San Francisco ’s magnificent museums honor its close links to Asia as well as the tech hub’s quirky love of science and progress. You'll find museums here tracing the city’s history from its earliest days, when the bay was filled with sailing ships bringing gold-seekers to America, as well as its idiosyncratic history over the intervening centuries.

The city has dozens of museums, large and small, promising days of rewarding browsing. Here are 10 of our favorite museums that capture the local vibe and culture.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: best for modern art

Known by the slightly complicated acronym, SFMOMA, this museum has a mind-boggling collection of modern masterworks displayed over seven floors. The collection is vast, and the museum was a visionary early investor in then-emerging art forms such as photography, installations, video, digital art and industrial design.

Don’t miss the standout photography and special exhibitions. Meditate amid stimulating abstract paintings in the Agnes Martin room, then get an eyeful of Warhol’s iconic pop art, and hit the 7th floor for a showcase of cutting-edge contemporary work and intriguing multimedia installations. Sunny days are ideal for a restorative coffee in the rooftop cafe and sculpture garden.

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Maritime National Historical Park: best for boat buffs

With four historic ships turned into floating museums, this maritime park is Fisherman’s Wharf’s most authentic attraction. Moored along Hyde Street Pier are the 1891 schooner Alma, which hosts guided sailing trips in summer, the 1890 steamboat Eureka, paddlewheel tugboat Eppleton Hall, and iron-hulled Balclutha, which once transported coal to San Francisco.

It’s all run by the National Park Service and the exhibitions extend to the adjacent Maritime Museum, which was built as a casino and public bathhouse in 1939 by the Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA). Beautifully restored murals depict the mythical lands of Atlantis and Mu and exhibits include maritime ephemera and dioramas. Note the entryway slate carvings by celebrated African American artist Sargent Johnson.

Exploratorium: best for kids

Is there a science to skateboarding? Do toilets really flush counterclockwise in Australia? Combining science with art, San Francisco’s dazzling hands-on Exploratorium challenges you to question how you know what you know. As thrilling as the exhibits is the setting: a 9-acre, glass-walled pier jutting out over San Francisco Bay, with vast outdoor areas you can explore for free.

The 600-plus exhibits have buttons to push, handles to crank and dials to adjust, all made by artists and scientists at the museums' in-house workshops. With such fun activities as trying out a punk hairdo, courtesy of the static-electricity station, it’s one museum children won’t want to leave.

Chinese Historical Society of America: best for personal stories of immigration

Visitors can picture what it was like to be Chinese in San Francisco during the gold rush, transcontinental railroad construction and Beat heyday in this excellent museum, originally built as Chinatown’s YWCA in 1932. Historians have unearthed some fascinating artifacts relating to the Chinese history of San Francisco, including 1920s silk qipao dresses, WWII Chinatown nightclub posters, and Frank Wong’s Chinatown miniatures.

Exhibits feature personal insights and Chinese American perspectives on national milestones in history – including the Civil Rights movement, the Cold War, and the Chinese Exclusion Act, which officially excluded Chinese immigrants from US citizenship and civil rights from 1882 to 1943.

Cable Car Museum: best for gearheads

Hear that whirring noise coming from beneath San Francisco's cable car tracks? That’s the sound of the cables pulling the cars, and they all connect inside the city’s historic Washington and Mason Cable Car Barn. Grips, engines, braking mechanisms...if these mechanical wonders warm your heart, you’ll be besotted with the free Cable Car Museum.

This intriguing museum isn’t just a warehouse for antiques – it’s the functioning powerhouse that keeps the popular Powell-Mason line running. You can track the cables running down the street, through an open channel and into the powerhouse, where they wind around massive bull wheels without losing momentum or tension. Head to the upstairs deck to see the mechanisms in action and watch cables whir over the wheels – as awesome a feat of engineering now as when Andrew Hallidie invented the technology in 1873.

Legion of Honor: best for museum-goers with short attention spans

A museum as eccentric and illuminating as San Francisco itself, the Legion of Honour showcases a wildly eclectic collection spanning Monet's water lilies and John Cage soundscapes, ancient Iraqi ivories and the counterculture comics of Robert Crumb. Upstairs are blockbuster shows of work from old masters and Impressionists, but don’t miss the Legion’s Achenbach Foundation of Graphic Arts collection, which covers 90,000 works on paper, from drawings by Rembrandt to the graphic designs of Ed Ruscha.

The Legion’s setting rivals its art. There are dazzling views of the Pacific and trails lead to the Lands End Lookout with its arresting views of the Golden Gate. On a warm day, stroll on to the ruined Sutro Baths below the lookout, once San Francisco's most stylish bathing area.

California Academy of Sciences: best for nature and science lovers

Architect Renzo Piano’s landmark environmentally-sensitive building houses 40,000 weird and wonderful animals in a four-story rainforest and a split-level aquarium, set beneath a ‘Living Roof’ of California wildflowers. Add in a cutting-edge planetarium and natural history displays, and you have all the ingredients for a thoroughly engrossing day out. The Academy has been pushing non-stuffy science since 1853, but the building is like something from the 25th century.

Today, butterflies alight on visitors in the glass Osher Rainforest Dome, penguins paddle around a see-through tank in the African Hall, and Claude the albino alligator stalks the mezzanine swamp. Glimpse infinity in the Morrison Planetarium and check out the Giants of Land and Sea exhibit, where you can brave an earthquake simulation, virtually climb a giant redwood tree and get lost in a fog room.

Children will enjoy the basement Steinhart Aquarium, where visitors can duck inside a glass bubble to enter an Eel Garden and pet starfish in the hands-on Discovery Tidepool.

de Young Museum: best for globe-trotting artworks

The de Young’s camouflaged, oxidized green exterior barely hints at the fantastic range of artistic wonders within. Exhibitions here boldly broaden artistic horizons, from ceremonial masks from Oceania and trippy hippie handmade fashions to James Turrell’s domed ‘Skyspace’ installation, built into a hill in the sculpture garden.

Featuring African masks and Turkish kilims alongside California crafts and avant-garde American art, this cross-cultural collection has been expanding minds for a century. Rotating main-floor installations are riveting and diverse, from early Inuit carvings to documentary photography from US prisons. Access to the Osher Sculpture Garden is free, as is the 144ft observation tower with its 360-degree viewing room.

Asian Art Museum: best for Asian culture

The most comprehensive collection of Asian art outside Asia covers 6000 years of history and thousands of miles of terrain. A trip through the galleries is a treasure-hunting expedition, from cutting-edge Japanese minimalism and seductive Hindu temple carvings to a jewel-box gallery of lustrous Chinese jade – just don’t bump into those priceless Ming vases!

The museums' displays follow the evolution and migration of Asian art from West to East, along with Buddhist pilgrimage trails and trade routes toward San Francisco. If you’re tight on time, follow the mapped trail of masterworks; parents can pick up Explorer Cards for kids to find favorite animals and characters in the galleries.

Beat Museum: best for hipsters

The rise of the Beat movement in the 1950s was one of San Francisco’s defining moments, and it's lovingly celebrated at this North Beach museum. The 1000-plus artifacts in this collection of literary ephemera range from the sublime (check out the banned edition of Ginsberg’s Howl, with the author’s own annotations) to the ridiculous; the Jack Kerouac bobblehead dolls are definite head-shakers.

Downstairs, watch Beat-era films. Upstairs, pay your respects at shrines to individual Beat writers, and take a nostalgic ride on the wave of reinvention that carried San Francisco in the modern age.

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Glasgow packs a punch with its first-rate museums, distinguished dining venues, elegant outdoor spaces and other more...off-kilter attractions.

As well as ticking off some of the must-sees, you’ll find plenty of weird, wonderful (and just plain creepy) attractions to add to your itinerary in this bustling town. Want to walk through a fossilized forest? Or how about cycling along a 200-year-old canal? The sky’s the limit in Scotland ’s dynamic second city. Here’s some of the best things to do in Glasgow.

Get lost in the eclectic exhibitions of Kelvingrove Gallery & Museum

Set within Kelvingrove Park, the Kelvingrove Gallery & Museum is a must-visit for art lovers and those interested in natural history. This mammoth museum features a real patchwork of exhibits, from contemporary art installations and displays of taxidermy wildlife to rooms full of ancient armor and other war relics. With 22 curated galleries in total, you’ll want to set aside a good chunk of time to take everything in. Free tours of the museum run twice a day, too.

Admire 360-degree views from The Lighthouse

Charles Rennie Mackintosh left an indelible mark on his hometown – and no visit to the city is complete without taking in the work of this celebrated Art Nouveau architect and designer. Admiring his magnificent Glasgow School of Art was once one of the top things to do in central Glasgow, but a devastating fire in 2018 means it’s currently under reconstruction. Luckily, The Lighthouse offers an evocative taste of this design innovator’s accomplishments.

Built in 1895 and tucked away on Mitchell Lane, the former headquarters of the Glasgow Herald was Mackintosh’s first-ever commission; today, building currently houses a permanent exhibition on the designer’s life work. A highlight is the stunning helical staircase leading to a viewing platform that boasts epic panoramas across the city.

Stroll through a forest that’s older than the dinosaurs

While you’ve surely hiked through a leafy forest before, how about a forest that’s over 300 million years old? Fossil Grove in Glasgow’s Victoria Park was discovered by accident in 1887 when the tranquil green space was first mapped out on the site of an abandoned quarry. The 11 fossilized tree stumps are thought to date to the Carboniferous period, and are now protected by Glasgow City Council within the Fossil Grove Building. It’s only very occasionally open to visitors, but worth checking out if the opportunity arises.

Marvel at the marble in Glasgow City Chambers

George Square is the hectic heart of the city center, and at the heart of the square is Glasgow City Chambers. Built in the late 1800s, the edifice is now the headquarters of Glasgow City Council, which runs public tours twice daily.

A trip to City Chambers is one of the top free things to do in Glasgow. Simply pick up your tickets in the reception hall and prepare to be wowed by its ornate interiors, including a magnificent marble staircase that’s been featured on the silver screen several times over the decades.

Tour the oldest dwelling in Glasgow

A trip to Provand’s Lordship – a quaint stone house that sits at the top of Castle Street close to Glasgow Cathedral – is a unique thing to do for history buffs. Constructed in 1471, the medieval structure is decorated with 16th-century furnishings and houses several fine portraits of Scottish royals. If you have time, tour the St Nicholas Garden next door, which inspired by 15th-century medicinal gardens.

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Discover the drying poles at Glasgow Green

Glasgow Green has had many, many functions over the years, from grazing land for cattle to the venue for one of Scotland’s biggest music festivals. One of its more rustic uses was as a drying green for washing. Venture to its northeast border to find the original iron drying poles used by thousands of working-class residents living in nearby tenements from the 1700s to the mid-1900s. According to local law, Glaswegians still have the right to hang their washing out on the Green (though very few do).

Enjoy an evening out on Ashton Lane

Spending an evening on Instagram-worthy Ashton Lane is easily one of the best things to do as a couple in Glasgow. The cobbled street is crisscrossed with strings of pretty lights and packed with an array of restaurants and bars. Check out Belgian-themed Brel for beer and savory waffles. Alternatively, Ubiquitous Chip has been serving up top-notch Scottish produce – including haggis – since 1971. There’s an independent cinema, too, if you’d prefer a more relaxed night out.

Learn about law-enforcement history at Glasgow Police Museum

Crime and punishment cast a dark shadow over Glasgow’s history. It was the first city in Britain to have a police force, a fact explored in great detail at the Glasgow Police Museum. Tucked away on Bell Street in Merchant City, this site offers  easily one of the coolest things to do in Glasgow.

Learn compellingly gruesome details about crimes committed around the city over the centuries, and view various uniforms worn by Glasgow’s constabulary. While the museum is small and only open on Sundays and Tuesdays, it’s jam-packed with information and run by former police officers, giving it authority and grit.

Check out the flesh-eating plants in the Kibble Palace

Glasgow Botanic Gardens couldn’t be a better location for a breather as you’re exploring Glasgow’s West End. As well as romantic rose gardens, manicured pathways and an enviable vegetable patch, the park has several impressive Victorian greenhouses.

The largest is the Kibble Palace, which was painstakingly dismantled and transported to Glasgow from its original home on Loch Long (some 50 miles away) in 2003. Wander inside to gaze up at towering tropical vegetation. At the entrance sits a large pond home to colorful koi carp; there’s also a room dedicated solely to carnivorous plants.

Cycle the Forth and Clyde canal

The Forth and Clyde Canal was built in the 1790s to connect Edinburgh with Glasgow, and still provides a direct 50-mile route between the two cities today (a fact more-active travelers might want to take advantage of).

Rent a cycle from a local outfit like Bike & Go, then join the traffic-free Route 754 alongside the canal. While part of the journey takes you through not-so-attractive industrial landscapes, you’ll also get to soak up stunning Scottish rural scenery and glimpse local landmarks like the Falkirk Wheel, a futuristic boat lift built in the early 2000s to replace a stretch of crumbling canal locks.

Cycling along the canal is best in spring or summer when the days are longest. If you poop out along the way, you can return via train to Glasgow, as many Scotrail services have dedicated bike storage onboard.

View the elaborate tombstones at Glasgow Necropolis

If you get a kick out of grand Gothic graveyards, head to Glasgow Necropolis. Situated on a hill behind Glasgow Royal Infirmary, this imposing cemetery dates back to Victorian times and is the final resting place of over 50,000 souls. Wind your way upwards along neat pathways and note the beautifully carved tombstones of the city’s elite, who made fortunes during the Industrial Revolution. Just be sure to exit before dark...

Visit a local brewery

While you certainly don’t want to miss out on visiting whisky distillery in the birthplace of single malt, Glasgow’s long list of pubs and breweries makes it one of the best cities for bar crawls.

Next door to the Necropolis, you’ll find both the Tennent’s (Scotland’s favorite beer) and Drygate breweries, both of which have taprooms and offer tasting tours. Alternatively, on the edge of Glasgow Green , check out WEST Brewery (with tasty German-inspired snacks served alongside the artisan IPAs) or Shilling Brewing Company, lodged inside an imposing former bank on West George Street.

Follow the Kelvin River

The Kelvin River weaves its way through Glasgow’s West End, offering a beautiful spot for some peace and quiet. Head down the path just behind the Kibble Palace and you’ll reach the riverside. In autumn, it’s a riot of color, with massive trees showering the ground and water with a flurry of orange and yellow leaves. Trace the Kelvin Walkway down to the Riverside Museum on the River Clyde, passing little-known historic sites like the recently excavated flint mill near the Botanic Gardens.

Get some interior inspiration at House for an Art Lover

If you can’t get enough of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s designs, set aside a few hours for this gem. South of the city center in Bellahouston Park, House for an Art Lover was adapted from one of the architect’s final designs before his death in 1928. The handsome manor house functions as an art gallery, studio space and events venue, with many of its stylish interiors inspired by the designs of Mackintosh’s equally gifted wife.

Spark your imagination at Glasgow Science Centre

Searching for fun things to do with children? The Glasgow Science Centre won’t disappoint. Its awesome interactive displays and fun facilities, including a planetarium and IMAX cinema, make it a dream for tech-savvy kids.

The center also has an immersive experience that lets you discover what it’s like to live in the Arctic, plus gardens designed to teach little ones about different habitats around the world. The Closed until summer 2022, Glasgow Tower offers an observation deck with rotating views across Glasgow and beyond.

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The United Kingdom may be relatively compact, but it has a wealth of travel experiences that you've probably dreamed of since childhood.

Buckingham Palace? Hadrian's Wall? Stonehenge? They're all here. Of course there are dozens of incredible places to visit across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, but we give you the 10 best UK experiences to put on your itinerary, especially if it's your first time here.

1. Witness the mighty megaliths of Stonehenge

Mysterious and compelling, Stonehenge is England's most iconic ancient site. People have been drawn to this myth-laden ring of boulders for more than 5000 years, and we still don't know quite why it was built. Just what were ancient Britons playing at when they hauled these giant stones into place all those millennia ago? Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain near Amesbury, is a monumental, undeniably mind-boggling achievement.

Built in stages between around 4500 BC and 1500 BC, Stonehenge’s massive stones (some weighing 25 tonnes) were probably erected using a system of sledges, rollers, pivots and pulleys; some were transported here from the Preseli Hills in Wales, 140 miles away. Standing in the shadow of the stones, feeling their power and presence, it’s impossible not to let your imagination run wild, wondering not only how, but why?

