito pagoda at first light.

  3. Days 6–9Kyoto

    Temples, craft workshops and a private walk through Gion at dusk.

  4. Days 10–12Osaka

    Street food, Nara’s deer park and an easy departure from Kansai.

Best time
Late March–May and October–November
Duration
12 days, fully adjustable
From
$9,800 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Machu Picchu above the clouds

Adventure · CultureSouth America10 days

Peru: The Sacred Valley

A gentle climb from Lima’s kitchens to the Sacred Valley, with time to acclimatise properly before an early-morning entry to Machu Picchu with an archaeologist guide.

Highlights

  • First-entry permit to Machu Picchu with an archaeologist
  • Weaving afternoon with a Chinchero cooperative
  • Tasting menu in Lima’s Barranco district
  • Optional one-day section of the Inca Trail

Sample route

  1. Days 1–2Lima

    Markets, ceviche and the clifftops of Miraflores.

  2. Days 3–5Sacred Valley

    Hacienda stay, the salt pans of Maras and village walks.

  3. Days 6–7Machu Picchu

    Train through the gorge, sunrise visit and an optional Huayna Picchu climb.

  4. Days 8–10Cusco

    Colonial streets, San Pedro market and a farewell dinner.

Best time
May–September (dry season)
Duration
10 days, fully adjustable
From
$7,400 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Clay kasbah village below the Atlas Mountains

CultureAfrica9 days

Morocco: Atlas & medina

From the courtyards of Marrakech over the High Atlas to the ksar villages of the south, ending among the artisans of Fes.

Highlights

  • Private riad with rooftop dinners in Marrakech
  • Berber lunch in a High Atlas village
  • Luxury desert camp beneath the dunes
  • Craft-quarter walk in Fes with a local historian

Sample route

  1. Days 1–3Marrakech

    Souks, gardens and a hammam ritual.

  2. Days 4–5High Atlas

    Mule-track walks and a kasbah lodge with valley views.

  3. Days 6–7Aït Benhaddou & desert

    An ancient ksar, then a sunset ride and a camp under the stars.

  4. Days 8–9Fes

    The world’s largest car-free medina, with a guide who grew up inside it.

Best time
March–May and September–November
Duration
9 days, fully adjustable
From
$5,900 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Seljalandsfoss waterfall over green fields

WildernessEurope8 days

Iceland: Fire & ice

A private-driver circuit of the south and east coasts, timed for long summer light or winter auroras, staying in small design-led lodges.

Highlights

  • Glacier hike and ice cave with a mountain guide
  • Zodiac cruise on Jökulsárlón lagoon
  • Black-sand dawn at Vestrahorn
  • Geothermal soak away from the tour buses

Sample route

  1. Day 1Reykjavík

    Arrival, harbour dinner and an early night.

  2. Days 2–4South coast

    Waterfalls, Reynisfjara and a glacier walk on Sólheimajökull.

  3. Days 5–6East fjords

    Jökulsárlón, Diamond Beach and the peaks of Vestrahorn.

  4. Days 7–8Golden Circle

    Geysir, Gullfoss and a private geothermal lagoon.

Best time
June–August (midnight sun) or February–March (auroras)
Duration
8 days, fully adjustable
From
$6,800 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Overwater villas above a turquoise lagoon

Coast & islandsAsia7 days

Maldives: Barefoot island time

Seven slow days on a private-island resort reached by seaplane, with snorkelling led by a marine biologist and a sandbank dinner for two.

Highlights

  • Seaplane transfer over the atolls
  • Overwater villa with its own pool
  • Manta and turtle snorkelling with a marine biologist
  • Private sandbank dinner at sunset

Sample route

  1. Day 1Malé

    Arrival lounge and seaplane north.

  2. Days 2–6Private island

    Reef days, spa time and as little planning as you like.

  3. Day 7Departure

    Late checkout and seaplane back to Malé.

Best time
November–April
Duration
7 days, fully adjustable
From
$11,200 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Tengboche monastery beneath the Everest range

AdventureAsia14 days

Nepal: Everest in comfort

A carefully paced trek through the Khumbu to Tengboche monastery and the finest viewpoints of Everest, bookended by heritage stays in the Kathmandu Valley.

