Artisans of Leisure - Luxury Travel & Tours
 

Luxury Travel Newsletter Autumn 2014

Plan Now: Japan

private Japan tours
Our Japan tours feature traditional Japanese culture at its best (above: Kanazawa)

We are so proud of our reputation as the leading provider of customized private tours in Japan.

We love receiving amazing feedback from our Japan clients, most of whom have become devoted Artisans of Leisure travelers:

Our Japan trip was a wonderful, memorable, lifetime experience...I have used tour companies in the past but nothing compared to this experience. Artisans has been the best, hands down!
~ W.M., Brownwood, TX

Artisans of Leisure is a 10+ on a scale of 10. We’ll be with you for many years!
~ T.R., Mclean, VA

Our Japan trip was exceptional...Artisans of Leisure is up top with the best of the best.
~ J.R., Farmington Hills, MI

We're approaching the glorious autumn season in Japan. In November, maple leaves turn brilliant shades of red and gold, bringing dramatic flair to the raked gravel and green moss of gardens in Kyoto. It's not too late to plan a fall getaway to Japan.

It's also time to start thinking about travel during the popular cherry blossom season (late March through early April).

Contact one of our Japan experts to begin planning an unforgettable private Japan tour.

Spain through the Eyes of a Sixth-Grader (interview)

Spain for Families
12-year-old Derek loved visiting Spain on an Artisans of Leisure tour with his family

Families from around the world come to us for one-of-a-kind vacations.

We interviewed Derek, a precocious, soccer-loving sixth-grader, about his recent family trip to Spain. His parents surprised him with a customized Artisans of Leisure soccer tour of Spain during his spring break, which coincided with the Copa del Rey championship soccer match between the Real Madrid and FC Barcelona teams in Valencia. We arranged private tours of Spain’s most famous soccer stadiums, difficult-to-obtain tickets to the match, and daily private touring focused on history, culture and food.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do?
Play soccer. Obviously.

Q: What were you most looking forward to in Spain?
The games. I went crazy when I found out we’d see both teams play against each other.

Q: Memories of the trip?
The game. The stadium tours. The cooking class and the tapas tour. The last night in Madrid, our guide took us to five places to try tapas. It was the best…

Q: Tell us about Barcelona.
Gaudi. Antoni Gaudi. My favorite artist. We saw a bunch of his things. For Easter, we saw Mass in Catalan in the Sagrada Familia. We went all over Parc Guell. La Pedrera. We saw Casa Batllo. Easter was so crowded at Sagrada Familia. We toured stadiums in Barcelona and Madrid. We went into the locker room in Real Madrid and saw their names, players’ pictures and jerseys in the lockers‎. We went all over the stadium grounds.

Q: What do you like about traveling with Artisans of Leisure?
Well, they give us the best things to do. The trips have everything you would want.

Q: Where do you want to go next?
Maybe Sweden.

Read the full interview on our blog.

View our recently updated private Spain tours.

Favorite Autumn & Winter Getaways

Luxury Riviera Maya tours
The Riviera Maya (including the Rosewood Mayakoba, above) is featured in many of our private Mexico tours

If you’re thinking about a getaway during the autumn and winter months, you might like to consider a few of our most recommended itineraries in top destinations for this time of year, including:

Contact us to start planning now!

Notes from Our Travelers: Switzerland

private Switzerland tours and custom honeymoons
Allison and Brian Reichenbach on their honeymoon in Switzerland

Switzerland is a great destination for travelers interested in excellent food and wine, luxurious hotels, spectacular scenery and active touring options.

For newlyweds Allison and Brian Reichenbach, we organized a luxury honeymoon similar to our Highlights of Switzerland tour, which visits Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, the Berner Oberland, and Lausanne.

Read more about their honeymoon and what it's like to travel with Artisans of Leisure in Switzerland on our blog.

Our Acclaimed Culinary Tours

Saveur Culinary Travel Awards 2014

Artisans of Leisure was honored to be nominated for Best Culinary Tours in Saveur magazine's 2014 Culinary Travel Awards.

View sample Artisans of Leisure culinary tours, or contact us to customize a private tour filled with delicious experiences such as cooking classes, market tours, tasting tours, specialized culinary shopping and reservations at favorite restaurants.

Best of Ireland (slideshow)

private Ireland tours
We love traveling in Ireland to experience its unique style, traditions and hospitality

Our private Ireland tours feature the best of the Emerald Isle, including dramatic scenery, incredible food and beautiful luxury hotels, many of which are inside historic castles.

Our most popular tours in the country include Essence of Ireland, Discover Ireland and Family Tour of Ireland. Ireland also combines well with neighboring countries, as in our Exclusive Ireland, Scotland & England tour.

We hope you enjoy this slideshow of images from our most recent trip through Ireland.

photo icon Launch Ireland slideshow

Just Back: China & Tibet (slideshow)

private China and Tibet tours
We arrange private tours in Lhasa, Tibet

Pandas. Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. Gorgeous mountains covered with terraced rice fields. Sophisticated restaurants and luxury hotels. These are just a few of the unforgettable images captured in this slideshow from China and Tibet.

Stephanie Dosch, one of our in-house travel specialists, took these photos while on our luxurious and comprehensive Journey Through China & Tibet tour, which visits China's most fascinating, scenic and off-the-beaten-track places. Some of Stephanie's favorite experiences were visiting a panda research center in Chengdu; hiking around beautiful Huangshan, a UNESCO-listed mountain range; seeing the spectacular rice terraces of Longsheng; touring the Great Wall; watching actors applying makeup backstage before a Sichuan Opera performance; cruising the Li River outside Guilin; seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xian; eating soup dumplings in Shanghai; watching daily life at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing; touring night markets in Kowloon, Hong Kong; and watching Buddhist monks debate in Lhasa.

photo icon Launch China & Tibet slideshow

Artisans of Leisure arranges private, customized tours throughout China. View our recommended itineraries or call us to learn more.

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Private touring. Only the best hotels. Our world of expertise.

Contact your preferred travel consultant or call (800) 214-8144.

 

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