“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford,” or so said esteemed writer Samuel Johnson. From 18th century London to now, this mantra still applies.

I had the great fortune of witnessing one of the most time honored traditions in the world when I traveled with Insight Vacations to London.

For over seven hundred years The Ceremony of the Keys has taken place every evening at 9:52 pm at The Tower of London and involved the locking of the gates to the Tower.  This Ceremony is limited to only a small group of guests and is sold out on average nine to ten months in advance.  Lucky for us however, Insight Vacations includes this event on their Luxurious London and Paris itinerary as part of their Luxury Gold collection.

With many destinations enjoying warmer weather, July is traditionally the month associated most with vacations. Yet it’s also undoubtedly a month of two halves. Travelers should seek the period before schools break up if they are chasing peace and quiet (and a good deal), while those after a buzzing, family-friendly atmosphere might do well to travel in the latter part of the month. Taking both preferences into account, we’ve selected some of our favorite destinations for those wondering where to visit in July.