The Great Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza ● the spectacular Grand Egyptian Museum with Tutankhamun's treasures ● pre-dawn excursion to Abu Simbel's colossal rock-cut temples ● three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor sailing past Kom Ombo and Edfu ● Luxor's magnificent Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings explored with private guides ● camel trek to St. Simeon Monastery and felucca sail on the Nile

Soweto township tour ● Kruger Park safari ● Kingdom of Eswatini: Switzerland of Africa ● Famed 'Garden Route' ● Ostrich farm tour ● Table Mountain Cable Way ● Cape Winelands tour and wine tasting ● Robben Island Museum

Marvão: medieval fortress village above the Alentejo plain ● Monsanto and Idanha-a-Velha — Portugal's deepest historical layers ● Serra da Estrela glacier plateau at 1000 m+ ● Douro Valley vineyard trails and river cruise ● Porto's Ribeira district and Dom Luís Bridge crossing ● Levada hike through UNESCO Laurissilva forest, Madeira ● Vereda do Larano coastal trail above the Atlantic

Sistine Chapel contemplation ● Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi without summer's crush ● Ravenna's Byzantine mosaics — the Western world's most spectacular outside Istanbul ● Giotto's revolutionary frescoes from Assisi to Padova — the arc of Western art's greatest turning point ● Cinque Terre by boat and on foot ● Siena's medieval lanes and San Gimignano's towers, unchanged since the 13th century ● Venice by vaporetto, on foot, and at the pace the city rewards

Vienna bookend experience: ship introduction plus two immersive nights for museums, opera, and coffeehouse culture ● Schonbrunn Palace baroque gardens with time beyond cruise-day visits ● Exclusive Oktoberfest celebration aboard ship with Bavarian music ● UNESCO Wachau Valley scenic cruising past terraced vineyards ● Melk Abbey's baroque masterpiece and medieval manuscripts ● Budapest's Szechenyi thermal baths where locals play chess in steaming pools ● Jewish Quarter including Europe's largest synagogue and ruin-pub architecture ● Belvedere Palace and Klimt's "The Kiss" with unhurried gallery time.

Sapporo city touring ● Ainu cultural experiences at Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Museum and hands-on cuisine ● Scenic countryside touring in Furano and Biei ● Relaxing at an onsen resort ● Exploring Jigokudani's geothermal wonders ● Riding the bullet train and visiting historic Hirosaki Castle

Immerse yourself in Japanese culture and society ● visit major sites and monuments and special places out of the way ● Ryokan and temple stays ● strong culinary aspect - fun and educational cooking class ● travel via famed Bullet Train

Glitzy Riyadh ● Oasis towns ● Beautiful Shammar Mountain region ● Desert landscapes ● fascinating cultural immersion ● Historic forts & Mosques ● spectacular Wadi Al-Disah ● Nabatean ruins at Madain Saleh ● Historic Jeddah

Magnificent Taj Mahal ● Jain temples of Ranakpur ● Red Fort (Agra) ● Amber Palace (Jaipur)