Top 13 Travel Agencies Delivering the Ultimate Once in a Lifetime Travel Experience

Bucket list trips are all about making memories that follow you into your everyday life. More than vacations, these trips allow you to be the adventurer. You might take on physical challenges, learn more about yourself, and get to know a local culture in a way that continues to excite you even after you return home.

What Sets These Agents and Destinations Apart?

• They Care About the Local Area – From local expert guides to learning opportunities and community engagement with host cultures, these Travel agents and advisors aim to share with you the local culture and ecosystems while also preserving these them.
• They Bring You Right to Best Part of the Location – There’s no skimming the surface here. All of these agents and attractions will take you right to the reason you’re there in the first place. Whether you’re sleeping under the stars, swimming along breathtaking coasts, or seeing animals on safari, these tours will take you right into your adventure.
• They Listen to What You Want – Each of these agencies and destinations is dedicated to tailoring your plans, itineraries, and experiences to what you want and need. They have a clear understanding of the tours offered and personal experience with the destinations. Die-hard adventurers will be able to itineraries that test their mettle, while those looking to relax will be able to book just the right luxury facilities. They are also experienced in booking family vacations.

Our Top 13 Agencies and Destinations

1) Rothschild Safaris

Rothschild Safaris is based in Colorado with consultants throughout the US and offices in Australia and South Africa. They want to get you away from the crowd so that you can enjoy local wildlife, food, and extraordinary sights in a more private setting.

Each of the travel designers has traveled and experiences their destinations so they can help recommend you the perfectly tailored experience. Additionally, Rothschild Safaris is always searching for properties and activities while developing strong relationships with safari guides and operators to get you off the beaten track.

Their Specialty

• African and Australian Safaris

Achievements

Rothschild Safaris makes it their mission to help with conservation efforts throughout Africa by booking eco-friendly accommodations with the lowest carbon footprint available. They work with hotels, camps, and lodges that operate with methods that help protect the local wildlife and ecosystems.

• Anti-poaching efforts and reintroduction of indigenous species
• Philanthropy efforts
• Named Travel + Leisure A-List Top Travel Advisor 2014
• National Geographic named them in their Top 50 Tours of a Lifetime
• Three-time winner of the World’s Best Safari Outfitter

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Check out the Peru highlights.
• Explore South Africa with a twist.
• See everything in the Rothschild Southern Africa Odyssey.

2) Wish Sicily

Wish Sicily is an Italian company that wants to help you book your perfect luxury getaway vacation. They rent villas throughout Sicily that access beaches, mountain villages, resorts, and views of active volcanoes. Each villa offers excellent facilities, such as pools, tennis courts, play areas for children, hiking, and water sports.

Wish Sicily maintains strong relationships with the villa owners in their collection in order to offer the best pricing. The team of agents has extensive knowledge of the properties to help answer questions and pair you with the ideal villa for your stay in Sicily. Since they are based in Palermo, they have the knowledge and know how to help you get around the islands and enjoy your stay to the fullest.

Their Specialty

• Finding you luxury villas in Sicily.

Achievements

• Wish Sicily has had their villas featured in Prima Magazine, The Times, Hello! Magazine, and House Beautiful.

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

Book the perfect villa for your Sicilian vacation:

• Villa Dionisio
• Villa Renata
• Terrazza Sul Mare

3) Select Italy

Select Italy is based in Italy and operates worldwide, offering guided services. Select Italy takes you throughout Italy with activities and stays in Italy’s main cities and rural destinations. They offer custom trip planning by experts that can help you tailor your visit to your own interests, whether it’s seeing art and history or wining and dining.

Select Italy has a bilingual staff of experts who can help you find information on everything from art history to the economy. Their network of suppliers and cultural contacts is very large so that travelers can see the parts of Italy that they always dreamed of.

Their Specialty

• Travel planning and booking services throughout Italy and Croatia.

Achievements

Select Italy has recently added travel throughout Croatia to their network and destination list.

• Named Travel + Leisure A-List as the World’s Top Travel Agents 2002-2015
• Featured on Travel Channel’s Trips of a Lifetime

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Tour Italian with a focus on delicious Italian Food and Wine.
• Book a Cruise of the Amalfi Coast.
• Explore Ancient and Renaissance culture throughout Italy’s historical cities.

4) Tswalu Kalahari

Tswalu Kalahari is the largest private game reserve in South Africa. Eco-tourists can appreciate the grasslands and mountains of their two “barefoot luxury” properties, with secluded suites and local dining experiences. The reserve offers a remote location where guests can appreciate nature, while Tswalu meets their needs with great accommodations, spa treatments, and safari adventures.

Tswalu Kalahari prioritizes conservation, as they work to restore the Kalahari and allow its original ecosystems and natural biodiversity to thrive. They only lodge 30 guests at a time, making it an optimal experience for their guests while still respecting the wildlife.