Highlights

  • Mountain flight to Lukla with a Sherpa-led team
  • Morning prayers at Tengboche monastery
  • Views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam
  • Heritage hotel in medieval Bhaktapur

Sample route

  1. Days 1–3Kathmandu

    Durbar Square, Boudhanath stupa and trek preparation.

  2. Days 4–7Lukla & Namche

    Flight to Lukla and a gradual climb to Namche Bazaar.

  3. Days 8–10Tengboche

    Monastery visit and acclimatisation walks with Everest views.

  4. Days 11–14Bhaktapur

    Descend, fly back and recover among pagodas and potters.

Best time
October–November and March–May
Duration
14 days, fully adjustable
From
$8,600 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Safari vehicle at sunset on the Serengeti

WildernessAfrica10 days

Tanzania: Great Migration safari

Three of East Africa’s great parks with one private guide and vehicle, staying at small camps that move with the wildebeest migration.

Highlights

  • Private vehicle and guide for the whole safari
  • Mobile camp positioned with the migration
  • Ngorongoro Crater game drive at first light
  • Optional hot-air balloon over the Serengeti

Sample route

  1. Day 1Arusha

    A coffee-farm lodge to rest after the flight.

  2. Days 2–3Tarangire

    Elephant herds and baobab country.

  3. Days 4–5Ngorongoro

    Crater-floor game drive and highland walks.

  4. Days 6–10Serengeti

    Migration camp, river crossings in season and a balloon at dawn.

Best time
June–October (river crossings) or January–February (calving)
Duration
10 days, fully adjustable
From
$12,400 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Whitewashed island house with blue doors and bougainvillea

Coast & islandsEurope9 days

Cyclades: Quiet island days

Island-hopping by fast ferry and private boat, choosing smaller islands first and saving Santorini for the end, outside its busiest hours.

Highlights

  • Private boat day around Paros and Antiparos
  • Cooking lesson in a Folegandros family kitchen
  • Sunset sail around the Santorini caldera
  • Boutique cave hotels with sea views

Sample route

  1. Days 1–2Athens

    The Acropolis at opening time and dinner in Koukaki.

  2. Days 3–5Paros

    Fishing villages, beaches and a boat day.

  3. Days 6–7Folegandros

    A clifftop Chora and the quietest coves in the Cyclades.

  4. Days 8–9Santorini

    A caldera sail and a final night above the sea.

Best time
May–June and September–October
Duration
9 days, fully adjustable
From
$6,200 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Sandstone buttes of Monument Valley

AdventureNorth America11 days

American Southwest: Canyon road

A self-drive or chauffeured route through five national parks and the Navajo Nation, with private guides for the slot canyons and the best overlooks at the right hour.

Highlights

  • Navajo-guided tour of Monument Valley
  • Slot-canyon hike at Antelope Canyon
  • Stargazing in a certified dark-sky park
  • Desert spa lodge in Sedona

Sample route

  1. Days 1–3Zion

    Fly into Las Vegas, drive to Zion and hike The Narrows.

  2. Days 4–5Bryce & Capitol Reef

    Hoodoo trails and scenic Highway 12.

  3. Days 6–8Moab

    Arches and Canyonlands with a local guide.

  4. Days 9–11Monument Valley & Sedona

    A tribal-guided valley tour, then red-rock trails and spa time.

Best time
April–May and September–October
Duration
11 days, fully adjustable
From
$7,900 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →
Limestone islands rising from a turquoise bay in El Nido

Coast & islandsAsia8 days

Palawan: Lagoons & limestone

Private island-hopping from El Nido and Coron in the Philippines, staying in barefoot resorts that help protect the reefs around them.

Highlights

  • Private bangka boat with captain and cook
  • Kayaking into El Nido’s hidden lagoons
  • Wreck snorkelling in Coron
  • Reef conservation morning with resort biologists

Sample route

  1. Day 1Manila

    An overnight near the airport and an early flight to Palawan.

  2. Days 2–5El Nido

    Lagoons, beach picnics and island-hopping by private boat.

  3. Days 6–8Coron

    Lakes, wrecks and a final sunset from Mount Tapyas.

Best time
December–May
Duration
8 days, fully adjustable
From
$5,400 per person, based on two sharing
Enquire about this journey →