Classic Journeys 2021 Catalog

CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // RIVER CRUISING CLASSIC JOURNEYS

H ANDCRAF TING TRIPS OF A LIFE TIME

TRIPS OF A LIFETIME

SEE MORE GALÁPAGOS WILDLIFE

Why AFAR Magazine loves this trip Page 60

TOP FAMILY SUMMER VACATIONS

CONFESSIONS OF A CAPRI-PHILE

WHERE DID THE LAST 25 YEARS GO?

Trips that will anchor your family to happiness

This fine island is easy to love and hard to leave

Oh, how travel has changed since the first Classic Journeys trip

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Can you keep a secret?

“Shhhh. You must tell no one,” Marinela whispered with a conspiratorial wink and smile. “Please, no one!” A longtime friend and one of Greece’s leading guides, she had just led us on the walk of a lifetime on Santorini: endless views across the sea, circular ground-hugging grapevines, farmers and their donkeys in fields of barley.

How could I not hurry home and tell everybody? “But this is my secret route, Edward. If we keep it to ourselves, it will always be quiet and beautiful and perfect, just as it is today.”

I have to admit that hanging on to exciting secrets is one of the toughest things we do at Classic Journeys.

Sometimes it’s about respecting the privacy of local people who welcome us into their homes, farms and workshops; they’re happy to let our guests into their lives, but only because they know and trust us, and they don’t want to become tourist attractions. Other times, the goal is to keep remarkable moments close to our vests so we can spring surprises on you while you’re on tour.

Still, some insider news is too good to keep under our hats. Starting on page 60, you’ll read about the not-soobvious advantages of exploring the Galápagos on an island-based trip instead of a cruise ship. (Will my loose lips sink a ship? You never know.) Elsewhere, we share some insider tips on the best things to do in Capri (page 26). I’m not worried about over-sharing there because our Amalfi Coast trips spend two days on the island. Most visitors are day-trippers, so they don’t have time to do it all anyway.

And I have to hand it to Marinela and all of our wonderful local guides. They are the secret sauce that makes each Classic Journeys trip the vacation of a lifetime. Yes, they may swear us to silence about an unexpected picnic there or their near-secret side door into a site like Angkor Wat. But their ingenuity, spontaneity and the sheer delight they take in showing off their home terrain are what make each departure unique and authentic.

Why not take us into your confidence and tell us what’s on your mind for your next vacation. Give us a call at 833-936-1833, and we’ll let you in on everything you want to know.

Best Regards,

EDWARD PIEGZA

President & Founder

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The secret to island-hopping from Crete to Mykonos to Santorini is your local guide and her native knowledge of less-followed paths and the finest views.

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Classic Journeys Difference

6

How We Travel

8 Guides 10

Hotels & Cuisine

12

Where Did the Last 25 Years Go?

18

Europe

Portugal & Spain 20

France 22

Iceland 24

26

Confessions of a Capri-phile

30

Europe

Italy 30

UK & Ireland 34

(continued)

England / Scotland / Ireland

Europe at Large 36

Croatia / Slovenia /

Czech Republic, Austria & Hungary /

The Danube / Greek Isles /

Montenegro / Norway / Switzerland

42

North America

Canada 44

United States 46

48

Top Family Summer Vacations

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North America

Cuba 52

(continued)

54

Latin America

Central America 56

Belize & Guatemala / Costa Rica / Panama

South America 58

60

See More Galápagos Wildlife

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Latin America

Galápagos 64

Chile / Colombia / Peru

(continued)

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Asia, Oceania & Africa

Asia & Oceania 68

Bhutan / China / Japan / India / Myanmar / Nepal / New Zealand / Southeast Asia / Thailand

Africa 72

Morocco / South Africa

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Private Travel CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 3

OUR DIFFERENCE

The Classic Journeys Difference HANDCRAFTING THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME … JUST FOR YOU. You travel for the escape. For the rare and memorable thrill of experiencing the world as you never have before or rarely have the chance to do. But every savvy traveler knows that what’s “under the hood” of a trip can matter as much as the itinerary. With Classic Journeys, you have access to the decades invested in crafting trips of a lifetime. So you get a real immersion into the culture, the history, and most of all, the authentic heartbeat of local life. Every time you travel with us.

EXPERIENCE AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT.

FEEL AT HOME IN THE WORLD YOU’RE EXPLORING.

ENJOY REMARKABLE LEVELS OF PERSONAL ACCESS.

At Classic Journeys, we know that your travels are about so much more than just "going places." You crave authenticity, discovery and cultural insight, not just monuments and museums. That’s why we meticulously curate each itinerary to open doors and assure you opportunities to engage with local people where they live, work and play. You step past the façade that most people never penetrate.

When you explore with us, you experience the world as a traveler, not a tourist.

How can you experience a place authentically if you're with a guide who was just flown in to lead the trip? Unlike trips run by other companies, your Classic Journeys adventure is led by expert local guides who are involved with us in every aspect of scouting and curating your vacation. They're always at your side, and they are truly members of the extended Classic Journeys family.

So they have a real sense of ownership in your satisfaction.

With an average of just 10-12 guests per departure, you are guaranteed a degree of access that's off limits to larger or less well-connected groups. Tiny village cafes, the homes of friends, fragile archeological sites are able – and happy – to welcome you in. As your trip unfolds, count on having unexpected, unforgettable experiences, whichever one of our five styles of travel appeals to your interests and sense of adventure.

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OUR DIFFERENCE

“Classic Journeys provides unbeatable access to experiences around the globe.”

— Travel + Leisure

BE A PAMPERED CREATURE OF COMFORT.

SUPPORTING SHEPHERDS, CHEFS AND LOCAL ARTISANS IS GOOD BUSINESS.

EXPECT UNMATCHED VALUE AND UNBEATABLE ACCESS.

Indulge is our favorite verb as you’ll happily realize from the first moment of your Classic Journeys trip. Your luxurious lodgings include coveted properties that appear in "World's Best" and "Gold List" rankings and include the region’s most distinctive accommodations. We share a real passion for food, too. Your amazing cuisine will range from Michelin-starred restaurants to lunch in a farmhouse kitchen, ensuring you'll have a seat at the table for the region's signature dishes.

You make a real and positive difference in the lives of the people and places you visit with Classic Journeys. How? By keeping it local, all the time. We put your pesos, dirhams and euros in the pockets of the people who live where you travel. From glacier guides to truffle hunters, llama herders to hoteliers, we support the livelihoods of local people.

Your person-to-person dealings sustain the locals' way of life ... all the better to assure you authentic, up-close experiences.

Your vacation time is precious, and we’re obsessed with helping you invest it wisely. You enjoy all of the experiences and amenities we handcraft into every trip – at prices that are up to 20% to 40% below what our competitors charge for comparable tours. And all activities described in our itineraries are yours to enjoy at no extra cost. Value and access are just two reasons why Classic Journeys scores a 98/100 on TrustPilot and 98/100 in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best rankings.

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 5

HOW WE TRAVEL

5

WAYS TO EXPLORE

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULINARY

A stimulating cultural immersion highlighted by scenic walks designed to reveal the region’s personality and history.

Your full-time local guide will set a casual tempo that offers plenty of opportunities to absorb the environment, sightsee and relax. You’ll enjoy our exceptional lodgings and relish local cuisine, from picnics to gourmet feasts.

Sensory heaven for lovers of food and wine. These itineraries include casual cooking instructions in local kitchens … plus visits to markets, vineyards, bakers, cheesemakers and the like. All offer non-cooking options for companions who don’t want to spend time in the kitchen, as well as walks and visits to sites of historic and scenic interest.

• MULTISPORT Active fun in amazing environments.

Multisport trips offer a spectrum of energetic outdoor activities from bodysurfing with iguanas to glacier hiking and zip lining. We partner with expert outfitters and provide you every bit of the gear you need to join in — all at no extra cost. You’ll stay fueled up with unforgettable meals and re-charge every night at luxury inns and hotels.

• FAMILY Fascinating itineraries designed to satisfy the curiosity, energy levels and passions of your multi-generational clan. We include activities to engage the whole family, plus focused events for teens and even younger children.

This is a wonderful way to celebrate a milestone, bond with the people you love most, and enjoy the company of other families.

• RIVER CRUISING Your vacation, your way. The immersive Classic Journeys experience based on a 5-star river cruise ship. Unpack once … and enjoy a leisurely week of culture and walking activities on Europe’s most beautiful waterways. Your local Classic Journeys guide leads you on exclusive experiences reserved only for your small group. Plus, you’ll have full access to the ship’s dining options, amenities and impeccable service!

YOUR DATES OR OUR DATES Join us on any of our handcrafted set departures. Or have us customcraft a private trip just for you.

See Page 74 for details about private trips.

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HOW WE TRAVEL

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 7

GUIDES

Your expert local guides take you inside the places they call home.

On every Classic Journeys trip, you’ll travel in the company of our exceptional local guides.

Instantly, you’ll be on first-name basis. And because our trip leaders live where they work, don’t be surprised when everybody seems to know them — and welcomes you as the friend of a good friend.

Your full-time guide will be the kind of person whose cousin is the llama-trekker. A plugged-in resource who knows the opening day of truffle season ... and a truffle-hunter who’ll let you tag along. A native who can navigate the maze of the medina in Fés with her eyes closed, because it’s where she and her family live.

With a personal entourage of experts, colleagues and logistical wizards, our guides make sure that you are always in the cultural mix and never at arm’s length from the best experiences a region has to offer. We happily empower them to personalize your trip on the fly, to leap at an unexpected opportunity like a once-a-year festival day or an off-the-cuff invitation into a private home.

They are unflappable folk, as genuine and sunny as they are sincere. And really, can you think of a better description of a great traveling companion? Even after your trip is over, some of your happiest memories will be of the shared stories, unfiltered insights and good times that you shared with your new friend in Peru or Iceland or Croatia.

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Ricardo & Carmen HOME TURF: SPAIN PROFESSIONAL GUIDE FOR: 23 & 21 YEARS “We are so proud of the warmth our fellow Spaniards show to guests.

Meet a goatherd on a path, and he insists on teaching about his animals. Or maybe a village woman waves us into her home.” On this they agree: “The personal moments we help make happen for our guests are as beautiful as Seville or the Sagrada Familia.”

GUIDES

Andres HOME TURF: CHILE PROFESSIONAL GUIDE FOR: 27 YEARS “A million stories come to me as I explore with guests.

But sometimes silence is the best. To stand in a meadow with a herd of guanacos, and to see the Torres del Paine ahead, and to listen to only the wind – at an awesome minute like that, my guests make their own stories.”

“I’ve done a number of group tours and I would put Andres in the top five of the best guides I’ve ever had!”

