Explore this magnificent land of extremes with study leader Frank Ackerman, former Death Valley National Park Ranger.  Visit Badwater Salt Flats (282 feet below sea level) and enjoy a stunning panoramic view of all 11,049 feet of Telescope Peak.  Hike amid the multi-hued walls of Golden Canyon; experience sunrise at Zabriskie Point; and visit Ubehebe Crater.

Experience a 16-day journey from Mumbai to Mysore to the wildlife haven of Nagarhole National Park.  Explore Calicut, "City of Spices," then enjoy a leisurely two-night cruise along Kerala's palm-fringed canals. Discover fascinating Kochi, boasting its rich mix of Arab, Portuguese and Dutch influences. Delhi and Agra pre-tour extension and Sri Lanka post-tour extension.

Explore Earth’s last frontier aboard the Island Sky, one of the finest vessels in Antarctic waters, featuring unusually spacious suites. Experience the White Continent in its unspoiled state—fantastically shaped icebergs, turquoise glaciers, bustling penguin rookeries and breaching whales. Accompanied by the ship’s expedition team of expert naturalists, board sturdy Zodiac craft for excursions ashore. Optional activities include kayaking and camping on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Explore Jerusalem, sacred to three major religions. Experience Yad Vashem, a living memorial to the Holocaust. Journey to Masada and float in the Dead Sea. Travel to Bethlehem and Ramallah in the West Bank. Experience Tiberias, Galilee, Caesarea and visit a Druze village. Discover Haifa’s Bahai Gardens and cosmopolitan Tel Aviv.

Experience the tranquility of Peru’s Amazon region and magical Machu Picchu. See Lima’s impressive highlights and savor a home-cooked Peruvian dinner. Experience three nights aboard the intimate Delfin III as you search for wildlife and hike into the rain forest. Fly to Cusco, and journey to the Sacred Valley of the Incas before exploring the spectacular Incan complex of Machu Picchu.  

Journey through five countries, and navigate the fabled Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. Discover the walled city of Nuremberg and the stunning imperial capitals of Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Explore Amsterdam’s canals, and take walking tours of Cologne and Würzburg. Optional pre-tour extension in Prague and post-tour in Amsterdam available.

Discover the capital of Addis Ababa and Tissiat Falls on the upper reaches of the Blue Nile. Visit Lake Tana’s Kidane Meheret monastery. Explore Gondar’s castles and the Simien Mountains. Discover Axum and marvel at the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. Optional 7-day/6-night extension to Southern Ethiopia.

Explore Saigon with visits to the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels. In Siem Reap, discover the wonders of ancient Angkor. Spend seven nights cruising the Mekong River. Visit riverside towns as well as Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh.

Experience Cairo’s Egyptian Museum and the open-air museum at Memphis. Explore the necropolis at Saqqara, the enigmatic Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. Relax during a cruise on Lake Nasser. See the temples at Abu Simbel and sail down the Nile River on a cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Visit the Valleys of the Kings and Queens and the great complex of Karnak.  Optional Jordan extension. 

Experience Tokyo’s Shinto Meiji Shrine and historic Imperial Palace. Visit Mt. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and spend the night at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. Explore Takayama’s ancient streets and Kanazawa’s famed Kenrokuen Gardens. In Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital, attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and visit Nijo Castle. Optional Hiroshima post-trip extension available.