2016 program

archaeological toursLed by noted scholars | superb itineraries | unsurpassed service

Stimulating, inspiring and erudite study tours all over the world

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3WelcomeHello Travelers,

Here it is - our first full catalog! We are so proud of our 2016 tours that we couldnt bear to split them up. So for the first time in our history weve gathered them together in one place - the brand new Archaeological Tours catalog.

Will you join us to watch the sun go down over the glittering golden-stone temples of Bagan in Burma? Would you prefer to enter the Ice Age by tracing outlines of French cave art? Maybe, youd like to contemplate the meaning of life at the worlds largest Buddhist Stupa You can do all this and so much more on an Archaeological Tour. We have an exciting selection of tours to share with you, and each offers our signature mix of culture and history.

Weve told you a little bit about our 2016 tours, but what sets us apart from other tour providers? One word - passion. We are passionate about travel because we know that nothing else can offer such stimulating experiences, rich new insights or opportunities to learn from history.

We want to make sure that every experience you share with us is just right. My staff and I are still hard at work crafting our 2016 tours, so some still appear unpriced in this catalog. Keep checking our website for program updates: www.archaeologicaltrs.com. We hope you enjoy browsing this catalog as much as weve enjoyed creating it.

If you would like to know more about any of our tours, traveling with AT in general, or would like help deciding on your perfect trip to the ancient world, please get in touch. Give us a call or send us an email. If you find yourself in New York City, stop by to visit us and share a coffee at our Madison Avenue office instead. We always enjoy visits from past and future travelers.

I hope to see you soon on tour,

Linda

Linda FeinstonePresident, Archaeological Tours

You can guarantee your place(s) on any Archaeological Tour with a $1500 deposit payment. If you havent traveled with us before we will also require personal details of you and any traveling companions. We then ask for a balance payment 20 weeks before you depart (see pg.81 for further details and conditions).

Where you see an unpriced tour in this brochure you can still pay your deposit. We will let you know when the price is fixed and you can choose to either confirm your place, transfer your deposit, or ask for a refund.

After you book your place we will send you many more details of your trip, reading material, practical information and just about anything else you might need to prepare you for a wonderful time on tour.

How to Book

info@archaeologicaltrs.comCall 212-986-3054Toll-free 866-740-5130

For more information and to book

4Depth and BreadthRanging from 12 to 21 days, our tours allow you time to totally immerse yourself in the places we visit. For many of us, a trip to Ancient Egypt, Burma or Central Asia is a once in a lifetime experience. We plan not only archaeological but art, music and cultural visits into our programs. You cant go all the way to Malta and miss seeing the Caravaggio hidden away in one of the Churches of Valletta. Equally, you dont want to miss the chance to hear the unique tones of Classical Indian music - as intrinsic to the countrys history as the Taj Mahal.

Camaraderie of Fellow TravelersMost of our tours have around 18 participants, and we think this number of travelers is just right. Small groups which offer sociability, companionship and a sense of shared experience but most importantly dont crowd you, or make you feel like part of the herd.

A Sense of AdventureTravel broadens the mind. It stimulates, educates and inspires. At Archaeological Tours we never limit our ambition and seek out first-rate archaeology and history wherever it can be found. In 2016 you will find tours to Ghana, China, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Japan as well as Latin America and Classical Europe. Even in the modern age of globalization, there are still a wondrous variety of cultures, landscapes and histories waiting to be discovered beyond our own shores.

Your Safety First The security and political stability of every country we visit is carefully considered and monitored throughout the year. We keep in constant touch with our local experts on the ground all over the world to remain informed. Every tour is accompanied by a member of the Archaeological Tours staff who has your safety as their highest priority.

4* & 5* Hotels at the Highest StandardThese days, there is no reason to sacrifice comfort or convenience while you travel the world! We seek out the very best hotels for you. Our international standard hotels are well-located for our touring, restaurants and culture. You can find details of all our hotels at the end of each day in the tour itineraries. If you would like any more information or have any questions please get in touch.

Flights at Excellent PricesMore than 50% of our travelers choose to book their flights with Archaeological Tours. All of our dedicated staff are specialists in organizing air travel. They are very happy to make arrangements for you, from airports across the country.

Superb ItinerariesIf its on our itinerary, it has been personally researched and visited by at least one of our team. This way, we can ensure that when you travel to distant lands, you will be rewarded with deep insight into the archaeology, history and culture of your destination. This is just as true whether you are touring local villages in the Ghanian savannah, or walking the prehistoric landscapes around Stonehenge.

Noted ScholarsTravel with distinguished faculty members of respected universities. Our guides are chosen not only for the breadth and depth of their knowledge, but also for their ability to fascinate their listeners, and share the passion they have for their chosen subject. A great number of our lecturers have toured with us for many years and are very much attuned to the subtleties of what makes a stand-out tour.

Highly Personalized ServiceThe kind that only a small, dedicated company like ours can provide. Were here for you whatever you need: person-to-person advice, ideas, insights, or specialized arrangements (hotel bookings or other travel arrangements). You can really count on us to give you reliable advice - every member of our staff is also one of our experienced tour escorts and know our destinations inside out.

About UsWhat can you expect when you travel with Archaeological Tours?

540 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE!Archaeological Tours has been setting the standards of what constitutes a great Archaeological and History Study Tour for forty years. Why accept anything less?

The Archaeological Tours team

Weve joined forces with Specialist Journeys, a UK company with several travel partners. This terrific arrangement has really helped us with a lot of our back office detail. A lot of time has been freed up to do what we love the most: planning new tours, improving our itineraries and talking with all of you. Rest assured that despite this change, our wonderful staff remain unchanged, and as always are here to assist you.

Mary-Lou Leddy has been with Archaeological Tours for 29 years. She is our Director of Operations and loves traveling and interacting with clients. Mary-Lou has always traveled - she was born in Australia,

studied in the UK and is now an American citizen. Her favorite travel destinations are Myanmar and Indonesia. She also speaks French and Italian.

Kirsten Knudsens experience of living in a range of countries overseas has helped her provide expertise on our destinations for 16 years. She is a Tour Consultant and is always on hand to offer advice to travelers.

Kirsten is Danish, but has lived all across the world - including Brazil, Portugal, Houston and Africa. Of all the places she has visited she loves India the most. Outside of the office she enjoys playing bridge and going hiking to immerse herself in nature.

Lisa Cliadakis has been working hard to ensure all runs smoothly behind the scenes at Archaeological Tours for over 11 years. She is a Tour Consultant and enjoys finding flights for our customers. She studied Environmental Science and Archaeology at Hunter College. Her favorite areas of travel include South and Central America. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, long drives, photography and listening to her sons band.

6Guatemala & BelizeJan 1 - 15Led by Prof William Saturno ..................p32

Ghana, Togo & BeninJan 26 - Feb 12Led by Prof Trevor Marchand .................p26

Burma & CambodiaJan 29 - Feb 17Led by Prof Richard Cooler .....................p10

2016 CalendarA full list of all our tours, check our website for any updates

January

Sri LankaFeb 8 - 24Led by Prof B.D. Nandadeva ..................p62

North IndiaFeb 20 - Mar 8Led by Prof J. Daniel White ....................p34

Maya MexicoMar 5 - 20Led by Prof William Saturno ..................p52

Ancient JapanMar 31 Apr 14Led by Prof Robert Thorp .......................p42

February

March

Central AsiaApr 25 May 12Led by Prof Craig G.R. Benjamin ...........p70

Malta, Sardinia & CorsicaApr 27 - May 12Led by Prof Robert R. Stieglitz ................p50

April

Brittany & StonehengeMay 4 - 18Led by Dr Roy Larick ..............................p20

The Great Museums: ParisMay 6 15Led by Prof Ori Z. Soltes .........................p24

Classical GreeceMay 8 23Led by Prof Gerald Schaus ......................p28

China: Sacred Landscapes May 15 Jun 4Led by Prof Robert Thorp .......................p14

TunisiaMay 20 Jun 2Led by Prof David L. Stone .....................p66

May

Western TurkeyMay 22 Jun 11Led by Prof Kenneth W. Harl ..................p68

May

The Great Museums: Berlin & ViennaJun 1 - 11, 2016Led by Prof Ori Z. Soltes .........................p24

The Borders: England & ScotlandJun 4 - 17Led by Dr Martin Goldberg ....................p18

Scotland & Its IslandsJun 17 - Jul 3Led by Dr Gordon Noble .........................p 58

June

VikingsJul 10 - 26, 2016Led by Prof Kenneth W. Harl ..................p64

July

7Indonesia: Java & BaliAug 1 - 21Led by Prof Richard Cooler .....................p46

PeruAug 26 Sep 11Led by Prof John W. Rick ........................p56

August

Sicily & Southern ItalySep 3 - 18, 2016Led by Prof Gerald Schaus ......................p40

Caves & CastlesSep 4 - 18, 2016Led by Dr Roy Larick ..............................p60

Balkans: Kosovo,Serbia, Montenegro & CroatiaSep 5 21, 2016Led by Dr Robert Bianchi .......................p48

Crete & Santorini Sep 6 20, 2016Led by Prof Robert R Stieglitz .................p30

IrelandSep 7 22, 2016Led by Prof Charles Doherty...................p36

BulgariaSep 15 - Oct 1Led by Prof Nikola Theodossiev ..............p8

September

Sicily & Southern ItalyOct 1-16Led by Prof Gerald Schaus ......................p40

Japan: Archaeology & TraditionOct 6 23Led by Prof Robert Thorp .......................p44

Israel With Optional Jordan ExtensionOct 24 - Nov 9 or 13Led by Dr Norma Franklin .....................p38

