Luxury Travel Blog

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November 27, 2024

Highlights of Granada in Andalusia, Spain

Granada is an incredible destination in Spain that’s best known for its stunning Moorish architecture, rich history, fascinating multicultural heritage and traditional crafts. Artisans of Leisure arranges private tours of Granada and other destinations in Andalusia.

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August 2, 2024

Highlights of Uzbekistan: Incredible History, Architecture & More

Artisans of Leisure arranges private Uzbekistan tours that feature the country’s cultural highlights, including the spectacular architecture, bustling bazaars, vibrant crafts, Jewish touring and UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the fabled Silk Road cities of Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand.

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November 21, 2023

The Best of Italy: An Interview with Ashley Ganz

Many of our travelers return to Italy again and again, drawn by the enduring appeal of the country’s culture, food, wine, landscapes and people. Ashley Ganz, the Artisans of Leisure founder and CEO, travels to Italy frequently to relish her favorite places and scout the latest in luxury hotels and insider experiences. Read more about some of her favorite places and experiences throughout the country.

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August 11, 2023

Visiting Spectacular Masada in Israel

On a high mesa overlooking the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea, the awe-inspiring citadel of Masada is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Israel. Artisans of Leisure arranges private Masada tours.

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June 23, 2023

Just Back: A Family Tour of the Highlights of Normandy, France

Normandy, France, is an incredible destination with iconic sites, rich history, amazing food and picturesque landscapes. Read more about a private multigenerational tour of the highlights of Normandy including D-Day sites, Giverny, Mont Saint-Michel, Rouen, Honfleur and more.

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April 23, 2023

Top 10 Favorite Travel Experiences in Israel

Israel is a fascinating destination for travelers wanting to experience ancient history, important religious sites, beautiful landscapes, and fantastic food and wine. Read more about our top 10 favorite travel experiences in Israel, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the desert regions and the Galilee.

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November 22, 2022

The Best of Sicily: Interview

Artisans of Leisure founder and CEO Ashley Isaacs Ganz recently spent time in Sicily to enjoy its incredible food and wine, history, culture, landscapes and wonderful luxury hotels. Read more about some of her favorite places and experiences.

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January 11, 2022

Highlights of Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi, the riverside capital of Georgia, offers visitors a captivating mix of rich history, eclectic architecture, and superb food and wine. It’s the perfect introduction to Georgia and a highlight of our private Georgia tours.

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November 16, 2021

The Oberammergau Passion Play in Bavaria, Germany

Every 10 years, the renowned Oberammergau Passion Play takes place in Oberammergau, a picturesque village in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany. The next performances of the Oberammergau Passion Play will take place between May and October 2022.

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September 14, 2021

Private Jewish Heritage Touring in Morocco

Artisans of Leisure arranges private touring of the most interesting Jewish sites in Morocco, including in Fez, Essaouira and Marrakesh, for travelers interested in learning more about the history of Moroccan Jews.

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June 25, 2021

The Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam

A highlight of Jewish touring in Amsterdam is the 17th-century Portuguese Synagogue, a landmark complex whose impressive size and beautiful interiors reflect the wealthy, prominent Sephardic community in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age.

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January 26, 2021

The Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp, Belgium

Travelers interested in immigration, family history and genealogy will enjoy a visit to the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp, Belgium, which is dedicated to the history of the two million Europeans who immigrated to America aboard Red Star Line cruise ships in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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December 15, 2020

Jerusalem’s Old City

One of the best places to discover the fascinating layers of Jerusalem’s history and culture is in the walled Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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September 17, 2020

The Best of Belgium, including Brussels, Bruges, Ghent & Antwerp

Belgium offers travelers much more than great beer, chocolate and waffles. It also has the atmospheric medieval towns of Bruges and Ghent, the vibrant modern cities of Brussels and Antwerp, incredible art masterpieces by van Eyck and Rubens, beautiful Art Nouveau landmarks, numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, fascinating military history and excellent contemporary cuisine. Here […]

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May 10, 2019

Munich: Quintessential Germany

Artisans of Leisure arranges private in-depth cultural and scenic touring in and around Munich, Bavaria’s capital city and major European cultural powerhouse.

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November 1, 2018

Ashley Isaacs Ganz on The Best of Ireland

We asked Artisans of Leisure founder and CEO Ashley Isaacs Ganz to share some favorite experiences in Ireland based on her most recent visit to this beautiful country. Read more about her tour and the best of Ireland. Q.) Tell us about your trip. Where did you go? I traveled all over the country, and I also […]

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October 29, 2018

The Very Best of South Africa: Safaris, Luxury, Culture & More

Artisans of Leisure’s private luxury South Africa tours showcase the best of the country’s rich diversity of experiences, including stunning landscapes, extraordinary wildlife, historic cities and UNESCO World Heritage sites, renowned vineyards, gourmet dining and world-class accommodation.

