Some dreams demand more – more time, more distance, more intention. Plan & Pursue is where those dreams finally get the space they deserve. These are the journeys that don’t fit neatly into a week off work or a last-minute idea; the ones that have been quietly evolving in your imagination for years. Think cherry blossom season in Japan, a coast-to-coast sweep of Australia, tracking tigers through Rajasthan, or stepping onto Antarctica’s ice for the first time. These are bucket list holidays designed for travellers who want depth, immersion, and the luxury of doing things properly – whether that’s as a couple, solo, or as part of a carefully planned multi-generational holiday.
Our Travel Concierges specialise in trips like these: complex, ambitious, and deeply personal. Seamless logistics, insider access, and the freedom to move at your own pace come as standard. Because if you’re going to do it, you need to do it right.
The starting point for a long-held dream.
If Dubai has been sitting on your bucket list for years – admired from afar, always postponed for ‘later’ – Ciel Dubai is a compelling place to finally begin. Rising in Dubai Marina, this record-breaking tower (currently set to be the world’s tallest hotel) is unapologetically bold: sky-high infinity pools, horizon-grazing views, and a sense of scale that confidently matches the city’s ever-expanding ambition.
Dubai works beautifully as a first chapter in a longer story – an opening act before you journey on to scale Oman’s deserts, dive into the Maldives’ lagoons, or set off on a broader Middle Eastern exploration. Stay here and you’re not just ticking off a destination; you’re anchoring a bigger plan. For bucket list holidays, this is the kind of decisive and confident starting line that makes everything else fall into place.
When you’ve done the islands – and want what’s next.
If you’ve sailed the Cyclades, taken in Santorini’s sunsets, and know your way around Mykonos, Costa Navarino feels like Greece’s best-kept next chapter. Set in the Peloponnese, this quietly sophisticated region trades crowds for olive groves, archaeological sites, and long, undeveloped beaches.
The resort itself is a masterclass in understated luxury: multiple hotels (W Costa Navarino, The Westin Resort, The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort), championship golf courses, wellness centres, and family-friendly villas that make it ideal for multi-generational holidays. Days unfold gently here – ancient Messinian ruins in the morning, lazy lunches by the Ionian Sea, cooking classes with local women eager to share their recipes, and sunset dinners that stretch long into the evening.
Japan, stripped back – and profoundly moving.
Japan never goes out of style. But for travellers who’ve perhaps already navigated Tokyo’s crossings, wandered Kyoto’s temples, and circled the familiar highlights, the country then demands a deeper pursuit. Enter Shikoku – Japan’s quietly defiant island, and one of the most rewarding additions to any bucket list holiday.
Huddled between the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea, Shikoku is defined by its mountainous spine and centuries of isolation. Yet that separation is its greatest luxury – across Ehime, Kochi, Tokushima, and Kagawa prefectures, traditions remain intact, landscapes feel untouched, and the pace shifts immediately to something more.
This is the home of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, where even visiting a handful of temples brings a profound sense of ritual and reflection. In Kochi, dramatic coastlines and forested rivers set the tone; in Ehime, the legendary Dōgo Onsen offers a 3,000-year-old immersion into Japanese bathing culture. Matsuyama and Kochi castles stand as rare originals from the Edo period, while the Iya Valley delivers vine bridges, deep gorges, and an all-round wilder side of Japan.
In short, Shikoku isn’t loud about its beauty because it simply doesn’t need to be. And for any travellers seeking the next evolution of Japanese travel - cultural, contemplative, and quietly extraordinary - this is the pursuit that changes everything.
Two legends, one spectacular contrast.
Some bucket list experiences demand proximity. Iguassu Falls is one of them – and Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel is the only place in the world that gives you it. With exclusive access both before and after the park opens, guests experience the full force of the Devil’s Throat in rare solitude, mist rising as the jungle wakes or settles down at dusk.
With just 187 rooms set among rolling tropical gardens, this pink-hued colonial landmark transforms what’s often a fleeting day trip into a deeply immersive stay. For us, it’s the Belmond brand at its very best: heritage, precision, and location doing most of the talking.
Then comes the shift to Rio de Janeiro. Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel brings you back to full throttle rhythm, glamour, and celebration. Time it for Rio de Janeiro Carnival and the contrast couldn’t possibly be sharper – from thundering waterfalls to samba beats on the sand. Two icons, perfectly paired. Contact our Personal Travel Concierge team today if this trip is something you’d like to add to your list.
The tiger, pursued properly.
For many travellers, wildlife experiences sit incredibly high on the bucket list, and what could be more rare and coveted than spotting a Bengal tiger in the wild? Aman-i-Khás, on the edge of Ranthambore National Park, brings you closer than most ever get, as just ten Mughal-inspired tents sit across a vast wilderness – each with a private butler and front-row access to twice-daily safaris.
Days here revolve around anticipation: scanning the grasslands for glimmers of movement, listening for alarm calls, watching light shift across the escarpment and illuminating something new. Leopards, crocodiles, and hundreds of bird species add to the theatre, and if the tigers remain elusive? Camel safaris, village visits, and the quiet drama of the landscape itself make sure nothing feels like a compromise.
This is adventure refined – and a standout for bucket list holidays that prioritise access over excess.
Three cities. One unforgettable rhythm.
From New Orleans’ iron-laced balconies to Memphis’ blues-soaked streets and Nashville’s neon-lit nights, this is a road trip that sings from start to finish. Each city brings its own tempo: Creole kitchens and jazz clubs, rock ’n’ roll legends and riverboats, honky-tonks and historic recording studios.
As with all of our tailor-made itineraries, our experts can weave in experiences that go even deeper – Mississippi paddlewheel cruises, behind-the-scenes music tours, historic mansions – all paired with characterful hotels like Hotel Monteleone, The Guest House at Graceland, and The Hermitage. It’s culture with mileage, perfect for travellers who really want to feel a place, not just pass through it.
By rail and sea.
The Rocky Mountaineer and the wilds of Alaska have long been bucket list holidays we've coveted, but few journeys pack in contrast quite like this. Begin with the spray of Niagara Falls, drift west through Toronto, then slow the pace entirely in the Rockies - Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper - where turquoise lakes and wildlife feel choreographed to perfection.
The Rocky Mountaineer delivers the scenery in cinematic fashion before you board a luxury cruise - the likes of Silversea’s Silver Moon - for an Alaskan voyage shaped entirely by ice, wildlife and legend. Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, and Hubbard Glacier each add a chapter, ending in Anchorage with the kind of quiet awe only vast and ancient landscapes can deliver.
For families planning ambitious multi-generational holidays, this trip balances comfort, scale, and shared wonder beautifully.
When timing is everything.
Kenya has long rewarded patience and precision. The best trips start in Nairobi then head to Amboseli, where elephants roam beneath Kilimanjaro’s powerful gaze. House in the Wild offers an intimate conservancy experience before the grand finale: the Masai Mara during the Great Migration.
Between July and October, the plains come alive. Wildebeest thunder across rivers, predators stalk the edges, and from your tent at Sand River Masai Mara, the drama unfolds daily. It’s raw, cinematic, and endlessly moving – a pursuit that reminds you why safaris sit so high on every bucket list.
Some journeys refuse to be rushed. They sit patiently on your mental shelf, waiting for the right year, the right people, the right sense of now. If 2026 is that moment, consider this your nudge. And when you’re ready to move a dream from “one day” to “booked”, our team is ready to help you plan it properly.
*all prices and information correct as of January 2026. Please call our team for the latest information.
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