St. Petersburg, Russia, is a must for anyone interested in art and design. Beautiful palaces and museums in the former imperial capital overflow with incredible art treasures. The most renowned of these is the State Hermitage Museum, a mind-boggling art collection housed in the pistachio-green-and-white Winter Palace and adjoining structures built by the Romanov czars. […]

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Colonized by France in the 1880s, Vietnam fell under French influence in many aspects of its culture, including art, architecture, fashion and cuisine. Even after Vietnam attained independence in the 20th century, those influences remained, and they are in evidence still, often in a fusion of Vietnamese and French styles known as Indochine. The French […]

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We’re excited to announce a new series of luxury Mexico tours that are ideal for food and culture lovers, families, honeymooners and individual travelers. Our new Mexico tours include exclusive experiences such as: • In-depth art and architecture touring in Mexico City • A private tasting tour in Mexico City • Street food tour in Puebla • Chocolate tasting in Oaxaca • Visiting […]

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Udaipur, a city in Rajasthan, India, has a long history and tradition of beautiful decorative arts. One of the best places to appreciate the many local styles and techniques in Udaipur is at the City Palace. Over the centuries, local maharanas (princes) brought the most skilled craftsmen to decorate the palace with intricate carvings, detailed […]

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An interesting part of any trip to Peru is exploring the country’s rich history and culture through its fascinating arts and crafts. Beautiful handmade textiles are among the most famous Peruvian crafts. They’re also among the most ancient: The oldest fabrics discovered in Peru have been dated to around 10,000 B.C. Artisans of Leisure Peru […]

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If you’re visiting Japan, we recommend venturing high into the foothills of Kyoto to visit Kou-an, a glass teahouse by renowned Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka. The clear glass roof, floor and walls of Kou-an teahouse are held together by a thin metal frame, creating a fragile, transparent structure. The teahouse lacks any of the traditional […]

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Stunningly beautiful Iceland is known for its unique, otherworldly landscapes including rugged hills, icy blue glaciers and black-sand beaches. But Iceland’s stylish capital city, Reykjavik, is also home to impressive cultural attractions, such as Harpa, the magnificent concert hall designed in part by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and opened in 2011. The mesmerizing glass-paneled facade […]

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Some of our favorite places to visit around the world are libraries, with their collections of unique objects, rare manuscripts, and beautiful works of art that are lesser known yet no less impressive than their counterparts in busy museums. In Prague, Artisans of Leisure arranges private tours of the magnificent Strahov Library, part of the […]

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