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Once, a stopover was just a night and a pillow. Now? It’s the holiday plot twist. With Middle East go-tos like Dubai back in play, we’re putting the spotlight on nine standout cities that turn a touchdown into a spectacular side quest.
The Middle East
As the Gulf reclaims its place on the route map, adventures in Arabia are back on the cards. Here are three stopover cities of gleaming waterfronts, ambitious architecture and a firm belief that bigger is always better.
Dubai
Back in blockbuster mode
Dubai, we’ve missed you. Its signature excess is still firmly intact: valet queues glitter with supercars, lunch comes with magnums on ice, and shopping malls house ski slopes and shark tanks. But there’s more here than superlatives. Cross Dubai Creek in a wooden abra, nose through the higgledy-piggledy lanes of the old souqs and wander Al Fahidi’s sandy alleyways before the day heats up. By evening, choose between cocktails with the well-heeled, a desert sunset among copper-coloured dunes or a Michelin-starred dinner several dozen floors up.
Don’t miss:
• A sunset cycle around Al Qudra Lakes
• Future-facing exhibits at the Museum of the Future
• Record-breaking slides at Atlantis Aquaventure
Make your holiday
Go from thrill to chill by pairing Dubai’s high life with downtime on the glorious beaches of the Indian Ocean.
Doha
Souqs & sunsets
Fresh from its global close-up, Doha is fast becoming one of the Gulf’s most compelling stopovers. Its hotels now pull in travellers in their own right (Hilton Salwa, we’re looking at you), while the pastel-painted Mina District and the dramatic National Museum of Qatar reflect the city’s rapid rise. You could happily spend a few days between butler-served beach villas and dinners in Msheireb Downtown, but leave room for desert dunes, souq browsing and a toes-in-the-sand afternoon at West Bay Beach.
Don’t miss:
• Kitesurfing across Fuwairit’s turquoise lagoon
• Browsing silk, incense and handicrafts in Souq Waqif
• A Qatari breakfast of balaleet and karak tea
Make your holiday
Use Doha as a culture-packed pause on the way to the Maldives, Asia or Australia.
Abu Dhabi
The Gulf’s gallery capital
Abu Dhabi is a city where mosque domes, mangrove creeks and beach clubs all fit into a three-day itinerary. It’s easy to navigate, spotless to the point of disbelief and rarely short of a camera-ready backdrop, from Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s white-marble courtyards to the galleries and geometric shadows beneath Louvre Abu Dhabi’s dome. For the full-throttle Abu Dhabi fantasy, check into Emirates Palace; for turtle tracks and turquoise water, bed down beside Saadiyat’s pale sands.
Don’t miss:
• Contemporary exhibitions at 421 Arts Campus
• Sunset among the gardens at The Founder’s Memorial
• Persian carpets and date stalls at Mina Market
Make your holiday
Combine Abu Dhabi’s art and architecture with the beaches of the Seychelles or a wildlife-rich adventure in Sri Lanka.
Asia
Whether you’re passing through Asia or planning the entire holiday around it, the region offers a rich pick-and-mix of stopovers. Here are three headline cities that add colour, contrast and a little extra bite to the trip.
Colombo
The city with spice
Colombo is Sri Lanka’s best-kept secret hiding in plain sight: a cosmopolitan hub linking the Indian subcontinent with Europe, the Far East, Australia and – our favourite paradise on earth – the Maldives. Most travellers pass straight through or head off to tea estates, temples and wildlife, but linger a while and you’ll see why it’s stepping into the limelight.
Don’t miss:
• Contemporary Sri Lankan art at Saskia Fernando Gallery
• Local bites and ethical buys at Good Market
• Cocktails in the city’s growing roster of low-lit bars
Make your holiday
Take a few days for kovils, culture and fiery feasts in Colombo, before going full castaway in the Maldives, just a quick flight across the Indian Ocean.
