Take a scenic drive through the countryside to the magnificent city of Florence. Pause in the Piazza del Duomo to admire the exterior of the Cathedral (Duomo) of Santa Maria del Fiore, its elaborate Gothic façade is covered in a mix of pink and green marble.

View the statues in the Piazza della Signoria on your way to the Ponte Vecchio, the medieval stone bridge was the first bridge built across the River Arno, and has been well known for its goldsmiths and jewelers since the 16th century. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, and after the meal you’ll have free time to explore on your own or to shop, before your tour continues to the historic town of Pisa. Here, you’ll have free time in Miracle Square for a look at the exterior of that famous Leaning Tower. Built in the 12th century, it began to lean soon afterwards, but has now been stabilized.

OVERVIEW

Treat your inner adventurer to an exhilarating multi-transport survey of the Southern Alps high country by coach, offroad touring vehicle and jet boat. It all starts sedately enough, as you head out by motorcoach into the fertile earthen patchwork of the Canterbury Plains – where the island grows its wheat and grazes its cattle. But don’t get too comfortable; the scenery changes dramatically as you reach Rubicon Station on the banks of the spectacular Waimakariri river gorge and make the switch into rugged offroad touring mode. Piloted with skill around Mt Torlesse Station, bouncing heartily across a spectacular landscape framed by jagged Southern Alp peaks and gorges, you’re bound to fill your camera with social media friendly shots. A well-deserved stop for lunch provides a break from the action, but it won’t last. Soon enough, you’ll shift back into thrill gear as you board a lightning-fast jet boat capable of 360-degree spins and strap in for a ride up the steep-walled Waimakariri River gorge to Staircase Viaduct. Learn more about Kiwi Jetboating thanks to the persistence of Bill Hamilton in perfecting the water jet and providing a new way to explore parts of back country New Zealand at the Jet Boat World museum. After that little jaunt, the coach drive back to Lyttelton will feel like slow motion.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Experience adventure without exhaustion on a thrilling, multi-vehicle tour of the Southern Alps.
• Travel by coach across the fertile Canterbury Plains to the Springfield Adventure Centre and a switch into offroad mode.
• Buckle up for a rollicking drive through rugged high country terrain framed by mountains and gorges.
• Hold onto your hat again later as you zoom up the majestic Waimakariri river gorge on a jet boat nimble enough to make 360-degree spins.
• Enjoy lunch at midday and return back to port with spectacular photos and memories.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing including a water-resistant jacket.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

Mingle with the locals while sampling traditional German specialties at a family farm and while enjoying more treats at a bakery in the city. The Quast family has owned the farm since 1720, and they continue to grow fruits such as apples, plums and pears. You will gain an understanding of how the fruit is harvested and the challenges of running a small private farm in modern times. Feel free to ask questions while enjoying homemade fruit schnapps and cake in the farm’s café. On the return to Hamburg, you will walk among the locals in the pedestrian tunnel that was built under the Elbe River in 1911. Be sure to notice the decorative tiles depicting sea life. You will also mingle with the residents and get an authentic look at daily life in Hamburg by riding public transportation to pick up the next local snack, a "Franzbrötchen", Hamburg's famous cinnamon roll. Take your Franzbrötchen to go to enjoy it whilst enjoying the views over the Alster lake with its shores covered with white villas. Afterwards, your coach and escort will bring you back to your ship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Interact with a local fruit farmer.
• Sample traditional products made on the farm and fresh baked goods.
• Mingle with Hamburg residents while walking through a tunnel under the Elbe River.
• Get a genuine look at daily life by riding the public transportation in Hamburg.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

You'll see the Eternal City on an orientation drive passing iconic structures which includes the Colosseum of ancient Rome where gladiators fought. In Vatican City admire the beauty of St. Peter’s Square, and view some of the treasures of the world’s largest church, St. Peter’s Basilica during your brief visit. The Vatican Museum is home to masterpieces spanning the centuries, marvel at the Sistine Chapel, topped by Michelangelo’s magnificent ceiling. Lunch is included.

