{"id":9355,"date":"2019-12-23T10:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-12-23T15:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/?p=9355"},"modified":"2019-12-18T12:04:20","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T17:04:20","slug":"top-5-destinations-of-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/top-5-destinations-of-2019","title":{"rendered":"Explorica\u2019s Top 5 Destinations of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the year (and the decade!) wind down, we\u00a0<\/span>took a look<\/span>\u00a0back at our most popular travel destinations for 2019. Where in the world have Explorica travelers hung their\u00a0<\/span>hats?<\/span>\u00a0Let’s find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0<\/span>Barcelona, Madrid, & Andalusia<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

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This popular tour lets students experience the\u00a0<\/span>sights and sounds of Spain<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0beginning with a walking tour of Barcelona.\u00a0<\/span>Exploring\u00a0<\/span>Madrid\u00a0<\/span>is next,<\/span>\u00a0with sightseeing including the Cibeles Fountain and the Royal Palace. From Madrid to Seville, our trekkers enjoyed Spanish cuisine, including traditional paella and tapas!\u00a0<\/span>Our students ended<\/span>\u00a0the trip with beach time at Costa del Sol\u00a0<\/span>to catch\u00a0<\/span>some rays\u00a0<\/span>\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>just one more\u00a0<\/span>cultural experience<\/span>\u00a0to mark off the bucket list.<\/span><\/p>\n

2009: London Theater<\/span><\/h5>\n

With the end of the decade approaching, we were curious what a look back to 2009\u2019s most popular trips were, as well. In fifth place ten years ago was the\u00a0<\/span>London Theater tour<\/span><\/a>! Travelers spent eight days enjoying London, taking in awe-inspiring sights such as Stonehenge and the London Tower.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0<\/span>Washington, D.C. & New York City<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of history and culture to be found right here in America! Many travelers in 2019 made use of the home field advantage and checked out the sights of DC and NYC. Students walked the halls of the U.S. Capitol and Radio City Music Hall, toured George Washington\u2019s Mt. Vernon home, and stood at the foot of our Lady Liberty. And what’s a New York City trip without a Broadway show? No wonder these two cities found themselves on our top five list!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2009: Paris<\/span><\/h5>\n

Our fourth most popular destination 10 years ago was\u00a0<\/span>Paris, <\/span><\/a>t<\/span>he City of Light. Travelers shopped in the boutiques of Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, took in the Eiffel Tower, and gazed upon many famous works of art at the Louvre<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0<\/span>Italy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Explorica<\/span>\u00a0jetsetters landed Italy in our top three destinations of the year. Students marveled at the canals of Venice, the towers and domes of Florence, and the piazzas and churches of Rome. The Italian arts of glassblowing and leatherworking are explored on this tour as well, to get a feel for the luxury items that Italy exports. <\/span><\/p>\n

2009: Italy<\/span><\/h5>\n

The opportunity to explore sites like the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Sistine Chapel helped to make this trip popular in 2019 and, to no surprise, in 2009 as well!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/span>Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Charting in at number two for 2019\u2019s top travel locations is Washington, D.C.! With so much history, governmental influence, and sights to be seen, it\u2019s no wonder D.C. makes it into our top travel destinations.<\/span>\u00a0This four-day trip takes students to the National Mall, Arlington Cemetery, the Smithsonian Museums, Mt. Vernon, the U.S. Capitol, and so many more places that have shaped our nation\u2019s history.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2009: Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/h5>\n

You guessed it \u2014 our number two tour in 2009 was also Washington, D.C.! Great for students and travelers of all ages, we’re not surprised that this destination is popular year after year.<\/p>\n

Which bring us to… <\/span><\/p>\n

::drumroll::<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wait for it….!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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1.\u00a0<\/span>Costa Rica<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

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This tropical locale is by far our most popular destination, topping the chart at #1 most years (including 2009<\/span><\/strong>). Travelers tour a volcano, kayak in a\u00a0<\/span>crystal clear<\/span>\u00a0lake, zipline through the rainforest, ride horses, and get to hang out on a Costa Rican beach. <\/span><\/p>\n

We can\u2019t say we\u2019re not a little biased, too, since this is our\u00a0Explorica\u00a0mascot\u00a0<\/span>Tico\u2019s<\/span><\/a>\u00a0native land. Add Tico\u2019s endorsement and the exotic scenery to the fun-filled adventures available on this trip, and it\u2019s no wonder so many people want to pack their bags and hop a flight to this refreshing climate!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to all of our explorers who made these tours our hottest destinations in 2019. We can\u2019t wait to see where 2020 will take all of you \u2014 tell us where you want to travel in the new decade!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the year (and the decade!) wind down, we\u00a0took a look\u00a0back at our most popular travel destinations for 2019. Where in the world have Explorica travelers hung their\u00a0hats?\u00a0Let’s find out! 5.\u00a0Barcelona, Madrid, & Andalusia\u00a0 This popular tour lets students experience the\u00a0sights and sounds of Spain,\u00a0beginning with a walking tour of Barcelona.\u00a0Exploring\u00a0Madrid\u00a0is next,\u00a0with sightseeing including the Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[718342,402,52,17,612008,83,718341,105],"class_list":["post-9355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explorica-news","tag-andalusia","tag-barcelona","tag-costa-rica","tag-italy","tag-nyc","tag-spain","tag-top-destinations","tag-washington-dc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9355"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9368,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9355\/revisions\/9368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.explorica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}