CHRISTINE C., MONROEVILLE, PA

Lucette HOME TURF: QUÉBEC & CHARLEVOIX PROFESSIONAL GUIDE FOR: 25 YEARS “My guests often know about Québec City, but Charlevoix takes them by surprise. I love that this region is both wild and artsy. I like to take guests on my secret out-of-the-way paths, to meet the local people and learn about our culture and language.”

Ricardo and Carmen each have a gift for leadership and a great sense of humor. They are good storytellers - at once amusing, light-hearted and serious. They clearly enjoy what they do, and it is contagious.”

Lucette was, hands down, the best guide I have ever had on a trip! She is so knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. I would definitely travel with her again!”

JANE B., UPPER CHICHESTER, PA

ELIZABETH C., NEW YORK, NY CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 9

HOTELS + CUISINE

Ah, the Creature Comforts FIVE-STAR INNS TO MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS, WE TREAT YOU TO THE VERY BEST. SUPERIOR HOSPITALITY

ABOVE-AND-BEYOND BENEFITS

When you shop for a trip, the easiest way to compare options is to look at hotels. At Classic Journeys, our accommodations include coveted properties that appear in “World’s Best” and “Top 10” rankings. In most cases, we obtain lower rates than bigger companies thanks to our long relationships with hoteliers. If there’s a fine hotel tucked into an authentic farmhouse, within view of the Taj Mahal or clinging to the cliffs in Santorini, we’ll find it. More often than not, you’ll spend two or more nights in a location for a chance to settle in.

Only Classic Journeys enhances your vacation with a selection of these special amenities you won’t find anywhere else.

UNFORGETTABLE MEALS

Perfect Pairings Dinners – A special dinner prepared by one of our favorite chefs with a procession of wines tailored to each course.

Food is a foolproof way into the hearts, homes and history of the places you visit, and we prove it with every meal. If we start telling you about the Provençal dinner with endless courses ... the sweet taste of a just-caught trout in Montana ... the homemade spring rolls on our junk in Halong Bay ... we’ll never stop. All of your breakfasts and most dinners are included and many lunches, too. For picnics, we shop local markets and bakeries. We’ll also get you into village cafés and small restaurants that are favorites of our local guides who often know the cooks.

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Invisible Check-in – Your hotel check-ins are arranged in advance. You and your bags are whisked directly to your room. And of course, we tip the bellman for you.

Wine on Us – In many regions, we uncork wonderful local wines at every dinner, compliments of Classic Journeys.

Privileged Access Events – One-of-a-kind access to remarkable people, places and activities arranged just for you. Imagine a private visit to Stonehenge, pizza making in a private home overlooking the sea, or a jump to the front of the line to see Michelangelo’s David.

HOTELS + CUISINE

• PHINDA PRIVATE GAME PRESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA

Phinda Mountain Lodge Deep inside a 70,000-acre private game preserve, this remarkable lodge is a made-in-heaven home base for spotting the Big 5 on close-by safaris. The wraparound views reveal the lush Lebombo foothills, and you can take it all from the lodge rim-flow pool that follows the natural curves of the mountain. The rooms are decorated in elegant lodge style and each features an outdoor shower and a private plunge pool. Dinner on the deck as the sun sets over the bush is a very civilized way to end a safari day.

• UCHAUX, PROVENCE

• KYOTO, JAPAN

• HAVANA, CUBA

Château de Massillan

Traditional Tea Ceremony

Cuban Cookery

In your fantasies, this is how Provence has always felt.

Through manicured grounds, you approach the 16th-century hunting lodge of Henri II and Diane de Poitiers. Inside, you find luxury even the king didn’t imagine.

Gracious public spaces. A glass-encased restaurant.

A gorgeous spa. And rooms with an elegant freshness that overlook the olive tree courtyard where a fountain burbles and splashes. Claim a chaise by the pool to complete the picture of the perfect Provençal you.

The room is nearly empty, zero distractions from the thousand-year-old ritual. You kneel on cushions. There’s near silence but for the scratch of the bamboo whisk as your host infuses bright green matcha into perfectly hot, purified water. The choreographed tea ceremony is meant to be a spiritual experience, to remove you from the everyday world.

You turn the bowl 180º before sipping, nibble on wagashi sweets, and experience tranquility.

After you’ve had a look at a typical, sparsely stocked market where Cubans shop, you wonder all the more how the island’s cooks do it.

Could you conjure up their rustic, flavorful dishes with that kind of pantry? Yes, you could … and you do when a Havana chef invites you into the kitchen for handson instruction. It’s not just making do. It’s about making delectable dishes and then sitting down to eat your preparations at a hearty hosted lunch.

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 11

CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY

// PRIVATE

CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // PRIVATE // 2018 + 2019

CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // RIVER CRUISING // 2020

CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // RIVER CRUISING // 2019 + 2020 CLASSIC JOURNEYS

CLASSIC JOURNEYS

CLASSIC JOURNEYS

SEPTEMBER 2017 ISSUE H ANDCRAF TING TRIPS OF A LIFE TIME

HANDCRAFTING TRIPS OF A LIFETIME

2019 + 2020 TRAVEL ADVENTURES

2020 - TRIPS OF A LIFETIME

2018 + 2019 TRAVEL ADVENTURES

TRUE VOICES OF THAILAND Page 26

H ANDCRAF TING TRIPS OF A LIFE TIME

WORLD’S BEST TOUR OPERATOR

We’re #1 in Travel + Leisure magazine's 2019 reader survey Page 16

AT HOME IN THE WORLD

100 ways to join us in celebrating our 25th year of travel!

THE END IN NEAR

ICELAND, A YEAR ROUND MULTISPORT TRIP

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MOROCCO: A VACATION FOR THE SENSES

6 WINNING FAMILY TRAVEL STRATEGIES Page 56

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CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // PRIVATE // 2019

FEET ON THE GROUND IN THE GALÁPAGOS

CUBA: KEEP UP WITH THE TRAVEL RULES

THE VIVID INTENSITY OF VIETNAM

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SPECIAL EDITION TRIPS

CRAZY FOR CANADA

WHAT A TASTY WORLD IT IS

The moment is rare, and you are there!

5 reasons to head north this year

Food traditions are your entrée into local life

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CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // RIVER CRUISING // 2019 + 2020 CLASSIC JOURNEYS

CLASSIC JOURNEYS

CLASSIC JOURNEYS

H ANDCRAF TING TRIPS OF A LIFE TIME

DISCOVER YOUR WILD SIDE

TRAVELERS’ CHOICE!

2019 TRAVEL ADVENTURES

2019 + 2020 TRAVEL ADVENTURES

2019 TRAVEL ADVENTURES

TO THE EDGE ON EASTER ISLAND

CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // 2019

H ANDCRAF TING TRIPS OF A LIFE TIME

H ANDCRAF TING TRIPS OF A LIFE TIME

See guests’ top 2020 picks for adventure, wine, beaches and more Page 10

Your South Africa will be far more than just safari Page 32

From the Atacama Desert to Rapa Nui, a new escape to Chile Page 46

SIX SWEET DAYS IN MOROCCO

A new itinerary makes the exotic exceptionally easy Page 38

NINETEEN FOR ‘19 Top experiences to make this a year to remember Page 16

SHEPHERDED THROUGH SCOTLAND You outlanders will free right at home in the highlands Page 26

UNCORKING PORTUGAL

Hip, historic Portugal hits all the right notes

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TROPICAL PUNCH

Belize and Guatemala will leave you breathless … and speechless

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LONDON & PARIS

Two great cities – one epic family adventure

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ISLAND-HOPPING IN GREECE

Go on an amazing odyssey to Santorini, Mykonos and Crete

SAY “NAMASTE’’ TO NEPAL

COLOMBIA’S MOMENT IS HERE

VERTICAL LIVING IN THE SWISS ALPS

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QUICK TRIPS

No-compromise getaways you can do in less than a week

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THE ULTIMATE BUCKET LIST TRIP

See the Galápagos & Machu Picchu on one unforgettable vacation

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CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // PRIVATE // 2018 + 2019 CLASSIC JOURNEYS

HANDCRAFTING TRIPS OF A LIFETIME

2018 + 2019 TRAVEL ADVENTURES

STARRY-EYED IN MOROCCO One of 10 buzz-worthy travel experiences for 2019 Page 56

AFAR MAGAZINE’S “BEST WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER”

INDOCHINA'S GREATEST HITS

CAPRI AND THE AMALFI COAST

Our winning island-based Galápagos trips

Unexpected aha moments in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia

A first-timer and a repeat visitor fall in love

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CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // PRIVATE // 2018 CLASSIC JOURNEYS 2018 TRAVEL ADVENTURES

ON SAFARI IN THE GALÁPAGOS

CLIFFHANGERS: ARE YOU READY FOR THE THRILLS OF THE AMALFI COAST? Page 14

NATURE. NURTURE. NORWAY. Page 30

WHERE DID THE LAST 25 YEARS GO? HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND IN ... HAVANA Page 54

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 13

For the perfect symbol of how travel has evolved over the last 25 years, I vote for the nearly extinct yellow box of Kodak film. Remember debating how many rolls to cram into your bags? Back at home, you had the anxious wait for the drugstore to process your prints. Subtract the rolls that didn’t rewind right, the thumbs in front of the lens, and the over-exposed sunsets, and you felt lucky to end up with a handful of really terrific shots.

As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ClassicJourneys in 2020, I just have to marvel at the transformations we’ve all experienced – and at how ultra-fast things continue to morph. Back then, you couldn’t go to Croatia (because it was still emerging from the Balkan wars) or Cuba (because there was no way to go legally).

Somewhere in a drawer, you had leftover French francs that were worthless on your next trip to Italy or Spain.

Vive la euro! Fast forward to now, and I wouldn’t trade the instant gratification of my iPhone 11 Plus camera for anything. (Sorry, Kodak.)

From mobile boarding passes to instant street-map navigation wherever you are, smartphones alone have made life on the road infinitely easier.

Of course, social media has also had major impacts – both fun and frustrating. It’s exciting to share experiences as they happen (unless you’re the one at home, living vicariously).

How can you resist recording

a video of your zipline ride because otherwise who would believe you really did it? And yet, I see so many travelers (myself sometimes included) who spend their time trying to preserve the moment for posterity instead of just giving into the thrill of living in the moment. Getting real-time reactions to your humble-brag Facebook post about how stuffed you feel after that 5-course Michelinstarred dinner in Provence? Our last-century selves would have laughed it off as science fiction.

Technology has stimulated some very cool travel trends, too. Access to online genealogical information is inspiring people to get back to their roots on what the press calls DNA vacations.