Gain an understanding of how local craftsmen make traditional Greek musical instruments and take in the island’s natural beauty. Pyrgos is known for its 13th-century Venetian castle, the classic Cycladic design of its homes and the panoramic views from its hilltop location. It will be an ideal setting to pause for a cup of coffee and a Greek sweet. Megalochori is equally picturesque, as you will discover while meandering the village’s atmospheric cobbled streets lined with neoclassical houses. The intriguing Museum of Musical Instruments honors the history of the instruments that make Greek music so recognizable. You will learn how classic instruments such as the bouzouki and laouto are handmade and have the chance to play some of them. Afterwards, you will visit the family-owned Gavalas Winery, which has been producing traditional wines such as Katsano and Nykteri since the 19th century. There you will sample wines indicative of Santorini’s terroir and snacks that pair perfectly with them.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Pause for a snack and to revel in the village of Pyrgos’ classic Cycladic setting.
• Discover how some of the most recognizable Greek musical instruments are hand-crafted.
• Sample a selection of traditional wines and local delicacies at a family-owned winery.

Walk through Lungotevere, one of the oldest sections of Rome, and sample a multitude of classic Italian treats. Your culinary immersion will begin at Campo de Fiori, where you will meander a bustling outdoor marketplace with stalls full of colorful produce, aromatic spices and classic Italian condiments. Crudites will be offered, allowing you to see just how tasty raw vegetables can be, especially when dipped in seasoned fresh-pressed olive oil. You will then walk to a bakery for a pizza tasting, on to a chocolate shop to sample confections and then to Sant’ Eustachio, a coffee shop that makes its espresso with water from an ancient aqueduct. The proprietors will explain how they ensure the freshest ingredients and highest quality. A refreshing dessert follows at Giolitti, which may be Rome’s oldest, if not finest, gelato shop. You will then enjoy free time around Navona Square, a wonderfully atmospheric area built over a stadium from the 1st century.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Taste an array of classic Italian treats in one of the Rome’s oldest sections.
• Expect to sample crudites, pizza, chocolate confections, coffee and gelato.
• Spend free time exploring atmospheric Navona Square.

OVERVIEW

Gain a greater understanding of Northern Ireland and its culture by following a foodie guide through Belfast and sampling classic dishes and delicacies. The exact locations to be visited will be determined the day of the excursion, but they will definitely be establishments that best represent the cuisine of Northern Ireland. They will be the markets, restaurants and cafés that the locals frequent, rather than those typically found in guidebooks. Tastings are frequent and generous! Along the way you will encounter the places the locals like to frequent for lunch or dinner or for a cup of coffee. You will visit a variety of eating establishments in the city center, each specifically chosen to highlight the unique foods of Northern Ireland. The best way to get to know a city is through its food, and this tour highlights what makes Belfast so appealing.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow a local foodie around Belfast and sample a variety of classic dishes.
• Stop in the markets, restaurants and cafés that the locals frequent.
• Expect to taste favorites such as Belfast bap, colcannon and boxty, a potato pancake.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Experience the thrill of visiting Reykjavik’s “Big Three” scenic wonders – Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Area and Thingvellir National Park – all on one excursion. Arrayed along a route known as the Golden Circle, this trio pretty much singlehandedly fills the bucket list of Icelandic natural phenomena. Rolling along via comfortable panoramic coach, you’ll encounter vast lava fields, a greenhouse community warmed by hot springs and fertile South Iceland farmland – and that’s just en route to your first stop of the day. Two-tiered Gullfoss Waterfall is one of Iceland’s most beautiful and iconic sights, its vast water volume plummeting down over 100 feet into a river gorge. It’s a tough act to follow, but the hyperactive star geyser at aptly named Geysir Geothermal Area spouting off 65-foot jets of boiling hot water every few minutes might just do the trick. You’ll see other geysers here too, though the granddaddy of them all, Geysir itself, has been resting of late. Appetite sated after a two-course lunch with the soup of the day and salmon at a local restaurant, you’ll make your way to UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park, a dramatic rift valley where the Earth’s North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet – and where the Icelandic parliament first met over a 1,000 years ago.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel the Golden Circle and visit three of Iceland’s most revered natural wonders in a single day.
• See and hear the roar of magnificent Gullfoss Waterfall as it plunges over 100 feet into its river gorge.
• Watch Strokkur geyser erupt in a 7-story steaming jet like clockwork at Geysir Geothermal Area.
• Visit Thingvellir National Park, where two continents collide and the world’s longest running parliament convened for over 800 years.
• Enjoy a nourishing break from all these landmarks over buffet lunch at an Icelandic restaurant.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

