Middle East Budget Culture Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

Highlights

• Visit Sigiriya's Lion Rock – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and if you’re game, climb the steps to the top for amazing views over the jungle.
• Explore an area of Sri Lanka only recently opened to tourism – considered to be off-limits for years due to the civil war, the gates to Jaffna are now open to adventurers once more. Discover Tamil culture and see Point Pedro – Sri Lanka’s northernmost point.
• Kick back in the sun on Trincomalee Beach’s bright and sandy shoreline. Enjoy the open skies, swaying palm trees and glittering waters, then stop by a local village to join the community in making a traditional Tamil meal.
• Witness ritual and devotion in the spiritual heart of the country during a visit to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth.
• Observe wild elephants from basic tree houses and hopefully catch an outstanding sunset in Wasgamuwa National Park – one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Sri Lanka.

Highlights

• Spend a day exploring the majesty and mystery of Petra, embark on a 4WD drive adventure through wind-swept rock formations of Wadi Rum and experience the unique sensation of floating in the Dead Sea – this is Jordan.
• Experience isolated elegance during your Feature Stay at a comfortable Bedouin-style camp in Wadi Rum. Enjoy modern comforts while being surrounded by the vast desert, natural sandstone sculptures and a sky jewelled with stars.
• Lift the lid on Jordanian cuisine when you dine in a fantastic local restaurant in Amman and learn the tricks of the trade during an immersive cooking class run by three sisters in the home of their grandmother.
• Embrace local life as you travel with a passionate Jordanian leader, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of the communities and historic sites you visit.
• Join your Bedouin hosts in Wadi Rum for an Exclusive Experience to remember. Tuck into a traditional dinner cooked in a zarb (underground oven) while learning about the Bedouin way of life.

Highlights

• This short but sweet trip packs a punch with visits to Istanbul, Canakkale, Cappadocia and Ephesus while still leaving plenty of time to relax.
• Discover the incredible ancient and modern history of Turkey as you explore thousands of years of history hidden within the remarkable ruins of Ephesus and discover Gallipoli on a guided tour that will teach you about the significant events that took place in this area.
• Taste local fruit wines in one of the best-preserved Greek Ottoman villages in the country. Get to know the friendly locals with a home-made lunch at a local family in Cappadocia.
• Travel and stay a little differently – and come home with memories to last a lifetime – from taking local buses and trains, to staying in one of the cave hotels that Cappadocia is famed for.
• Discover the back streets and vibrant local markets of Istanbul with your expert guide, find hidden hotspots and local hangouts that you won’t find in the guidebooks.

Highlights

• Wander around Rome's famous landmarks including the Colosseum, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica and much more. This is a city that bucket lists were made for
• Explore the vast, frozen in time ruins of ancient Pompeii, which emerged from the ashes after thousands of years, and take a peak inside the steaming crater of Mt Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed it
• Hike among the olive groves on the Path of the Gods along the spectacular Amalfi Coast
• Stay in a bit of local history and feel like a true Alberobello resident with a night in Alberobello’s unique trulli
• Explore the otherworldly Sassi of Matera – stone houses formed from natural grottoes and tufo cliffs overlooking a dramatic gorge

Highlights

• Dine in the home of a local family, where you’ll be treated to a traditional home-cooked Turkish meal and have the opportunity to learn about life in the desert.
• Explore the weird and wonderful world of Cappadocia – this might be the most unusual place in Turkey. Learn all about its fairy chimneys and sprawling rock formations from your expert local leader.
• Wander the warrens of underground cities, homes and churches carved straight into the sandstone of the Cappadocian desert, and maybe opt to gaze down at the city from above on a sunrise hot air balloon ride.
• The thriving metropolis of Istanbul is where East literally meets West. Discover the highlights and the history of this incredible city that melds the cultures of two continents.
• Learn about the history and culture that was born in Konya, from the teachings of Sufism to the art and skill of the whirling dervish.

Highlights

• Rich in history, art, architecture, cuisine and nightlife, Budapest is a hot European destination. The Museum of Fine Arts offers free English tours that reveal the famous artwork of Monet, Manet and Goya, just to name a few
• A homestay with a family in the Saxon village of Viscri in Romania offers insight into local life and the chance to sample some delicious home-cooked food
• This trip takes you to a mix of exciting capital cities and quaint mountain villages through Eastern Europe all the way to the transcontinental Istanbul.
• Transylvania is drenched in history and myth. Discover the medieval city of Sighisoara, the birthplace of one of Romania's most infamous figures, Vlad the Impaler - better known as the inspiration for Count Dracula
• Journey deep into the forested valley of Rila to find the Monastery of Saint Ivan. Over 1,000 years old, this spectacular building is one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments