Recommendations

Private tours for luxury and culture seekers

Strengths

• The leaders in private, international luxury tours with a cultural focus. They provide tours, meaning they arrange everything (hotels, guides, transportation, activities). But be clear – we’re not talking tour buses here – everything they do is private, highly customized, and luxe.
  
• They are a specialized boutique operation, with professionals who are extremely knowledgeable and provide high-touch service. Their most popular destinations are Japan, China, Indonesia, India, Bhutan, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Australia, and Russia. They provide local contacts at each destination that are available 24/7.
  
• They craft perfect days for you that balance culture, cuisine, history, shopping, and independent time - all based on your preferences. They’ll line up private guides with an emphasis on history, wine, food, art, antiques, etc. Or they’ll take you to neighborhoods locals favor – and tourists usually miss - and let you explore on your own.
  
• They provide extensive recommendations for restaurants, shops, spa treatments, and the most interesting places and activities in each location
  

Shortcomings

• They are expensive, but they actually get you better rates than you’d get on your own at some of the best hotels in the world (think Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Oberois in India, ultra-luxe ryokans in Japan, Aman resorts in Asia).
  
• If you want to sit on a beach in the Caribbean, you are better off calling a travel agent – that’s not their thing.
  
• They only handle international trips.

Insider tips

• Tell them as much as possible about your interests and any other reasons for traveling so they can customize your services.
  
• Their published tours tend to focus on cultural touring but they also can include soft-adventure activities, such as day hikes in Hong Kong, mountain biking in Bali, or whitewater rafting in New Zealand

Anecdotes

We liked our driver-guide in Provence so much, we kept in touch via e-mail and invited him to spend a few weeks with us in Nantucket.

Credentials

Recommended by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel+Leisure, etc.