Julia Shore | Cultural Explorer & Curator of Meaningful Journeys
Born in Croatia, raised in Germany, and shaped by decades between Europe, America, and the wider world, I have spent much of my life exploring not only destinations, but the way people live within them.
Travel, for me, has never been about collecting countries, though to date I have visited 131 of them. It has always been about connection, curiosity, culture, and understanding. Over the years, my travels have taken me from Europe’s grand capitals to remote villages, bustling souks, mountain monasteries, and quiet corners of the world most travelers never think to seek out.
Some journeys changed me deeply.
At 50, I set off on what began as a luxury journey through India, staying in some of the country’s most beautiful hotels. Then something shifted. I left behind the polished world of the Oberoi and spent two months volunteering in Kolkata, living simply and serving alongside local communities.
What followed became a six-month journey through that part of the world, one that transformed not only the way I traveled, but the way I understood life itself.
Today, I divide my life between my work in luxury travel and my home in Croatia, where my family roots stretch back generations. Living abroad has given me a unique perspective, one that allows me to bridge cultures and create journeys with both elegance and depth.
For more than three decades, I have designed highly personalized journeys throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. My specialties include Croatia, Turkey, Morocco, India, South Africa, and culturally immersive experiences that go beyond the expected. I have been recognized on the Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist list since 2022 and am affiliated with Signature Travel Network, ASTA, and APTA Africa.
But credentials only tell part of the story.
What matters most to me is helping travelers experience a place in a way that feels personal and unforgettable, whether that means staying in a palace hotel overlooking the Bosphorus, wandering through a market in Eastern Croatia, sharing tea with locals in Uzbekistan, or discovering beauty in the stillness of a place most people overlook.
I believe the best journeys are not rushed. They are felt.
Because in the end, travel is not only about seeing the world.
It is about understanding it, and perhaps, understanding ourselves a little better too.