Day 1 - Seattle
Arrive in Seattle and transfer to your accommodations at
the Four Seasons, where you meet your tour leadership
team and fellow guests over cocktails and dinner.
Day 5 - Taiwan
Set off on your private jet for Taipei, Taiwan, crossing the
International Date Line en route. On arriving, transfer to
your luxury hotel. The next day, explore the city with an
expert guide, starting at the famous Lungshan Temple,
begun in the 17th century during the Qing Dynasty,
and continuing to CKS Memorial Hall and the old-town
markets of Dihua Street. Design Your Day this afternoon,
choosing from a spa treatment, a guided shopping tour or
a hosted tea service. Celebrate Taiwan’s diverse cuisine at a festive dinner. The
next day, board your private jet for the flight to Hualien
and the magnificent Taroko National Park, a place of
forest-covered mountains and marble canyons. Enjoy a
charming local performance at the cultural center before
returning to Taipei. In the evening, visit the National
Palace Museum after hours for an exclusive tour of select
museum galleries, complete with expert commentary.
Day 7 - Nepal
Upon arrival in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, you
are welcomed by a special panchakanya ceremony,
said to bring good luck. Attend a lecture presentation
by a Mount Everest summiteer and hear a firsthand
account of the determination it takes to summit the
world’s highest peak. Your talk serves as a prelude
for an awe-inspiring helicopter flightseeing excursion
to Everest. Take in spectacular views of Everest Base
Camp and the mountain itself, as well as other peaks
such as Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Also, view the
Khumbu Glacier, which begins on the Western Cwm
near Everest; its icefall is the first major obstacle
climbers face in making their ascent. Design Your Day from an assortment of tempting
activities: Visit the monastery at Kopan, where you
learn about Buddhism and join in a guided meditation;
explore Patan, city of art and artisans, with its winding
alleys and shaded courtyards; or take in the bustle and
energy of Kathmandu, exploring an open-air market
and Durbar Square. Tonight, meet with a heritage
and architecture expert to learn about the ongoing
reconstruction of Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage
sites.
Day 10 - Bhutan
Board a local charter flight bound for Paro, Bhutan.
Visit the National Museum of Bhutan, housed inside an
ancient watchtower and containing some of the finest
specimens of Bhutanese art gathered from different
parts of the country. Continue to Paro Dzong, one of
the most impressive and well-known dzongs (Buddhist
palaces) in Bhutan. A short drive then takes you to
Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Gain fascinating
insights into Bhutanese culture with a visit to Buddha
Point. Experience Bhutan your way with the Design
Your Day activity of your choice: Hike to breathtaking
Taktsang Monastery, the unofficial symbol of Bhutan,
also referred to as the Tiger’s Nest; enjoy cycling around
Paro’s beautiful countryside; or meet with a local
astrologer for a personal fortune-telling session. Your Bhutanese experience culminates with a private
tshechu festival exclusively for you. The tshechu brings
together an entire community to share ritual dances that
illustrate events in the life of eighth-century Buddhist
master Guru Rinpoche, and is one of the most vibrant
and colorful spectacles a visitor to Bhutan can witness.
Day 11 - India
Fly to Agra, India, by local charter and arrive at the
Oberoi Amarvilas to a festive welcome befitting a
maharajah. Settle into your room and take in a stunning
view of the Taj Mahal right from your own private
balcony. If you choose, visit the Taj Mahal and see the
sun setting behind the iconic marble mausoleum. This
evening, don traditional dress for an exclusive dinner
inspired by the local bazaar. Begin the next day with a
sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal itself. Perhaps the world’s
most perfectly proportioned monument, this stunning
mausoleum was built by artisans from neighboring
Islamic countries to immortalize Shah Jahan’s last wife,
Mumtaz Mahal, as the “light of the palace.” No photograph does the Taj Mahal justice — it looks
as if it were painted onto the sky and is both strikingly
simple and graced with fine details, particularly
the pietra dura (inlaid stonework) of the cenotaph.
With dawn’s stillness hanging in the air, marvel as
the luminous marble skin of the Taj Mahal’s façade
assumes the pink and orange hues of sunrise. After your
unforgettable encounter, return to your hotel for brunch,
and then drive to Agra’s airport to rejoin your private
jet.
Day 14 - Uzbekistan
Arrive at your hotel in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, welcomed
by a throng of local musicians and flower-bearing children.
