Europe Tours

Giacomo Puccini is considered one of the greatest composers of Italian opera. His works include Tosca, La Boheme, Madama Butterfly and Turandot. For Odyssey this Italy Puccini festival small group tour is a pleasure to offer.

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.

Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway for 22 days covering the second half of the Trans-Siberian journey, from Vladivostok to Krasnoyarsk in the heart of Siberian Russia  The tour explores 5 key cities with stops lasting 2-3 nights.

Travel on the Trans-Siberian rail network from East to West to East to finishing in Helsinki after 21 days. The tour explore 6 key cities along the route with 2-3 night stays in each location before re-joining the train. Irkutsk has good flight connections for onward travel.

This program is centred on the North West corner of France: Normandy, where the peaceful landscape belies a turbulent past; Brittany, where a strongly separate Celtic culture is still evident; Poitou, famous for its rich farmlands and historic ports; and the Loire Valley, replete with royal châteaux.

Delve into Barcelona’s history, culture, and cuisine, take day trips to Andorra and the beach resort town of Sitges. Experience the Fiesta De La Mercè (a huge city festival), discover the wondrous architecture of Antoni Gaudi, take wine tours, learn to cook Catalan food, visit the Picasso and the Salvador Dali Museum. We also visit the Santa Maria Monastery of Montserrat.

This trip is a rare opportunity to discover what is below the surface of one of Europe’s most complex and beautiful cities.

Italy is the most Mediterranean of nations and as mature and aged as many of its red wines. In terms of being a nation, it is even younger than New Zealand. This is often hard to believe, bearing in mind that Italy gave rise to Europe’s first global empire, which endured for approximately 2,000 years. The new constantly brushes with the old and in doing so generates sparks that makes any sojourn in Italy a deeply textured experience.

Roam the villages of the northern Dolomites, home to more than 40 glaciers.

Experience Denmark’s rich contemporary culture and discover its history, architecture, food, and natural wonders. On this tour, we are immersed in the Danish landscape and culture, we visit the happiest city in Europe, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, and the home of the Danish Royal family, among many other wonderful sites.

This small group program explores the magnificent landscapes of Carpathian mountain, and takes in the vibrant culture and rich heritage of Romanian village life.

This tour allows us to explore the life and times of the royal families responsible for making England and Spain so significant in the 16th century. We spend 10 days in England visiting sites made famous by Henry VIII and his daughters Mary and his Elizabeth. From there we fly to Spain to spend the final 10 days looking at towns and palaces established by the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, and their Habsburg descendants.

Roman Gaul occupied France, Belgium, Luxembourg and South-west Germany. To this region the Romans brought roads, bridges, education, cities and, perhaps, above all the Peace of Rome. It was the freedom from pirates, bandits and other invaders which allowed the area to prosper. The remains of the Roman Gaul is explored today, 2000 years later.

Taken as a whole, Italian Civilization (which includes, of course, the splendid inheritance of Ancient Rome) is absolutely foundational to Western culture.  Music, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Literature, Philosophy, Law and Politics all derive from Italy or were adapted and transformed through the medium of Italy.

Paris’ insistence that its rural villages and towns resist the dual siege of the automobile and the property developer has long protected France from the incursions that laid waste to so many provincial centres in many other European nations. The result is that France’s villages and towns remain untouched by the depredations of the last century and within their walls the villagers conduct their daily lives much as they have done since Napoleonic times.

Explore Renaissance Italy on this small group tour though an examination of five significant city states. Florence, Urbino, Ferrara, Mantua and Milan were all dominated by families determined to increase the status of their city through art and architecture. Spend time coming to know the men and women who helped create the cities, as well as the magnificent legacy they left behind.

From the mediaeval jewel of Cesky Krumlow to the grandeur of the Habsburg’s summer palace in Vienna, we embark on a 21 night journey to learn about these vibrant and artistically rich cities. We delve into the history of the famous artists, musicians, writers, architects and composers from Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

The Loire Valley is the largest site ever registered in France as World Heritage site by UNESCO. This walk crosses a multitude of historic towns and villages. Many of these places are explored on this walking tour.

Discover the work and world of this neglected twentieth century musical giant. This tour allows those interested in the gifted Romanian composer, George Enescu, to immerse themselves in his work. Spend the first five days exploring Enescu’s native Romania before settling down to a feast of his music performed by a host of international stars in Bucharest. Odyssey hopes to provide the group with the opportunity to attend some 30 concerts over 16 days. The next festival is September 2019.

Spend 19 days touring Croatia, starting in Zagreb then travel south  following the coast, where trade and the influences of the outside world made its mark. Throughout the tour you’ll explore the country in depth with great local guides and stay in key historical area such as Porec, Zagreb and Dubrovnik.

On this small group Paris tour, we take the time to get to know the Paris beyond the tourist centres. Staying in apartments, we  immerse ourselves in the city’s history, art, and culture, with a mixture of guided tours, day trips, and time to enjoy the city at leisure

Our 21 night program explores the north-west corner of France before hopping across the English Channel to the tiny autonomous islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark as well as the historic Isle of Wight. The tour combines the dramatic scenery of Normandy and Brittany with the quirky history and natural beauty of the Channel Islands together with the natural and historic splendour of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel.