Magical Mystery Tours

Did you see Magical Mystery Tours featured on Good Morning America today? Surprise travel continues to get more popular - have you tried one yet? If not, what are you waiting for??

2 couples depart for mystery travel, why the unknown destination trend is taking off Would you take a trip without knowing the destination? A new mystery travel trend is about doing just that. Here's how it works.

Mystery trips have been getting a lot of buzz this month. Recent headlines include: “Travel Agents Send People on Mystery Trips, and It Sounds like a Dream” (Insider); “Mystery Travel Lets You Focus on the Fun, Not the Details” (NerdWallet); and “Surprise Trips Are Only Becoming More Popular” (Conde Nast Traveler).

Consider this your sign to book a surprise vacation now! ✈️❓🌎

Have you ever been to Mackinac Island? Located in Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, this beautiful place is a quintessential Midwestern summer getaway. Its offerings include a state park, plentiful outdoor activities, historic Fort Mackinac, several small museums, a charming Main Street lined with shops and restaurants, and oh so much fudge. No cars are allowed, so visitors get around on foot, by bicycle, or via horse-drawn carriages. It’s easy to see why Travel + Leisure readers voted it one of their favorite islands in the continental U.S. and why USA Today ranked it a top summer vacation spot for 2023.

Would you be excited to see this destination in your travel reveal packet??

When’s the last time you had a really good surprise as an adult? Paulo decided to surprise his wife, Heidi, with a mystery getaway to celebrate their birthdays, and here’s how Paulo described the moment they opened their envelope: “I can’t tell you enough how wonderful it was to be able to have this experience. It was so great the way this sort of childlike enthusiasm filled us both. When we saw where you were sending us, we were so excited and giddy for the whole trip out. We both agree it was the best trip we’ve taken in a long time.”

Is it time for your own mystery trip moment??

Are Antelope Canyon and Zion National Park on your travel bucket list?? They were a hit with Kerri, Ben, Claire, and Mallory (and the sites of some fantastic family photos🤩): “The trip was so awesome. Girls rated it as one of the top two vacations ever. Thanks so much for making this a once in a lifetime trip for me and my kids.” ❤️

Who else would like to be enjoying these views on this Monday afternoon? 🙋‍♀️ Michelle and Drew are big on water views, and Lausanne on Lake Geneva in Switzerland did not disappoint!

Are you interested in a surprise getaway but want to dip your toe in first? Try a “controlled” mystery trip! With this option, you still get to be surprised by your trip destination when you open your travel reveal packet at the airport, but your destination is selected from a predetermined list of options that you either provide or approve.

This is what Rob and Deidre did on their last trip, and it was a hit! They’re experienced mystery travelers, but this time, they had a selection of bucket list destinations in mind and asked me to surprise them with one of them. They ended up in…Copenhagen, Denmark!

Scenes from a Croatian getaway 🤩 … Would you be excited to open your mystery trip reveal packet and see this Mediterranean beauty listed as your destination?

Jennifer's recap: "It was idyllic, slow-paced, and the people I met were just wonderful. I really enjoyed my experiences not only learning about the food culture in Croatia and the pride they take in what they produce, but the pristine wonders of the environment, from the seaside beaches, national parks, and peaceful vineyards."

A little animal joy to brighten your Tuesday! Although animal encounters are one of the activity options you can select on our mystery travel survey, sometimes they come unplanned, whether you’re on a boat in Cabo or at a winery in the Willamette Valley!

📷: Mystery travelers Jeannette, and Seth and Kyle

Hooray for surprise vacations! Brooks and Nicole were after a mystery trip to celebrate her birthday and his graduation, and while their geographic preferences were open, they noted that they really love anything outdoors, including hiking, enjoying beautiful scenery, and exploring nature. Seattle was a perfect home base to hit on all of these things, as well as provide access to a little bit of everything: city, mountains, woods, coast, and summertime perfect temps!

“We absolutely loved our trip and everything you planned for us. You nailed everything we asked for or said that we liked! Thank you so much.”

