Cox & Kings Cox ESCORTED TOURS 2019-20 Worldwide Escorted Tours Worldwide • 2019-20 Worldwide Escorted Tours SMALL GROUPS • QUALITY ACCOMMODATION • SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES Why entrust your Inspiring travel holiday to Cox & Kings? for over 260 years • Our extraordinary heritage – founded in 1758 In an age that has witnessed an explosion in the popularity of travel, when new travel • Award-winning holidays companies appear and disappear with bewildering frequency, Cox & Kings is, above all else, a travel company you can trust. Our experience, knowledge, service and business • Big company value & small ethics are all underpinned by more than 260 years of heritage. company service Cox & Kings’ illustrious history is extraordinary, not just in its longevity but in how it has • Equal expertise at organising reinvented itself as the world around it has changed. You can read more about our small group tours and private company’s story online at CoxandKings.co.uk/history. tailor-made travel A common strand running through the entire history is the spirit of innovation, which • The best guides to bring a has remained a driving force for the business to this day. Our company may be old but destination to life it’s full of youthful energy. I am proud that we continue to build on the tradition of high quality service, attention • Our worldwide network of to detail and innovation that made our founder, Richard Cox, so successful 260 years experienced representatives ago. I very much hope that this brochure will inspire and that you will entrust your next on the ground adventure to Cox & Kings. Peter Kerkar Managing Director Design & production: Cox & Kings Travel Ltd Printing: Buxton Press Photography: iStock, Shutterstock, Bigstock, Alamy, Robert Harding, Getty Images, AWL Images, Cox & Kings Travel Ltd Contents Introduction Middle East 6 What makes our tours special 44 Jordan • Splendours of Jordan 8 Our most popular tours by season 46 Jordan and Israel & the OPT • The Wonders of Jordan 10 Cox & Kings escorted tours explained & Jerusalem • NEW 12 Flight options 48 Jordan • Treasures of Jordan • Solo Travellers 13 Private travel 50 Israel & the OPT • Treasures of Israel • NEW 52 Oman • An Arabian Odyssey 54 Uzbekistan • Heart of Central Asia Europe 56 Iran • Treasures of Persia 58 Morocco • Moroccan Explorer: Imperial Cities to Desert 14 Russia • Classic Russia 60 Egypt • Splendours of Egypt 16 Russia • Majestic Russia • Solo Travellers 18 Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania • Journey through the Baltic States India & Beyond 20 Moldova & Ukraine • A Journey to Europe’s Edge • NEW 22 Romania • Timeless Romania 62 Rajasthan & the North • The Golden Triangle & Shimla 24 Bulgaria • Ancient & Modern Bulgaria • NEW 64 Rajasthan & the North • The Golden Triangle & 26 Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan • Across the Ranthambore • NEW Southern Caucasus • NEW 66 India • The Grand Tour of India • NEW 28 Italy • Classic Sicily 68 Rajasthan & the North • Passage through Rajasthan 30 Italy • Puglia & Basilicata 70 Rajasthan & the North • Exotic India • Solo Travellers 32 Spain • Splendours of Andalucía 72 North India tour extensions 34 Portugal • Grand Tour of Portugal 74 Indian Himalaya • Journey through the Himalayan Foothills 36 Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, 76 Eastern India • The Taj, Lucknow & the Sacred Ganges Croatia • Grand Tour of the Balkans • NEW 78 Western India • Enchanting Rajasthan & Gujarat • NEW 38 Albania & Macedonia • Land of the Eagle 80 Central India • An Indian Wildlife Odyssey 40 Greece • Classical Greece 82 The Deccan Plateau & Tamil Nadu • Treasures of 42 Turkey • Classical Turkey Southern India 84 The Deccan Plateau & Tamil Nadu • Hampi & Beyond • NEW 86 Kerala • Passage through Kerala 130 Colombia • Treasures of Colombia 88 Passage through Kerala tour extensions 132 Argentina, Chile & Peru • A Taste of South America • NEW 90 Sri Lanka • The Enchanted Island 134 Chile, Argentina & Brazil • Splendours of South America 92 Sri Lanka • Summer Explorer 136 Chile, Bolivia & Peru • A Journey through the Andes 94 Sri Lanka • Splendours of Sri Lanka • Solo Travellers 138 Peru, Bolivia, Argentina & Brazil • Grand Tour of 96 Nepal • Majestic Nepal • NEW South America 98 Bhutan • The Dragon Kingdom 140 Cuba • Splendours of Cuba 142 Mexico • Highlights of Mexico 144 Costa Rica • Natural Splendours of Costa Rica Far East 146 Natural Splendours of Costa Rica tour extensions 148 Central America • Splendours of Central America 100 China • China Experience • NEW 102 China • The Grand Tour 104 Japan • Japan’s Cultural Treasures Africa 106 Burma • The Golden Land of Burma 108 Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia • Grand Tour of Indochina 150 South Africa • A Taste of South Africa 110 Vietnam • Spirit of Vietnam 152 South Africa • Cape to Kruger • NEW 112 Malaysia • Borneo Wildlife Adventure • NEW 154 Cape to Kruger tour extensions 156 South Africa • Splendours of South Africa • Solo Travellers 158 Namibia • Untouched Wilderness Latin America 160 Madagascar • Madagascar Wildlife Adventure 162 Ethiopia • Ethiopian Odyssey 114 Peru • Train to Machu Picchu 164 Sudan • Treasures of Ancient Nubia 116 Train to Machu Picchu tour extensions 118 Peru & Galapagos • Conquistadores, Incas & Islands 120 Peru • Treasures of Peru • Solo Travellers Information 122 Chile • Splendours of Chile 124 Splendours of Chile tour extensions 166 Booking conditions 126 Argentina & Chile • Patagonia: Untouched Wilderness 169 Travel insurance 128 Argentina & Brazil • Wonders of the New World 170 Documents & health INTRODUCTION What Makes Our Tours Special Cox & Kings’ escorted group tours cover some of the most fascinating destinations on Earth. Many people travel with us year after year, however, for most, each trip is a precious, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover the destination. Ensuring our clients get the most out of their travels is our mission, so when our experts design the tour itineraries they strive to strike the perfect balance between visiting iconic landmarks and exploring lesser-known gems; glimpsing layers of history and getting an authentic taste of modern life; and filling days with exceptional experiences combined with enough time to unwind or explore independently. There is an art to creating and delivering the highest quality tours, which Cox & Kings has been refining for generations. These are some of the elements that make Cox & Kings tours so special… Woman at a stepwell near Jaipur, India Small Group Sizes High Quality Accommodation doors that are closed to the general public. These are the extra touches that make our We keep our groups compact and manageable, We take great care in our selection of tours particularly special, which we call our with an average group size of 14 and a accommodation. Typically, we feature well ‘Signature Experiences’. maximum of 26*. This means that the whole located, 4- and 5-star, character hotels where group can gather close enough to the guide to possible. However, our tours are primarily benefit from the information they share during about exploration and, in parts of the world Pre- & Post-Tour Flexibility excursions and, when it is time to move on, it where tourist infrastructure is less developed, does not take long for everyone to reconvene. we use the best available accommodation. Cox & Kings is unusual in being equally Please see page 10 for details about the experienced at organising escorted group * May not apply to all non-exclusive group tours. different types and grades of group tour tours and tailor-made private travel. We organised by Cox & Kings. have included suggestions for extending your holiday on the tour pages. However, if Local Tour Managers you have your own ideas, our expert tour Balanced Pace consultants will be delighted to design a We employ experienced, local, English- fully personalised pre- or post-tour private speaking tour managers for their in-depth Our aim on all tours is to include as many extension. We are also delighted to arrange knowledge of the places, people and cultures experiences as possible, while building in flights out of regional airports to join up with encountered along the way. Working with enough free time either to relax or to explore the published airline out of London, or on an locals also benefits the wider community further, independently of the group. It is alternative carrier, whether direct or via one and economy. Generally, our tour managers a fine line to tread, because we are aware of the international hubs. If you would prefer accompany the group from arrival in the that many people may only get to visit the to make a land-only booking and arrange destination to departure back home. destination once and will not want to miss any your flights independently of Cox & Kings, of the key sights. However, we try not to make that is also fine. On some multi-country tours we use the services the journey arduous and, where long road of local guides in each country. Where this is the journeys are necessary to get from A to B, case, it is highlighted on the tour page. we aim to build in breaks at places of interest Full Holiday Protection & en route. Emergency Support Excellent Value for Money We are members of AITO and ABTA and Cox & Kings Signature Experiences our air holidays are fully ATOL protected. By its nature, high quality travel is not cheap. We also follow British Foreign & Commonwealth It can also seem as if there is a big difference in Each tour in this brochure includes a number Office (FCO) advice regarding destination price between what, on the surface,