A fabulously festive, four days away, this mini break offers maximum comfort and cossetting service, to sail through a stress-free Christmas. Go with the flow of the Rhine to explore splendid Strasbourg, beguiling Rüdesheim, and historic Mainz

A four-night tour, to four fascinating cities, this short break shows you ancient, medieval, and modern Albania. From a well-placed base in Durrës, on the shore of the Adriatic, included excursions take you to characterful Kruja, the capital, Tirana, and beguiling Berat

Explore the Christian and Ottoman heritage of Istanbul (formerly Byzantium and Constantinople) including a Bosphorus cruise and visits to palaces, mosques, churches and bazaars, staying in historic hotels

An intriguing, astonishing, affecting introduction to Kraków and its surrounds, this short break spans its historical and cultural spectrum, from an ancient salt mine to a royal palace, medieval old town, spiritual sanctuary, Schindler’s factory, and Auschwitz Museum

There is nowhere else on earth like Venice. The busy city’s streets of water and the tiny islands of its lagoon combine in a unique UNESCO enclave. The tour is a similarly fitting combination, quietly based on an elegant boat, with all the sights at the foot of the gangplank

A few days in Rome at the Casa per Ferie of the Sisters of the Order of St. Joseph of the Apparition overlooking the Vatican or at a hotel close to the Vatican

A superb short-break in Cairo takes you to Egypt’s most iconic monuments, the Pyramids of Giza, a tour to ancient Memphis and Saqqara, and visits the hallowed halls of the Egyptian Museum

A brilliant short break in magical Marrakech, this tour is based within the old medina, staying at the traditional Angsana Riad, where historic character is combined with contemporary comfort, and landmark sites, from souks to palaces, are all within easy reach

A short break during the weeks of Advent, this tour combines the history of the Habsburg Empire with the traditions of the Christmas Markets, cruising the Danube to a trio of riverside capitals, from elegant Vienna to beautiful Budapest and medieval Bratislava

With five nights in Florence, a feast of art and architecture, an insight of medieval life under Medici rule, and every romantic, Renaissance monument within walking distance, this tour combines detailed discovery with ample time to enjoy the city on the Arno River

A four-night break in the legendary landscapes of the Land of Ice & Fire, this tour focuses on Iceland’s southwestern region, seeing the geysers of the Golden Circle, staying in Reykjavik and the scenic surrounds of Selfoss, and visiting villages on the ocean’s edge