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How it Works

Magical Mystery Tours specializes in customized mystery trips. Travelers set the parameters, we put together a trip based on those specifications, and then travelers discover their destination upon arriving at the airport!

First, you complete our mystery travel survey and provide your trip specifications. Then we get to work putting together a getaway that’s individually designed and customized for you. A week before your trip, we email you a weather forecast, packing list, and flight departure time.

Shortly afterward, we mail your reveal packet containing a destination overview, why we chose it for you, all your trip booking information, and guidance on dining and activity options. You’ll take this sealed red envelope to the airport to open and discover where you’re headed!

Resist the temptation to rip it open early…this is all part of the mystery trip experience!

This vacation style means you don’t have to—can’t, even—spend hours poring over destination options, flight schedules, hotel reviews, lists of things to do, restaurant reviews, and so on. We handle all of the details, drawing upon our considerable travel knowledge and experience.

You simply get to revel in the anticipation and excitement and then show up and enjoy this unique travel experience, with the peace of mind that we have planned your trip just for you, based on the parameters you’ve provided. It’s stress-free and fun!

Are you intrigued? Let’s get started…

What They’re Saying

From Oprah Winfrey and The New York Times to Vogue magazine and hundreds of satisfied clients, folks are raving about Magical Mystery Tours!

Get Inspired

Ever wondered if mystery travel is for you? Read these client testimonials in our Mystery Traveler Q&A series.

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7 Travel Companies That Plan Mystery Vacations

Meet the newest trend in full-service trip planning: surprise travel. You won't find out where you're going until it's time to go.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

For most people, the joy of traveling isn’t the researching or booking—it’s that moment you step off the airplane in a place you’ve never been. So why not skip the planning and let someone else chart your next adventure for you, including choosing the destination? Besides, who cares where you go when you’ve got expert travel agents finalizing every last detail for you?

Introducing the latest trend in travel: surprise trips to places that won’t be revealed to you until it’s go time.

Jubel , a tech-enabled travel company founded in 2015 in California, offers customized multi-destination getaways and route planning. It can also save you more than 55 percent in travel costs compared with booking a trip yourself, thanks to insider travel deals. Jubel also offers surprise trips .

Fill out its survey with your preferred dates, budget, and travel style, and it’ll send you a trip proposal. You can be completely surprised by the destination or learn the continent or country ahead of time. Once you’ve booked, you’ll get sealed envelopes to open along your journey, plus details on what to pack and when to show up at the airport. International trips start at around $1,000 per person per week.

Pack Up and Go

Want a weekend getaway in the U.S. without any hassle of planning it? Enter Pack Up and Go , founded in 2016 in Pittsburgh. Give the company your dates and budget, and complete a quick survey (sample question: Do you want action, relaxation, or culture?), and it will do the rest for you. Prior to your trip, you’ll get a packing list, flight information, and a weather forecast. Days before you leave, an envelope with your destination and itinerary will arrive in the mail. Open it at the airport. Trips start at $400 per person.

The Vacation Hunt

Whether you have three days or two weeks, the expert travelers at the Vacation Hunt , started in 2017 by a husband and wife in Washington, D.C., will plan a trip for you. Tell the reps what you’re looking for (spas or zoos? bars or museums?) and they’ll start sending you clues as to where you’re going. Packaged trips in the U.S. start at $750 per person; international trips start at $950. They also offer gift certificates if you want to give someone else a surprise trip.

Magical Mystery Tours

With Magical Mystery Tours , you won’t know where you’re going until you show up at the airport. First, enter your preferences: Do you want a foreign trip? Do you dislike the cold or the beach? Would you prefer heading to the desert or someplace tropical? Then input your dates, budget, and who you’re traveling with. The company will take care of the details. Magical Mystery Tours has been booking destination vacations to locations all over the globe since 2009. Cost depends on the length of the trip, whether it’s international or domestic travel, and the kind of accommodations you want. Weekend trips for two start at $1,500.

Surprise Me Trips

Choose between quick road trips from your hometown or far-flung destinations via airplane. You’ll get details about what to bring and where to be just before your departure. For its weekend road trips, tell the company where you want to start, and it will plan a surprise itinerary around your region, including a few nights in different locales and major landmarks and activities to check out along the way. Despite this travel company’s name, it will also arrange trips that don’t come as a surprise, if that’s more your thing. Surprise Me Trips was launched by three well-traveled friends in Texas in 2016. Weekend regional road trips start at $375.