October

Ghana, Togo & BeninNov 3 - 20Led by Prof Trevor Marchand .................p26

Splendors of Ancient EgyptNov 4 - 20Led by Prof Lanny Bell ............................p16

Oman & Zanzibar Nov 4 - 20Led by Prof Trevor Marchand .................p54

Chile & Easter IslandNov 6 - 19Led by Dr. Jo Anne Van Tilburg & Prof Calogero M. Santoro ...................p12

Vietnam & Cambodia Nov 17 - Dec 5Led by Prof Richard Cooler .....................p72

November

8ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Bulgaria Thursday, Friday, September 15 & 16: Arrive in Sofia on Friday afternoon.Hotel: Grand Hotel SofiaMeals: Dinner

Saturday, September 17: SOFIAOur walking tour begins via the Eastern Gate of Serdica to the National Archaeological Museum, housed in a 15th-century former mosque. We stop at St. George Rotunda and then walk via the Western Gate of Serdica to the Sofia Synagogue. Lastly, we visit Banya Bashi Mosque and the adjacent remains of Turkish baths. Hotel: Grand Hotel SofiaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, September 18: SOFIAWe begin at the National Museum of History, which houses one of Europes richest collections of ancient gold and medieval ecclesiastical art. We also visit the Boyana Church, renowned for its 13th-century frescoes. Finally, we stop at Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral and St. Sofia Basilica, which gave the city its name.Hotel: Grand Hotel SofiaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Monday, September 19: RILAWe travel through the Rila Mountains wild landscapes of forests and granite cliffs to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, Rila Monastery - founded near the site where St. John of Rila lived and worshiped in a cave. The monastery established by the First Bulgarian Kingdom, was known as a center of learning and church power. We will visit the monastery and its museum. Hotel: Dedeman Trimontium HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Our tour will introduce the complicated history and cultures of the mosaic of peoples who have occupied the fertile plains bordering the Danube River. Explore a complex history from the wooded Carpathians to the shores of the Black Sea, where an astonishing wealth of ancient ruins, architecture and art await you.

Find the perfect souvenir in the craft bazaars of Veliko Tarnovos old town.

Visit the huge proto-Bulgarian bas-relief carved into a cliff - the Horseman of Madara.

Enjoy an enlightening walking tour through the town of Varna.

Discover one of Europes richest collections of ancient gold at Sofias National Museum.

Travel through the wild landscape of the Rila Mountains to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, Rila Monastery.

Explore the Valley of the Thracian Kings.

9LED BY

(exc. international airfare)

Bulgaria

Romania

Bucharest

Varna

Soa

PlovdivStara Zagora

Constanza

Single supp: $620$5,48017 DaysSeptember 15 - October 1, 2016

A funerary procession - paintings from the Thracian tombs of Kazanluk

Perfectly preserved Bronze-Age Chariot burial at Karanovo

Prof Nikola Theodossiev is senior assistant professor of Archaeology at Sofia University. He has directed excavations at various Thracian sites since 1990. Among his numerous accolades are Getty and Mellon fellowships.

Tuesday, September 20: PLOVDIV We explore the Archaeological Museum and the Late Antique Basilica. We visit the Forum of Philippopolis, the Roman Odeon and see the Late Roman mosaics in Trakart Center. We later visit the National Revival quarter, impressive Roman Theater and partly excavated Roman Stadium.Hotel: Dedeman Trimontium HotelMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, September 21: PERPERIKONWe travel into the countryside and spend the day in Perperikon, a Roman settlement and Byzantine fortress. Excavation has revealed evidence of a huge palace, temples and living quarters from the Roman era. We also visit Alexandrovo Thracian Tomb.Hotel: Dedeman Trimontium HotelMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, September 22: STAROSELTouring begins at the Thracian beehive tomb at Starosel and continues to Diocletianopolis, a Late Roman spa town. The day ends in the Valley of the Thracian Kings, with visits to 3 of the 15,000 burials. Hotel: Palace Hotel, KazanlakMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, September 23: KAZANLAKWe begin at the Archaeological Museum which houses the Thracian finds from the areas tumuli. At Stara Zagora we see a group of Neolithic dwellings, and the new Archaeological Museum. We stop in Karanovo to see the Thracian chariot tomb and the Karanovo Tell. Hotel: Palace Hotel, KazanlakMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, September 24: NESEBAR Today we drive to the Black Sea coast. Our visit will be to Nesebar. Here we examine the well-preserved ancient and medieval fortifications, the Archaeological Museum and several mediaeval basilicas, some with excellent frescoes. Hotel: Capital Hotel, VarnaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, September 25: VARNAWe visit the Archaeological Museum, which houses an extraordinary collection, including 6,000-year-old gold ornaments, exquisitely executed 3rd-century BCE jewelry from Greek Odessos and Roman funerary sculpture. Next we visit the excellent Ethnographical Museum and enjoy a walking tour through town and visit the well-preserved Roman Thermae.Hotel: Capital Hotel, VarnaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Monday, September 26: PLISKAWe stop at Pliska, the magnificent capital of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. We tour the site and visit the small Archaeological Museum. Next we visit the Horseman of Madara, a huge proto-Bulgarian bas-relief carved into a cliff. We continue to the Preslav Museum, which exhibits First Bulgarian Kingdom period artifacts.Hotel: Hotel Riga, RuseMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, September 27: SVESHTARIOur day begins in Sveshtari where we visit several outstanding Thracian tombs. The most famous, was built in the early 3rd century BCE and is painted and lined with semi-columns of goddesses with upraised arms. We also visit Demir Baba Teke, a fascinating Shiite temple built over the remains of a Thracian sanctuary. We travel to Ivanovo and visit its UNESCO World Heritage rock-hewn Churches.Hotel: Hotel Riga, RuseMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, September 28: RUSE We visit the Archaeological Museum in Ruse and tour the site of Roman Sexaginta Prista overlooking the Danube River. We travel to the fortress at Cherven and stop at the Roman city of Nicopolis ad Istrumand before we continue to Veliko Tarnovo.Hotel: Hotel Yantra, Veliko TarnavoMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, September 29: ARBANASI Touring begins at the little church of Nativity in Arbanasi and continues at the interesting 17th century Konstantsalieva House. We continue to Pavlikeni to see a Roman ceramic production center. We return to Veliko Tarnovo in time to explore the craft bazaars in the Old town.Hotel: Hotel Yantra, Veliko TarnavoMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, September 30: VRATSADepart for Vratsa, to view the famous Rogazen Treasure hoard. We meet for our farewell dinner tonight.Hotel: Grand Hotel SofiaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, October 1: SOFIA Transfer to the airport for flights home.Meals: Breakfast

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ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Friday & Saturday, January 29 & 30: We arrive in Bangkok on Saturday.Suvarnabhumi Hotel, Bangkok

Sunday, January 31: YANGONWe fly to Myanmar (Burma) and its capital, Yangon (Rangoon) to view the colonial buildings and the golden chedi at Sule Pagoda. We experience the spiritual atmosphere surrounding the glorious Shwedagon Pagoda. Hotel: Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, Yangon Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, February 1: MANDALAY Our day begins at Myanmars cultural and religious center, Mandalay. We explore the Mahamuni Pagoda, the holiest of all Burmese shrines and visit the wooden Shwesandaw monastery.Hotel: Sedona Hotel, MandalayMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, February 2: AVASouth of Mandalay, we visit the deserted royal cities Amarapura and Ava. We ferry across the Myitnge River to Ava, then take a pony cart across verdant rice fields to visit a traditional wooden monastery and Ava village. We witness evening prayers at Shwe Kywe Kyin Monastery.Hotel: Sedona Hotel, MandalayMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, February 3: MINGUNWe travel to Mingun, to see The Mingun Bell, just one of the famous monuments found here. We visit some of Mandalays royal craft guilds, including stone carvers, beaters of gold leaf, and girls who produce a unique paper that makes gold grow.Hotel: Sedona Hotel, MandalayMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Travel with us through ancient royal capitals, deserted royal cities and some of the thousands of pagodas and temples dotted around Burma and Cambodia. We begin in Burma with its golden temples and saffron-robed monks and make our way through to Cambodia where we explore the Angkor Wat ruins from every perspective...

Uncover the historical, ethnographic and religious aspects of these exotic lands.

Discover glittering pagodas, golden temples and saffron-robed monks in Myanmar.

Explore Bagan, the Buddhist capital of the first Burmese kingdom along the shores of Inle Lake.

Study Cambodia, a country of contrasts - Buddhist monasteries, teeming markets, spectacular palaces and the incomparable Angkor Wat.

Experience traditional music and dance, sample the local foods, examine crafts and explore lively markets.

Burma & Cambodia

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LED BY

(exc. international airfare)

Laos

ailand

Cambodia

Burma(Myanmar)

Nakhon Ratchasima(Korat)

Siem Reap(Angor Wat)

Phonm Penh

Bangkok

Ubon Ratchathani Pakse

Vientiane

Yangon

MandalayBagan

Single supp: $1,690$8,72520 DaysJanuary 29 - February 17, 2016

The magnficient temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century CE

Prof Richard Cooler is the Founding Director of the Center for Burma Studies at Northern Illinois University. He has lived, lectured, and conducted research in Thailand, Burma and Malaysia for many years.

