Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

Palazzo Farnese is one of the most majestic Renaissance palaces in Rome, built with the collaboration of architects including Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and Michelangelo and frescoed by Carracci and other 16th-century artists. Originally residence of the noble Farnese family, the palace is now seat of the French embassy. 

Alessandro Farnese commissioned Palazzo Farnese in the 16th century, and the building was expanded to its current size after he became Pope Paul III in 1534, with adornments like Michelangelo’s ornate central window that served as the facade’s focal point and dramatic backdrop for the pope’s public appearances overlooking Piazza Farnese. Today visitors can admire the palazzo’s ornate interiors including Sangallo’s atrium, the Carracci Gallery, and the Hercules salon with tapestries inspired by Raffaello’s frescos, and the courtyard and garden. 

Palace visits are only by guided tour on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and must be booked at least a week ahead of time. View the palace from the outside on a walking, e-bike, or Vespa Rome highlights tour that includes sights such as the Quirinale Palace, Piazza Navona, Campo de’ Fiori, and the Spanish Steps. Sightseeing tours can easily be combined with skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum and Vatican Museums.

Palazzo Farnese is located on Piazza Farnese in Rome’s historic center, an easy walk from the busy Largo di Torre Argentina, where a number of city buses stop.

The palace is only open to the public for guided tours booked in advance. To view the palace from the outside, stroll through Piazza Farnese in the early morning or late afternoon when the light is particularly pretty, or at night when the palace is dramatically lit.

The Farnese family was one of the most influential in Rome during the Renaissance and included a number of dukes as well as a pope. In addition to its political and economic power, the family was famous for its extensive sculpture collection, known as the “Farnese Marbles,” portions of which are housed in Naples in the National Archaeological Museum and the Capodimonte Museum.

Sentosa Island is home to nearly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of white sandy beaches, Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong Beaches. Of the three, Palawan Beach is most geared toward families. This long stretch of sand features a fountain playground, shower facilities, a hawker center selling inexpensive food, themed islets for picnicking and a suspension bridge linking the beach with the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia.

An amphitheater at Palawan Beach hosts the Animal and Bird Encounters, a series of reptile and bird displays included in the price of Sentosa admission.

The whole of Palatine Hill could be considered an open-air museum, with its remains of palaces and villas dating from the Roman Empire. Within this area, however, there is also a dedicated Palatine Museum (Museo Palatino) where you can see the wealth of ancient Roman artifacts unearthed from the hillside over decades of excavation.

The archaeological remains located on Rome’s Palatine Hill are among the most fascinating in Italy, but the treasures recovered during excavations here are kept inside the Palatine Museum. This hilltop museum is home to a collection of artifacts, sculptures, frescoes, and mosaics dating from long before the city of Rome was officially founded to the golden age of the Palatine Hill in the first and second centuries. Also on display is an interesting reconstruction of the huts where Romulus, founder of Rome, and his brother Remus lived.

To best understand the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill and the artifacts inside the museum, book a private tour led by an expert guide that includes the area’s most important imperial palaces—Emperor Domitian’s Domus Flavia, the House of Augustus, the Casa di Livia, and the Domus Augustana—and the Palatine Museum. You can combine many Palatine Hill and Museum tours with stops at the nearby Roman Forum and Colosseum, with a single ticket for access to all three sites.

The Palatine Museum is located on Palatine Hill just above the Roman Forum, with entrance from Via di San Gregorio. The nearest metro stop is Colosseo along line B.

Most of the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill are outdoors, so it’s best to visit on a clear day. The museum collections are indoors, but you should visit both the park and museum in one go.

The museum was first opened in the 1930s by the Italian archaeologist Alfonso Bartoli, who gathered artifacts found in the surrounding excavation site in this former 19th-century convent. After a long closure after World War II, the museum was renovated and reopened in the late 1960s. 

The Palmach was founded on May 15, 1941 as an elite unit of the underground army of the Jewish community. At the innovative Palmach Museum, visitors are transported back in time, where they follow the story of a group of young Palmach recruits who fought and eventually died fighting for the establishment of the state of Israel.

Each tour begins in a memorial hall dedicated to fallen Palmach members. Rather than the artifacts and informational placards common to most museums, the Palmach Museum uses audio visual effects and three-dimensional decor to recount various experiences in the personal stories of Palmach fighters.

Budapest’s famous thermal springs have created a landscape riddled with natural caves and tunnels. More than 200 caves have been identified beneath the Buda Hills and along the banks of the Danube River, but only three are open to the public. The Pálvölgyi cave system, the largest of these, stretches for miles.

