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2017 / 2018 WORLDWIDE TOURS & CRUISES SmithsonianJourneys.org / 877.338.8687 SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS / EUROPE 2 BOOK YOUR TRIP / SMITHSONIANJOURNEYS.ORG / 877.338.8687 Our Travel Collection Book your unforgettable journey and choose your preferred departure date now. 4 The Smithsonian Difference 6 Our Experts 8 Travel Styles 10 At Home in the World By land or sea 12 Asia & the Pacifi c Japan to Australia 22 Africa Cape Town to Marrakech 28 The Americas Patagonia to Alaska 36 Cuba Unlocking an island 42 Around the World Circle the globe by private jet 44 Europe Oxford Immersion to Siena’s Il Palio 64 European River Cruises The Douro to the Danube 78 Polar Regions Svalbard to Antarctica 80 Family Journeys The Rhine to Antarctica 84 Tailor-Made Journeys Designed Just for You 85 Travel Calendar 87 More Online! 3 SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS The SmithsoSmithsonian Difference Discover a journey that lastslas a lifetime With more than 45 years of experience in travel, we continue to be inspired by the Smithsonian mission of “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” This dedication to lifelong learning and a passion for exploring the world drives us to develop authentic and exceptionally enriching experiences for our travelers. Our collection of diverse tours and cruises has grown to more than 350 departures on all seven continents. And like the Smithsonian Institution, our tours enrich our guests’ lives and satisfy their curiosity about the world. Importantly, your participation benefi ts the work of Smithsonian’s nineteen museums, national zoo, and nine research centers, helping to preserve our national treasures and shape the future through science, research, and exhibitions. Bring Your Destination to Life Our knowledgeable and charismatic Smithsonian Journeys Experts, dedicated Travel Directors, and other staff will enrich your experience in a unique and personal way, bringing an insider’s perspective to every itinerary. Behind-the-Scenes Access From people to places, our connections provide you with behind-the-scenes access to iconic sites, knowledgeable guides, local experts, and exclusive events all over the world, adding even more meaning and authenticity to your travel experience. Travel with New Friends On any given trip, you’ll be sure to forge lasting friendships with travelers who share your passion for learning and exploration. Our journeys are welcoming for solo travelers, couples, family, and friends. Plus, our arrangements deliver an intimate journey so you’ll never feel herded or rushed. We Know Where to Take You From unique lodgings in far-fl ung regions and charming hotels in well-traveled places to the ideal cruise ship, train, or cultural stay experience, you’ll always travel in comfort and style and enjoy authentic cuisine that refl ects the local culture. We’ve Got Everything Covered When you travel with us, there is no need for exhaustive planning or worrying about travel logistics. Our fi rst-rate staff manages every aspect of your trip to ensure the highest quality and provide you with comfortable, stress-free travel. Discover Real Value Once you add up the extras that we include—experts, enrichment, meals, excursions, transfers, little luxuries, and even airfare inclusive pricing on many tours—you’ll know you’re getting more than you pay for. That’s what we call real value! 4 BOOK YOUR TRIP / SMITHSONIANJOURNEYS.ORG / 877.338.8687 This was truly the trip of a lifetime. We did and saw things we never would have had we made the trip on our own. Diane C., Highlights of Italy 5 SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS Smithsonian JourneysJ Experts Providing in-depth understunderstanding and a sense of wonder Among the experts who accompany you on your journey are Smithsonian scientists who are scholars in biology, ecology, geology, and other disciplines and curators who study and interpret culture, art, and history. You’ll also fi nd experts from across the nation—scholars, scientists, diplomats, authors, naturalists, and fi ne arts experts—who have been selected by Smithsonian Journeys for their special knowledge and charisma. We think you’ll fi nd that the quality of our experts is a major difference between an outstanding travel experience and a mass- market alternative. Meet some of our experts and read about the tours they will lead in the pages that follow. Ken Hammond is a historian with expertise in Asia and the cultural and intellectual history of China. As a professor at New Mexico State University, he also teaches courses on the history of Central Asia and the Silk Road and has taught at the China Studies Program in Beijing. Ken has a breadth and depth of knowledge as