The gilded stupa, Shwedagon Pagoda, Burma one of the oldest in the world

Thursday, February 4: BAGAN: We fly to Bagan (Pagan), the first capital of Burma. We begin at the Shwezigon Pagoda and also visit Gubyaukgyi Wetkyiin, which has the most complete frescoes in Bagan. We continue to four very different 11th-century Mon-style temples. Hotel: Aye Yar River View, BaganMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, February 5: MYINKABA After an early morning carriage ride to see the sunrise at one of the pagodas, we visit two transitional temples: Gubyaukgyi Myinkaba Temple and Ananda Temple, and the Archaeological Museum. We also have the opportunity to take an early morning hot air balloon flight.Hotel: Aye Yar River View, BaganMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, February 6: MT. POPA We travel to Mt. Popa, a dormant volcano that rises from lush groves of toddy palms and flowers in the valley. Mt. Popa is an important pilgrimage site. We watch the throngs of pilgrims as they climb to the shrines that cling to the mountain rocks.Hotel: Aye Yar River View, BaganMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, February 7: INLE LAKE We fly to Heho and spend the afternoon on Inle Lake. Here we see the renowned Intha leg rowers and floating gardens bursting with vegetables and flowers. We stop to visit Phaung Daw U Pagoda, the holiest site in Southern Shan state.Hotel: Inle Princess Resort HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, Tuesday, February 8 & 9: TAUNGGYIWe continue to Nyaungshwe. We travel through pine forests to the former hill station and capital of Southern Shan State, Taunggyi. We visit Shweyanpyay Monastery and the ancient ruins of Kak Ku Pagoda. Our last day on the lake takes us through a channel along which we see weaving done with lotus and silk, and umbrella and paper makers. Hotel: Inle Princess Resort HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, February 10: YANGONWe fly to Yangon and visit Scott Market, known for its colonial architecture, antiques, Burmese handicraft and art. Hotel: Cambodiana Hotel, Phnom PenhMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, February 11: PHNOM PENHThis morning we will visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda and explore the Russian market. The remainder of the day will be at leisure to explore this fascinating city.Hotel: Cambodiana Hotel, Phnom Penh Meals: Breakfast

Friday, February 12: SIEM REAP We spend a full morning at the National Museum, where sculptures and objects from the temples at Angkor are displayed. Hotel: Sofitel Royal Hotel, Siem Reap Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, Sunday, February 13 & 14: ANGKOR WAT COMPLEXWe have scheduled ample time to allow us an in-depth exploration of the extraordinary Angkor complex. The first two days will be spent touring the older temples of the Roluos group and the magnificent sanctuaries and temples of the Angkor Wat complex. We visit the city of Angkor Thom, with the many-towered Bayon Temple at its center. We also visit Prasat Kravan, guarded by elephants. Our dinner on Saturday will be accompanied by a Cambodian dance performance.Hotel: Sofitel Royal Hotel, Siem ReapMeals: Breakfast, lunch & 1 dinner

Monday, February 15: SIEM REAP We visit two temples: Preah Khan and Ta Som. As we tour Preah Khan we discuss the professional restoration of these monuments. We spend the afternoon in the countryside visiting the remarkably preserved little temple of Banteay Srei. We meet for our farewell dinner tonight.Hotel: Sofitel Royal Hotel, Siem ReapMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, February 16: TA PROHMWe conclude our temple program with a walk through the temple of Ta Prohm, where delicately carved faces are cradled in strangler fig trees and inhabited only by green parrots. We move on to the new Siem Reap Museum and the school and workshops of the Artisans dAngkor, a state school where traditional Cambodian crafts are taught. We return to Bangkok tonight, ready for flights home tomorrow.Hotel: Suvarnabhumi Hotel, BangkokMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, February 17: We depart for home today.Meals: Breakfast

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ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Sunday & Monday, November 6 & 7: We arrive in Iquique on Monday.Hotel: Hotel Terrada Suites, Iquique Meals: Dinner

Tuesday, November 8: PINTADOS We spend the morning at Chiles most spectacular geoglyphs in an area known as Pintados. We stop at Humberstone, an abandoned mining town, on our return. We also visit Iquiques Regional Museum and explore this picturesque town. Hotel: Hotel Terrada Suites, IquiqueMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, November 9: ATACAMAWe travel to the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama. We stop to explore the Valley of the Moon, which was named for the colorful rock formations of gypsum, clay and salt found in the valley. Hotel: Casa AtacamaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, November 10: TULORWe discover the Petroglyphs of Yerbas Buenas - animal and human figures carved into rock 4000 years ago. After visiting Rainbow Valley and its colorful rocks, we continue to Tulor, a 2800-year-old town site, and the fortress of Quitor. Hotel: Casa AtacamaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, November 11: CHIU CHIUWe visit the Archaeological Museums excellent collection. The surrounding desert has provided a great collection of mummies, clothes and artifacts predating those of Egypt. We also stop in Chiu Chiu to see the oldest church in Chile. Hotel: Hotel Marina Las Condes SantiagoMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Our tour begins with a study of the Inca culture in northern Chile. Here the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places in the world, is responsible for the preservation of many great archaeological treasures. We travel on to Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, an isolated speck in the vast blue Pacific Ocean.

Trace the ancient roads which transported statues to nearly every corner of the island.

Marvel at the 15 re-erected giants in Ahu Tongariki, the largest megalithic site in Polynesia.

Meet talented artisans, picnic on pink sand beaches and view energetic ceremonial dances.

Explore pre-Inca fortresses, colonial churches and excellent museums.

Encounter Easter Island with two experts who are currently surveying and studying the moai.

Discover Rano Raraku, the volcanic crater that was the beating heart of the ancient culture.

Chile & Easter Island

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LED BY

Easter Island

Chile

Arica

Iquique

Antofagasta

Santiago

Rano Raraku

Orongo

Poike

Hanga Roa

Anakena

14 DaysNovember 6 - 19, 2016

Immense rock-art depictions found in the Chilean desert

Dr. Jo Anne Van Tilburg directs the Rock Art Archive and is a Research Associate of The Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California.

Prof Calogero M. Santoro is Professor of Archaeology at the Universidad de Tarapac in Arica, Chile. He is also editor of Chungara Revista de Antropologa Chilena, published by the same university.

Famous red-fronted San Francisco Church in Santiago, Chile

Saturday, November 12: SANTIAGOWe view the Easter Island collection at the Natural History Museum, and the Pre-Columbian Museum, which also houses an exceptional collection of traditional hats from every region of Chile. We then tour the colonial sites of Santiago, including the red-washed San Francisco Church. The remainder of the day is at leisure.Hotel: Hotel Marina Las Condes, SantiagoMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, November 13: RAPA NUIWe arrive at Easter Island. Dr. Van Tilburg and her project co-director, native Rapa Nui artist Cristin Arevalo Pakarati, will meet us and share our welcome drinks on our hotel terrace. For the next week we will encounter Rapa Nui and its people through the unique perspectives of these two experts, who have joined their knowledge of science and art to study the moai.Hotel: Otai Hotel, Easter IslandMeals: Breakfast & dinner

Monday, November 14: HANGA ROAWe begin at the small fishing port and the colorful historic cemetery, then continue to the restored ceremonial sites of Tahai, Vai Uri and Ko Te Riku. This site will provide

us with an excellent opportunity to study a statue in transport, and a hare paenga - the stone platform of a boat-shaped Rapa Nui house. We explore the village of Hanga Roa, learning about the lives of the islanders. We also visit the parish church and two artisans markets.Hotel: Otai Hotel, Easter IslandMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, November 15: RANA RARAKU We go across the island to Rano Raraku, the volcanic cone from which 95% of the known moai were quarried. The amazing site is studded with partially carved moai and some that appear to be emerge from the living rock. We venture into the craters interior before proceeding to nearby Ahu Tongariki, to see a statue on its way to the ahu, a field of fascinating petroglyphs and 15 magnificent moai recently restored upright on the platform, destroyed by a tsunami in 1960.Hotel: Otai Hotel, Easter IslandMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, November 16: ANAKENA We tour Anakena, legendary landing site of the ancient founding father, Hotu Matua. We stop at Ahu Vaihu, an impressive, unrestored site where numerous large moai lie face down. We continue via Ahu Akahanga and its adjacent village, passing by Ahu Hanga Te Tenga. We then visit Ahu Te Pito Kura, where we find the enormous statue Paro, the last to be toppled from its ahu (in about 1840). Our barbecue lunch will be under the palms at Anakena Beach, with time to swim and study the restored Ahu Naunau, where the first intact red stone and white coral eye was found in the late 1970s. We also stop at Vaitea.Hotel: Otai Hotel, Easter IslandMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, November 17: VINAPUWe travel to Vinapu, where the perfectly fitted stone walls of Ahu Tahiri have been compared to those of the Inca. En route we pass Maunga Orito, where volcanic-glass shards were collected for deadly spear points, and stop at Ahu Huri A Urenga to see a re-erected moai distinctive for its four hands. We visit the small volcanic crater Puna Pau, and see seven re-erected moai at Ahu Akivi. We also explore the cave Ana Tepau and and visit Ahu Tepeu, site of the largest hare paenga on the island associated in legend with the enigmatic script rongorongo.Hotel: Otai Hotel, Easter IslandMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, November 18: RANO KAUWe ascend the massive flank of Rano Kau, one of the islands three formative, dormant volcanoes. The restored ceremonial village of Orongo sits dramatically between the crater lake and sea cliffs. Nearby is the cannibal cave of Ana Kai Tangata, its ceiling intricately painted with the faded remnants of soaring birds. After a picnic lunch, you can either head back to Rano Raraku, to the beach for quiet contemplation, or to Tahai to catch the sunset. In the evening we will enjoy a typical umu farewell feast. Preparation begins early in the morning - wrapping the food in banana leaves to be steamed in a stone-lined pit for the entire day. Dinner will be followed by a traditionally energetic Rapa Nui dance performance.Hotel: Otai Hotel, Easter IslandMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, November 19: This morning we depart the island of Rapa Nui, with a collection of wonderful memories from this magical place. Meals: Breakfast

You can still secure your place with a fully-refundable $1500 deposit

We are still working to confirm the price of this tour

14

ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Sunday, Monday, May 15 & 16: BEIJING:We arrive in Beijing on Monday. Hotel: Citic Beijing Airport Hotel

Tuesday, May 17: THE GREAT WALLWe travel to Datong by way of the historic Nankou Pass through the Great Wall and across the steppe margins, Chinas historic northern frontier. Hotel: Garden Hotel, DatongMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, May 18: YUNGANGThe Northern Wei court and nobility created the Yungang Cave-Chapels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has 45 major caves and over 50,000 images.Hotel: Garden Hotel, DatongMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, May 19: HENG SHANWe spend the day visiting the Xuankong Temple, built high on the side of a cliff on the Hengshan Mountain. From here we continue to the Yingxian Pagoda, the only wooden pagoda in all of China.Hotel: Garden Hotel, DatongMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, May 20: MOUNT WUTAI We travel to Wutai Mountain, the sacred Buddhist mountain dedicated to Manjusri, the Great Bodhisattva of Wisdom. We enter via the Eastern Terrace and walk to its summit. Hotel: Youyi Hotel, WutaishanMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, May 21: PUSA DING Wutai has been a religious center since medieval times and was a popular pilgrim destination. We visit four of the five great

Experience China as it was in ages past: its walled cities, vibrant temples, and mountain scenery. The emphasis of our tour is on three regions, each distinct in character and landscape, where a significant quantity of ancient architecture survives into the 21st century.

