vacations/Concierge tours

Whether it’s the mountainous landscapes or lakeside vineyards, impressive views are around every corner in Switzerland. You’ll soak in the scenery aboard trains that will take you from the city to the countryside and back again. See the iconic Matterhorn from Zermatt, pass snow-capped peaks while riding the famed Bernina Express, and cap off your tour in Zurich where you’ll wind your way through the city’s charming streets.

Itinerary:

May 7: Travel Day: Board the overnight flight to Zurich

May 8: Arrival in Zurich & transfer to Lucerne Region. Welcome to Switzerland! Transfer to your hotel in the Lucerne region. Then, gather with your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

May 9: Sightseeing tour of Lucerne - A local guide introduces you to the charming lakeside city of Lucerne. Explore Lucerne's Old Town; view the sandstone lion statue commemorating the Swiss Guards; stroll over Chapel Bridge, a 17th-century covered footbridge, for views of Lake Lucerne and the Alps. Then enjoy a free afternoon in Lucerne or add an excursion to Mount Pilatus.

May 10: Train to Interlaken - Take your seat aboard the GoldenPass Railway and pass spectacular Alpine scenery. Peer out the panoramic window to spot Mount Pilatus, Lake Lucerne, Lake Sarnen, Lake Lungern, and more en route to Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland region. Upon arrival in Interlaken, set out on a short walk with your Tour Director through the quaint streets worn by time while taking in views of the surrounding alpine vistas.  Later, sit down to an included dinner this evening.

May 11: Free day in Interlaken or add the excursion Jungfraujoch: The Top of Europe

Day 6: Sightseeing tour of Bern & Lavaux Vineyards - Set out for the Lake Geneva Region today, stopping to visit the Swiss capital of Bern and Lavaux Vineyards on the way. Continue on to the shores of Lake Geneva that’s known for its cultural events and festivals.

May 12: Chillon Castle & Train to Zermatt - Visit Chillon Castle on the shores of Lake Geneva this morning. Then, pass through the scenic foothills of the Alps to Visp, where you’ll board a train to the car-free mountain town of Zermatt. Upon arrival, follow your Tour Director on a short orientation tour and take in views of the iconic Matterhorn.

May 13: Free day in Zermatt or add an excursion on the Gornergrat Railway and Matterhorn Museum 

May 14: Glacier Express train ride - Board the Glacier Express, a famed train with cars specially designed for scenic viewing. You'll make your way through a picturesque portion of the Alps including the Albula Line, Rhine Gorge, and Oberalp Pass. Enjoy an included lunch during the ride before arriving in St. Moritz, a prestigious Swiss resort town and hub of wintertime sports.

May 15: Benina Express train ride - Board the Bernina Express and enjoy a scenic ride on the highest railway across the Alps. You'll wind through bridges and tunnels along the stunning, UNESCO-recognized landscapes en route to Tirano, Italy. Enjoy free time in Tirano before traveling back to St. Moritz.

May 16: Transfer to Zurich & sightseeing tour - Travel to Zurich and set off on a sightseeing tour to get to know Switzerland’s largest city with your Tour Director. Celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner this evening.

May 17: Depart for home or continue on to Lugano on an optional extension.

May 18 (with extension): Train to Lugano & sightseeing tour - Board the EuroCity train and pass through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest tunnel in the world, en route to Southern Switzerland's Italian-speaking region of Ticino. Then, arrive in lakeside Lugano. Explore the city near the Italian border on a scenic walking tour. 

May 19 (with extension): Free Day in Lugano, or add an excursion to Lake Maggiore & Grotto Lunch

May 20 (with extension): Depart for home.

*** 1 spot left on this tour ***

For more information on this tour, go to grouptoursite.com/CherylOlive

In the first century A.D., Paul the Apostle journeyed through modern-day Greece on a mission to bring Christianity to the country’s people. On this sweeping tour through the Mediterranean country, you’ll retrace his historic route. Highlights include Thessaloniki’s Vlatadon Monastery, where he preached the divine word, and the Areopagus in Athens, where he delivered one of his most famous sermons.

Itinerary:

August 19: Travel Day: Board the overnight flight to Thessaloniki

August 20: Arrival in Thessaloniki. Welcome to Greece! Get to know your Tour Director and fellow group members at tonight’s welcome dinner.

August 21: Sightseeing Tour of Thessaloniki. Visit the places Paul the Apostle lived and preached, along with other historic sites in the city, on a guided tour of Thessaloniki.

• View the Arch of Galerius, a monument commissioned by Roman Emperor Galerius in the fourth century as part of an imperial complex
• Marvel at protective walls constructed around the city during the early third century
• Follow the seaside promenade to the White Tower of Thessaloniki, a symbol of the city that has served as a defensive fort, a prison, and a WWI communication center and now houses a museum
• Enter the Vlatadon Monastery, where Paul the Apostle preached the divine word to the Thessalonians
• Head to the Brotherhood of Men of Thessaloniki Park, a pilgrimage site where Paul the Apostle is said to have stopped for a drink from a spring that’s now known as Apostle Paul’s Holy water

Spend a free afternoon in the city or add an excursion (Thessaloniki Wine Tasting & Lunch).

August 22: Free Day in Thessaloniki. Enjoy a free day in Thessaloniki or add an excursion: A Day in Kavala & Philippi

August 23: Meteora REgion va Veria & Vergina. Transfer o the ancient cities of Veria and Vergina this morning.

• Start in Veria, where you’ll pay a visit to Saint Paul’s Tribune, where he preached Christianity at least twice during his lifetime
• See its impressive murals up close, and learn why it’s considered a universal monument of religious and cultural heritage
• View the remnants of the Jewish Quarter on the terraced foothills of Mount Vernon
• Visit the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai and explore the remains of the royal palace at the archaeological museum of Vergina

Continue to the Meteora region and sit down for an included dinner.

August 24: Sightseeing tour of the Meteora Region & transfer to Delphi. Today, take a guided walking tour of the Meteora monasteries.

• Enter two monasteries, such as the Monastery of Roussanou, the Monastery of Agios Stefanos, or the Monastery of Varlaam
• Hike up to the monasteries to admire views from 1,000-foot-high pinnacle rocks
• Meet with local nuns for a chat about the traditions and faith of the Eastern Orthodox Church
• Learn more about this branch of Christianity, the nuns’ lives, and the work they take part in at the monasteries

This afternoon, transfer through scenic mountain terrain to Delphi. Enjoy a free evening or add an excursion: Arachova Village & Greek Dinner.

August 25: Sightseeing tour of Delphi & transfer to Nafplio. Journey to the slopes of Mount Parnassus and visit the Archaeological Site of Delphi. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Delphi was believed by ancient Greeks to be the Navel of the Earth and a spiritual focal point for all Greeks. 

• Embark on a guided tour featuring the Temple of Apollo, where, according to legend, the god Apollo once spoke in prophecy to mortals through the voice of the oracle and high priestess Pythia
• Take time to explore the ancient treasures at the Delphi Museum, including the life-size bronze statue named the Charioteer of Delphi

Please note: This excursion involves some walking on uneven terrain and hills.

Make your way to the seaside town of Nafplio and explore the charming locale with your Tour Director.

• Stroll through Syntagma Square
• Soak in the beautiful views of the port and the hilltop Palamidi Fortress

This evening, sit down to an included dinner with your group.

August 26: Free day in Nafplio. Spend a free day in Nafplio or add an excursion: Ancient Ruins of Epidaurus & Mycenae.

August 27: Athens via Ancient Corinth. Travel to the Greek capital, Athens, making a stop to explore Ancient Corinth on a guided tour.

