Polarsteps Guides are a collection of the world’s best travel destinations and insider tips — putting the most exciting, interesting, and quirky places and experiences directly into travelers’ hands. 

A world map with vivid but succinct country highlights helps adventurers to decide which bustling cities, charming towns, or stunning national parks are a must for them. They can then dig deeper into any destination with beautiful stories — a short and sweet picture that gets them to the heart of a place in a heartbeat.

Hand-picked tips show them the best things to see, do, eat, drink, and ideal places to stay so that they never miss a hidden gem again. This includes a special collection of those things that make each place unique — from Berlin’s infamous clubbing scene to the bike routes of the Pyrenees — allowing them to experience the very best of each destination. Finally, plans can be put into action with just a few quick clicks, thanks to direct links to well-known booking sites.

With the introduction of this new feature, Polarsteps will now be with travelers every step of the way — from early inspiration and detailed trip planning to travel tracking and, finally, a hardback photo album full of memories upon returning home.

“Our team of experienced travel editors apply thorough research, as well as their extensive travel experience, to allow them to pick the most beautiful highlights and unique hidden gems,” says Sara van Geloven, editor-in-chief of Polarsteps Guides. “On top of that, we include exciting tips from our intrepid Polarsteps travelers. We also take care to highlight locally-owned places, businesses, and activities that make a conscious effort towards being more sustainable. This will hopefully help our Guides contribute to a more thoughtful form of travel.

Polarsteps CEO and co-founder, Koen Droste: “The past year and a half saw the travel industry grind to a halt. But at Polarsteps we haven't stood still: we’ve spent this time building something to help transform the travel planning experience. Because we believe that browsing the internet for hours with dozens of tools and websites, only to end up in a place with thousands of other tourists, is something that should belong to the past. With our highly curated guides, we do all the hard work for you — so that the planning of a trip becomes not only easier but also more fun. Almost as enjoyable as the trip itself. With the world finally opening its doors again, we are so excited to share Polarsteps Guides with travelers and help get them back on the road with minimum fuss and maximum adventure.” 

With travelers not expected to be getting to faraway shores this summer, Polarsteps' first 60 Guides have been created for European destinations (which are closer to home for the majority of the app’s users). Van Geloven: “Our ambition is to cover the whole globe with Polarsteps Guides and offer them in different languages — allowing the entire Polarsteps community to enjoy them. To help us with this mission, we’d love to hear from travelers which destinations they’d like to see in Polarsteps Guides next!”