10 Unforgettable Trips to Take When You Retire

Encounter the Iconic Wildlife of the Galápagos

No adventurous traveler’s list would be complete without a voyage to these legendary volcanic islands. Walk in the footsteps of Darwin as you delight in up-close encounters with gentle giant tortoises, brightly colored land iguanas, and a parade of birdlife from blue-footed boobies and waved albatrosses to Galápagos finches and frigatebirds. Then, swap your hiking shoes for snorkeling gear to discover the curious creatures of the highly protected Galápagos Marine Reserve, like tropical-dwelling Galápagos penguins and marine iguanas, the world’s only ocean-going lizards.

See Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II

Photo: Stacy Sindlinger

Witness the Famous Peaks of Torres del Paine

The wind-worn terrain of Patagonia is one of Earth’s most isolated environments, but that hardly means its trails are limited to backpackers—especially within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Torres del Paine National Park. Here, the granite horns and towering spires of the Paine Massif are unquestionably the main attraction, but they’re far from the only muse within the park’s 450,000 acres of forests, grasslands, glaciers, rivers, and lagoons. Wander alongside guanacos, rhea, and with luck, the elusive puma, whose population numbers have been growing as of late.

 

See Best of Chilean Patagonia: From Torres del Paine to Cape Horn >

Photo: Mike Greenfelder

Go Deep into the Authentic Alaska Wilderness

The forests and fiords of Alaska's Inside Passage seem a world away from email inboxes and ergonomic desk chairs. Nothing quite compares to the adrenaline rush brought on when you witness a calving tidewater glacier, the bursting breach of a humpback whale, or a family of foraging brown bears. That’s not to say quiet reverence can’t be found here—particularly for those who share our special invitation to the hallowed ground of Haida Gwaii. After signing a pledge of respect, visitors venture into the ancestral archipelago of the Haida Nation alongside local cultural interpreters, touring heritage sites like UNESCO-recognized SGang Gwaay and trekking moss-laden trails of pristine nature reserves, far beyond the reaches of roadways and cell signals.

 

See A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia & Haida Gwaii >

Photo: Ralph Lee Hopkins

See Angkor Wat at Sunrise

Trade the halls of your local natural history museum for the lowlands of Cambodia and the winding Mekong River. In the UNESCO-honored ruins of Angkor’s ancient urban center, Mother Earth herself expands upon the architectural masterworks of the Khmer Empire. Mosses creep over corridors where bas relief carvings tell tales of demigods and demons. A banyan tree wraps a 13th-century Buddhist monastery in a rooted embrace. In their most majestic collaboration, the famous Temple of Angkor Wat is draped in silhouette as the sun colors the sky before taking center stage above the horizon.

 

See Vietnam and Cambodia: Along the Mekong River >


Photo: David Vargas

Go Down Under for Unique Culture and Epic Wildlife

Visiting New Zealand is like hitting a sensory reset button. From the scenic beaches and lush forests of the North Island to the dramatic fiords of the South Island and beyond to the pristine wilds of the subantarctic islands, it’s incredibly tempting to retire here for good. The indigenous Māori make up more than 16 percent of the country’s population and many serve as stewards of their cultural and natural treasures—but their influence is perhaps most evident in the hospitality of the Kiwis. The eponymous emblem, too, is just one of more than 200 species of birds in this internationally recognized hotspot of biodiversity.

 

See Southern Odyssey: New Zealand and the Subantarctic Islands >