Europe
Often dubbed a ‘living museum’, Europe is a region rich in history and tradition. Fairy-tale castles cast their shadows over lush green valleys and Gothic churches stand proudly amid beautifully preserved medieval towns. Galleries overflow with masterpieces from the likes of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rodin, Van Gogh and Picasso. Festivals have evolved from ancient pagan rituals (even beer drinking has a time-honored track record, especially in countries such as Belgium, the Czech Republic and Germany). This complex region presents a patchwork of varied landscapes and an enticing smorgasbord of more than 30 nationalities. Snowy Alps, the fabled aurora borealis and the Mediterranean Sea are all here for the enjoying, as are French chic, Italian passion, Nordic minimalism, Spanish flair and much, much more. Although it’s steeped in the past, Europe isn’t living in it. Ancient monuments such as Athens’ Acropolis and Rome’s Colosseum sit amid vibrant, thriving cities. Paris and Prague might look quaint, but their attitude is definitely contemporary, cosmopolitan and liberal, while buzzing multicultural metropolises such as Berlin and London are visibly 21st-century cities.
In addition to the Adventure Collection’s own researchers and writers, we want to thank the following sources for providing destination travel information: lonelyplanet.com, frommers.com, worldtravelguide.net, world66.com and wordtravels.com.
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The European Arctic is home some of the most amazing wildlife on Earth-- polar bear, walrus and much more. This... [more]
Duration: 12 days
Months offered:
- July
Activity types:
- Animals & Safari
- Hiking
- Small Ship Touring
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Vast mountains seem sketched in the sky high above rocky cliffs and a sparkling azure sea. Lemon trees burst with... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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Mountains standing proud above rocky cliffs and an azure sea. Lemon trees bursting with vivid scent and color. Patchwork patterns... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
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As our ship sails north among the thousands of islands and skerries of Norway, the scenery suddenly becomes overpoweringly dramatic.... [more]
Duration: 16 days
Months offered:
- June
- August
Activity types:
- Animals & Safari
- Photography
- Small Ship Touring
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On a windswept plateau above France`s northwest coast, prepare yourself for more than the sound of the crashing surf below.... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- July
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Behind northwestern France`s understated beauty lie innumerable stories from its past. Fortified medieval cities, battlefields and ancient monasteries are all... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- September
- June
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Behind northwestern France`s understated beauty lie innumerable stories from its historic past. Ancient monasteries and wartime battlefields are all visual... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Ideal for inquisitive travelers of all ages, this Family Trip combines exhilarating bike rides along picturesque coastline with moments of... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Delve into two different captivating regions of Italy during this one-of-a-kind trip. Savor unsurpassed coastal views as you hike amid... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- September
- October
- May
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
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From the pastoral beauty of the Czech Republic to Austria`s legendary Danube River, this Backroads odyssey brings together two regions... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- July
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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From the pastoral beauty of the Czech Republic to the legendary Danube River in Austria, this dual-country trip brings together... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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From the pastoral beauty of the Czech Republic to Austria`s legendary Danube River, Backroads introduces your family to a pair... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- June
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Experience a taste of old-world Europe on our Walking Trip in the heart of the Czech Republic and Austria. Venture... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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Stretching along the Adriatic Sea, Croatia`s Dalmatian Coast is a mere 100 miles from Italy as the sea gull flies.... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- May
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
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Reclaiming its reputation as a premiere destination, Croatia`s Dalmatian Coast is renowned for its warm waters, wooded islands and ancient... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- August
- June
- July
Activity types:
- Canoeing & Sea Kayaking
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
- White Water Rafting & Kayaking
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Hugging the eastern shore of the Adriatic, Croatia`s Dalmatian Coast is a mere 100 miles from Italy as the seagull... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Hiking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
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Soaring above the Venetian plain, the majestic and incomparable Dolomites play host to an unforgettable alpine family adventure. Backroads takes... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Crowning Italy`s northern border, the Dolomites are a pristine alpine playground, where vivid green meadows nestle against enormous limestone peaks... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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Embark on a cycling journey through two of France`s most alluring regions. In the lush Dordogne, pedal through a mystical... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- September
- May