Be seduced by the rolling hills and waterways of West Lake, Hangzhous premier beauty spot.

Pay respect to Bixia Yuanjun, goddess of the mountain, by climbing to the peak of Mount Tai.

Wander through smaller towns, where life goes on oblivious to the pressures of our modern age.

Travel to no fewer than 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Yungang Cave-Chapels.

Explore ancient temples in Wutaishan and Datong, and the grottoes of Yungang and Tianlongshan.

Discover the new Liangzhu Culture Museum, designed by British architect David Chipperfield.

China: Sacred Landscapes

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temples, including Pusa Ding, center for the Tibetan Yellow Hat sect.Hotel: Youyi Hotel, WutaishanMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, May 22: NANCHAN TEMPLEWe visit two Tang temples: Foguang Si and Nanchan Temple, the oldest wooden structure in all of China. We then drive to Pingyao, an intact Ming-period walled city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hotel: Yun Jin Cheng Hotel, PingyaoMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, May 23: PINGYAO We explore the major sights of the city and visit the Ming period Shuanglin Temple to see its Buddhist clay sculptural ensembles. Hotel: Yun Jin Cheng Hotel, PingyaoMeals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Tuesday, May 24: TAIYUANWe continue to Taiyuan, an important regional center since the Bronze Age. We visit the Shanxi Provincial Museum, rich in archaeological artifacts from the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties and the Tang. Hotel: Kempinski Hotel, TaiyuanMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, May 25: JINANWe fly to Jinan, known for its many hills and bubbling springs. We also visit the Shangdong Provincial Museum before continuing to the charming walled town of Qufu, birthplace of Confucius. Hotel: Shangri-La Hotel, QufuMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, May 26: QUFUWe visit the Temple of Confucius, his tomb and family cemetery, and the Confucian Mansion. This complex of UNESCO World Heritage Sites rivals the Forbidden City in Beijing in complexity and variety. Hotel: Shangri-La Hotel, QufuMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, May 27: DAI MIAO We start with the Dai Miao, temple to the mountain, and then spend the full day on Mount Tai. Also known as the Sacred Peak of the East, this is the most important of the Five Holy Mountains associated with the imperial cult and Taoism. Hotel: Ramada Plaza Hotel, TaishanMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, May 28: ZIBO CITYWe drive to Zibo City to explore the ancient capital of the kingdom of Qi at Linzi. The hundreds of nearby royal and noble tombs include impressive pits with chariots and hundreds of horse skeletons. Hotel: Sheraton Hotel, JinanMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, May 29: LINGYAN SIWe visit the Lingyan Si, magically set below an imposing cliff with an ancient hall, magnificent Ming Luohan sculptures, an impressive grove of burial pagodas, and one of Chinas oldest pagodas. Hotel: Sofitel West Lake Hotel, HangzhouMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, May 30: FEILAI PEAKWe begin our tour of Hangzhou on the West Lake, with an initial stop at the Leifeng Pagoda. We travel from island to island amid the flowering lilies. In the afternoon, we visit Feilai Peak, with its Yuan-era cliff-face carvings. Hotel: Sofitel West Lake Hotel, HangzhouMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, May 31: HANGZHOU We explore the new Liangzhu Culture Museum designed by British architect David Chipperfield, and the impressive mansion of Hu Xueyan, one of the largest domestic complexes preserved in China.Hotel: Sofitel West Lake Hotel, HangzhouMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, June 1: CONFUCIAN TEMPLE We visit the Confucian Temple, site of the Song Imperial Academy and the Southern Song Guan Yao Site and Museum. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.Hotel: Sofitel West Lake Hotel, HangzhouMeals: Breakfast

Thursday, June 2: SHANGHAI We return to Shanghai and celebrate our farewell dinner in one of Shanghais fine restaurants. Hotel: Le Royal Meriden Hotel, ShanghaiMeals: Breakfast & dinner

Friday, June 3: THE BUND Morning at Shanghai Museum. Our afternoon is at leisure for last-minute shopping or strolls on the Bund.Hotel: Le Royal Meriden Hotel, ShanghaiMeals: Breakfast

Saturday, June 4: Depart for home.Meals: Breakfast

China

Beijing

Taiyuan

Mt Heng

Datong

Pingyao

Mt Tai

Jinan Zibo

Hangzhou

Shanghai

Mount Wutai

21 DaysMay 15 June 4, 2016

Temples and pagodas on the fairytale-like artifical islands of West Lake, Hangzhou

Prof Robert Thorp recently retired as Professor at Washington University. He specializes in the art and archaeology of early China, and has taught courses on Chinese archaeology and architecture, Buddhist art, and Chinese painting.

Entrance gate to the cemetary of Confucius, where the great philosopher is buired

You can still secure your place with a fully-refundable $1500 deposit

We are still working to confirm the price of this tour

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ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Friday & Saturday, November 4 & 5: We arrive in Cairo on Saturday.

Sunday, November 6: MEMPHISWe begin our touring in Memphis, the first capital of a united Egypt, and Sakkara, the necropolis of Memphis. We visit Sakkaras newly opened museum and tour the Step Pyramid complex of Djoser, which predates the Giza pyramids. We also tour the smaller Pyramid of Teti and the mastaba tombs of the Nobles. Hotel: Mena House Hotel, GizaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, November 7: GIZAWe examine the only surviving Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. We also view the remarkably preserved remains of the Solar Boat of Cheops. Hotel: Mena House Hotel, GizaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, November 8: CAIRO: We spend the morning at the Egyptian Museum, viewing the highlights including objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Dr. Selima Ikram, the leading expert on animal mummies will give us a special tour of the mummy room. After lunch we visit the Citadel, famed as the stronghold of Salah el-Din. The day ends with a stroll through Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, one of the largest suqs in the Middle East. Hotel: Mena House Hotel, GizaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, November 9: ABUSIR We trace the rapid development of the pyramids following their creation at Sakkara. At Dahshur, Snefru completed the Bent Pyramid using the lessons

Popular interest in Ancient Egypt is often limited to pyramids and mummies. There is so much more to this wonderful land. Exploring outstanding archaeological sites alongside our notable scholar, you will gain unmatched insight into the culture of ancient Egypt and discover the profound influence it has had on the West.

View the reliefs and inscriptions on the temple of Philae.

Investigate the seldom-visited pyramid complexes at Dahshur and Abusir.

Visit Edfus Temple of Horus, the most perfectly preserved ancient Egyptian temple in existence.

Enjoy a five-day Nile cruise on the M.S. Farah, one of the most luxurious vessels plying the Nile.

Discover the fascinating Temple at Kom Ombo, perched on a spectacular site overlooking the Nile.

Explore the many great temples of Egypt, including those at Karnak.

Splendors of Ancient Egypt

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learned at Meydum. In the Red Pyramid, he perfected this architectural form. We have been granted special permission to visit Abusir, where most of the 5th Dynasty pharaohs built their pyramids. Hotel: Mena House Hotel, GizaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, November 10: LUXOR We fly to Luxor, the ancient city built on the east bank of the Nile. Here, we visit the sanctuary of Amun-Re at Karnak. This fascinating temples maze of monumental gateways, obelisks, pillared halls and subsidiary shrines is reached via an avenue lined with fantastic beasts. We also visit Luxor Museum.Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel, LuxorMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, November 11: LUXOR We cross the Nile to visit the Valleys of the Kings and Queens. Among the many tombs we see is that of Tutankhamun. We also visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, at Deir el-Bahri, one of Egypts most spectacular monuments. Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel, LuxorMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, November 12: LUXOR We return to the west bank of the Nile to visit the tombs of the Nobles, spread over two square miles. We move on to the ancient village of the artisans, Deir el-Medina, one of the best-preserved town sites in Egypt. We receive a specially arranged tour of the Oriental Institutes Chicago House this afternoon. Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel, LuxorMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, November 13: DENDERA We travel to Dendera to visit the Temple of Hathor, goddess of love, music and wine. On the roof of the temple, there is a plaster cast of the famous Zodiac of Dendera, one of the three circular representations of the heavens found in Egypt. In Abydos, we tour the Temple of Seti I, viewing the famous List of Kings and beautiful painted reliefs surviving from Pharaonic times. Hotel: Steigenberger Hotel, LuxorMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, November 14: RAMESSEUMOur last visit to the west bank will include the Colossi of Memnon and the temples and chapels of Medinet Habu. We explore the Ramesseum, where the fallen statue of Ramesses II inspired Shelleys famous poem Ozymandias. We conclude the morning, at the rarely visited tombs of Kheruef and Ankh-Hor. We explore the Temple of Luxor in the afternoon. Hotel: Farah Nile CruiserMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, November 15: ON THE NILEEnjoy time at leisure: you explore the local suq, hire a felucca to sail the Nile or just relax at the pool. Hotel: Farah Nile CruiserMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, November 16: EDFUWe begin at the Temple of Edfu, a preserved Ptolemaic temple of the falcon god Horus. This afterbiib we visit Kom Ombo, often called the Acropolis of Egypt, dedicated equally to two gods: Horus the Elder and Sobek. Hotel: Farah Nile CruiserMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, November 17: ASWAN We sail to Aswan to tour the Quarry, where an unfinished obelisk remains embedded in stone. We also view Philae, a Ptolemaic temple dedicated to Isis, an incredible complex of shrines and the last bastion of paganism in the Byzantine Empire. Hotel: Farah Nile CruiserMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, November 18: KALABSHAWe begin at the Kalabsha Temple today, built on the site of an earlier sanctuary founded by Amenhotep II. The temple was dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis. In the same antiquities park we will visit the shrine of Ramesses II, from Beit el-Wal. End the day at the Nubia Museum, before our farewell dinner tonight. Hotel: Aswan Mvenpick HotelMeals: Breakfast & dinner

