We’ve got lots of exciting upcoming tours that you won’t want to miss. If you’re wanting to travel in Europe, we have lots on offer. Don’t miss Albania, Ireland, our Nordic odysseys, the Channel Isles or our Adriatic tours. If you’re looking forward to travelling to Asia, we have Japan and Ladakh coming up, and in Africa, there’s Kenya and Tanzania, as well as Southern Africa.

ALBANIA – FALL 2016

We have enjoyed watching this enigmatic country open and grow during the last 20 years that we have been offering tours here. Infrastructure improvements and greater reliability of visitor services have made exploring this small but fascinating eastern European state, which was, for many years, closed to tourists, much easier and more comfortable than it was just two decades ago. We are also pleased to be one of the first operators to offer tours here, and are very excited about our numerous itineraries that combine Albania with neighbouring countries, including Macedonia, where we visit Ohrid—the "City of 365 churches"—an outstanding mixture of the Western and the Oriental. Albania/Macedonia can also be preceded by our hugely popular Adriatic tour (Slovenia & Croatia), which spends a night in Budva, Montenegro, en route to Tirana. Tours from 14 to 30 days; next trip fall 2016

Albania & Macedonia
AL1 | 14 Days | Details
Departure date: 9 Oct 2016

Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania & Macedonia
AD6 | 30 Days | Details
Departure date: 23 Sept 2016

IRELAND

We don’t have a lot of summer tours on our roster, but one of our all-time favourites is our 2-week circumnavigation of Ireland & Ulster (Northern Ireland). While not regarded as “exotic” as a lot of our other offerings, this is a surprisingly varied trip, with a richness in history and culture to rival anything on the continent, and a gorgeous, rugged landscape that truly shines like a emerald during the warm summer months. And believe it or not, Ireland also offers one of our best culinary experiences, with bountiful, fresh, locally-produced seafood, fruits, meats, and, of course, potatoes! Travelling in a small group means that we get to enjoy charming local restaurants and pubs instead of international hotel buffets. Guinness anyone?

Ireland
IE1 | 14 Days | Details
Departure date: 26 July 2016

SOUTHERN AFRICA – SUMMER

Travellers in the Northern Hemisphere don’t always think about Africa as a summer destination, but we most certainly do, as this is a stunning time of year, especially in Southern Africa, which enjoys largely cool and dry weather and none of the northern crowds who tend to visit in the winter (Austral summer) months. It is also a perfect choice for our travellers who like to escape summer heat at home. These dates rarely sell out, and feature nice small groups of 10-15 travellers—if you’ve ever fancied an African adventure, consider visiting “off-season” and enjoy uncrowded sites and (usually) lower airfares. Your choices:

Southern Africa
SA2 | 18 Days | Details
Departure date: 16 Jul 2016
Departure date: 02 Sept 2016

South Africa & Namibia
SA5 | 25 Days | Details
Departure date: 20 Jul 2016
Departure date: 06 Sept 2016

South Africa, Namibia & Victoria Falls
SA3 | 29 Days | Details
Departure date: 16 Jul 2016
Departure date: 02 Sept 2016

Namibia
NA1 | 12 Days | Details
Departure date: 02 Aug 2016
Departure date: 19 Sept 2016

Namibia & Botswana
NA2 | 19 Days | Details
Departure date: 02 Aug 2016
Departure date: 19 Sept 2016

KENYA & TANZANIA – SUMMER

The northern summer coincides with the best time to witness one of the natural world’s most incredible spectacles—the annual wildebeest migration. The weather is dry and relatively cool, many animals are starting to give birth, and birds are especially abundant and busy. Staying in lodges and travelling in special vans with pop-up roofs, we’ll venture into some of East Africa’s greatest wildlife parks and reserves. Family groups in particular enjoy chances to meet the proud Samburu and Maasai peoples, see their homes and learn about their traditional ways of life. This is an excellent choice for your first safari and for those who prefer the comfort and amenities of hotels and lodges, as opposed to camping. We also offer an extension to the island of Zanzibar—beautiful sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs and the magic of historic Stone Town.

Kenya & Tanzania
KT4 | 15 Days | Details
Departure date: 01 Jul 2016
Departure date: 15 Sept 2016

Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar
KT1 | 20 Days | Details
Departure date: 01 Jul 2016
Departure date: 15 Sept 2016

Kenya & Tanzania Family Safari
70A | 12 Days | Details
Departure date: 21 Jul 2016

Kenya & Tanzania Family Safari with Zanzibar
71A | 16 Days | Details
Departure date: 21 Jul 2016

NORDIC ODYSSEYS

Since this trip was introduced in 2008, it has become one of our most popular regional European experiences. The first week of this 3-week sojourn (code BS3) takes us through the charming and diverse Baltic neighbours of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Hopping across the water to Helsinki, we begin the Scandinavian portion of our journey, with stops in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. Our modes of travel are as varied as the region—private coach, train, and comfortable overnight ferry. A major highlight is travelling via Norway’s famous Flamsbana, the Flam Railway, one of the world's most spectacular rail journeys. Have less time? This series can be broken up into shorter pieces—next departures June-Sept 2016:

