Until the Covid-19 vaccinations have been widely distributed and we are all able to travel safely again, traveling virtually is a good alternative to keep us entertained and dreaming of new lands and cultures. Journeys Unparalleled has put together a virtual travel series, Traveling at Home: A Virtual Getaway Series. These 1+ hour sessions are all led by experienced, licensed guides or experts, most of whom are based in the destinations they cover.
Some of the sessions are hosted by the guides / experts from their homes — online, seminar-style — where they show photos or videos of their topic and discuss the destination. Other sessions are livestreamed where the guide is actually on the streets or in the location, physically taking you around the destination in real-time via their mobile device. Either way, these sessions are small groups and give you an opportunity to interact directly with the guides & experts and ask questions along the way — just as you would were you actually traveling with them. For each session, you will need a strong internet connection and a passion for travel and learning.
For upcoming virtual seminars and livestreamed tours, see below. Which of these are of interest to you?
Hakone – Wednesday, Feb 17, 2021
4:00pm Pacific time / 7:00pm Eastern time, 1 hour
Through videos and photographs, our guide will introduce us to the serene beauty of Hakone in Japan. In this seminar-style session, we will experience what it would be like to take the mountain train from Tokyo south to Odawara and on to Gora. We’ll see the sculptures of Hakone’s Open Air Museum, compare the European and Japanese gardens in Gora Park, and enjoy the scenery of Mt. Fuji from the famous Ropeway as well as from Lake Ashi.
Maximum 5 households (minimum 2)
$15 per household
Inside the Forbidden City, Discussion with an Historian – Thursday, Feb 18, 2021
4:30pm Pacific time / 7:30pm Eastern time, 1 hour
Few places are more mysterious or exciting than Beijing’s Forbidden City – a sprawling imperial palace that was home to China’s emperors for nearly 500 years. But what really happened inside its walls? With its rich cast of characters and everything from lavish celebrations to full-blown battles taking place within, there are plenty of great stories to sink our teeth into. This is a great introduction to one of China’s most important buildings.
Our expert is a beloved Beijing-based historian, teacher, writer and expert guide who brings the sights of the capital to life by sharing his extensive research and vivid storytelling, as well as being a charismatic commentator on contemporary China. His essays and articles have appeared in The Economist, South China Morning Post, Asia Society/China File, Los Angeles Review of Books and other publications.
This will be an interactive, seminar-style session co-hosted by Margot Kong of Journeys Unparalleled and Sam Braybon of luxury China tour operator Bespoke Travel. Sam will start the session with a brief introduction before handing it over to to our expert.
Minimum 10 households (no maximum)
$45 per household
Email us with questions or to RSVP: margot@journeysunparalleled.com. Send payment to @JourneysUnparalleled via Venmo or Paypal, or contact us for credit cards payments (415) 915-5218.
IMPORTANT: Weather may affect live-streamed sessions. If we end up having to cancel an event due to inclement weather, we will reschedule or you will receive a full refund.
If you prefer us to customize a private virtual tour for you, don’t hesitate to let us know. Feel free to use our upcoming tours (listed above) or past tours (below) as inspiration for customizing a tour of your own for yourself, your family, or your organization.
Past Tours:
Interactive Great Walls Discussion with David Spindler, China – Tuesday, Feb 16, 2021
3:00pm Pacific time / 6:00pm Eastern time, 1 hr 15 mins
What is a Great Wall? Where are there Great Walls? How long are they? What was their purpose? What were they made of? Were there ghosts on them? What did raiders and soldiers eat? How did people send signals?
These are short questions, but nearly all of them have not been answered well. Please join David for an interactive discussion appropriate for all ages about these and other questions. We will focus primarily on Great Walls during the Ming (1368-1644) Dynasty.
David is an independent historian focusing on the Great Wall. He has published articles in scholarly journals in the U.S. and China, and he has collaborated with the photographer Jonathan Ball on “China’s Great Wall: The Forgotten Story,” a series of oversized photographs of Great Wall battle sites that has so far been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, and Palo Alto. David has been profiled by Peter Hessler in the New Yorker, has appeared on the Today Show, and has been featured in two Discovery Channel documentaries. He holds an AB in Asian Studies from Dartmouth College, an MA in history from Beijing University, and a JD from Harvard Law School. He currently lives in the greater Washington, D.C. area and works for a proxy advisory firm.
This will be an interactive, seminar-style session co-hosted by Margot Kong of Journeys Unparalleled and Guy Rubin, founder of luxury China tour operator Imperial Tours. Guy will start the session with a brief introduction before handing it over to David who will share with us the history and secrets of the Great Wall through photographs and bust or confirm some of the myths and stories you’ve heard. This talk will not be recorded so please be sure to make time in your schedule to join us live…it is not to be missed!
Minimum 11 households (no maximum)
$50 per household
This event will take place over GoToWebinar. To register for the event, click HERE. We will send you a payment request after your registration is complete.
Lincoln Memorial & Civil Rights, Washington DC – Monday, Feb 15, 2021
10:00am Pacific time / 1:00pm Eastern time, 1 hour
Abraham Lincoln’s statue and the Lincoln Memorial have long served as the backdrop for some of the most major civil rights events in US history. Our guide will livestream from Washington DC’s National Mall, starting at the Reflecting Pool and walking to the Lincoln Memorial, as he recounts three of these historic events. Join us to celebrate both Presidents Day and Black History Month as we learn about Dr. Robert Moton, Marian Anderson, and of course Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Our guide has customized his discussion for Journeys Unparalleled to make this a family-friendly tour.
