Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations
THE GASTRO OBSCURA BOOK An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. Just released! The Gastro Obscura book is here! Order Now
What's near me?

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

Book a Trip
Take an Online Course
Join an Online Experience
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Happening This Week
Join these experiences from your computer or phone.
Online
Experience

Underwater Happy Hour w/ the NY Aquarium: SHARKS!

Thu, Sep 23
$15 per device
Online
Online Course

3D Paper Art: Pop-Ups and Paper Engineering With Yoojin Kim

Starts Tue, Oct 26
4 Sessions
$245 per person
+ 2 other dates
Online
Experience

Learning the Language of Art w/ Art Muse L.A.: Performance Art

Thu, Sep 23
$15 per device
Online
Online Course

Recreating Ancient Recipes With VAWAA

Starts Sat, Sep 25
3 Sessions
$235 per person
+ 1 other date
Online
Online Course

Stories in the Stones: How to Read a Gravestone With Dr. Elise M. Ciregna

Starts Wed, Oct 27
4 Sessions
$265 per person
In this four-part course, learn how to decode the stories in gravestones and deepen your understanding of America’s cemeteries.
+ 3 other dates
Online
Online Course

Mixology Around the World: Global Cocktails with Mixellany

Starts Tue, Sep 28
3 Sessions
$75 per person
Online
Experience

Nina Nightingale's Charm School: Basket Weaving

Tue, Sep 28
$15 per device
Join curiosity artist Nina Nightingale for an evening of crafting, history, and impolite discourse.
Online
Experience

Special Access: Vertebrate Paleontology at The Academy of Natural Sciences

Wed, Sep 29
$20 per device
Online
Experience

Exploring Basque Culture and Cuisine w/ Devour Tours

Wed, Sep 29
$30 per device
Online
Online Course

Quilting Culture & Practice With Aaron Sanders Head

Starts Wed, Sep 29
6 Sessions
$235 per person
+ 1 other date
Online
Experience

Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Zombies

Thu, Sep 30
$12 per device
Explore the world's greatest monsters, myths, and legends with paranormal author and cultural historian, Colin Dickey!
Online
Online Course

Looking for Lizards: Herping With Dr. Earyn McGee

Starts Thu, Sep 30
4 Sessions
$240 per person
See All Experiences
Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
wildlife & nature

Searching for Russia’s Northern Lights

Russia
Nov 22–28, 2021
From $3,830 USD
Bear witness to the ethereal glow of the Northern Lights, explore Arctic Russia, and see life in the Polar Circle up close.
+ 1 other date
history

Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell

Turkmenistan
Mar 18–27, 2022
From $3,475 USD
On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell.
+ 2 other dates
history

Pyramids and Petroglyphs of Sudan

Sudan
Mar 22–Apr 1, 2022
From $5,680 USD
Journey along the Nile, across the Sudanese desert, and discover the pyramids and archaeological treasures of ancient civilizations.
+ 1 other date
food & drink

The Culinary Crossroads of Marseille

France
Jun 6–12, 2022
From $5,130 USD
See All Trips
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
More Stories
science

Mongolia's Melting Ice Reveals Fragile Prehistoric Artifacts

Researchers scramble to find and study everyday items preserved for millennia and now at risk.
William Taylor September 20, 2021
roadside attractions

Podcast: The World’s Largest Collection of Small Versions of Large Things

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team September 20, 2021
carnivorous plants

This ‘Cryptically Carnivorous’ Plant Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight, Waiting for Flesh

The western false asphodel has an appetite for insects, but it’s not a great time to be a meat-eating plant.
Jessica Leigh Hester September 17, 2021
List

30 Unexpected Places to Have a Joyful Adventure in New York City

restaurants

The Restaurant Preserving Dishes From Every Corner of Nepal

From blog to bistro, Prashanta Khanal’s focus is forgotten and overlooked foods.
Thomas Heaton September 17, 2021
List

15 Places to Celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage

From taquerias to libraries, a few locations to kick off the month-long festivities.
Jonathan Carey September 17, 2021
restaurants

How a First Nations Restaurateur Found Her Family Through Food

For more than a decade, Salmon n' Bannock has been serving indigenous cuisine and stories in Vancouver.
Diana Hubbell September 16, 2021
king arthur

Found: An Early Merlin Tale, Hidden for Centuries

The fragments tell a new version of the magician's encounter with the enchantress Viviane.
Sarah Durn September 16, 2021
forests

To Imagine a 39-Million-Year-Old Forest, Start Small—Very Small

Decades of work has revealed a "megadiverse" ancient landscape in northern Peru that was destroyed in a volcanic eruption.
Gemma Tarlach September 16, 2021
travel

Podcast: Magical Summer Memories, Vol. 2 - Via Francigena

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team September 16, 2021
food

The Colorful World of Edible Flowers

A new book catalogs 105 floral ingredients for everything from pasta to pies.
Anne Ewbank September 15, 2021
astronomy

Under New Zealand's Dark Skies, Insects Recover and Humans Reconnect with a Lost View

The massive South Island stargazing reserve is a respite from light pollution for many species, including our own.
Petrina Darrah September 15, 2021
Read All Stories