Experience the best of southern Africa, a diverse region poised along a beautiful coastline, breathtaking mountains and expansive plains. Visit cosmopolitan Cape Town and take in views from Table Mountain. Walk in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps on Robben Island and tour Soweto in Johannesburg. Continue on a 3-day safari near Kruger National Park and search for elephant, lion, and rhino. Then take a two-night deluxe train journey from Pretoria to Victoria Falls, aboard Rovos Rail. Witness the power and majesty of one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World at Victoria Falls.

Through a series of meetings and guest speakers we learn about art, dance, medicine, history, education, religion and the economy. This is an extensive and intense learning experience built on the foundation of meeting Cubans and creating a meaningful exchange of ideas and information. Explore the old city as we learn about Havana's history and architecture. Meet with farmers and visit an artist community project in the Vinales Valley. See how small private enterprises are growing throughout the island. Converse with students during a visit to the premier art school in the country.

Circle the globe on a 21-day journey, exploring the lands of the sky worshippers and witness a rare total solar eclipse in Australia. Explore legendary remnants of early civilizations in Tikal, Machu Picchu, Easter Island, and Petra. Encounter the thriving traditional cultures and natural wonders of Australia, Indonesia, and India.
 

Journey to Cuba and discover this fascinating island nation in Commonwealth Club fashion. Through a series of meetings, discussions, and guest speakers we learn about art, dance, history, education, religion and the economy. This is an extensive and intense learning experience built on the foundation of meeting Cubans and creating a meaningful exchange of ideas and information. 

Join study leader Dr. Donald Stadtner as we being our journey in Yangon. Visit temples, pagodas, and sacred Buddhist shrines. Admire the decaying colonial facades of the city, and enjoy a reception at the U.S. ambassador’s residence. Continue to Mandalay, the economic hub of Upper Burma and considered the center of Burmese culture. Discover the remarkable ruins Pagan, the ancient capital of the country and once a vast and populous kingdom. Fly through Bangkok to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

Join Cathy Curtis, Bay Gourmet Member-Led Forum Chair, for a food and wine adventure in Paso Robles. The region’s first grapes were planted in 1779 by Franciscan missionaries and today it is home to the third highest concentration of wineries in the United States.

Much has been written about Central Asia's strategic location and its vast untapped reserves of oil and gas. See for yourself the fabled capitals of Silk Road commerce and survey their modern incarnations, arguably even more significant now than when they were at the center of the great trade routes. Join Ambassador John Ordway, as we learn about the Bukhara/Khiva region, with its 600 million barrels of proven oil reserves, and Ashkhabad, capital of Turkmenistan, said to control the fifth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world.

Begin in beautiful St. Petersburg with a cultural performance at the Alexandrinsky Theater and a visit to Catherine’s Palace to see the famous Amber Room. Enjoy an early entrance to the State Hermitage Museum, before our 6-night cruise on the Volga, Svir and Neva Rivers. Journey to the quaint village of Mandrogi, and Kizhi Island, where churches stand as testimony to the skills of Russian craftsmen.

Begin in 2000-year-old Beijing, China’s modern-day capital, and discover its legendary sites: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall. Learn about communal life along Beijing’s ancient alleyways or hutongs.

The magnificent Black Sea region is the home of many pivotal events in world history, from the fall of Constantinople to the fall of the Soviet Union. After sailing from Athens, call in Constanta, Romania’s main port, and explore the ruins of Tomis Danubius. Discover Ukraine’s Odessa, a city rich in 19th-century architecture, including the famous Potemkin Steps, as well as Yalta and Sevastopol, crucible of the Crimean War.