The only way to visit the Pálvölgyi Caves is on an active guided tour that requires participants to crawl through narrow tunnels, climb ladders, and clamber along rocky passageways. Cave tours typically take in the Pálvölgyi Caves and the adjoining Mátyás Hegyi Caves.

The caves are located in Budapest’s 2nd District, northwest of the city center. To get there by public transport, take Bus 65 from Kolosy Square to the Pálvölgyi Cseppkőbarlang stop, a journey of less than 10 minutes. 

Tours of the Pálvölgyi Caves run hourly year-round every day except Mondays.

Visitors to the Pálvölgyi Caves can admire a spectacular ensemble of dripstone, stalactites, stalagmites, caverns lined with gleaming crystal deposits, and stream-filled chambers. Fossils of sea urchins embedded in the cave ceiling date back 40 million years to the time when a great tropical ocean covered present-day Hungary.

The Basics
The best way for Panama visitors to see the canal is to literally get in the middle of it—on a transit or partial transit tour at sea level, travelers can experience the sensation of cruising directly through the canal, watching as the locks fill with water and your ship passes steadily through the three sets of double locks: the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks on the Pacific side, plus the Gatún locks on the Atlantic side. Between the locks is the artificial Gatún Lake (Lago Gatún), created by the Gatún Dam across the Chagres River (Rio Chagres), and the Culebra Cut, the narrowest section of the canal, hewn out of the mountains. It's also possible to see the locks by train, as you pass by the banks and through pristine rain forest en route to Gatún.

Most full- and half-day tours include roundtrip transportation and a visit to the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center, a museum that tells the story of this incredible engineering feat through exhibits. The center's restaurant, theater, and terraced decks also provide comfortable vantage points for watching ships pass through. It's also possible to visit the Gatún locks (about an hour from Panama City) to learn about the Panama Canal expansion.

• By booking ahead with a guided tour, there's a much higher likelihood of actually seeing the famous Panama Canal in action.
  
• Guided boat tours provide the full experience of traveling the Continental Divide
  
• Travelers can make self-guided visits to the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center in Panama City and the Canal Expansion Observation Center in Colon on the Caribbean Sea.
  
• Stop in for a meal at the Miraflores Restaurant at the Panama Canal to dine while viewing the ships cruise by.
  

How To Get to the Panama Canal
Arrive at the canal via boat, train, bus, or car. The Miraflores Locks Visitor Center has parking, but most visitors arrive as part of a group sightseeing tour with a tour guide.

Palm Groves Garden is a privately owned garden in Bermuda. Luckily for travelers to Bermuda, the Gibbons family that owns the garden open it up to visitors. Palm Groves Garden stands out due to its meticulously manicured grounds and lovely lily pond.

Within the grounds of Palm Groves Garden, you’ll find coconut trees, palm trees and more foliage that all add up together to create an exotic tropical escape from the hustle and bustle of Bermuda’s cities. The lily pond is a fun aspect of the garden for visitors to see as it has plants within it in the shape of Bermuda as seen on a map. Both children and adults will also enjoy checking out the limestone huts on the property and visiting the aviary, which is home to a number of parrots.

Featuring Greek and Roman antiquities that once belonged to Rome’s nobility, the Palazzo Altemps offers a glimpse into the past — as well as into Rome’s Renaissance. The collection contains many marble statues in addition to frescoes, mosaics, and intricately decorated ceilings. Most famously it also houses the Ludovisi art collection. Curated by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi in the 17th century, it includes such classical pieces as Trono Ludovisi (Ludovisi Throne), a carved marble block with a relief of the goddess Venus. The Galata Suicida (Gaul’s Suicide) is another grouping of masterful statues that is a highlight for many.

Aside from the Roman pieces there is also a fine Egyptian collection on display featuring many Eastern antiquities. The building itself features a large scenic courtyard and many rooms filled with classical sculpture. The 15th century palazzo is one of four buildings across the city that make up the National Roman Museum.

Palmse Manor is one of several manors within Estonia's Lahemaa National Park. This baroque structure is now an open-air museum and was the first fully restored manor complex in the country. The first documentation of the Palmse Manor was in 1287 when it was part of Tallinn's St. Michael's nunnery, but after that ownership changed hands several times. Today it is managed by the Foundation Museums of Virumaa, and all of its buildings are under state protection as architectural monuments.

