The Top 10 Side Quests That Put Our Trips Over the Top

Trade city streets for mountain air on a Swiss Alps day that brings the views front and center. Ride a gondola up Mount Titlis, enter the Glacier Cave, or walk along the Cliff Walk suspension bridge. You might be looking out over sharp peaks, green valleys, and bright Alpine lakes one minute, flying over the scenery on a zipline the next.

Look for this experience on Germany, Italy & Switzerland: Summer Getaway. The exact activity can change by itinerary and departure, but the formula stays strong: big scenery, fresh air, and a very good reason to pack comfortable shoes.

Santorini is already doing a lot. Whitewashed villages, volcanic beaches, blue-domed churches, and sunsets that inspire strangers to clap? Overachiever. Add a wine tasting and you get a slower, more flavorful way to experience the island. Sample local wines and take in views of the Aegean as the sun goes down.

This optional experience appears on The Greek Islands, Greek Island Getaway: Crete & Santorini, and other Greece itineraries that include Santorini. It’s a great pick if your ideal travel day includes a little sightseeing, a little sipping, and a sunset you don’t have to plan yourself.

If Paris is all about art, cafes, and making croissants a major part of your diet, Versailles is all about opulence, royalty, and imagining how good you would have been at being a member of France’s eighteenth-century royal court. Originally a hunting lodge for Louis XIII, Versailles was transformed by Louis XIV into one of Europe’s most extravagant palaces and the center of political life in France. You’ll explore grand state apartments, the dazzling Hall of Mirrors, and the palace’s sprawling formal gardens, designed with symmetry, fountains, and plenty of room for royal-level drama. You’ll also get a closer look at the world of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette—and how the palace’s enormous wealth and excess helped shape the story of the French Revolution.

Find this optional excursion on trips like Paris: City Experience, Amsterdam, Paris & London, and Ultimate Europe. Versailles is closed on Mondays, so the excursion day can shift depending on your departure. Translation: check your itinerary before planning your outfit around the Hall of Mirrors.

Step into centuries of art, history, and power at Vatican City, the world’s smallest country and the spiritual center of the Catholic Church. On this optional excursion, you’ll explore the Vatican Museums, where ancient sculptures, Renaissance paintings, and ornate galleries tell the story of Rome’s religious and artistic legacy. Keep an eye out for the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling and its breathtaking depiction of scenes from the Bible. You may also visit St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the most important churches in Christianity and a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.

The Vatican optional is available on itineraries that include Rome, including Venice, Florence & Rome, Italy & the Greek Islands, Ultimate Italy, and Italy, France & Spain, with availability depending on the departure. It’s a strong choice for travelers who want context and a closer look at the places they’ve seen in textbooks, movies, and approximately one million travel TikToks.

A tea ceremony on Kyoto is less about rushing from one landmark to the next and more about slowing down and paying attention. You’ll get a glimpse into a carefully preserved Japanese tradition, from the preparation and presentation of matcha to the calm, deliberate rhythm of the experience. It’s a small pause in a country that can otherwise move at full speed.

Look for this cultural experience on Highlights of Japan and Japan: Tokyo & Beyond. If you’re curious about Japanese customs, put this one high on your list.

See Phang Nga Bay from a different perspective on a nighttime cruise through one of Thailand’s most striking landscapes. As the sun goes down, towering limestone karsts rise from the darkening Andaman Sea, creating a dramatic backdrop that feels even more otherworldly under the stars. You’ll travel by boat through the bay’s calm waters, with opportunities to explore hidden caves and mangrove-lined lagoons by sea canoe, depending on your departure. The area is known for its distinctive karst formations, shaped over millions of years by the sea and weather. As night settles in, keep an eye out for the magical glow of bioluminescent plankton in the water.

Get this experience on Thailand: Island Paradise, South Thailand: Phuket & Krabi, and Thailand Getaway.

See London from a whole new angle on a ride aboard the London Eye, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. As the giant observation wheel rises above the Thames, you’ll get sweeping views of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and London’s changing skyline. After taking in the city from above, slow things down with a classic British tea experience featuring small savory sandwiches, sweet treats and scones, and a warm cup of Earl Grey.

The London Eye & Tea optional is featured on trips like London & Paris Escape, Rome, Paris & London, and England, Scotland & Ireland. It’s a good pick for first-time visitors who want two classic London experiences in one afternoon.

Step inside one of Barcelona’s most unforgettable landmarks at the Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s famous basilica and one of the most ambitious architectural projects in the world. Construction began in 1882, and after more than a century the church was finally completed in 2026. Inside, you’ll see towering columns inspired by trees, intricate sculptures, and colorful stained-glass windows that fill the space with shifting light. Outside, the Nativity and Passion façades tell different parts of the story through an incredible mix of symbolism, texture, and detail.

You can experience the Sagrada Família on Barcelona, Ibiza & Valencia, Italy, France & Spain, and multi-city Europe itineraries that include Barcelona like Ultimate Europe. Choose a guided visit if you want help decoding the architecture instead of nodding thoughtfully and hoping you’re getting the symbolism right.

Ibiza has a reputation for late nights, but the daylight hours deserve attention too. On a catamaran cruise, you can swim, lounge in the sun, take in the Balearic Sea, and let the group settle into that easy vacation rhythm where nobody knows what time it is—and nobody is especially interested in finding out.

This optional on Barcelona, Ibiza & Valencia is super popular and one of the most booked. It’s a top choice for travelers who want a social, low-key day on the water.