Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto rewards slowness. Wander past centuries-old temples where incense curls into cedar rafters, cross stone bridges over slow-moving rivers, and watch the lantern-lit alleys of Gion come alive at dusk.

In spring the whole city turns pink with cherry blossoms; the rest of the year it simply waits, unhurried, for you to catch up to its rhythm. Our small groups move at the pace of a tea ceremony, not a tour bus.