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.

Travel from one traditional village to another, pausing to sample the local delicacies before sitting down to a light farmer’s lunch. Near the village of Siġġiewi, you will drop by a farm for an insider’s look at how artisanal cheeses such as gbejniet are made from sheep’s milk. When freshly made, gbejniet is so soft and creamy that it wobbles. It can also be air-dried, pickled and rolled in black pepper, which imparts an entirely different taste. In another village, you will visit a baker that may be preparing a crusty sourdough bread known as Hobz Malti. The aromas will be enticing; the tasting even more pleasurable. A different gastronomic treat awaits you after touring a farm and olive grove in Bingemma. During the sampling of virgin olive oils and wine and the lunch that follows, you will gain great insight into Maltese cuisine, which is heavily influenced by other Mediterranean cuisines.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Sample all sorts of Maltese products in villages throughout the island.
• Taste local baked goods, wines made with indigenous grapes and artisan cheeses.
• Tour an olive grove and sit down to a light farmer’s lunch in the bucolic setting.

Stroll through the atmospheric streets of the Old Quarter on the way to a nightclub, where you will watch a mesmerizing flamenco performance that tells a passionate story. After walking from the pier, you will continue at a leisurely pace toward the narrow, cobbled streets of the Old Quarter, which the Phoenicians founded in the 12th century. Being the oldest continuously occupied city in Western Europe, Cadiz exudes history, as you will soon discover in the Plaza of San Juan de Dios, a square that originated in medieval times.

As you meander the labyrinthine streets of the Old Quarter, you will pass one architectural treasure after another. Highlights may include the Neoclassical-style Cadiz Cathedral, which boasts a tile dome that appears Moorish, and Calle Ancha, a wide boulevard that is considered the heart of the city. In time, you will arrive at Taberna Flamenco La Cava, a nightclub that showcases the art of flamenco. Before taking your seat, be sure to notice the photos on the wall of some of the most acclaimed flamenco performers in the past 50 years. UNESCO honored flamenco by recognizing it on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Andalusia, especially Cadiz, is the heartland of flamenco, an electrifying art form that fuses expressive songs, passionate dancing and emotional music. To enhance your immersion into the local culture, you will be served traditional tapas that may include Serrano ham and Manchego cheese.

Become immersed in the Maltese culture by meeting locals that are engaged in traditional activities and by meandering about villages that practice different customs. At Vicky’s Place, a bakery in the village of Qormi, you will watch a popular sweet or perhaps a loaf of bread being prepared. Feel free to ask questions about the ingredients, how they are sourced or anything else that comes to mind. Later, you will get the chance to converse with the local residents s in a kazin, a Maltese social club that often features music and snooker, a game that was introduced when Malta was a crown colony of the United Kingdom. You will also mingle with the locals at the village center in Ghaxaq, a cultural experience that is sure to be enlightening. Sightseeing in the fortified city of Senglea, which lies just across the harbor from Valletta, will offer yet another perspective of daily life.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Gain insight into Maltese culture by mingling with the locals as they work and socialize.
• Snack on baked goods and traditional Maltese delicacies while conversing with the locals.
• Visit several villages and come away with a multi-layered perspective of Maltese life.

Learn to make traditional paella at a farm in nearby L’Horta, an agricultural region on the outskirts of Valencia where most of the ingredients grow or can be found. Valencians often spend weekends in L’Horta to relax and enjoy a dinner of paella. The gathering is a ritual of sorts, in which families come together to socialize and dine on a dish that was first prepared in this area in the 15th or 16th century. The owner of the farm will show you around the grounds and point out some of the many garden items that will end up in your paella. You will then join a hands-on workshop and learn the basics of preparing this once-humble dish from scratch. While the dish is simmering in a large circular pan, you will toast the upcoming meal with a glass of sangria. When the paella is finished, you might taste it straight from the pan, another Valencian tradition.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Visit the farming region of L’Horta, where Valencians often spend weekends relaxing.
• Tour a farm where many of the ingredients for paella are grown.
• Learn to make traditional paella in a hands-on workshop on the farm.
• Dine on the freshly made paella, perhaps straight from the pan, which is a tradition.

You’ll journey to the ancient place of Mayan pilgrimage known today as Chacchoben, also known as "The Place of Red Corn". At the pier, you’ll be greeted by a bilingual guide who will direct you to an air-conditioned bus. Onboard the bus your guide will brief you on the interesting history and unique attributes of this sacred Mayan site. Upon arrival at Chacchoben you’ll be surrounded by jungle. Your guide will escort you through the ruins, giving you a complete explanation of the sacred temples and other structures seen there. See original red paint on the stucco walls of one of the pyramids and the temple where a mural was found showing the astronomical positions of the planet Venus. You’ll have time to climb the Gran Basamento taking you above tree level. Here archaeologists found ceremonial offerings dating to around 1000 B.C. Your guide will also explain about the wildlife and medicinal plants that are used by the modern-day descendants of the ancient Mayan people. During the tour, you will reach a structure known as the Gran Basamento, which is not a pyramid, but an elevated platform.

OVERVIEW

Come visit the Albufera Natural Park and learn about its importance and how specialists work on the conservation and the biodiversity of species in the area. Although you may have visited La Albufera on previous occasions, this time, we are going to discover La Gola de El Pujol, a very particular area inside the park and the most popular gully. The historical route of the Gola del Pujol is a short walk of about 40 minutes over 700 metres and 8 stops, which runs parallel to the Gola del Pujol, a gorge that joins the Albufera lake with the sea. The path, fitted out with non-slip wood, leads from the gates in front of the famous jetty - one of the most photographed spots in Valencia - to the Estany del Pujol, an artificial pond that has existed since 1970 and has now been converted into a protected spot for the birds that visit the area - it is of vital importance for many species - and bathing in this area is prohibited. You’ll walk under the shade of pinewoods and discover many endemic species of plants and insects. On the shore of the lagoon there is a jetty and a very interesting viewpoint, which provides a panoramic view of the Albufera.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow a specialized guide through the national park in a discovery of biodiversity and conservation.
• Gain insight into how the land was transformed from rice fields into freshwater wetlands.
• Cruise through the reserve in a boat and observe the abundant water birds.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

OVERVIEW

Watch a fascinating woodworking demonstration in Sorrento and wander through the ruins of Pompeii, which reveal ancient life in a surprisingly candid way. The craftsmen will demonstrate the art of intarsia or wood inlay, which has long been associated with Sorrento. During free time that follows you might browse the boutiques and dine on your own. If you stop for lunch, be sure try a glass of chilled Limoncello, a sweet lemon-flavored liquor that has been produced locally for more than a century. You will then head to Pompeii, a Roman town forever known for the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried it under ash and pumice in 79 AD. After watching artisans hand-carve classic cameos, you will meander through the excavated ruins. The buildings are largely intact, frescoes adorn the villas and everyday objects are scattered about, just as they were when the volcano erupted. Expect to see ancient baths, temples and residences with intricate mosaic floors.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Watch woodworkers demonstrate the art of intarsia or wood inlay, a specialty in Sorrento.
• Browse Sorrento’s museums and boutiques or dine on your own during free time.
• See the artistry behind the making of traditional cameos in Pompeii.
• Walk through the ruins of Pompeii for an eye-opening look into ancient life.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

Meet a Nordic assistant designer and discover how she upcycles discarded waste materials to create green fashions. The venue for this enlightening experience will be the Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial complex that has been converted into the largest creative center in Estonia, which is also a member of the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network. Of all the studios and galleries, the one that Reet Aus owns may be the most inspiring. She is committed to ending the fashion industry’s throwaway culture by creating clothing with excess textiles that would otherwise end up in a landfill. By upcycling or turning old garments into higher-quality sustainable ones, she helps to reduce Estonia’s carbon footprint. You will find a similar environmentally conscious atmosphere at the photography museum Fotografiska. After browsing the exhibits, you will enjoy lunch at a zero-waste restaurant, where the dishes are as creative as the photography. Views of Tallinn’s World Heritage site, Old Town, will enhance the dining experience.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Meet an assistant designer that upcycles discarded textiles to create sustainable fashions.
• See stylish high-quality clothing made with materials once earmarked for the landfill.
• Browse a photography museum and dine in its zero-waste restaurant.

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

The Ottomans and Byzantines ruled this city for centuries, and testament to these great empires stand the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, opposite each other in Sultanahmet Square. You’ll see these two impressive of Istanbul as well as the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. Start with a visit to one of the most recognized landmarks in the world, the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet, better known as the Blue Mosque. Continue to the Hippodrome, to see the remains of what was once the scene for political struggles in the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. See the Hagia Sophia Mosque from outside a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It served as a church for hundreds of years during the Byzantine Empire and was converted to a Mosque when the city was conquered by the Ottomans in 1453. Continue to the great Byzantine Basilica Cistern, located across from Hagia Sophia. Next stop is the Grand Bazaar. You’ll have a short time to experience the exotic atmosphere of the covered part.

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.

View the landmarks of Hiroshima, some commemorating the atomic bomb blast here in 1945 and others reflecting the city’s celebration of peace. At the poignant Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, you will behold the ruins of some of the few concrete buildings left after the atomic bomb was dropped. One of them, the Atomic Bomb Dome, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and has become a symbol of Hiroshima. You will also browse the Peace Memorial Museum whose exhibits show Hiroshima before and after the bombing and personal artifacts from the victims that humanize the devastating event. The museum encourages visitors to make a vow for universal peace. While the mood there is somber, serenity is the overarching theme at Shukkei-en Garden. Besides being a wonderful respite from the hubbub of the city, the garden is a visual delight, as plants are always in bloom. Although the atomic bomb destroyed the garden, it has been fully restored.