Huayna Picchu, Peru
At an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet, the view from atop this peak, which towers over the 15th-century ruins of Machu Picchu, is breathtaking in a number of ways. A steep, slippery climb to this rocky summit is a nerve-racking effort—one instantly rewarded with a panoramic perspective of the Urubamba River Valley and the famed city of the Inca. But what to eat? Certainly not a complicated dish of roasted cuy (guinea pig) or a pisco sour. Instead, a celebratory Inca Kola and a pleasantly portable butifarras—a sandwich of Peruvian ham, onions, chili peppers, and lime. Don't linger too long—the hike down is a doozy.
Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome, Italy
Olives, pizza bianca, marinated artichokes, salumi, and—of course—a bottle of wine are all it takes to make a picnic break from the ancient ruins and Renaissance highlights of Rome. Oh—and a quiet little park. The Villa Borghese gardens, near the Piazza del Popolo, is a picnic-perfect landscape for escape. The Spanish Steps lead up to this English-style garden, but the romantic feel of the urban park is all-Italian—a fact reinforced by the sculptures by Bernini and paintings by Titian, Raphael, and Caravaggio housed within the Galleria Borghese on the broad expanse of these scenic gardens
Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
Photograph by Eightfish
A tropical rain forest in the heart of one of the world's busiest cities? Believe it. This horticultural haven is a compact but grand space that preserves much more than just a lush tropical rain forest. The National Orchid Garden maintains a collection of more than a thousand species and 2,000 hybrids here (including Singapore's pink-hued national flower, a natural hybrid orchid), while three lakes, a botany center, and a ginger garden offer opportunities for eco-education and urban escape. The greenswards of Palm Valley make for pitch-perfect picnics, especially when outdoor concerts are in session
Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, California
Photograph by Tom Bass, MyShot
So you've collected fine wines in Napa and delicious bites in Berkeley and you've checked Chez Panisse and French Laundry off your list. Now where do you go for a simple outdoor meal? This spectacular nature preserve located on a 70,000-acre peninsula north of San Francisco is rich in wildlife, from raptors to tule elk, and bordered by a coastline favored by elephant seals. Hikers, backpackers, and beachcombers ply the trails, especially the wildflower-wild Chimney Rock hike, while picnickers head to the nearby Point Reyes Lighthouse for prime whale watching in January and March and coastal beauty year-round.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Western Cape, South Africa
Photograph by Heiko Meyer, laif/Redux
Make a quick green escape from Cape Town for a picnic lunch in this spectacularly rugged and refined space on the slopes of Table Mountain. Pack a bottle of wine from Stellenbosch and some biltong (it's like beef jerky)—a lot easier to carry than crocodile meat or ostrich burgers—and hike the trails through natural forests and fynbos ("fine bush" or shrubland in Afrikaans). More than 7,000 plant species and indigenous plants are cultivated in this expansive botanic garden, with exhibit areas dedicated to medicinal and fragrant plants, as well as the king protea, South Africa's national flower.
