Herman Melville, a fiery Leo and explorer of the high seas, knew a thing or two about adventure: “It is not down in any map; true places never are.” So if you’re staying put in New York City this summer and can’t manage to take that extravagant world tour, don’t sweat it. Instead of feeling blue, waiting for buses on Broadway while your friends are waiting for Bellinis in Bora Bora, take advantage of the burning city sun to fuel your rediscovery of all the beauty contained within your backyard. Wander the streets of New York and you will inadvertently circumnavigate the globe—from China to Hungary to India and back again. No GPS, phone, plane, train, or automobile is necessary. All you need to pack is one thing: a spirit of adventure. And as Mr. Melville would say, “Let the great floodgates of the wonder-world swing open.”

Buenos Aires Restaurant Photo: Getty Images

Start your tour by “diving” south of the equator and dining like the Pope. Literally. During Pope Francis’s visit to New York City, rumor has it President Obama called on the United Nations to sift through the haystack of Argentine chefs in the Big Apple in order to pick one fit for a Pope. The chosen one? The chef of Buenos Aires Restaurant. One of the best-kept secrets in the East Village, if not in all of Manhattan, gregarious owner Ismael Alba will make you feel like you’re back at home with his family in Argentina at this gem of a creación. Have a café con leche on the balmy porch out back, or else tuck into a Last Supper–esque feast with a huge steak and chicken with lemon on the Argentine grill—a Pope favorite.

Henna by Madeleine Buhler-Rose of Mehndi Photo: Courtesy of Mehndi

Next up? Head over to Germany and Austria for a bite of strudel with your daily Munch and Klimt fix at the Neue Galerie on Fifth Avenue. Marvel at the golden Klimt canvases, the raw Schiele works, and the haunting Kokoschka portraits while waltzing from room to room and up and down the marble staircases of this stunning museum. Once you’re done with your visual feast, sit down at the museum’s Café Sabarsky for traditional pastries like the sachertorte or for a dinner and a performance of traditional German and Austrian cabaret volksmusik from the early 1900s. To embellish yourself like the mythical women in Klimt’s art, trek over to India and visit henna artist Madeleine Bühler-Rose at Mehndi in Nolita to have your hands adorned in painted designs.

If you’re into design, and a sweet tooth is the name of your game, check out mod-minimalist Scandinavian candy shop Sockerbit on Christopher Street. With more than 140 types of sweets to choose from, including Daim and Chokobananer, you will be a literal kid in a candy shop. Prefer cake to candy? Try the quaint and romantic Hungarian bakeshop Andre’s Café on the Upper East Side.