Saturday, November 19: ABU SIMBELWe fly to Abu Simbel, where the rock-cut temples of Ramesses II and his favorite queen, Nefertari, have been saved from the rising waters of the Nile. The temples were built to honor the deified royal pair and to awe the Nubians. Hotel: Movenpick-Heliopolis Hotel. Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, November 20: CAIROWe transfer to the airport for our flights home.

Egypt

Alexandria

Giza

Cairo

Memphis

Abydos

Sakkara

Tanis

Kom OmboEdfa

Abu Simbel

LuxorEsna

Dendera

Aswan

St. Catherine

17 DaysNovember 4 - 20, 2016

Karnak Temple, Luxor - monumental complex founded in 3200 BCE

Dr Lanny Bell teaches at Brown and Columbia University. An expert on the Luxor area, he contributed a ground-breaking chapter on the Luxor Temple in Temples of Ancient Egypt, published by Cornell University Press.

A tradional Felucca on the waters of the great life-giving river Nile

You can still secure your place with a fully-refundable $1500 deposit

We are still working to confirm the price of this tour

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ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday & Sunday, June 4 & 5: YORKDepart from the US on Saturday, arriving into York on Sunday. We have an opening lecture by Martin Goldberg and dinner.Hotel in YorkMeals: Dinner

Monday, June 6: YORKWe begin our touring in York, the historic Northern capital of England, with a Viking past. Visits include walking the city walls, the Jorvik Viking center and the soaring Cathedral York Minster which dominates the city center. After lunch we also explore the Roman archaeological excavations at Cripplegate. Hotel in YorkMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, June 7: ALDBOROUGH & FOUNTAINS ABBEYTravel back to Roman times this morning at Aldborough. This quaint English village was once a major Romano-British town. We view remains and mosaics at the local site museum. We will continue this afternoon to the grand ruins of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Park. A World Heritage Site, the Abbey was once one of the largest and riches monastic foundations in England - a fact which did not escape King Henry VIII when he dissolved and claimed the lands of the abbey in 1539.Hotel in YorkMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, June 8: NEWCASTLE UPON TYNEDrive North from York to the area of Monkwearmouth. Here we view the terminus of Hadrians Wall, the great Roman fortification against the barbarian

The sites of Northern England, many in beautiful dramatic settings, tell a story of invasion, resistance and fierce struggle. From Iron Age tribes who fought off Roman rule, to Viking raiders and defiant Scottish Kings. Explore a wonderful variety of sites - hillforts, Roman castles, soaring abbeys and some exceptional museums in the company of our expert scholar.

Travel the dramatic heather-covered hills and rugged coastline of Northern England.

Visit Fountains Abbey, a World Heritage Site, and one of the finest medieval monasteries in Europe.

Enjoy cosy hotels and good honest Scottish fare as you discover the history of this untamed region.

Walk along Hadrians Wall, the furthest frontier of the Roman Empire, in excellent preservation.

Explore the cobble streets of Viking York. Visit Holy Isle where monks peacefully illuminated

manuscripts, until the coming of the Vikings...

The Borders:England & Scotland

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Northern tribes, at Wallsend and South Shields Fort. After lunch, we will have a glimpse of Anglo-Saxon monastic life as we travel to Bedes World Museum and Monastery. The site also hosts a herb garden and working farm, reconstructing the life and surroundings of the great medieval a monk, author and scholar.Hotel in Newcastle upon TyneMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, June 9, 10 & 11: HADRIANS WALL Our scholar Martin Goldberg spends three days leading our touring of Hadrians Wall. Built in 122 CE, the wall was over 70 miles long with many defensive forts, garrisons and milecastles along its length. The monument is still remarkable complete and we explore some wonderfully preserved Roman sites. We begin on Thursday morning at Great North Museum in Newcastle which has extensive displays and material from Hadrians Wall. We will then venture into the wild and beautiful countryside to visit many sites along the wall including Chesters Roman Fort, Crawburgh Roman Temple to Mithras, Housesteads, a very complete Roman Fort and Chesterholm fort,

excavations and museum. A highlight of our touring is the great fort at Vindolanda. Here, archaeologists discovered a unique cache of Roman tablets inscribed with fascinating details of everyday and military life along Hadrians wall. We return to our hotel in Newcastle each evening. Hotel in Newcastle Upon TyneMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, June 12: THE BORDERSDrive north through the dramatic Northumbrian scenery stopping at Five Barrows, Bronze Age barrow cemetery and Five Kings stone row. We will contrast the orderly Roman monuments along Hadrians Wall with the Iron Age enclosures and prehistoric rock art of the Pictish and Celtic peoples. End the day at Bamburgh Castle, overlooking the coast. Originally built in the 5th century CE it was extensively rebuilt by the Normans in the 11 century CE. Hotel in BamburghMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, June 13: LINDISFARNEToday we cross to Lindisfarne, Holy Island, a tidal island and important focal point of Celtic Christianity and monasticism since the 6th century. The island famously suffered one of the earliest Viking raids in 793 CE, heralding the beginning of the Viking Age in the UK. After exploring the Abbey and small castle we return to the mainland and Traprain Law Hillfort, a major Iron Age settlement and trading centre on the Scottish borders. Continue to our Edinburgh hotel. Hotel in EdinburghMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, June 14: EDINBURGHOur scholar is a Curator at the National Museum Scotland and he takes us on a

fantastic tour of the National Museum, housing artifacts from all periods of Scotlands history and the National Gallery. We also climb to Edinburgh Castle, royal residence of the Scottish Kings since at least the 12th century CE. Hotel in EdinburghMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, June 15: FALKIRK AND CAIRNPAPPLEWe begin today at the Falkirk Wheel, a monumental boat lift which hoists vessels from the Union to Clyde Canals. Continue to Cairnpapple Hills, the Stonehenge of Scotland, and a ritual site since the Neolithic. End the day at the picturesque ruins of Linlithgow Palace. Hotel in GlasgowMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, June 16: GLASGOWThis morning we contrast the genteel grandeur of Edinburgh with the industry and art-nouveau architecture of Glasgow. We visit the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow University & Charles Rennie Mackintosh collection at the Hunterian Museum. We also visit Govan Church, with elaborately carved Celtic and Viking crosses and tombstones. We will regroup for a final farewell dinner in Glasgow this evening. Hotel in Glasgow Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Friday, June 17: We will have a group transfer to the airport for return flights to the US.

England

Newcastle

YorkAldborough

BamburghHoly Island

EdinburghCairnpappleGlasgow

Falkirk

14 DaysJune 4 -17, 2016

Statue and ruined abbey at Lindisfarne, Holy Isle

Dr Martin Goldberg is Curator, Early Historic Period of the National Museum Scotland. His research interests include Northern Britain from Later Prehistory to the Early Historic period.

The high Medieval frontage of York Minster, at the heart of a Viking town.

You can still secure your place with a fully-refundable $1500 deposit

We are still working to confirm the price of this tour

20

ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday, Thursday, May 4 & 5: Depart from on Wednesday. We arrive inParis on Thursday.Hotel: Saint James Albany Hotel, ParisMeals: Dinner

Friday, May 6: ST GERMAIN-EN-LAYEMorning brings us to the Muse dArchologie Nationale in St. Germain-en-Laye. Here we see Upper Paleolithicand Neolithic art objects that set the stagefor our tour. Among the fascinating artifacts we will see are the Rouerque menhirs in human form.Hotel: Hotel Le Diana. CarnacMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, May 7: MORBIHAN COASTToday we explore the Morbihan coast,Brittanys megalithic strong hold. The Miln-Rouzic Museum helps us grasp the Carnac ritual landscape of more than 4,000 standing stones, many in large alignments. We walk the Kerlescan and Menec alignments and conclude our day at the Saint-Michel mound.Hotel: Hotel Le Diana, CarnacMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, May 8: LOCMARIAQUER We travel to the Locmariaquer Megalith Site, to see the Great Broken Menhir, theMarchands Table, and Er Grah, a 400-ft long dry stone mound. Next we take inthe dolmen of Man-Lud engraved with an image of a sperm whale. We later navigate the Morbihan Gulf to Gavrinis Island to see its lavishly decorated passage grave, with engravings including: croziers, chevrons, serpentines, and zigzag designs.Hotel: Hotel Le Diana, CarnacMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Megalithic Brittany and the Salisbury Plain explores a fundamental transformation in European life - as prehistoric hunter gatherers settled to become fisherman, craftsman and famers. The settlements of these Neolithic Europeans have been lost but their religious monuments - from Carnac to Stonehenge - remain an indelible part of the Breton and Wessex landscapes.