Their Specialty

• South African wildlife reserves and safaris.

Achievements

• Featured in About Time Magazine, The Telegraph, and African Geographic for incredible outdoor bedrooms and African sleepouts

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Join a field guide for private wilderness safaris, as well as horseback or walking safaris, star-gazing, or archaeological explorations.
• Pair your stay at Tswalu with other South African experiences.

5) SwimTrek

SwimTrek wants to help you satisfy your swimming skills and wanderlust at the same time. While their central office in is the United Kingdom, they offer trips worldwide. Prioritizing health and wellness, SwimTrek offers trips at all levels to get you swimming in coastal waters around the world.

Their goal is to take on the work of organizing your trip, including permissions, boat pilots, and itineraries, so that you don’t have to. They scout out the best swimming locations for you. Their guides are professional swimmers and divers who are experienced with both coaching and teaching, allowing them to offer an unforgettable and safe experience swimming in open waters.

Their Specialty

• Providing worldwide fully-supported open water swimming vacations.

Achievements

• British Travel Awards Best Activity/Sports Holiday Company 2016-17
• Featured in Sunday Times “Top 100 Holidays for 2016”

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Explore pristine islands in the St. Kitts & Nevis Caribbean island escape.
• The Mallorca Escape in the Mediterranean offers five-star resort and spa stay.
• The Galapagos Islands swimming holiday brings you close to fascinating nature and ecosystems.

6) Blue Sky Luxury

Blue Sky Luxury is local to Barbados. They want to help you discover Barbados’ gorgeous beaches, fine dining, and thriving nightlife while you also enjoy your own spin on sports, relaxation, and fun. Their villas will often feature landscaped gardens, amenities, and domestic staffing.

In addition to their villa rentals, Blue Sky Luxury offers knowledgeable and convenient concierge services to help you arrange transportation, dining, self-care, and activities around the island.

Their Specialty

• Caribbean vacation planning and villa rental.

Achievements

• Featured by Women’s Health Magazine, UltrVilla, Zing Magazine, and Travel Magazine

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Search for the perfect Barbados villa according to your style and needs.

7) Victoria House Resort & Spa

Victoria House is a spa and beach resort in Belize on the Ambergris Caye. That’s right above the Belize Barrier Reef. Intimate and luxurious, it makes for a great getaway location for those in need of relaxation. Victoria House offers many amenities including the Palmilla Restaurant, complimentary use of bicycles and kayaks, a poolside patio, beach bar, tour desk, dive and snorkel shop, private beaches and pools, and a gorgeous public garden.

In addition to all that relaxation, Victoria House offers adventures such as exploring Mayan temples, a zip-line tour over the jungles, rainforest expeditions, and fishing or diving trips.

Their Specialty

• Providing a hidden away resort and spa experience in Belize.

Achievements

• Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice (2018)
• Trip Expert Experts Choice Award (2017)
• Travel + Leisure Magazine’s Top 500 Hotels & Resorts in the World (2012)

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Enrich your stay and understanding of the area by exploring Mayan Ruins.
• Scuba dive among the diverse ecosystems of the Belize Barrier Reef.
• Go caving in the Mayan “Underworld” by tubing or boating.

8) Ride World Wide

Ride World Wide is the perfect tour booking service for the equestrian traveler. Based in the United Kingdom, their trips and tours are worldwide. They offer the beauty, scenery, and animal spotting opportunities of most safaris but this time from horseback. Their knowledgeable guides will help you learn on your trips while also giving you ideas for exploration, accommodation, and dining.

They only offer well-tested and enjoyable rides. They are also able to tailor the rides to each person. They practice responsible tourism, recognizing the social, economic, and environmental responsibilities of operating tours.

Their Specialty

• Riding holidays and horse safaris.

Achievements

• Featured by Harper’s Bazaar, the Financial Times, and Intelligent Times

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Explore the Wild West with a trip through Wyoming at the Bitterroot Ranch.
• Take in the beauty of South-West France and the Bordeaux wine country in Dordogne & Gironde.
• See big game in Safaris throughout Southern Africa.

9) Ski Safari

Ski Safari is based in the United Kingdom and is dedicated to booking the best ski tours worldwide. They offer first-hand knowledge of the resorts and properties that they work with in order to answer all your questions and help you pull off an adventurous ski holiday without a hitch.

Ski Safari can help you plan anything from multi-resort driving safari adventures to family skiing, or luxury ski vacations, and city exploration as well. Ski Safari gives back by partnering with the youth charity Snow-Camp.

Their Specialty

• Ski vacations throughout North America, Scandinavia, Europe, and Asia.

Achievements

• Ski Safari trips have been written about in a number of magazines, including Snow Industry News, Telegraph, Skier & Snowboarder, and National Geographic Traveler.

