If you would like to receive complete itineraries for any of the tours listed here, please click on the form button. We can send them by post or e-mail. Prices in Canadian dollars.

Please note that it is also possible to join us on any of our tours on a "LAND ONLY" basis. Contact us for more information, airfares from your city/country, and other details.

2008

ARCHITECTURE & ART IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK May 21-22. $395 from Toronto. Join the members of the Ryerson University LIFE Institute for an exploration of the Architecture & Art in the Buffalo area. Visit the city which is undergoing a marvelous transformation in the areas of Art & Architecture. We will feature the work of Frank Lloyd Wright including Martin Complex plus Graycliff, Arts & Crafts of East Aurora including the Roycroft Campus. Enjoy a guided walking tour of central Buffalo, visit to the Albright-Knox Gallery. Excorted by David Mennill. Tour itinerary

MUSICA ITALIA 2008 June 22-July 6 $4,875 from Toronto. The wonderful scenery (and food) of Italy's Veneto and Umbria provinces, plus the wonderful music of all seven concerts of Angela Hewitt's Trasimeno Festival! This tour will be accompanied (until June 29) by historian Jacques Pauwels, and is supported by the Volunteer Committee of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. Edwin Outwater, music director of the KW-Symphony, may join us for part of this tour.. web page Tour itinerary

BOSTON July 31-August 4. $950.00. Relive three centuries of history, stroll along the seafront, or enjoy some of Boston's man cultural events during this 4 night excursion to the heart of New England. Following the successful format of our Chicago trip, organized tours will be offered every morning with free time every afternoon. Be sure to hold your place early as space on the bus is limited. Tour itinerary

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR August 18-29. $2,995 from Toronto. It is amazing how much this part of Canada has to offer: the Viking settlement at L'Anseaux-Meadows, ancient Basque whaling stations on the rugged Labrador Coast, Gros Morne National Park, the lively pubs of St. John's, icebergs, and an abundance of wildlife including caribou, moose, whales and...puffins! With Michael Quinn. Tour itinerary

CHICAGO IN DEPTH August 28-September 1. $1,095 from Toronto and points west. A five-day/four-night coach tour to one of the world's great cities during the annual jazz festival. Architecture, art, the famous Loop and Magnificent Mile, wonderful gardens and parks, theatre, symphonies, super shopping, dining and all that jazz. Dave and Barb Mennill will be pleased to show you the sights. Tour itinerary

JEWISH HISTORY AND CULTURE IN GREECE AND TURKEY September 11-25. $4,950 from Toronto or Montreal. This 15-day tour focuses on Jewish history and culture in Greece and Turkey, where Jews lived and flourished particularly in the Hellenistic, Roman and Ottoman eras. In addition to world-famous attractions such as the Parthenon in Athens, the Apollo-sanctuary of Delphi, and Istanbul's Aya Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, we contact existing Jewish communities and visit Jewish museums, Cemeteries and Synagogues. Tour itinerary

GREECE: THE MAINLAND AND THE ISLANDS Two departures, September 29 - October 14 and October 13 - 28. $4,975 from Toronto. Visit the wonderful islands of Crete, Santorini and Rhodes before exploring Greece's mainland from your base in a deluxe hotel in Athens, including Delphi, Cape Sounion, Marathon, Epidauros, Mycene, and more! Two meals daily. Joanne Mayhew is the tour escort. Tour itinerary

ESSENTIAL JAPAN September 29-October 15. $5,495 from toronto. A classical tour, with Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kamakura, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Kyoto. Non-stop flights with AC! With Jacques Pauwels and Japan-expert Ted Scott. Tour itinerary

DALMATIAN COAST October 15-24. Tenative dates - October 15-24; price TBA from Toronto. Enjoy medieval Dubrovnik and Split with Diocletian's Palace on Croatia's wonderful Dalmatian Coast. Beautiful scenery, friendly people and great food!

THE IMPERIAL CITIES OF BUDAPEST AND PRAGUE Mid October for 10 days. Approximate tour cost $2,695. Enjoy the beauty, history, food and culture of these two magnificent European capitals together with your tour leader Lynn MacDonald and our wonderful local guides.

THE GRAND TOUR OF TURKEY October 16-31. $3,795 from Toronto. All the highlights of this fabulous destination: Ankara, Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale, Ephesos, Troy, and Istanbul. With our popular Turkish archaeologist-guide Feredun, but also frequent lectures by historian Jacques Pauwels, the tour director. Tour itinerary

PARIS IN DEPTH October 23 - November 1. $2,350 from Toronto. Indulge in some joie de vivre in "Gay Paree" and get to know the French capital like a real Parisian! Our price includes a very comfortable hotel in the district of the Opera, breakfast and 4 dinners, museum and subway passes, a Seine cruise, and even a concert! Tour itinerary

VIENNA IN DEPTH October 23 - 31. Approx $3,270 from Toronto. An insiders, of the art, music and architecture of the Austrian capital including all the musts: Vienna Boy's Choir, Spanish Riding School, concerts, etc. plus very special treats: Champagne cocktails and private receptions, gourmet lunches and dinners, wine tastings. Escorted by Wally Haupt, manager of the Austrian Tourist Bureau for over 30 years.