The Baltic States
BS1 | 9 Days | Details
Departure date: 01 Jun 2016 - ONE SPOT LEFT
Departure date: 04 Aug 2016
Departure date: 17 Sept 2016

The Baltics, Finland, Sweden & Norway
BS3 | 21 Days | Details
Departure date: 01 Jun 2016 - ONE SPOT LEFT
Departure date:  02 Aug 2016
Departure date: 17 Sept 2016

Nordic Explorer
NK1 | 15 Days | Details
Departure date: 08 Aug 2016
Departure date: 23 Sept 2016

NORTHERN ITALY – AUTUMN 2016

This two-week cultural program highlights all the special sights, sounds, scents, and tastes that have made this magical place a must for even the most seasoned traveller. This is a highlight-packed though well-paced journey from Rome to Siena, Pisa, the Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice via Ravenna and Verona. Our special brand of group travel allows for a thorough and varied experience, with the greater flexibility afforded by our small group size. Dining out at local restaurants is a huge added bonus of our tours of Italy; try that with a group of 50! And, of course, our flexible module system presents a number of different tours and combinations to chose from, such as our newly-improved itinerary for Sicily and Southern Italy:

Rome to Florence
IT7 | 10 Days | Details
Departure date: 03 Sept 2016
Departure date: 10 Sept 2016 - LIMITED SPACE

Northern Italy
IT1 | 14 Days | Details
Departure date: 03 Sept 2016
Departure date: 10 Sept 2016 - LIMITED SPACE

Northern & Southern Italy
IT2 | 24 Days | Details
Departure date: 31 Aug 2016

Italy & the Adriatic
AD9 | 30 Days | Details
Departure date:  10 Sept 2016

LADAKH—Hemis Festival 2016

Often called ‘Little Tibet’, this wonderfully remote and culturally distinct region in Northern India features breathtakingly situated ancient capitals, temples, and monasteries, and some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the world. This June, our 14-day trip (code I14) includes the many highlights of Leh and the colours and sounds of the annual Hemis Festival, where monks and laymen wearing spectacular costumes and masks perform elaborate traditional dances. A jeep excursion also takes us to the dizzying heights of the Khardung La Pass, at 5470 m / 18,400 feet, the highest drivable pass in the world. The tour continues McLeod Ganj, the home of the Dalai Lama in exile. This is a very special travel experience offered only twice a year

Ladakh
I14 | 13 Days | Details
Departure date: 19 Jun 2016 - GUARANTEED AND CLOSING SOON
Departure date: 08 Sep 2016

CHANNEL ISLES – SUMMER 2016

They’re not English, they’re not French, they’re kind of European, but kind of not… they’re the Channel Islands! Guernsey, Herm, Sark, Jersey and the Isle of Wight (not technically a Channel Isle, but since we’re in the neighbourhood…), feature on this new itinerary (IL3) of those tiny semi-autonomous and cultural distinct islands the lie between England and France. Our June trip led by Jonathan Hodgson is guaranteed and closing soon; only a couple more travellers will confirm our Aug/Sept date

The Channel Isles
IL3 | 13 Days | Details
Departure date: 14 Jun 2016
Departure date: 30 Aug 2016

ADRIATIC HIKING – CLOSING SOON

We have limited space on both of our two remaining 2016 departures on this perennially popular tour of Croatia & Montenegro, which features day hikes on well-worn paths and coastlines, and non-hiking travel / sightseeing days on a well-paced and highlight-packed 14-day program. This has become, by far, our most popular and well-received hiking tour—May will be closing soon and Sept is starting to fill.

Croatia & Montenegro Hike
XAD | 14 Days | Details
Departure date: 05 May 2016 - 3 SPOTS LEFT
Departure date: 16 Sept 2016

ADRIATIC – SEPTEMBER FILLING FAST

Our non-hiking cultural tour of Slovenia & Croatia, which also pops into Bosnia and Herzegovina & Montenegro, is already half-subscribed for our one fall 2016 date. This comprehensive regional exploration continues to be one of our most popular offerings since it’s launch in 2001. Since then, infrastructure and services have improved greatly, and the cuisines and wines are some of the most interesting in the Mediterranean basin.

The Adriatic Tour
AD1 | 17 Days | Details
Departure date: 23 Sept 2016

JAPAN – AUTUMN 2016

With our spring Japan tours departing imminently, we turn our attention to another winning fall season for our Japan programs, even more popular this year than last. This is one of those tours that just sells itself, with many 2016 participants referred by travellers from previous years. Value, the comprehensive nature of the itinerary, knowledgeable Tour Leaders, and the mystical allure of Japan itself has made this a perennial favourite. Highlights: Tokyo, Kamakura, Osaka, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, Kumamoto and more.

Japan
JP1 | 12 Days| Details
Departure date: 20 Oct 2016

Japan
JP2 | 20 Days | Details
Departure date: 20 Oct 2016

Korea & Japan
KR2 | 21 Days | Details
Departure date: 12 Oct 2016

Korea & Japan
KR3 | 28 Days | Details
Departure date: 12 Oct 2016

Taiwan, Korea, Japan
TA6 | 35 Days | Details
Departure date: 05 Oct 2016