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Sometimes, one destination isn’t enough. If you’re travelling halfway around the world, it’s tempting to see what else you could explore while you’re there – especially if there’s somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit within reach.
You could watch the sun rise over the Taj Mahal before unwinding on a palm-fringed island in the Maldives, or track wildlife in South Africa before feeling the spray of Victoria Falls on your face. Combining destinations can bring together very different experiences, without having to plan a separate trip for each.
Of course, the more places you visit, the more complicated the planning can become. So, to explore the possibilities and show how much easier it can be with expert help, we’ve partnered with Audley Travel. As specialists in tailor-made travel, their team have either lived in or explored the regions they cover, so they’re perfectly placed to help you plan your ideal trip whether you’re interested in beaches, wildlife, or culture, or heading off solo, on a honeymoon, or with family. Simply tell them about your tastes, interests, and what excites you, and they’ll do the rest.
When someone else is taking care of the logistics, you can focus on looking forward to your trip and enjoying every moment. So, if you’re tempted to visit more than one country on your next long-haul trip, here are seven inspiring multi-destination trips to consider.
1. India and Sri Lanka
Deciding where to start in India can be tricky, but the Golden Triangle is a good choice for a first visit. In Delhi, you can explore vibrant bazaars and narrow lanes of the old city before travelling to Agra to see the Taj Mahal – ideally at sunrise, when the marble takes on a soft pink glow. Then there’s Jaipur, Rajasthan’s ‘Pink City’, where you can visit grand palaces and hilltop forts, with colourful markets to browse in between.
Sri Lanka is much smaller, which makes it a great destination to combine with a trip to India, as you’ll still see plenty. You could take the train through the tea-growing hills around Nuwara Eliya, climb Sigiriya’s towering rock fortress, or spot elephants, birds, and perhaps even leopards in Yala National Park. And if you’d like to relax afterwards, you can finish with a few days by the sea, swimming, snorkelling, or reading in the shade of a palm tree.
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Delhi - Agra - Jaipur - Mumbai - New Mangalore - Cochin - Colombo - Hambantota - Port Blair - Phuket and 4 more
Thailand, Malaysia, India & 1 more | 27 days | Flights & Accommodation Included
Meaningful trips, as individual as you, created by experts
Check provider site for taxes & fees
2. Australia and New Zealand
If you’ve always wanted to visit both Australia and New Zealand, it can be difficult to justify flying the distance twice. But combining them means you don’t have to choose, although Audley recommends allowing at least three weeks to enjoy both without rushing. In Australia, you could explore Sydney before heading into the Red Centre to see Uluru rising from the desert, or visit Queensland for its tropical rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef.
There’s plenty for outdoor lovers in New Zealand’s South Island, too. You can cruise beneath waterfalls in Milford Sound, look for whales off Kaikōura, or hire a car and explore, stopping off whenever a beach or mountain town catches your eye. Audley’s guide to combining Australia and New Zealand can help you decide how to divide your time depending on what you’d most like to see.
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Audley Travel Australia, Tasmania & New Zealand cruise with Azamara*
Auckland - Board your cruise (Auckland) - Onboard your cruise (Tauranga) - Onboard your cruise (Napier) - Onboard your cruise (Picton) - Onboard your cruise (Christchurch) - Onboard your cruise (Dunedin) - Onboard your cruise (Stewart Island) - Onboard your cruise (Milford Sound) - Onboard your cruise (At sea) and 6 more
Australia & New Zealand | 25 days | Flights & Accommodation Included
Meaningful trips, as individual as you, created by experts
Check provider site for taxes & fees
3. Canada and the USA
Canada and the USA are vast, so it makes sense to focus on one region when combining the two. Western Canada and Alaska work particularly well together, especially if you love wildlife and being outdoors. Starting in Vancouver, you can cycle around Stanley Park or browse Granville Island’s market, then head inland to the Canadian Rockies. There are turquoise lakes and snowcapped peaks to admire here, as well as the chance to spot bears, elk, and eagles along the way.
One way to explore both is to combine a journey on board the Rocky Mountaineer with an Alaskan cruise. After watching the Rockies unfold from the train, you can look for whales from the deck and sail past glaciers, reaching remote places that would be difficult to access by road. If you’d like some inspiration, Audley’s Canada and USA trip ideas are a useful starting point for putting your own trip together.
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Audley Travel Alaska Holland America cruise & Rocky Mountaineer train*
Banff - Jasper - On board Rocky Mountaineer (Kamloops) - On board Rocky Mountaineer (Vancouver) - Vancouver - Alaska Cruise (Strait of Georgia) - Alaska Cruise (Inside Passage) - Alaska Cruise (Juneau) - Alaska Cruise (Skagway) - Alaska Cruise (Glacier Bay) and 1 more
Canada & Alaska | 16 days | Flights & Accommodation Included
Meaningful trips, as individual as you, created by experts
Check provider site for taxes & fees
4. Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand
If you have a few weeks to spare, you don’t have to limit yourself to one country in Southeast Asia. Audley’s 24-day Grand tour of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, which also visits Thailand, is one way to bring several of them together. In Luang Prabang, Laos, you can explore gilded temples and streets lined with French colonial buildings; in Vietnam, you could try street food, visit historic Hue and Hoi An, or sail among Halong Bay’s limestone islands.