MAPLE LEAF ROUTE November 5-16. $2,895 from Toronto. Our annual battlefield tour to Normandy, Belgium and the Netherlands, including Remembrance Day in Flanders Fields! With Jacques Pauwels, author of a book on the Canadians and the liberation of Belgium Tour itinerary

HIGHLIGHTS OF SOUTHERN INDIA (OUR ANNUAL EXOTIC TOUR) November 17 - December 3. $5,150 from Toronto. This tour includes Chennai (Madras), the Coromandel Coast, French-flavoured Pondicherry, Madurai, the Periyar Wildlife Santuary, an overnight on a house boat on the Kerala waterways, Cochin and the Malabar Coast - plus the Taj Mahal and Delhi! With Jacques Pauwels. Tour itinerary

LAS VEGAS FOR ART LOVERS November 19 - 23. estimated tour cost $2,150 from Toronto. Spend an exciting 5 days in the city where fantasy, fame and fortune are interlaced with art, culture, mega shows, major exhibitions, private art collections and unique architecture lit by neon lights. Highlights include visits to the Las Vegas Art Museum, the Bellagio Art Gallery, the Hermitage Guggenheim Gallery, as well as a private collection and a mega show.

ECUADOR: THE ANDES, AMAZONIA, AND THE GALAPAGOS November 20-December 5. $5,595 from Toronto. All the attractions of South America in one small country! Enjoy Quito, the Andes, a 3-day cruise on a tributary of the Amazon, plus 4 days touring the Galapagos! With Gregg Murtagh. Tour itinerary

THE FESTIVE SEASON IN SALZBURG, AND VIENNA November 23-30. Approx $3,100 from Toronto. A program packed with historical and musical highlights of Austrian culture and culinary delights during the pre-Christmas period. Classical dinner concerts, Christmas concert by the Vienna Boy's Choir, gourmet dinner at the Museum of Fine Arts, special exhibitions and fun at the Heurigen. Optional opera, operetta, cooking class. With Wally Haupt. The Canadian Opera Company Volunteer Committee proudly supports this tour. Tour itinerary

2009

EGYPT & JORDAN Tenative dates-January 8-25; price TBA. Enjoy the mystery and splendour two ancient lands! See the Sphinx, the Pyramids, Luxor's Valley of Kings and Mount Sinai, the Roman ruins of Jerash, and the famous "lsot city" of Peru. Nice cruise included. Garry Burns and Alan Toff are the tour hosts.

CHILE & EASTER ISLAND Tentative dates - January 19-February 4; price TBA. Travel from the Atacama Desert to the wilds of Patagonia, the glaciers of Tierra del Fuego, and Easter Island with its mysterious statues. With Jacques Pauwels.

TAORMINA (SICILY) IN DEPTH February 13-22. just $2395 from Toronto. Looking out on both the blue Mediterranean and the enormous hulk of Mt. Etna, the lovely Sicilian town of Taormina is rated as one of the top resots of Italy. Excursions to Syracuse, the Greek temples of Agrigento, and Reggio with the superb Greek sculptures known as the Riace Bronzes. Things explained, wine tasted, pasta prepared, and protection provided by Don "Giacomo" Pauwels.

HIGHLIGHTS OF ROME & VENICE February 21-March 2; estimated tour cost $2,125 from Toronto. Marvel at the magnificent Dodge's Palace, cruise the Grand Canal, explore magnificent Piazza San Marco. Then travel to the centre of Christianity and former capital of the Roman Empire. Climb the steps of the Colosseum, wander the ancient streets of the Roman Forum, discover the Pantheon and Michaelangelo's superb Basilica of St. Peter. With Michael Quinn.

TEN DAYS IN PROVENCE February 21-March 2; $2295 from Toronto. We tour wonderful countryside (including the Camargue)and visit picturesque historical cities such as Orange, Arles, Nimes, and Aix-en-Provence from our home base, Avignon, where we stay in an excellent hotel. Also excellent food and wine! With Jacques Pauwels.

PARIS IN DEPTH March 2-11. estimated tour cost $2,195 from Toronto. Chase the winter blahs with some joie de vivre in "Gay Paree" and get to know the French capital like a real Parisian! Our price includes a very comfortable hotel in the are ct of les Grands Magasins and the Opera, breakfast daily and 4 dinners, museum and subway passes, a Seine cruise, and even a concert!