Explore Brittanys megalithic treasure house, the Morbihan coast.

View one of the four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta in the historic Salisbury Cathedral.

Learn how historical Celts used standing stone and timber in cathedrals, castles, and parish closes.

Discover the best monuments that Megalithic Brittany and Salisbury have to offer.

Visit Mont Saint-Michel, the UNESCO World Heritage site and prehistoric tidal island stronghold.

Walk among the stones of Stonehenge after the site has closed to tourists.

Brittany & Stonehenge

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(exc. international airfare)

Monday, May 9: PONT-AVENWe enter Finistre, stopping at Kerzerho, the westernmost extension of the Carnac alignments. We visit Pont-Aven Museum and continue to Concarneau, a beautiful 14th century island city built on fishing and shipbuilding. The day ends with a walking tour of the charming Quimper old town and the Muse des Beaux Arts. Hotel: Kregenn Hotel, QuimperMeals: Breakfast and lunch

Tuesday, May 10: MENEZ DREGANOur day begins with a tour highlight,Menez Dregan, a wave-cut rockshelterwith human occupation levels datingto 450 thousand years ago. We visit themuseum center and the nearby dolmen deSouch and Menez Korriged. We continueto the Penmarch Peninsula where, in St-Guenole we visit Notre Dame de Tronon parish close. The sculpted calvary dates tothe 1460s. It may be the oldest of its kind in Brittany. We move on to the Muse de Prhistoire Finistrin which houses theintriguing Plomeur goddess menhir.Hotel: Kregenn Hotel, QuimperMeals: Breakfast and lunch

Wednesday, May 11: LAGATJARToday we visit the Crozon Peninsula,stopping at the lovely Locronan townsquare, with its fine Renaissance-stylegranite houses and still active textileworkshops. We continue to Lagatjar, wherefour intersecting alignments are set besidethe sea. We end the day in Le Faou.Hotel: Hotel Europe, MorlaixMeals: Breakfast and lunch

Thursday, May 12: GUIMILLAUSet on the slopes of the Montagne dArre,the Mougau-Bihan passage grave hasimpressive architecture and delicate art.Heading north, we visit Guimiliau, a distinctive but typical example of a Brittany parish close where a triumphal arch issues to a church, calvary and ossuary. We then arrive at Barnenez cairn, Europes largest. The double cairn has 11 large passage graves with several engraved megaliths.Hotel: Hotel Europe, MorlaixMeals: Breakfast and lunch

Friday, May 13: ROCHE-AUX-FESFrom Morlaix, we drive southeast intoIlle-et-Vilaine, and to our last Bretonmegalithic sites. Roche-aux-Fes is thoughtto be Europes best-preserved dolmenpassage grave. Individual stones weigh upto 40 tons and were transported more thanfour kilometers to the site. We also visit Menhir-du-Champ-Dolent.Hotel: La Maison des Armateurs, St-MaloMeals: Breakfast and lunch

Saturday, May 14: SAINT-MICHELWe slip into Normandy to visit Mont Saint-Michel. Historical importance came as the Saint-Michel monastery was established in the eighth century. We have the day at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.Hotel: La Maison des Armateurs, St-MaloMeals: Breakfast and lunch

Sunday, May 15: SALISBURYOur ferry sails to Porstmouth thismorning arriving in the late afternoon.We will be met by our British escort who will take us to Salisbury.Hotel: White Hart Hotel, SalisburyMeals: Breakfast

Monday, May 16: SALISBURY5,000 years ago, Neolithic farmers hadtwo religious centers here: Amesbury onthe Salisbury Plain and Avebury on theMarlborough Downs. Our Amesburytouring begins with the Neolithic sites ofDurrington Walls and Woodhenge. In Old Sarum, we see remains from the Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Norman periods. New Sarum (Salisbury) was built around its Magnificent Cathedral. Here, we view one of the four original Magna Carta copies of 1215. At Stonehenge, we have been granted permission to walk among the stones after the site has closed.Hotel: White Hart Hotel, SalisburyMeals: Breakfast & dinner

Tuesday, May 17: AVEBURY HENGEOur Avebury visit begins at The Sanctuary, a standing stone and timber circle. Here wecan view Sillbury Hill, Europes largest earthen mound. We trace the West Kennet Avenue standing stone procession route to Avebury Henge, the worlds largest circular Neolithic site. Just outside the henge, the Alexander Keiller Museum houses important Avebury finds. Our tour closes with West Kennet Long Barrow, a massive promontory burial mound. Hotel: Radisson Blu Hotel, HeathrowMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, May 18: LONDONIndependent departures from London toour home cities.Meals: Breakfast

France

Paris

Nantes

Carnac

Quimper Roche aux Fees

Guimillau

AveburySalisbury

London

St Germain en Laye

Single supp: $1,310$7,45015 DaysMay 4 - 18, 2016

Mont St-Michel, the spire of the abbey looming above the fortified town

Dr Roy Larick is a veteran lecturer for Archaeological Tours. He worked in the Prigord region of southwest France for more than ten years as associate of the Direction des Antiquits Prhistoriques dAquitaine.

One of the thousands of stone alignments the dot the landscapes of Carnac, Brittany

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ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Friday, May 6: Independent departures from home cities.

Saturday, May 7: THE LOUVREWe begin this afternoon with a walk to the Louvre for the first of three visits planned to this amazing museum. Today, we visit the Greek and Roman collections. Many of the most famous monuments from ancient Greece and Rome can be seen here, including the Winged Victory of Samothrace; the Venus de Milo; the Borghese Hermaphrodite; part of the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon; the Hera of Samos; and an array of Roman portraits. This evening we will have an opening lecture and dinner at our hotel, Saint James Albany.Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Dinner

Sunday, May 8: MARAIS QUARTER This morning will take us on a walking tour in the Marais Quarter, which stretches between the Quartier du Temple and the Seine. We will examine the pre-Revolution residential architecture, including the oldest square in Paris, Place des Vosges, and the private town houses of the nobility. At the Centre Georges-Pompidou we will discuss modern architecture and visit the Museum of Modern Art housed within. We will also stop at the Church St-Merri and the whimsical Stravinsky Fountain. Our touring ends at the Jewish Museum, whose exhibits illustrate both modern and historic Jewish culture. There are so many museums, sites and shops in the Marais Quarter that we will be fully occupied throughout the entire day.Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Paris is known for its remarkable selection of museums and galleries. This tour offers you the opportunity to focus in depth on the great museum collections and also give us ample opportunity to take advantage of Pariss cultural season. You will of course be afforded the time to fall in love with the City of Light itself... and fall in love you will.

View treasures from Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Greece, Italy and Southeast Asia in Pariss many museums.

Take a walking tour through the Latin Quarter, housed in the old residence of the abbots of Cluny.

Enjoy ample leisure time for your own exploring of one the most iconic cities in the world.

Discover everything the world-renowned Louvre has to offer, during three separate days in the museum.

Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, where traces of the Paris of the Roman Imperial Period can still be found.

The Great Museums:Paris

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(exc. international airfare)Single supp: $1,235$5,78010 DaysMay 6 15, 2016

The Great Sphinx of Tanis at the Louvre - one of the largest sphinxes outside of Egypt.

The Louvre - home to 35,000 objects from prehistory to old masters of Western art.

Prof Ori Z. Soltes lectures at Georgetown University. He specialises in Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and classical Greek and Roman art. His academic honors include an NEH Fellowship in Syro-Palestinian archaeology.

Monday, May 9: THE LOUVRE Our second visit to the Louvre will be to view the Ancient Near Eastern Collections, which were begun in 1847 and rank as one of the richest in the world. Among the treasures in this collection are the Vulture Stele of King Eannatum; the Stele of Naram-Sin, King of Akkad; several statues of Gudea of Lagash; the wall paintings from Mari; the famous Stele of Hammurabi containing his law code; and reliefs from the palace of Susa built for Darius the Great. After a break for lunch, we will continue our visit with some of the major works of art in the painting galleries. Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Breakfast & dinner

Tuesday, May 10: THE OPERA DISTRICTTouring this morning takes us into the Opra district to visit the Muse dOrsay, housed in the former Gare dOrsay. We will view the highlights of this amazing collection, which represents each artistic movement between 1848 and 1914 in chronological order. Some of the highlights of the collection include Delacroixs The Tiger Hunt, Renoirs Bal du Moulin de la Galette and Couberts The Origin of the

World, which still causes controversy to this day. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure.Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Breakfast

Wednesday, May 11: THE LOUVRE Our third and final visit to the Louvre will be to the Egyptian Collection, which has among its treasures the offering chamber from the Tomb of Akhethotep from the Old Kingdom; the painted limestone statues of Sepa and his wife; the Red Scribe; the colossal statue of King Sankhare; and the wooden statue of Nakhti. Sphinxes and stelae commemorating the Apis Bulls at Saqqara adorn the stairway to the second floor, where a wealth of minor arts are displayed, as well as statues of Amenhotep III, Akhenaten and Tutankhamen. In the afternoon, we visit Place de la Concorde to view the obelisk inscribed to Ramses II, which originally stood in front of the first pylon at the Luxor Temple. We also walk to Notre Dame, where one can still see traces of the citys original ramparts and collections of coins and pottery from the Paris of the Roman Imperial Period. Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Breakfast

Thursday, May 12: THE LATIN QUARTER Our walking tour of the Latin Quarter, or Lutetia as it was known in the 3rd century, includes a visit to the Museum of the Middle Ages, housed in the old residence of the Abbots of Cluny, and the adjoining Roman Baths. The museums galleries display the riches of the period, the most famous being the 15th-century tapestries known as La Dame la Licorne. Our walking tour continues via the Sorbonne to the Panthon and the adjacent glise St-tienne-du -Mont, known for its unique

facade and rood screen. Lastly, we visit the Muse de Linstitut du Monde Arabe, which offers an excellent collection of artifacts from the Arab-Islamic world. Once again, this ancient quarter offers us many more sites for the remaining hours of the day.Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Breakfast

Friday, May 13: ST-GERMAIN-EN-LAYEThis morning a short journey brings us to St-Germain-en-Laye, where Professor Soltes will introduce us to the art and artifacts of prehistoric man at the Muse des Antiquits Nationales. After lunch at the charming Cazaudehore et la Forestire restaurant, we return to Paris, with time for independent touring in the late afternoon. Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, May 14: MUSE GUIMETThe focus of this morning will be the spectacular collection of Asian art at the newly renovated Muse Guimet. The collection includes everything from huge balustrades from Preah Khan temple at Angkor, bronzes and sculptured ivories from India, to Chinese ceramics. We also visit the Galerie du Panthon Bouddhique du Japon et de la Chine, devoted to Japanese Buddhist and Shinto art and archaeology. The museum displays agriculture, crafts, music and folklore materials. We meet tonight for our farewell dinner. Hotel: Saint James AlbanyMeals: Breakfast & dinner

Sunday, May 15: There will be one departure transfer from the hotel to the airport on Sunday.