You can also head out on the waterways of the Mekong Delta before continuing to Cambodia’s Angkor temples. With tree roots wrapped around ancient stonework and vast complexes to wander through, there’s far more to see than the familiar photos suggest. Having over three weeks to explore means you can make room for smaller pleasures, too, whether that’s stopping for a Vietnamese coffee or browsing a market that’s caught your eye.
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Audley Travel Grand tour of Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia*
The Golden Triangle - Pakbeng - Luang Prabang - Hanoi - On board ship (Halong Bay) - Hoi An - Hue - Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh and 1 more
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia & 1 more | 24 days | Flights & Accommodation Included
Meaningful trips, as individual as you, created by experts
Check provider site for taxes & fees
5. South Africa and Zambia
Cape Town is difficult to beat as the starting point for a trip through southern Africa. With Table Mountain rising behind the city and the Atlantic stretching out in front, there’s plenty to explore before you even think about moving on. You can browse neighbourhood markets with a local guide, take the cable car up the mountain, or spend an afternoon among the vineyards and historic estates of the Cape Winelands.
Audley’s 13-day Cape Town, Kruger, and Victoria Falls trip then takes you to Sabi Sands Game Reserve beside Kruger National Park for early-morning and evening safaris. You’ll look for elephants, lions, and all kinds of other curious creatures before continuing on to Zambia and Victoria Falls. Here, you can follow walking trails through the spray, explore the Zambezi River by boat, or take a helicopter or microlight flight to appreciate just how far these thundering falls stretch.
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Audley Travel Cape Town, Kruger & Victoria Falls*
Cape Town - Sabi Sands Game Reserve - Victoria Falls
South Africa & Zambia | 13 days | Flights & Accommodation Included
Meaningful trips, as individual as you, created by experts
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6. Chile and Argentina
Patagonia stretches across Chile and Argentina, so exploring both countries lets you see more of this extraordinary region. In Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, jagged granite peaks rise above blue lakes, grasslands, and glaciers, and you can spend your days hiking mountain trails or riding horses across the plains. You don’t always have to be on the move, either; settling into a remote lodge and watching the weather roll across the mountains can be just as appealing.
Over in Argentina, viewing platforms bring you close to the Perito Moreno Glacier’s towering wall of ice – and you can even join a guided trek on the glacier itself. Audley’s 12-day Chile and Argentina’s Patagonian highlights trip finishes in Buenos Aires, where you can stroll down grand avenues, explore lively neighbourhoods, watch tango, and sample the city’s thriving restaurant scene. After Patagonia’s quiet open spaces, you might welcome a few days of city life before heading home.
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Audley Travel Chile & Argentina's Patagonian highlights*
Santiago - Torres del Paine National Park - El Calafate - Buenos Aires
Argentina & Chile | 12 days | Flights & Accommodation Included
Meaningful trips, as individual as you, created by experts
Check provider site for taxes & fees
7. Denmark and Norway
If you’re looking for an otherworldly experience where you can soak in breathtakingly beautiful scenes and enjoy true, uninterrupted peace, Svalbard deserves a place on your list. This Norwegian archipelago sits roughly halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Around 60% of the land is covered by glaciers, and the landscape is a mix of mountains, fjords, and tundra. Svalbard’s remoteness means much of it is only reachable by sea, which you can do on Audley’s 10-night Ultimate Svalbard cruise.
Your journey begins in the beloved Danish city of Copenhagen, where you’ll spend a night before flying north to Longyearbyen to board your ship. Spend time on deck searching for the elusive polar bear (there are around 3,000 here!) as well as walruses, Arctic foxes, and reindeer. Between sightings, you’ll sail past glaciers and icebergs carved into hypnotic shapes by wind and water, and when conditions allow, step ashore to walk across the tundra and learn about the whalers and trappers who once sheltered here.
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Audley Travel Ultimate Svalbard: 10-night cruise*
Copenhagen - Ultimate Svalbard cruise
Denmark & Svalbard | 13 days | Flights & Accommodation Included
Meaningful trips, as individual as you, created by experts
Check provider site for taxes & fees
Final thoughts...
Long-haul travel takes time, planning, and money, so it makes sense to get as much from the journey as you can. But that doesn’t have to mean squeezing as many countries as possible into a fortnight. You’ll enjoy it more if you have time to explore each place, without feeling you should already be on your way to the next.
With Audley Travel, every trip is tailor-made, so these itineraries are starting points rather than fixed packages. Their specialists can help you decide which destinations work well together, how long to spend in each, and how to travel between them, leaving you with the much more enjoyable decision of where you’d most like to go.