The top 9 'must-have' travel experiences of 2024, according to luxury advisors

Pandemic-era lockdowns ushered in the rise of "travel experiences" — or meaningful, purpose-driven activities that take a deeper, and often slower, dive into a destination.

It's not enough to simply go to a place anymore; many want to learn about it and be mentally transformed along the way.

If that sounds like a tall order for a summer getaway, the luxury travel company Virtuoso asked 20,000 of its travel advisors to share their top experiences for 2024.

Here are the nine "must-have" experiences that topped the list.

While traditional tourism focuses on filling the daylight hours with activities, dark-sky tourism is all about the nights.

The focus is on the wonders of the night sky — from stargazing to seeing the Northern Lights, although trips can include tours to see nocturnal animals too.

Virtuoso recommends trips to Norway, Iceland and Canada, while noting that travelers who like warmer weather can see the total solar eclipse on April 8 in Northern Mexico.

From Blanco, Texas to Albanya, Spain, travelers can also check out one of 200 places in 22 countries that have been designated as a "Dark Sky Place" by the non-profit organization DarkSky International.

Safaris top many travelers' bucket lists, but they shouldn't be too fixated on finding the "Big Five" — like the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo.  

"Slow safaris" focus on the full array of animal life and landscapes of Africa, "providing the ideal counterbalance to the more adrenaline-inducing wildebeest migration and lion hunts," according to Virtuoso.

"Slow safaris offer the opportunity to enjoy some of the less stealthy wildlife of Africa and at a more relaxing pace," said Misty Belles, the company's vice president of global public relations.