Black Tomato

In 2017, high-end travel company Black Tomato  debuted its  Get Lost service, which creates adventurous tailor-made expeditions to wilderness destinations like Mongolia or the Arctic that are kept entirely a secret from you. Here’s how it works: select a polar, jungle, coastal, desert, or mountain trip—or have Black Tomato choose that, too—and book at least six months in advance to give you time to train and prepare. When you arrive at your location, you’ll be outfitted with all the gear you need, plus a private transfer from the airport to your starting point and a satellite phone for emergencies. Chart your way through a series of mapped-out checkpoints using navigational technology and your own two feet. The journey ends at a luxury retreat. Average Get Lost trips cost around $15,000 per person—but there are shorter, less expensive options, too.

Rustic Pathways

Designed for high school students looking for an exciting summer group trip, student-travel company Rustic Pathways offers a mystery trip to an unknown international destination. Before departure you’ll get a Patagonia duffel bag sent to you that’s filled with clues and a few essentials. Then arrive at the designated airport and spend the next two weeks exploring foreign cities and remote villages with other intrepid students as a guide leads the way. As of press time, there were still a few spots left on an upcoming trip in late June. It costs $5,995, not including airfare.

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Desperate to travel anywhere? Mystery trips will make it happen

May 12, 2021 • 5 min read

Ready for a surprise? © Hello World/Getty Images

Mystery trips - where you pay an agency to organize your vacation and don’t find out the destination until the last minute - have been a niche section of the travel industry for a number of years. With travel gradually returning to some countries, they’re betting on people wanting to shake up their routine and embrace spontaneity after many months of staying at home.

Lonely Planet reader Markus Wittich from Germany is a very frequent traveler, racking up 18 trips in 2019 alone. After more than a year of staying at home, the idea of holiday where he doesn't know the destination is extra-appealing to him right now.

“That Groundhog Day feeling is real! We've been stuck at home for over a year and it feels like every day has been kind of the same. Since there haven't been many - or any - pleasant surprises throughout the pandemic, a surprise trip could be a fun idea to visit places that haven't been on your radar before.”

For river cruise company Uniworld, that bet is already paying off. A 10-day Mystery River Cruise in June quickly sold out and a September voyage is on the horizon. CEO Ellen Bettridge confirmed to Lonely Planet the original idea actually came from their customers.

“Our guests communicated that they’re willing to travel anywhere to get back out there and explore the world again as vaccines began rolling out and the light at the end of the tunnel finally neared. We created the Mystery Cruise with that sentiment in mind, to spoil our guests and provide them with a surprise trip of a lifetime with all details and decisions taken care of.”

But after so long being careful, are travelers ready to hand over the reins to someone else, especially when safety is still such a top priority? A quick poll of Lonely Planet readers revealed a mixed bag; 21% said they would be more likely to take a mystery trip now but 27% of people said they would be less likely, expressing concerns of safety or the possibility of being exposed to COVID variants despite being vaccinated. But others were tempted by the novelty. Rachel Van Raan-Welch, a reader from New York City is torn.

“I LOVE the idea of a mystery trip, and especially after being more or less on lockdown for the past year, I'm totally up for traveling anywhere right now. But that's in a hypothetical world in which COVID suddenly totally disappeared. In reality, it's hard to know when ‘after the pandemic’ may be. I wouldn't be comfortable taking a trip without knowing where I'm going or what I'm doing, and I think I'll probably feel that way for a long time.”

Safety and reassurance are priorities of any travel company right now and established surprise travel agencies have been quietly changing up their offerings. Netherlands-based Srprs.me expanded their themed vacation packages to include self-guided road trips in 2020. As travel slowly returns to Europe, spokesperson Anneke told Lonely Planet that road trips remain the top choice for their customers.

“We only send our travelers to safe destinations, so there's no need to stay updated on the travel advice to decide where to go; we do that for them. I think that people definitely still have an appetite for the mystery [and] spontaneous element, but under the current circumstances they prefer the more 'safer mysteries', such as our road trips closer to home.”

Of course, there’s another big reason why many seasoned travelers want to try out a mystery trip and it has nothing to do with the pandemic. “I sometimes plan out my trips too much by researching all the restaurants, museums and sights that I absolutely want to visit,” Markus says. “This can sometimes eliminate the opportunity to being spontaneous. Not knowing the destination before you arrive at the airport forces you to keep an open mind and to go with the flow.”

“Please sign me up!” he adds.

5 mystery trips you can book right now

Pack up + go.

A surprise travel agency specializing in domestic US vacation packages. After a personalized survey, they’ll send you to a mid-size US city with a list of curated recommendations. Since COVID, they also have a Staycation option to explore closer to home. 