Going on a “digital detox” vacation is now a thing. In an Icelandic ice cave or on a Patagonian estancia, signals are rare enough to make devices irrelevant. Just as often, we’re seeing groups that commit to screen-free days – email checking in the privacy of your hotel room only! That’s an especially good thing with families. Since the first days of Classic Journeys, we believed in the power of family travel. I had small children of my own then, and if I didn’t want to go traveling without them, I reasoned that other people felt the same way. One of the biggest changes we’ve seen in 25 years is in the number of multigenerational trips, and just how far afield families are willing to roam.

The connections these shared experiences create are more precious than ever.

As technology has become a sort of super-hero for travelers, it is occasionally the arch-villain, too. We live in an age when Justin Bieber can film a music video in Iceland’s Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon, generate 450 million views, and lead to such a crush of visitors that the once-obscure natural wonder had to be shut down to prevent permanent environmental damage. But wait, there’s more. The pendulum swings so fast these days. That story of what some experts called “mindless” Bieber travel has inspired more people than ever to take a mindful approach to how they experience the world.

In fact, I believe that the way serious travelers practice mindfulness when they travel may just be the biggest trend of recent years, and

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With dreams of immersive travel in his head, Edward converts his garage to Classic Journeys HQ1.

Our Alumni, Affinity and Incentive programs kick off with trips to Tuscany for Eddie Bauer Travel.

A casual cooking instruction in a friend’s Provençal kitchen inspires foodand-wine-focused culinary trips.

“Rediscover the New World” is the rallying cry for a resurgence in travel in the US and Canada.

Family trips plug into the developing demand for multigenerational travel.

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Travel + Leisure names Classic Journeys a World’s Best Tour Operator, starting an annual trend that still continues.

Bespoke private and custom departures take off, accounting for 40% of all guests.

Forbes magazine names our Morocco trip their “Luxury Walking Favorite.”

(See pg 14-15, lower photo)

Susan Piegza leads our philanthropic outreach to empower women economically and children educationally in second and third world countries.

Evolution happens as guests skip the ship to explore the Galápagos on ground-breaking new island-based trips.

(See pg 17, upper right) CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 15

it is the approach that promises to influence all travel going forward. Study after study – by everyone from psychologists to economists to travel magazines – turns up the same conclusion: Experiences matter more than things. You want your travels to change you, without altering the places you visit. We constantly hear from guests that you are more conscious than ever of the mantra to “leave only footprints, take only photos.”

Of course, now you have to be on the lookout for what I call “fake authenticity.” (If you’ve ever been herded into a folkloric experience that was clearly more show biz than rich cultural exchange, you know what I mean.) That’s led Classic Journeys and a few of our peers to up the ante and distinguish our trips by the genuine connections we help you make. If there’s one recommendation I would offer you when you’re shopping for a trip it is to dig down and be sure you understand everything you can about the promised authenticity. We, for instance, constantly field questions about the experiences we describe in itineraries. “Is that chance to cook with an Indian chef in her private kitchen for real?” You better believe it. “How is it you get invited into a tiny Quechua school in the mountains of Peru?” We’ve known the teachers for years now, and we help to support their schools to pay them back for their kindnesses.

For us personally at Classic Journeys, the most recent change is that we’re heading into our 25th anniversary year as the World’s Best Tour Operator in the latest Travel + Leisure reader survey. This is our 13th appearance on T+L World’s Best list in the last 13 years. Way back in ‘95, we couldn’t have predicted that any more than you would have said you’d use your iPhone as a flashlight on an aftersunset stroll on a Moroccan sand dune.

I’m just so happy that we’ve been here to be a part of it all. That immersive and experiential travel has grown to matter more than ever before. And that travelers who like to get under the skin of a place know that we understand them and can make it happen. I’m not smart enough to predict what the next 25 years will hold, but we’re ready to go … and invite you to come along with us!

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Before Game of Thrones made it famous, the tectonic snorkeling, thermal lakes, and puffins made our Iceland trip an instant hit.

The US Treasury Department grants one of the first licenses for Cuba travel to Classic Journeys.

(See pg 14-15, top)

Who’s the #1 World’s Best Tour Operator?

Classic Journeys, according to Travel + Leisure readers.

NatGeo Traveler calls our Cuba trips one of their “50 Tours of a Lifetime.”

Multisport trips make their zip-lining, camel-riding, whitewater-rafting, glacier-hiking debut.

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2017

2018

2019

2019

2020

Heritage travel goes back to its roots as we partner with 23andMe.

AFAR magazine says our Galápagos trips are the “Best Wildlife Encounter” in the world.

The Land Rover Defender special edition trip is a hit in Iceland.

(See pg 17, lower right)

Who’s Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Tour Operator again? You guessed it!

Our 25th season culminates in December with a solar eclipse Special Edition departure in Chile.

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 17

Europe FOR MANY OF US, THE FIRST TIME WE USED THAT SHINY NEW PASSPORT WAS FOR A TRIP TO EUROPE. The continent is still a sentimental favorite, not least because of the kaleidoscopic options it offers. Maybe it’s time to explore Iceland. Discover the culture and history that links Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Or go a little farther afield to the Greek Isles.

A quarter century ago, the first Classic Journeys departures were in Europe, so our roots are deep, our friendships are strong, and our connections guarantee you immersive and unforgettable experiences.

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Portugal & Spain

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France

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Iceland

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Italy

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UK & Ireland

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Europe at large

England / Scotland / Ireland

Croatia / Slovenia / Czech Republic, Austria & Hungary / The Danube / Greek Isles / Montenegro / Norway / Switzerland

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In Andalucía, Los Pueblos Blancos are the iconic whitewashed villages that seem to grow from the mountainsides and sparkle in the sun.

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Luxurious Convent Life

Even if Evora weren’t one of Portugal’s most intriguing and scenic cities, you’d want to make the pilgrimage for Convento do Espinheiro. Trust us, this remarkable 5-star hotel has absolutely zero to do with penance, even if it did rise as a convent in the 15th century.

A string of Portuguese kings and princesses took comfort there through the ages and bestowed valuable gifts and works of art. It’s transformation into a world-class property is just the kind of story we love for our luxury hotels to tell. You sleep (and dip into outdoor pools and go for the “ahh” in the spa) in the literal, historic heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“

Convento is history, heritage and decadence, all in one. It’s as key to understanding Portugal as sipping port wine and walking in groves of cork trees.”

Edward Piegza, Classic Journeys founder PAGE 20

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 19

PORTUGAL & SPAIN

• CULTURE + WALKING

PORTUGAL

On a guided walk in Lisbon, you get a personal look at grand landmarks including 16th century Belém Tower.

• RIVER CRUISING

THE DOURO

Lisbon, Douro Valley & Porto

Porto to Salamanca

Portugal has more regal grandeur than any other country we know.

Experience the rich imperial landmarks of Lisbon and Porto, explore 8,000 year old Neolithic stone formations and cruise on the Douro River in a traditional Portuguese Rabelo boat.

Through a gentle series of locks, you ascend from coastal Porto up to a scenic land of olive groves, vineyards and medieval hilltop villages. At the highest reaches of the valley, you explore Salamanca and the glorious Spanish countryside.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5490

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUL, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8490

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PORTUGAL PORTUGAL & SPAIN

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

• FAMILY

SOUTHERN SPAIN

BARCELONA & COSTA BRAVA

BARCELONA & COSTA BRAVA

Seville to Córdoba

Moorish southern Spain is cinematic. First, suave Seville, Granada and the Alhambra with a local expert. Then, vast plains dotted with ruined fortresses, a luxury five-star hotel in the style of an Andalusian village, gnarled olive groves and spectacular country walks.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5690

Catalan & the Mediterranean Coast Our local guide says Catalonia is “like Tuscany, only better!” Explore architectural treasures and feast on paella in the city, then venture into the countryside for walks in olive groves, a visit with a local potter in medieval Girona, and the coastal trails of the Costa Brava.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5590

Spain’s Mediterranean Coast From cool Barcelona, this active family vacation heads to the countryside and a magnificent villa with the Pyrenees mountains in the background. From a resort overlooking the Costa Brava, go sea kayaking, cave exploring, and walking amid Roman ruins.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUL, AUG PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5690

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FRANCE

For views of Mont-St.-Michel that tourists never see, you’ll take a low-tide walk on the bay’s exposed sands.

• CULTURE + WALKING

NORMANDY & BRITTANY

• CULTURE + WALKING

PROVENCE

Mont-St.-Michel to D-Day Beaches

Vineyards & Villages of the Luberon

Make the pilgrimage to Mont-St.Michel at low tide. Sip apple brandy at your château-hotel. Explore the D-Day beaches. Take a Breton cooking lesson. Deauville to SaintMalo, this is France at its historic and scenic best.

In season, the lavender fields are the very landscapes Cezanne painted. Avignon, the Pont Du Gard and Gordes sparkle in the legendary sunlight. Settle into luxury château hotels, enjoy a private wine tasting and cook in a friend’s kitchen.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5590

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5095 SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5790

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• FAMILY

PROVENCE

• CULINARY

PROVENCE

Family Fun in the South of France

Markets, Vineyards & Kitchens

All ages love Provence! Everyone enjoys walking in lavender fields, climbing around castle ruins and river kayaking. You go wine-tasting, the younger set plays boules, and you all mellow out with the full-time help of our expert local guides.

Live the storied Provençal lifestyle for a week. You’ll enjoy private cooking instructions, shop local markets and go wine-tasting in the thyme-scented countryside.

Easygoing walks take you to Sénanque Abbey, Les Baux and the Pont du Gard.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5295 SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5990

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUL, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5890

FRANCE

• CULTURE + WALKING

LOIRE & BURGUNDY

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

BASQUE COUNTRY

DORDOGNE VALLEY

• RIVER CRUISING

THE RHONE

The Authentic Heart of France

San Sebastian, Bilbao & Pyrenees

Bordeaux & Southwestern France

Burgundy & Provence

The good life times two! In Burgundy, walk the gently rolling countryside, dine in Dijon and taste the vintages in the wine capital of Beaune. Then, from your chateau in the Loire Valley, pay personally guided visits to Chenonceaux, Chateau de Villandry’s gardens and da Vinci’s last home.

Explore Basque culture in both Spain and France. You’ll see medieval villages, catch a game of pelota, walk the Jaizquibel, eat tapas in San Sebastián, walk by the Bay of Biscay and visit the titaniumwrapped Guggenheim museum.

This best-selling tour starts in St. Émilion’s legendary vineyards.

Then you’re off to wander castlestudded river valleys, go trufflehunting, see ancient cave paintings and stay at one of our favorite inns.

Discover the France of Cézanne and gastronomic thrills. On an itinerary that ranges from the wine capital of Beaune to the Pont du Gard and Avignon, you’ll walk the legendary countryside, meet olive growers, and dine in a Michelinstarred restaurant.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5495, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6690

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5690

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5590

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUL, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8490

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ICELAND

DON’T MISS ICELAND’S NORTHERN LIGHTS! We’ll wake you so that you can see them at the best time, just steps from your boutique hotel.

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ICELAND

• MULTISPORT

ICELAND

• CULTURE + WALKING

• FAMILY

ICELAND

ICELAND

Spectacular South & Glacier Lagoon

South Coast & Western Peninsulas

Multigenerational Fun in Kerry and Dingle

Think waterfalls, glaciers, black beaches and lava fields covered in insanely green moss. For every ice cave, there’s a geothermal pool.

The northern lights curtain the night sky. Activities range from tectonic snorkeling to horseback riding, awesome coastal walks, and puffin watching.

Experience the wild, cinematic landscapes of Iceland. Walks on glaciers, lava fields and in the spectaular tectonic rift valley of Þingvellir National Park. Feast on fresh lobster, go whale watching and stay in luxury hotels nestled in brilliantly scenic settings.

Iceland may just be the perfect outdoor family vacation destination. How can you go wrong with volcanoes and puffins and walking on glaciers and rides on Icelandic horses? The island has a unique cultural story and a bubbling, steaming, erupting geology that’s unlike anywhere else on earth.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, JUNE, AUG, SEPT, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6490

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6890

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I’ve been to Iceland before.

But I’ve never seen Iceland until I saw it with Classic Journeys” RACHAEL ROTH EDITOR, FODORS

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Confessions of a Capri-phile AN ISLAND THAT’S EASY TO LOVE, AND OH-SO-HARD TO LEAVE.

BY KELLI KUEHNER

Moments after you set foot on Capri, the locals will present you with the ‘Key to the Island.’ Or at least that’s how it feels when you sweep into the Grand Hotel Quisisana.

No plastic keycards here. With appropriate ceremony, the hotel’s impeccable staff bestows on you a room key for the ages. It’s grand, it’s golden and its heft is so … official.

The hotel has considered replacing the keys with modern keyed access to the rooms.

But general manager, GianLuca Silvia, is convincing when he says that the staff relishes the connectivity with the guests the old school keys enable. I have to confess that I love the morning ritual of dropping the key with Antonio, the concierge (who of course knows your name), and recounting the day’s adventures to him on retrieval in the afternoon. It’s just so Capri, so special, so nowhere-else.

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CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 27

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The perfect visit to Capri is a hard-to-resist mosaic of small courtesies like that, of sunlit strolls, cinematic views and unexpected moments of grace. The real key is the necessity to give Capri time to reveal itself. The emperor Tiberius was so smitten with the island that he ruled the Roman Empire fulltime from his villa, whose ruins you can still see as you walk the scenic footpaths. At the opposite extreme are the day-trippers who touch down on brief visits from Naples, Sorrento or even Rome, and it’s hard to overstate how much they miss. Capri is really at its best as the day winds down and the crowds evaporate. The locals come out then for an evening stroll (they call it passeggiata) and to soak up the air scented by lemon trees.

Imagine how it all would play out if you were visiting a friend on Capri for a couple of days.

Though, actually, you don’t need to fantasize about that because Ulysses, Classic Journeys tour leader, has known the island all his life, and he’s generous about sharing his own private Capri. He’ll whisk you up to the village of Anacapri, the island’s only other town. The draw there is the chairlift ride to the top of Monte Solaro. At the start of the ride, your feet practically brush the clotheslines and fruit trees in the villagers’ back yards. By the top, you have a close acquaintance with the villagers and the view across the entire Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius looming over the whole scene. The cinematic sweep of the earth that you get from your perch is unforgettable.

Together, you’ll also stroll along a crest overlooking the Faraglioni, a trio of rock pillars that pop out of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Yachts are attracted to them like moths to a flame. And viewed from the cliff above, that creates quite the optical illusion: the water is so clear that you can see the boats’ shadows on the sea floor, and it looks like they’re levitating above the water. Back down at sea level, Ulysses knows the owners of a private beach club and so they welcome you in to lunch with the yacht set. No lines of turisti here. Just a languorous afternoon in classic Capri style.

Personally, I find that there comes a moment in every afternoon when the Quisi calls me back.

(Insider tip 1: don’t resist.) The hotel’s legendary pool is tucked into fragrant gardens and overlooks the Mediterranean. There’s a chaise with your name on it, and a tumbler of something icy too.

(Insider tip 2: try the Aperol spritz.) Add dark glasses and a brimmed hat if you want to blend

in with the movie stars and occasional princesses who have always loved this scene.

In time for sunset, you’ll want to claim a table on the hotel’s front terrace, wander over to the Piazzetta, or explore the heart of the village. In Capri, many of the shops along the pedestrian Via Camerelle stay open until 10 pm or even later.

So go for the passeggiata and some window shopping. Be prepared, though. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a shopper a little retail therapy may happen. I speak from experience. A lapis-lazuli blue cashmere sweater, glowing under a tiny spotlight, called my name. The shopkeeper, at ease after a busy day, smiled and welcomed me in – “just for a little look”. A leisurely chat later, I was a V-neck richer … and definitely more stylish.

When yo u t r ave l to the Amalfi Coast with Classic Journeys, your visit to Capri is perfectly paired with Positano, Ravello and Pompeii – more magnificence per hectare than you can imagine.

But it’s Capri that first captured my heart and imagination.

In a world full of new places to visit, it’s a rare speck of paradise that will keep calling you back.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kelli Kuehner is a Senior Tour Operations Coordinator at Classic Journeys. Previously, Kelli spent seven years in Europe and the U.S. as a cultural travel guide.

Want to know more?

Download the full itinerary at classicjourneys.com/amalfi

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 29

ITALY

• CULTURE + WALKING

AMALFI COAST

• CULINARY

AMALFI COAST

• FAMILY

AMALFI COAST

Positano & the Isle of Capri

The Sorrentine Peninsula

Pompeii to Positano

One of our all-time bestsellers. From Naples, you ferry to romantic Capri for a two-night stay, and then on to Positano for two more nights. An amazing week includes seaside walks, limoncello tastings, afternoon swims and beachside lunches, and visits to Ravello and Pompeii.

Experience the rich culinary traditions of Italy. You’ll cook in our local friend’s kitchen and with a top Positano chef, taste the wine and limoncello, take a chairlift ride up Monte Solaro and walk in charming Ravello. Plus, explore the streets of Pompeii with an archaeologist.

Together, you’ll ferry across the Bay of Naples, eat gelato, kayak the coast and explore Pompeii.

The kids go for a boat ride in the Blue Grotto. The adults enjoy some fine walks and dinners out. And everybody loves the island of Capri and cliffside Positano.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6490

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, JUN, JUL PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5890

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6290

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ITALY

You’ll learn the how and why of the conical limestone huts found only in sunny, rustic Puglia.

• CULTURE + WALKING

SICILY

• CULTURE + WALKING

PUGLIA

Palermo, Agrigento & Taormina

Matera to Lecce

The ultimate Italy with its own rustic culture. Our circuit takes in Palermo, Taormina and the olive groves and vineyards of the Aeolian Islands. Wait until you see your hotel overlooking the Greek temples of Agrigento.

You’ll love the sunny heel of Italy’s “boot.” There’s the baroque city of Lecce and cliff-clinging Matera.

Plus, fish markets, walled farms, blue seas, snow-white trulli and homemade lunches filled with amazing food.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5790

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4795, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5490

The Amalfi trip was absolutely amazing. I can’t say enough positive things about the hotels, the guides and the food. The whole itinerary from top to bottom was amazing.”

SUSAN B., ROCKY MOUNT, NC

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ITALY

Your family’s gondola awaits – and it’s just the first highlight as you explore Venice, Florence and Rome together.

• FAMILY

• CULTURE + WALKING

VENICE, FLORENCE & ROME

Como, Maggiore & Orta

Introduction to Italy

Three must-see cities — like most families never get to see them!

You’ll discover the best of Italy without feeling like you’re in a rush. Best of all, you’ll meet pizzamakers, art experts and gladiator trainers who will give Italy a happy personal spin for your family.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, JUN, JUL, DEC 27 PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5790

ITALIAN LAKES

Como. Maggiore. Orta. Italy’s stunning mountain lakes have lured travelers for millennia. Starting in Bellagio, you’ll walk in extravagant villa gardens and alpine meadows, meet a shepherdess, go winetasting, shop for local treasures and more.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5990

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ITALY

Luxuriate in the Tuscany of your dreams, including a stay at a quintessential villa where a count and countess are your hosts.

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

SARDINIA & CORSICA

TUSCANY & THE CINQUE TERRE

Rustic Villages & Costa Smeralda Rustic. Quiet. Gorgeous. Walking Corsica’s herb-carpeted coast or lunching with a Sardinian shepherd, you’ll step back in time. Nature preserves, country inns, suave nights in Bonifacio, archeological wonders. These French and Italian islands have it all!

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5890

Chianti, Florence & Seaside Villages

Selected as one of Forbes’ Luxury Walking Favorites, this trip to Tuscany includes Florence, San Gimignano, vineyard strolls, a home-cooked lunch in the Chianti hills and more. Cap the week with walks to the spectacular villages of the Cinque Terre and Portofino.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4795, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5590

• CULINARY

TUSCANY

Food & Wine of Florence, Chianti & Cortona Start with cooking instructions in our friends’ farmhouse and villa kitchens. Add in a visit to San Gimignano, Chianti tastings, cheese-makers and markets.

And walk off the calories on threenight forays in both Florence and Cortona.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5790

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UK & IRELAND

Soak in the storybook beauty of old England on strolls through the honey-colored villages of the Cotswolds.

• CULTURE + WALKING

ENGLAND

• CULTURE + WALKING

ENGLAND

Cornwall Coast to Land’s End

Cotswolds, Stonehenge & London

The finest walking anywhere on headland trails overlooking the sea. You’ll follow them to St. Michael’s Mount, Tintagel Castle, a seal sanctuary and Bedruthan Steps. Stays include three nights at Fowey in Daphne du Maurier country.

Imagine a private visit to Stonehenge at sunrise. We’ve arranged it, plus walks in pictureperfect countryside, stays in Chipping Campden and Burford, meetings with a falconer and a cheese-maker and dinner in a private manor house.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5790

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5890

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UK & IRELAND

• FAMILY

LONDON & PARIS

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

SCOTLAND

Capital Cities & Countryside

Edinburgh & the Highlands

In London, see all the top sights from Westminster Abbey to a fascinating tour of the Tower of London, then visit Stonehenge when it’s closed to the public. In Paris, you’ll join a chocolatier in his kitchen, grab a bird’s eye view of the city, take an e-bike tour of Versailles and skip the lines at the Louvre.