If time allows continue on to nearby Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire, another truly impressive site but with a much smaller interpretative museum. And you can actually walk right up and touch the stones here.

2. Escape to the Isle of Skye

In a country famous for stunning scenery, the Isle of Skye takes top prize. It's the largest of the Inner Hebrides islands at 50 miles long, and home to some of Scotland's most iconic landscapes. From the craggy peaks of the Cuillins and the bizarre pinnacles of the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing to the spectacular sea cliffs of Neist Point, there's a photo opportunity awaiting you at almost every turn.

Skye is one of Scotland’s most popular destinations along with Edinburgh and Loch Ness. Unfortunately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, some part of Skye were experiencing the impact of overcrowding particularly social media fuelled hotspots such as the Quiraing, the Old Man of Storr and the Fairy Pools. Things have changed for the moment, so it’s a good time to be visiting.

Of course it is always possible to find peace and quiet on Skye in the island’s quieter corners such as Sleat, Elgol or Waternish, for example. Walking is a popular activity, so bring your hiking boots – but be prepared for changeable weather.

While the stunning scenery is the main attraction, when the mist closes in there are plenty of castles, crofting museums and cosy pubs and restaurants to snuggle in, plus art galleries and craft studios to explore.

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3. Experience how the Romans bathed in Bath

And 2000 years ago, when Britain was under Roman rule,  a sumptuous bath complex was built at the site known as Aquae Sulis (present-day Bath), taking advantage of the area’s geothermal hot springs, which warm the underground water to 46°C (115°F). Though now swallowed up by the Georgian city of Bath, this is one of the best-preserved Roman bathhouses in the world, and gives a fascinating glimpse into their everyday lives (and fastidious ablution habits).

Thanks to advances in technology, multimedia projections help bring the bustle of this ancient bath house to life today. The only disappointment when visiting this incredible site is that you're no longer permitted to take a dip. But you can get pretty close to a bona fide Roman bathing experience at the Thermae Bath Spa nearby, complete with its postcard-worthy panoramic rooftop pool.

Bath is also a must-visit for television period drama lovers and literature fans with a host of walking tours of perfect Regency avenues and views that summon yesteryear.

4. Stride over hexagonal stones at the Giant’s Causeway

The descent down from the cliffs to the strange rocks of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland feels at once timeless – the scene has remained the same for countless centuries – and yet the moody skies, the light and the temperament of the sea are constantly changing. Uneven stacks of hexagonal basalt columns stand in neat clusters along the water’s edge, emerging from the shore like tightly packed tower blocks in a city skyline.

Northern Ireland’s only Unesco World Heritage site is shrouded in a sense of magic, myth and natural wonder. Scientists put the formation of the rocks down to volcanic activity some 60 million years ago: as the lava flow cooled and hardened it contracted, creating a honeycomb pattern.

You'll learn more about the geology and the mythology of this place at the excellent visitor centre beautifully designed into the landscape. Game of Thrones fans will also be pleased to see a map of filming sites in nearby locations.

5. Be swept away by incredible theater shows

London is one of the best places in the world to catch a theater performance – so whatever your budget, make sure you get to a show. Restricted view or standing room only tickets can go for as little as £5 to £10.

The pandemic saw theaters close for well over a year in the UK, but now that they're back there is a palpable air of excitement and gratitude along with the glitz and stage lights. The joy among audiences and theater staff makes every night feel as special as opening night right now.

If you're keen to see famous names, you'll need to get organised and prebook your tickets before you arrive. Screen stars are often seen treading the boards at theaters from the prominent National Theatre or the Old Vic to more experimental spaces like Donmar Warehouse and the Almeida.  The West End centres around Shaftesbury Ave, Charing Cross and Drury Lane and the surrounding area, with a total of 38 theathers from the Shaftesbury and the Theatre Royal to Noel Coward Theatre and the Garrick Theatre to name just a few. If it's new trailblazing works you're after, over more established shows, head further afield to the Bridge Theatre, the Royal Court or the Arcola.

But of course the UK's outstanding theater is not just concentrated in London. If Shakespeare is more your thing, you will love an Elizabethan-style experience at Shakespeare's Globe in London, better yet you can see performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company in the bard's birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon itself. Other top theater companies are found in Bath, Sheffield, and Manchester. And have we mentioned Edinburgh yet? The city is soaked with opportunities to catch performances across its many festivals.

6. Tour the treasures in the British Museum

Some museums are travel destinations in themselves. The British Museum – the first-ever public national museum – is the envy of the world, with good reason in some cases, considering the many treasures obtained under questionable circumstances in colonial times.

This miraculous museum started life as a humble cabinet of curiosities, assembled by 18th-century physician and hot-chocolate inventor, Sir Hans Sloane. As a condition of bequeathing his treasures to the nation, he ordered that they be open for free to "all studious and curious persons", a tradition that persists to this day.

Visitors today are transported on a whirlwind world tour of human creativity. If human beings have made it, somewhere in the world, there’s a chance you’ll find an example among the display cases. There’s far too much to take in on one trip; if you only have a day, make a beeline for the Egyptian treasures, the Parthenon Marbles and quirky British antiquities such as the Sutton Hoo haul and the Lewis chessmen.

7. Retrace Roman footsteps along Hadrian’s Wall

Hot on the heels of Bath’s namesake thermal baths is another mighty Roman legacy – an enormous defensive wall stretching 73 miles across Britain. This phenomenal feat of engineering was built under Roman emperor Hadrian between AD 122 and 128 to keep out the Picts. Rising to a height of up to 15ft, with a width of almost 10ft, it took 15,000 men six years to construct it from local whinstone (dolerite). Only 10% survives today, but what does makes an unforgettable impression.

Along the wall were 80 mile-castle forts, with observation turrets between them. Larger forts were built in the south, with 16 more lying astride the wall, which you can visit today. Staggering remains that serve as reminders of the Romans’ advancements include the hospital at Housesteads Fort, ventilated granaries and barracks, as well as flushable communal latrines.

Exploring sections of the wall is easy thanks to good rail and road access (including buses), but if you’re up for an adventure, you can complete the national Hadrian’s Wall Path walking trail along its length in about a week.

8. Make a perfect weekend of it with a Sunday pub roast

Fewer and fewer people in Britain start Sunday with a trip to church, but the roast lunch is still a lock. For visitors, it’s a must-do experience. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a centuries-old, windowless pub in London or at a large country inn with tables sprawling over a lawn, you’ll be among friends and families laughing, drinking beer and tucking into plates of hot sliced roast beef or pork, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes and assorted veggies, all slathered in gravy.

Warming, filling and indulgent, this is comfort food par excellence. But more than that, it’s a reassuring experience, a weekly ritual where the nation forgets time, staves off the start of the working week and lives in the moment. So committed to pub life, the UK reopened pubs before schools during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grab a plate, and partake in a tradition that everyone can agree on.

9. Ramble the shores and mountains of the Lake District

Call it hiking or rambling – but most often simply walking – England is the perfect place to explore on two feet, thanks to its compact nature and protected network of "rights of way". You can stroll the narrow streets and hidden alleyways of the nation’s famous historic towns, then head for a patch of open countryside or one of England's network of national parks: the wild tors and heaths of Dartmoor make a fine introduction.

Windermere, England’s largest natural lake – 10.5 miles from Ambleside to Newby Bridge – is at the heart of the Lake District and its most popular destination. People come in search of the scenic splendour and bucolic experiences that inspired Wordsworth, Coleridge and the English Romantics.

Most activity is focused on the twin towns of Windermere (on a hill overlooking the lake) and busy Bowness-on-Windermere, which is home to the boat docks, a cluster of shops and the World of Beatrix Potter, which brings to life the most famous creations of the writer who dedicated her life to the preservation of the Lake District.

1o. Explore stunning Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

There’s more to Wales than sheep, drizzly valleys and place names that seem impossible to pronounce for outsiders. If you haven’t been to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in the country’s "wild west", you are missing a trick. This ravishing stretch of cliff-flanked coves, thrashing seas, wildflower-freckled moors and hedge-lined tracks leading to one-pub villages is a great escape.

