Washington State has a way of making people rethink what they assumed about the Pacific Northwest. Yes, there's rain. There's also a rugged Pacific coastline with sea stacks and driftwood, temperate rainforests where moss hangs off every branch, snow-capped volcanoes, island archipelagos, and small towns that feel like they've been waiting for you to show up. Cross the Cascades and the whole mood changes again: sunny orchards, deep blue lakes, rolling wheat hills, and wine country that rivals anywhere in the West.

That range is the reason this state works for so many kinds of travelers. You can hike in national parks in the morning and be at a waterfront dinner table by night. You can spend a week on the water, or a week on a ridgeline, or a week working through a tasting list. The tricky part is deciding where to spend your time, because the choices you make early shape the whole trip. Pick the wrong home base and you'll lose half a day to driving. Pick the right one and everything clicks.

Washington State doesn't fit in one neat box, and that's the whole appeal. There's a big, creative city on Puget Sound. There's a volcano wrapped in glaciers, a rainforest so wet the trees wear moss like sweaters, and a Pacific coastline littered with sea stacks and driftwood. Then the North Cascades show up looking like someone dropped the Alps in the Pacific Northwest, and out in the Salish Sea a scatter of islands slows everything down.

Picture the moment the clouds pull apart and a stone citadel appears on a ridge high above a river gorge. Or the first time you stand at the rim of a canyon so deep your brain refuses to believe it. Turquoise waters in a color no filter can fake. A glacier cracking somewhere out of sight. Sunset turning limestone cliffs the color of honey. That's the kind of scenery I'm talking about, the kind that stays with you long after the suitcases are unpacked.

I plan trips for a living, and the question I hear more than any other is some version of "where should we go that will actually blow us away?" The answer depends on who's asking, but a handful of places come up again and again, because they deliver. This list covers the most breathtaking places in the world across a real mix of types: natural wonders, iconic landmarks, tropical escapes, mountain destinations, and a few culturally significant places that hold their own against any landscape. Some are on every bucket list you've ever seen. A couple are less obvious. All of them offer breathtaking views that justify the flight.

Ten days is the sweet spot for Bali. It's long enough to hit the big names without sprinting between them, and short enough that you don't lose track of what day it is. This route gives you temples and culture in Ubud, rice terraces and waterfalls, a day trip to Nusa Penida, a couple of easy beach days on the southern coast, and a last stretch where the only decision is pool or ocean. The best Bali itinerary is the one that fits how you actually like to travel, so treat this as a starting point. I'll flag where to slow things down and where to turn them up.

Bali always hits a home run, from honeymooners to families to friends celebrating big birthdays. The one thing I wish someone had told me before my first trip: Bali maps lie. Two spots that look like a short hop apart can eat an hour and a half of your day in traffic. Almost every choice below, from the order of the stops to how many nights you spend in each place, is built around that.

Want a slower pace? Drop a stop and add a night somewhere. Want more adventure? There's room for a volcano hike or a day of diving. Both versions are covered below.

The Azores look like they were dropped into the Atlantic by mistake. Nine volcanic islands sit roughly 900 miles off the coast of Portugal, and the largest, São Miguel, has crater lakes, steaming hot springs, tea fields, and cliffs covered in hydrangeas, all on an island you can drive from one end to the other in about an hour and a half. A week here is a great length of trip. It's long enough to settle in and short enough that you're not running out of things to do by day five.

This Azores itinerary starts in Ponta Delgada, heads west to the twin lakes of Sete Cidades, loops east to Vila Franca do Campo and the thermal valley of Furnas, then finishes along the north coast before circling back to the airport. You'll get big landscapes, a lot of time in warm water, some of the best seafood and beef in Europe, and a meal that's cooked underground. Whale watching is built in too, with a backup slot in case the ocean doesn't cooperate.

I'm a travel agent, and I plan bespoke international trips for a living. This itinerary is built the way I build real client trips: I start with logistics, then priorities, then pace, and only after that do I start filling in the days. Nothing here is a rushed checklist. Every day has one or two anchor experiences, realistic drive times, and room to linger over lunch. And because no two travelers want the same week, treat it as a strong starting point. I adjust it constantly for clients, whether that means more hiking, more spa time, or a slower morning pace.