Insight Vacations

Highlights

• Baddeck: Experience warm hospitality and Cape Breton-style home cooking with traditional music. Join local musicians and engage in an evening of song, dance and storytelling for a unique insight into Acadian culture.
• Halifax: Immerse yourself in Nova Scotia's rich maritime heritage at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Discover history, including the Halifax Explosion and the sinking of the Titanic through an immersive visit. History comes alive as you sit in a replica Titanic deck chair or climb aboard the CSS Acadia. Learn about Halifax’s connection to the Titanic: When ship owners in New York heard the ship hit an iceberg, they thought it would travel to Halifax. In the end, 150 of the 1518 lives lost were buried in Halifax. You’ll appreciate gaining insights into history exploring exhibits from a small craft boat building to World War Convoys, the Titanic to the Halifax Explosion, events and people who have defined Nova Scotia and its relationship with the sea.
• Halifax: Embark an exploration of this cosmopolitan, eclectic port city of Halifax with your Local Expert. Travel to the local cemetery where many of the Titanic victims were laid to rest before a visit to the Victorian-era inspired Halifax Public Gardens and bustling harbor front. Learn how the growth of this maritime hub can be attributed to its economic ties with the fishing industry, shipbuilding and trade, fostering a maritime culture that persists today. Your in-depth city tour will end at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for a docent-led tour.
• Lunenburg: The hand-picked UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg invites you to discover its storied streets. Experience one of the best surviving examples of a planned British Colonial settlement in North America before meeting a Local Expert for a walking tour. Your guided tour will make sites come alive with cultural wonders like superstitions, folklore and local facts. All will be woven together with unique personal stories as you stroll past its brightly painted houses.
• Peggy's Cove: Visit scenic Peggy's Cove, a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay southwest of downtown Halifax. Take in the breathtaking coastal scenery, including its iconic Peggy's Cove Lighthouse perched on rugged granite rocks. Embrace this area's serene beauty, fishing village and artistic community that make it one of Nova Scotia's most favorite destinations.

Highlights

• Edinburgh: Visit Edinburgh Castle to view the Scottish Crown Jewels, Mons Meg and other artefacts with your Local Expert.
• Edinburgh: Explore the city with your Local Expert as you travel along Princes Street to see the Scott Memorial, the neoclassical Adam facades of New Town and the official Scottish residence of the King, Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• Edinburgh: A hush descends and eyes turn to the castle. The skirl of the pipes rises and drums crack the night air as a tide of tunics and tartan flood from the drawbridge. For a limited time in August, witness the incredible spectacle of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
• Gretna Green: Visit the spot where runaway lovers were married.
• Grasmere: Learn about the life of the poet William Wordsworth and visit his grave.

Highlights

• Barcelona: Venture inside Gaudí's extraordinary masterpiece, the Sagrada Família and marvel at the contrasts of architecture. Above see its giant, tree-like pillars and spectacular vaulting. Admire the wonderful rainbow of the incredible stained-glass windows.
• Barcelona: With your Local Expert, drive along the elegant Passeig de Gràcia to witness some of the finest Modernist architecture as you journey through the Eixample district to see Gaudi's extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerizing Sagrada Família.
• Peñíscola: See the seaside castle featured in the film 'El Cid'.
• Valencia: See the ultra-modern Center of Arts and Sciences and the huge gates of the old town, Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart.
• Seville: Visit the Seville Cathedral with your Local Expert. Pass the altarpiece dripping with gold and see the Tomb of Columbus, held aloft by four kings.