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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See history come to life on this Backroads family adventure from the mystical Dordogne to the celebrated Bordeaux region. Pedal... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
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Designed to give experienced travelers a new insightful view of Europe, our journey through seven countries--Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France,... [more]
Duration: 17 days
Months offered:
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Photography
- Sight-Seeing
- Small Ship Touring
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Sail through eight countries united by the Baltic Sea, encountering fascinating cultures and long-neglected histories. Discover fairytale castles and the... [more]
Duration: 17 days
Months offered:
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Photography
- Small Ship Touring
- Walking
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History. Culture & Unexpected Wildness. Unlike the majority of our expeditions which are wildness-oriented, this adventure—while taking us to wild... [more]
Duration: 14 days
Months offered:
- June
- August
Activity types:
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Photography
- Small Ship Touring
- Walking
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Coveted by the French and Germans for centuries, Alsace is a compelling blend of two cultures - a region sure... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- August
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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First contested by the Romans and Celts, and later by the Germans and the French, tiny Alsace showcases a compelling... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
- Canoeing & Sea Kayaking
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Explore the High Arctic of Canada and Greenland, a region of towering mountains, glaciers and protected fjords surrounded by dense... [more]
Duration: 14 days
Months offered:
- August
Activity types:
- Small Ship Touring
- Hiking
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Scrunched between the Indian lowlands and the Tibetan Plateau, Bhutan is simply the most ecologically intact parcel of the Himalaya.... [more]
Duration: 14 days
Months offered:
- August
Activity types:
- Animals & Safari
- Small Ship Touring
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On our Scotland tours, you will discover secluded villages, ancient sites, verdant landscapes and engaging people for an intimate perspective... [more]
Duration: 9 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Hiking
- Sight-Seeing
- Small Ship Touring
- Walking
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The reemergence of Hungary, Slovakia and Poland offers a stellar opportunity to discover the glories of old-world Europe. Designed to... [more]
Duration: 9 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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This one-of-a-kind journey provides an opportunity to experience the reemergence of Eastern Europe. From Budapest, travel to Hungary`s idyllic wine-growing... [more]
Duration: 8 days
Months offered:
- August
- September
- June
- July
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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The heartbreakingly charming onion-dome churches of Suzdal and Vladimir, jewels of the Golden Ring, places that encapsulate Russia’s hold on... [more]
Duration: 11 days
Months offered:
- Year Round
Activity types:
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Sight-Seeing
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Join Backroads for an unforgettable week exploring the quiet nooks of west Cork and Kerry, and admiring breathtaking scenery. Begin... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- June
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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"Ireland, especially the rural West, is a cyclist`s dream," writes Bicycling magazine. "A network of intertwined little roads...wind above seaside... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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"When it`s gray and drizzly, the Irish say it`s a `soft` day. And after a while this softness works its... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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In the shadow of the Italian and Swiss Alps, three beautiful and distinctly charming lakes are waiting to enchant you.... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
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A remote archipelago situated just over 350 miles north of Norway's North Cape, Svalbard is a place of deep fjords,... [more]
Duration: 11 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Animals & Safari
- Photography
- Small Ship Touring
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Just southwest of Paris is a refined domain, where magnificent chateaux sleep on the banks of slowly moving rivers and... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- July
- August
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Pedal through a lush forest and emerge as if you`re in a fairy tale. Standing proudly before you is a... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- July
- August
- September
- June
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Backroads invites you and your family to explore one of France`s most elegant corners, the regal Loire Valley, from the... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Join Backroads for the royal family option - an active vacation in the Loire Valley, where magnificent chateaux sleep on... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- June
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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On this journey we'll visit Kharakorum and Khustain Nuruu National Park in Mongolia, then fly up to Irkutsk in Siberia... [more]
Duration: 14 days
Months offered:
- July
Activity types:
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Sight-Seeing
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Experience Norway, a pristine wilderness of tumbling waterfalls, lush pine forests, ancient glaciers, deep valleys and soaring cliffs. Explore this... [more]
