Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations
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The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

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Happening This Week
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Online Course

Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery With Saskia Wilson-Brown

Starts Mon, Dec 6
3 Sessions
$215 per person
+ 3 other dates
Online Course

Making Music With Nature: Composing Across Species With David Rothenberg

Starts Tue, Dec 7
4 Sessions
$220 per person
Online Course

Feather, Bone, Skin: Taxidermy for Art & Design With Allis Markham

Starts Tue, Dec 7
3 Sessions
$65 per person
Online Experience

Atlas Obscura Trivia Night

Wed, Dec 8
$10 per device
Gather your team and compete in a weekly contest of wits and educated-guessing.
+ 1 other date
Online Course

China's Regional Cuisines: Culture Through Food With Xiaokun Song

Starts Wed, Dec 8
5 Sessions
$235 per person
Online Course

Cheese: History, Tasting, and Pairing With Erika Kubick

Starts Wed, Dec 8
4 Sessions
$75 per person
Online Experience

Art & Evolution w/ Megan McGrath: Drawing Octopus & Squid

Thu, Dec 9
$15 per device
Online Course

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

Starts Sat, Dec 11
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.
+ 2 other dates
Online Course

Podcasting & the Art of the Interview With Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder

Starts Sun, Dec 12
3 Sessions
$95 per person
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Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
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
wildlife & nature

Rewilding: Tracking Wolves in the Forests of Sweden

Sweden
Jul 4–9, 2022
From $3,450 USD
Explore Sweden’s boreal forests by day and hear the howling of wild wolves by night.
+ 2 other dates
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More Stories
medical museums

Podcast: Centers for Disease Control Museum

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team December 2, 2021
memorials

The Overlooked History of Berlin's Black Community

New memorials honor Afro-German victims of the Nazis.
Jennifer Neal December 1, 2021
List

21 Places to Get Back Into the Beatles

A magical mystery tour of the history and legacy of four lads from Liverpool.
Michelle Cassidy December 1, 2021
abandoned

Podcast: Abandoned Chacaltaya Ski Resort

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team December 1, 2021
forests

How a Rebellion Planted Seeds of Revival in Rural Mexico

In 2011, the women of Cherán led a revolt against illegal logging and corruption. Today, the forests are coming back, and the Indigenous community is returning to its roots.
Romina Cenisio November 30, 2021
food

The Hidden, Magnificent History of Chop Suey

Discrimination and mistranslation have long obscured the dish's true origins.
Miranda Brown November 30, 2021
museums

Podcast: Micropia

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team November 30, 2021
holidays

Our Favorite Gadgets, Cookbooks, and Snacks for the Holidays

A very Gastro Obscura gift guide.
Anne Ewbank November 29, 2021
science

These Truffle-Eating Marsupials in Australia Are 'Ecosystem Engineers'

There are far fewer northern bettongs than previously thought, but work is underway to save the species.
Lisa Cox November 29, 2021
science

Podcast: Tree of 40 Fruits

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team November 29, 2021
nature

The Case for Pigeon-Watching

A new book is part ornithology guide, part ode to the misunderstood urban birds.
Jessica Leigh Hester November 29, 2021
science

How Old Is Zimbabwe’s Famed ‘Big Tree’?

The majestic African baobab has seen several growth spurts over its 1,200 or so years.
Jonathan Moens November 26, 2021
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