Explore the ancient Acropolis in Athens and indulge in an authentic cooking demonstration in Olympia, as a local chef prepares a feast from locally farmed produce. Replete with lashings of olive oil and Greek cheeses you’ll master moussaka and tzatziki, before experiencing Greece in all its glory. From the Temple of Athena and the Arch of Hadrian in Athens, the gargantuan pinnacles of Meteora near Kalambaka beckon. Guided by your Travel Director, you'll ascend the ancient rock formations of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and visit one of the historic monasteries at the top. Explore where the Olympic Games began in 776 B.C at the Temple of Zeus and in the city of Mycenae, take in the giant Cyclopean stones before discovering traditional Greek pottery methods at the Mycenae Pottery Studio.

Fall in love with Turkey on this 11-day guided tour. See Ephesus, an ancient city built in the 10th Century B.C. with an amphitheater that once sat 24,000 people. Drive through the Maender River Valley to an organic farm, where you can walk the lush lands, then feast on fresh produce during a mouth-watering lunch. See the turquoise travertine pools in Pamukkale where ancient Romans used to soak — then dip into the spa at your hotel to indulge in its Turkish baths. Take a tour of a traditional cave house in Cappadocia with the local who lives there, then dine as you watch whirling dervishes dance nearby. Visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the resting place of the country’s first president, in Ankara. Travel to Istanbul, where you’ll see the infamous Blue Mosque before bargaining at the eclectic Grand Bazaar, which boasts more than 4,000 shops.

Embrace the very best of Egypt on this 9-day tour. In Luxor, walk through an avenue of ram-like sphinxes at Karnak, a complex of ancient temples, churches and pylons, and enjoy the Luxor museum, where you can see two royal mummies. Travel by luxury coach to the Valley of the Kings, where the infamous pharaoh Tutankhamun is buried. Along the Nile, board a felucca — a wooden boat with billowing sails — with a local sailor, who will teach you about traditional sailing practices. In Cairo, meet an Egyptologist at the Egyptian Museum to see treasures recovered from pharaohs’ tombs, and ascend to the Citadel for sweeping views of the city below. And behold the incredible Pyramids of Giza from inside, as an Egyptologist takes you past the Sphinx to the center of a pyramid so that you can see its cavernous wonders.

Travel Turkey on this 15-day guided tour. See Cappadocia, where golden landscapes give way to caverns below. You’ll descend into a local resident’s cave house for a tour and talk about their way of life. Later, see whirling dervishes — twirling dancers who will entertain you during a special dinner. In Göreme, explore rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient paintings before dining on the unique flavors served at a local restaurant that supports women from the village. Travel to Turkey’s third largest city, Izmir, and explore one of the world’s finest archaeological sites, Ephesus. Here, walk to its gargantuan amphitheater, which could seat as many as 24,000 people. In Istanbul, see the Blue Mosque’s tiled domes and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held. Try your hand at bargaining in the city’s Grand Bazaar, which includes more than 4,000 shops.