Travel that puts the senses at the centre is a rising trend for 2025. The idea is to engage all five senses – sound, taste, touch, smell and sight – in order to be truly in the present and experience each moment fully.
As the new year approaches Brits are thinking of their goals for the year to come, and last year a fifth of Brits made a resolution to travel more.1 When planning out precious holiday time the goal is rarely to set off on the first trip you can find, but instead to book unique travel experiences that will enrich you on the trip and beyond.
Kevin Currie, Director of New Scientist Discovery Tours, the UK’s leading provider of science-inspired tours, says, “travellers are looking for holidays that will stay with them long after they return home. Sensory-focused travel is the ideal way to do this as it taps into everyday functions, allowing travellers to rediscover and cherish the experiences even when the trip comes to an end. For example, a flavour or scent experienced whilst on holiday in a far-off land can be recreated at home to evoke powerful memories – an unparalleled souvenir.”
To satisfy this sense of discovery, New Scientist Discovery Tours has curated a selection of trips that will take travellers on a journey through the senses in 2025 and beyond…
The Science of Champagne – France
From £2,686pp
8 June 2025 – 5 days
Champagne involves a fascinating blend of chemistry, physics, and biology that underpins the creation of this iconic sparkling wine. Learn about the grape-growing process, soil composition, and climate that make the Champagne region unique. Discover the historic underground cellars where bottles age for years, often in stunning chalk caves.
Enjoy guided tastings with experts explaining the sensory characteristics of different champagne varieties. Experience the rich history of the region, including its role in royal coronations and historical events.
The tour will be joined throughout by Jonathan Ray, food and drinks expert and author of several books on wine and spirits. Jonathan will lead tastings and share insights into the unique history and science of the word’s most famous wine.
What’s Included:
- Entry to all sites and attractions
- English-speaking tour leader throughout, talks, walking seminars
- All accommodation and internal transport
- Daily breakfast, two lunches and two dinners
- Arrival/departure group airport transfers for those on the suggested group flights
The Science of the Senses – Morocco
From £2,996pp
1 December 2025 – 6 days
Discover the science behind all five senses on an immersive trip through Morocco, taste local produce, smell the fragrance of the spices and oils, touch the texture of the native fabrics, and listen to the sounds of everyday life. The trip brings Morocco alive in a whole new way.
On the first day meet with your Moroccan guide and Dr Fiona Russell. After receiving a 1st class degree in Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, Fiona went on to carry out a PhD in Pharmacology at King’s College London specialising in inflammation and pain. She will enrich the tour with talks on The Science of Spice – delving into questions including: why do chillies taste ‘hot’, is ginger good for nausea, does turmeric help to relieve arthritis, and is cinnamon helpful for diabetes?
Wander through the lively markets, where the air is filled with the tantalizing aromas of freshly ground spices, grilled meats, and sweet pastries. Sample iconic Moroccan dishes such as tagine, couscous, and pastilla, prepared using age-old recipes passed down through generations.
Engage with local vendors and chefs, gaining insights into the ingredients and techniques that make Moroccan cuisine so unique. Venture into the breath taking Atlas Mountains and discover the rustic charm of Berber villages, where traditional ways of life have remained unchanged for centuries.
Enjoy guided tours of historical sites and cultural landmarks that offer context to Morocco’s rich culinary traditions. Stay in the beautiful and well located 4-star Jardins’ de la Medina.
What’s Included:
- Five nights’ accommodation at the 4-star Jardins’ de la Medina
- Entry to all sites and attractions
- Guest lectures and services of dedicated guide throughout the tour
- Five dinners
The Science of Whisky: Scottish Hebrides Cruise
Pre-sale, register now
1 September 2025 – 8 days
A whisky lover’s dream cruise, taking you deep into the science of how whisky is made and how different processes and stimuli affect its flavours, while touring renowned distilleries on the islands of Islay and Jura (weather permitting).
Guests will, of course, be sampling whisky, but in a science-led way, giving an extensive understanding of how its components engage the senses.
The tour will be accompanied by either Professor Barry Smith, a founding director of University of London’s Centre for the Study of the Senses, who has also written and broadcast extensively on whisky, or Billy Abbott, founding director of the Centre for the Study of the Senses, a whisky ambassador, judge and trainer who is the author of the Philosophy of Whisky.
What’s Included:
- Entry to all the distillery tours and tastings as indicated
- Walking seminars, evening tasting and sensory experiments with the accompanying expert
- Full board (except one evening and one lunch for the crew to have time off)
- All port fees, tourist fees and fuel expenses
- Bed linen and towels
- The use of a zodiac for certain landings where no harbour or jetty is available
- The crew including captain, cook and first mate