In the Guatemalan jungle, ruins of a Maya civilization rise among whispering foliage — towering temples, quiet palaces and plazas linked by ramps that invite timeless wonder.

Once a retreat for the British elite and colonial planters of the country’s tea industry, Nuwara Eliya lies in the misty hills of central Sri Lanka with the nickname, “City of Light.” The town has a temperate, chilly climate and is littered with colonial style bungalows and tea plantations.

Coined the "City of a Thousand Temples," Kyoto oozes old world charm, steeped in centuries of spiritual tradition. It's also the perfect jumping off point for areas like Japan’s Fushimi Inari Taisha, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Nara Park.

A large city in central Sri Lanka, Kandy is set on a plateau surrounded by mountains home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforests. The city is famed for sacred Buddhist sites like the Temple of the Tooth's and its heart is the scenic Kandy Lake.

A short drive from Mexico City, Teotihuacán charms with its soaring Sun and Moon pyramids — seen at sunrise from hot-air balloons — plus vivid murals and gleaming obsidian tools.

Perched nearly 8,000 feet high, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Incan citadel above the Urubamba Valley — abandoned yet still whispering its ancient mysteries.

Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is famed for its rich history, culture and architecture. Cobblestone streets lead visitors to Plaza de Armas, alongside archaeological remains like the Twelve-Angled Stone. It's also the spot for freshwater trout ceviche and the perfect jumping off point for Sacred Valley and Rainbow Mountain.