A veritable feast of Greek and Roman monuments vie for attention amid the Norman, Phoenician and Saracen landmarks of Sicily’s cultural heritage. The island’s astonishing wealth of well-preserved sites bring the ancient past to life and make this our top tour in Italy

From the foot of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, to the lakes of the Great Rift Valley, and the route of the wildebeests’ Great Migration, this safari includes the elephants of Amboseli, birdlife on the shores of Elementaita, and the Big Cats of the Masai Mara

Staying in three UNESCO World Heritage towns, Alcalá de Henares, medieval Ávila and Toledo, and visiting magnificent Madrid, Roman and Romanesque Segovia, and Renaissance Salamanca, this is a tour of the Middle Ages, art and architecture, plazas and palaces

Touring Montenegro from medieval towns to Mediterranean bays, via Europe’s most southerly fjord and its last virgin forest, this journey explores the ancient history of the young country, revealing its culture, customs and cuisine, at a relaxed, refreshing pace.

From baroque castles to beautiful bucolic villages, from hilltop medieval ruins to valleys cloaked in the vineyards of age-old wine estates, from mountain scenery to ocean shore, enjoy the ever-changing landscapes of this unique Royal Barge cruise on the Douro

Crossing Croatia and Slovenia, from convivial Zagreb to elegant Ljubljana, this is a tour of capital cities, coastal towns, and natural wonders; where a Roman theatre, medieval churches, and modern resorts share the bill with magnificent lakes and mythical caves

Follow in the footsteps of Flaubert and Tennyson, Julius Caesar and Queen Victoria, to enjoy the timeless elegance of Lake Como, where flower-filled gardens and pastel-painted villages punctuate the shore, set against the stunning backdrop of the Southern Alps

In the scenic surrounds of Lakes Como, Lugano and Maggiore, beautiful villas and their bountiful gardens have inspired poets and painters, brilliant botanists, and dedicated designers. This is a week to enjoy the vibrant results of the visionary landscapers’ labours

Touring magnificent landscapes and medieval landmarks, this coastal cruise calls at charismatic towns, and takes the ‘back to Nature’ routes to uninhabited islands and peaceful national parks, revealing the secret scenic splendour of Croatia’s untamed interior

A supremely scenic week, with Meta di Sorrento as your base, includes the evocative remains of Pompeii, a drive along ‘the divine coast’ to Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, and Capri by boat

Unspoilt, uncrowded, and unique in its culture, Albania is a treasure chest of ancient cities, mystical mountains, museums, castles and coastline, its feast of Ottoman architecture the jewel in its crown. This tour lifts the lid on its riches, of heritage and of nature

A wonderful waltz with the Danube’s drift, this classic cruise goes with the flow from Austrian Melk and Vienna to Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava; and sails the natural, national border to Hungary, to visit the Puszta prairie, beautiful Budapest, and Esztergom’s Basilica