Guess Where Trips

Embracing the hyper-local, this Canadian company specializes in creating itineraries around Ontario. They are all self-guided which means it’s a great budget option when you really want someone else to do all the planning for you. They are expanding their offerings to trips starting from Vancouver soon. 

Uniworld Mystery River Cruise

A 10-day river cruising experience, the first voyage in June this year has already sold out and a second date added in September due to popular demand. Everything is included in the price and you’ll be sent a detailed recommended packing list beforehand, One thing you’ll need for definite is your passport. 

With departure airports in Europe, this company specializes in city breaks and has a few different themes that you can choose from or you can specifically request them to send you somewhere new. Self-guided road trip itineraries are also available from the UK, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands. 

Departing from the UK, Spain, Germany and more, this is a straightforward surprise platform where they will set you up with a flight and a hotel. There is no option to customise with your interests though you can veto a few places during your booking process. 

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Coach Holidays, Escorted Tours & Events

0330 440 3999, monday - friday 9am to 5pm, mystery breaks, mystery breaks by coach.

Fancy an adventure or cannot decide on where to go on holiday this year? Then, why not try a mystery coach break? From the traditional seaside destinations to the beautiful scenic countryside or an exciting city break, who knows where you will end up this year! These tours are often great value for money and provide you the with the opportunity to discover some new destinations or visit an old favourite place.

What is a mystery break? As the name suggests, you will be booking a break away, but with destination unknown. We have a variety of tours from Weekender mystery breaks to 7-day adventures. Some tours you find out your mystery destination 2 weeks before travel, others you board the coach, and your driver will reveal where you are heading.

All mystery breaks include coach travel throughout, hotel accommodation, dinner, bed & breakfast and excursions.  Prices start from £89 for a 2-day break.

Please note these tours may not be suitable for all customers as special requests cannot be guaranteed due to the unknown accommodation and destination.

Book Online or Call 0115 977 0080

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Mystery Explorer Tours

Embark on your very own CoachStyle adventure with our exciting mystery breaks! With the same great benefits included in all our coach holidays, these breaks are exceptional value for money.

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Embark on your very own CoachStyle adventure with our exciting mystery breaks! With the same great benefits included in all our coach holidays, these breaks are exceptional value for money. So, step on board one of our comfortable coaches and let us whisk you away to the seaside, countryside, or maybe discover a new favourite city. Once en route the driver will reveal where you will be heading, whilst you sit back and relax.

Return coach travel

1 night half board accommodation

Mystery visits with free time

On a typical mystery break, you will arrive at your first mystery destination and have the opportunity to explore. Then board the coach to be taken to your hotel for our one night stay with dinner and breakfast included.

After breakfast, we head to our second mystery destination before returning home.

Secret Hotel **

Minimum 2-star hotel

Now that would be giving too much away.

Below is a list of pick-up points available on this tour.

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To make a booking firstly select the correct number of passengers that will be travelling. This will perform an availability check to see that there is sufficient space on the tour. If the date you want is available select the Book Now button and you will be guided through the online booking process. If your date is unavailable you can use the Call Back facility to discuss further options.

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Spring Mystery Tour

Spring mystery tour: , southern floral festivities, march 17 - 20, 2024​.

Mystery Tour Step aboard the captivating mystery tour designed exclusively for adventurous souls. An enchanting voyage awaits, shrouded in secrecy, as we depart from WNC. Prepare to be mesmerized by the allure of unknown destinations and unforgettable experiences. Exclusive accommodations: Nestled amidst lush surroundings and steeped in history, your hotel offers a haven of comfort and elegance, boasting timeless charm, with the opportunity for a leisurely riverside stroll outside your door.

Festive Revelry: Join in the merriment as we visit a lively celebration of nature’s delicate marvels. Prepare to be dazzled by a renowned festival filled with captivating colors, cultural exhibits, and delightful festivities.

Blossoms and Gardens Extravaganza: Delight in the beauty of nature’s most captivating wonders at two secret gardens, offering a stunning backdrop for serene strolls. Historic Treasures Unveiled: Embark on an enriching historical escapade to explore the hidden gems of our undisclosed destination. Lose yourself in captivating stories that echo through time. Culinary Secrets and Gastronomic Delights : Indulge in an exquisite array of delectable culinary delights from the region’s best-kept secret eateries. Savor mouthwatering dishes that embody the essence of southern cuisine.

Art and Culture at Every Turn: Immerse yourself in the vibrant local arts and culture scene, as we unveil the region’s best-kept artistic treasures.