DANCE, MUSIC AND FUN IN SALZBURG AND VIENNA March 15-24; approximately $2,950 from Toronto. Salzburg and its lake District, Innsbruck, the dazzling Swarovsky Crystal World, Melk Abbey and the Wachau area, and Eisenstadt where Joseph Haydn worked for over 30 years. (2009 is Haydn memorial year.) Waltz and foklore dance lessons included, as well as an elegant Waltz Ball at the Palais Ferstl in Vienna. With Wally Haupt.

MADRID IN DEPTH Late March; price TBA. Art historian Alan Toff, lecturer at UofT's Continuing Education, takes you to the Prado, Queen Sophia Centre (featuring Picasso's 'Guernica'), the Thyssen-Bornemysza Collection, and EI Escorial. Also sidetrips to El Greco's Toledo and Segovia with its fabulous Roman acquaduct.

BARCELONA IN DEPTH April. estimated tour cost $2,295. from Toronto. Get to know the Catalan capital, unquestionably one of Europe's most beautiful and exciting cities, associated with great artists such as Picasso, Miro, Dali, Gaudi.

GARDENS OF FRANCE Late April. Our annual 10-day spring garden tour begins in Normandy with the Le Vasterival Garden and Chateau de Miromesnil before continuing into the Loire Valley for visits to Villandry, Azay-Le-Rideau and other chateaux. We finish in the Paris area with Monet's Giverny, Vaux-le-Vicomte, and one or two "secret city gardens" With Garry Burns and Michael Quinn.

VENICE AND THE VENETO Tentative dates - April 23-May 4; price TBA. Full exploration of Venice and the Veneto region including gorgeous villas, and the cities of Vicenza, Padua and Verona. With Dianne Globe.

BERLIN IN DEPTH April 24-March 3; estimated tour cost $2,295 from Toronto. Lots of History, architecture, and art, as Michael Quinn shows you around the magnificent capital of the reunited Germany, now one of the most dynamic and exciting cities of Europe. The Pergamon Museum and the Nefertiti alone make it worth the journey! Our excellent hotel offers a superb location near "Ku'damm". With Michael Quinn.

BRUGES IN DEPTH April 24- March 3; estimated tour cost $2,295 from Toronto. Europe's best preserved Medieval city, full of wonderful monuments and museums, plus sidetrips to Ghent, Brussels, "Flanders Fields" and Vimy. Also chocolate, waffles, mussels, beer....With Jacques Pauwels, who knows Belgium!

PRAGUE IN DEPTH Mid May. estimated tour cost $2,300 from Toronto. A repeat of our popular pilgrimage for lovers of music, architecture, history and culture.

EUROPEAN PRIMAVERA: "UMBRIA AND TUSCANY, LAND OF THE ETRUSCANS" May 16-20; estimated tour cost $3,500 from Toronto. Join Jacques Pauwels in a search for traces of the mysterious pre-Roman Etruscan civilization-and for great food and wine! - in quaint hilltop towns such as Volterra, Cortona, and in the magnificent countryside of the "green heart" of Italy.

QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS-CANADA'S GALAPAGOS OF THE NORTH Tentative dates - May 27-June 6; price TBA. This ancient home of the Haida First Nations Peoples is rich in mysteries, old forests, seascapes and abundant nature. Our BC representative, Dianne Glove, expert in tours of Western Canada, will take a small group on an exclusive tour of this remote but intriguing archipelago, featuring rugged coastlines, a lush rain forest, and a superb native culture.

PLANNED FOR SUMMER-FALL 2009: SEE LIST OF TENTATIVE TOURS (We would appreciate hearing of your interest in these tentative plans for the second half of 2009 that are listed below)

A MUSIC TOUR A music tour on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the death in 1809 of Joseph Haydn, with Vienna, Eisenstadt, Bratislava, etc.

MOSCOW-VLADIVOSTOK Moscow-Vladivostok with the Transsiberian Express, with an optional extension to North Korea.

NORTH KOREA North Korea, in conjunction with Beijing or the Transsiberian Express. (see above tour)

CULTURE & CUISINE "IBERIA" Culture & Cuisine "Iberia (late September)

THE ANCIENT AMBER ROAD The Ancient Amber Road in the Ukraine (September), with the Crimea, Odessa, and Kiev.

TURKEY Turkey (September/October)

LISBON IN DEPTH Lisbon in Depth (early October)

ARMENIA & GEORGIA Armenia & Georgia (October)

NORTHERN ITALY Northern Italy (October)

GOLF & BIG GAME IN SOUTH AFRICA Golf and Big Game in South Africa (October)

AUSTRALIA Australia

VIETNAM & CAMBODIA Vietnam & Cambodia (November)

THAILAND FROM TOP TO BOTTOM Thailand from Top to Bottom (November)

PERU Peru (November)