The highlands you’ve imagined and more. Royal Edinburgh, St. Andrews, a dram at a microdistillery, heathery walks at Culloden Moor, Loch Ness and dramatic Moray Firth, plus fishing villages, a cashmere mill and sheep shearing.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUL, AUG PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5495, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6490

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5890

IRELAND

Killarney Lakes & Dingle Peninsula

• FAMILY

IRELAND

The Emerald Isle for All Ages

The Ring of Kerry. Dingle. Killarney.

You’ll see it all with walks on wild coastal islands, in Victorian gardens and across seaside dunes.

Stay in a manor house, hit the local pub and get a warm, personal welcome to Irish life.

Warm, friendly and fun. There’s castle climbing in Killarney. A sheep-herding lesson. A horse cart ride in the Gap of Dunloe. Easy walks to waterfalls and eerie stone circles. And time to kayak, golf or fish at a scenic riverside lodge in Kenmare.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4395, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5190

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, AUG PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4395, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5190

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EUROPE AT LARGE

• CULTURE + WALKING

• FAMILY

CROATIA’S DALMATIAN COAST

Dubrovnik & Dalmatian Coast

Ljubljana to the Istrian Peninsula

Families love Croatia. Adriatic waters invite swimming, kayaking and snorkeling. Country walks and bike rides take you to monasteries and olive mills. There’s great variety with stays in Dubrovnik, at a seaside resort and on the beautiful isle of Hvar. And see if you can spot how many Game of Thrones locations are on the trip.

Start with picturesque Ljubljana and the grand scenery of Lake Bled. Then explore Croatia’s Istrian peninsula complete with walks on the Adriatic coast, truffle hunting and ancient red-roofed villages.

Dubrovnik & Hvar

The grandeur of Dubrovnik.

Footpaths above the Adriatic.

Wine-tasting lunches and seafood dinners. Lavender fields, olive oil mills, a two-monk monastery, harborside nights in Hvar. This amazing week is a rich, relaxing cultural experience.

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CROATIA

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• CULTURE + WALKING

CROATIA & SLOVENIA

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5390

EUROPE AT LARGE

• CULTURE + WALKING

• RIVER CRUISING

CZECH REPUBLIC, AUSTRIA & HUNGARY

Vienna & Budapest at Water Level

Prague to Budapest

Explore the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary in one compact visit.

Between the two bookend capitals, you’ll also visit Vienna, walk in rolling farmlands and vineyards, stay in the preserved village of Ceský Krumlov, cruise the Danube and more.

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, AUG, SEP, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5490

THE DANUBE

The Hapsburg Empire still reigns supreme along the banks of the Danube as you’ll discover on your exclusive activities that reveal the Austrian countryside, as well as Vienna, the Slovakian capital of Bratislava and gorgeous Budapest.

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8490

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EUROPE AT LARGE

• CULTURE + WALKING

GREEK ISLES

Crete, Mykonos, & Santorini Soak up Greek history and culture.

Rustic Create is a rich mix of Minoan ruins, fishermen and olive groves. From lush Naxos, explore Mykonos and the archeological treasures of Delos. On Santorini, you’ll stroll vineyards, visit artists and bask in sunsets from the terrace of your cliffside hotel.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5790

• CULTURE + WALKING

MONTENEGRO

Azure Adriatic & Soaring Mountains

Start on the balmy Adriatic coast with palm-lined bays. Ascend into wild mounts with sheer canyons and quiet lakes. And all along the way meet olive growers, grappamakers, shepherds and artists in this most beautiful and remote Balkan country.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4795, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5490

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EUROPE AT LARGE

It’s amazing to see how the Swiss live everyday life in the midst of once-in-alifetime scenery.

On Santorini, your all-suite hotel has pinch-yourself views from the edge of the caldera. Pour some wine and drink in the sunset.

• CULTURE + WALKING

NORWAY

• FAMILY

• CULTURE + WALKING

NORWAY

SWITZERLAND

Oslo, Jostedal & Bergen

Vikings, Glaciers & Fjords

The Bernese Alps & Oberland

Norway is spectacular fun on a visit that ranges from cosmopolitan Oslo to UNESCO World Heritage Site and fishing village Bergen. You’ll cruise on mind-boggling fjords, enjoy a cinematic glacier walk and take in spectacular mountaintop views. And you’ll discover real Norwegian life at a family-owned hotel on a working alpaca ranch.

Super-long midsummer days fuel lots of adventure like walking on glaciers and whitewater rafting. There are thrills aplenty on a simulated ski jump and a mountaintop zipline ride. Add in close-up looks at Viking history and explorations at a family farm as you explore the epic fjords from Oslo to Bergen.

Epic Alpine views are only the start! Explore on cog trains and cable cars. Go for a culinary hike, and meet farmers, bakers and chocolatiers. Cruise on glacier-fed lakes that mirror the Jungfrau and Eiger mountains. In a village too high for cars, you’ll get a down-toearth look at Swiss life.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6190

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL, AUG PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5990

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES AUG, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5590

• FAMILY

SWITZERLAND

Mountain Villages, Lakes & Glaciers

Go Swiss with a twist! Your adventures include dog sledding, glacier walking, river rafting, trekking and biking. From chalet-hotels, you’ll walk in wildflower meadows, meet cheese-makers, visit the carless village of Mürren, and eat lunch in a revolving mountaintop restaurant made famous by James Bond.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4795, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5390

DOWNLOAD FULL ITINERARIES AT GO.CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM/CATALOG-ITINERARY-REQUEST • 39

Wanting More?

Download full itineraries at go.classicjourneys.com/catalog-itinerary-request – OR –

speak to our Travel Experience Specialists at 800-200-3887

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CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 41

NORTH AMERICA

North America SOME OF THE MOST SURPRISING AND SATISFYING VACATION DESTINATIONS ARE RIGHT HERE ON THE CONTINENT YOU CALL HOME. Travel in the United States and Canada is perfect for those times when you crave a vacation that feels far away but isn’t. You can forget about jet lag because none of them are more than three time zones away. Each of these trips is a handy six days and five nights long so it’s easy to fit a North American getaway into even the busiest schedules.

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Canada

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United States

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Cuba

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On Alaska’s Resurrection Bay, you’ll have exceptional chances to watch the awesome ballet of orcas and humpback whales.

PAGE 46

Squeezing into the Zion Narrows With sheer walls 1,000 feet high and as skinny as 20 feet across, the Zion Narrows is the ultimate slot canyon – a watery slit in the earth’s crust. How did it happen? Why is the rock that color? From whence came the water you’re wading in?

Classic Journeys guides have the answers, which will make you the envy of the other visitors you see. That’s because the Federal Government’s Bureau of Land Management limits and enforces group size in this unique stretch of Zion Canyon. Tour companies who cater to larger groups solve that pesky problem by just sending their people in unguided and uninformed. In contrast, Classic Journeys small groups are scaled to respect the rules and allow your guide to lead the way.

“

“There’s only one way into the Narrows, but I always want to make sure our guests know that there are a thousand ways to appreciate it.” Monique S., Classic Journeys tour leader PAGE 46

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CANADA

• MULTISPORT

CANADIAN ROCKIES

Banff & Jasper National Parks Experience the wild beauty of Lake Louise and Lac Beauvert.

You’ll walk among lodgepole pines, stand in the mist of Takakkaw Falls, spot elk and bighorn sheep and take a guided walk on Athabasca Glacier.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4295, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5290

• FAMILY

CANADIAN ROCKIES

Wilderness & Wildlife in Banff & Jasper

This trip has a high “cool” quotient.

Think suspended gondola rides, spotting bighorn sheep, elks and bears, fossil hunting in the Burgess Shale and whitewater rafting on the Athabasca River. Around a campfire or settled into a lodge on Lake Louise, it’s fun for everybody.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4295, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5290

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CANADA

Go a-lobstering in Nova Scotia, and experience one of the province’s oldest trades and traditions.

• CULTURE + WALKING

• FAMILY

NOVA SCOTIA

NOVA SCOTIA

Halifax, Bay of Fundy & Lunenburg

Lobster Boating, Sea Kayaking & Whale Watching

A postcard-perfect way to spend long summer days. See the Bay of Fundy, explore Kejimkujik Park, go for a wildlife walk on a deserted island, and watch the whales on a working lobster boat. Stays in Annapolis Royal and Lunenburg immerse you in history and culture.

Your family will be quite the whale-watching, bog-hopping, lobsterboating, sea-kayaking bunch. Based in Lunenburg and Annapolis Royal, you’ll explore a deserted island, canoe on forest lakes in Mi’kmaq country and squeeze a ton of togetherness into long summer days.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUL, AUG, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3395, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3990

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4290

• CULTURE + WALKING

QUÉBEC

Québec City to Charlevoix It’s France next door!

Explore Québec City on splendid walks. In rural Charlevoix, you’ll spot caribou, gallery-hop in BaieSaint-Paul and taste local cheeses. From La Malbaie, an awesome day cruise of Saguenay Fjord is ideal for whale watching.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3795, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4390

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UNITED STATES

• MULTISPORT

• FAMILY

BRYCE, GRAND CANYON & ZION

BRYCE, GRAND CANYON & ZION

America’s Finest National Parks

A Trio of Multigenerational Fun

Three amazing parks on one easy trip. Bryce’s red rock hoodoos.

Sunset from our lodge on the Grand Canyon’s rim. A guided visit to Ancestral Puebloan ruins and the Zion Narrows slot canyon. Great lodges keep you in the heart of the action.

Take your family national parking with total emphasis on fun instead of logistics. This amazing vacation is about so much more than the sights: mountain biking, river tubing, a cowboy cookout and more will make your three park visit a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, JUN, JUL , SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3395, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3890

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, JUL PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4190

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• FAMILY

KENAI PENINSULA

Moose to Mountain Goats, Glaciers to Salmon Bakes

• MULTISPORT

ALASKA

Kenai Peninsula

Amazing family fun! On the Kenai Peninsula, you won’t just see glaciers, you walk and kayak right up to them. There are puffins, beluga whales and moose. You’ll meet native Aleuts and gold miners, and go river-rafting, spit-walking and tide-pooling together. And the resorts and lodges are very cool.

A perfect chance to truly explore the Kenai Peninsula … instead of cruising by like tourists do. Shoreline, rain forest, and wildflower meadow walks are stunning. You’ll meet halibut fishermen and naturalists, pan for gold, cruise a fjord, and that lakeside salmon-bake is not to be missed!

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, AUG PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4790

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, AUG PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4790

UNITED STATES

Your local guides keep you alert to the best wildlife-spotting opportunities on Alaska’s wild Kenai Peninsula.

