Along China's Silk Road
This exotic tour traces the fabled Silk Road from Xian to Kashgar and includes remote Hotan, famed in antiquity for its silk and jade production, Ürümqi, and the fascinating Sunday bazaar at Kashgar. We will explore the caravan oasis of Turfan, Dunhuang’s spectacular Mogao grottoes of sculpture and murals, the Labrang Monastery, Buddhist caves at Binglingsi, the extraordinary archaeological sites around Xian and Lanzhou’s excellent museum, and ending in Beijing.

Japan
Our tour introduces the entire span of Japanese archaeology, from Paleolithic sites to medieval castles. Beginning in Tokyo, we fly to Kyushu, visiting samurai houses and gardens, ancient burial mounds and prehistoric town sites as well as Kyushu’s famous traditional craft villages. We will spend a fascinating day at Ise Jingu, Japan’s most prestigious shrine. The tour concludes with six days exploring Nara and Kyoto’s famed temples and gardens. We have scheduled this tour in the fall, one of Japan’s most beautiful seasons. Throughout, we will visit Japan’s great museums, attend special cultural events and study the role of Japan's ancient culture in today’s modern nation.

Khmer Kingdoms
Myanmar, Thailand, Laos & Cambodia
This popular tour focuses on the historical, religious and aesthetic aspects of these four countries. Beginning in Luang Prabang in Laos and the magnificent 7th-century Khmer temples at Wat Phou, we continue to remote northeastern Thailand. In Myanmar visits include the ancient royal cities, pagodas and golden temples in Yangon, Mandalay and Pagan. The tour ends in Cambodia with four days at Angkor Wat. These exciting days will be enhanced by colorful markets and traditional music and dance performances.

Southern Korea
Our unique tour explores Korea's 5,000 years of history. Beginning in the vibrant city of Seoul, capital of the Joseon dynasty and home to royal palaces and fine museums, we continue to Gongju visiting the fascinating royal tombs of the Baekje dynasty, and Gyeongju, capital of the Silla dynasty. Tour highlights include the Seokguram Buddhist Grotto, Buseoksa Temple, the Tripitaka Koreana of Haeinsa Temple,a day trip north to the Demilitarized Zone and the ancient tumuli, pagodas and rock sculptures that dot the countryside around Gwangju. We will also explore traditional Korea through its music, dance, crafts and folklore. This tour will interest all travelers who have visited Japan or China.

Ancient Capitals of China
with an Optional Yangtze River Cruise
This tour focuses on the major capitals of Imperial China, including Beijing, Xian, Luoyang, Zhengzhou and the garden city of Suzhou. Some of the tour’s highlights are the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Longmen Buddhist caves in Luoyang, the famous terra-cotta warriors near Xian and the world-class museum in Shanghai — plus an optional four days on the Yangtze River, sailing from Chongqing to Wuhan through the famous Three Gorges. This tour is a must for those who have never visited China.

South China: Land of Rice & Silk (Guangzhou, Hunan & Jiangsu)
This new tour offers major archaeological discoveries of recent decades as well as enduring pleasures of China’s late imperial era. From the exotic Bronze Age finds of Jiangxi to the jades, lacquers and silks of Han tombs at Guangzhou, Changsha and Yangzhou we gain a better understanding of the key role of the South in the formation of Chinese culture. In the majestic landscapes of Huang Shan and the classic gardens of Nanjing, Yangzhou and Suzhou, we experience the refined culture of the scholar-elites during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The imperial porcelain center of Jingdezhen and the World Heritage villages of Anhui round out our picture of China in the pre-modern era.

Burma In-Depth
This in-depth tour will take us into some of the most remote and culturally rewarding areas of this magical land. Beginning at Yangon’s great Shwedagon Paya, Burma’s most sacred Buddhist site, tour highlights include a boat trip to Mrauk-U to visit unique 15th-century temples scattered amid the island’s rice paddies, Pyi, the hundreds of Buddhas carved into the Htone Po cliffs, Mt. Popa, abode of Burma’s most powerful Nats, and Mandalay. Our adventure ends with a three-day visit to Inle Lake, famous for its floating farms and unique leg rowers. The warmth of the Burmese people and the beauty of the countryside will enhance our journey.

Thailand and Singapore
This new tour examines the long history and culture of these fascinating Buddhist nations. Singapore’s fabulous museums and distinct ethic quarters (European, Arab and Malay, Chinese and Indian) originally established in 1819 but still evident today will be the focus of our three-day stay. Thailand’s rich heritage is experienced through its museums, temples, palaces, elegant traditional architecture and peoples. From Bangkok we travel to the 14th-century capital of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya and the ancient Khmer cities Lopburi, Pimai and Prasat Phnom Rung. Tour highlights include the ancient Tai kingdom’s capital at Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, an elephant conservation center, fabulous botanical gardens and special dance performances.