After four months of planning, I’ve finally finished the outline / itinerary of my around the world trip! If you’d like to see it in Google Map form, I created this.
I’m joining up with a few adventure travel tours, and doing a bike tour in France and an Arctic expedition cruise in Norway, but the rest of the trip I’m planning to spend at least 4 days in a variety of places. Here are the places I’ll be spending the most time in:
Sydney, Australia
Bangkok, Thailand
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hanoi, Vietnam
Vienna, Austria
Prague, Czech Republic
Berlin, Germany (with a day trip to Dresden)
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Bruges, Belgium
Brussels, Belgium (possible day trips to Ghent or Antwerp as well)
Paris, France
London, England
Edinburgh, Scotland
Longyearbyen, Svalbard Norway
Stockholm, Sweden
Copenhagen, Denmark
Reykjavík, Iceland
I know there are crazy amounts of other amazing places that I am not planning on visiting. I had to make some tough choices. Those places will have to wait for my next around the world trip. :) I am extremely excited about the places I am visiting though. Many of them are places I’ve dreamed of going my entire life. Some of them are recent obsessions. I can’t wait to experience them all.
Here’s where you come in, dear reader. I’d love your recommendations for any of the places listed above. Specifically in regards to: food, must see attractions, bookstores, favorite museums, best walks or hikes, etc. (Don’t worry about lodging recommendations, that’s pretty much fully booked – I’m doing a lot of great Airbnb rentals.) If you have ideas and recommendations, please share them in the comments!
In Paris, buy the museum pass book. It’s like €35 and gets you in practically everywhere. In Vienna, I really enjoyed the tour of the opera house but would have loved to actually see a show. In London, you can buy same day theater tickets like in NYC. You should also meet up with Maria (@justabookworm) in London – she gives lovely walking tours. You have to go to the library at the monestary in Prague. Like, you HAVE to. It’s up the hill across from Prague castle.
I’ll keep thinking…
These are awesome – thank you! I will definitely reach out to Maria too – I’d love to meet her in person!
And I will definitely go to the library at the monastery in Prague!
I’m sure you’ll get advice about all the places to see in Bangkok; the Royal Palace, the floating market, the temples to the Buddha (reclining, et.al.) and of course the Sky Bar (Hangover 2 location) … but the older “backpacker” neighborhood in Sukhumvit is an interesting blend of east / west. it’s a bit touristy with what seems like a lot of Australian bachelor party crowds, but we had the best local meal there at a place called: Rosabieng, 3 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 10270
Worth a tuk tuk ride there and a walk around the neighborhood. Take note of the “street bars” build into modified VW buses. Amazing, sensory overload kind of place.
I went to Edinburgh about 9 years ago for school. I loved hiking up Arthur’s Seat and a ghost tour thing we did at night. If you have a chance, I’d recommend a day trip to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park–so beautiful!!
So much to see and do in London so my biggest recommendation is to buy a visitor Oyster card (more details here: http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/) … use it to hop on & off the buses and tubes (underground/metro) and by far the easiest way to get round the City. Free entry to the National History Museum (a must see) http://www.nhm.ac.uk/ and round the corner is the Science Museum (also free!) http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ …. Covent Garden is a great place with tons of funky shops and some cool bars/restaurants. Another less well known spot would be Spitalfields Market (http://www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/) – enjoy! Such a great City, I lived there for 13 years and didn’t see everything I wanted to so good luck and safe travels!
Stockholm! I’m so glad you’re going, I feel like it’s not a place many of my friends have traveled to or even want to travel to but they should because it’s amazing. I spied your Pinterest board which is looking good. Thoughts:
1) You’ve got a lot of pins for Gamla Stan which is great, that’s the oldest part of the city and it’s beautiful to just walk around in. A lot of the cafe and bars have really awesome dungeony-basements here, like https://foursquare.com/v/chokladkoppen/4adcdaebf964a520e35921e3 or https://foursquare.com/v/wirstr%C3%B6ms-pub/4adcdaebf964a520ae5921e3 – really gives you a feeling for how old everything is.
2) You need Sodermalm on your map! I’ve heard people refer to it as Sweden’s Brooklyn. It’s really picturesque in some areas (https://foursquare.com/v/monteliusv%C3%A4gen/4f2808fae4b03421b8718ae3) and you can also find cute bookstores and record stores and cafes further into the island (I like https://foursquare.com/v/caf%C3%A9-string-stockholm/4b19070ef964a52048d723e3 for pastries and coffee, there are cute shops nearby).
I think I’ll make my own Pinterest map of Stockholm favorites since coworkers ask around for recommendations a lot – I’ll share it with you when I do! I’m going to Amsterdam and the cities you’ve marked in Belgium next year so I’ll be keeping an eye on your travels for recommendations :)
In Hanoi, make sure you eat a breakfast bowl of Pho with the locals. I stayed at a place called Hanoi 3B. It was quaint, a good price, and the staff is extremely helpful. They can set you up with tours and such (if you have time, go to Halong Bay, or off to the rice fields). The water puppets show is also good. There are lots of cute little shops and restaurants around Hoan Kiem Lake, but be careful to not get caught in the tourist trap. Beware of the street vendors. They see white skin and think you’re rich. Do not let them grab you, because they will.
And it was fun, but I would honestly say skip Bangkok. It’s a big mess and touristy, and right now it isn’t going to be any fun with the protests going on. Head up to Chiang Mai and spend a few days in Pai instead (about 3 hours from CM).
In Berlin, you have to see Alexanderplatz because, well, duh. Take a tour of the Berlin Wall and see how the city is truly different from one side of the street to the other. Kreuzberg is a cute little area with a little Brooklyn vibe.
When you’re in Amsterdam, take a train to Utrecht, about 45 min away. It’s painfully adorable, has a lot of canals to take boat tours, some really great Indonesian spots, and you can rent a bike and just go from shop to shop.
Paris – don’t plan. Just fall in love with the city, over and over and over again. Let it surprise you.
Oh, and Prague…there’s a restaurant near the city center called Dynamo. Excellent. And also, there’s a bar / restaurant called Amity, where you pour your own Budweiser (Czech beer, not shitty American Bud). It’s so cheap. Charles Bridge and the castle are a must.
Gah, I keep forgetting stuff! In Hanoi, go to the Women’s Museum. This is a must. Absolute must.
I’ve got loads of recommendations, brace yourself:
Edinburgh:
At what time will you be in Edinburgh?
There’s a good free walking tour (Sandemans, they’ve got tours in other cities, too) and also a free day tour to the Trossachs from Edinburgh (both tip-only basis). I agree with Kristie, Arthurs Seat is great, Carlton Hill as well. The Museum of Scotland is quite nice and they’ve got a roof terrace with a nice view.
For the Harry Potter lover in you, there’s the obligatory visit to the Elephant House Cafe, plus Greyfriars Kirkyard for a grave. Have you read Ian Rankins books?
And I love me some Oink. And Union of Genious for soup. And Artisan Roast for coffee. And Eteaket for tea. And Coco for chocolate. And… I’ve got loads of other food, pub and sightseeing recommendations for Edinburgh/Scotland, let me know if you need more.
The centre of Copenhagen isn’t very big, you can easily get around walking (a trip past the major sights like the little mermaid, amalienborg palace, nyhavn,… will take 3 hours or so). There’s also a free walking tour, but I haven’t been on that. There are free bikes that you can ‘rent’. Depending on when you’re in Copenhagen I could meet you there, I live just across the bridge in Sweden :)
If you are interested in ships, the Vasa in Stockholm is quite impressive.
Theres a (sophisticated) museum pass in Berlin as well, which includes the Pergamon Museum, which is very popular.
Not included in the museum pass is the not-so-sophisticated museum “The Story of Berlin” on the Kurfürstendamm, which also takes you into a bunker thingy.
In Dresden, theres a suspension railway going up a hill with a view over Dresden near the “blue wonder” bridge.
Ok, that’s it for now, hope this is somewhat helpful :)
This is AMAZING Nathalie! Thank you so much! Unfortunately I won’t be in Edinburgh very long, just a few days, but I’ll definitely check out as many of your recommendations as I can there!
I’m in Copenhagen for longer, June 17 to 22nd. If you’re free I’d love to meet up with you!
Ooh, I’m jealous! I’ve only been to Edinburgh and London. In Edinburgh, I really enjoyed the National War Museum (at the Castle)–and I’m not a “war person” at all. I also went on a ghost tour that was equal parts informative and creepy–it ended with a gravesite that was supposedly haunted by a poltergeist. Next time I go, I’m doing some whisky tasting.
Just being in London and riding the tube was exciting to me. In addition to all the “normal” stuff, which is all great, there are tons of specialized walking tours you can take. As a longtime Sherlock fan, I had a great time on the Sherlock Holmes walking tour. I regret not having gone on the London Eye ferris wheel. FYI. So next time I go I’m totally doing that. :)
Oh, I just saw you’re going to Shetland as well. If thats correct, there’s a good chip shop (Fort Cafe) on Commercial Street in Lerwick. I don’t eat fish, but according to some Shetlanders its one of the best (and fresh) fish and chips in the country (unless you go to Brae, where theres an even better one). I had non-fish suppers, which were good too :)
If you have the chance to travel around Shetland: St Ninians and Eshaness are my favourite places.
Hi Emily!
So excited for your trip!
I always keep a travel journal so I am extending some of my reccos. I will not be offended at all if you choose to ignore them.
Hanoi:
QT spa or Sofitel Metropole. After such a long travel adventure, I’d get a massage in this town because its
1. Incredibly cheap compared to the states.
2. Relaxing
3. Maybe you’re museumed out by this point.
—–
Prague:
I spent a few weeks here and I loved every second of it.
There’s this restaurant group there with several locations within Prague all with different cuisines.
http://www.ambi.cz/en/restaurace/
My fave place to eat goulash and have a true Czech microbrew was
http://www.pivovarskydum.com/index/index/lang/en
I toured Wenceslas castle which was worth it.
—–
London:
I want to move to there! I feel like you’ve gone to London a few times…maybe even lived there if I remember correctly
Restaurants:
St johns, Tramshed
Bookstores:
Peter Harrington or Maggs Bros. Cool new and old books. Old as in rare.
For nightlife, you can download this app called “design my night”. I know the founders and can put you in touch if needed. They work in shoreditch, which is the Williamsburg of London.
http://www.designmynight.com/
I loved the national gallery at Trafalgar Square.
Walking from Kensington Gardens to the Tate Modern will take about 75min but you’ll see a lot of the main attractions and view the slow melding of areas west to east.
My favorite pub of all time closed so here is the honorable mention:
The Builders Arms
1 Kensington Ct Pl, London W8 5BJ, United Kingdom
http://goo.gl/maps/3J2VV
—–
Paris
Restaurant: Frenchie. There is the main restaurant and the smaller one across the street. The smaller one is more casual, easier to get a reservation and just as tasty.
Concept store: Colette (full of cool random stuff. Some things useful and some not at all.)
—–
Edinburgh, Scotland
Hmm…I basically had scotch the entire time, but there are also great beers as well. I spent most of my weekend there at the Pear Tree or The Doric. I think the Doric is the oldest pub in that town.
—–
Copenhagen, Denmark
I would rent a bike and just ride around this city. From what I remember, there is a park in the city centre with carnival rides. I’m on a Canadian-issued computer so it is making me spell it “centre” instead of “center”. haha
So jelly.
Hi Emily,
You know that I’ve never been anywhere except on a cruise and Hawaii. However I did work with an Icelandic woman who was from Reykjavik. She talked about “home” a lot. I remember her talking about hot spring spas in the glacier near the volcano. She said it was wonderful and supposed to be very healthy, something about the water itself. I’m not in touch with her anymore to pick her brain.. I remember seeing pictures on the ocean and the lighting being strange cause it was light all the time (summer). I wish I could tell you more, but I’m a homebody. Just know that I pray for your safety and anxiously look forward to reading about your trip and seeing your pictures! Have a lovely time, we’re all with you! Your back pack is crowded! lol