You’ve come for the beaches? Wise choice, you’re in for a treat. Tenby in the south offers a classic dose of ice-cream-licking, bucket-and-spade fun. But the further west you head, the wilder it gets, with the likes of crescent-shaped Barafundle Bay, reached on foot through the dunes, surf-hammered Freshwater, and tucked-away Marloes with its high sea cliffs, shipwreck and boats heading over to puffin island, Skomer.

A terrific base for beach-hopping and coastal-hiking is St Davids. Britain’s smallest city is charm personified, with a whopping medieval cathedral, lanes staggering down to the sea, and a couple of highly stylish, architect-designed hotels, including art-slung former windmill Twr Y Felin and one-time Victorian convent Penrhiw.

Break up drives by striking out on the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which dips and rises over kissing gates and windy clifftops to smuggler’s coves, wooded hollows where brooks burble, and Neolithic burial chambers. To up the adventure, go coasteering or turn your focus inland to hike the Preseli Mountains, a windswept range of rocky outcrops, low-lying peaks capped with prehistoric standing stones, and moorland flecked with gorse and heather.

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Compared to Rome, Venice, Milan, and Florence, Naples, Italy's third-largest city, is less expensive but no less magnificent. Incredibly rich in art and history, la dolce vita is alive and well in Naples yet within reach for travelers on a limited budget.

Many of the best things to see and do here are free and can be found in the walkable historic center, a Unesco World Heritage site. Dining out is cheaper here in the city that invented pizza, too, and the street food is affordable and unforgettable. Here are ten don't-miss Naples' experiences that cost next to nothing.

Explore Naples Centro Storico, a Unesco World Heritage site

Naples Centro Storico (historic center) is a Unesco World Heritage site. It's easy — and delightful — to get lost among its bustling, narrow streets. Grab a bite to eat from one of the many street food vendors, step inside a tiny artisan workshop to see traditional craftspeople at work, or visit one of the many famous churches here, including the circa 1470 Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo and the Cappella Sansevero, renowned for its marble sculpture by Giuseppe Sanmartino, the Veiled Christ.

Catch a free concert at the Piazza del Plebiscito

Piazza del Plebiscito is the largest piazza in Naples and one of the largest in Italy. Construction of the Vesuvian volcanic rock-paved piazza began in 1809 as a tribute to Emperor Napoleon. The circa 1600 Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) and the neoclassical Basilica di San Francesco di Paola face the massive square, while a monument to Charles VII of Naples (later Charles III of Spain) stands at its center.

The piazza often hosts free concerts and other cultural events: check the city's calendar of events to see what's on during your stay.

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See the history of Naples unfold in San Lorenzo Maggiore

Located at the exact geographic center of the historic ancient Greek-Roman city Neápolis, San Lorenzo Maggiore is Naples's oldest basilica. The city's history unfolds in the basilica's details: the façade features a wooden door that dates back to the 14th century, the bell tower rose in the 15th-century, and Marco Pino's Adoration of the Magi was painted in the mid-16th century. Don't forget to head beneath the market to an ancient marketplace, the only large-scale Greek-Roman site excavated in Naples' Centro Storico.

Enjoy a peaceful moment among the citrus fruit trees and majolica tiled columns of Santa Chiara

Built between 1313 and 1340 by Queen Sancha of Majorca and her husband King Robert of Naples, the Santa Chiara monastic complex includes the Baroque-style Basilica di Santa Chiara, tombs, and an archeological museum. Stroll the complex's peaceful garden, the cloister of the Clarisses, with its many citrus fruit trees and majolica -tiled columns and pergolas.

Catch a breath of fresh air at Villa Floridiana

Enjoy a morning or afternoon stroll through the many oaks, pines, palms, and cypresses that dot the neoclassical gardens surrounding Villa Floridiana, a 19th century Bourbon palace built atop Vomero Hill, an affluent neighborhood known for its luxury boutiques. At the rear of the Villa, breathtaking views of the Gulf of Naples await. The Villa itself houses the National Museum of Ceramics, home to one of the most comprehensive collections of Italian ceramics, where entry costs less than 5 euros.

Celebrate the Italian passeggiata tradition by strolling the Lungomare, Naples’ seaside promenade

The passeggiata is a time-honored Italian tradition that calls for a stroll in the evening, usually after dinner. A casual social event, the passeggiata is a moment when friends spontaneously meet up, when lovers walk hand in hand, when kids are treated to a gelato by mom and dad. Naples Lungomare, a promenade situated along the Mediterranean Sea, is perhaps the most popular place for the evening passeggiata. Stroll the Lungomare to see the busy Naples port and admire the many ships that dock in the harbor.

Step inside the Duomo di Napoli, the church that houses a vial of Saint Gennaro's legendary blood

The Duomo di Napoli, also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, is the main Roman Catholic church of Naples and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. Built upon the foundations of two early Christian basilicas, the church is a complex mix of architectural styles from several eras. The church is widely known among locals as the church of San Gennaro, the patron of Naples, and a chapel dedicated to the saint is lined with frescoes by the best artists of the Baroque Neapolitan movement. The chapel also holds a vial of the blood of San Gennaro, which is brought out three times a year when the dried blood usually liquefies. If the blood fails to liquefy, legend states that disaster is imminent.

Enjoy splendid vistas of the Bay of Naples from the Castel dell'Ovo, Naples' seafront "Egg Castle"

Naples' seafront "Egg Castle" is the oldest standing fortification in Naples. Legend states that the Roman poet Virgil put a magical egg into the foundation. Built by the Normans in the 12th century, it has housed a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison throughout its long history. While the castle itself is closed, you can stroll the tiny island that it stands on for jaw-dropping vistas of the Gulf of Naples with Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance.

Stop and smell the flowers at the Orto Botanico di Napoli (Botanical Garden of Naples)

Founded in 1810 by Joseph Bonaparte and Prince Joachim Murat, the Orto Botanico di Napoli (Botanical Garden of Naples) is always free. The colorful, 30-acre gardens are home to exotic plants from all over the world, including an extensive succulent and cacti collection. The site doubles as a research facility of the University of Naples. Stop and smell the many lovely flowers that call the garden's varied, inspired landscapes, including a Mediterranean beach, a mountaintop, and a desert, home.

Catch some rays at the beach

Though Naples is not typically considered a resort destination, there are a few spots where you can enjoy a lovely day at the beach. The volcanic rock Scoglione di Marchiaro (Marechiaro Cliffs), located just off the coast in Naples' Posillipo neighborhood, can only be reached by boat, with boats departing round the clock from the Marechiaro Port. A stand rents sunbeds, which can be set up along the rocky cliff, where enchanting views await.

For a more centrally located beach, the Rotunda Diaz is a small stretch of beach located along the city's downtown lungomare (waterfront). Catch a couple of hours of sunshine, take a quick swim to cool off from the summer heat, or enjoy a cold beer and dip your toes in the sea.

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Captain Chelsey Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot behind the “Miracle on the Hudson” 13 years ago, will see the Carolinas Aviation Museum renamed in his honor.

The museum, which for the past 10 years has housed the Airbus A320 Sullenberger piloted, is scheduled to reopen in 2023 in a new location at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina, having closed its doors to the public two years ago.

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549, which was headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, struck a flock of birds upon takeoff from New York ’s LaGuardia Airport. Captain Sullenberger landed the aircraft safely in the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers.

Red Ventures CEO makes donation in Sully's honor

One of the passengers on board the flight was Ric Elias, CEO of Red Ventures, the parent company of Lonely Planet.

“I am forever indebted to Captain Sully and the crew of US Airways Flight 1549 for my second chance at life, and, for 13 years, I have been determined to find a way to honor them,” Elias said.

Elias personally donated $1 million toward reopening the museum which will host a permanent exhibit honoring both Sullenberger and the flight crew.

“We’re thrilled to honor Captain Sully and the heroic ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ crew and cement our city’s place in aviation history,” Marc Oken, Board Chair for the Carolinas Aviation Museum, said.

Along with Elias's personal donation, Lonely Planet made a gift of $500,000 toward the reopening of the museum.

“Heroes are made long before the day they are called to action. This museum will serve as an enduring tribute to the preparation, courage and dedication of the captain and the entire crew,” Elias said.