Maximum 10 households (minimum 3)
$35 per household
Making Wishes at Asakusa Shrine, Tokyo – Saturday, Jan 30, 2021
4pm Pacific Time / 7pm Eastern Time (9am in Tokyo), 1 hour
Join us as our knowledgeable guide livestreams a tour of Asakusa shrine in Tokyo, one of the most famous Shinto shrines in the city. The shrine honors the three men who founded the Sensō-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Asakusa Shrine is part of a larger grouping of sacred buildings in the area and our guide will introduce us to its secret spots and provide a different perspective to the city. She will then write and hang our wishes on wooden plaques to be blessed and received by Shinto spirits. It is believed that those who visit shrines and temples of Seven Lucky Gods in the right order will surely have their wish granted. We will be making our Lunar New Year wishes at the shrine while simultaneously learning about the culture and history through the stories. Of course, the tour is interactive, so you can ask questions along the way.
Maximum 10 households (minimum 3)
$30 per household
Pastel de Nata Pastry Class, Lisbon – Saturday, Jan 23, 2021
5pm Lisbon time / 12pm Eastern time / 9am Pacific time, 2 hrs
How would you like to learn how to make Pastel de Nata (traditional Portuguese custard tarts) from scratch? Live streaming from a pastry shop in Lisbon, the proprietor uses centuries-old Portuguese recipes for her pastries, many originally from Franciscan and Carmelite nuns. Discover the secrets to making these little delicacies as the pastry chef shares anecdotes about Portugal’s food culture. If you’re up for lively debate, you can ask her the difference between Pastel de Nata and Pastel de Belem.
After you sign up, we’ll send you the ingredients list and pre-class preparation instructions in advance; on the day of, our instructor will provide step-by-step baking directions.
Max 5 households (min 3 households)
$45 per household (does not include cost of ingredients or kitchen tools / implements)
Over the recent MLK weekend, we celebrated Brazil with a 3 part series:
- Black History – Salvador, Brazil – Saturday, Jan 16, 2021, 5pm Salvador Time / 12pm Pacific time / 3pm Eastern time, 1 hour
- Live from the Copacabana, Rio! – Sunday, Jan 17, 2021 (rescheduled for Feb 6 as described above)
- Experience the magnificent Iguazu Falls – Monday, Jan 18, 2021, 3pm Iguazu Time / 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time, 1 hour
For detailed information on our MLK weekend Brazil Series, please click on any of the 3 tours above.
Machu Picchu – Saturday, Jan 9, 2021
2pm Lima time / 2pm Eastern time / 11am Pacific time, 1 hr 30 mins
This will be a fun and amazing experience as your Lima-based guide will livestream this tour from the ruins of Machu Picchu. Walking with Aaron, you’ll explore the ancient Incan terraces, colcas, and temples and learn about the civilization that created this one of a kind complex. The great thing about taking this tour virtually…no altitude sickness! (Note: this event was originally scheduled for Jan 16, but had to be moved up a week due to a Peruvian railroad worker’s strike.)
Max 6 households (min 5 households)
$55 per household
Street Art Tour in Brazil – Tuesday, Dec 29, 2020
3:30pm Rio time / 1:30pm Eastern time / 10:30am Pacific time, 1 hour
You will be transported to Brazil virtually as your guide meets with you from her home in Rio de Janeiro. The guide is herself a visual artist and through photos and videos, she will introduce you to Rio’s Gamboa street art scene. Did you know that Rio boats the world’s largest graffiti wall? Take this opportunity to learn about the origins of this city’s urban art.
Max 6 households (min 4 households)
$20 per household
Dubrovnik Old Town – Wednesday, Dec 23, 2020
6pm Dubrovnik time / 12pm Eastern time / 9am Pacific time, 1 hour
Spend an hour in Croatia as your tour guide live-streams a virtual walking tour from the streets of Dubrovnik. Discover the city’s 1400 year history and its architecture. Bonus: your tour will include numerous Game of Thrones filming locations.
Max 10 households (min 4 households)
$30 per household
The Sound of Music: The True Story – Monday, Dec 21, 2020
7pm Salzburg time / 1pm Eastern time / 10am Pacific time, 1 hr 30 mins
For all The Sound of Music lovers young and old, a Salzburg-based guide will be conducting this session from her home where she’ll show photos and a few short video clips then discuss the movie, the history of the Von Trapp family, and Salzburg & its current music scene. We suggest seeing the movie prior to attending this session.
Maximum 10 households (minimum 7)
$35 per household
Leonardo at the Louvre – Secrets, Myths and Reality – Postponed
10pm Paris time / 4pm Eastern time / 1pm Pacific time, 1 hr plus Q&A
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous artists of all time. While he left us thousands of drawings, he only completed a few paintings in comparison and the Mona Lisa has been adored for over 500 years. Why? Your guide — who will help you discover the truths among the myths and legends — is an Italian art historian who has been living in Paris for several years. She will conduct this da Vinci exploration of the Louvre from her home through photographs and stories.
Max 10 households (min 6 households); suggested minimum age 8
$30 per household