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

CHARLESTON & SAVANNAH

Glacier National Park

Big Adventure in Big Sky Country

Land of Enchantment

Glacier Park is the centerpiece of a fun outdoor week full of snowcapped Rockies, elks and eagles, walks and picnics in wildflower meadows. Meet local Blackfeet natives and ranchers, ride boats and gondolas, and relax in historic mountain lodges.

How cool must this week be if the gondola ride up Big Mountain isn’t even the high point?! You’ll go horseback riding on a working ranch, moose spotting, stargazing in inky black night skies, picnicking next to waterfalls and more. It’s a fantastic family week in our country’s most beautiful park.

Art, architecture, regional food and wide open, scenic spaces are at the heart of this exploration of the U.S.’s enchanting Southwest.

Explore 900-year-old cliff dwellings, Georgia O’Keefe’s home and studio in Abiquiu, historic Taos Pueblo and so much more.

The Antebellum South Think grand city mansions … barrier islands where dolphins romp … villages where Gullah culture from West Africa is still strong. The moss-draped coastal South is one of America’s most distinctive regions with history, culture and a way of life all its own.

LENGTH 5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4890

• FAMILY

MONTANA

GLACIER PARK

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUL, AUG PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4690

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUL PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4690

• CULTURE + WALKING

SANTA FE & TAOS

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAY, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4190

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AnchoR Your Family to Happiness Fill this summer’s vacation with happy times you’ll all remember always.

You may have never heard the term “happiness anchor,” but you know exactly what it is. It might be that night when you sat around a campfire with all of your cousins and laughed so hard that you cried. Or maybe it was the first time you saw a zillion reef fish through a snorkel mask or that Saturday when your grandmother surprised you with tickets to “The Lion King.”

Psychologists refer to those as “happiness anchors” for good reason. They are those priceless shared experiences that have the near-magical power to lift your spirits and reconnect you instantly to the people who shared them with you. You can return to them a thousand times as the years go

by, and their ability to please never dims. Scientific research has also shown that they can be used by kids and teens to help them navigate back to positive emotions when they’re encountering stress and anxiety.

Unsurprisingly, lots of them trace back directly to summer vacations – especially the getaways that place you all in novel settings where things happen to you that have never happened before.

There’s even more scientific research that says kids exposed to new environments aren’t just happier; they’re smarter and more adaptable, too.

How cool is it that you can achieve all of that while everybody else in your family thinks that you’re just having the time of your lives together?

If you want to anchor your family to happiness, here are five rock-solid ways to make it happen this summer. Each trip includes the fulltime expertise and connections of amazing local guides, memorable accommodations, and handcrafted experiences that will become part of your shared family mythology.

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CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 49

From the Colosseum to the Sistine Chapel, you’ll experience the highlights of Rome at a pace the whole family will appreciate.

The high point of a Costa Rica trip is walking on the suspension bridges to explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest at monkey-eye level.

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VENICE, FLORENCE & ROME

BRYCE, GRAND CANYON & ZION

“I was the best gladiator by far.”

“It’s like we were walking on a ‘Star Wars’ planet.”

The kids and teens may remember their first glimpse of the Colosseum, but they’ll really hang on to the mental image of training to be a gladiator, just one of the variations on the typical Italian theme that your family will enjoy. Will any of you forget your gondola ride in Venice? Unlikely. Can you get over how incredibly huge Michelangelo’s David is (and that you strolled like VIPs right past the long line to see him)? Riding bikes through a Chianti vineyard to make pizza in a castle isn’t how most of us see Italy. Introducing your family to Italy’s greatest cities is an amazing gift, but the high-energy experiences on this trip will imprint just how much fun travel can and should always be. Credit to you for making it happen!

MOROCCO

“That day we rode camels in the Sahara.”

Seriously. What a ride it is when you each mount your personal camel and sway into the Saharan desert to spend the night at a luxury Berber encampment. The exoticism of Morocco is impossible to forget. You’ll go for a time-travel walk in the medina of Fès where donkeys have the right-of-way. You meet farmers while you go biking in an oasis (that is quite a bit bigger and greener than any of you ever imagined.) A visit to a tiny rural school is a big eye-opener. In Marrakesh, there are snake charmers and souks like no place you’ve ever shopped before. Morocco works so well for family travel because the culture and settings are so fantastically different … and it’s one of the friendliest countries on earth.

COSTA RICA

“You were completely surrounded with butterflies.”

Standing in a cloud of thousands of butterflies, the tickle of a blue morpho perched on the tip of your finger is light, but it anchors you deep in the wonders of the world. In Costa Rica, there’s nothing abstract about nature. Monkeys have breakfast in branches a few feet away. The rainforest canopy couldn’t be any realer than it is as you zipline through it. The scarlet macaws and anteaters and orchids give you all a beautiful crashcourse in diversity and inspire you to think about the intricacy and delicacy of life. (Not that lounging by the pool at a hilltop resort while the kids body surf on a Pacific beach below isn’t worth the trip, too!)

Want to know more?

When you do the hoodoos of Bryce National Park on a guideled walk, you feel like you’re in a whole other world. Winding your way through a forest of superhigh sandstone pinnacles and fins is like nothing you’ve ever done before. The same goes for boogieboarding on sand dunes and wading knee deep in water into Zion’s slot canyons with hundredfoot-high walls. Did we mention sunset at the Grand Canyon and a mule ride down into the shadowy depths? This is a national park adventure you’ll all recall for all the right reasons – because you avoided the crowds and shared the awe of how small we are in the impossible grandeur of nature.

ICELAND

“Remember how we snorkeled in midair?”

That’s how it feels when you snorkel in clear-as-glass glacial melt that’s trapped between two tectonic plates in Iceland.

The biggest chill comes from the sensation of flying. As for the temperature, the specialized gear Classic Journeys provides keeps you warm. Life is wild in Iceland, whether you’re walking on a glacier, riding a shaggy Icelandic horse across a river of frozen lava to a sky-high waterfall, or hanging out with local guides descended from 9th century Vikings. Whether your happy place is standing among a million Atlantic puffins or floating in a geothermal lake, Iceland imprints itself in ways that time can’t erase.

Download the full itineraries at classicjourneys.com/family

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 51

NORTH AMERICA

CAN YOU STIL L GO T O CUBA? Y E S! How can Classic Journeys still offer trips?

Classic Journeys was among the first companies to obtain a license to operate legal travel to Cuba for Americans, first under “People-to-People” and now under “Support for the Cuban People” licensing category. As a result, all of our Cuba trips can operate legally, despite restrictions that affect other operators.

Are there still commercial flights to Cuba?

Yes, but only into Havana.

The Classic Journeys team will brief you in advance on anything you need to know as you purchase your tickets.

Is it safe to reserve now?

Absolutely. All of our Cuba departures are good to go.

Contact us to book while space is still available!

Can I still expect to have a great experience in Cuba?

You bet! In fact, National Geographic Traveler calls our Cuba program one of their “50 Trips of a Lifetime.”

CUBA

Cigars are still rolled by hand in Havana, where we take you into a workroom to see how it’s done.

• FAMILY

• CULTURE + WALKING

CUBA

CUBA

• CULTURE + WALKING

CUBA

Havana & the Caribbean Coast

A Long Weekend in Havana

Cienfuegos, Trinidad & Havana

A remarkable exposure to Cuban culture, history and life on a trip that will immerse you in 500 years of Cuban history, from 15th century Trinidad to 17th century Cienfuegos, midcentury Bay of Pigs to the capital in Havana. Meet farmers and dancers, walk past waterfalls to a coffee plantation, cruise the streets of Havana in classic cars from the ’50s, and change the way you see the world.

On this four-day / three-night hop to Havana, you’ll meet and mingle with Cuban artists, dancers and musicians. Visit Hemingway’s home and a cigar factory. Try out the paladares, fine privately owned restaurants. It’s instant immersion in modern Cuban life.

The colonial Caribbean side of Cuba. Wander in pastel seaside cities. Walk amid coffee plantations and fincas in the Escambray Mountains. Snorkel in the Bay of Pigs and ride classic cars in Havana.It’s an amazing immersion into 500 years of history and culture.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, MAY, JUN, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5390

LENGTH 4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUL, AUG, OCT, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4590

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, FEB, APR, MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5390

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Latin America THE LOWER HALF OF OUR HEMISPHERE IS HAVING ITS DAY IN THE SUN, AND IT’S NO WONDER. Temperate Central America offers anytime, all-season eco-options, and below the Equator, you can enjoy a summer vacation when it’s the height of winter at home. The wonders are truly wondrous, from Machu Picchu, the Panama Canal and the Andes to the wildlife of Costa Rica and the Galápagos. There’s remarkable cultural diversity and history, too, as you mingle with rainforest villagers, vintners, coffee-growers, and llama-herders in the company of our expert local guides.

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Central America

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South America

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Galápagos

Belize & Guatemala / Costa Rica / Panama

Chile / Colombia / Peru

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Take a walk with the natives of Patagonia and soak in the grand solitude at the foot of the Andes.

PAGE 58

Rail or Trail to Machu Picchu?

For your ascent to Machu Picchu, Classic Journeys invites you to choose your own adventure.

If you’d like to join your expert local guide to walk the final leg of the Inca Trail, just say the word. The Classic Journeys tour operations team handles all the logistics to reserve one of the rare permits required to take the trail. Your first glimpse of Machu Picchu will be from the Sun Gate, high above the site.

Or treat yourself to one of the world’s most scenic train rides, with views through picture windows and a panoramic roof of tumbling rivers and Incan ruins. Either way, you’ll arrive with two leisurely days to explore Machu Picchu, a luxury the dap-trippers can only imagine.

“

It’s been my fantasy to hike the Inca Trail. My husband is a trainlover. Happy to report we were both thrilled with how you got us up to experience Machu Picchu.”

Janet B., Classic Journeys guest PAGE 59

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 55

CENTRAL AMERICA

• FAMILY

COSTA RICA

• MULTISPORT

COSTA RICA

• MULTISPORT

BELIZE & GUATEMALA

• FAMILY

BELIZE & GUATEMALA

Arenal & Manuel Antonio Park

Arenal & Manuel Antonio Park

Coral Reefs & Mayan Pyramids

An Unforgettable Eco-Escape

Our top eco-tour, kicked up a notch. Your kids will love waking up to white-face monkey chatter.

They’ll zipline through the rainforest canopy, go whitewater rafting, spot three-toed sloths and hummingbirds on fun wildlife walks. And you will all enjoy the comfort of luxury lodges.

You’ll explore a cloud forest, walk the slopes of Arenal Volcano and zipline in the forest canopy. From our luxury hotel overlooking the Pacific in Manuel Antonio Park, you’ll take naturalist-guided walks, go kayaking and taste the brew at a coffee plantation.

