Whether you choose an itinerary-free ramble through Lisbon's cobblestoned streets or an eye-opening bike tour of Tokyo's diverse neighborhoods, pack your bags and share in the discoveries of The New York Times Explorer: Cities & Towns. This volume of the paper's Explorer series with TASCHEN tells the stories of dream destinations where the past and the present collide and even the most familiar locales never cease to surprise.

Fall under the spell of Sarajevo with Reif Larsen, sip mezcal in a revived Mexico City with Luisita López Torregrosa, or dare to pilot a boat through the Venice lagoon with Tony Perrottet. The Times writers are your guides, and the wealth of color photographs that accompany their writing capture thriving urban centers and less-traveled towns, places where culture reigns and life is lived out loud.

The Explorer series takes travel beyond the obvious with adventures in exotic places and new perspectives in familiar ones, all based on the distinguished travel journalism in The New York Times. Each journey features a first-person narrative and postcard-perfect photography that capture the unique personality of the destination-as well as practical information to help get you on your way. Edited by Barbara Ireland, whose 36 Hours travel series has been a TASCHEN best seller, the Explorerseries is available in four volumes: Beaches, Islands & Coasts; Mountains, Deserts & Plains; Cities & Towns; and Road, Rail & Trail.