The best of both worlds: why you should take a ‘fusion trip’ this year

After a few days checking out the cathedrals, museums and vermouth bars of Barcelona, escape to Montseny – a beautiful and relatively untouched stretch of forested mountains less than an hour from the Catalan capital. It’s at its most spectacular when the leaves change colour in autumn, making it a great place for a dose of nature in the second half of the year.

In a normal year, millions of visitors from the UK and beyond visit London’s attractions, shops and museums – but not many think to extend their trip southwards to discover one of the most beautiful bits of Britain. Spanning three counties, the South Downs is a paradise of chocolate-box villages, intensely green grass, dark skies and hilltop walks, all only a short journey from London.

Of course you should check out the city’s harbour, the world-famous beaches and ocean pools – but don’t miss out on the national parklands that cover thousands of hectares around Sydney. Many head south to the Royal National Park, but Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, in Sydney’s north, could be the smarter option: beautiful lookouts, beaches and day hikes plus stunning places to stay along the shores of Pittwater.

Spend a few incredible days in the tumult that is Istanbul, then hop a boat to Büyükada: the largest of the nine Princes Islands on the Marmara Sea. It’s only a half-hour ride from the mainland, but with acres of green, spectacular panoramas from its forested peak and a ban on motorised vehicles, it has a feel that’s completely its own.

There’s nowhere else quite like Tokyo: the world’s biggest metropolis has everything you could want from a city break. But don’t miss out on a few days in Okutama. It’s a taste of rural Japan right on Tokyo’s outskirts, where you can explore forests, mountain hikes, rivers, caves and a 300-year-old sake brewery.

You could spend a lifetime exploring Paris’s bistros, bars and boulevards. But for a breath of fresh air, head upstream and spend a few days in the Boucles de la Seine Normande regional nature park. This dramatic, verdant landscape traces the River Seine as it meanders through Normandy, passing by towns, traditional cottages and ancient abbeys.

Once you’ve soaked up Chicago’s architectural marvels, head along the shore of Lake Michigan. Just over the Indiana state line, there’s sand and solitude at the Indiana Dunes National Park. You’ll find 50 miles of dune trails for summer as well as wetlands, prairies, rivers and forests that are perfect for snowshoeing and spotting animal tracks in the winter snowfall.

The seaside town of Sai Kung is Hongkongers’ favourite escape – a place of fresh seafood, stunning beaches and hiking trails, as well as some great alfresco drinking and dining spots. The islands and bays here rival any in Asia, and they’re only an hour from the world-class restaurants and bars of Hong Kong’s central district.

First, spend a few days ticking off L.A.’s best restaurants, museums, studio tours and beaches. Then escape to the Santa Monica Mountains, stretching west from the city: a mix of rocky peaks, green meadows, canyons, wineries and winding roads, all right near the ocean.

After a few days in the tapas bars, flea markets, parks and museums of Madrid, head north for a dose of spectacular nature in the nearby Guadarrama mountains. The scenery here is so breathtaking that there’s even a hiking trail inspired by JRR Tolkien’s Middle-Earth.

Less well trodden than the Mornington Peninsula on the other side of the city, the Bellarine Peninsula is Melburnians’ secret escape, filled with beautiful beaches and some of the best wineries in the state of Victoria. From here you could even head further down the Great Ocean Road to the rainforests and redwoods of the Otways. It’s the perfect double-up with any trip to Australia’s cultural (and coffee) capital.

The five boroughs are a whole world on their own. But if you are planning a trip to New York, make sure to head out of town to the Hudson Valley, where you can discover sleepy towns, gorgeous autumn leaves, grand hotels and newer, ultra-cool spots like farm-to-table restaurants and galleries.

After a short city stay in Dubai, take a 90-minute drive out of the urban area to the mountain town of Hatta: an outdoor adventurist’s dream. Nestled in the Hajar Mountains, Hatta is home to hiking trails of varying difficulty and heaps of wildlife, while Hatta Dam is a stunning spot for kayaking or pedal boating. Set up camp under the stars, or check into a vintage airstream trailer or mountainside lodge to really get away from it all.

Singapore’s high-tech, high-density reputation belies plenty of green space – but to really get away from it all, take a ferry to St John’s Island. Despite a dark past as a quarantine island, it’s a vision of blue lagoons, sandy beaches, rare wildlife and forested trails. And it’s one of the few Singaporean islands where you can stay overnight without camping.

Spending a few days in San Francisco should be on anyone’s bucket list. But don’t miss the chance to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and up to the peak locals call Mount Tam. Pitch a tent or rent a cabin amid thousands of acres of redwoods, waterfalls and hiking trails – plus unbeatable views over the city.

Once, Lisbon’s elite escaped to the nearby royal retreat of Sintra. Nowadays, clued-up residents of the Portuguese capital head instead to Comporta: a former fishing village just over an hour from Lisbon, surrounded by water, dense forest, nesting birds, rice paddies and one of Europe’s most spectacular beaches. It’s the perfect complement to a few days exploring Lisbon’s traditional shops and tile-studded streets.