Discover the World

Northern Lights & winter adventures

Northern Lights watching tops the wishlists of most people visiting the Nordic countries in winter and Discover the World’s holidays take you to the very best locations. But there’s a lot more to an Arctic experience than aurora hunting. Husky sledding and snowmobiling leap to mind, but you could also try your hand at cross-country skiing, ice sculpting, glacier hiking or whale watching.

Photographers can make the most of some of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes and beguiling light, while road trippers can explore Iceland’s geothermal hotspots. Discover the World has been smitten with Nordic Europe long enough to discover the very best places to stay, from seriously cool treehouses to the cosiest log cabins. Their team fell under the spell of the sensational Icehotel when it first emerged beside the Torne River in Swedish Lapland in 1990 – and Discover the World is proud to be its leading worldwide partner. So when you’re not mushing huskies, spotting orcas or strapping on snowshoes, there’s always time for a long soak in a hot tub, an indulgent sauna, a glass of wine around an open fire or a lingering dinner of delicious seafood. Just remember to glance outside occasionally – you never know when the Northern Lights might stir you into action.

Inspirational road & rail journeys

Empty roads, breathtaking scenery and intriguing routes come together to form the perfect road trip. Discover the World’s comprehensive collection of self-drive itineraries offers a relaxed, immersive holiday, joining the dots between classic highlights and hidden gems, staying in handpicked accommodation and including selected activities.

Their self-drive destinations are guaranteed to get your pulse revving. Take Iceland for example. Imagine the thrill of cresting a rise in the road to be met with views of a shimmering icecap or rainbow-flecked waterfall. If you want to roam further afield, Discover the World can also get you on the road in Canada, Alaska, New Zealand and Australia. The possibilities are endless, from a week-long loop through the Rockies to a month-long Kiwi odyssey.

If you don’t want to drive, but still yearn for that sense of journey and discovery, their collection of rail holidays gets you on track for experiencing some of the world’s most spectacular journeys in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Alaska. They include long-distance classics like the Ghan and Rocky Mountaineer, plus a new portfolio of no-fly European rail holidays, taking you south to the Alps and Italy, and north to the Arctic Circle.

Small-ship voyaging to the ends of the earth

Have you heard a humpback whale exhale? Or seen the Northern Lights dance above an Arctic wilderness? Have you held your breath as the midnight sun nuzzles the Southern Ocean? Or met the gaze of a wild polar bear? Discover the World’s expedition voyages are all about unforgettable experiences like these. They use their first-hand expertise to help realise the dreams of modern-day explorers. As leading specialists in small-ship cruises, their programme of expedition voyages includes the Arctic, Antarctica, Canada, Alaska and the South Pacific.

Timing is everything, so their experts can help you pick the best months for anything from seeing penguin chicks to spending days in the midnight sun. They’ll also go the extra nautical mile to make it a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, perhaps by including a sea kayaking excursion or recommending an itinerary that delves into Inuit culture or follows in the wake of legendary polar explorers like Shackleton. Together with our Kuoni experts, the team at Discover the World will help you navigate every detail – from your choice of ship, cabin category and itinerary to international flights and pre- and post-cruise stopovers. 

Wildlife encounters

From puffins to polar bears, koalas to chinstrap penguins, Discover the World’s holidays can take you to see some of nature’s most incredible wildlife. As pioneers of whale watching in Iceland, they can arrange a self-drive summer wildlife odyssey in search of minke whales and puffins. In winter, expert-guided short breaks on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula put you in prime position to see large gatherings of orca, while bear-watching holidays in Finland immerse you in Europe’s ancient wildwood.

Whales and bears also steal the limelight on many of their Canada and Alaska holidays – from small-ship voyages through the Great Bear Rainforest to spotting humpback whales in Newfoundland. For polar bear sightings, they offer tundra safaris in Manitoba and expedition cruises around Spitsbergen where you can also set your sights on walrus and arctic fox. 

Discover the World is an expert in polar voyages. They know just the ship and itinerary for fulfilling your dream of seeing king penguin chicks in South Georgia, elephant seal pups in the Falklands or whales off the Antarctic Peninsula. Their self-drives and escorted tours in New Zealand and Australia are also full of potential for wild encounters, from spotting kiwis to swimming with dolphins.