5 Reasons to Add a Personal Day to Your Next Trip

After a subdued year at home, many travellers are anxious to schedule work trips or visits to reconnect with far-flung family. Be sure to block off a little personal time, too, so you can discover a new corner of the city or explore the natural beauty outside its bounds. From accompanying a sushi chef around Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market to soaring over the Grand Canyon in high style, here’s how to maximize an extra day – or hour – in Tokyo, Las Vegas, Florence, Bogotá and Dubai.

When you wrap up work in the soaring city of Dubai, reward yourself with a sunset trek through the desert. Seasoned safari-goers know dusk is the best time to ride the golden dunes – as the sky dims and the air cools, native animals like caracals and cape hares appear. As a guest of Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, you’ll ride in a mint-condition 1950s Land Rover with an expert guide, watching as the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve comes to life. You can catch a glimpse of local wildlife like oryx, foxes and caracals, and then gather for a meal prepared by Four Seasons chefs and served under the stars.

Prefer a birds’-eye view? Watch as wandering gazelles and camels traverse the sandy landscape during a breathtaking sunrise hot-air balloon ride over this same desert preserve.

With narrow lanes crowded with shops and restaurants offering everything from miso and dried vegetables to fresh seafood and handmade ceramics, Tsukiji Outer Market has earned a reputation as “Tokyo’s Kitchen. Rise early and set out from Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi with a local Edomae chef for an insider’s look at the famed market. Snack on fresh sushi or hot tamagoyaki – a Japanese-style omelette – served on a stick as you explore the stalls, filled with rows upon rows of fish, fruits, vegetables, spices and other culinary delights. After shopping, head to your guide’s restaurant for a private meal and cooking lesson.

The Imperial Palace loop is a favourite among runners in central Tokyo, and for good reason – the 5-kilometre (3.1 miles) path encircles the palace grounds, with serene moats, stone walls, gates and gardens. Pick up a runner’s map at the Hotel’s front desk – a complimentary jogging stroller is also available if you’re travelling with family.

White truffles from the San Miniato hills, between Florence and Pisa, have earned worldwide renown. During a Tuscan countryside trek arranged by Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, you’ll join a team of truffle hunters in hot pursuit of these precious culinary gems. After a visit to the medieval town of San Miniato to explore the open-air truffle market and learn about truffle biology and cooking methods, set off through the woods with scent hounds and expert hunters in search of the elusive morsels. After unearthing a few specimens, return to the Hotel for a truffle tasting at Michelin-starred Il Palagio Restaurant and a toast to your time in Florence.

Wide wooden rowboats called renaioli boats have cruised the river Arno for centuries. Participate in a timeless Florentine tradition and see a new side of the city aboard Four Seasons Hotel Firenze’s own restored renaioli boat, passing beside or beneath sites like the Uffizi Museums and the Ponte Vecchio with an expert guide at the helm.

The spectacular Andes mountains – home to sites of historical and cultural significance and stunning natural beauty – are a long way from Colombia’s capital by car, but are easily accessible by air. On an excursion offered exclusively to guests of Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá and Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá, you’ll fly via helicopter over emerald-coloured Gustavita Lake, scene of the legend of El Dorado: A mythical Muisca king covered himself with gold dust and plunged from a raft into the water as a tribute to the gods; according to the legend, he was rewarded with an empire of gold. Afterwards, continue on via helicopter to land at the Zipaquira Salt Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church built 200 metres underground in an old salt mine, and join a local guide who will walk you through the site’s history and construction, as well as its religious sculptures and symbols.

Experience a guided tasting of Colombia’s esteemed San Alberto coffee. From a private room inside Castanyoles restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá, you’ll practice several sense-sharpening exercises before the “coffee baptism” begins.

Many visitors to Las Vegas make the trip to the Grand Canyon, but most are doing it the hard way. Get an unparalleled tour of American Southwest splendour on an excursion available exclusively to guests at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas: Soar over the Valley of Fire, a preservation area defined by ancient trees, petroglyphs and sandstone formations, and then dip deep into the Grand Canyon, landing 3,500 feet (1,066 metres) below the West Rim. A picnic lunch prepared by the Four Seasons culinary team is yours to enjoy as the Colorado River rumbles below. The return flight affords aerial views of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam before delivering you to the scintillating Las Vegas Strip.

Have the Concierge reserve your spot at James Turrell’s Akhob installation, tucked into the top of the Louis Vuitton store at City Center. In this immersive art experience, dimensions become obscured as you walk through large chambers filled with slowly changing lights.