Lauren is a Mexico City–based writer, editor, and translator from Yorkshire with bylines at CNN, BBC Travel, and Al Jazeera. She’s currently working on her first full-length literary translation in between harassing her cat, drinking smuggled Yorkshire Tea, and blogging about Latin American literature at leyendolatam.com.
Lauren is a Mexico City–based writer, editor, and translator from Yorkshire with bylines at CNN, BBC Travel, and Al Jazeera. She’s currently working on her first full-length literary translation in between harassing her cat, drinking smuggled Yorkshire Tea, and blogging about Latin American literature at leyendolatam.com.
Hi, I'm Lauren!Lauren is a Mexico City–based writer, editor, and translator from Yorkshire with bylines at CNN, BBC Travel, and Al Jazeera. She’s currently working on her first full-length literary translation in between harassing her cat, drinking smuggled Yorkshire Tea, and blogging about Latin American literature at leyendolatam.com.
Hi, I'm Lauren!Lauren is a Mexico City–based writer, editor, and translator from Yorkshire with bylines at CNN, BBC Travel, and Al Jazeera. She’s currently working on her first full-length literary translation in between harassing her cat, drinking smuggled Yorkshire Tea, and blogging about Latin American literature at leyendolatam.com.
You might not be a billionaire, but you can still follow in Queen Bey’s footsteps on your next vacation. (Although don’t expect to be seated alongside her on the plane.) Sure, the lavish resorts and opulent megayachts she and husband Jay-Z are known to favor are probably—let’s be honest: definitely—beyond the bank account realms of us mere mortals. But there are still plenty of ways to experience Bey-approved destinations such as Barcelona and the Blue Lagoon on a non-Beyoncé budget.
Iceland has definitely had A Moment in recent years, not least when Bey and Jay graced the country with their presence back in 2014 to celebrate Jay-Z’s 45th birthday. Reports claim they stayed in an exclusive lodge close to the Langköjull Glacier (which you can visit on a snowmobiling day trip from Reykjavik); hung out at the famed Blue Lagoon; and took a helicopter ride. (In fact, Bey posted photos of them enjoying all of the above on her website.)
Related: Top Glacier Tours in Iceland
It’s no secret that fans believe Blue Ivy’s name was inspired—at least in part—by a Croatian tree in Hvar, especially as the family vacationed there in summer 2011, mere months before their daughter was born. (For what it’s worth, Croatia agrees—Bey, Jay, and Blue were made honorary citizens of Hvar back in 2012.) Once you’ve checked out the trees, make your way to Hula Hula bar, where the couple was spotted sipping cocktails, or take to the waters for an exclusive yacht tour off the Dalmatian coast.
The internet was ablaze in 2019, when reports surfaced that Beyoncé shut down the Grand Canyon—yes, really—to shoot her “Spirit” music video. Of course, this was hyperbole at its finest because she didn’t actually shut down the entire 1,930-square-mile (5,000-square-kilometer) Grand Canyon National Park. She did, however, shut down the Havasu Falls with the blessing of Havasupai tribal officials, an exclusive site which is typically only open to 300 visitors a day. Can’t get a permit to visit? Take in views of the Grand Canyon from above instead, like Beyoncé did on her 8th wedding anniversary back in 2016.
Over the years, Bey and Jay have made return visits to Costa Rica, taking in all the beauty that this famously biodiverse Central American country has to offer. Back in 2013, the couple reportedly visited the Arenal Volcano, tried paddleboarding, and even gave ziplining a go, per photos Beyoncé posted on her Tumblr account at the time. (Although local mediadid good-naturedly bemoan Jay-Z’s lack of guayabera shirt-wearing.) Then, in 2014, Beyoncé and sister Solange returned to the country for Kelly Rowland’s wedding after that elevator fight.
Paris, the City of Light, the capital of romance. The French capital has had much of the world in its thrall for decades, but Beyoncé’s takeover of The Louvre for her “Apeshit” video was probably what truly secured the city its iconique status. Probably. Although you certainly can’t close down one of the world’s most famous and frequented museums, you can certainly visit it. You can even get Beyoncé-esque snaps in front of the Eiffel Tower, visit the Pablo Picasso Museum, and (if you’ve got $20,000 to spare) rent a penthouse at the Hotel Le Meurice.
Even Queen Bey can’t resist the siren call of Vegas’ neon lights, which probably explains why she chose to spend her 13th wedding anniversary in Sin City in 2021. While we can’t imagine her risking it all on the slots—although what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—perhaps she played a few hands of poker before taking to the bright lights of the strip in a limo or soaring above the masses in a helicopter. And, surely, she must have taken an appropriately fabulous photo in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. Right?
If you keep up to date with the coming and goings of Beyoncé, you’ll know that an annual Mediterranean cruise is something of a custom. Most of the time, this takes place off the picturesque Amalfi Coast in Italy, known for cliffside roads, sandy bays, and colorful casas. Although she usually bobs around on a luxury yacht, us mere mortals will probably have to settle for a boat trip. And if the Amalfi Coast doesn’t float your boat, keep in mind that Bey has also been seen checking out David in Florence.
As the Beyhive will know, New Orleans served as the backdrop for Beyoncé’s 2016 “Formation” video, as well as her sister Solange’s wedding. Other sources even claim that Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z own a massive 1925 mansion in the city’s Garden District. While you probably won’t be able to pay them a home visit anytime soon, you can certainly tour the scenic neighborhood and enjoy all the food the Big Easy has to offer.
Alongside daughter Blue Ivy, Bey and Jay checked out many of Barcelona’s top attractions back in 2014, including the towering Sagrada Familia, Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece. (The chances of bumping into Beyoncé there are slim, but you can still book skip-the-line access to the impressive Catalan church.) And who could forget their 2018 performance at the Estadi Olímpic in Montjuïc? Not I. Take in the neighborhood from up high on the cable car.
Despite suffering under a restrictive US embargo for decades—one which prohibited US citizens from visiting as tourists for years—Beyoncé and Jay-Z stopped by in 2013 to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. The backlash made world news. However, since Obama-era loosening of travel-to-Cuba restrictions, you too can follow in the footsteps of rap royalty by exploring Old Havana, sampling Cuban cuisine, and enjoying a mojito or three.
FR
