New Christmas Tours from The Traveller

Aug. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- Led by expert lecturers – all specialists in their field – the tours make for a fascinating festive period, taking in captivating locations, impressive art collections and archaeological delights all with the added insights from your expert leader.  So swap the turkey for tabbouleh, Brussels sprouts for blini and save your shopping for the souks with this selection of 2011 Christmas Tours from The Traveller:

NEW – Christmas in Oman
Christmas Day? A morning at the striking Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, a visit to the Natural History Museum and a leisurely afternoon exploring Muscat.
Tour summary: Spend Christmas travelling through the spectacular Sultanate of Oman. The tour includes visits to Muscat’s medieval forts, the Sultan’s Palace and enchanting souk. Travelling from city to coast, there will be reminders of Oman’s seafaring roots, plus time in the golden Wahiba Sands, staying in a Bedouin camp and experiencing small oasis villages with UNESCO-listed falaj (irrigation) systems.
Expert lecturer: Tony Walsh has lived on the Arabian Peninsula since 1986 and has lectured for the University Alumni associations including Harvard and Stanford Universities.
Price: Departing 23 December, the nine-day tour costs £2,382 pp, including flights (London), all taxes, eight nights’ full-board (simple hotels and camping), visa fee, tour guide and lectures from Tony Walsh.
Early booking incentive: Book this tour by 30 September and save £100 pp*

NEW – Christmas in St Petersburg
Christmas Day? An optional church service, followed by a tour of the Hermitage Museum and the glistening Jewellery Treasury Room, lunch at the Russian Vodka Room and a trip to spectacular St Isaac’s Cathedral.
Tour summary: With snow-clad, onion-domed churches and the icy River Neva, enchanting St Petersburg fits the bill for those seeking a white Christmas. See Russian literature, history and art in a new light with fascinating lectures and visits, including a trip to the Hermitage and a day visiting the Russian Emperors’ summer residences – inculuding the Charles Cameron-designed Pavlovsk Great Palace.
Expert lecturer: Professor Alexey Leporc is a curator in the department of Western European art at the Hermitage Museum, and a specialist in the 15th–20th century period.
Price: Departing 23 December, the five-day tour costs £1,697 pp, including flights (London), all taxes, four nights’ B&B in four-star accommodation, three lunches, tour guide and lectures from Prof. Leporc.
Early booking incentive: Book this tour by 30 September and save £75 pp*

Christmas in Constantinople
Christmas Day? An atmospheric Christmas Mass at the Patriarchal Church of St George, a stroll round the spice market and then, after lunch, a visit to the Archaeological Museum.
Tour summary: East meets West in Constantinople (aka modern-day Istanbul): a melting pot of cultures, awash with vibrant colours and bustling bazaars. Highlights on this trip include stunning impressive Christian and Islamic monuments like Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace, plus a boat trip up the Bosphorus, when you’ll have Asia to one side and Europe on the other.
Expert lecturer: George Hart, a former staff lecturer with the British Museum’s education department, specialises in the classical Mediterranean and Ancient Egypt.
Price: Departing 23 December, the six-day tour costs £1,445 pp, including flights (London), all taxes, five nights’ B&B in three-star accommodation, two dinners, a Christmas Day lunch, tour guide and lectures from George Hart.
Early booking incentive: Book this tour by 30 September and save £75 pp*

Christmas in Petra
Christmas Day? Admire views from Mount Nebo – where Moses looked out over the Promised Land – followed by lunch and an afternoon of Byzantine ruins and dazzling mosaics.
Tour summary: What better time to explore the Biblical lands of the Jordan River valley in the footsteps of Moses, Alexander the Great and Lawrence of Arabia? Ancient history will be brought to life by lecturer Konstantis (see below), who discovered Lot’s Cave Sanctuary by the Dead Sea, and who ensures unique access to the new museum ‘at the lowest point on Earth’.  Also included are Amman’s Acropolis, Petra and ancient Jerash.
Expert lecturer: Dr. Konstantis Politis, an experienced archaeologist whose work in Jordan includes the recent excavation of Lot’s Cave Sanctuary for the British Museum.
Price: Departing 22 December, the seven-day tour cost £2,145 pp, including flights (London), all taxes, six nights’ half-board in 3-4-star accommodation, a Christmas Day lunch, tour guide and lectures from Konstantis Politis.
Early booking incentive: Book this tour by 30 September and save £100 pp*


*Terms and conditions apply (please contact The Traveller for details)

Call The Traveller on 020 7269 2770 (http://www.the-traveller.co.uk)

Ends – 2 August 2011

Note to editors: The Traveller is the UK’s leading specialist in cultural tours (group or bespoke), offering destinations from Bolivia to Burma, Saudi Arabia to Staffordshire.  Its expert lecturers are unrivalled; many of them are, or were, curators at the British Museum.  Most tours come with the option of a complimentary guided London museum visit prior to departure.

Press: Call Richard Mellor at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email r.mellor@travelpr.co.uk.

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