Would hiking be on your mystery trip wish list? On our mystery travel survey, you can note all of your hobbies and interests that you’d love incorporated into your trip if possible. For Hannah and Ethan, the opportunity to hike, explore national parks, and enjoy local breweries were top priorities, and Asheville, NC delivered!

“Thank you SO much for planning an amazing trip! Asheville was not a location that we would have picked for ourselves, but it more than exceeded our expectations! It checked all the boxes that we requested for our mystery trip. We loved the city, its culture, and all the sights! All of the arrangements were fantastic and very well planned. We spent two days hiking the trails on the Blue Ridge Parkway (over 12 miles!) and enjoying the local breweries and eateries in the afternoons. The last day was filled by the very informational and fun Hop-On, Hop-Off tour. We were so excited to share our vacation with our families and friends, and I know we will definitely be requesting you to plan another mystery trip in the near future!”

Silvette is a seasoned MMT traveler, but this year she embarked on her first ever solo mystery trip…to Lisbon, Portugal!

“I saw, ate, walked, met a number of nice travelers on the group outings, and reallyyyyy enjoyed the trip and traveling solo! It was freeing in a way I really enjoyed! Your suggestions were spot-on, as was the destination. THANK YOU! I can definitely see another solo trip in my future, perhaps one a year!”

Can’t wait till next time, Silvette!❤️

Is your 2023 in need of an adventure? We may be halfway through the year (!!!), but there’s still plenty of time for fun. In fact, why not take the advice of Thrillist’s 2023 Adventure Guide and embrace the unknown with a surprise vacation? Magical Mystery Tours is here for you!

📷: Mystery travelers Gail and Chris

Barcelona memories....such a joy to plan this getaway for Lisa and Mike! ❤ “Thanks again for planning such a fun vacation for us! We loved that it was a surprise, and not having to plan anything—absolute heaven for this type-A personality! I’m pretty sure we’ll be enjoying another mystery vacation in the future.”

A little Hawaiian dreaming on this wintry Saturday... 🌺🏝️

Is there anything that says “magical mystery tour” more than surprising your child with a trip to Disney World? Vanessa, Shane, and Eddie got to experience the magic of Disney this year—the first time for both Shane and Eddie! “Thank you again for all of your work and thoughtfulness. I was most appreciative of not having to do any planning. This trip was one-of-a-kind!”🏰

Are you celebrating a milestone in 2023? Planning surprise adventures for clients' graduations, anniversaries, birthdays, honeymoons, and more is one of my favorite things. Why not mark your special occasion with a mystery trip like Kathleen and Kenzy, who took a grandma-granddaughter getaway this year to celebrate Kenzy's graduation! ❤

That "just opened my mystery trip reveal packet at the airport feeling”… 😄

“I was super excited and surprised at the airport—we didn’t even think about our destination being Belize!” Thank you, Niesha and Keith, for picking Magical Mystery Tours for your anniversary trip and well-earned getaway after both starting new jobs! ❤️

Craving a European getaway but can only spare a weekend? Don't sleep on Quebec City! Along with a few days in Montreal, the Grace family enjoyed this UNESCO World Heritage Site, its cultural offerings, great food, and charming cobblestone streets...all within reach after just a quick nonstop flight! Thanks for sharing your beautiful photo, !

When you have a chance to sneak away for a long weekend trip without your kids (for the first time!), what better way to celebrate than with a mystery trip? Aniko and Tibor were looking for a fun city where they could walk a lot, enjoy fantastic food and nightlife, explore the local culture and history, and have plenty of sightseeing options. Cheers to New Orleans!

“The trip was fantastic, we had a great time. Restaurants, tours, hotel—everything was amazing! Thank you for taking care of us!” ❤️

Mystery destination reveal! Love this capture of Steven and Rory learning they’re headed to Grenada on their honeymoon. ❤️🏝️ (Photo 2 also works for “It’s November already?!”)

