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

Travel on the Karakoram Highway to the old kingdom of Hunza, where Three Empires meet, and which Eric Shipton regarded “the epitome of mountain grandeur“

Experience Uzbekistan’s Silk Road cities, from metropolitan Tashkent to Old Khiva’s towers and cupolas, across the Kyzylkum Desert to beautiful Bukhara, and into exotic Samarkand

Sailing from the Black Sea to Budapest, this is a fascinating and multi-faceted journey, revealing the less-known reaches of the Danube, and cruising through the ravishing riverscapes which connect the countries, capitals, and cultures along its remarkable route

A heady blend of ancient sites, stunning scenery, charming towns and glorious churches, this is our ‘grand tour’ of Sicily, its highlights varying from Aeolian Isles to UNESCO sites, Mount Etna to Marsala wine, and the Scicli film locations of Inspector Montalbano

A very varied journey through Sicily’s less-visited sites, this tour reveals the hidden gems of cultural heritage and contrasting landscapes, from Aeolian Islands to ostentatious Baroque towns, and from fishing villages to the fictional world of Inspector Montalbano

An unhurried antidote to the pace of modern life, this ‘no fly’ tour takes the train to Avignon, and cruises from Roman ruins in Arles to revelations on the Canal du Rhône à Sète, in medieval Aigues-Mortes, the Camargue wilderness, and Étang de Thau sea-lake