Top Eastern Europe Luxury History Trips & Packages 2025/2026

What travelers are saying

"I have travelled with ROW numerous times, including four trips on the Rogue River. Every trip has been wonderful and every person associated with ROW has been nice, knowledgeable, professional and fun. The Rogue is a great river and the trip is an excellent one for two people or a large group—and I have done both. I’ve taken both of my kids, one time each, and have organized groups of colleagues twice; most recently in 2019 when 14 of us gathered. The guides at ROW are great and help to make the trip very enjoyable. The scenery, lodging and the wonderful outdoors including warm air and refreshing water, make for a wonderful escape from the everyday routine. The fact that this trip offers beds and indoor plumbing is a nice benefit and allows those who have an aversion to camping a chance to see the wilderness. I have recommended ROW and the Rogue trip more times than I can count and my group has already reserved our trip for 2021. What are you waiting for?"

What travelers are saying

"Aileen was delightful to work with! She was attentive and available to make my clients' trip an absolute success. We even had some last minute additions/requests that she was able to make happen. 5 stars to Aileen and Kensington!"

What travelers are saying

"We used CIE for an amazing tour of Ireland. The food and the locals were amazing. Here is my issue: we were told that another CIE tour from Scotland would be joining us in Dublin. The majority of those travelers had some type of respiratory virus and joined our tour. Tour director knew they were sick as she pointed out pharmacies at every tour stop. Every scheduled breakfast, lunch or dinner was restricted to certain tables since we had limited reserved seating and that virus spread like wildfire among the original Dublin travelers. My understanding is that CIE has a policy that “sick” passengers are not permitted on the tour. My wife got the “sickness” and I got COVID. Ruined such an amazing place. I placed a customer service ticket with CIE on 21 May 2014 and have heard nothing back. I will probably see Bigfoot before a response."

What travelers are saying

"I am a 12 time traveler with Grand Circle and OAT. But maybe no more. They are impossible to reach by phone without waiting for hours. I even tired their emergency phone number and was on hold for hours. What if I had been stranded in a foreign country? They cancelled my Eastern Europe to Black Sea Cruise in Sept 2021 and cited "covid" or "civil unrest" issues. Baloney. They cancelled because they did not sell out the cruise and lied about it to me. I know because I went with Viking during the same month with no excuses like Grand Circle gave me. Add to that they promised me a $1,000 credit on my next trip- which was to Antarctica in December. The invoice they sent me showed the credit- and 1 month later a new invoice arrived with the credit removed. Why? Another lie? Something is really wrong here with the company now and I would suggest be very careful with bookings as they are not the same company I traveled with for the past 12 years."

What travelers are saying

"Traveling all the way from Sweden we were looking for a way to hike out in the wilderness with a group and we found this great trip. It takes you out in the amazing nature of Canada away from the bus tourists. Jennie and Chris, our guides, really did an excellent job and were both very knowledgable and fun. Overall it was a great experience and I can highly recommend it. Why did you choose this trip? I wanted to hike in the wilderness. What would your advice be to potential travelers? Enjoy! What was the highlight of your trip? To hike out in the amazing nature. # About Me Avid Adventurer ✔ Yes, I recommend this trip."

What travelers are saying

"Small group travel that's friendly, collaborative, and personal."

What travelers are saying

"We particularly wanted to do this trip because of the abundance of wildlife we expected to encounter and selected this ship because they offered the kayaking experience. Overall, the weather was very good. Most people seemed like minded and were there for the adventurous experience. Accommodations Review They upgraded our cabin and we were very pleased with the amount of space and the amenities in the room. We appreciated the twin windows and being able to see humpbacks diving from our cabin. It was kept very clean and it was a treat to have our bed turned down with chocolates on the pillow each night. Meals Review We liked the variety and the quality of the food. There was always something new to try. The dining room staff was very professional and personable. Crew & Guides Review Solon was our Principal Trip Leader. He was incredibly professional and it seemed like he was constantly working to maximize the encounters with wildlife and scenery, taking advantage of all the weather opportunities and going to places that they don't often go. He worked very closely with the captain who was very accommodating and caring about us having a memorable voyage. Aymie and Andrew were our kayak guides. We went out to kayak 10 different times and were able to get to know both of them well. They worked hard to keep us safe and well informed. They made sure that we didn't miss out on any land excursions. We've had quite a few kayak guides over the years that we've paddled and we loved these two. Marla was the marine biologist aboard the ship. She was very enthusiastic and had a passion for marine mammals that was infectious. We loved listening to her presentations and looked forward to hearing her voice on the PA saying that there was another whale sighting. Colin, the geologist aboard the ship, was very knowledgeable and able to make difficult subjects understandable to the passengers. Itinerary Review The trip far, far, far, far, far, far exceeded our expectations. I had one "far" in the sentence when we left South Georgia Island after seeing 250,000 King Penguins at St. Andrews Point and added the second when we saw blue whales on two different days. The third "far" was added when we saw hundreds of whales for 6 hours along the iceberg, A68a. I added another "far" when we kayaked for over an hour with humpbacks all around and another "far" when minke whales were all around the kayaks the next day. The last "far" was added the day we didn't paddle since a leopard seal was all around the kayaks and then an orca came close. We had so many incredible experiences that we could never experience all of them in the same trip again. The guides told us that the close encounters that we had didn't happen very often and that we were very lucky that they all happened on our trip. The only thing that we didn't like was portions of the Drake Passage when it was a tad rough, but that experience gives us something to talk about. Transportation Review We made our transportation arrangements through another travel agency. Traveler Advice Make sure that you take sea sickness meds. Take advantage of every opportunity to see wildlife."

What travelers are saying

"Until Covid clears, I would steer clear of Backroads. We were partially through their June 2020 Costa Rica tour when a guest tested Covid positive. She and her husband were isolated. The rest of the group were offered wimpy masks. Nobody was offered Covid testing daily and masks were not required of the guests or staff. The guides kept repeating "not in the CDC guidelines." Our group of six decided that the Backroads response was inadequate so returned home mid-excursion. The hotel and food was excellent, but the provided bikes were inadequate. The front derailleurs were poorly adjusted, and most of the riders had the chains come off during the first ride. Hikes or bike rides were conducted in downpours. Disappointed for charging such a premium price."