The Best Trips for Visiting Multiple Unesco World Heritage Sites
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There are few badges of honour quite so reliable as Unesco’s seal of approval. Most of our trips come across at least one World Heritage Site, be it natural wonders or historical monuments, but these are the tours that feature an abundance of places featured on the Unesco list.
Icons of China by Train
Our 10-day China trip is centred around the country’s most famous attractions, connected by incredible high-speed rail networks, so naturally you’ll be visiting a fair few Unesco World Heritage Sights. In fact, by our calculations you’ll be averaging one every other day, starting in the capital, Beijing. You’ll visit the Forbidden City (one) and try tai-chi at the foot of the Temple of Heaven (two). Then our rail adventure begins, first to Badaling for sunset and sunrise walks on the Great Wall of China (three), then to the ancient old town of Pingyao (four). Having toured Pingyao we’ll continue on to Xi’an, home to The Army of Terracotta Warriors (five), which you’ll get to meet face-to-face. We’ll end the trip in Shanghai which, surprisingly, doesn’t featur at all on Unesco’s current list.
From US$2137
Next available from 20th Jan 2024
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Beijing, China
ENDS AT
Shanghai, China
DURATION
10
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
Moderate
STYLE
Discovery
Berlin to Budapest: The Best of Central Europe by Train
Central Europe is not short of gorgeous medieval old towns, many of which have been recognised for their cultural significance and aesthetic beauty. Our Berlin to Budapest trip is a bit of a showcase for classic European cities, calling off at five capitals in between scenic countryside train rides. Our starting point is the German capital, where you can visit Museum Island (one) and Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (two) during your free time. Our next stop is Prague, where you’ll get a guided tour of the city’s beautiful historic centre (three). The centre of Vienna (four) will be your next stop, before we detour to go cycling and wine tasting along the Danube in the Wachau Valley (five). Following a brief stint in Bratislava we’ll end up in Budapest (six) for a guided tour of the city. The Hungarian capital has been recognised for Andrássy Avenue, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube.
From US$2473
Next available from 13th Apr 2024
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Berlin, Germany
ENDS AT
Budapest, Hungary
DURATION
10
GROUP SIZE
18
PHYSICAL RATING
Light
STYLE
Discovery
Spectacular Sicily
Sicily certainly has a noticeable age to it, in the best way possible. Every town has a pretty old piazza, a church with a story and cobbled streets ripe for exploring. As an island it punches far above its weight on the Unesco rankings, as our eight-day tour of the island proves. We’ll start in Palermo (one), listed for its unique Arab-Norman architecture, as is the cathedral in Cefalu (two), the second stop on our trip. After that we’ll hop on a boat to explore the Aeolian Islands (three) before returning to the mainland for a hike on Mount Etna (four). You’ll be treated to a guided walking tour of gorgeous Syracuse (five) and discover street food delights in nearby Ortigia, before rounding off our trip with an exploration of the beautiful Baroque hill towns of Val di Noto (six), namely Noto, Modica and Ragusa – home to some of the world’s best chocolate and gelato.
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Next available from 1st Jan 1970
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Palermo, Italy
ENDS AT
Siracusa, Sicily
DURATION
8
GROUP SIZE
14
PHYSICAL RATING
Light
STYLE
Discovery
Epic Morocco
Our comprehensive 11-day tour of Morocco showcases the nation’s remarkable diversity of incredible destinations, from ancient cities to archeological sites, snow-capped mountains and barren deserts. The first Unesco World Heritage Site we’ll visit is the Roman ruins of Volubilis (one) on day three. The next day we’ll explore the amazing medina of Fes (two), which is the closest travel gets to transporting you back in time. You’ll have to traverse the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert before seeing another Unesco site on day nine. That’s when we visit the extraordinary Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou (three) en route to Marrakech, where you’ll get an incredible street food tour of the old medina (four).
From US$1897
Next available from 7th Oct 2023
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Casablanca, Morocco
ENDS AT
Marrakech, Morocco
DURATION
11
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
Moderate
STYLE
Discovery
Madrid to Marrakech by Train
The medinas of Fes (one) and Marrakech (two) also feature on this continent-crossing Rail Trip from Iberia to North Africa. On the Spanish side of the tour we’ll start in Madrid, where you’ll get to stroll down the stunning Paseo del Prado boulevard (three). We’ll hop on the train south to the incredible city of Cordoba (four), recognised for its extraordinary blend of Roman and Moorish architecture, most notably the Mezquita cathedral-mosque. Our final stop in Spain is the capital of Andalusia, Seville, where you’ll get to visit the cathedral and the Alcázar (five).
From US$2635
Next available from 5th Nov 2023
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Madrid, Spain
ENDS AT
Marrakech, Morocco
DURATION
12
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
Light
STYLE
Discovery
Dazzling Brazil
Our nine-day Brazil trip features a trio of dazzling Unesco World Heritage Sites. We start in Sao Paulo – the only non-listed destination of the trip – before moving on to the gorgeous coastal region of Paraty (one), home to verdant forestry, bright blue bays and one of Brazil’s prettiest towns. You’ll get to explore the waterfalls, natural pools and exotic birdlife of the Atlantic Forest (two) via 4×4, before we end our trip with four days in Rio de Janeiro (three). The entirety of this city has essentially been classified as a World Heritage Site, thanks to the vibrant seafront culture, the epic landmark of Christ the Redeemer and the amazing natural beauty of Guanabara Bay, Corcovado, Tijuca National Park and the Botanical Gardens, not to mention the iconic golden beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana.
From US$2099
Next available from 12th Jan 2024
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Sao Paulo, Brazil
ENDS AT
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
DURATION
9
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
Light
STYLE
Discovery
Seductive Southern Italy
Italy is actually the most Unesco-listed country on Earth, largely thanks to its blend of historically significant sites and the diversity of its landscapes. Our 10-day tour of Southern Italy features a handful of the country’s 58 sites, starting with the historic centre of Naples (one). You’ll get a guided street food tour of its incredible narrow streets, featuring at least a slice or two of amazing Neapolitan pizza. From there we’ll explore the Amalfi Coast (two) by road and by boat, before heading inland to the ancient hilltop town of Matera (three), made famous by Bond film No Time to Die (2021). The last Unesco site on this trip is by far the most adorable. The quirky trulli huts of Alberobello (four) are incredibly easy on the eye, but these dry-wall structures are also a fascinating remnant of ancient building techniques.
From US$1766
Next available from 14th Oct 2023
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Naples, Italy
ENDS AT
Lecce, Italy
DURATION
10
GROUP SIZE
14
PHYSICAL RATING
Easy
STYLE
Discovery
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
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