• See the Agora, where Paul’s trial by Gallio took place, and the Bema, where Paul was brought before the tribunal, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles
• Snap a photo of the impressive Corinth Canal, which separates the Peloponnese peninsula from mainland Greece

Then, continue to Athens.

August 28: Sightseeing tour of Athens. Set out with your local guide to discover highlights of this bustling, ancient capital, home to the world’s first democracy.

• Make stops at the Olympic Stadium, Syntagma Square, and the Arch of Hadrian
• View the sixth-century Temple of Zeus
• See the classically inspired Old Royal Palace, home of the Hellenic Parliament, and drive through the Plaka district
• Set off on a walking tour around the ancient Acropolis, site of the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, and Erechtheion
• Drive to Areopagus Hill just northwest of the Acropolis
• Choose to climb to the top of the hill where Paul the Apostle gave his sermon in 51 A.D. and take in sweeping views of the city

Later, celebrate your trip during a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers.

August 29: Cruise embarkation & Mykonos. Board your ship, get settled in your stateroom, and enjoy an included lunch as you sail to Mykonos for a day on the iconic island.

• Disembark on Mykonos and join your Tour Director for a walk through the island’s charming Old Town
• See the island’s iconic windmills, Little Venice neighborhood, and Church of Panagia Paraportiani
• Enjoy free time to explore the labyrinthine alleys
• Return to the ship this evening and sit down for an included dinner

August 30: Kusadasi & Patmos. Spend the day visiting Kusadasi, Turkey, and Patmos, Greece.

• Disembark in Kusadasi and set off on a guided sightseeing tour of Ephesus, one of the Mediterranean’s best-preserved ancient cities
• Learn about Ephesus’ first Christian congregation, which was established by Saint John and expanded by Saint Paul
• Discover many of the city’s UNESCO-listed sites, such as the Library of Celsus, the Odeon Theater, and the House of the Virgin Mary
• Return to the ship and enjoy an included lunch as you sail on to Patmos, Greece
• Spend free time on the island, where it’s said St. John penned the Book of Revelations of the New Testament while in exile
• Visit the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and enter the Cave of the Apocalypse, where Saint John had visions later documented in the Book of Revelations 
• Return to the ship this evening and sit down for an included dinner

August 31: Heraklion & Santorini. Continue sailing along the Aegean Sea and visit two ports of call today.

• Disembark on Crete for free time or book an excursion to visit the ruins of Knossos, where, according to myth, King Minos imprisoned the Minotaur in a labyrinth
• Head back to the ship and enjoy an included lunch before continuing on to Santorini
• Enjoy free time to visit the iconic hilltop villages of Thira and Oia
• Return to the ship and sit down for an included dinner this evening

September 1: Disembarkation in Athens. Disembark your cruise in Athens. Then, spend a free afternoon in the city or add an excursion: Greek Tavern Evening.

September 2: Depart for home.

*** 11 spots left on this tour ***

For more information on this tour, go to grouptoursite.com/CherylOlive

Kenya is one of the premier places in the world for wildlife spotting. When you join us there on this tour, you’ll realize why. Not only will you enjoy game drives around the legendary Maasai Mara, but you’ll spend time exploring lesser-known locales, too. Among them: Samburu National Reserve, whose rare mix of animals many wildlife enthusiasts only dream of seeing. Kenya has much to offer beyond the animal kingdom, too, which you’ll discover when you stop for lunch at a lush tea farm and visit organizations working to improve the lives of locals. If you can’t resist the call of the wild, extend your stay and explore southern Kenya’s Tsavo National Park.

Itinerary:

October 1: Travel Day: Board the overnight flight to Nairobi

October 2: Arrival in Thessaloniki. Welcome to Kenya! Arrive in Nairobi and transfer to your hotel.

October 3: Kiambethu Tea Farm visit & Sandstorm Kenya. Climb into four-wheel-drive vehicles and set out to discover notable landmarks and local culture in and around Nairobi, Kenya’s bustling capital city.

