Once-in-a-lifetime collection
For almost 70 years we’ve been transporting our guests to a world of incredible destinations on our Escorted Tours. We’ve handpicked our top 20 once-in-a-lifetime experiences from around the globe to inspire your travel dreams for 2021.
Explore our interactive map to discover the experiences that we think are just too good to miss…
Go on Safari in South Africa
You can travel the world to witness man’s most monumental achievements, or Mother Nature’s most spectacular displays, but sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest impression.
Watching a herd of elephants at a watering hole or seeing a pride of lions slumbering in the sunshine in South Africa is a truly magical experience; and witnessing such animals in the wild is something you’ll never forget.
Taj Mahal
An exercise in perfect symmetry, the Taj Mahal in India is said to be the most beautiful building in the world, and few people would disagree.
The Taj Mahal’s semi-translucent white marble façade is carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of semi-precious stones, and its four sides – complete with minarets, vaulted arches and domes - are perfectly identical.
Seeing orang-utans in Borneo
If you love wildlife, seeing orangutans in their natural habitat is one of the most special, life-affirming experiences you can have.
An encounter with these gentle great apes is an unforgettable experience, and one of the best places to see them is Borneo. There are two ways to do this: either visit one of Borneo’s Orangutan Rehabilitation Centres, or venture out into Borneo’s virgin rainforest to see these fascinating animals in the wild.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most iconic sights, as well as being one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
A stunning complex of coral reefs, shoals and islets off the northeast coast of Australia, it stretches for 1,430 miles in the Pacific Ocean, making it the largest and longest coral reef system on the planet.
No visit to Australia would be complete without seeing this World Heritage-listed ecosystem.
Cruise the Croatian coast on a small ship
Relaxing on the deck of an exclusive small-ship, the waves gently lapping the side and the Croatian sun glistening overhead as you sip a refreshing drink sounds like bliss – and it is.
It’s also a fantastic way to enjoy a more unique view of the stunning Dalmatian coast.
Explore Roman history in Rome
It’s hard to underestimate the power and influence of the Roman Empire which, in its heyday, stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Its legacy is still evident in towns and cities across the region, but nowhere is the might of the Empire better illustrated than in Rome itself, where iconic buildings evoke powerful images of the past.
Go island-hopping in Greece
Sometimes, the simplest pleasures make the very best holidays. An island-hopping holiday is the perfect example of this, combining unspoilt islands, scenic sea crossings, centuries-old traditions and delicious local cuisine.
Greece is the perfect destination for this type of holiday. Its islands are warm and hospitable yet distinctly different from each other, and the whole region is famous for its ancient history, timeless villages and simple rustic cuisine.
Search for the Northern Lights
The Aurora Borealis is Mother Nature’s greatest spectacle; a source of wonder, fascination and even fear for as long as man has been on Earth.
And it’s not hard to see why, when you see it for yourself. Most commonly seen between November and March, this natural phenomenon is visible across the Northern Hemisphere in an area known as the Aurora Zone.
Walk the Santiago Trail
In days gone by, only the devout walked the Santiago Trail, a network of walking routes and pathways that lead across Spain to Santiago de Compostela, the burial place of St James.
Today however, people walk the trail for other reasons too: recreational, spiritual and just for the pleasure of following these lovely, mostly level paths through some of Northern Spain’s prettiest scenery.
Visit fairytale Sintra
UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sintra in Portugal is like a fairy tale in stone. Look up from the town centre and you’ll see the walls of its precipitous medieval castle snaking up and down the mountain ridge.
It’s a spectacular sight when seen from below, but the views from the top are even more impressive. It’s a long walk up, but it’s well worth the effort!
Discovering Costa Rica's amazing rainforest wildlife
Costa Rica is a tropical paradise whose rainforests throng with some of the most colourful wild and birdlife on earth. It’s the ultimate destination for anyone who loves nature, adventure, wildlife and the outdoors.
Costa Rica’s birdlife is extraordinary. From the technicolour toucan to the raucous scarlet macaw, you could spend your entire holiday scanning the rainforest canopy for species including quetzal and the ubiquitous hummingbird.
Macchu Picchu
It’s on every traveller’s ‘must do’ list: ascending the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes to see the ruined citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world.
Set high on a mountain ridge, the Urubamba River snaking around it some 2,000 feet below, Machu Picchu is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.
Stepping back in time in Havana
A visit to Cuba is like stepping back in time, and nowhere is this better seen than in its capital, Havana. This beautiful city is a microcosm of everything we love about Cuba, from its eclectic architecture to its big old cars.
The city’s architectural styles are similarly colourful, mixing everything from Baroque to Neoclassical. Like its cars, many buildings in Havana are painted in vivid shades, from cobalt blue to sun-bleached yellow, lime green to pastel pink.
Discovering Ancient Egypt
Almost 5,000 years ago, a civilisation emerged that would dominate the Mediterranean world for nearly 30 centuries. The beauty and sheer scale of its legacy is perhaps one of mankind’s most extraordinary achievements, and much of it can still be seen today.
That civilisation was of course Ancient Egypt, and wandering through its vast temples and tombs or standing beneath colossal statues and walls covered with hieroglyphics, is one of the world’s greatest travel experiences.
See the rose-red city of Petra
The ‘rose-red’ city of Petra is like nowhere else on Earth. Hand carved directly out of red sandstone cliffs in the high desert of Jordan, the city was ‘lost’ to the western world for centuries, before being rediscovered in 1812.
Petra was the capital of the Nabatean civilisation, a nomadic desert people who crafted their masterpiece city over 2,000 years ago.
Ride onboard the Rocky Mountaineer
There are lots of thrilling travel experiences out there, but few give you the chance to see bald eagles, Canadian moose and grizzly bear in the wild, at the same time as enjoying first-class meals and complimentary drinks from a rotating reclining chair!
This famous rail journey through the Canadian Rockies is as memorable as it is luxurious, taking you through spectacular mountain scenery whilst offering all the comfort, service and treats of travelling first class.
Viewing the Grand Canyon
It’s been six million years in the making, but the result is truly spectacular…
Carved over millennia by the mighty Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is one of the USA’s most iconic sights. The South Rim offers some of the finest views of this vast natural wonder, with multiple viewing points offering sweeping panoramas on all sides.
Join an Alaskan cruise
The Alaska coast is one of the USA’s last true wildernesses. Much of it isn’t accessible by road or rail, so one of the best ways to see it is from the deck of a cruise ship.
The sight of a massive glacier calving into the sea, a humpback whale breaching before disappearing into the icy depths or even a bald eagle circling in the skies overhead… these are the type of unforgettable encounters that await on an Alaskan cruise.
Witness the splendour of Russia
Russia is the biggest country in the world, where everything exists on a truly epic scale. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in Moscow, the capital.
Walking through Red Square, the huge cobblestoned open square at the heart of the city, you can see two buildings that symbolise Russia’s might and power in very different ways.
Trans Siberian Railway
For an adventure unlike any other, board the Trans-Siberian Railway and journey across two continents from Moscow to Beijing.
Travellers who embark on this epic rail trip experience something truly extraordinary. What other journey takes you from the onion domes of Moscow’s Red Square to the Great Wall of China, via the forests of Siberia, the grass plains of Mongolia and the sweeping Gobi Desert?
