Destinations: Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

We all want different things out of travel: Some people are chasing heart-pounding adventures, some are craving a taste of new cultures or cuisines, and others are on a journey of self-discovery. Four Seasons offers experiences tailored to every travel personality. Enjoy one of the World’s 50 Best Bars in Bangkok, balance your energy in Costa Rica and reach new speeds in Whistler. Whatever your travel style, Four Seasons can help you live out your wildest dreams this summer.

The city of Seoul is a study in contrasts: rich traditions and historic landmarks in the heart of a bustling, forward-thinking metropolis. Experience both the old and the new on a guided walking tour arranged by Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. You’ll enjoy special access to some of the city’s top attractions and sites, like Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village and the gallery-lined alleys of Insa-dong. To further immerse yourself in the city’s culture, don a hanbok – a traditional Korean garment worn during holidays and celebrations – for your tour.

Your cultural journey continues when you return to the Hotel. Chief Concierge Sojung Park suggests you unwind at the Spa with another Korean tradition: a visit to the Korean sauna, featuring cold, warm and hot baths as well as wet and dry sauna rooms. Afterwards, toast your experience at The Market Kitchen, where carefully preserved 600-year-old ruins are on display beneath a glass floor.

Alternatively, opt to escape the city. All eyes may be on the world-class athletes competing for the gold in Paris, but if you need a break from the action, set out from Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, for an exclusive visit to Maison Belle Époque, set in the heart of Champagne’s vineyards. Once the house of the founders of Perrier-Jouët, this private residence and UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the largest private collection of French art nouveau in Europe – as well as the oldest vintage champagne in the world. Explore works by Emile Gallé, Georges de Feure, Rodin and Toulouse Lautrec as you tour the historic venue, including a stop in the legendary Eden Cellar to taste the finest vintages of the house. Join Chef Sébastien Morellon for lunch in the estate’s gardens, then return to the Hotel for an exclusive dinner at the Michelin-starred L’Orangerie, paired with bubbles from the House of Perrier-Jouët.

If you’d like to extend your time in Champagne, you can opt to spend the night at Maison Belle Époque, an experience available exclusively to Four Seasons guests. After a gourmet dinner served with vintages from the cellar, make yourself comfortable in one of the home’s five meticulously restored bedrooms. The next day, take a stroll through the vineyard for a picnic among the vines before your return journey to the city.

It’s hard to picture a more romantic getaway than Maui: sandy beaches, lush palms, fragrant plumeria and stunning sunsets over clear blue waters. It’s no surprise, then, that the island is one of the top honeymoon destinations for couples. Whether you’re seeking an intimate sanctuary for the two of you to hide away or the chance to make memories together on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is the ideal setting.

The Resort’s experts can craft a personalized itinerary for you and your loved one, including unique travel experiences like sunset sails, a private beach picnic or a helicopter tour of the island. For the ultimate day together, join a Resort chef on a helicopter ride to a local organic fruit farm for a tour and an exotic fruit tasting; then explore the famed town of Hana, where a cultural expert will guide you on a swim in the lava caves at Wai‘anapanapa’s Black Sand Beach or a hike to a waterfall deep within the bamboo forest. Afterwards, return to the Resort and savour a multi-course menu tailored to your tastes and served by your personal waiter in a secluded corner overlooking Wailea Beach.

If you’re looking for the perfect place to rekindle your romance, look no further than the undiscovered East Cape of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. “Our location on the East Cape of Los Cabos is picture-perfect for romance. It’s far removed from the busy ‘El Corridor’ area and surrounded by never-ending beach, mountains and sky – the perfect setting for meaningful connection,” says General Manager Borja Manchado at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas. “There’s a magical sense of discovery here. To share those moments with your person is to fall in love with them all over again.”

Embrace the spirit of discovery – and your inner child – at Camp Verano, the Resort’s summer camp for adults. The itinerary makes the most of the Resort’s picturesque setting: dive or snorkel Cabo Pulmo, which famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau called “the aquarium of the world;” hike to a stunning vista for an above-the-clouds HIIT class; go off-roading through the desert dunes; or splash in a secret waterfall. After a day of adventure, return to the Resort for the Oasis Signature Massage, which combines energetic stones and local herbs to create a sense of stillness, followed by a private beachfront dinner.

On a quest for personal well-being and inner peace? Discover pura vida at Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica, where wellness experts lead you through a holistic program designed to help you centre mind, body and spirit – just steps from the beach. The Resort’s visiting practitioners program includes workshops and private sessions with world-class healers who can help you embrace life’s challenges. Throughout July, you can uncover hidden core beliefs and inner strength with the help of Dr. Debra Greene, a mind-body integration specialist who uses energy kinesiology and energy-based techniques to encourage lasting improvements, or embark on a journey towards self-discovery through movement and breathwork with fitness innovator Ashli Katz during her August residency. You might be surprised by your transformation.

If you’re still searching for rejuvenation, try yoga in the Resort’s new Wellness Shala, a sacred space inspired by the natural grace and lightness of the Guanacaste winds, overlooking Costa Rica’s lush tropical forest.

Retreat to a secluded haven at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, a sanctuary of well-being. The Resort’s in-house experts on Thai culture, traditions and holistic healing will tailor wellness experiences to your needs, guiding you on a journey to live a life in balance. It all starts with a good night’s sleep: Give your body, mind and soul time to rejuvenate and discover the power of slow living to fine-tune your circadian rhythms. The Soulful Awakening experience begins with a three-course wellness dinner carefully curated to complement your metabolism before signalling to your body that it’s time to wind down with a luxurious bath ritual. The next day, restorative yoga will activate your parasympathetic nervous system to help you reduce stress, balance your energy, and experience a state of peace and calm.