The Thrill of Discovery: Experience the thrill of anticipation as you embark on each day’s journey without knowing what lies ahead. Embrace the excitement of the unknown, cherishing every moment as it unfolds before you.

Join us on this extraordinary and enigmatic tour, where every twist and turn promises a new adventure and the opportunity to create lasting memories with a group of like-minded explorers.

Embark on a quest to discover the wonders of the South, and let the spirit of curiosity guide you through this unforgettable journey of surprises and delights. Bon voyage!

T our Includes:

All accommodations and activities

Full choice of menu where available

Complimentary onboard beverages and snacks

Transportation via one of our luxury vehicles

Full escorted tour with your Globe Treks Tour Manager

Taxes, gratuities and luggage handling

Prices and coach itinerary subject to change.

$1,995  per guest (double)

$2,395  per guest (single)

Other Tours :

In addition to Southeast and Mystery Coach Tours , please also see our  Day Trips ,  Northeast and West Coach Tours ,  International Coach Tours , and  Private Coach Charters .

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Mystery Tour

Back by popular demand are our Mystery Tours, the ultimate escape for an overnight stay, as well as being great value for money!

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Back by popular demand are our Mystery Breaks the ultimate escape for an overnight stay, as well as being great value for money!

- On the first day we travel to our first mystery destination where you’ll have free time to explore.

- We’ll then travel to our 3/4 star mystery hotel where a delicious evening meal is provided, and then the evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure.

- After breakfast on the next day, we then call in at another mystery destination for more free time before making our way home.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT MAY APPLY

Price Includes:

Dinner, Bed & Breakfast during your stay.

Executive Coach Travel.

Services of experienced tour driver.

Please Note:  We have limited space to carry Mobility Aids on our Tours. If you need to take a mobility aid on a Holiday please put the description in the Special Needs Section and we will check if we have availability

On the first day we travel to our first mystery destination where you’ll have free time to explore. We’ll then travel to our 3/4 star mystery hotel where a delicious evening meal is provided, and then the evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure. After breakfast on the next day, we then call in at another mystery destination for more free time before we head home.

Below is a list of pick-up points available on this tour.

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Pick-up Point Times

To make a booking firstly select the correct number of passengers that will be travelling. This will perform an availability check to see that there is sufficient space on the tour. If the date you want is available select the Book Now button and you will be guided through the online booking process. If your date is unavailable you can use the Call Back facility to discuss further options.

There are currently no departures available on this tour.

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MURDER MYSTERY WEEKEND

17th – 19th november 2023 – price: £299pp, about the tour.

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Fancy a holiday, but not sure where to go? Why not let us do the choosing and decide for you!

Be amazed with our 3 day Mystery Tours. We will take you to a mystery destination within the UK for you to enjoy.

Be amazed with our 4 day Mystery Tours. We will take you to a mystery destination within the UK for you to enjoy.

If you are unsure where to go for a holiday, then why not go on our Continental Mystery Tour!

Sit back and relax as we take you for a 2 day Mystery Break - be amazed where you could go!

Come along and solve a Murder Mystery!

For his anniversary tour Sean has decided to take you on a mystery, this super value bargain break includes a free bar!

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Shearings Our Choice Mystery Breaks

Shearings holidays our choice mystery breaks by coach.

Shearings offer their Mystery Breaks with massive savings on what you could have paid had you selected the trip and paid the full Shearings holidays brochure price. All you do is let Shearings Coach holidays selectwhere you go and you can enjoy the savings and a great value holiday. As the Shearings slogan says you book, we choose, you save!

You still get all the benefits of a normal Shearings Holiday and stay in great locations giving you access to historical, cultural attractions and nearby landmarks.

Shearings Mystery Breaks / Shearings Our Choice Holidays

A. Select your departure date (some dates are cheaper than others, be flexible and you could save even more!) B. Mystery Breaks are available from the North West, Yourkshire & South East only – sorry C. Book direct online on the official shearings holidays web site > click here D. Shearings select the destination – you save money. E. Shearings will contact you before your departure date with holiday details. F. Join your coach at your chosen deaprture point and enjoy your holiday. G. When you get back tell your friends how good it was.

For full details and the latest prices on Shearings Our Choice Mystery Breaks please visit the official Shearings Holidays web site > click here

Top Things to Do in Khimki, Russia - Khimki Must-See Attractions

Things to do in khimki.

• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Good for a Rainy Day
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• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Culture and Leisure Park of Lev Tolstoy

2. Khimki Art Gallery Named After S. N. Gorshin

3. Church of The Holy Blessed Matrona of Moscow

4. The Square in front of the Government Office

5. Memorial to Citizens of Khimki Who Gave Their Life For Motherland

6. Ezhi Monument

7. Monument to St. Peter and Fevronia

8. Kinogorod Piligrim Porto

9. Holy Trinity Church

10. Khimki Arena

11. Temple of New Martyrs and Russian Confessors

12. Nash Dom Drama Theater

13. planernaya olympic sports complex.

14. Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

15. Church of the Epiphany

16. Country Park

17. Park Eco-Bereg

18. Park of Maria Rubtsova

19. Temple of The Resurrection

20. TAINY MIRA

21. St. George Temple

23. Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

24. protection of the holy virgin temple.

25. St. Nicholas Chapel

26. St. Mikhail the Archangel Chapel

27. gallery 3d sculpture museum.

28. Park near the Government Office

29. Vzlyotka

30. History Museum of Sheremetyevo

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How the GRU spy agency targets the west, from cyberspace to Salisbury

Accusations mount against the Russian army’s main intelligence directorate

In Russia’s shadow war with the west, one intelligence agency keeps making headlines.

The GRU, or main intelligence directorate, of the Russian army, has been accused of spearheading several of Russia’s most notorious operations in recent years. They include the 2014 seizure of Crimea using undercover soldiers called “little green men”, the hacking theft of emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton, and even the planning of a failed coup in Montenegro .

A British security source told the Guardian on Monday that the nerve agent attack on the former double agent Sergei Skripal was also ordered by the intelligence agency. The British government is poised to submit an extradition request to Moscow for two Russians suspected of carrying out the Salisbury attack that left one person dead and three injured, including Skripal and his daughter.

One of the three main Russian intelligence agencies, less has been written about the GRU (now officially called the GU, or Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces) than its sister agencies, particularly the Soviet-era KGB or its modern successor the FSB, the spy agency once headed by Vladimir Putin .

Known for operating under a wartime mentality and a willingness to take risks, experts say the culture of the GRU has been influenced by its inclusion of Spetsnaz special forces and experience in war zones, including Syria and Ukraine .

Open source researchers have claimed that a GRU officer supervised the transport of anti-aircraft weapons to eastern Ukraine when the Malaysian jetliner flight MH17 was shot down there, killing 298 people.

“The GRU regards itself as a war-fighting instrument. Yes, it gathers conventional intelligence … but its culture is much more military,” said Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian security issues and the country’s intelligence agencies . “Although only a minority of GRU officers are Spetsnaz, it has an impact when part of your service are commandos.”

Besides special forces, the spy agency manages more traditional intelligence-gathering operations around the world, as well as signals intelligence.

Vladimir Rezun, a GRU officer who defected to the UK in the 1970s, wrote in his history of the agency (written under the pen name Viktor Suvorov) that it was largely tasked with preventing the collapse of the Soviet Union from without, as opposed to the KGB, which had a prominent role in thwarting internal threats.

While the KGB became notorious, the GRU largely operated in obscurity. “In the people’s consciousness, everything that is dark, underground and secret is connected with the KGB but not at all with the GRU,” he wrote.

Traditionally, Galeotti noted, the GRU answered for “uncontrolled spaces”. While in the past that has meant areas like civil wars, it may also apply to zones like cyberspace now.

Several Russian intelligence agencies were involved in hacking operations before the 2016 US presidential elections, but only the GRU was identified in an 11-count indictment released last month by the United States special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The hack was perpetrated by staff employees of several Moscow-based units traditionally tied to signal intelligence.

The interests of Russia’s intelligence agencies regularly overlap, as have their methods. As Christopher Andrew wrote in The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West, his study of notes on KGB files smuggled out of Russia, the agency “offered its allies lethal nerve toxins and poisons which were fatal on contact with the skin for use during ‘special actions’”.

While the GRU has largely been shrouded in secrecy, there have been occasional contacts with the west.

Peter Zwack, a retired US army brigadier general, wrote about a series of meetings before the Sochi Olympics with the head of the GRU, Igor Sergun, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack in January 2016. “I found him soft-spoken, unassuming, complex, erudite and nuanced,” he said of their meetings, which largely focused on counter-terrorism efforts.

“I learned that even as Sergun relentlessly directed global intelligence operations against our interests, he — paradoxically — also viewed constant confrontation with the US and west as not in Russia’s best long-term interest,” Zwack wrote.

Those meetings ended after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

• Trump-Russia investigation
• Sergei Skripal
• Robert Mueller

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