10 days
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What can you do with 10 days?
Ten days is where a bigger adventure starts to feel genuinely worthwhile.
You can travel further, combine several destinations and explore more than just the highlights of one city. It’s enough time to experience different landscapes, cultures and regions without spending your entire holiday moving from one place to another.
This is also where some of the world’s bigger destinations really start to make sense. Ten days won’t let you see everything, but it can give you a fantastic first taste of a country.
This is a short list of some of our favourite options, rather than an exhaustive list. They’re destinations where 10 days can give you a genuinely varied trip while still keeping the itinerary realistic for someone travelling with limited annual leave.
Which destination is right for your 10-day adventure?
The best destinations for 10 days
Japan : Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka
Ancient traditions meets futuristic cities
Japan is one of the rare destinations where ten days can give you a fantastic introduction without feeling like you’ve only scratched the surface. Combine the futuristic energy of Tokyo with Kyoto’s traditional temples and Osaka’s incredible food scene.
Perfect for: Culture, food, history & unforgettable cities
Don’t miss: Tokyo · Mount Fuji · Kyoto · Fushimi Inari · Osaka · Dotonbori
Why 10 days works: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are connected by excellent rail links, making this a surprisingly efficient itinerary. You can experience three very different sides of Japan without constantly changing hotels.
Thailand : Bangkok + Chiang Mai + islands
Temples, jungle & tropical beaches
Thailand is perfect for a ten-day adventure because you can combine three completely different experiences: the energy of Bangkok, the culture and mountains of Chiang Mai, and some serious island time.
Perfect for: Food, culture, nature & beaches
Don’t miss: Bangkok · Chiang Mai · temples · Thai islands · longtail boat trips
Why 10 days works: You have enough time to experience Thailand’s cities and culture before finishing with several days on the coast. The key is choosing one island or beach region, rather than trying to visit several.
South Africa : Cape Town + Safari + Garden Route
City, coast & safari in one trip
South Africa is one of the few destinations where you can combine a world-class city, spectacular coastline and an unforgettable safari within a single trip.
Perfect for: Wildlife, road trips, food & nature
Don’t miss: Cape Town · Table Mountain · Cape Peninsula · Garden Route · safari
Why 10 days works: A carefully planned route allows you to combine Cape Town with the Garden Route and a safari experience without trying to cover the enormous distances of the entire country.
Costa Rica : Arenal + Monteverde + Pacific Coast
Volcanoes, cloud forests & tropical beaches
Costa Rica packs an incredible amount of adventure into a relatively small country. Start among volcanoes and hot springs, head into the cloud forest and finish beside the Pacific.
Perfect for: Wildlife, adventure, hiking & beaches
Don’t miss: Arenal Volcano · La Fortuna · Monteverde · cloud forests · Pacific Coast
Why 10 days works: This classic route gives you three very different environments without trying to see every corner of Costa Rica. The variety is what makes the trip so rewarding.
Peru : Classic Peru Highlights
Ancient ruins, Andean mountains & the Inca legacy
Peru’s classic route is one of those trips where every few days feels completely different. Start in Lima before heading into the Andes and finishing at one of the world’s most extraordinary archaeological sites.
Perfect for: History, hiking, culture & dramatic landscapes
Don’t miss: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu
Why 10 days works: Ten days gives you enough time to experience Peru’s classic highlights without trying to add too many distant regions. You can take your time adjusting to the altitude while exploring Cusco and the Sacred Valley before visiting Machu Picchu.
Mexico : Mexico City + Yucatán
Ancient ruins, incredible food & Caribbean beaches
Mexico is enormous, but ten days gives you enough time to combine two very different sides of the country. Start in Mexico City for culture and food before heading to the Yucatán for Mayan ruins, cenotes and Caribbean coastline.
Perfect for: Food, culture, history & beaches
Don’t miss: Mexico City · Chichén Itzá · cenotes · Valladolid · Yucatán coast
Why 10 days works: Rather than trying to cross Mexico from coast to coast, this itinerary focuses on two regions that offer plenty of variety while keeping internal travel manageable.
Chile : Santiago + Atacama
From city life to the driest desert on Earth
Chile is a country of extraordinary contrasts. Start in Santiago before heading north to the Atacama Desert, where volcanoes, salt flats, lagoons and some of the clearest skies on Earth create an almost otherworldly landscape.
Perfect for: Landscapes, adventure, stargazing & hiking
Don’t miss: Santiago · Valle de la Luna · El Tatio geysers · salt flats · Atacama night sky
Why 10 days works: Focusing on Santiago and the Atacama avoids spending your holiday travelling the enormous length of Chile. You get two very different experiences while keeping the itinerary focused.
Nepal : Kathmandu + Pokhara + Himalayan Trek
Temples, mountain views & Himalayan adventure
Nepal is an excellent choice if your idea of a holiday involves doing rather than simply seeing. Combine the ancient streets of Kathmandu with Pokhara and a short trek into the Himalayas.
Perfect for: Hiking, culture, mountains & adventure
Don’t miss: Kathmandu · Pokhara · Annapurna region · Himalayan viewpoints · mountain villages
Why 10 days works: You don’t need weeks to experience the Himalayas. A shorter trek allows you to experience mountain landscapes while still leaving time for Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Tanzania : Serengeti + Ngorongoro + Zanzibar
Safari followed by paradise
Few trips offer such a dramatic contrast. Spend several days among Tanzania’s incredible wildlife before swapping the savannah for the turquoise waters and white sands of Zanzibar.
Perfect for: Wildlife, adventure & beaches
Don’t miss: Serengeti · Ngorongoro Crater · game drives · Zanzibar · Stone Town
Why 10 days works: Ten days gives you enough time for a proper safari rather than simply a quick wildlife experience, followed by several days to relax on Zanzibar.
Canada : Vancouver + Banff + Jasper
Mountains, lakes & the great outdoors
Canada is enormous, so ten days calls for focus. Concentrate on western Canada and you’ll get one of the country’s most spectacular combinations of cities, mountains, turquoise lakes and wildlife.
Perfect for: Nature, road trips, hiking & wildlife
Don’t miss: Vancouver · Banff · Lake Louise · Icefields Parkway · Jasper
Why 10 days works: Focusing on British Columbia and Alberta keeps the itinerary realistic while allowing enough time to enjoy the journey between Vancouver, Banff and Jasper rather than simply rushing through.
How to make 10 days work
Ten days gives you room to breathe, but bigger doesn’t automatically mean better.
Choose a region, not an entire country
Some countries are simply too big to cross in ten days. Pick the region that offers the experience you’re looking for and explore it properly.
Build in travel days
Moving between destinations takes time. Don’t count a day as a full sightseeing day if you’re spending half of it on a plane, train or bus.
Allow time to adjust
Altitude, jet lag and long journeys can affect how much you actually get out of a day. Build your itinerary around how you’ll realistically feel, not just what fits on a map.
Mix experiences
The best ten-day trips don’t just stack attractions. Combine cities + nature, adventure + relaxation, or culture + beaches to create a trip that feels varied.
Got even more time?
Ten days can take you a long way. But with two full weeks, you can slow down, explore further and take on destinations where the journey itself becomes part of the adventure.