A luxury eco-adventure taken to beautiful extremes! Expert naturalists walk you into teeming rainforests. Visits to Mayan ruins include sunrise atop Tikal. At Ambergris Caye, you snorkel and kayak over the vast coral gardens.

Super fun for everybody. Snorkel at Ambergris Caye and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Go canoeing in a huge cavern. Explore ancient Mayan pyramids. And every night is in rainforest lodges or at family-friendly resorts on the white Caribbean sands.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES FEB, MAR, JUN, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3595, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4290

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, FEB, MAR, MAY, JUN, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3595, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4290

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LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES FEB, APR, JUL, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4890

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, JUN PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4990

CENTRAL AMERICA

In Panama, the Embera people welcome you to share time and the midday meal at the rainforest village on the banks of the Chagres River.

• MULTISPORT

PANAMA

• FAMILY

PANAMA

Canal, Rainforest & Highlands

Rainforest to Reef

The next eco-tourism hotspot.

Paddle a dugout canoe to a rainforest village. See anteaters, parrots and hummingbirds, taste shade-grown coffee, go ziplining.

Plus stays at a resort and the country’s finest inn.

Take a shower under a waterfall.

Visit a tribal jungle village. Go bird-watching for the resplendent quetzal. And see the Panama Canal in action. After varied, activity-filled days, you’ll settle into two of the most beautiful hotels anywhere!

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS UPCOMING DEPARTURES 2020: JUN 28, NOV 1, DEC 27 2021: FEB 14, MAR 7, JUN 27, NOV 7, DEC 27 PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4290

LENGTH 6 DAYS/ 5 NIGHTS UPCOMING DEPARTURES 2020: JUN 21, AUG 2, NOV 15, DEC 18, DEC 27 2021: FEB 7, MAR 21, JUN 20, AUG 1, NOV 21, DEC 27 PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $3695, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4290

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SOUTH AMERICA

Expect an up-close look at Magellanic penguins at the favorite nesting site off the rocky coast of Chile.

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

CHILE

CHILE

Lake District & Patagonia So much awesome nature! The Andes, Osorno Volcano and the wilds of Patagonia — not to mention penguins and wild guanacos. Chilean civilization is fun, too, from a gaucho lamb barbecue to lush Maipo Valley vineyards and Santiago.

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, FEB, MAR, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5395, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6290

Easter Island, Atacama & Maipo Vineyards Escape to the beautiful edges of Chile on an exploration that roams from the Atacama Desert in the shadow of the Andes to the enigmatic moai statues of Easter Island. You’ll also taste in Chile’s renowned vineyards and visit the capital of Santiago.

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JUN, SEP PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $7190

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• CULTURE + WALKING

COLOMBIA

MedellÍn to Cartagena Towns painted head-to-toe in vivid murals. Coffee plantations and the City of Eternal Spring.

The lush Tayrona jungle a-twitter with countless birds. The maze of cobbled alleys and Caribbean culture in wonderfully walkable Cartagena. Colombia is full of amazing experiences that defy expectations.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES FEB, JUN, AUG, SEP, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $7290

SOUTH AMERICA

On our Peru and Machu Picchu trip, we make sure you get a deep look at the culture’s past and present.

*

SEE PAGE 64 FOR GALÁPAGOS & MACHU PICCHU BUCKET LIST TOUR

• CULTURE + WALKING

PERU

Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley & Cusco The best way to see Machu Picchu!

You’ll get two nights there with the choice to arrive via the Inca Trail or by train. You’ll explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley and meet llama herders with your local Quechua guide. Hotels include several of South America’s best!

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4895, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5690

• FAMILY

PERU

Exploring the Land of the Incas Machu Picchu! Plus the wonders of Incan culture seen through the lens of a multi-sport vacation that includes whitewater rafting, mountain biking in the Inca’s Sacred Valley, llama herders and chefs who welcome you to roll up your sleeves to help cook a Peruvian meal.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, APR, JUN, JUL, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5790

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5

REASONS TO SKIP THE SHIP

IF YOU'RE GOING TO THE GALÁPAGOS TO SEE THE WILDLIFE

By Susan Barnes

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“Ha! I thought we came to the Galápagos for the wildlife!” So wrote a friend of mine in an email from her cruise ship on a recent vacation. She attached a picture that showed the ship’s naturalist conducting a presentation that looked like a cross between a school lecture and a business meeting.

You can feel her pain. If you can get close enough to a blue-footed booby to hear it, you’d rather not be looking at pictures of it on a flat-screen TV. I resisted the urge to send back a photo from my own trip that showed my son bellydown on the sand, eye-to-eye with a sea lion that was just a couple of feet away. While my friend was marooned on her vessel, I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Classic Journeys visits to the Galápagos are filled with wildlife moments like that all day every day. The essential difference: skipping the ship and basing explorations from luxury waterfront hotels on the islands.

The result is that just like the species of the Galápagos have evolved, so has tourism there. And that’s how Classic Journeys adventures in the Galápagos have come to be named the Best Wildlife Encounter by AFAR Magazine; because they are so different from cruise experiences. For anyone considering a trip to the Galápagos, there are five reasons why an island-based trip is a completely different animal that’s right for you.

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 61

1. You won’t outnumber the Big Five.

The star attractions of the Galápagos are the islands’ Big Five: giant land tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, sea lions and penguins. Your Classic Journeys naturalist-guides know how to find them in their natural habitats – in spots the cruise cannot reach. Take those tortoises, weighing upwards of 500 pounds and living for up to 150 years. Your expert guide leads you deep into a national park to a favorite watering hole where the giants socialize and keep cool. It’s about an hour walk each way. You see tortoises along the way and an incredible number of them socializing and chomping on algae at their watery gathering spot. Usually, there are more of them than there are of us – a giant advantage of exploring with a small group.

Compare that to this sight I saw on one scouting trip: Three motorcoaches with more than 100 ship passengers arriving at a private farm set up for ship-based tourists. On the ground, they walk five minutes along a flat trail to cluster around an enclosure that holds five tortoises. They saw the animals, but they couldn’t get a sense of how they live in their world. With Classic Journeys, you see wildlife like Darwin did, not like an invasion force.

2. You can watch the sunset with sea lions.

Late in a typical Galápagos afternoon, Zodiacs full of passengers buzz out to sea to return to their ships. After all, there are dinner seatings and sailing schedules to be kept. Contrast that with your Classic Journeys experience, which at the same moment, is strolling on a white sand beach toward your boutique waterfront hotel. Maybe you’re returning on foot from a walk to see frigate birds and to go snorkeling in the lagoon where Charles Darwin first landed. Unexpectedly, you come across a harem of female sea lions with pups at their sides, guarded by a lone male. They have no natural predators, so they’re not spooked by your presence. With no ship-sized schedule to keep, your guide can stop so you can take your time observing, even as the sun sinks low. Your trips include plenty of opportunities for moments like sea kayaking amid swimming iguanas or spotting penguins in their favorite bays. But you also have the flexibility to go with the flow when Mother Nature creates a unique moment just for you.

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3. Luxury boutique hotel rooms beat ship cabins.

A flock of small, eco-sensitive and very, very comfortable hotels have opened recently in the Galápagos, and they are ready to make you feel at home. Most importantly if you’ve ever suffered a bit of onboard claustrophobia, you’ll appreciate having the kind of elbowroom that you just won’t find on a cruise ship. From your handy waterfront locations, you are able to come and go as you please for an evening walk on the beach or the sandy streets of a nearby town. They have pools that dwarf the hot tub-size versions on many ships. The island’s cuisine will amaze you (“Fresh ceviche, anyone?”), and you have more flexibility to order what you want and to eat when you like than what the ships can offer.

4. You get to know and support the humans of the GalÁpagos.

On the islands, the life isn’t all wild. On your visit with Classic Journeys, you have the luxury of time to get to know about local culture. We’re proud to have deep roots in these communities and to support sustainable, local life. In the volcanic highlands, the soil is perfect for growing coffee, sugar cane and fruit. On a familyowned plantation, you’ll get to spend time with the family and workers and taste their products. Another friend, Sebastian, is a great example. When we first met, Sebastian was a fisherman. Last year, he gave up fishing to lead snorkeling expeditions to his favorite former fishing spots. He says, “Because of Classic Journeys guests who really want to experience the wildlife, the octopus I used to catch and sell to a restaurant is now my business partner. I take people to snorkel to his hidden places and he reveals himself to us.” Score one for the octopi … and for Sebastian and his family.

5. You can really spread your wings.

What if you want to have your morning coffee with your toes in the sand, your spouse wants to have a massage and your friends prefer to go to a local cantina for a nightcap? On a ship, the answer is easy.

Only the massage is possible, because with the fixed schedule of the boat, you’re not permitted to stay in town or linger on a beach walk.

This means that your ability to customize a trip to your own preferences is nil. In contrast, on your Classic Journeys trip, you have options to create your own adventure. The days are loaded with a range of activities from snorkeling to mountain biking, lounging by the beach to hanging out with giant land tortoises. On many days, you can choose from simultaneous alternatives. And thanks to Classic Journeys Gear Valet service, all of the equipment you need is included at no extra cost, unlike the system on many ships that requires you to pay extra for optional activities.

DOWNLOAD FULL ITINERARIES AT CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM/GALAPAGOS-TOURS

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 63

GALÁPAGOS

In the Galápagos, multisport activities range from snorkeling to mountain-biking, sea kayaking and a walk on the rim of a volcano.

• MULTISPORT

• FAMILY

• CULTURE + WALKING

GALÁPAGOS

GALÁPAGOS

GALÁPAGOS & MACHU PICCHU

Island-Based Wildlife Adventure

Island-Based Family Fun

Our island-based itinerary trades cruise ships for luxury seaside inns. You get more naturalistguided time to snorkel, explore lava tunnels, visit a coffee plantation and meet iguanas, penguins, sea lions, blue-footed boobies – and local people, too.

The coolest active vacation ever. Encounters with penguins, iguanas, sea lions, and blue-footed boobies, of course. Plus guided sea kayaking, snorkeling, mountain biking and coastal boutique hotels (sure beats cruise ship cabin fever).

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $7190

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES FEB, MAR, JUN, JUL, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $7190

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The Bucket List Trip

The greatest wonders of South America in one vacation! First, expert naturalist guides take you up close and personal with the amazing wildlife of the Galápagos. Then you head to Peru, ascend to Machu Picchu, and visit llama herders, schoolchildren and Inca weavers.

LENGTH 9 DAYS/ 8 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, JUN, JUL, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $10190

GALÁPAGOS

On our island-based trips, it’s easy to strike out from your luxury inns in search of the big 5 of Galápagos wildlife like marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies.

