Where to go on holiday this year: Six great ideas for 2024

Would you like to explore the highlights of our southern neighbour in a private plane with no more than 29 passengers? Sign up for APT's new 12-day New Zealand by Private Air tour, which kicks off in Auckland and finishes up in Queenstown, stopping along the way at renowned locations such as Rotorua (where you can check out the Hobbiton Movie Set) and Christchurch (where you can visit the International Antarctic Centre). Other iconic NZ locations on the itinerary include Waiheke Island, the Marlborough wine region, Wanaka and Milford Sound. Accommodation at premium hand-picked hotels along with immersive cultural experiences are also part of the package. From $12,995 per person; aptouring.com.au

Wendy Wu is calling its new 16-day Kruger to Cape Explored tour in South Africa a "go beyond" kind of experience, and for good reason. While most operators only manage to tick off the obvious boxes in the Mother Continent - think vivid wildlife encounters and luxury lodges - Wendy Wu is throwing in some unforgettable and totally brag-worthy surprises near Cape Town. Head to the Cape Winelands region to taste some of its finest drops, then make your way to Boulders Beach in Simon's Town where you can encounter African penguins. And if that's not enough, you can even walk through a subterranean maze of limestone chambers at Cango Caves in the Western Cape province. From $12,590 per person; wendywutours.com.au

Contiki firmly believes travel is not just about seeing things from a distance but immersing yourself in the local culture, too. And one way to do that in South Korea is to sign up for a K-pop dance class, right? And that is just one of the experiences you can expect to have as part of the company's just-launched nine-day South Korean Soul tour, which starts and ends in Seoul and stops along the way in Busan and Jeonju-si. A tour of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, from where you can see all the way to North Korea on a clear day, as well as visits to traditional temples are also part of the itinerary. From $3398 per person; contiki.com

Art, culture and history will be your constant companions on Renaissance Tours' 13-day Opera Ole experience, which starts in Bilbao (with a tour of the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum), visits Madrid for four nights (where you can soak up the grandeur of 17th-century mansions) and finishes up in Barcelona (where world-class art centres such as the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and Palau de la Musica await). Watch operas in all three cities (from La Boheme in Bilbao to La Cenerentola in Barcelona) and don't miss the chance to visit the Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid's home of zarzuela, an indigenous Spanish form of opera. From $18,450 per person; renaissancetours.com.au

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An expert in leading small-group excursions, G Adventures has joined hands with National Geographic Journeys to create a number of itineraries that - in the words of the tour company's president Ben Perlo - "really get into the heart of local communities in the destinations we travel to". A case in point is the 16-day Treasures of Peru & Bolivia tour, which includes once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as joining a local family on Lake Titicaca for a meal in their home and learning traditional weaving techniques in La Paz. An entire day is set aside to explore Machu Picchu, where you can wander through the 15th-century Incan temples and walk around the terraces for sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. From $6999 per person; gadventures.com

Unleash you inner Frances Mayes on Explore Worldwide's eight-day Tuscany Walking and Wine tour, which kicks off in Pisa and ends in Florence. Along the way, you'll visit hilltop wineries in Chianti to savour regional drops, stop by at a farmers' market in Siena to munch on some fresh produce and arrive at the stunning town of Pienza, where you'll get to taste some of the region's best pecorino. Keep you camera handy in the hilltop town of Montalcino, with views of the Tuscan countryside, before arriving in Florence, with storybook bridges and rust-red domes. From $2930 per person; exploreworldwide.com.au