An excellent introduction to Italy’s less visited landscapes, this tour combines wonderful walks in the mountains and valleys of the Dolomites, with the rural tempo of vine-cloaked Prosecco hills, and the enchanting enclaves of medieval towns

Cruising the Douro from its mouth on the Atlantic to its crossing into Spain, with daily excursions to medieval towns, majestic palaces, port wine cellars, and vineyard valley landscapes, this beguiling journey includes visits to Guimarães, Lamego, and Salamanca

Cruising the Guadalquivir from spirited Seville to coastal Cadiz, and travelling by road to Roman and medieval Cordoba, the wine cellars of Jerez area, and Granada’s magnificent Moorish palace fortress, this tour adds an extra dimension to Andalucian discovery

From the “foodie’s favourite” city of Lyon to Beaujolais vineyards, Roman temples, the medieval towns of Provence, and the wild beauty of the Camargue, this river cruise is a tour through time and traditions, between the scenic banks of the Rhône and Saône

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

From Bari’s historic Adriatic port to a sublimely different enclave of Italy, this enchanting tour takes you to Lecce’s lavishly adorned baroque buildings, to mystical Matera’s ancient ‘sassi’ cave dwellings, and to the unique cone-topped ‘trulli’ houses of Alberobello

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

Wander among saw-toothed peaks in the Italian Dolomites on this group walking tour, which showcases the region’s mountains, lakes and Tyrolean villages

Touring the north of Iceland, from small towns and colourful villages to spectacular landscapes of mountains and waterfalls, fjords and lava fields, lakes and craters; and including a whale-watching cruise and time in the capital, Reykjavik; all Icelandic life is here

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

Based in the beautiful spa resort of Montecatini, this tour takes in the treasure trove of art that forms resplendent Florence, the hidden gem of medieval Pistoia, and a Puccini concert in the place of his birth, Lucca

Explore the largest of the Greek islands on this tour of Crete, and suspend disbelief to enjoy the myths and legends of the ancient sites, as you visit Roman ruins and Ottoman streets, Byzantine churches and Venetian ports, mountain villages and Minoan Palaces