The following day, explore Samarkand’s Silk Road heritage
as you visit Registan, a trio of striking, majolica-clad
madrasas. Continue on to the grand mausoleums of
Gur-Amir and Shakhi-Zinda, architectural treasures
dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Pause for
lunch at a local teahouse, where you learn to make one
of the region’s signature dishes. Then, take in a regional
music and folk-dancing performance at a neighboring
caravanserai (roadside inn). The next morning, take in
the grandeur of Bibi Khanym, one of the largest and most
magnificent mosques of the 15th century. Reduced to
ruins by the 20th century, original remains and restored
sections of its architecture tell its history. Next, glimpse local daily life as you stroll through
bustling Siab Market, the labyrinthine Jewish Quarter
and historic Gumbaz Synagogue. Enjoy a traditional
lunch followed by a private performance of street
acrobats. This afternoon, visit local artisan workshops
and enjoy free time at Tashkent Street. This evening,
attend an open-air concert in Registan Square, complete
with an orchestra, calligraphy demonstration, fire
jugglers and fashion show.
Day 17 - Abu Dhabi
Arrive in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, a modern city
with a strong sense of Emirati heritage. After settling into
your hotel, head to the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the
annual Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, for a cocktail
and dinner, followed by a sensational auto race put on just
for you. The next day, pay a visit to the magnificent Sheikh
Zayed Grand Mosque, widely renowned as Abu Dhabi’s
crown jewel. The mosque accommodates the world’s largest
Persian carpet, seven crystal chandeliers and some 41,000
worshipers. Then, visit Qasr Al Watan, known locally as
the Palace of the Nation, to gain a rare insight into Emirati
governance and culture through the palace’s exhibits. Enjoy
a private lunch served inside the palace. This evening, venture out into the dunes for a sunset
cocktail reception and dinner in a romantic tented oasis
beneath the desert stars. The following day, choose from
a host of Design Your Day options: Discover Dubai and
experience a private camel race; play 18 holes at the
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; or explore Qasr Al Hosn, a
historical landmark and the oldest stone building in Abu
Dhabi. The next day, discover the Louvre Abu Dhabi,
home to a vast collection of artifacts and a modern
architectural marvel in itself. Return to the airport and
board your private jet.
Day 19 - Jordan
Fly to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a country
with outstanding ancient history and beautiful desert
landscapes. The next day, discover Jordan’s most iconic
treasure, the ancient city of Petra, built between 800
BC and AD 100 by the Nabatean Arabs. Meet with an
archaeologist and enjoy a private lunch in a cavern
on the site. On your last evening here, enjoy a special
candlelit dinner at “Little Petra” (Siq el-Barid), among
the temples, enhanced with dramatic lighting and
traditional music. Siq el-Barid is a classical temple that stands guard
outside the miniature siq, which appears to have been
an important suburb of the city of Petra. The narrow
file, only some 380 yards long, is crammed with tombs,
temples, houses, water channels and cisterns. The next
day, explore Wadi Rum, known as the Valley of the
Moon, the largest and most magnificent of Jordan’s
desert landscapes. Enjoy an exhilarating 4x4 experience
as you explore the vast sand dunes and rose-tinted
mountains where Bedouin tribes still camp. Return to
Aqaba’s airport and rejoin the crew of your private jet.
Day 23 - Sicily
Arrive in Palermo and transfer to luxurious Villa
Igiea. Gather for evening cocktails, joined by a local
historian who delves into the role of the Mafia in Sicily.
In addition to visiting Palermo’s iconic sites, pause to
enjoy a cannoli in a quiet cloister. Lunch is served at the
Palazzo Conte Federico, where the aristocratic owner
welcomes you personally, taking you on a tour while a
Michelin-star chef prepares your meal. Enjoy a private
visit of the Palatine Chapel, a masterpiece of Byzantine
Art with beautiful mosaics, marble walls and an
elaborate wooden roof. This evening’s dinner is held at
Villa Tasca, a historic mansion that has hosted everyone
from Richard Wagner to Jacqueline Kennedy; a local
tenor and soprano provide musical accompaniment. Take in the nearby artisan villages as you drive a vintage
Alfa Romeo or Fiat 500, stopping to see a traditional opera
dei pupi marionette performance as well as a local Sicilian
cart decorator workshop. Enjoy a private lunch and tasting
at Sallier de la Tour winery. Cap off your time in Sicily with
a gala farewell dinner where you experience the atmosphere
of a 19th-century Sicilian wedding, complete with dancing
and music. The next morning, board your private jet for the
flight back to Boston, U.S.A., where you connect with your
homebound flight.