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August 23, 2018

Insider Marrakesh & Atlas Mountains

Ashley Isaacs Ganz, founder & CEO of Artisans of Leisure, recently returned to Morocco to visit some of her favorite places, including Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains. We hope you enjoy this interview with her. Q: Where did you visit on this trip? On this trip I decided to return to Marrakesh and the nearby Atlas […]

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June 18, 2018

History, Food, Crafts, Jewish Touring and More in Poland

Many travelers are aware that Poland is a wonderful destination for culture, history and Jewish heritage. But they may not realize that the country also has beautiful decorative arts, delicious food, vibrant cities and charming traditional villages. The newly opened Raffles Europejski Warsaw hotel is the capital’s most luxurious hotel and the perfect base for […]

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June 8, 2017

Jewish Touring in Budapest

With centuries of Jewish history and a large Jewish quarter, the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary, is one of the best places in Europe for Jewish heritage touring. Jews first arrived in the city around the 11th century, establishing a community in Buda, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed district on the right bank of the Danube […]

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October 25, 2016

Israel Off the Beaten Track: The Stunning Negev

The Negev is a stark and beautiful desert region in southern Israel. Covering more than half the country’s total land area, it has unique geological features, interesting archaeological ruins, great outdoor activities and even a wine region. One of the highlights of the Negev is Masada, a 2,000-year-old fortress on the edge of a high, […]

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September 20, 2016

Jewish Heritage Tours of Poland

Poland has a deep Jewish history that goes back centuries. Before World War II, 3.3 million Jews lived in Poland, making it home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. The Nazis nearly destroyed all of this during WWII and the horrific and tragic Holocaust. However, Poland’s two most interesting cities—Warsaw and […]

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March 17, 2016

Off-the-beaten-track Morocco: Beautiful Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a traditional town nestled in the Rif Mountains of northern Morocco. Established in 1471, it became a refuge for Jews and Muslims fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in Europe. Today, Chefchaouen—or Chaouen, as the locals call it—is best-known for its beautiful and unmistakable medina, an accretion of alleys, stairs, houses and doors painted in […]

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March 8, 2016

Private Tours of Machane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem

All over the world, we love to explore markets to learn more about cities and the people who live in them. In Jerusalem, there’s no better place to do this than Machane Yehuda, a sprawling market in the western part of the city that’s been around since the late 1800s. Known as the shuk (Hebrew […]

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April 26, 2015

Top Picks for Scandinavia & the Baltic States Tours

We’ve recently launched new private tours featuring the very best of Scandinavia and the Baltic States. This is one of our favorite parts of the world, and we’re excited to offer tours that incorporate our unique expertise and perspective on Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The comprehensive private tours include exclusive access […]

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February 5, 2015

Just Back: Seville

We have just returned from Seville, Spain. Located in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, Seville has gorgeous Moorish gardens and unique Mudejar architecture. Our private luxury tours feature the best of the city.

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December 4, 2014

The Ultimate Gift: One-of-a-kind Tours for Everyone on Your List

This holiday season, spoil family members and friends with the ultimate gift of an Artisans of Leisure tour. Here’s a selection of new tours and perennial favorites that are sure to inspire and delight every sophisticated traveler on your list: • For foodies… Who wouldn’t want to eat their way through a Vietnam for Foodies tour, […]

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April 23, 2014

Zippori Archaeological Site, Israel

Clients who recently returned from Israel sent us these photos of the spectacular mosaics they saw at the Zippori archaeological site in the Galilee. Ongoing excavations at Zippori have revealed the site’s many layers of history, from a Roman administrative capital in the first century B.C. to a busy Jewish religious center and, later, a […]

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August 15, 2013

A Jewish Tour of Krakow, Poland

Krakow is a compact, UNESCO World Heritage-listed city filled with culture and history, including some of the most interesting Jewish touring in Poland. Before World War II, a quarter of Krakow’s population was Jewish, and many important buildings related to Jewish life still exist in the city. The Kazimierz neighborhood, the historical center of Krakow’s […]

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August 7, 2013

Amsterdam: Our Top 10 Recommendations

Amsterdam is an incredibly rich cultural destination with world-renowned museums, beautiful canals lined with gabled buildings, and a dynamic social milieu. The city is also an ideal base for touring the many other interesting places in the Netherlands, such as Delft, Maastricht and The Hague. Here are our top 10 most recommended experiences in and […]

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June 28, 2013

The Best of Morocco

Artisans of Leisure arranges private luxury tours of Morocco that feature the country’s top cultural, culinary and scenic highlights and include accommodation at the most luxurious hotels and resorts.

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November 19, 2012

An interview with our newest luxury travel expert: Elizabeth Mandel

Meet Elizabeth Mandel, the newest luxury travel specialist at Artisans of Leisure. She’s an intrepid traveler (she honeymooned in Tibet!), an accomplished film producer and director, a mother of three daughters, a foodie, and a great member of our team.  In addition to being passionate about cultural travel, she is also an expert on culinary travel, […]

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September 17, 2012

Just Back: Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

Artisans of Leisure founder and CEO Ashley Isaacs Ganz recently returned from touring Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in Israel. Read about the highlights of her trip, including Jewish and Christian touring, incredible cuisine, and fascinating historical sites.