• Travel to the town of Limuru and visit the tranquil, family-run Kiambethu Farm, which is set within beautiful gardens surrounded by acres of tea plants and an indigenous forest.
• Enjoy a tasting of tea while you hear how it became one of the country’s largest exports.
• Set off on a walk through the surrounding indigenous forest alongside your guide—and keep an eye out for Colobus monkeys, with their distinctive black-and-white coloring and bearded faces.
• Sit down for an included lunch on the farm’s veranda and admire the impressive views of the tea fields and Ngong Hills.
• Visit Sandstorm Kenya, a company that began as a maker of safari tents and now employs 40 Maasai craftspeople who hand-make totes, backpacks, and other styles of bags from locally sourced canvas and leather.
• Tour Sandstorm’s facilities to learn how its bags are made, from the sourcing of materials to the finished product.

Tonight, get to know your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner served with beer or wine.

October 4: Transfer to Samburu & game drive. Journey north to Samburu National Reserve, one of Kenya’s most unique and rewarding safari destinations. This special wildlife conservation haven is known for its abundance of rare animal species, including the Samburu Special Five—the Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated Giraffe, gerenuk antelope, and beisa oryx. The reserve is also home to elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and wild dogs.

Enjoy an included lunch, then depart for a game drive through the park and along the Ewaso Nyiro River. As you cruise around the reserve, try to spot the Samburu Special Five.

This evening, sit down for an included dinner served with beer or wine.

October 5: Samburu game drives & village visit. Head back out for a full day of game drives through Samburu National Reserve for another chance to spot the Samburu Special Five and other animals.

After an included lunch and afternoon game drive, visit the Samburu Village located inside the park. Meet with the villagers and gain insight into their culture and way of life.

• Take a walk through the village alongside one of its elders and learn about the villagers’ semi-nomadic lifestyle.
• Enjoy a traditional Samburu dance performance, a type of social ritual dating back hundreds of years for villagers to let off steam, celebrate, and tell of their history and triumphant victories.

Later this evening, sit down with your group for an included dinner served with beer or wine.

October 6: Great Rift Valley via Solid Game Reserve. Make your way to the Great Rift Valley, an enormous area featuring beautiful lakes, expansive plains, and soaring mountains. Along the way, enjoy a game drive through the Solio Game Reserve, a privately owned sanctuary dedicated to rhino conservation. Keep an eye out for some of the ranch’s 200-plus rhinos, as well as other animals that make up the Big Five, and hear about the ranch’s successful black rhino breeding and protection initiatives.

Afterwards, head toward Aberdare for an included lunch. Then, continue on to your lodge.

This evening, sit down for an included dinner served with beer or wine.

October 7: Lake Naivasha Boat Safari. Spend the morning at the vast and ancient Lake Naivasha, which lies at nearly 6,200 feet above sea level and is the highest of the Great Rift Valley’s three best-known lakes. Upon arrival, set out on a boat tour of Lake Naivasha, which is known for its substantial population of hippos and bird species.

Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant at Lake Naivasha. Then, head back to your safari lodge, where you’ll relax for the remainder of the day.

Sit down for an included dinner this evening, served with beer or wine.

October 8: Transfer to Maasai Mara & game drive. Continue through the Great Rift Valley as you travel to the Maasai Mara, a nearly 600-square-mile national reserve in southwestern Kenya known for its vast plains and abundant wildlife. The region is also home to the Maasai people, an indigenous tribe of semi-nomadic pastoralists whose livelihood revolves around cattle. The Maasai tribe’s signature—and symbolic—red-and-blue clothing and colorful, beaded jewelry are among many traditions its people have maintained, while other tribes have adopted more modern styles of living.

• Enjoy an included lunch at your tented safari camp.
• Set out on an afternoon game drive, keeping your eyes peeled for leopards, rhinos, Cape buffalo, lions, and elephants—known collectively as the Big Five.
• Admire the Maasai Mara’s rolling hills, swaying savanna grasses, and iconic acacia trees.

Sit down for an included dinner this evening, served with beer or wine.

October 9: Game drives & Maasai Mara Village Visit. Spend the morning relaxing and catching up on sleep, or add an excursion.

Today, get to know the awe-inspiring animals and people of the Maasai Mara.

• Rise before the sun for an early morning game drive—an exhilarating opportunity to spot lions, elephants, and other animals starting their day in search of food.
• Head back to your tented safari camp for an included lunch.
• After lunch, climb aboard a safari vehicle for an afternoon game drive, keeping watch for prides of lions snoozing in the shade, giraffes ambling among leafy trees, and sturdy warthogs trotting through tall grass.

Later, immerse yourself in the Maasai way of life during a visit to a local boma, or Maasai homestead.

• Join male members of the Maasai tribe in their signature adamu, or jumping dance.
• Tour a functioning Maasai boma and discover the tribe’s history and heritage.
• Visit a market where Maasai people sell handiworks and crafts, and learn how money from visitors’ purchases helps sustain the tribe.
• Receive your own Maasai name and learn the meaning behind it.

This evening, sit down for an included dinner served with beer or wine.

October 10: Ubuntu Made Studio, transfer to Nairobi. En route back to Nairobi, stop in the bustling town of Maai Mahiu for a visit to the Ubuntu Life Foundation’s craft workshop for a chance to meet with the talented Maker Mums.

• Hear about the Ubuntu Life Foundation’s mission to provide health and education services and to promote inclusivity of children with special needs across the country.
• Enter the Ubuntu Made Studio to meet the Maker Mums, who craft beautiful items, such as bags and shoes, by hand.
• Learn how the Maai Mahiu community has been empowered by Ubuntu to gain skills and self esteem to start their own businesses for a better future.

Continue to Nairobi and relax in a dayroom before boarding your flight home tonight or early tomorrow morning, or extend your stay to explore southern Kenya.

Extension: Southern Kenya - Situated in southern Kenya, Tsavo is the country’s largest national park. When it comes to spotting animals of all spots and stripes, the vast, unspoiled area delivers in a big way, too. So, ready your binoculars, power on your camera, and prepare to observe elephants, black rhinos, buffalo, Maasai lions, and other majestic creatures in the wild. Along the way, visit a rhino sanctuary to learn how local officials are protecting the magnificent animals from poaching.

October 11: Transfer to Tsavo National Park & Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary. Travel south this morning to Tsavo National Park, Kenya’s largest park. Its impressive expanse is home to large herds of elephants, black rhinos, buffalo, Maasai lions, and many more animals.

• Upon arrival in the park, enjoy an included lunch.
• Following lunch, meet with a naturalist guide to visit the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary.
• Learn about the sanctuary’s conservation projects and initiatives aimed at stopping the poaching of rhinos and other animals.
• Set out on a game drive to view some of the park’s 200-plus rhinos, as well as elephants, leopards, and many different species of birds.

Sit down this evening for an included dinner served with beer or wine.

October 12: Tsavo West National Park Game Drives. Travel through the vast expanse of savannah in the west side of Tsavo National Park, where you’ll encounter open grasslands, scrublands, woodlands, and the rolling Chyulu Hills. As you make your way through the diverse scenery, keep an eye out for the Big Five and other animals, like the hartebeest and Maasai giraffe.

Enjoy an included lunch before making your way to Mzima Springs, a hangout for hippos and crocs. The springs’ crystal-clear waters flow through the surrounding volcanic rocks.

After freshening up back at the lodge, sit down for an included dinner this evening served with beer or wine.

October 14: Departure. Return to Nairobi today, where you’ll relax in a dayroom before boarding your flight home tonight or early tomorrow morning.

October 14: Travel Day... arrive home today.

*** 11 spots left on this tour ***

For more information on this tour, go to https://groups.goaheadtours.com/tours/keg-olive