Classic Journeys has been our tour company of choice to travel with for many years ... they make where ever you choose simply wonderful. I know from years of experience that we could never discover on our own what we do with Classic Journeys.”

LYNN, TRUSTPILOT

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Asia, Oceania & Africa THE WORLD’S MOST EXOTIC CULTURES ARE REMARKABLY ACCESSIBLE. To chat with rice farmers in the Mekong delta or the Berbers of Morocco. To ascend into the Himalayas, accept the hospitality of geishas, and go four-wheeling in “Lord of the Rings” territory. Experiences that feel too far away and packed with too many logistics to manage are supremely easy on these handcrafted adventures. Where the languages are inscrutable and cuisine is an endless stream of new flavors, our expert local guides open doors to local life for you. With Classic journeys, you’ll experience the cultural traditions you only find when you approach a region as a traveler, rather than a tourist.

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Asia & Oceania

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Africa

Bhutan / China / Japan / India / Myanmar / Nepal / New Zealand / Southeast Asia / Thailand

South Africa / Morocco

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In Morocco, your private camel caravan winds into the Sahara to a luxury Berber encampment and a night under the starry desert sky.

PAGE 73

The Secret of the Quietest Angkor Wat

As you slip into Angkor Wat through a near-secret side entrance, the day’s light starts to fade in the Cambodian countryside. Shadows move across the temple façades, and before your eyes, the intricate carvings seem to ripple with life. As sunset nears, the temples reveal themselves to you slowly, more like the way explorers came upon the site in the 19th century.

Let the rest of the world cluster at the crowded main gate to await the blazing end of the day.

Thanks to the inside knowledge of your local Classic Journeys guide, you experience Angkor Wat in a way tourists can’t even imagine.

“

It is my gift to our guests to offer them quiet time with the temples of Angkor Wat. I see that the experience is as spiritual for them as it always is for me.”

Savy S., Classic Journeys Cambodia tour leader PAGE 70

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ASIA & OCEANIA

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

INDIA

BHUTAN

Rajasthan & Taj Mahal An epic journey! Delhi. The Taj Mahal at dawn. One-of-a-kind countryside walks that introduce you to villagers and rural life ... as well as descendants of royal families, sari- and turban-tying experts, and eminent naturalists.

LENGTH 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8790

Himalayan Villages & Monasteries This Himalayan kingdom is a revelation with its perched monasteries, rice paddies and rhododendron forests. On guided walks, you meet farmers, wood carvers and yak-herders. And you’ll be immersed in Bhutanese cultural and spiritual life.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, NOV PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $7820

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• CULTURE + WALKING

CHINA

Shanghai to Shangri-La Moving beyond must-see China — Beijing, the Great Wall, Xi’an’s terracotta warriors, Shanghai — you’ll penetrate the interior, including Guilin and Yangshuo. And finally, living and walking among natives in the Tibetan highlands called Shangri-La. LENGTH 12 DAYS/ 11 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, SEP, OCT PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8990

ASIA & OCEANIA

Tourists only visit the Taj Mahal, but you overlook the monument from your extravagant hotel adjacent to the site.

• CULTURE + WALKING

JAPAN

Tokyo to Kyoto A revealing look at Japan’s history and modern culture. Explore Tokyo and learn to make sushi. Take in the beauty of Hakone with views of Mt. Fuji. Visit Kyoto’s temples, partake of the tea ceremony, and experience the art of the geishas at an elegant dinner.

LENGTH 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES APR, MAY, SEP, NOV PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $9290

• CULTURE + WALKING

MYANMAR

Mandalay to the Temples of Bagan From Yangon to mind-boggling Bagan, you’ll see Myanmar’s great landmarks. But most of all, you’ll be immersed in the lovely countryside and the lives of people whose local traditions retain deep connections to the past.

LENGTH 9 DAYS/ 8 NIGHTS DEPARTURES FEB, MAR, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5295, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6590

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ASIA & OCEANIA

• CULTURE + WALKING

• CULTURE + WALKING

• FAMILY

• CULTURE + WALKING

NEPAL

VIETNAM, LAOS & CAMBODIA

VIETNAM, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Phuket to Chiang Mai

Himalayan Villages & Chitwan Safari A remarkable look inside the storied Himalayan land. You’ll explore Kathmandu, meet the locals in remote villages, go for an elephant and rhino safari in Chitwan National Park, and walk in the shadow of famed Annapurna.

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS UPCOMING DEPARTURES MAR, APR, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5395, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6090

The Treasures & Culture of Indochina Between Saigon and Hanoi, spend a night on a junk in Halong Bay and bike amid Mekong rice paddies.

In Laos, care for elephants at an elephant sanctuary. Explore Cambodia’s splendid Angkor Wat. And luxuriate at some of Asia’s finest hotels.

LENGTH 10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, MAR, MAY, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6290

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Southeast Asia’s Greatest Hits Take a river walk with an elephant.

Explore awesome caves along Halong Bay. Bike along the Mekong, meet rural schoolchildren and rice farmers. Give alms to monks and climb on Angkor Wat. The list of amazing family experiences is almost endless!

LENGTH 10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, JUN, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5195, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6390

THAILAND

Stepping beyond the temple-spired capital, you’ll walk from rice-paddy paths to remote villages, receive the blessing of Buddhist monks at an alms-giving ceremony, glide over rivers in long-tail boats, and cook in one of the country’s finest kitchens.

LENGTH 7 DAYS/ 6 NIGHTS DEPARTURES JAN, MAR, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5795, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6990

ASIA & OCEANIA

The Himalayas slice across the Nepali sky as you go for a peaceful country walk and chat with villagers near Pokhara.

In Southeast Asia, boys enter the Buddhist monkhood at an early age.

• CULTURE + WALKING

NEW ZEALAND

• FAMILY

NEW ZEALAND

North & South Islands

Adventure Capital of the World

Awesome variety from Auckland to Queenstown. Sail an America’s Cup yacht and sip wine on vineyard and olive grove-covered Waiheke Island.

Visit a working sheep farm and go jet boating. Plus, sample the green lip mussels, learn about Maori culture and walk the swing bridge across the wild Hooker River.

Nonstop adventure everybody will enjoy. Boat with icebergs.

Mountain bike in vineyards. Sail a catamaran to a sheep farm. Pilot a jet boat on the Dart River. And rumble across streams in Land Rovers to settings where “Lord of the Rings” was filmed.

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES FEB, MAR, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5495, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6390

LENGTH 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5395, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $6290

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AFRICA

• CULTURE + WALKING

SOUTH AFRICA

• FAMILY

SOUTH AFRICA

Cape Town, Vineyards & Safari

The Big 5, Bush & Beyond

Experience the best of South Africa from every angle. Explore Cape Town and visit the Cape of Good Hope. Walk amid penguins one day and through vineyards on a wine estate the next. Then take the Big Five safari you’ve always dreamed of from your base at a luxurious lodge nested in the Lebombo foothills.

Elephants, rhinoceros, buffalos, lions, leopards…and even penguins.

You’ll see them all on this unforgettable family adventure.

There’s a safari on a private game preserve. Plus visits to historic Cape of Good Hope, a small school in the townships of Cape Town, and the Cape Winelands where the only thing better than wine-tasting is the vineyard bike ride to it.

LENGTH 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, JUN, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $7095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8690

LENGTH 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, JUN, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $7095, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $8690

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AFRICA

Drink in the wine and the South African scenery at special vineyard visits arranged just for you in the Cape Winelands.

• CULTURE + WALKING

• FAMILY

MOROCCO

MOROCCO

Marrakesh, Sahara & Fès Can you top camel riding in the Saharan dunes with a night in a luxury Berber encampment? You will on this tour with visits to the Medina of Fès, oasis walks, palace hotels, mountain villages and snake charmers, the souks of Marrakesh and more.

LENGTH 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5890

Your Personal Caravan from Fès to Marrakesh As adults, we love Morocco, and it’s even better to enjoy with the kids.

Find your family four-wheeling the Moroccan plains, clambering onto a camel, swaying into steep Saharan dunes to watch the sun set, and settling into a Berber encampment to eat and sing and dance around the campfire before nodding off in a carpeted luxury tent.

LENGTH 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, APR, JUN, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4995, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $5890

• MULTISPORT

MOROCCO

Marrakesh, Coast & Desert Exotic Morocco in just six days! Ride camels into a luxury encampment in the Agafay Desert.

Cook with a local chef or go horseback riding in Essaouira. Meet farm families and cheese makers in the scenic Argan Valley. And explore the souks and Djemaa-elFna Square in Marrakesh.

LENGTH 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS DEPARTURES MAR, MAY, OCT, DEC PRICE PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4295, SINGLE OCCUPANCY FROM $4990

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PRIVATE TRAVEL

Go Private!

Your group. Your dates. Just for you.

Is your wish list full of activities or destinations you can’t find on anybody’s itinerary? Then go private! You can start any Classic Journeys itinerary on any day you choose, massage the activities to match your interests, or build in extra days and destinations, whether you’re a party of one or a group of 10, 20, 30 or more. You’ll find that

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the starting point — the published base price of a Classic Journeys vacation — is lower than what many companies charge for their comparable tours. In some cases, you’ll even get a private vacation for less than what you would pay for other companies’ standard tours.

PRIVATE TRAVEL

This celebration of our joint birthdays was to be “the trip of a lifetime” and bring everyone together for the first time in six years. The setting was new to everyone and offered an array of adventures enjoyed by all. The goals were achieved big time by Classic Journeys, and we feel so fortunate to have had the time and the experiences together.”

CARMEN W., 3X CLASSIC JOURNEYS GUEST

2 WAYS TO GO 1

YOUR DATES + OUR ITINERARY

Pick any Classic Journeys itinerary you find in the catalog or on the website. Then just name the date when you would like your vacation to begin.

It’s the simplest way to arrange a private vacation.

Bonus points because you can align your trip to a special occasion. (“We want our private breakfast at Stonehenge to fall on Dad’s 60th birthday.”)

22

YOUR DATES + YOUR WISH LIST

The sky’s the limit with a custom trip. A candlelit dinner in the heart of Angkor Wat. An entire villahotel all to yourselves. Two weeks in Peru and the Galápagos, or a summer-long Grand Tour with your extended family. If you can wish it, our team can make it happen.

Start planning your private vacation here.

To get the process started, go to ClassicJourneys.com/Request or call us toll-free at 800-200-3887.

CLASSICJOURNEYS.COM • 75

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EACH ITINERARY OFFERS YOU… Rich day-by-day descriptions of destinations and activities

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CULTURE + WALKING // FAMILY // MULTISPORT // CULINARY // RIVER CRUISING JOIN US ON A HANDCRAFTED TRIP OF A LIFETIME!

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