Whew! It has been a busy year at Magical Mystery Tours. We’ve sent happy travelers on surprise vacations all across the U.S., to Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. Follow along as we get caught up on sharing their adventures over the next couple months and get geared up for a fun 2023!

It was desert sunshine and total relaxation for Izzy and Michael, who were looking to escape the cold of home for a warmer climate last month. 🏜

“I’m usually the kind of person that plans trips down to the hours, so literally not having the ability to do that was amazing, and made the trip that much more relaxing because I wasn’t sitting there thinking about the next thing we should do. I can honestly say that’s one of the first times I’ve been able to just enjoy the moment without obsessing about the future. All in all 100% great experience and I think we’re going to try to make this an annual thing.” ❤️Thank you, Izzy and Michael!

“Our Magical Mystery Tour was fantastic! We can’t stop telling people about it. We feel like you read our Q&A and sent us to the most on-the-nose excursion imaginable! We loved the food reservations and recommendations. The hikes at Lands End and John Muir were incredible. The Academy of the Sciences was right up our alley. We couldn’t be happier! Thanks for putting together a great experience for us.” —Gina and Ryan

Erica and Diane hadn’t taken a mother-daughter trip since Erica was a kid, so what better way to celebrate Mom’s milestone birthday than with a winter mystery trip??

Blair and Rahgene were looking for an adventure to celebrate a milestone birthday, and Costa Rica delivered! “The trip was fantastic! Rahgene and I did everything from rainforest tours to ATVing to jetskiing to relaxing poolside (or thermal springside). The people and food were so delightful, and we will absolutely be doing a mystery tour again! Thanks for such a great trip for my 30th!”

Veteran mystery trippers Rob and Deidre had a particular goal in mind for their latest surprise vacation: to see the Northern Lights. And Alaska came through for them! In addition to hunting the aurora at night, they rounded out their trip with a visit to the Chena Hot Springs, a cocktail in the Ice Bar, dogsledding, a glacier trek, and a ride through the wintry wilderness on the iconic Alaska Railroad.

Whew, it has been a busy start to 2022, but back in December, Smarter Travel recognized Magical Mystery Tours in their roundup of who to contact for a surprise vacation. Thank you, SmarterTravel! We’re excited to continue curating these special experiences for our customers in our 13th year of business!

Is there anything more magical than NYC during the holidays? Today Kerri and Claire are traveling back home after spending a week there on a mother-daughter trip to celebrate Claire's birthday. Their itinerary included a Broadway show, seeing the Rockettes, visiting the Top of the Rock and MoMA, sampling pizza and bagels, and all the city exploration their feet could handle! Their report, straight from the airport: "You knocked it out of the park again. Thanks for all you do to create memories for me and my family. This was incredible!" (K) and "We could not have had a better time, and I cannot thank you enough for assisting on our wonderful trip. It was magical and by far my most memorable vacation yet." (C) Thank you, Kerri and Claire, for letting MMT plan this getaway for you!

If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate your anniversary, how about jetting off to a surprise destination like Jonathon and Merri did? Their wish list included fantastic food, interesting local culture/history and sightseeing opportunities, nightlife, and an NHL game, and Nashville delivered on all fronts! Their review: "It was a blast! Everything went perfectly and all of your selections were awesome. We took advantage of the extra suggestions in the booklet too. It couldn’t have gone better. Nashville is way more than I expected: all the partying you can handle, foodie paradise, history, a music scene, a wild pro sports crowd, and so on." Thank you for choosing MMT for this special trip, Jonathon and Merri! ❤

Nikki was given a Magical Mystery Tours gift certificate as a retirement present (hint, hint—the perfect holiday gift!) and to use it, she and her husband, Aaron, were looking for a warm weather destination where they could relax, explore, enjoy some delicious food, and go snorkeling. The Florida Keys were a winner! They enjoyed snorkeling at Dry Tortugas National Park, Bahia Honda State Park, and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and got to sample delicious seafood everywhere they went. “Thank you for creating a wonderful trip for us. We enjoyed it immensely. We had talked in the past about visiting the Keys, but had never been, so it was a perfect choice.”