This 8-day Turkey tour takes you from bustling Istanbul to the Mediterranean at Kusadasi and then inland to the beautiful scenery of Cappadocia. The itinerary is designed to combine some of Turkey's classic highlights in a week's visit, balancing bustling cities, beautiful scenery, ancient ruins and modern Turkey. You'll stay in a mix of 4-star and boutique style properties along the way.
Starting in Istanbul, the beating heart of Turkey and historically a vitally important connecting point between the continents of Europe and Asia, we visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Spice Bazaar, Hippodrome and take a cruise on the Bosphorus before flying south to the Mediterranean coast at Kusadasi. We have two nights here, and a tour to the nearby ruins at Ephesus. One of the best preserved ancient Greek & Roman sites in the whole of the Mediterranean region, this is a spectacular site with a fascinating history. We'll also visit a village famous for producing local fruit wines, and learn about the importance of carpet making in Turkey. Our next stop is at the stepped calcium travertines and hot pools at Pamukkale, before we continue into the centre of Turkey along the ancient Spice Route, passing old caravanserais and visiting the Mervlana museum at Konya on the way. This brings us to picturesque landscape of Cappadocia where we visit the strange rock formations, cave chuches and 'fairy chimneys' in the Goreme valley and venture down into one of the labarynthine underground cities built by Christians centuries ago to hide from persecution. The tour then finishes with a drive (or optional flight) via Ankara back to Istanbul where extra nights are available to spend more time exploring the city.
From start to finish easy planning. Everything went smoothly. The local tour operator team made several recommendations which worked well for us. Guide: Bikash Porter: Rajkumar were very attentive. We requested some changes While trip was underway, which the team made happen. Highly Recommended.
It would have been nice to have a hotel more centrally located in Borgames. The Hotel Hamar Borgames was nice but extremely isolated. There was nothing to do. Other hotels were centrally located and there were retail and grocery stores nearby.
A trip to China isn’t complete without a visit to the Great Wall. One of the seven wonders of the world, the Wall covers an enormous 8,850 kilometers across China. One of humankind’s biggest engineering miracles, the best way to enjoy the beauty of the wall is by hiking across it.
On this four-day tour, hike along the Great Wall near Beijing and visit the not-to-be-missed places in the capital such as the Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Hutong. Lower your pace and walk along beautiful mountain ridges and the unrestored and less known sections of the Great Wall. The breathtaking views are often without another traveller in sight!
Staying in the villages at the foot of the mountains is a great opportunity to connect with the friendly hosts and learn about rural life in China.
“Classic Peru” is genuinely a “highlights” tour of Southern Peru and what we saw was truly epic; a fascinating blend of Inca history & culture, the stunning scenery of the Andes and the Andean wildlife.
The 2 top highlights, for me, were a) entering the site of Macchu Picchu, shrouded in cloud, only for the wind to gradually blow that cloud away for the dramatic “reveal” and b) to see 5 or 6 Condors (adults & juveniles) gradually rise up the Colca Canyon, on the morning’s thermals, until they were soaring over our heads!
Lima is often written off but is worth a look and we arrived one day early (on Saturday) and visited the Centro Historico on Sunday morning. We were rewarded with a front-row view of the city’s own “changing of the guard” in Plaza de Armas.
The food on the trip is excellent in general and very good value. Our guide, Hector, was also excellent and very focussed on keeping us safe and in good health (managing the gradual increase in altitude, as much as possible); he’s especially knowledgable on all things culture and history.
For me, the only two negatives in the trip were:-
a) the overnight stay on Taquile Island - by all means visit the island but the poor accommodation overshadowed the stay and
b) the misleading advice in the pre-trip literature about currencies and exchange - Explore imply it’s ok to buy Peruvian Sol at Lima airport; DON’T - the rate is terrible. They also say “take US$ because the rate for the GB£ is poor”; ignore that too as the local rates (in forex bureaux) were almost entirely equivalent, so buying US$ in the UK is just a waste of money.
I’m sure Explore can quickly rectify these two things in an otherwise excellent tour.
This Greece Islands sailing adventure was so memorable! It exceeded all of our expectations, every day sailing to explore a different island and experience local culture and food as well as gain knowledge about the history and culture of the region. Our skipper CEO Mack was highly knowledgeable about the region and very passionate about sailing as well as sharing his knowledge and providing opportunities for each of us to learn and experience it for ourselves. Our only recommendation is for G Adventures to include more information about the need to pay in cash at restaurants and establishments in the Greek islands (Euros). We thought we would be using our credit card for dinners but learned we really needed to have cash instead.
Cruise Maligne Lake to Spirit Island, take in the Sea-to-Sky Highway views as you learn traditions of First Nations and join Warrior Women for a one of a kind Be My Guest experience. From city tours of charming Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler to alpine views from the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, this Canadian Rockies tour is your ticket to Western Canada.
The 'Tokyo, Kyoto and Alps' tour invites you to experience the harmony of urban excitement and alpine tranquility over 6 days. Starting and ending in Tokyo, this group sightseeing trip ventures through Ikaho and Nagano, offering a gentle pace ideal for seniors. With accommodations, meals, and transport covered, guests can relax and enjoy the journey. The unique aspect of this trip is its focus on both Japan’s cultural centers and its scenic mountain landscapes in one accessible package.
The trip was breathtaking- literally and figuratively. The food was so amazing, the people were just so lovely and friendly wherever you went. The streets were so full of charm and culture. Everyday was something new and I absolutely had a blast! ALL THANKS TO THE BEST GUIDE EVER!! WENNY!!