Malta, Sardinia & Corsica
We are never far from the sea as we explore these three gorgeous islands, each unique in its ancient monuments, physical beauty and fabulous cuisine. The immense megalithic temples on Malta are constructed with the island's wonderful golden stone while Sardinia's amazing nuraghes are scattered amid lush green rolling hills. We will journey through Corsica's wild and spectacular mountain scenery to mysterious cult sites and enigmatic menhirs. Along the way we will visit ancient Phoenician ports and cities built by Romans, Greeks and Crusader knights as well as wonderful museums and historic villages.

Classical Greece
This popular tour encompasses the major Mycenaean, Classical and Byzantine sites of mainland Greece, beginning at the Acropolis in Athens. We then explore the Peloponnese from the Panhellenic sanctuary of Olympia, Byzantine Mistra and the great healing center at Epidauros to the Bronze Age sites of Tiryns and Mycenae. Traveling north, our program includes mystical Delphi, Meteora, the outstanding museum and churches in Thessaloniki, the mosaics of Pella and the many monuments associated with Philip and Alexander. Sunny skies, warm weather and delicious Mediterranean cuisine will enhance our discovery of these splendid civilizations.

Classical Provence

This exciting tour provides an understanding of Roman Imperial art and architecture as well as a delightful journey through the color-drenched countryside of Provence. Its great cities hold many of the best-preserved Roman monuments to be found in the world. Visits to archaeological sites and museums will provide further context for understanding life in Roman Gaul. Our tour also includes visits to the Abbey of St-Gilles, considered to be a masterpiece of the Provençal school of 12th-century sculptors, and Carpentras, the papal headquarters in the 14th century. Fields of spring flowers, tile-roofed villages, fascinating markets as well as gourmet meals will enhance this wonderful experience.

Anatolia: Crossroads of Europe and Asia
Beginning in Ankara, this superb tour takes us to the Hittite capital of Hattusa, the oldest Neolithic site excavated in Anatolia at Çatal Höyük, the fanciful rock formations and hidden rock-hewn churches in Cappadocia, the Hellenistic cities on Turkey's southern and western coasts and the lovely tiled mosques and mausoleums of Ottoman Bursa. Tour highlights include the ongoing excavations at Aphrodisias, Sardis, Ephesus, where we will see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Pergamon, famed for its theater and library, and legendary Troy. Our adventure ends with a three-day visit to Istanbul's magnificent mosques and museums.

Hidden Treasures of Eastern Turkey
Remote and unspoiled eastern Turkey is one of the most interesting areas of the country. Our tour features Antakya (Antioch) with its fabulous mosaic museuem, ancient Harran, the amazing funerary sanctuary of King Antiochus I on top of Nemrut Dag, the Armenian and Urartian sites around Lake Van, the Armenian churches of Ani and the Black Sea coast. We will tour the Hittite sites of Altintepe, Karatepe, Alaca Höyük known for its Spinx Gate and Royal Tombs and Hattusa, capital of the Hittite empire. The tour ends with the outstanding museuem in Ankara. A special highlight of the tour will be our visit to Göbekli Tepe, considered to be the oldest man-made place of worship yet discovered.

Viking Age Scandinavia - Sweden, Denmark & Norway
This new tour places the Viking Age in the wider context of European history, and in Scandinavian history from the Bronze Age to today. The tour includes visits to the national museums of Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo as well as the fabulous ship museums of Roskilde and Oslo and the celebrated archaeological sites. Other tour highlights are the market towns Birka and Sigtuna, the great mounds and sanctuary at Gamla Uppsala, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Visby, the superbly constructed camps of the Danish warriors at Fyrkat and Trelleborg and the hall excavated at Lejre that is the Hereot of Beowulf and the Hleidr of Norse legend. Join us as we travel through Scandinavia’s spectacular and varied landscape that shaped life in the Viking Age.

Sicily & Southern Italy
Our tour to Sicily and Southern Italy provides an opportunity to see some of the best-preserved monuments ever created by the ancient Greeks. Touring includes the Byzantine and Norman monuments of Palermo, Phoenician Motya and the classical sites of Segesta, Selinunte, Agrigento and Siracusa, as well as a Roman villa unique for its 37 rooms floored with exquisite mosaics. We will take a break in luxurious Taormina and, on the mainland, visit the fascinating ancient cities Paestum, Pompeii and Herculaneum, plus the incredible “Bronzes of Riace.” The tour ends in Naples with a visit to the Archaeological Museum where we will view an unsurpassed collection of classical art.

Caves & Castles
Northern Spain & France
An exploration of the outstanding Paleolithic art found in the caves of northern Spain and southwestern France, the tour begins in Burgos, visiting Atapuerca, an extremely important paleontological site. From Santillana del Mar we visit caves known as Tito Bustillo, El Castillo, Las Monedas and Altamira II, as well as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, before crossing the Pyrénées into France. Tour highlights in France include the caves of Gargas, Bédeilhac, Le Mas d’Azil, Lascaux II, Pech Merle and the major caves around Les Eyzies-de-Tayac. We will also explore medieval villages, castles and fortresses of the Dordogne Valley.

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Ancient Cities of Maritime Turkey
Never far from the sea, this unusual tour begins in Izmir from which we visit Ephesus, and continues along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, exploring the ancient cities and sites in Karia, Lycia and Pamphylia. We will spend a day on board a private gulet sailing to the island of Kekova and take two day trips across the Aegean to the Greek islands of Samos and Kos, birthplace of Hippocrates. We will visit two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as well as Cnidus, renowned in antiquity for its statue of Aphrodite by Praxiteles. This amazing tour ends with the Hellenistic cities of Perge and Aspendos in Antalya and two days visiting the museums and monuments of Istanbul.

Southern Spain (Megaliths, Moors & Conquistadors)

Spain evokes lovely white towns and the scent of oranges, but it is also a treasury of ancient remains, from the oldest megalithic monuments in Europe to the cities left by the Greeks, Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid to historic Toledo, Roman Mérida and into Andalucia, we shall explore the most important historical monuments from these civilizations, examine their artifacts in museums and study the development of their art and architecture. We will be introduced to Moorish architecture at Córdoba's great cathedral, Granada's opulent Alhambra and end our tour Seville with the splendor of its Alcazar and Cathedral. Spain's unique cuisine and fine wines will enhance this fabulous experience.

This tour may be taken together with our Morocco tour, also led by Prof. Messier.