The Best Eight-Day Trips to Take Around the World
Just over a week is the perfect amount of time to explore a country. You’re not left on the plane home with a half-ticked bucket list, but you also don’t have to blow all your holiday days in one go. Book these eight-day adventures to discover faraway deserts, dense jungles and island paradises galore.
From driving through Jordan’s red rock desert to tucking into street food in Cartagena, or snorkelling around secret coves in Croatia, these Culture Trip adventures guarantee a longer getaway filled with unforgettable, immersive experiences.
Greece, for a taste of Athens and island-hopping in the Cyclades
Why visit one Greek island when you can hop between a few? We’ll start on the mainland as we explore the old and new in Athens, from the ancient Acropolis to the city’s vibrant nightlife. Our first hop lands on the under-explored island of Milos, for cute cobblestone villages and untouched white-sand beaches. Then it’s on to Naxos, with its rolling hills dotted with olive groves and oak trees, where we’ll take a three-course cooking masterclass at a local family’s home. Last but definitely not least, we’ll arrive in Santorini, for some of the finest sunsets you will ever see, amid those iconic whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches.
Ecuador, for hiking and white-water rafting in the jungle
Dense rainforests, active volcanoes and emerald lakes are only some of the natural wonders you can expect to find on this tour around Ecuador. You’ll be strolling through the colonial capital, Quito, hiking around the Limpiopungo glacial lagoon – the high, snow-capped Cotopaxi stratovolcano towering over you – swinging freely in the air from a mountaintop treehouse at the End of the World in Baños, and white-water rafting on the Jatunyacu river. A soothing soak in the hot springs of Papallacta village serves as the perfect ending to this equatorial escapade.
This is an updated version of an article originally written by Konstantina Pyrnokoki.