Singapore
Small island, big flex
Even a short stay in the Lion City is anything but a supporting act. Hawker stalls dish up Michelin-worthy meals, the skyline feels lifted straight from a sci-fi film and the whole city is squeaky clean, leafy green and easy to get around. Give it four or five days and it more than earns its place on your itinerary.
Don’t miss:
• Supertree Grove for the Garden Rhapsody light show
• Haji Lane for indie boutiques and bold murals
• A cable-car hop over to Sentosa’s beaches
Make your holiday
Sip Singapore Slings in a rooftop pool before heading to Bali or Thailand’s islands – city buzz first, then bang into barefoot beach mode.
Bangkok
Temples & tempo
Bangkok isn’t a shy stopover – it’s heat, horns, sizzling woks and neon-lit nights from the off. Go riverside for a calmer, cooler stay – Capella Bangkok or The Salil Hotel Riverside are spot on. Carve out around three days and lose them among night markets, gold-glinting temples and locals who greet you with ear-to-ear smiles.
Don’t miss:
• A flower-market wander at Pak Khlong Talat
• A dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya
• A knot-kneading, jet-lag-busting Thai massage
Make your holiday
Bangkok’s a high-energy hit en route to Thailand’s island playgrounds or adventures further east – and one you’ll be glad you made time for.
North America
Flying across the pond en route to the Wild West, Hawaii or the Caribbean? Add a little city swagger first with one of these big-name North American stopovers.
New York
Main character mode
New York is the silver screen dream. It’s yellow cabs, Central Park strolls, steam rising from subway grates and streets that feel instantly familiar. Start your mornings with bagels in Brooklyn, bounce between glam-to-grit neighbourhoods, then take your pick from basement jazz bars or velvet-rope restaurants. It’s cinematic, chaotic and completely addictive. A stopover here isn’t a pause: it’s a power move.
Don’t miss:
• An early stroll along the High Line
• Pastrami piled high at Katz’s Delicatessen
• Golden-hour views from Edge’s glass-walled deck
Make your holiday
Soak up the sights of the Big Apple, then flip the script with downtime on the beaches of Florida or the Caribbean.
Toronto
Canadian cool
This metropolitan all-rounder doubles as a launchpad to Western Canada, the USA or the Caribbean, where Barbados is emerging as the favourite follow-on. It’s a cultural pick ’n’ mix: vintage markets, museums, street art and a food scene from dim sum to deep-dish. Come summer, picnic blankets dot the parks and locals escape to the Toronto Islands for beaches and bike rides.
Don’t miss:
• Vintage treasure-hunting at St Lawrence Market
• Craft beers and cool hangs on Ossington
• Sky-high dining at the CN Tower’s 360
Make your holiday
How we’d do it – kick off with a long weekend in Toronto, add a bucket-list trip to Niagara Falls, then relax and recharge on Barbados’ Platinum Coast.
Miami
South Beach state of mind
Sherbet-coloured hotels, salsa beats and rollerblades on the boardwalk: welcome to Miami. Known as the Magic City, the 305 and the Gateway to the Americas, Miami is equal parts local pride, tropical glamour and a global crossroads, which makes it a pretty exciting place to get to know for a few days. Spend them drifting between South Beach, Little Havana and Wynwood’s mural-covered warehouses; by night, watch the city slip into party mode over bayside mojitos and plates piled with stone crab, ceviche and empanadas.
Don’t miss:
• Sunrise among Ocean Drive’s Art Deco icons
• Cuban coffee and live music in Little Havana
• A boat trip past Biscayne Bay’s waterfront mansions
Make your holiday
Start with a poolside-to-party Miami mini-break, then follow the sunshine south for rum-shop lunches and water as blue as curaçao in the Caribbean.
Inspired?
Why settle for one holiday when the route can deliver two? Our experts know the smartest stopovers, the smoothest connections and the combinations that make a trip sing. Get in touch and let’s get inventive.
The information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.
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