Museum to be located at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

The museum will be located at the site of the historic APW/Douglas Airport Hangar at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The current fundraising goal is $25 million. So far, including the donation from Elias and Lonely Planet, it has raised $11 million toward that goal.

When it reopens to the public, the museum plans to have a new main gallery, visitor center, plaza, and newly restored historic hangar. Exhibits will include dozens of aircraft and interactive cockpits, flight simulators, and historic artifacts that chronicle the region's historic connection with aviation.

Lonely Planet will also have a presence in the new museum. Details of the exhibit will be announced at a future date.

“With support from the city of Charlotte, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, and generous private donors, we’re looking forward to establishing the museum as the new premiere aviation destination of the South,” Oken said.

On the anniversary of the "Miracle on the Hudson", Captain Sully is sharing memories from people who were impacted by the landing on his Instagram page.  One comment posted reads: “As passenger 25D, I thank you for every extra day I’ve been given - happy anniversary!”

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Aviation museum to be renamed in honor of Captain “Sully” Sullenberger 

Art critic Emmanuel Iduma finds his way out of a pandemic rut with a visit to the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in the outskirts of Lagos.

After nearly seven years abroad, I returned home to Lagos in December 2019. Three months later, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian government announced a lockdown. The city entered a state of inaccessibility that lasted nearly six months. Parts of the city that were ordinarily cacophonous with the honks of impatient drivers and the bustle of shoppers, settled into an uneasy silence. Food could only be ordered in; at restaurants across the city, tables were stacked in dark corners. Even the never-ending stream of construction workers vanished, making the empty, unroofed buildings seem haunted.

In those months, I often recalled the pleasures I had taken for granted as a writer and adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, namely the frequent visits to museums and galleries. I felt the distinct sense of living in a time outside time, as though the version of myself that was suddenly in Lagos was irreconcilable with who I had been elsewhere.

The art scene that went digital in Lagos

Yet, soon enough, I grew content to be in Lagos without seeing art, an activity that felt suddenly unnecessary during a time of existential, viral threats. Even when things started returning to normal, and galleries and art shows allowed for access again, I limited my experience to browsing from my computer screen. I spent hours clicking through the 2020 editions of ART X Lagos and the LagosPhoto Festival , both of which, although continental in scope, were fully virtual.

Then, on a day in early October 2021, I found myself browsing the website of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art , a new private museum in the outskirts of Lagos. I wondered if its collection – a wide array of pieces spanning multiple eras of Nigerian art – could be the perfect reintroduction to art in the city I now called home. By the morning of my drive, the streets of Lagos had regained their pre-pandemic vigor.

The winding route to Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art

Twenty minutes into my ninety-minute journey, as I made my way to the edge of the city, the traffic lights disappeared, giving way to free-for-all intersections that took equal parts patience and daring to pass. These suburbs were dominated by fenced-in communities. Grand gated entryways bore the names of sprawling mini-estates: Diamond Estate, Crest Estate, Beachwood Estate. Elsewhere, giant billboards advertised the gated communities to come, as well as the outrageous sums required as deposits for buy-ins. Pedestrians carried on, hurrying across the street ahead of oncoming traffic. I was overwhelmed, given all the time I had spent inside. But it was also a delight to drive farther through Lagos than I had since I returned. Each inch of the 40-plus kilometers felt like a reward for the agonizing seclusion of the previous year.

And then, my navigation app said I was fifteen minutes away from Pan-Atlantic University, where the Yemisi Shyllon Museum is located. The map indicated that I had to make a U-turn at some point ahead, but everywhere I looked appeared to be under construction – Lagos is a city perpetually being built. A man wearing a construction vest suggested I make my way on foot, since, from where we stood, and given the state of the road, it was impossible to drive into the university.

I walked for about ten minutes over marshland, only to fall into a muddy hole and promptly turn around. The man who had sent me on my walk to nowhere now pointed me to a tap where I could wash my shoes and feet. By the time I eventually arrived at the museum – not on foot, but in my car – I was 30 minutes late for my tour.

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A guided tour of over 1000 works

The museum is a broad expanse of ruby-red brickwork, windowless and bright against the blue sky. The only opening to the outside world is an entryway positioned close to the edge of the cube-like structure. The university itself is a modest complex; three buildings stand just east of the museum, encircled by seemingly endless tracts of undeveloped land.

I approached a woman sitting by herself on a long information desk. I told her I had signed up for a tour. “Interesting,” she said, as if surprised. In a rehearsed but genial fashion, she proceeded to describe the contents of the museum. Guided tours are available for an additional fee throughout the day and can be reserved here.

Gifted by Prince Yemisi Shyllon – a lawyer, engineer, and stockbroker – the collection includes over 1000 works. Isioma, my guide, offered information about the trajectory of our tour: we’d begin with the gallery on the ground floor, largely devoted to an ongoing exhibition titled Invincible Hands, featuring contemporary art by Nigerian women. Then we’d make our way to the gallery above, where there was a selection of works from the permanent collection.

Reconnecting with art, post-lockdown

Like a kid surprised at their better-than-expected test scores, I was pleased as I walked with Isioma around the ground floor gallery. The range was eclectic, featuring paintings, sculptures, collages and photographs by up to 38 artists. Isioma demanded engagement, asking me from time to time to guess what material had been used for certain artworks if one was clay or paper, wood or bronze. Sometimes I imagined that her enthusiasm, as she attended to a single visitor, compensated for the lack of a larger crowd. I saw no other patron in any of the galleries during the time she took me around. Visiting a museum in the middle of a workday—in a city of no fewer than 23 million people, and in a country with the third-highest joblessness rate in the world—was a luxury few could afford.

But this, in a sense, was a work trip for me. I hoped that it could inspire future writing, that it could push me to consider art as preeminent, like I had before the lockdowns. And there was something else. Art has a way of illuminating your priorities. When I looked, for instance, at Abayomi Barber’s “Ola II” – a dark, bronze bust of a woman glancing sidelong at the distance with a tender, determined poise – I thought of my wife. I felt grateful for the effortlessness with which we organized our days, waking up to each other and working from home. I wished she was there with me, and so each photo I took of what I had seen was sent to her in preparation for the time we’d return together.

After Isioma and I made our way up a set of stairs bathed in warm light, I became even more amazed by the scope of the collection. I immediately recognized paintings by Aina Onabolu, a painter born in 1882, known for his work in portraiture, and often called the father of modern Nigerian art. There was a piece by Ben Enwonwu, once commissioned to make a bronze sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II. For the first time since I returned to Lagos from New York, I was surrounded by Nigerian art, without the mediation of a screen or the distance of an ocean. It felt right.

After she had taken me around, Isioma left me to wander alone. As I took more photographs of the artworks, circling the galleries over and over again, standing face to face with Benin Bronzes and Nok terracotta, I felt skepticism creep in. The museum was open to all, yet how many cared to make the trip? Was I an exception to the rule in a city I call home?

Hope for a more accessible future

Then, shortly before leaving, I spoke with Michael Oseghale, the museum manager. It was an out-of-the-way place, he admitted, but he hoped that since an airport was being built nearby, the Ibeju-Lekki suburb would continue to expand, and the museum would attract new neighbors. The museum, he continued, was affiliated with a university without an art department, and so they catered to a wide array of disciplines, taking any opportunity to augment the learning experience of students. Graphic design students could learn about color combinations using paintings, and accounting students could learn about asset valuation by studying Benin Bronzes, he said.

Sharing stories of Nigerian artists

Oseghale reassured me not just with his knowledge but with his awareness of the stakes of being a museum manager in Lagos. I sensed genuine anger when he recalled that a student at the university, visiting the museum, had said, “I didn’t know Nigeria had artists.”

“What we do here is tell our own stories with the artworks that we have,” Oseghale said.

My own story was best evoked in one of the paintings in the Invincible Hands exhibition: Wura Natasha-Ogunji’s “Conditions for Flight.” It is a towering, abstract work painted with oil; an array of colors spread unevenly across a large sheet of paper. Looking at it felt akin to watching a nimbus move across the sky. It fit with how I thought of the past year, most of which I spent indoors: full of signs for what was to come, like the moment between the crack of thunder and a downpour. When I pulled out of the university gate, it began to drizzle.

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Lagos is on our 2022 Best in Travel list. For more stories from some of the world’s most exciting destinations click here .