At the museum, visitors can learn about Estonian manor life and architecture while surrounded by the natural beauty of the park. There are various activities at the manor designed for children, history enthusiasts, adventurers and romantics, as the open-air space includes parks, gardens and historical buildings, as well as a Palm House, a wine cellar, a cafe and a tavern serving national dishes. It is also a popular venue for exhibitions, plays, concerts,  training events, conferences, weddings and receptions. For visitors who want a longer visit, there is an onsite guesthouse that can hold up to 44 people. 

Lima isn’t exactly a city you usually equate with wildlife. After all, this is the same country with the Amazon basin and its staggering biodiversity, so the thought of finding wildlife in the capital might seem a little bit strange. Believe it or not, however, there are a number of enthralling wildlife experiences that can be found right here in Lima—a city best known for its cosmopolitan and colonial sites on shore. Perhaps the best wildlife experience in Lima is visiting the Palomino Islands, a rocky collection of small islets off the coast of Callao. Step aboard a comfortable boat for a cruise to the offshore islands, where thousands of sea lions gather to swim and sun themselves on the rocks. If the water is calm enough and you’re feeling brave, take the plunge to swim with the sea lions as they flop and jump all around you. You’ll also find colonies of Humboldt penguins and an impressive amount of birdlife, including pelicans, tern, and dive-bombing cormorants who are constantly hunting for fish. In addition to the wildlife, cruises also provide a scenic tour of the neighboring coastline and islands, including San Lorenzo that’s been an historical haven for priests, politicians, and pirates.

Of Rome’s seven legendary hills, Palatine Hill figures most importantly in the capital’s history and lore. It is said that Romulus founded Rome on this hilltop, and many of the city’s most important archaeological sites dating from ancient times are located here.

The remains of a number of palaces and villas built during the Roman empire are spread across Palatine Hill, including the House of Augustus (Casa di Augustus), Casa di Livia (residence of the emperor’s wife), and Emperor Domitian’s Domus Flavia, Domus Augustana, and Hippodrome. What remains of the 16th-century Farnese Gardens (Orti Farnesiani) are located on the ruins of the palace of Emperor Tiberius, offering beautiful views over the city. Palatine Hill is also home to the Palatine Museum, with a collection of artifacts discovered in the area’s archaeological digs and a historic reconstruction of the huts where Romulus and Remus lived.

The Palatine Hill ruins are not easy to interpret to the untrained eye, as they are much less preserved than those in the Roman Forum. To best understand the sites and their historical and cultural importance, join a Palatine Hill tour led by a tour guide well versed in Roman history. Many walking tours and small-group tours stop at other ancient Roman monuments such as the nearby Colosseum and Forum, while others include a private tour guide and skip-the-line access to avoid any long lines. Consider combining your Palatine visit with a Colosseum tour, as single-entry tickets are available for Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and Colosseum.

Palatine Hill is the centermost of Rome’s seven hills, located just above the Roman Forum. The nearest metro stop is Colosseo along line B.

Since most of the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill are outdoors, try to visit on a day with clear skies and mild temperatures. During the summer, the best times to visit are in the early morning or late afternoon.

This hillside overlooking the Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum is still being excavated, and archaeologists have recently unearthed a palace believed to be the birthplace of Augustus—Rome’s first emperor. They have also found an underground cave that may have been the site of the ancient city’s Lupercalia celebrations, marking the spot where the she-wolf nursed Rome’s founder, Romulus, and his twin brother, Remus.

Surrounded by walls and marked with winding cobblestone streets, medieval Pals still has many of its aged stone arches, walkways, and balconies. A Romanesque tower dates back to the 11th century, while the Mirador del Pedró provides a lookout over the sea and surrounding Catalonian landscape dotted with citrus groves and rice fields.

 

The historical village of Pals ranks among the most picturesque destinations on Spain’s Costa Brava. Many travelers visit the town on a day trip from Barcelona, with itineraries that often include Girona, Peratallada, and the fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell. Tours of the village nearly always include a visit to the Torre de las Hores (Tower of Hours) clock tower, as well as insight into the area’s medieval history.

 

 

Because the nearest train station to Pals is in Girona, the easiest way to get to Pals from Barcelona is either to take a train to Girona and a bus to Pals or to take a bus directly from Barcelona to Pals. Another option is to rent a car and make the 90-minute drive yourself.

 

For warm beach-worthy weather without the summer crowds, head to Pals during the spring or autumn shoulder seasons. Plan to visit during the annual rice sowing or rice harvest festivals for a deeper cultural experience.

 

Though Pals is not on the coast, it is close to one of the best beaches on the Costa Brava. During the summer months, head down to Platja Gran de Pals, a crescent-shaped stretch of sand lined with pine trees, to cool off in the waters of the Mediterranean.

The Palazzo di Montecitorio is the seat of the Chamber of Deputies, the house of Italy’s parliament. It was completed under Pope Innocent X in 1650, designed by Bernini and afterwards expanded by Carlo Fontana. It was the pope's vision to house the Pontifical Curia here, but the building ended up serving a variety of functions over the years until it became the seat of the Chamber of Deputies later on. Although the look of the building has changed over the years and it got a makeover in the Art Nouveau style in the early 20th century, the clock tower, column, window sills and the baroque Bernini façade remain the same. 

A newer addition is the long salon, where informal political discussions and agreements take place, leading to it being referred to as the informal center of Italian politics. The salon’s name, Transatlantico, refers to a construction company from Palermo. Although they did a great job on the decorations and the interior design, they were, at the time, best known for working on passenger ships.

The Basics

First constructed in 2001, the islands are always in various stages of development, especially the World, which is set to replicate the entire world and cover 5.5 miles (nine km) of reclaimed land. Although the palms are mainly home to a mix of leisure, residential, marina and commercial structures, visitors need not own property (or even stay in one of the hotels) on the completed Palm Jumeirah or any of the other islands to get a good look at this manmade wonder. Tours by speedboat, rigid-inflatable boat (RIB), and jetski take visitors from the Dubai Marina to the Palm Jumeirah archipelago, where it's possible to see the 5-star hotels tower above the water and spot the Burj Al-Arab from afar.

The best views of the Palm Islands and the World are from the air. Flightseeing tours aboard a helicopter or seaplane provide the perfect bird's-eye views—and photo ops—of these impressive archipelagos. Heading to the Observation Deck at the Burj Khalifa or to the top of one of the city's many other high-rise skyscrapers is another way to see the sprawling development from above.

Things to Know Before You Go

• A wide variety of small-group and private tours viewing the islands are available by boat or helicopter, some in combination with Dubai city tours.
  
• The layout of the islands is best appreciated from above.
  
• Expect sky-high temperatures of up to 110°F (43°C) in summer.
  

How to Get to the Palm Islands and The World

The completed Palm Jumeirah stretches 3.2 miles (five km) by 3.2 miles. Although there is no public transit in place to reach the Palm Gateway Monorail Station on the coast, from here, travelers can take a 10-minute ride out to the tip of the palm to see the length of the artificial island from a good vantage point. Taxis can also drive out to palm leaves. Dubai's famed Atlantis hotel, Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark, and Lost Chambers Aquarium are set on Palm Jumeirah.

Private Islands for Sale

If you're in the market for a private island to call home, some of the islands in The World project are still up for grabs.

Largely regarded as one of Cyprus’ most beautiful churches, the Panagia Chrysopolitissa Church, now the Agia Kryiaki Church, is renowned for its elaborate ancient floor mosaics, parts of which have been preserved and form a colorful addition to the medieval church.

Built on the site of an early Byzantine basilica, the church dates back to the 13th-century and forms the centerpiece of number of historic ruins and relics, among them the remains of a Gothic Basilica, a mosque dating back to the period Ottoman ruleand St Paul’s Pillar, where legend has it that Paul was flogged for preaching Christianity in 45 AD.

Jutting into the Persian Gulf from southern Dubai, the Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree and ringed by a crescent-shaped breakwater. The world’s biggest artificial island, it draws visitors to its palatial hotels, theme parks, and shopping malls.

 

The Palm Jumeirah offers some of Dubai’s most opulent 5-star hotels—including Atlantis, The Palm—all of them rising from its Crescent breakwater or trunk. The island’s 17 fronds are home to 1,730 private villas. Visitors come to enjoy the hotels’ beaches and dining options, as well as attractions, such as Atlantis’ Aquaventure Water Park and Lost Chambers Aquarium. Also popular are shopping malls, such as The Pointe and Golden Mile Galleria.

 

Nearly all Dubai tours include photo ops outside the Atlantis, arriving via road or the island’s monorail system. Some hop-on hop-off bus routes, meanwhile, let you alight at the Atlantis to explore at leisure, while boat and Jet Ski tours afford fabulous views of the Palm and Atlantis from the sea. However, the best option to admire the palm-shaped island design is to take a helicopter or seaplane trip that flies over the island.

 

 

The Palm extends into the Gulf from Dubai’s Al Sufouh area, midway between the Burj Al Arab and Dubai Marina. To visit, catch the monorail from the Gateway station on the trunk to Atlantis, The Palm on the Crescent breakwater. Alternatively, take a taxi to the island.

