Flexjet and A&K Launch Ultimate Trip Around The World

Flexjet and A&K Launch Ultimate Trip Around The World
Passport to the World is a completely private jet experience circling the globe. From the Forbidden City to the Taj Majal, travelers will have exclusive access to hidden wonders for a once-in-a-lifetime journey of global discovery.

This five-star Passport to the World experience for up to eight people includes a 14-day Abercrombie & Kent journey, traveling in world-class comfort and style with one's own private party aboard a Challenger 605 aircraft. The spacious business jet features larger, higher windows, along with cutting-edge avionics, state-of-the-art studio and video systems, global Wi-Fi and leather seats that transform into beds – allowing more space to comfortably unwind and relax.

An expert flight crew provided by Jet Solutions will remain with the group throughout the journey, learning each traveler's on-board preferences and anticipating their needs. A&K will assist with expedited clearance through immigration and customs, wherever possible, to maximize time spent enjoying each destination.

Orchestrating each stop of the journey is an A&K guide chosen from the ranks of its international coterie of professionals, who oversees everything from start to finish, relying on a lifetime's worth of knowledge to reveal sights only locals know.

This journey also includes accommodations at the best landmark hotels reflecting the history and heritage of each extraordinary location, paired with incredible dining experiences at some of the world's best restaurants, as detailed in the program highlights below.

Osaka / Kyoto, Japan (two nights) – Following a quick stop in Anchorage to refuel, the group lands in Osaka and continues to Kyoto, home of the famed Toji Temple, which was built in the year 826 and at 187 feet stands as the tallest pagoda in Japan. Travelers enjoy exclusive access to Toji's Five Storied Pagoda as well as the emperor's private retreat, both of which are closed to the public. No trip to Kyoto would be complete without a visit to Arashiyama Kitcho, often described as one of the best Japanese restaurants in the world with food “almost too beautiful to eat,” as distinguished by its three Michelin stars. Travelers savor this feast accompanied by geisha dancing, music and games. Following an afternoon Japanese Tea Ceremony, travelers return to the Ritz-Carlton Osaka, located in the prestigious business and shopping district of Nishi-Umeda.

Beijing, China (three nights) – From hutongs, narrow alleyways that date back to the Ming period and earlier, to the “Birds Nest” and “Water Cube,” the two stunning architectural highlights from the 2008 Olympics, travelers encounter 3,000 years of history firsthand in Beijing. Travelers also visit the Temple of Heaven, one of the great monuments built during the reign of the Ming emperors, where a resident master gives a special lesson in Tai Chi beneath the grandeur of the magnificent temple. Visit the Joyongguan section of the Great Wall, one of the vast structure's most scenic stretches, for a Champagne toast and white-cloth picnic lunch atop the wall itself. Travelers spend their nights at The Peninsula Beijing – a graceful melding of the grandeur of the past and the luxury of the present – ideally situated near the city's historic heart, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

Hong Kong, China (two nights) – Guests bid farewell to Beijing as they travel to Hong Kong, the dazzling jewel of the Far East. Travelers board a privately chartered Peak Tram car – Hong Kong's oldest means of public transport – for a trip to the top of Victoria Peak, where cooling breezes, picturesque vistas and verdant foliage greet them, followed by a sunset cruise around Hong Kong's famed Victoria Harbor. At Man Mo Temple, the most revered Daoist temple in the territory, guests have the opportunity to draw a joss stick and have their fortune told by the temple priest. An authentic dim sum lunch at Lung King Heen, Hong Kong's only three-star Michelin restaurant, is followed by a restorative session in Zu Di An Muo, traditional Chinese reflexology used to treat any body ailment. Travelers stay at The Peninsula Hong Kong, one of the world's legendary grand hotels born in the glamourous 1920s.

Agra, India (two nights) – Travelers arrive in Agra to the palatial Oberoi Amarvilas hotel, where they are welcomed with showers of rose petals and given a red-powdered bindi on their forehead as a mark of respect. Travelers visit the Taj Mahal in both the morning and the evening, seeing for themselves the unforgettable way in which the monument seems to change hues with the colors of the day. A private Mughal-themed dinner with Kathak dancers caps an incredible visit to India.

Istanbul, Turkey (two nights) – Istanbul embodies the meeting of the East and West, and is the only city that was an imperial capital for 1,700 years. Visitors enjoy private openings of the Hagia Sophia, one of the most extraordinary creations in the history of architecture; the Topkapi Palace Complex, the center of Ottoman government from which the Turks ruled most of Europe and the Middle East; and the Chora Church, known to be the richest repository of Byzantine interior wall decorations. Travelers dine with the owner of a stunning 18th-century wooden mansion of an Ottoman royal, and witness a demonstration of Whirling Dervishes. Accommodations are at the Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski Istanbul, which combines the architectural grandeur of a palace on the Bosphorus with the comforts of a modern, deluxe hotel.

Paris, France (two nights) – On their first evening in Paris, guests dine overlooking the City of Lights at the Jules Verne restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower. Travelers make their Paris visit their own by choosing from an extensive list of exclusive activities including private, after-hours access to the permanent collections on display in the world-famous Louvre Museum; the Hidden Versailles Tour, featuring the private quarters of Louis XV and Louis XVI; and a walking tour with a Parisian restaurant critic and food expert, introducing guests to some of the most delectable food in Paris. Travelers reside at Le Meurice, ranked among the most elegant hotels in the world for almost two centuries.

This 14-day Passport to the World experience begins at $1.5 million. This includes $750,000 for land arrangements from Abercrombie & Kent for up to eight people, and a Flexjet 25 jet card for a Challenger 605 business jet, which starts from $750,000 for this itinerary. For details, please call 888.755.3491 or visit www.abercrombiekent.com/passport.