Duration: 7 days
Months offered:
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Hiking
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On this journey into the Pays Basque, explore France and Spain to experience a culture that is ironically neither French... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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Peel back layers of history and tradition as you journey through this captivating corner of northern Portugal. Pedal along pastoral... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- August
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Savor the slow pace of life in southern France on a journey for the senses through Provence. Bike amid the... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Join us on this all-time favorite trip and surrender to the relaxed pace of the Drome, Vaucluse and Luberon regions... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- August
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Journey with Backroads through a landscape captured on canvas by Cezanne, Picasso and van Gogh, where leisurely strolls through timeless... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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The map says Italy, but there`s a distinctly Greek feel to the Puglia region, nestled between the spur and the... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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The map says Italy but there`s a distinctly Greek feel to the Puglia region, nestled between the spur and the... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Discover Europe less traveled as you journey from Italy`s northern Adriatic to the rocky heights of Slovenia`s Julian Alps. Immerse... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Culturally diverse, geographically varied, and awash in centuries-old customs, Spain`s Catalonia region is made for exploration by bike. From Barcelona,... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- October
- May
- August
- June
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Culturally diverse, geographically varied, and awash in tradition and history, Spain`s Catalonia region is practically designed for exploration by bike.... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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This stunning 11-day Arctic Circle cruise travels to the land of polar bears. We'll tour Norway's islands of Svalbard &... [more]
Duration: 11 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Animals & Safari
- Canoeing & Sea Kayaking
- Small Ship Touring
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Switzerland`s terrain of jagged snowcapped peaks, lush wildflower-speckled valleys and charming alpine villages is a sensory delight. On this Backroads... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
- Sailing & Small Boats
- Small Ship Touring
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Switzerland`s terrain of jagged snowcapped peaks and charming alpine villages is a sensory delight. Discover this stunning landscape with the... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- June
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Rich with hidden valleys, green meadows and snowy peaks, the Alps thrill travelers like no other mountains on Earth. And... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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The idea of reaching Tanquary Fjord, may be reason enough to join this voyage. The fjords lie back in wide,... [more]
Duration: 16 days
Months offered:
- August
Activity types:
- Small Ship Touring
- Hiking
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National Geographic Explorer explores remote island stepping stones in the Mediterranean, each with its own distinctive culture. Explore the Bronze... [more]
Duration: 14 days
Months offered:
- April
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Photography
- Sight-Seeing
- Small Ship Touring
- Walking
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Join us in France and Switzerland to pedal in the same rarefied environment as the world`s top cyclists and view... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Join Backroads in the French and Spanish Pyrenees to experience the passion, glory and heart-pumping action of the world`s greatest... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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"To be in Tuscany is heaven...somewhere north of Rome, on a stretch where town and country, sunlight and seascape exist... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Tuscany`s vibrant, colorful landscape is a magical place for bicycling. In spring, fields are aflame with red poppies, and come... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- September
- May
- June
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Sweeping vistas and gently rolling hills of the Val di Chiana greet you south of Siena - the land of... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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Treat your family to Tuscany with a blend of biking, history and exploration. Our custom-designed routes are tailored to adults... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- July
- August
- June
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Mountain Biking
- Biking
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As you make your way down a footpath strung along a wide-open hillside, you`ll understand why Tuscany has captivated writers... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- September
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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Walk with us in Tuscany and experience the essence of Italy: vineyards and cypress-lined lanes, dramatically perched hill towns, valleys... [more]
Duration: 6 days
Months offered:
- May
- June
- July
- August
- October
Activity types:
- Art & Architecture
- Cuisine
- Hiking
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Taking a zigzagging route, the National Geographic Explorer follows in the wake of the Vikings from Norway to the northern... [more]
Duration: 15 days
Months offered:
- May
Activity types:
- Animals & Safari
- Culture, History & Ruins
- Hiking
- Sight-Seeing
- Small Ship Touring
- Walking