See the innovative solar and wind installations on Tilos that made it the first island in the Mediterranean to be fully powered by green energy. A ferry will bring you to the island, where you will see the hybrid power station that stores the renewable energy in batteries. Although Tilos is small with only about 500 residents, it has made a huge impact in encouraging other places to follow its lead in sustainable energy. You will meet the mayor and other officials that supported the project from the beginning and learn how they ensured its success. Tilos once bought its oil-based electricity from the nearby island of Kos; it now plans to sell its excess green energy back to Kos. Being completely powered by renewable energy has allowed Tilos to become more self-sufficient, have greater stability and make a smaller ecological footprint.

HIGHLIGHTS
• See how Tilos became the first island in the Mediterranean fully powered by green energy.
• Visit the solar and wind power station that supplies the island’s renewable energy.
• Talk to the mayor and other officials that helped Tilos develop its sustainable energy plan.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Experience the joys of a simpler rural life at a wilderness center at the edge of the most extensive highlands in Northern Europe. Even the journey there will be spectacularly scenic, as you will drive through a mountainous terrain of dense forests, thundering waterfalls and an enormous lake that a glacier created long ago. Upon reaching the Wilderness Center, you will browse exhibits that showcase the struggles of life on the farm where the center now stands. The museum dioramas are especially insightful, as they accurately depict the challenges of the area’s earliest settlers, who embraced the natural world rather than trying to control it. As you meander about, you may see adventurers returning from hiking through the wilderness and horseback riding and others simply enjoying the pristine setting. Later, you will pass through Iceland’s largest national forest, which contains indigenous trees and exotics brought from more than 175 locations around the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse a wilderness center that depicts the challenges that Iceland’s rural settlers faced.
• Enjoy delicious homemade refreshments in a unique countryside setting
• Drive through Iceland’s largest national forest, a protected natural wonderland.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Combine all the highlights of West Maui on this comprehensive excursion: Iao Valley, Maui Tropical Plantation and the Maui Ocean Center. You'll start with a visit to the most well-known and beautiful gorge on the ‘Valley Isle,’ the Iao Valley. Here, you'll visit one of Maui's most striking sights, the Iao Needle, a 2,250-foot cinder cone pinnacle that pierces through the clouds and dominates its lush surroundings. Next, stop at Maui Tropical Plantation, where you'll enjoy a fully narrated 40-minute tram tour through macadamia nut orchards, agricultural villages, sugar cane fields and flower gardens. Then at the Maui Ocean Center, experience the underwater journey that gives you an up-close look at some of the beautiful creatures only found in Hawaii's waters.

OVERVIEW

Explore some of the Big Island’s most dramatic landscapes and come away with a deep appreciation of its volcanic formation. After pausing at America’s southernmost bake shop, where you might try a mango malasada treat, you will travel to the Punalu’u Black Sand Beach. The jet-black sand is made of volcanic materials and lava fragments and is quite the sight, especially if you spot a green sea turtle basking on the beach. Symbols of wisdom and good luck, they are the only sea turtles known to sunbathe. The wonders of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will be even more extraordinary. The terrain and natural diversity there are so unique that UNESCO deemed the park both a World Biosphere site and a World Heritage site. You will see volcanic craters, the active volcano Kilauea and hot water vapor rising from countless steam vents.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Admire the volcanically formed black sand beach at Punalu’u and perhaps see a green sea turtle.
• Drive through stunning Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• View an active volcano, craters and steam vents releasing hot water vapor into the air.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.