Things to do

Amalfi Coast · 3 to 4 hours · from $108

The best views on the coast, mostly downhill from Bomerano to Nocelle. Start early and bring water.

Amalfi Coast · 3 to 4 hours · from $85

Tickets carry your name and are capped at 20,000 a day. Go with a guide; the site is huge.

Aspen · About 1.5 hours · from $48

A local guide walks you through Aspen's silver mining boom, its near collapse and how it became a ski town, and it makes the rest of your trip more interesting. Do it on your first afternoon, and wear comfortable shoes since there's a fair amount of walking at almost 8,000 feet.

Aulani · Half day · from $55

The memorial program itself is free with a timed ticket. This tour handles the tickets and the driving and adds a short Honolulu stop. No bags bigger than a small wallet.

Disney Cruise Line · Island day

Has its own adults-only Serenity Bay, a Junkanoo celebration, local art and a nature trail to the lighthouse. The South Eleuthera tours get you off the Disney beach and into real Bahamian culture.

Disney's Animal Kingdom · About 20 to 30 minutes, self-paced · Included with admission

A walking trail through temple ruins with tigers, bats and huge birds. Morning is best, because the tigers are usually more active before the heat.

Disney's Hollywood Studios · About 18 minutes, start to finish · Lightning Lane Single Pass $20-$25

The best ride at Disney World, in my opinion: a multi-part experience where you get captured by the First Order and escape. Height is 40 inches, it's long, and it breaks down a lot, so buy the Single Pass or ride early.

Disneyland · Check dates · from $145

A good pick for history buffs and train fans. You ride the Lilly Belle, Walt's private railroad car, and hear how his love of trains shaped the park. Disney lists it as temporarily unavailable right now, so check before you plan around it.

Florence & Tuscany · 3 hours · from $63

Walks of Italy covers the Accademia and the Duomo area in one morning, with 18 people at most.

Florence & Tuscany · 2 hours · from $73

The Uffizi is huge. A guide gets you to Botticelli, Leonardo and Caravaggio without wandering for hours.

Hudson Valley · Half day · $25 per adult

Massive sculptures across 500 acres of fields and hills, and the single best outdoor art experience in the Northeast. The 2026 season ends November 30 and it's closed until spring, so buy timed tickets ahead and rent a bike to cover ground.

Hudson Valley · About 2 hours · $12 per adult

Painter Frederic Church's Persian-inspired hilltop house has the best Hudson River view anywhere. In November tours run weekends only and the house is closed November 2 to 15, so book a landscape walk or the $20 house tour ahead.

Hudson Valley · About 2 hours with the grounds · $15 per adult

A Gilded Age mansion in Hyde Park with formal gardens and river views, and my pick while Kykuit tours are paused for all of 2026. Tickets are first come, first served at the visitor center and card only, so arrive early on weekends.

Jackson Hole · About 4 hours · from $375

A guided half day on a snowmobile from Heart Six Ranch, with big Teton country views and a guide leading the whole way, so you don't need to know the trails. It's the winter outing I suggest for non-skiers, so dress in warm layers and confirm what gear is included when you book.

Magic Kingdom · 18 minutes · Included with admission

Fireworks plus projections on the castle and down Main Street, and it's the best way to end a Magic Kingdom day. Stand on Main Street so you see the projections, not just the fireworks, and stake out a spot 45 minutes early.

Maui · About 3 hours

The most respected luau on Maui, focused on Hawaiian culture and hula rather than fire-knife spectacle. Book 2 to 3 months ahead, more for front seats.

New York City · About 3 hours · from $99

A walking tasting tour of Village classics like Joe's Pizza, Faicco's and Rocco's cannoli, with enough history that it doubles as a neighborhood orientation. Book it for an early-trip afternoon and skip lunch, because it's a full meal.

New York City · About 2 hours · from $52

The Met is too big to wing, and an expert guide gets you to the Temple of Dendur and the big paintings in two hours without wandering. Stay on after the tour to explore on your own, and skip Wednesdays, when the museum is closed.

New York City · About 3 to 4 hours · from $31

Statue City Cruises is the official ferry that actually lands on Liberty and Ellis Islands, so you get both islands and the immigration museum on one ticket. Take the first boat from Battery Park to beat the security line, and if you want Pedestal or Crown access, book it weeks ahead because it sells out.

New York City · Self-paced, 2 to 3 hours · from $36

The Memorial pools are free and open 8 am to 8 pm daily, and the Museum is the most moving few hours you'll spend in the city. The Museum is closed most Tuesdays, so book a timed ticket ahead and give yourself at least two hours inside.

Oahu · Half day · from $55

The memorial program is free but needs a timed ticket. This tour handles the ticket and the driving and adds a short Honolulu stop. Add the Battleship Missouri if you have the time.

Oahu · Afternoon and evening · from $216

Villages from six Pacific cultures, a luau and the evening show. It's an hour from Waikīkī and closed Sundays.

Rome · 4 hours · from $113

Gets you into the Sistine Chapel before the crowds, then on to St. Peter's.

Rome · 3 hours · from $113

A guided tour below the arena floor, then through the Forum and Palatine Hill.

Rome · 2 hours · from $58

Bernini and Caravaggio in a villa in the park. Reservations are required for everyone and slots sell out, so book about six weeks ahead.

Saint Lucia · 4 to 5 hours · from $90

A steep, rewarding climb with a required local guide, booked at the Fond Gens Libre trailhead. Start by 7 a.m.

The Berkshires · Self-paced, 3 to 4 hours · $25 per adult

One of the biggest contemporary art museums in the country, in a restored 19th-century factory complex where the scale of the work is half the fun. Open year-round but closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and wear comfortable shoes because it's huge.

The Berkshires · Self-paced, 2 to 3 hours · $22 per adult

A world-class collection of Impressionist and old master paintings in Williamstown, set on 140 acres with walking trails and a reflecting pool. Open year-round, closed most Mondays outside July and August, and free for kids under 18 and on first Sundays from October to May.

The Berkshires · Self-paced, 2 hours · $25 per adult

The largest collection of Rockwell's original work, just outside Stockbridge, with his actual studio moved onto the grounds. Open year-round; the studio tours run on a limited spring and summer schedule, so check dates and book a slot ahead.

The Berkshires · About 2 to 3 hours · $20 per adult

A living history museum with the famous round stone barn, Shaker furniture and farm animals, about 10 minutes west of Pittsfield. It's open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm, through November 29, then closes for winter until spring, so it's best May to October.

Venice · About 1.5 hours · from $124

Through the hidden offices, the prisons and Casanova's cell. Not for kids under 6 or anyone claustrophobic.

Venice · Half day · from $50

A small-group boat trip to Murano for a glassblowing demo, then Burano for the lace and the colored houses.

Venice · 1.25 hours · from $147

See the gold mosaics without the daytime crowds, with the Pala d'Oro and the crypt included.

Venice · 1 to 2 hours · from €17

Modern art in Peggy Guggenheim's house on the Grand Canal. Closed Tuesdays.

Yellowstone · About 8 hours · $1,000 per group

A full private day with a Yellowstone Exposures guide and spotting scopes, built around finding wolves, bears and bison in places like Lamar Valley. The price covers up to five people, and I'd take the early start they recommend, since dawn is when the wolves are most active.