For those seeking spiritual healing or new meaning, the Resort can also arrange a visit to one of the area’s temples for a private session with monks who have dedicated their lives to the deeply harmonious teachings of Buddhism. Your time with them will help you look within to discover your true self, leaving you uplifted and inspired.

The Maldives islands are stunning: pristine white-sand beaches, endless balmy sunshine, sparkling turquoise waters. That beauty extends below the waves, where you’ll discover an underwater kingdom filled with sea turtles, manta rays, vividly coloured fish and coral reefs. Help protect this UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, where a team of marine biologists at the Marine Discovery Centre lead conservation efforts.

Contribute to the cause by becoming a scientist for a day: Stop into the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre to help with turtle-monitoring and photo-ID projects, or join in on the pioneering Reefscapers program to help build coral reefs in the Resort’s lagoon. For a truly unforgettable experience, sign up for Manta on Call so you’ll be notified immediately whenever manta rays are spotted nearby. When they are, you can hop on a speedboat for an opportunity to swim with these giant, gentle creatures.

Since you’re never too young to care about the health of our oceans, scientifically minded teens and young adults can join the Resort’s new Trainee Marine Biologist Program for a deep dive into what it takes to pursue a conservation career. The program’s six modules combine educational sessions with hands-on activities like helping the team track dolphins in the waters around the island, using artificial intelligence to monitor coral reef restoration efforts, and supporting the on-site veterinarian providing life-saving care to injured sea turtles.

At Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, México, every experience is designed with conservation and sustainability in mind. “We embrace sustainability not just as a practice, but as a core principle of our ethos,” says Resort Manager Eduardo Sampere. “We are deeply committed to environmental stewardship, which extends to the way we source and use our water.” The Resort uses hydropanel technology to extract clean, pollutant-free water from the air and, using the power of the sun, mineralize it for taste, producing enough premium-quality drinking water to meet all the Resort’s needs.

Other conservation measures can be found throughout the Resort, from specially designed roofs that collect and filter rainwater for irrigation to the careful design of Resort tents, buildings, and pathways to accommodate trees and animal habitats to preserve biodiversity. For a truly immersive, sustainable experience, head to the Spa for a serene soak in an ofuro tub, made from regionally sourced high-insulation cedar wood to capture and retain heat to conserve energy. This thermal soak is soothing to mind and body, promoting detoxification, elevating cardiovascular performance, fortifying the immune system, purifying the skin, and easing pain or stress.

Flavour is on the menu at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, where the talented chefs and mixologists have been earning accolades for their inventive culinary creations. Explore Cantonese flavours with Chef Tommy Cheung’s signature tasting menu at Yu Ting Yuan, or get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Argentinian-inspired cocktails served at BKK Social Club – which recently took the top spot on Thailand’s 20 Best Bars list and ranked number 13 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list.

At the new Palmier by Guillaume Galliot, Michelin-distinguished Chef Guillaume Galliot blends the charm of French brasserie cuisine with reimagined traditional favourites, set against the relaxed backdrop of Bangkok’s riverside. The menu offers a taste of classic French ingredients in dishes inspired by Galliot’s childhood in the Loire Valley, as well as a selection of regularly changing signatures from the chef’s storied career.

Gourmands will leap at the opportunity to discover the art of cooking authentic Vietnamese dishes. A chef from Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam, will guide you on a culinary adventure, from Hanoi’s haute cuisine to Hoi An’s street food. At the Resort’s Cooking Academy, you’ll tour the organic herb and vegetable gardens before setting off to explore unique local produce at a vegetable village and one of the area’s age-old markets. Then return to the Resort for a lesson in centuries-old cooking techniques and a meal of flavours you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

Even the youngest chefs can expand their palates. An hour-long Junior Academy course will introduce them to new flavours and ingredients, then teach them how to prepare simple but delicious Vietnamese dishes.

Take your travels to new heights in Sydney with an adrenaline-pumping 1,332-step walk up the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, accompanied by a guide from Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. Your reward: a 360-degree view of the city that you will never forget. As you gaze down at landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and Luna Park – or, on a clear day, the Blue Mountains – it’s easy to see why Sydney Harbour is considered by many to be the most beautiful natural harbour in the world.

If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, escape to the Australian Outback and Uluru, the sacred heart of Australia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experts believe the massive sandstone monolith started forming around 550 million years ago; today, it stands 348 metres (1,142 feet) high. After your private jet flight to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, join a guide on a private walking tour of the site. If the timing is right, you might get to see the rock seem to glow red under the light of the sun from iron oxide in the sandstone.

The heart-pounding adventure continues in the Canadian mountains, where Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler offers world-class skiing and activities like hiking, white-water rafting and bear viewing. Take the plunge with an exhilarating leap over the glacial-fed Cheakamus River. Leap from the Whistler Bungee Bridge for a 160-foot (50-metre) bungee jump – one of only two places to bungee jump in British Columbia and considered one of the most scenic jump sites in the world.

For a bucket list–worthy experience, strap on a helmet and race through 10 icy twists and turns in a real bobsleigh driven by a trained pilot. During your run through the course, you’ll reach speeds of more than 100 km/h and feel the acceleration of up to 4 g-forces. The Whistler Sliding Centre is the only place in Canada where you can try bobsleighing and take to the ice like an Olympian, and Four Seasons can make all the arrangements for you. Available during both summer and winter, this experience is a can’t-miss for those in search of an intoxicating rush of adrenaline.