Ricardo Araujo, founder of Ariodante, speaks to Globetrender about designing trips for billionaires, a forthcoming immersive mystery experience in Paris and the value of complete creative freedom.

Your mother was an art history teacher – how did that influence your approach to travel?

“We didn’t travel just for the destination; we went because there was a reason. For example, on a trip to Italy, we stopped in a small village because a chapel had been painted by Giotto. Everything was about painting, as you can imagine. When we were in a museum, she was always teaching me and my brother – more me than him, since he became a painter – about composition, about why a painting matters beyond its fame. That has stayed with me, and it influences how I think about travel today.”

How has that shaped your work as a travel 'alchemist' at Ariodante?

“It gave me the idea that a journey needs meaning. For me, ‘normal’ travel is boring. These days, no one really needs a travel agent. Wealthy people have PAs, they use booking platforms, they can arrange flights, hotels, and drivers online. The only justification for a travel agent is added value – and yet, very few provide that.

“Too many people say they ‘curate’ but they’re just sourcing from providers who source from others, creating layers where no one actually controls anything or connects with the client. For me, it’s the opposite. The so-called ‘add-on’ is actually the most important part: the reason why you travel. Why go somewhere? To explore, to learn, to grow, to discover. That’s the foundation.”

So storytelling is central to your work?

“Exactly. Everything I’ve done since the beginning has been about creating stories. And by stories, I mean something rooted in the passions, interests, and dreams of the traveler. My job is to find ways to turn those into reality. Sometimes I joke that when people ask me what I do, I say: ‘I fulfill dreams.’ Travel is just the vehicle. At its best, it’s transformation – discovery, growth, exploration."

How did you start out?

“Completely by accident, in London. Airbnb was piloting ‘Experiences’ and asked me to create one. I’m a classical composer and conductor so I began by taking people to classical concerts and explaining them through the eyes of a conductor. It wasn’t a big success – one or two people at a time – but it was fun. Among those guests was a wealthy American couple, in their eighties. They loved it. They invited me to the Royal Opera House for a performance, and through them I discovered the world of concierge services.

“That was the beginning. But it wasn’t about clients or 'rich people' – we became friends, shared drinks, even whisky tastings in their suite at 2am. After that, I took them backstage at the Opera House, not as tourists but to meet people and see the magic from the inside. That’s when my definition of ‘experience’ was born.”

What does ‘experience’ mean to you?

“For me, an experience is not just buying tickets to St Paul’s Cathedral, staying in a hotel, or dining in a restaurant. That’s not an experience; that’s a transaction. A real experience is interactive, two-way, engaging. It’s about the person, not just the place. You don’t just watch a chef cook; you engage with them, share something. Sadly, the industry still doesn’t understand this, while clients are desperate for it. There’s a mismatch between a 19th-century industry and 21st-century clients.”

When did you formally found your company?

“At the end of 2015 – so it’s been almost ten years now. I should probably get myself a cake.”

How do you define your company?

“On a corporate level, I’d call it an experiential ultra-luxury travel creation agency. We do pure creation. Not tailoring, not design, not ‘curation’ – creation. Each experience is entirely unique, created from scratch, never repeated. Because every person is different, even if two people want something similar, it will play out differently. Like haute couture: first you meet the designer, then the sketches, the prototypes, the fittings – months of work for a single dress. We do the same with travel. A 'simple' weekend trip can take us three months of preparation and involves several ‘money can’t buy’ unique experiences all woven together. In reality, we are relentless dream makers striving to always push the limits of what’s possible.”

How many trips do you arrange each year?

“No more than three or four. We simply don’t have capacity for more. And we choose our members carefully. It’s not about money; it’s about mindset. If someone just wants a beach holiday, I’ll send them to someone else. But if they want something unique, if they’re willing to give me creative freedom, then we can work together.”

Do your trips focus mainly on culture?

“It depends on how you define culture. For me, culture is broad: art, history, indigenous traditions, human interactions with nature – even fashion or sneakers can be culture. The trips we create are shaped around the client’s passions, whatever they may be.”

How do you find your clients?

“They find me. Always through word of mouth. I rarely take on someone through the website unless I know it’s a simple project. Usually, one trip leads to another, as conversations spark new ideas.”

Would you describe the journeys as ‘knowledge-driven’?

“I’d say they’re more about growth and transformation. For example, one Van Gogh trip was structured as a psychological and historical treasure hunt to uncover whether he really cut off his ear. We began with a single painting in a famous museum that was closed to the public, and ten days later returned to the same work – but the clients now saw it with new eyes, because the entire journey had reshaped their perspective. That’s what I strive to do: give clients something deeper than just ‘dreams’.”

Is there a minimum spend?

“There isn’t a formal minimum, but the reality is that everything we do is resource-intensive. Research, ideas, sourcing unique experts – it all adds up. Budgets easily run £200,000-£250,000 per day, not including private jet flights (we never book commercial airlines) or hotels. Sometimes trips can range from £1 million to £40 million, or more, depending on logistics. But the price reflects the uniqueness. Luxury, to me, isn’t about convenience or price tags. It’s about details – like serving a left-handed guest their tea properly. True luxury is thoughtful, not just expensive.”

How long do trips typically last?

“It varies – from a weekend to several months. One project started as a weekend in Spain but grew into a seven-month sabbatical across Europe and South America. That’s how it often goes: a spark of curiosity expands into something extraordinary.”

You mentioned creativity – can you share an example?

“Sure. Once we recreated a mermaid scene for a child, using a submarine so she and her mother could ‘discover’ her underwater. It lasted just seconds, but it cost over £100,000 – and was priceless to her.”

Tell us about the ‘Queen’s Lost Diamonds’ experience.

"It’s a real-life immersive game, blending fiction and reality. The plot is rooted in a genuine historical mystery. It’s unique because every decision changes the outcome – no two players have the same experience. It’s part history, part thriller, part transformation. We have worked with super-important scholars to solve unanswered questions around centuries-old events in French history. The game will take place in the actual places where that real-life mystery happened. So, if they need a specific manuscript, they will need to go and find the actual one. I can’t say who the queen is, though, or what era she is from.

How much will it cost to take part?

“Each player is selected by Ariodante and the starting price to play is £437,000.”

Will you host the game again?

“Each game is a one-off. Every year, we’ll create a new story in a new city. This one will never be repeated. We’ll even film it – with over a thousand cameras – but only for the players. Each will receive their own film, because no one, not even me, will know the full story.”