refl ected in his 36-lecture series for “The Great Courses,” entitled From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History. Ken will lead a departure of Classic China and Himalayan Kingdoms. Ross King is the best-selling author of fi ve books on Italian art and history, including Brunelleschi’s Dome, Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling, and Leonardo and The Last Supper. He has also published a biography of Niccolò Machiavelli and edited a collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s fables, jokes, and riddles. He is the co-author of Florence: The Paintings & Frescoes, 1250-1743, the most comprehensive book ever undertaken on the art of Florence. Ross will lead a departure of Highlights of Italy and Northern Italy. David Scott Palmer is an expert in comparative politics, international relations, and Latin American studies. Currently a professor emeritus at Boston University, he continues to teach courses on Latin American history and confl ict and confl ict resolution in Latin America and lectures regularly for the U.S. Department of State. Previously, he was director of B.U.’s Latin American Studies Program and co-director of the Peru Summer Program, which he helped to found. David will be the expert for A Cruise of Panama and Costa Rica and a departure of Legendary Peru and Machu Picchu and the Galápagos. 6 BOOK YOUR TRIP / SMITHSONIANJOURNEYS.ORG / 877.338.8687 Michelle Thaller at an observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile Michelle Thaller is Deputy Director of Science for And all of a sudden you may have a new interest, maybe Communications at NASA in Washington, D.C. and an a new hobby, maybe even a new passion. astrophysicist who specializes in the lifecycles of stars. When it comes to astronomy, you think that it would Her research interests include hot stars, colliding stellar make you feel very small. We’re tiny, tiny little things winds, binary star evolution, and evolved stellar com- compared to the sun or the galaxy. But you are part of panions. She has appeared in many television programs that. You’re intimately connected to the Sun, the galaxy, about the universe, including How the Universe Works, The the Big Bang. There is no separation between us and the Known Universe, and The Universe. Michelle will serve as universe. Just think of yourself as part of that whole. You Smithsonian Journeys Expert for a departure of Northern might feel a bit challenged about it all, but it adds to the Lights of Iceland. adventure, to the journey. So just step back to learn. Q. Why do you love being an astronomer? Come along for the story... it’s your story. A. For me, I’ve always loved the stars. I’ve never been Q. Tell us about the Northern Lights. able to get them out of my head. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t strangely fascinated by the night sky. Even A. Iceland is an ideal place to see the famous Aurora as a child I would look up at this beautiful, pristine dark Borealis—the Northern Lights. Not only is this sky with sparkling stars and was completely mesmerized phenomenon incredibly beautiful, it’s a profound way to by it. You’re confronted with something experience the larger space environment that we live in. so vast, so huge, that the human brain The Northern Lights are triggered when high energy particles from the Sun get can’t even try to comprehend it. And The night sky is yet it’s not just cold emptiness. There’s trapped in the Earth’s magnetic tail, which a story there. And the story turns out to the best story extends many thousands of miles away be the best story ever. It’s the story of of the world... from the Earth, blown back by the Sun’s why you’re here. It’s about how the Earth It’s why particle wind. Some of these particles get shot back towards our planet, and enter formed, how the universe formed, and in we’re here... many ways, what the meaning of your life near our magnetic poles, causing differ- is. To me, there’s nothing as magical as ent gases in our atmosphere to glow. You astronomy, and the profound thing about may not realize it, but the reason we’re all the magic is that it’s real. I think that has profoundly around today is thanks to our magnetic fi eld. It protects changed me. I don’t view it as technical and something us from harmful solar particles and not all planets have cold, but as something that fi lled my life with awe and them! So when you look up into the sky and see the shim- connection, and as far I can see will continue to for the mering lights, you’re directly experiencing the complex rest of my days. and beautiful magnetic dance of the Earth and the Sun. Q. What intrigues you about going on tour with a Q. What do you look forward to on this trip? small group of Smithsonian Journeys travelers? A.