Safety recommendations and restrictions during a pandemic can change rapidly. Lonely Planet recommends that travelers always check with local authorities for up-to-date guidance before traveling during Covid-19 .

Searching for clarity at a Nigerian art museum

Ancient Egypt has captivated the world for millennia, with its cryptic language of hieroglyphs, legendary god-level pharaohs and mysterious and well-preserved temples and tombs. But although ancient Egypt might be long gone, that doesn't mean it's dead. This civilization is coming more to life now than it has in years, as the modern country makes bold moves to preserve, restore and showcase its heritage like never before.

With the upcoming anniversary of archaeologist Howard Carter's discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb – 100 years in 2022 – and the long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt is banking on the legacy and mystery of its past to lure in travelers. Discoveries continue apace, adding to the extensive collection of unbelievable artifacts from one of the planet's most impressive and enduring cultures.

Learn about new discoveries at state of the art museums

The Egyptian sands continue to slowly give up their treasures that have been secreted away for thousands of years, triumphantly unearthed by archaeologists across the country. In Saqqara, an active burial ground for more than 3500 years, the discovery in January of a temple with inscriptions dedicated to a previously unknown ancient queen is rewriting history.

A month later, near Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast, archaeologists uncovered burial chambers housing two golden-tongued mummies. Experts believe the golden tongues gave the mummies the ability to speak in the afterlife.  Farther south in the Nile-side city of Sohag, researchers found a 5000-year-old brewery that likely made beer for funerary rituals. Experts think it's the oldest in the world.

One of the country's richest archaeological sites continues to be the area around Luxor, the modern city and great open-air museum that sits on top of ancient Thebes, once the grand capital of Upper Egypt. In April, archaeologists dug up a 3000-year-old lost city that researchers hailed as the most significant discovery since Tut's tomb was found in the nearby Valley of the Kings.

Travelers will be able to ogle these artifacts and tens of thousands more at Cairo's new Grand Egyptian Museum, finally slated to open in late 2021 after years of delays. The GEM will be the world's largest museum dedicated to a single civilization when it opens. Curators have already moved more than 50,000 artifacts – some never seen before and just pulled out of storage – to the museum, which will also display all of Tutankhamun's burial treasures in the same place for the first time.

For those who can't wait, you can get a taste of what's in store at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which is open now and saw the arrival of 22 of the country's most famous mummified pharaohs during the regal Royal Mummies Golden Parade in April.

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Head to Saqqara to see Egypt's most active dig

The Pyramids of Giza, the last surviving wonder of the ancient world, is Egypt's most obvious icon, but, surprisingly, they are some of the least interesting historical sites to visit. While travelers should not skip a visit to Giza, especially because this is the location of the Grand Egyptian Museum as well as the recently opened Sphinx International Airport, keen adventurers should set their sights a little farther south to Saqqara and Dahshur.

This huge necropolis, the country's largest archaeological site, has a trifecta of pyramids of its own – with more being unveiled every year. Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities estimates that only 1% of the site has been excavated so far.

Saqqara and Dahshur were the proving grounds for ancient architects, the predecessors and drafting table designs that made the Pyramids of Giza possible. Egypt's oldest pyramid, the 4700-year-old Step Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara, reopened in 2020 after a 14-year, $6.6 million restoration project stabilized the structure, and for the first time in more than a decade, visitors can once again poke around its interior tunnels and chambers.

In Dahshur, the Bent Pyramid, constructed around 2600 BCE, reopened to the public in 2019 for the first time in 50 years, and travelers can now go inside its "side pyramid," believed to have been built for the pharaoh's wife, for the first time since it was excavated in 1956.

Luxor's Valley of the Kings has the most beautiful tomb

Often called the world's largest open-air museum, Luxor is a treasure trove like nowhere else. Recent archaeological findings range from an entire "golden" city to a massive haul of 3000-year-old wooden coffins with complete inscriptions. The Valley of the Kings, the resting place for royalty since 2100 BCE, is one of Luxor's top draws, but the site's complex ticketing system can leave some visitors missing out on worthwhile discoveries of their own.

Simply existing inside these ancient structures causes them damage: the sweat, carbon dioxide and humidity from breathing are enough to crack and peel the antique paint. Tour guides are not even allowed inside to cut down on human emissions.

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has added dehumidifiers and glass screens in some chambers and started a rotation system. Out of the 60-plus tombs in the valley, only a dozen or so are open at any given time. But your ticket is valid for only three tombs, with a few additional tombs, including King Tutankhamun's, available for an additional cost.

It pays to choose wisely. My most cherished memory of my trip to Egypt was visiting the Tomb of Seti I. The tomb had recently been open to visitors after receiving a Technicolor restoration. It was stunning; the restoration made the hieroglyphic inscriptions and wall reliefs look like artists had painted them yesterday.

Descending through the quiet burial chamber corridors, that morning empty of other visitors, past painting after painting, I could have died and gone to heaven myself. Down in the crypt, the vaulted ceiling – the first tomb here to be constructed with this type of roof – is a mural of simple but emotive stars on a black backdrop, surrounded by scenes from the Book of Gates, a funerary text that guides the deceased into the next world.

Perhaps others were put off by the considerable additional expense – LE1000 (about $64), the highest ticket price in Egypt for a single site. Still, I thought it was worth every penny to see the most beautiful tomb in the entire Valley of the Kings.

Get the full historical Luxor experience by staying at the Sofitel Winter Palace, a British colonial-era hotel on the banks of the Nile that was refurbed in 2019. Here on the hotel's stairs, Howard Carter announced the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922.

Follow in ancient footsteps on the Red Sea Mountain Trail

For an up-close and personal perspective on Egypt's history, sign up to hike the Red Sea Mountain Trail, a recently created 105-mile trek that takes about 10 days. The local Maaza Bedouin tribe runs this community initiative, mainland Egypt's first long-distance trail, and travelers can head out on foot to walk with the people who know this land most intimately.

The Red Sea Mountain Trail might be new, but the pathways that it follows are well-worn travel, trade and smuggling routes that tread deep into the wilderness of eastern Egypt, an area rarely explored by outsiders. The hiking loop winds past the mainland's highest mountain peaks, graffiti left by the Nabataeans (best known for their immaculately carved capital of Petra in Jordan) and ancient Roman towns with forts, watchtowers and gates still partially in situ.

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Northern Norway is home to the Indigenous Sámi, a people whose lives are centered around the spectacular and vast natural backdrop of the Far North.

There are myriad Sami-led tour companies in the region to learn more and experience some of their culture. As well as a genuine eagerness to engage every visitor, expect to be offered delicious local Sámi food served under a blanket of starry skies and Northern Lights.

Whether it’s silence and solitude you’re seeking or an itinerary of action-packed activities, we cover the best places to explore and appreciate Sámi communities and culture in Norway.

Note: place names can differ in Sámi and Norwegian. In this article, we use the Sámi names, with Norwegian in brackets afterward.

Who are the Sámi?

The Sámi are the Indigenous people of Northern Europe. Their traditional regions stretch over Northern Sweden and Finland, the North-Western corner of Russia, the Northern half of Norway and some of the southeast.

The Sámi have a stronger legal standing in Norway than in the other countries, with Sámi being an official language alongside Norwegian, a Sámi parliament (with counterparts in Sweden and Finland), and laws to strengthen, protect and develop Sámi languages (there are ten), plus Sámi culture and communities.

Where to experience Sámi art and culture in Norway

After 150 years of assimilation policies which officially ended in the 1960s – but are perceived by many Sámi to have been effective – some areas have experienced a thriving revitalization of Sámi clothing, food, religion and philosophy. But at the same time, Sámi areas are increasingly attractive to mining and wind power companies. The result is the struggle and demonstrations against the Norwegian government which has allowed access to land used by Sámi for traditional reindeer husbandry, for example.

The cultural revitalization we have seen for the last forty years has created a new pride in the Sámi people and has made this fascinating culture more accessible for visitors. Community-led Sámi experiences are offered throughout a large part of Norway but the center of gravity for the culture is in the North.

