Bucharest: "The Little Paris of the East" ● The "Painted Monasteries" of Bucovina ● The spectacular Tihuta Pass over the Eastern Carpathians ● Bran Castle, mythical home of Dracula ● Huge German-Renaissance castles

Lima's flower-draped colonial balconies ● traditional Andean villages beneath Salkantay's dramatic peak ● the legendary Lost City of Machu Picchu ● Cuzco's ancient capital with massive Inca stonework ● the fortress of Sacsayhuaman and its architectural marvels ● intimate cultural encounters with local communities

Prague: one of the world's most magical cites ● Renaissance chateau of Konopiste ● Karlovy Vary-elegant spa town ● Exquisite gothic and baroque Cesky Krumlov

Budapest walking tour ● Byzantine, Moorish, Romanesque and Hungarian legacies ● Holloko, Hungary's most beautiful town ● Eger: narrow streets, arcaded buildings, wrought-iron gates ● Southern Transdanubia - region of undulating hills, forest clad ridges and rural ambience

Acropolis and Ancient Agora with expert Athens city tour ● Mycenae's Lion Gate and Epidaurus Theatre in the Argolis ● Byzantine frescoes and fortifications at hilltop Mystra ● Temple of Zeus and Olympic Stadium at ancient Olympia ● Apollo's sanctuary and Pythian oracle at spectacular Delphi ● gravity-defying monasteries perched atop Meteora's stone pillars

Vilnius's baroque Old Town and Trakai's island castle ● Hill of Crosses memorial ● Rundale Palace's Baroque interiors ● Riga's Art Nouveau district and Central Market ● Curonian Spit's sand dunes ● Tallinn's medieval Old Town

Plaza de Armas in Lima with its historic fountain and Francisco Pizarro's tomb ● scenic train ride to Machu Picchu, the "Lost City of the Incas" ● exploring Machu Picchu's stone terraces and temples over two days ● Cuzco's vibrant Inca heritage, including Sacsayhuaman's zigzag fortress walls ● Lake Sandoval canoe trip to spot giant river otters and macaws.

The Colosseum, the Forum, and the Pantheon — Rome at its most monumental ● the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's at the pace they deserve ● Assisi, where Giotto changed Western painting, and Siena, where the Middle Ages never quite ended ● San Gimignano's towers and the Chianti road home ● Volterra, Pisa, and a sunset dinner on the Ligurian coast ● two days in Florence — the Uffizi, Michelangelo's David, and the Gates of Paradise.

Explore Dublin's Georgian buildings and vibrant pub culture ● discover Ireland's stunning green scenery on the Ring of Kerry ● Explore the dramatic Gap of Dunloe and Lakes of Killarney ● marvel at the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher ● explore historic sites like Derry and Belfast ● experience Ireland's rich culture and warm hospitality.