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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday, June 1:Departures from US airports.

Thursday, June 2: BERLIN BODE MUSEUMWe arrive in Berlin. In the afternoon, we meet at our hotel for our first museum visit. The Bode Museum houses late antiquity, Byzantine and early Christian material as well as the sculpture collection from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. We gather tonight for an opening lecture followed by dinner. Hotel: Hotel Savoy, BerlinMeals: Dinner

Friday, June 3: BERLINPERGAMON MUSEUMThe full day will be spent in East Berlin visiting the Pergamon Museum, which houses antiquities from both the Ancient Orient and the Greek and Roman worlds as well as Islamic galleries. Among the architectural masterpieces reconstructed here in their original sizes are the fabulous Ishtar Gate from Babylon, the famous Hellenistic altar from Pergamon, and the Market Gate from the Greek city of Miletus, on the Turkish coast. Our stay in Berlin provides us with the great opportunity to attend some of the citys many evening cultural events.Hotel: Hotel Savoy, BerlinMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, June 4: BERLINMUSEUM ISLANDWe return to Museum Island today, to tour the Altes Museum, which is now the home of the antiquities collection formerly on display in the Charlottenburg including Greek sculpture, the so-called Berlin Amphora from Vulci, Scythian

This tour will focus on the great museum collections of Egyptian, Classical and Near Eastern art in Berlin and Vienna. You will be able to see the magnificent monuments that once dominated the sites around them. We will also visit major collections of Christian art as well as museums known for their outstanding paintings.

Enjoy the unmatched grandeur of Berlin and Vienna - the dazzling Imperial cities.

Discover a treasure trove of art from the ancient cities of Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Syria and Iraq.

Gaze upon reconstructions of Babyblons Ishtar Gate and the Hellenistic altar from Pergamon.

Unearth an array of artifacts from Ephesus and Samothrace at the Ephesus Museum.

Cast your eyes over the works of an incredible array of artists including: Klimt, Kokoschka and Schiele.

Stay in two hotels throughout your tour, close to Berlin and Viennas finest restaurants.

The Great Museums: Berlin & Vienna

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11 DaysJune 1 - 11, 2016

A Babylonian lion stalks the Ishtar Gate, housed in the Pergamon Museum

Prof Ori Z. Soltes lectures at Georgetown University. He specialises in Jewish, Christian and Muslim art and religions, classical philosophy, linguistics, and Greek and Roman art.

The Bode Museum, reopened in 2006 after an extensive programme of refurbishment

treasures from Vettersfelde and treasures from Thyreatis in the Peloponnese, as well as a collection known as the Hildesheim Silver from the first century BCE. After a lunch, we will spend the afternoon visiting some of the galleries at the Old National Gallery, also on Museum Island.Hotel: Hotel Savoy, BerlinMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, June 5: BERLINNEUES MUSEUMOur touring continues today to the Neues Museum, which now unites three of the National Museums major collections. It is the home for the material formerly housed in the Aegyptisches Museum including its many treasures from the Amarna Period, the famous bust of Nefertiti, the Berlin Green Head, and the Gateway to the Temple of Kalabsha, built by the Roman Emperor Augustus and contemporary with the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. We will also visit the museums extensive Pre- and Early History section including the Treasure of Troy. The rest of the day is your to enjoy at leisure. Hotel: Hotel Savoy, BerlinMeals: Breakfast

Monday, June 6: OLD VIENNAA morning flight brings us to Vienna. Our centrally located Europa Hotel is within walking distance of many fine restaurants and cultural venues. The remainder of the day will be spent with our Viennese guide on a walking tour exploring the area of the city, between the cathedral and the Danube canal - known as Old Vienna. We stroll the long narrow streets, stopping to visit Stephansdom, Viennas magnificent cathedral. The rest of the monuments will be viewed from the outside, including Mozarts house, the Hoher Market Square, where remains of the Roman Legions camp have recently been found, Ruprechtskirche, the oldest building in Vienna, Am Hof, the 14th-century former town hall, and much more.Hotel: Europa Hotel, ViennaMeals: Breakfast

Tuesday, June 7: VIENNAKUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUMThis full day will be devoted to the fabulous Kunsthistorisches Museum. The extraordinary treasures we will examine include the 18th-dynasty sculpture of Thutmosis III and the Old Kingdom Reserve Head in the Egyptian gallery, the gold of Nagyszentmiklos and the Gemma Augustea cameo in the Greek, Etruscan and Roman gallery, as well as many remarkable works in the painting galleries. Hotel: Europa Hotel, ViennaMeals: Breakfast

Wednesday, June 8: VIENNA NATURHISTORISCHES MUSEUMOur day begins at the Naturhistorisches Museum. This museum houses among its treasures the Venus of Willendorf, the finds from the Hallstatt graves and a mineral collection that includes the famous bouquet of jewels given by Maria

Theresa to her husband. After a lunch at a traditional Viennese restaurant, our tour continues at the Leopold Museum, which opened in September 2001. This fine museum houses an unparalleled collection of works by 20th-century Austrians, including Klimt, Kokoschka and Schiele.Hotel: Europa Hotel, ViennaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, June 9: VIENNAUPPER BELVEDERETodays tour begins at the Upper Belvedere, one of two Baroque palaces built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1717. The palace served as an imperial painting gallery from 1776 onwards. After lunch we continue our tour at the Jewish Museum, which has multifaceted and expansive collections and artifacts on display. Learn more about the story of Jewish life, history and religion in Austria during your visit.Hotel: Europa Hotel, ViennaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, June 10: VIENNAEPHESEUS MUSEUMToday we will end our museum touring with the finds from Ephesus and Samothrace at the Ephesus Museum. The collection includes the Athlete of Ephesus and the Frieze of the Parthian Monument in honor of Emperor Lucius Verus. The afternoon will be at leisure for our own pursuits. There are over forty more museums to visit! This evening we gather for our farewell dinner at one of the citys fine restaurants. Hotel: Europa Hotel, ViennaMeals: Breakfast & dinner

Saturday, June 11: We depart Vienna for home.Meals: Breakfast

You can still secure your place with a fully-refundable $1500 deposit

We are still working to confirm the price of this tour

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ITINERARY

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Ghana, Togo & Benin Tuesday, Wednesday, January 26, 27:We depart the USA on Tuesday and arrive in Accra, Ghana Wednesday afternoon. Hotel: Labadi Beach Hotel, AccraMeals: Dinner Thursday, January 28: ACCRA We visit the Archaeological Museum before a tour of Brazil House. The day ends at the Mausoleum and Museum of Ghanas first President Kwame Nkrumah. Hotel: Labadi Beach HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, January 29: ELMINA We depart Accra early in the morning for our tour along the Gold Coast. We stop at a coffin-making workshop. Funerals are one of Ghanas most important social gatherings. Ghanas slave trade was conducted from solid forts. We visit Cape Coast Castle and Ft. Amsterdam, which was the center for the British slave trade until it was destroyed in 1811. Hotel: Elmina Bay ResortMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, January 30: KUMASI:We begin by walking through Elminas old town, fishing harbor and fort. We stroll down narrow streets where the wealthy Dutch merchants built their houses in the 1840s. We also see a number of posuban, the colorful pirogues in the fishing harbor and a vibrant market. Hotel: Kumasi Golden Tulip HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, January 31: KUMASI We adjust our tour to accommodate todays Akwasidae Festival, where the Ashanti King greets his subjects in the courtyard of the Manhyia Palace. We

Join us as we explore both the ancient history and ever-evolving cultural identity of the peoples of Ghana, Togo and Benin. Traveling from savannah to lush forests you will tour Royal Palaces, marvel at the might of the Akan and Ashanti peoples, and visit ingenious mud-brick architecture. A fascinating trip to an often (undeservedly) overlooked part of the world.

Encounter African royalty at the colorful Akwasidae Festival, attended by the Ashanti King.

Get a glimpse of monkeys, elephants, hippos and other primates at Mole National Park.

Meet village elders, musicians and traditional crafts people throughout the tour.

Learn about the latest West African discoveries at the University of Ghana.

Touch on the darker side of history at Cape Coast and Elmina, once centers of the slave trade.

Visit the remarkable Royal Palaces of Abomey, in Benin, built between 1625 and 1900.