Roadtrip ancient Sámi origins along Norway's coast

Start your explorations of the origins of Sámi culture in the northernmost county in Norway, Finnmark. Fly to Girkonjárga ( Kirkenes in Norwegian), get a rental car, and take the scenic 90-minute drive to Vuonnabahta ( Varangerbotn), passing nature reserves, fjords and coastal scenes. The coastal Sámi culture is epitomized by a combination of fishing and small farms.

Head to the Várjjat Sámi Musea for an interesting overview, with history exhibits, examples of traditional housing, and the fish and animals that made the basis for Sámi livelihood. The museum also has a nice shop of souvenirs and books if you’re interested to learn about the different Sámi cultures.

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See the archaeological site of Ceavccegeađge (Mortensnes)

Twenty kilometers east of the museum is Ceavccegeađge ( Mortensnes), where archaeological findings can trace human presence here back 10,000 years. That long ago one can’t determine specific ethnic traits, but we know traits of Sámi culture appear from approximately 2000 years ago, and traces of burial sites and settlement continue right up to today’s Sámi population.

The area is covered in snow in the winter, but from May to October you can follow the tracks and signs from the parking lot to see sites of early settlements and a sacrificial stone in the middle of a labyrinth made of small stones. The phallic stone was placed there some hundreds of years ago, as a place of sacrifice for fishing and hunting luck.

Hear traditional Sámi singing at Kjøllefjord

If you would like to see more of the coastal side, head further north to Gilevuotna ( Kjøllefjord), a fishing village close to the reindeer’s summer grazing. Davvi Sámi Siida offers various delicious dishes with the season’s reindeer meat, alongside storytelling with luohti (also called yoik), the traditional Sámi singing style.

The accommodation here is also traditional; perhaps a night in a lávvu, the Sámi’s traditional summer tent, is tempting? In the wintertime, comfortable cabins are a better choice. The area is also great for hiking, skiing and fishing in lakes or the sea.

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Contemporary Sámi art on the tundra

The highlands and the tundra are the heartlands of the northern Sámi reindeer lifestyle. On your way from the coast, stop at Sámi Dáiddaguovddáš (Sámi Center for Contemporary Art) in Kárášjohka (Karasjok). They have changing and diverse exhibitions throughout the year by Sámi visual artists, including installations, painting, video, photography, textiles and sculpture. While many Sámi artists today are rooted in ancient traditions when it comes to techniques and materials, others are totally modern in their expressions. At the center, you can also find a good selection of Sámi art books and music, both contemporary and traditional.

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Go for a free tour of the Sámi Parliament

On your way out of Kárášjohka ( Karasjok), towards the beautiful river valley village of Máze (Masi), you’ll pass the Sámi Parliament building, with its recognizable lávvu -shaped architecture. Hop on a guided free tour every Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at 1 pm, except in the weeks when the parliament assembles (check the calendar online for details).

River safaris and resisting hydropower in Masi

With an almost exclusive Sámi population, many living a reindeer-herding lifestyle, Máze itself is a quiet spot between the city Áltá ( Alta) and the town Guovdageaidnu ( Kautokeino). It is also home to reindeer herder Johan P. Eira and his Sautso Safari. In the summer half of the year, he welcomes groups on a guided river safari to a gigantic hydropower dam, telling the story of the fifty-year-old struggle to save the river, and how it almost put the whole village underwater.

Afterward, he lights a cozy fire in the lávvu and tells stories about Sámi culture and serves reindeer meat. Can you imagine snow whipping in your face, as you’re cuddled up in a big fur coat on a sleigh pulled by four racing reindeer? Well, your dream can come true, as Sautso Safari gives the bolder visitor an action-filled winter experience with reindeer sledding on the frozen river.

Modern lávvu-shaped Sámi architecture

The Sámi reindeer culture is also central for the family-run Sámi Siida company a few kilometers from the center of Áltá. At their restaurant, the combination of a modern lávvu -shaped building with gourmet-style traditional Sámi dishes is a winner. Savory smoked reindeer meat and sweet cloudberry desserts are just some of the dishes on the menu. Getting within the cuddling distance to the reindeer, just outside, will win adults and children over. Don’t worry, reindeer never use their antlers on people, only other reindeer when they fight in the mating season.

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Festivals, fishing and alpine pleasures

Every year, Olmmáivággi ( Manndalen), between Áltá and Romsa ( Tromsø), hosts the International Riddu Riđđu Festivála. The festival name means ‘little storm on the coast’ in northern Sámi, but has a down-to-earth, relaxed atmosphere. Both Sámi and other Indigenous artists from around the world perform at the festival in mid-July, in addition to art exhibitions, theatre plays, dance shows, handicraft workshops, local food and workshops. The emphasis is more on family activities and there is a quiet family camp. But for revelers, there is plenty of beer and a regular camping site for the late-night dwellers.

The rest of the year, you can go sea fishing at Manndalen Sjøbuer. Rent a luxurious cabin and a fishing boat, and you’re set for a coastal Sámi experience. The lucky fisherman (or -woman) can bring home big cod or halibut. Why not combine your fishing trip with a bird-watching experience? Have your camera ready to try and spot sea eagles. Alpine pleasures in the nearby Lyngen mountains include both off-piste ski touring and randonée (cross-country skiing).

Chasing the Northern Lights near Tromsø and Lofoten

Going further south to the biggest city in the region, Romsa ( Tromsø), will offer you a more metropolitan experience. Visit Tromsø Arctic Reindeer to go reindeer sledding under the Northern Lights, followed by relaxation in the goahti (a cone-shaped building) with a three-course dinner. The large herd stays outside in the area, so you should have opportunities to photograph and feed the reindeer, too.

If you want a more speedy and modern adventure, you can book short or long trips on snowmobiles from Romsa, Áltá or Guovdageaidnu or various smaller villages. Chasing the Northern Lights in the middle of the night will get your pulse racing. With a local guide who always follows the trails, you’ll feel completely safe. Ask in the hotel lobby where you’re staying, and they’ll be happy to make arrangements for you.

If you’re headed to Lofoten in Nordland to see the Northern Lights, make a stop at Inga Sámi Siida close to Suorttá (Sortland). They have a variety of accommodation, from glamping tents to a traditional lávvu tent, parts of their reindeer herd close by, and serve traditional Sámi food as well.

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Southern Sámi communities of Nordland and Trøndelag

Let’s not forget the south Sámi communities in the southern parts of Nordland and Trøndelag. Saemien Sijte is a south Sámi museum and cultural center in Snåase ( Snåsa), a three-hour drive north of the city of Tråante ( Trondheim).

In late August 2022, you can experience Tjaktjen Tjåanghkoe, a festival that celebrates south Sámi culture and language, with food, markets and music. It alternates every other year with the other south Sámi festival, Raasten Rastah in Plassje ( Røros), a two-hour drive south of Tråante ( Trondheim).

If you don’t happen to be in a south Sámi area during the festivals, try a dish of reindeer or fish in the local restaurants, that’s guaranteed to be from the area. Just like in the north, the foundation of the south Sámi kitchen is reindeer meat, a variety of fish from rivers, lakes and the sea, and sweet cloudberry or tangy lingonberry.

Nature in Norway has little pollution and because the reindeer graze all year in the mountains, forests or islands, they rarely eat concentrated fodder. The Sámi reindeer families take great pride in having fat, healthy reindeer that make tasty, tender meat, an ecological and renewable resource appreciated by the Sámi people themselves, Norwegians and visitors.

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Norway is on our 2022 Best in Travel list. For more stories from some of the world’s most exciting destinations click here .

Safety recommendations and restrictions during a pandemic can change rapidly. Lonely Planet recommends that travelers always check with local authorities for up-to-date guidance before traveling during Covid-19.

Where to experience Sámi art and culture in Norway

You’d be hard pressed to place a country’s location on the travel map better than Slovenia. The Central European nation sits in both the Alps and on the Adriatic. Its influences include neighboring Italy, Austria, and the Western Balkans. And, because it is compact, a visit here can include all of its regions.

Though you could easily lose yourself in any quadrant, those looking to gather country-wide experiences are in for a multi-layered treat. World class outdoor activities can be combined with city-based excitement. Wine tours are easily paired with history-themed journeys. Here is a smattering of the best things to do and experience in Slovenia.