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• A good trip for the beginner or intermediate skier, the Fjords and Mountains Ski Safari in Norway offers a you gentle experience where skiing all began.
• The Yellowstone Ski Safari in the United States takes you to some of the best skiing locations in the United States while bringing you close to Yellowstone National Parks with outstanding hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing opportunities.
• Japanese skiing has been described as a mystical or even spiritual experience for the skiing connoisseur. Ultimate Japan Ski Safari will take you close to city exploration excursions as well as mountain adventures.

10) Aracari Travel

Aracari takes you to Peru, Bolivia, and the Galapagos islands. They offer well-planned luxury camping and adventurous and enjoyable itineraries, as well as culinary tours and insider experiences. In addition to featured itineraries, they offer tailored trip booking, according to your preferences and style.

Aracari practices conscious and sustainable travel. The private, high-end journeys are designed by local experts, and they are developed to inspire travelers and help them connect with the local culture. They work to promote and protect the diverse communities and destinations that host their travelers. Their tourism has minimal impact on endangered ecosystems and indigenous populations. They educate travelers on best practices and guidelines, favor local initiatives, minimize their environmental impact, and promote media coverage to community-run tourism projects.

Their Specialty

• Eco-friendly adventure and luxury trips in the Andes and Galapagos.

Achievements

• Aracari has received Positive Luxury’s Butterfly Mark for responsible traveling.
• Travel+Leisure A-List 2010-2014 for Top Travel Agent and Top Travel Advisor.
• Named a Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist 2009-2013.

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Explore and relax with the Classic Luxury Peru itinerary.
• Travel the extraordinary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
• See the sights of the Luxury Peru and Galapagos itinerary.

11) Saruni

Located in Kenya, Saruni offers a collection of intimate lodges within private conservancies in Kenya. The locations from Samburu to the Masai Mara give guests access to African wildlife, culture, and wilderness. Accommodations are deluxe cottages with themed rooms, as well as eco-chic villas, luxury lodges, or luxury tent camping right on the pristine land.

Tourism directly supports Saruni’s conservation efforts. Because of its careful conservation efforts, guests can explore the complete ecosystem, including the plant life and wildlife of the Mara-Serengeti. Additionally, Saruni is focused on community-supported entrepreneurship, providing jobs, and training to local Maasai people. Saruni offers guided safaris as well as a warriors academy to teach children and families African survival skills.

Their Specialty

• Sending you on a Kenyan African Safari.

Achievements

• TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2017
• Saruni has been featured in numerous magazines, including Business Daily, Glint Magazine, Travel Africa, The Telegraph, and National Geographic.

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Relax into Luxury Wellbeing on the African Conservation at Saruni Mara and Saruni Samburu.
• Take the Sacred Mountain Trek up Ololokwe at Saruni Samburu.
• Experience a classic luxury tent safari with Saruni Wild.

12) Ice Tracks

Ice Tracks has offices in the United Kingdom and Argentina. They specialize in the icy regions of each continent, as well as some warmer locations, such as the Galapagos and African deserts. They plan their trips with voyages, cruises and hiking journeys to get you to spots that are off the beaten path.

Ice Tracks develops adventure trips that help you return home calm and rested, with wellness being a top priority. This means they provide good, healthy food and access to a personal trainer or massage therapist, along with spa treatments and sports therapy.

Trips often focus on seeing polar wildlife and whales, sleeping under the stars in Antarctica, kayaking, ski tours and snowshoeing, and amazing photography moments. Trips are led by guides and local experts that have unparalleled outdoor experience on ice and water.

Their Specialty

• Adventure trips through ice and snow.

Achievements

• Featured in the Chicago Tribune, Kunzum Magazine in India, and the LA Times Travel Magazine.

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• The Northwest Passage from Canada to Greenland uses boats and hikes to help you see sights that are difficult to find from on land.
• Wines in the Andes: Santiago to Mendoza takes you on a more leisurely trip through the Andes with cultural experts to familiarize yourself with the wine and local viticulture.
• For those interested in cruising to see majestic whales, Ice Tracks offers an Ultimate Whale Adventure in Antarctica.

13) The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat

Based in Essex, Connecticut, this steam train and riverboat journey begins at the historic 1892 Essex station. It’s a 12-mile round trip into the pristine Connecticut River Valley. The Essex Steam Train is an excellent, low-cost trip for the family to experience America’s historical beauty. The riverboat offers a cruise along the Connecticut River to view coves, inlets, marshes, and local wildlife.

The Essex Steam Train partners their experience with the Swallow Sunset Cruises, hiking adventures to Gillette Castle, and Ferry transportation.

Their Specialty

• A steam train journey through historic America.

Achievements

• Featured in the Middletown Press and USA Today.

Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

• Take the Swallow Sunset Cruise to see the beautiful shores and wildlife of the Connecticut River.
• Hike Up to Gillette Castle to get your blood pumping and take in local history.
• Enjoy a four-course meal on the Dinner Train for an interesting date or intimate adventure.

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