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Ghana

Togo

BeninBolgatanga

Wa

Tamale

Kumasi

Elmina Cape Coast

Accra

Atakpam

Balo

Kara

Abomey

Lom

Porto NovoOuidahCotonou

Mole National Park

Single supp: $760$7,42018 Days

January 26 - February 12, 2016

Traditional thatched compound in Abomey, Benin, home to a weaving cooperative

Prof Trevor Marchand received his PhD from The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, where he is currently Professor in the Department of Anthropology. He specialises in indigenous architectures.

Uniquely West African mud-brick mosque in Northern Ghana

spend the rest of the day at Manhyia Palace Museum and Prempeh II Jubilee Museum.Hotel: Kumasi Golden Tulip HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, February 1: KUMASIToday, we tour Kejetia market and the villages around Kumasi. We find two Ashanti Shrines: Besease and Atia Kusia Kwame, and visit craft villages including Adanwomase, Pankrono and Ntonso. We also visit the wood carvers at Ahwia.Hotel: Kumasi Golden Tulip HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, February 2: MOLE NATIONAL PARK We stop at Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary. We get a close-up of rare black-and-white colobus. Local taboo against killing monkeys dates back 200 years.Hotel: Mole HotelMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, February 3: WAWe take part in a game drive in Mole National Park during the morning. Travelling across the rich grassland savannah, we should see elephants, hippos and primates. In Larabanga, we see our

first mud-and-thatch mosque. We continue to Wa where we visit Wa Naas Palace. Hotel: Upland Hotel, WaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, February 4: BOLGATANGA Our first stop today is Lawra, famous for its handcrafted xylophone. We hear a short recital before traveling on to Gwollu. We meet with a unique medical provider, a traditional bone setter. We learn how the tradition has been passed down within the Najiriwia clan and is still practiced today. Hotel: Ex-tee Crystal Hotel, BolgatangaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, February 5: BOLGATANGAWe begin at Sirigu, visiting a village known for its elaborate mud compounds. We later visit the mud-brick Cathedral of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows in Navrongo. Our last visit is to Paga Pias Palace, built in the traditional Sahelian style. The compound is a labyrinth of round and square huts. Hotel: Ex-tee Crystal Hotel, BolgatangaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, February 6: TAMALEWe stop in Tongo, home to Tallensi people. We visit the Chief s sprawling honeycomb- like configurations of interconnected dwellings and ancestral shrines. The rocky outcrops surrounding the village house caves, shrines and sanctuaries. We later stop in Wulugu to see Zayaa Mosque.Hotel: Gariba Lodge, TamaleMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, Monday, February 7, 8: TOGOWe journey via Yendi to Togo, stopping to visit the village of Bandgeli, which once mined and smelted ore. We meet the Chief, his three wives and twelve children and examine the villages unique architecture. On Monday, we enjoy a day exploring

the remarkable mud architecture of the Batammariba people of the Taberma valley. Hotel: Hotel Kara, KaraMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner Tuesday, February 9: ABOMEYWe journey south into Benin at Ouake. The drive will be broken by stops at a weaving cooperative in Bafilo, Togo, and to photograph the changing landscape as we move from one tribal region to another.Hotel: Hotel Dako Bohicon, AbomeyMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, February 10: COTONOUWe spend the morning at the Royal Palaces of Abomey, not only the decision making center of the kingdom, but also where crafts were developed and treasures stored. The palaces of King Ghzo and King Gll have become the Historical Museum of Abomey. Hotel: Azalai Plage Hotel, CotonouMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, February 11: OUIDAH Ouidah is the focus of todays tour. We see a number of altars and temples scattered about this colonial town. We visit the Temple of the Pythons, dedicated to snake god, Dagbe, and home to serpents of many shapes and sizes which are revered locally. We witness a Vodun ceremony before we meet for a farewell dinner in the evening.Hotel: Azalai Plage Hotel, CotonouMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, February 12: GANVIEOur last morning takes us to Ganvie, described as the Venice of Africa. We return to Cotonou for an afternoon of leisure and final souvenir shopping before our evening flights home. Our rooms will be available in the evening.Hotel: Azalai Plage Hotel, CotonouMeals: Breakfast

November 3 - 20, 2016

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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Sunday, Monday May 8 & 9:We arrive into Athens on Monday.Hotel: Royal Olympic Hotel, AthensMeals: Dinner

Tuesday, May 10: THE ACROPOLIS We spend the day exploring the Acropolis - the lasting symbol of classical Athens and the Age of Pericles. We stop at the Theatre of Dionysus, Acropolis proper, Parthenon, Erechtheion and the newly opened Acropolis Museum. Continue to the Areopagus and the Agora, containing the Theseion and Stoa of Attalos. Hotel: Royal Olympic Hotel, AthensMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, May 11: ATHENSTodays tour takes us to the National Archaeological Museum and its unrivaled marble and Mycenaean collections. We tour the Kerameikos Cemetery after lunch, and lastly complete our city tour with the Arch of Hadrian and the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates.Hotel: Royal Olympic Hotel, AthensMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, May 12: CORINTH We begin our tour of the Peloponnese, stopping at Corinth, an important Roman mercantile center. The afternoon is spent at Epidaurus, one of ancient Greeces most renowned medical centers. Its theater has enough seats for 14,000 spectators and is considered the best preserved of its kind in the Greek world. Hotel: Hotel Grand Bretagne, NaupliaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, May 13: TIRYNSWe begin today in Tiryns, to explore its interesting system of fortification walls.

Classical Greece, the cradle of Western democracy, philosophy and science, was itself an heir to the great achievements of Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. This study tour intends to explore the spectacular and varied cultural treasures of Hellas, as manifested by her fabulous sites and museums.

Discover King Nestors Palace, where the earliest written evidence for the Greek language was found

Travel to Meteora, where spectacular monasteries rest atop huge columns of gray rock.

Walk on one of the great highways of the Roman Empire - the Via Egnatia.

Explore the splendors of ancient Greece from the panhellenic sanctuaries of Olympia and Delphi to the great healing center at Epidauros.

Find the fabled home of Agamemnon in Mycenae. Explore the Acropolis, lasting symbol of classical

Athens and the Age of Pericles.

Classical Greece

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Greece

Kavalla

Meteora

DelphiAthens

NaupliaMystras

Olympia

Sparta

ThasosPhilippi

Thessaloniki

Single supp: $1,295$5,89016 DaysMay 8 23, 2016

The Caryatid porch of the Erechtheum in Athens, dedicated to Athena and Poseidon

Prof Gerald Schaus is Professor of Archaeology and Classical Studies at Wilfred Laurier University. He has excavated at various sites in Italy and Greece. He will soon publish seven years of research from excavations at the Sanctuary of Athena.

The exquisite charioteer of Delphi, cast in bronze, housed in Delphi Museum

We continue to fabled Mycenae, home of Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks against Troy, and his treacherous wife Clytemnestra. This afternoon we enjoy our leisure time, exploring Nauplias lovely squares and relaxing at a seaside caf.Hotel: Hotel Grand Bretagne, NaupliaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, May 14: LERNAWe continue to ancient Lerna, the scene for one of the Labors of Hercules. We visit the House of Tiles, stop at Tegea to see the sanctuary temple of Athena and continue to Mystras, a medieval city rising up along the slopes of Mt. Taygetos. We stroll along a lovely wooded path and discover wonderful views at every turn. Hotel: Hotel Menelaion, SpartaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sunday, May 15: NESTORS PALACEToday we visit King Nestors Palace, where the preserved hearth and bath complex are evocative of Homers descriptions. It was here that the late Professor Blegen found the cache of Linear B tablets, the earliest written evidence for the Greek language. Hotel: Amalia Hotel, OlympiaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, May 16: OLYMPIA Todays touring is devoted to the Panhellenic sanctuary of Olympia, where every four years from 776 BCE to 393 CE Greeks from the world over came to participate in the Olympic Games. We conclude with a visit to the museum. Hotel: Amalia Hotel, OlympiaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Tuesday, May 17: DELPHIThis wonderful day will be spent exploring Delphi, the center of the Greek world. The ancient sanctuary is divided into three sections - Marmaria, the oracular sanctuary of Apollo proper on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus and the stadium on the heights above. We visit each in turn before studying the rich collection of art from the site in the museum. The collection includes the renowned bronze Charioteer of Delphi. Hotel: Amalia Hotel, OlympiaMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, May 18: KALAMBAKAWe travel to Kalambaka, to visit Meteora. Its spectacular monasteries are perched precariously atop huge columns of gray rock. Although hermits have occupied the caves of Meteora since the 11th century, it wasnt until Serbs invaded in the 14th century that the first monastery was built, by St. Athanasius. Hotel: Divani Hotel, KalambakaMeals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, May 19: DIONWe continue north today, stopping en route at the foot of Mount Olympus to visit the ancient city of Dion and its fine museum. We continue to Thessaloniki, Macedonias most important port in ancient times. Strategically located on the Via Egnatia, Thessaloniki was the seat of Macedonias Roman officials, and the city played host to

both the Greek and Roman games well into the 3rd century CE. Hotel: Mediterranean Palace HotelMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, May 20: PELLA Today is devoted to Alexander the Great and his father, Philip. We begin at the museum and site of Pella, where pebble mosaics were introduced. It was here in the still unexcavated palace that Alexander was born. We continue to Vergina and Levkadhia to visit the royal tombs of the Macedonians and their magnificent treasures displayed at the museum. We end today at the palace at Aigai.Hotel: Mediterranean Palace HotelMeals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, May 21: KAVALA We tour the Old Town of Kavala, with its Ottoman houses, ramparts and aqueducts built in the 16th century under Suleiman the Magnificent. After visiting the museum we proceed to the ancient city of Philippi, a mainland colony of Thassos occupie