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July 14, 2012

Learn by Doing While Traveling the World

Want to learn to make mozzarella by hand on the Amalfi Coast? How about a private karate lesson in Kyoto? A surfing lesson in Bali? Would you like to paint porcelain in Austria or assist on an archaeological dig in Israel? We offer hundreds of such learning experiences that can be incorporated into our private […]

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June 6, 2012

Traveling vegan, kosher, gluten-free or with food allergies

Many people with restricted diets or food allergies worry about finding appropriate meals when traveling overseas. Several of our in-house travel experts have food restrictions, so we understand firsthand the challenges. We also know how to overcome them. Artisans of Leisure regularly works with travelers who have food restrictions, including vegetarian, vegan, kosher, gluten-free and […]

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March 6, 2012

An Interview with an Artisans of Leisure Portugal Guide

Portugal is a cultural and culinary gem still waiting to be discovered by many travelers. Our carefully planned Portugal tours and excellent local guides give access to iconic Portugal experiences such as touring the atmospheric back streets of Lisbon, attending a fado performance, private wine and port wine tastings at local vineyards, and tracing echoes […]

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January 6, 2012

Just Back: Russia

An Artisans of Leisure travel expert recently returned from Russia. Here are a few highlights from her trip. Most memorable meal: Café Pushkin in Moscow. This is a great place to sample traditional Russian fare such as borscht or pelmeni, which are dumplings with various fillings. My meal of mushroom pelmeni was delicious in its […]

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December 29, 2011

Eating Our Way Through Israel

We love eating as the locals do when we travel, and we find that food often inspires some of our best travel memories. Artisans of Leisure recently traveled across Israel and we particularly loved visiting the open-air markets, sampling street food, and dining where the locals like to eat. Here are a few of the culinary […]

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September 21, 2011

Last-minute Fall Travel Ideas

October and November are two of the best months to travel in many of our destinations—the crowds are gone and the weather is often ideal. If you are considering booking an overseas getaway during the next several months, here are a few of our travel specialists’ top picks for autumn trips. MOROCCO Autumn is a […]

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September 12, 2011

A Perfect Day in Buenos Aires

One of the Southern Hemisphere’s most sophisticated and dynamic cities, Buenos Aires is the perfect year-round destination. Nicknamed “The Paris of South America,” the Argentine capital possesses a compelling combination of beauty and culture. That’s part of the reason Artisans of Leisure offers so many private and customizable tours that include Buenos Aires. Our private […]

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August 17, 2011

Highlights of Our Private Greece Tours

Greece is rich in ancient history, spectacular scenery and luxurious seaside resorts. These images capture some of our favorite destinations and experiences on the mainland and islands.

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July 15, 2011

Just Back: Andalusia in Spain

Andalusia in Spain is an incredible destination for its fascinating cultural heritage, exquisite architecture, beautiful landscapes and great cuisine. Read about some of our favorite places including Granada, Ronda, Cordoba, Malaga and Marbella.

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November 13, 2009

Tel Aviv’s Top 5 cultural travel experiences

Israel’s most dynamic city, Tel Aviv is the country’s cultural and commercial heart and a highlight of any tour of Israel. Although it possesses no holy sites and a relatively short history (aside from the ancient port of Jaffa), Tel Aviv is a vibrant, 24-hour city with a wide array of cultural offerings, restaurants and […]

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September 25, 2009

Porticos of Bologna

Porticos are as essential to Bologna as gourmet food and university students. The distinctive covered walkways course 38 kilometers (more than 23 miles) through this attractive and very walkable city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, sheltering pedestrians and window-shoppers from the elements while providing access to daylight and fresh air. Porticos typically flow […]

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August 12, 2009

An interview with one of our culinary travel experts

Artisans of Leisure is well known for our private culinary tours in destinations around the world. We hope you enjoy this interview with one of our culinary travel experts. Q: How does food influence how you travel? A: Basically, I travel to eat. Quite often I plan my touring around a certain restaurant I want […]

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June 10, 2009

Just Back: Italy

Highlights from our recent trip through Italy, including Lake Como, Bologna, Florence, Tuscany and Rome.

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March 31, 2009

Our favorite day trips from Prague

Most travelers fall in love with Prague and never want to leave its fairytale architecture and enchanting backstreets. Prague’s beauty and charm is obvious, but it’s the experience with our guides–who bring the history, traditions, art, architecture, music and cuisine to life–that is what our clients rave about the most. Travelers also appreciate that our […]

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March 24, 2009

Private Jewish Heritage Tours

Many travelers ask us to incorporate people, places and activities of Jewish significance when they are traveling internationally with us. We can incorporate Jewish touring into any of our tours around the world, from Sydney to Shanghai and most places in between. Many travelers simply want us to incorporate some Jewish-related sightseeing in Europe, Asia, […]

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March 19, 2009

Potsdam: a perfect day trip from Berlin

Just outside Berlin is one of Germany’s most enchanting destinations: Potsdam. The one-time residence of Prussian kings and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town is set among a chain of lakes, and features royal palaces and gardens, a historic town center filled with unique boutiques and great restaurants, and unique architectural works from […]

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May 25, 2008

Argentina in Photos

Enjoy photos of a few of our favorite destinations in Argentina, from Patagonia in the south to Iguazu Falls in the north.

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