Zicasso

04/23/2026

Today, Medellín is being celebrated as UNESCO’s World Book Capital for 2027.

Over the past few decades, Colombia’s second city has turned libraries, literature, and culture into tools for social change, reshaping neighborhoods that were once defined by fear into places of learning and connection. Bookstores have increased by 542% over the past seven decades, but the number only tells part of the story. Reading helped Medellín rebuild itself, bring communities together, and imagine a different future.

Its World Book Capital year will begin with a program centered on social cohesion and the power of literature to heal and connect a city. In many ways, Medellín has been living that idea for years. Today, it is being recognized for it on the world stage.

If Colombia has been on your list, there has rarely been a better time to go. Our specialists can design a journey that pairs Medellín’s libraries and hillside barrios with the country’s most elegant stays and privately guided cultural experiences. https://bit.ly/4cMUY4x

04/22/2026

Happy

Today feels like a good time to talk about Matera.

The Sassi districts in southern Italy’s Basilicata region are a UNESCO World Heritage Site of cave dwellings, rock‑hewn churches, and stone houses carved directly into the cliffs. For centuries, people here managed water, shelter, and resources through systems that kept consumption low by necessity. Today, that knowledge has been restored and reimagined.

Now, Matera blends heritage preservation, sustainable urban planning, and increasingly eco‑conscious tourism with measured growth. It was previously named a European Capital of Culture and walking through its honey‑colored lanes toward the cathedral that crowns the ridge above the Gravina gorge still feels timeless.

On Earth Day, it is a city worth thinking about. If you would like to experience it firsthand, our exclusive southern Italy tour includes time in Matera. https://bit.ly/4dYyaAX

04/16/2026

Two countries, one road, and a landscape that changes every time you stop.

This 12-day journey begins on the colonial streets of Salta and ends beneath the stars of the Atacama Desert. In between, you will step into ancient caves, meet indigenous communities, sip some of Argentina’s oldest wines, and arrive at geysers most travelers never see because they are still asleep.

The full itinerary is worth a read.

Argentina and Chile boast picturesque Patagonian forests and remarkable cultural destinations peppering this unspoiled paradise, all of which you may…

04/15/2026

Yes, that’s a museum.

Spain has among the best in Europe and they do not all look the same. Some are tucked inside medieval stone mansions, while others hold Picasso’s entire formative career under one roof.

Then there is this one in Valencia, stretching for over a mile along the Turia River and pulling you through interactive galleries on everything from oceanography to technology and the natural environment. You can spend a full day inside or simply wander the promenades and pools surrounding the buildings and still feel as though you have seen something remarkable.

It is just one of the museums in Spain worth planning a trip around. The full guide is here: https://bit.ly/41vXmY7

Spain is a marvel of heritage and a mosaic of cultures, and the nine best museums in Spain are also among the greatest in Europe.

04/09/2026

When was the last time you realized you were standing exactly where history unfolded? Italy inspires that moment again and again. Exploring the Vatican Museums long after closing, your family moves through galleries that feel reserved only for you. Journeying into Tuscany to meet a family who has perfected pasta the same way for centuries, welcoming your children into a kitchen their ancestors once filled with laughter. Stay in a palazzo where Renaissance nobles hosted their courts, then dine above the Mediterranean beside a clifftop infinity pool.

Discover this and every other top luxury destination in our full guide here: https://bit.ly/4vzMG8G

What if the ultimate family luxury isn't a five-star hotel, but an experience your children will remember at 40?Most multi-generational trips fail because th...

04/08/2026

How often are you able to visit a destination and genuinely feel the weight of its history? At the Acropolis, watching the sun rise before the crowds arrive, standing between columns that were already ancient when democracy was still an idea, it hits differently. Add private archaeologist guides who have spent decades studying these sites, sailing the Cyclades on a private yacht to coves that have barely changed in thousands of years, and accommodation programs that bring Greek mythology to life for families, and you understand why Greece appears on every serious luxury travel list.

We cover Greece and every other top luxury destination in our full guide on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/4tA6A1w

What if the ultimate family luxury isn't a five-star hotel, but an experience your children will remember at 40?Most multi-generational trips fail because th...

04/07/2026

Have you ever been somewhere that doesn’t need to try very hard to impress? Switzerland is one of those places. The mountains are obviously stunning, but what really stands out is how much history lives alongside them. Michelin-starred dining in a chalet where the fireplace has burned for 200 years. A family chocolate workshop in Zurich where the recipes haven’t changed since your great-great-grandmother’s days. That combination of landscape, craft, and tradition is difficult to find anywhere else.

We have put together a guide to the world’s top luxury destinations, including Switzerland. See the full video here:

What if the ultimate family luxury isn't a five-star hotel, but an experience your children will remember at 40?Most multi-generational trips fail because th...

04/03/2026

Sydney is one of the most misunderstood cities in the world by the people who visit it.

Most stop at the Opera House and Bondi. Far fewer take the “wrong” ferry on purpose, drift into a residential harbor neighborhood with no tourist infrastructure, and find a café where nobody has ever thought to photograph the view.

The things worth knowing before you go right here: https://bit.ly/4tpCygL

Sydney reveals itself in layers, rewarding you if you venture beyond the iconic landmarks to discover its top-secret experiences and, in doing so, the authentic heart of Australia's harbor city. From the crystalline waters of hidden coves to the bohemian charm of inner-city neighborhoods, Sydney off...

04/01/2026

No, this is not an April Fool’s joke.

Sweden has its own cherry blossom season, and it’s worth knowing about.

Sakura and Japan go hand in hand for good reason, but most people don’t realize that in mid-April, the trees in Stockholm’s Kungsträdgården, the King’s Garden, come into bloom almost all at once. All 63 of them. The entire park transforms, with petals everywhere in that soft Scandinavian spring light and grass so vividly green it almost looks unreal.

The window is short, which is part of what makes it special. If Sweden is on your list, this is a beautiful reason to visit. Browse our Sweden tours and vacations below to start planning. https://bit.ly/3NBTeCD

Zicasso: Best Sweden tours and vacations by top competing Sweden tour companies. TRAVEL+LEISURE "Best Travel Websites" award.

03/27/2026

South Africa is so much more than safaris.

In Cape Town, the International Jazz Festival has transformed the city's convention centre into Africa's premier music destination. Forty artists. Four stages. 30,000 music fans. It's happening as you read this.

This is what seasoned travelers discover about South Africa. The country isn't one-dimensional. You can visit Kruger and Cape Town on the same trip. Game drives one day, jazz legends the next. Wine country in the morning, Table Mountain in the afternoon. Safari lodges and cosmopolitan dining. The Big Five and world-class music festivals.

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival kicks off today. If you're just hearing about it now, you've missed 2026, but 2027's event is already on the calendar. Imagine your ideal South Africa itinerary. Now add this festival to it.

Browse Cape Town vacation packages here: https://bit.ly/4ddSduS

Zicasso: Luxury Cape Town vacation packages by top competing South Africa travel agents and tour operators. TRAVEL+LEISURE: Best Travel Websites award. Get expert advice and the best value.

03/25/2026

The best spring break is the one where your 10-year-old can't stop talking about why coffee cherries smell the way they do, your teenager goes quiet when a falcon lands on her arm, and your seven-year-old remembers an architect's name weeks later.

We have put together destinations that get this right, here: https://bit.ly/4lSCXpl

03/23/2026

There are coastal walks where the tide sets your schedule, where the longer route is kinder on your knees, and where fishermen carved the path with no interest in the scenic detour.

Explore our top 12 coastal walks here: https://bit.ly/4bHNm2B