 

The Palm Monorail runs every 15 minutes, every day, from about 9am until 10pm. Check timetables before traveling, however. If you have a ticket for the Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park, aim to arrive early during the peak season (November-April) and on Friday and Saturday, to avoid the biggest crowds.

 

Though Atlantis’ main lobby is usually open to nonresidents, access may be restricted from time to time. Your best bet is to reserve a table at one of Atlantis’ on-site restaurants to ensure entry.

Not to be confused with Florence's Palazzo Corsini, Rome's own Palazzo Corsini and the land it sits on changed hands many times over the centuries before coming to house the offices of the National Academy of Science and first-floor Corsini Gallery as it does today. Surrounded by formal gardens, the Baroque palace's gallery exhibits Italian art with Renaissance showstoppers such as Caravaggio's St John the Baptist (1606), St Sebastian (1614) by Rubens and works by Guido Reni, Fra'Angelico and Carracci. In addition, late 18th-century pieces, historical art and landscape paintings are included.

Otherwise known as the National Gallery of Antique Art or the Galleria Corsini, this gallery is somewhat of a hidden gem with its light crowds and extensive collection of ancient art. Travelers will love exploring the manicured grounds and can note that the gallery's Roman sister collections include Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Borghese.

Known for their therapeutic properties since Roman times, the thermal waters at Pamukkale flow into white travertine formations that rise out of the surrounding plains. Nearby are the ruins of Hierapolis, an ancient city that grew up around the springs. The thermal pools and petrified waterfalls create an otherworldly landscape at Pamukkale, which means Cotton Palace.

 

Most visitors come to soak in the Pamukkale pools and then head uphill to the extensive Hierapolis ruins, which include an amphitheater, a basilica, and a large Roman bath. These two sites, which together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are often combined on full-day tours from Bodrum, Antalya, Izmir, and even Istanbul.

 

 

The pools at Pamukkale are walking distance from the town of Pamukkale, but most visitors will likely be coming from another city. From nearby Denizli or other regional centers, buses travel to Pamukkale, and taxis are also available. Most day tours include transportation to and from the site.

 

Pamukkale is open year-round, 24 hours a day. Summer is the most popular time to visit, despite the thermal waters and the heat from the sun reflecting off the white limestone. During the Turkish holidays, Pamukkale can be crowded with locals. Arrive early in the morning to avoid the crowds during these times.

The sprawling ancient city that overlooks the pools retains many recognizable structures. The Hellenistic-era settlement includes a large amphitheater, a monumental arch, thermal baths, a necropolis, and examples of early Christian structures. The theater is still used for performances. Though the site is protected, most structures are open to exploration.

Aruba’s Palm Beach hosts many of the Caribbean island’s luxe high-rise hotels, which is no surprise, as these lovely two miles (3.2 kilometers) of sand are prime real estate. The beach hosts sunbathing vacationers, refreshment stands, and water sports booths. Two piers lined with restaurants and shops offer entertainment and some much needed shade.  

 

Northwest of Aruba’s capital, Oranjestad, Palm Beach is a hub for activities day and night. The long stretch of sand leaves plenty of room for relaxing, and the blue Caribbean waters are calm enough for snorkeling and swimming just offshore. Parasailing, scuba diving, and horseback riding are other popular daytime activities.

 

Aruba tours that circle the island often include a stop at Palm Beach, as well as other island highlights. There are also guided expeditions via bus, Jeep, ATV, or party bus. Boat tours and Aruba catamaran sails pass Palm Beach for views and photo ops before proceeding to a sunset viewing location, the famous Natural Pool, or the Antilla shipwreck scuttled just off Arashi Beach. A typical Aruba sightseeing tour stops at Palm Beach in combination with other landmarks such as Arikok National Park, Baby Beach, Eagle Beach, the California Lighthouse, or the Natural Bridge. 

 

 

Palm Beach is located about six miles (9.8 kilometers) northwest of Oranjestad and the Queen Beatrix International Airport. As Palm Beach is a busy area, parking is not easy. The Arubus has several stops along Palm Beach on J.E. Irausquin Boulevard.

 

Since Palm Beach is lined with high-rise hotels featuring clubs and restaurants, the nighttime activities are almost as plentiful as those for daytime. Aruba sees great weather almost year-round. Prices are highest in winter for northerners escaping the snow, so April through August is the best time to find a deal. 

 

Palm Beach is a popular starting point for off-road and ATV tours that explore Aruba’s interior. Choose from self-drive or guide-driven off-road adventures that get you off the beaten path for a view of the real, natural Aruba—far from the high-rise hotels.