Few people think of Scotland as an island archipelago. These islands all have one thing in common – they all contain living history. The people who dwell on them, for the most part, live their daily lives now as they did centuries ago. These isles are among the world’s great repositories of archaeological treasures including villages preserved almost in their entirety.

For centuries Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica held the key to the Mediterranean. Malta secured the Mediterranean for Britain and made it the world’s major maritime power. Possession of Sicily brought similar benefits to Rome, as did Corsica for France. However today the inhabitants retain their way of life for us to explore. Our program compares and contrasts the geography, history, culture and peoples of these 4 islands.

Our program in the Netherlands provides us with a delicious taste of its delights. We view the main sights of old Amsterdam, a World Heritage Site, first on foot and then from the comfort of a cruise along its 17th century canals. Our exploration of Dutch gardens includes the Hortus Botanicus, an impressive university garden. Timed to enjoy what is perhaps the highlight of the program – a visit to Keukenhof’s bulb gardens. They contain more than 7 million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths which fill over 32 hectares.

The small group tour will see the opera performed in the city of Richard Wagner’s birth, Leipzig. We will not only experience his music in these 4 operas, but also be shown the influences of culture and family on the extraordinary composer’s life.

Enjoy the best of Bach, not just the music but to explore his and his immediate families influences as a composer on his life. The program spends 16 days visiting the locations that where influences on his life as well as attending the Bach Music festival in Leipzig.

Our France on Foot program is designed for the active walker and extends from the scenic island of Noirmoutier on the Atlantic Coast via the Massif Central on the borders of Limousin and the Auvergne to the snow-tipped peaks of the Alps in Savoy.

This program traverses this expanse, from Ulaanbaatar to St Petersburg; from the Mongolian Steppes to Siberian taiga and tundra; over the Ural Mountains that divide Asia and Europe to the waterways of Golden Ring. Our program uses two of the great rail journeys of the world; the Trans Mongolian Express and the Trans Siberian Express.

The world’s largest arts festival, made up of almost an entire months’ worth of theatre, cabaret, children’s shows, experimental performance art, circus, comedy, and dance. On The Edinburgh Fringe Festival Small Group Tour for mature Travellers, we experience nine days of the Fringe in all its glory, taking in an incomparable range of shows and performances sure to delight and intrigue. We also explore the magical city of Edinburgh with a sightseeing tour scheduled into this programme.

The Oberammergau passion play is part of this  small group escorted tours for 21 days that travel across central Europe from Vienna  to Budapest with points in between. The group spends 2 nights in the town of Oberammergau for the play.

The program follows the Hapsburg dynasty was influential in Central Europe from the 10th century. As Holy Roman Emperors they controlled an Empire which at its medieval zenith covered huge tracts of Europe stretching from Spain and the Netherlands to the Black Sea.

The Silk Road is an ancient trade route linking China and Imperial Rome through Central Asia. Few areas in the world remain as unexplored or offer such richness in terms of ancient and modern history, culture, and scenic diversity as Central Asia. Our itinerary explores the Silk Road through remote deserts and mountainous environments as we visit key sites between Xian and Bukhara.