Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations
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Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
art & performance

Cambodia: Contemporary Art, Spiritual Traditions, and Hidden Wonders

Cambodia
From $3,215 USD
Explore the vibrant art, religion, and food culture of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and spend time with the country's leading artists and performers. 
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science & nature

Science After Dark: Spotting Squid in the Tides of Oahu

Hawaii
From $3,535 USD
Just beneath the waves off the Hawaiian coast, there are schools of tropical fish, flotillas of sea turtles, and squads of squid. We’re diving in to explore some of their secrets. 
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art & performance

Desert Canvas: Art of Joshua Tree and the Mojave

Joshua Tree
From $2,360 USD
Join us as we venture deep into the High Desert, glimpsing massive sculptures, revitalizing domes, and fluorescent painted mountains along the way.
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history & culture

Tunisia Through the Sands of Time

Tunisia
From $3,660 USD
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Upcoming Experiences
Experience

Flirting with Love

City of Industry, California
$35 per person
Experience

Ascend Ascend: A Poetic Performance

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$35 per person
Experience a public ritual for personal transformation with poet Janaka Stucky.
Experience

Discover Greenbelt Town of Tomorrow

Greenbelt, Maryland
$20 per person
Experience

Explore the Ruins of Seneca Quarry

Poolesville, Maryland
$30 per person
Experience

Hidden Stories at Graceland Cemetery

Chicago, Illinois
$20 per person
Experience

Bee Medicine: Oils, Salves and Balms

Seattle, Washington
$60 per person
Experience

Exploring Historic Homes of the Stars

Santa Monica, California
$28 per person
Experience

Hollywood Miniature Magic

Los Angeles, California
$35 per person
Experience

Two Bit Circus Bemusement Park Tour

Los Angeles, California
$35 per person
Experience

Japanese Incense and Tea Experience

Seattle, Washington
$50 per person
Experience

Lost and Long-Gone Graveyards of L.A.

Los Angeles, California
$35 per person
Experience

The Spies of Georgetown

Washington, D.C.
$35 per person
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More Stories
List

12 Historic Places at Risk From Rising Waters

It's not just Venice: Flooding is an increasingly big problem for heritage sites around the world.
islands

How the Wiyot Tribe Won Back a Sacred California Island

The tribe finally completed a ceremony interrupted by a massacre in 1860.
Sabrina Imbler November 15, 2019
national parks

Along the Remains of Route 66, Road Trip Trash Has Become Treasure

Welcome to the "throw zone."
Jessica Leigh Hester November 15, 2019
maps

Tour Honolulu's Japanese Food Scene With This 1906 Map

More than a century ago, Takei Nekketsu mapped Japanese-owned businesses for recent immigrants.
Reina Gattuso November 15, 2019
mummies

Ancient Egypt’s Ibis Mummies Were Probably Not Raised in Giant Sacred Ranches

Genetic research suggests a more local solution to meet demand.
Isaac Schultz November 14, 2019
coral reefs

Taiwan’s Pygmy Seahorses Have a Robust Social Media Presence

Scientists used it to conduct a survey of them in the country's dive hotspots.
Sabrina Imbler November 14, 2019
pirates

A Pirate Botanist Helped Bring Hot Chocolate to England

William Hughes was a buccaneer with an early recipe for “the American Nectar.”
Reina Gattuso November 14, 2019
food

The Greatest Banquet in Chinese History That Never Was

How grilled ape, braised bear paw, and steamed camel hump came to symbolize national unity.
Luke Fater November 13, 2019
science

Probing the Secrets of the Universe From Deep in the Australian Outback

Extreme heat, ants, and stray cell phones are big concerns.
Isaac Schultz November 13, 2019
mummies

This Five-Legged Cat Mummy Is Not as Strange as It Seems

A recently scanned cat mummy was probably not a scam, but the remains of animals that died on a sacred site.
Sabrina Imbler November 13, 2019
paintings

Found: Surprisingly Modern Paint on an Ancient Egyptian Gate

How did a pigment that Vermeer used in the 1600s wind up on Egyptian art from the 6th century BC?
Sabrina Imbler November 12, 2019
churches

For Sale: Two Tiffany-Style Windows From a Historic South Side Church

The auctioneers think they’re Tiffany, but it’s actually hard to prove.
Sabrina Imbler November 12, 2019
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