Custom Luxury Tours
Three glamorous trips that will have you traveling like royalty
From private jets to hot-air balloons and exclusive palace parties, check out a few of the more over-the-top luxurious ways we found to travel below.
TCS & Starquest Expeditions
Pioneers in exclusive travel, luxury tour company TCS & Starquest Expeditions puts travelers aboard private Boeing 757s on customizable trips around the world.
The outfit specializes in highly personalized service and educational experiences, making for truly unique travel experiences.
Expeditions (all at a moderate activity level) consist of two to three week long jaunts featuring multiple destinations with the option of either “around-the-world” or more localized, “regionally-focused” trips.
Sample TCS Tours that have a global scope include a “Hidden Wonders Around The World” tour that takes travelers to ancient wonders (i.e. Temples and Shrines of Old Japan; Monumental Temples of Java, Indonesia) and “An Exploration of the World’s Greatest Treasure and Legendary Places,” transporting travelers to countries with deep influences on early human civilization (such as Machu Picchu in Peru; Cambodia’s Angkor Wat).
Trips with a narrower geographic focus range from visits to Central and South America, as well as to areas with historical medieval backgrounds—Old Quarters of Mostar and Sarajevo in Bosnia; Ancient Palmyra and Damascus in Syria—in the “Ancient Crossroads of Eurasia” tour. But our personal destination picks tend toward the more adventurous side. Gorilla Trekking through the Bamboo Jungles of Rwanda and snorkeling through the remote archipelago of Palua anyone?
While the ability to customize any of these trips makes TCS’ service luxurious enough, the highly personable service that comes with each excursion really sets the service apart. Each plane comes with a specialized crew of art and history experts, a private physician, personal chef, and an experienced flight staff that will accommodate every guest need.
To find out more on globe-trotting the world in a private jet, contact TCS& Starquest tours here.
Krug
Inspired by its Grand Cuvee , French champagne company Krug has found an alternative way to fly in style with the “Krug Is In The Air” champagne balloon tour program. It currently stands as the world’s most expensive hot air balloon ride, with a cost of roughly $77,790 for one flight. Owned by parent company, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy, the Krug hot air balloon premium quality design includes a wicker basket, canopy, burners by Camerons of Bristol, and white leather lining by French upholsters Bruno Domeau & Philippe Peres. With past expeditions through the U.S. (Los Angeles, Arizona and Miami), England, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong, the balloon will fly virtually to any location in the world.
Each balloon fight is set up to accommodate intimate groups of up to eight people and comes with exceptional personal butler service, gourmet meals and champagne. Krug partnered with famous food designer, Marc Bretillot, to create a menu that compliments the Krug Grande Cuvee and the Krug balloon experience. Travelers can look forward to enjoying dishes such as foie gras creme brulee with sea salt and tomato jam, pickled vegetable rolls with devil fried oysters, bluefin tuna with light sesame creme fraiche, and baked Brie feulliete with cracked black pepper, caramel, and toasted walnuts.
Flying with such great style comes at a luxurious cost, but we’re sure that nothing quite compares to floating over panoramic landscapes while sipping some bubbly.
For more information, contact their website for available departure dates and costs.
Exeter Travel
Exeter International invents a new way to explore Eastern Europe and Russia, with luxury tours focusing on privacy and intimate travel experiences. With major connections in cities all over Eastern Europe, Exeter International has been an acclaimed travel service by various travel publications including Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, New York Times, and others.
Unique excursions such as the Hermitage Gala in St. Petersburg is just one example of the exclusive (and connected) experiences that Exeter offers. The Hermitage Gala, held at the Hermitage Palace Hermitage Palace during the White Nights (the period of the June summer solstice when it remains light through the night) is an invitation-only, sit-down dinner with up to only 100 to 200 guests. Hosted in one of the Hermitage’s imperial rooms, the palace becomes a private experience for gala-goers as galleries stay open for viewing, and top ballerinas and opera singers from the Mariinsky company perform. After the intimate affair, Exeter sends their guest to stay overnight in the Taleon Imperial, the only hotel in St. Petersburg housed in a former palace.
The cost for such an opulent opportunity comes at a price of roughly $12,220 for two (including cost of Gala invitation and accommodations).
To find out more information on exclusive and unique luxury trips offered by Exeter, contact them at their site.
