In recent years, luxury travel has had to evolve as rapidly as the expectations of those who can afford it.
Seventy-one percent of luxury consumers expect highly personalized interactions, according to McKinsey & Co. — and they are willing to spend big to get them. The personalized travel market is projected to grow at 17 percent annually over the next decade, with private, customized vacations already accounting for more than a quarter of the luxury market, per Grand View Research. In this landscape, well-connected luxury travel advisors hold the key to a door that some travelers don’t even know exists.
“It used to be that the exclusivity was staying in the top resort and the top suite, and that was the end of it,” says Kristin Bodin, owner and travel advisor at Acadiana Travel. “Now we’re [...] trying to make it more meaningful over the material items.”
Bodin explains that booking a high-priced experience no longer earns bragging rights; today’s high-flyers want something that leaves “an emotional, long-lasting impression.”
In this post-pandemic world, luxury goods are for the one percent—the 0.1 percent want luxury access. That doesn’t mean settling for a bottle of Grand Cru Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in an Aman penthouse. Big-time spenders are increasingly seeking tailored adventures beyond the walls of their luxe digs.
“They [high-net-worth clients] seek the authentic experiences within the culture,” Bodin notes, emphasizing that it’s all about delivering once-in-a-lifetime moments clients will cherish long after they’re over.
Sustainability is also a factor. Travel experts at Scott Dunn Private, the invite-only service that curates rare experiences around the world, have noticed an uptick in requests for hands-on conservation work—like analyzing wildlife data from camera traps in Ecuador’s cloud forests or joining marine biologists for coral restoration projects.
Here are some of the best private experiences available today.
Mexico City, Mexico
Clients of Abercrombie & Kent can explore Mexico City’s fashion and design scene guided by insiders from the prominent GatoPrado lifestyle magazine. Behind-the-scenes access to art events, emerging designers, and private gallery tours — followed by photo shoots and intimate industry gatherings — reveal the capital as a creative force with growing global influence.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
It’s not every day you can samba your way into the world’s biggest party. But that’s exactly what A&K can do for clients, and then some. Picture private samba lessons from one of the city’s leading instructors, then making your way onto a Carnival float draped in enough sequins to make Bob Mackie jealous. Prefer to watch the spectacle? A private box with Champagne — or a chilled caipirinha — works just as well.
Sports fans can also arrange a behind-the-scenes tour of the legendary Maracanã Stadium — “the temple of football” — before channeling their inner Neymar Jr. with a penalty shootout on the pitch.
Rome, Italy
The Vatican Museums’ wait lines are infamously unpleasant, but A&K offers an after-hours private guided tour through its rooms, galleries, and chapels — including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Bramante’s double-helix staircase, and the grandiose Basilica of St. Peter. Aspiring Dan Browns should take note of Scott Dunn Private’s access to the Vatican Secret Archives.
Also in the Eternal City, the Colosseum reveals itself very differently to those who visit its hidden rooms — including the attic — accompanied by the head clavigero, or key keeper. It’s a singular experience Bodin has arranged for clients.
Paris, France
Staying in the Dior Suite on 30 Avenue Montaigne is so 2025. This year, A&K suggests exploring the life and work of another legendary couturier: Louis Vuitton. Travelers take an intimate look at the 19th-century trunk-maker who revolutionized travel and fashion — touring his Art Deco-style home in Asnières-sur-Seine before watching artisans hand-stitch LV’s iconic luggage pieces in the atelier. The experience continues at the adjacent museum and culminates in a private shopping session at the Champs-Élysées flagship.
Visiting with family? Bodin can arrange a gourmet picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower with a professional photographer in tow. Or, for the opera fan in the group, a private performance by a tenor in your villa.
“These are just amazing experiences that aren’t necessarily tangible, but so memorable,” Bodin says.
Monte Carlo, Monaco
You don’t have to be a high roller to access Monte Carlo’s famous Casino de Monte Carlo and its secret rooms. A behind-the-scenes A&K tour takes you through the hidden galleries of this 19th-century Belle Époque marvel.
Complement the experience with a stay at the Prince Reinier III Suite at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, where views sweep from the casino to the glistening Mediterranean — Italy and France shimmering in the distance — best savored from the private rooftop pool. Perks include room service from Michelin-starred Le Grill, a designated cabana at Monte-Carlo Beach Club, butler service, and a glimpse at some of Prince Reinier III’s personal belongings on display throughout the sprawling 9,000-square-foot suite.
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