Hike in Alps on the Juliana Trail

For less experienced adventurers, a hike in the Alps feels extreme — but it doesn’t have to be. Slovenia is a haven for trekking of every variety from hardcore mountaineering to relaxed walks surrounded by epic scenery. The compromise is the Juliana Trail : a 168-mile loop that follows the contours of the Triglav National Park, which is tucked into the country’s northwest Julian Alps. Have your cameras ready for incredible photographs in iconic overnight locales like peak-encircled Lake Bled and the massive alpine Lake Bohinj. The vast majority of the trail’s 16 stages are relatively flat (so no equipment is needed beyond a pack, solid boots, and a good attitude) and categorized as easy or moderate — with the highest elevation reaching around 4,350 feet.

Ljubljana’s Central Market

More than just a place to stock up on fresh ingredients, the outdoor and covered areas of the Central Market are the lifeblood of Ljubljana. Just off the main square, beyond the famous Triple Bridge and on the banks of the Ljubljanica River, haggling with the vendors and shopping for your rations here sews you squarely into the city’s fabric.

Do like locals do and purchase your fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, cheese, nuts, honey, and liqueurs, and then relax at a nearby cafe to feel the city center’s rhythm. On Fridays, make sure to stick around for the Odprta Kuhna, or Open Kitchen, when dozens restaurants from across Ljubljana set up stands for the weekly food fest with specially prepared dishes so locals and visitors alike can investigate the town’s culinary prowess.

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Walk around Jože Plečnik’s Ljubljana

Whether you know it or not, one of the reasons you’ve fallen in love with Ljubljana is because of the architectural prowess of Jože Plečnik, a native of the Slovenian capital who designed many buildings and structures here in the 20th century. Take a tour of the city through the eyes and talents of Ljubljana’s favorite son.

Of his 10 masterpieces you’ll find scattered throughout the city, the Plečnik House, where he lived and worked for nearly four decades is a great place to begin. You’ll begin to pick out his style as you walk around town. Pay particular attention to the everyday designs you have likely already visited, such as the Triple Bridge and the covered area of the central market known as the Plečnik Colonnade,.

Cycling with champions

Slovenia has become the capital of world cycling over the last handful of years. Slovenes have won the last two Tour de France races, the last three Tours of Spain, two of the last three Tours of Slovenia, and took gold and bronze cycling medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The reason for such dominance: the roads and landscapes here are perfect for developing champions. Discover this training ground, and the culture surrounding it, on the new Slovenia Road Cycling Loop. Though any bike can be used for the route, which stays on quiet asphalt roads, the stages focus on cyclists riding racing bicycles.

The loop, which circumnavigates the entire country, covers 1,500 kilometers over approximately 15 to 20 stages. As well, there are four regional loops (each around 270 kilometers in length) for those who want to ride in more specific (or compact) areas and focus their cultural investigation. Along the way — whether on the main loop or a regional route — you’ll ride through or near the country’s most iconic climbs, views, and locales: Bled, Bohinj, Kranjska Gora, Ljubljana, and Maribor.

Collect castles in Slovenia's medieval castle country

The region along the Sava and Krka Rivers in southeastern Slovenia is often overlooked because of the preponderance of top sights packed into the country’s western half. That’s a pity for those who don’t make it east of Ljubljana. This area of the nation, which includes Posavje, as the Lower Sava Valley Region is called in Slovenian, is medieval castle country and the area is easily visited by both car or bicycle.

There are scores of castles scattered around the country. However, this region has nearly a dozen packed into a conveniently connected area. Of particular note is the stretch along the Sava River linking the historic structures from the town of Sevnica to the Mokrice Castle near the Croatian border. In the well-preserved, 13th century Brežice Castle, you’ll find the Posavje Museum with exhibitions explaining the area’s heritage from pre-historic times to the modern era.

Drink the world’s oldest wine

There’s vintage wine and there's record-setting vintage wine. To sample the latter, head to the Old Vine House in Maribor, Slovenia’s second-largest city in the country’s northeast corner. The vine growing up the house’s facade is more than four centuries old and holds a spot in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest fruit-producing vine. Have a seat on the house’s terrace and taste this ancient red variety, or the many others its shop offers.

Go spelunking in the Karst Region

Slovenia has its share of attractions above ground. If you really want to get under this country’s skin, you’ve got to go beneath the surface. The southwestern Karst Region provides just the opportunity. The porous limestone topography is a perfect recipe for caves and two stand out: Postojna and Škocjan.

Take the four-kilometer train tour, opened in 1872, into the Postojna Cave’s nearly 24 kilometers of total tunnels. Of special interest to visiting cavers are the translucent salamanders, or olms, known as “human fish” or “baby dragons.” The Unesco-listed, six-kilometer-long Škocjan Caves offer guided tours through the so-called “Silent Cave” and then into the “Murmuring Cave” with a bridge taking amateur, and professional, spelunkers nearly 50 meters above the Reka River flowing below.

Train through the Alps

At the beginning of the 20th century, train tracks were laid to better connect the northern reaches of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Adriatic. Opened in 1906, the route went through Slovenia and, necessarily, the Alps. The result is the Bohinj Railway, among Europe’s most scenic lines.

To combine sightseeing, history, and responsible travel in your itinerary, hop aboard the train in the town of Bohinjska Bistrica and take it to Nova Gorica on the Italian border. On your voyage, you’ll pass through the mountains via the 6,327-meter Bohinj Tunnel, roll along the show-stopping, electric-emerald Soča River, and over the Solkan Bridge, which, at 85 meters, is considered to be among the longest stone-arch, rail overpasses in the world.

Head to the coast

It is not that most forget that Slovenia has a coast, which clocks in at just under 50 kilometers. Slovenia's other attractions are just so magnetic that the country’s Adriatic shore is often left as the reward for a successful trip galavanting through the mountains, along the rivers, between the vineyards, and into its caves. When your time comes to head to the coast, there is a destination for every personality.

Koper, the largest city on Slovenia’s Adriatic, is more than a port city. It’s a great place to swim in the sea and in history with a visit, for instance, to its 15th century Praetorian Palace. Just to the southwest, the sleepier and oft-overlooked town of Izola is a great place to get away, and splash in beautiful spots like Dubrava Beach, a 30-minute walk away. Further west brings you to the peninsular Piran, where a beautifully preserved town built on the architectural charm of the Venetian Republic is a great spot to have it all: history, beaches, and incredible views. All you need is a moment in its oval Tartinijev trg (Tartini’s Central Square) — with ancient churches, houses, and the charming little fishing port — to feel you’ve found coastal paradise.

Gallop with history in Lipica

For more than 440 years, Lipizzaners — strong, famously white horses — have been bred in Lipica, a town in Slovenia’s Karst Region in the county’s southwestern corner. One of the continent’s oldest breeds, there are some 300 that roam the grounds of the Lipica Stud Farm, which was named a Slovenian cultural monument in 1996. Stroll the grounds and snap photographs of the friendly animals as they trot through and are herded across 300 hectares of fields. Take a guided tour of the farm to visit the museums and stables, and then stick around for the Lipica Riding School performance.

Wine tasting in Goriška Brda

In recent years, Slovenia has built a reputation for wine. To a large degree, that rep is based on the wines from the Goriška Brda region. Jutting over the Italian border, this nodule of goodness is an expanse of vineyards covering rolling hills extending to the horizon and only broken by the occasional perched village. There are many vineyards to visit and taste vintages. In the community of Ceglo, the Simčič and Movia Vineyards are both top-end vineyards and have had much to do with Slovenia’s ascension in the wine world. Just north in the village of Dobrovo, the Klet Brda Winery is a cooperative of some 400 families. You can take a tour of the cellars and taste many of its varieties.

Climb Mount Triglav

As the legend goes, to be a real Slovene you must summit Mount Triglav. The country’s (and the Julian Alps’) tallest mountain, which fills the nation’s northwest corner and anchors the Triglav National Park, stands at 2,864 meters. You don’t need to be a world-class climber to reach the peak — but you do need to be prepared with a helmet and harness to attempt one of the steep but safe via ferrata routes. For the attempt, allow for two days to relax at your starting point before attempting the all-day scramble.

Slovenia is on our 2022 Best of Travel list. For more stories from some of the world’s most exciting destinations click here .

Safety recommendations and restrictions during a pandemic can change rapidly. Lonely Planet recommends that travelers always check with local authorities for up-to-date guidance before traveling during COVID-19 .

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