Highlights

• Sedona: Experience the essence of the great American road trip, as you travel through the Red Rock Scenic Byway. Along your journey you will be immersed in the stunning, natural peaks and rock formations of the Red Country, that look as though they could have been shaped by the countless artists they have inspired.
• Sedona: With its red stone formations that create a haunting skyline found nowhere else in the world. This is where Arizona keeps the Old West. And this is where a New West has evolved, as a haven for creatives, a center of spiritual health and enlightenment, and an epic playground for outdoor enthusiasts.
• Grand Canyon: Early risers will take advantage of the lodge location, close to the Grand Canyon South Rim, to witness one of Mother Nature's grandest shows on earth: a sunrise over the majestic Grand Canyon.
• Monument Valley: Meet your Navajo Local Experts and board all-terrain vehicles with open sides for a private, off-the-beaten path exploration of this magical valley. Learn about Navajo history, culture and heritage from your expert as you travel deeper in the natural wonders of this unique landscape.
• Zion National Park: See the grandeur and natural features of the canyon in total comfort while traveling via private open-air tram with live on-board commentary.

Highlights

• The Ruins of Mount Nebo, Explore the Ancient City of Petra
• Jerash: Feel like you have stepped 2,000 years back in time as your Travel Director guides you through this marvelous ancient metropolis - now the finest surviving example of a Greco-Roman city in the world!
• Petra: Explore the ancient and hidden 'rose-red' city, as you journey with your Travel Director, through the winding, dark passageway, between rock walls up to 200 meters high. See the Treasury and explore the Roman Amphitheater and ancient tombs.
• Wadi Rum: Enjoy beautiful desert scenery as you make your way on a jeep safari deep into the heart of Wadi Rum's majestic desert.
• Amman: During a city tour of Amman, visit the Citadel, the grand Roman Amphitheater and the Archaeological Museum.

Highlights

• Jackson: Historic Jackson, where the majestic peaks of the Teton Range act as your constant backdrop. Feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you walk through the town's famous landmark arch of tangled elk antlers. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town’s boutiques and stores, which blend the Old West and the modern West harmoniously.
• Yellowstone National Park: The world’s first National Park, Yellowstone spans 2,219,789 acres and even has its own Grand Canyon. The park is home to half of the world’s hydrothermal features, more than 10,000, of which over 300 are geysers. Yellowstone is also a wildlife paradise. Some 1,700 species of plants and 400 species of birds, fish and mammals live in the park, including bison, wolves, bears, elk and moose.
• Grand Teton National Park: Travel through a mountainous landscape like no other. Witness the striking Grand Tetons thrust skyward 6,562 feet (2,000 meters) from the valley floor and keenly watch for exciting wildlife that call these mountains home. Including the grizzly bear, bald eagles, moose, bison, and elk.
• Yellowstone National Park: Catch the renowned colorful bubbling mud pots and observe Old Faithful geyser shooting water over 120 feet (37 meters) into the air. The Upper Geyser Basin boasts the highest concentration of spouting geysers, hot springs and steaming fumaroles in the world.
• Cody: Explore the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West, known for its excellent Western art collection and natural history.

Highlights

• Assisi: See St. Mary of the Angels Church and join your Local Expert to walk through the cobbled streets and beautifully preserved medieval laneways of this quaint town.
• Assisi: With a Local Expert, find out why the Basilica of St. Francis is considered one of the crowning achievements of Europe.
• San Gimignano: Visit the medieval Manhattan of Italy.
• Florence: Join a Local Expert to view the multi-colored marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square. See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods.
• Rome: Enjoy exclusive access to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes during an after-hours visit. This 9th-century basilica’s simple facade guards the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics. The history of the church springs to life as you admire the interior’s treasured collection, including Bernini's first sculpture and the renowned mosaics, illuminated for your visit. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is a rare and unforgettable insight into Rome and its religious history.

Highlights

• Bucharest: During sightseeing with your Local Expert see University Square and the former Communist Headquarters.
• Bucharest: Walk the cavernous halls of the vast Palace of Parliament, learn about the history and listen to amusing tales from your Local Expert.
• Sinaia: Witness the opulent and sumptuous decor in Peleș Castle, the fairy-tale Royal summer residence, at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains.
• Veliko Tarnovo: Ascend Tsarevets, the King's Hill, crowned by a ruined medieval citadel. Enjoy the views and imagine yourself back in the days of the Crusades when this was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
• Arbanasi: At the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Arbanassi, visit a traditional 17th-century merchants' house and enjoy the acoustics in the Church of the Holy Nativity.