CuriOdyssey Travel
Custom & Curated Travel Planning
Oscar Wilde
"THE TRUE MYSTERY OF
THE WORLD IS THE VISIBLE,
NOT THE INVISIBLE."
EUROPE
Use these trip ideas as starting points. They can be taken as described or customized for your interests or expertise. Don’t see a trip or a country here? Just ask!
Explore the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Visit old growth forests, rich bird sanctuaries and peat bogs, and learn about Scotland’s alluring history and culture during visits to Norse archaeological sites and castles. Be hosted by Sir John and Lady Lister-Kaye at their Victorian sporting lodge and family home. Sir John has dedicated himself to preserving the rich natural history of Scotland. Also travel and spend nights in Skye, the Shetlands, and the Orkneys.
Revel in an Icelandic wonderland, where days are filled with natural beauty and, with luck, nights will provide a luminous spectacle of color known as the Aurora Borealis. After a brief stay in Reykjavik, escape the bright lights of the city to Iceland’s more remote southern coast. See magnificent geysers, spectacular waterfalls, enormous glaciers, black sand beaches, and active volcanoes. Learn about Iceland’s geothermal energy, and take a rejuvenating dip in a geothermal lagoons. From moss-covered lava fields, to barren highlands and soaring fjords, Iceland’s great diversity of landscape is mesmerizing.
A remarkably complex region, the Balkan Peninsula—from the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia to the Dinaric Alps, from low-lying Belgrade to mountainous Macedonia—is fascinating, diverse, and incredibly beautiful. Its prime location made it a collision point for ancient Greece and Rome, Christianity and Islam. The ruins of Greek and Roman amphitheaters, Christian basilicas, and Islamic mosques remain scattered across the landscape, awaiting discovery.
Discover the lush forests and spectacular coastal cliffs of Malta, teeming with birds and butterflies; on the island of Gozo, tour well-preserved ruins of temples hundreds of years older than Stonehenge; in Sicily, hike Cava Grande Del Cassibile, a gorgeous canyon; and travel 6,000 feet up Mount Etna to view vineyards and lava fields. Fly to Sardinia with its mountains, plains and salt marshes.
Classical Greece gave birth to democracy and saw the rise of such leaders as Agamemnon, Pericles, and Alexander the Great. Greek mythology gave the world Zeus and Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, Heracles and Medusa. World history was decided on the oracles of Apollo at Delphi, and wars stopped during the Olympic games. Discover the essence of classical Greece and, along the way, soak up extraordinary hospitality and distinctive cuisine.
Explore the Baltic Coast, a maritime region of Northern Europe that few Americans have discovered. The people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were the first to wrest independence from the Soviet Union. Their land is a patchwork of field and forest and their medieval capital cities—Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius—are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This trip has something for everyone, from stunning architecture to trendy cafes and restaurants.
This adventure focuses on the wild Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia's east coast, the most spectacular volcanic region in the world. The region is also known for its abundance of wildlife, including sable, ermine, and the Kamchatka brown bear. The native Kamchatka people hunt, fish and herd reindeer; travel north to a seldom-visited region to meet them. Also helicopter over the volcanoes and to a traditional summer camp of indigenous peoples who breed reindeer.
Journey through 200,000 years of history; the Palaeolithic era, a period of evolution in which man learnt to master tools, to create, to conceptualize and perform rituals. The abundance of works of art, shelters, and caves to be found all along the Vézère valley, with its cliffs overhanging the river, the cultivated fields along its banks, and its dense, secret forests, comes as no surprise. Also discover regional gastronomy, architecture, natural history, and arts and crafts.
Visit St. Petersburg, a rich repository of extravagant palaces, brilliant museums and renowned theaters. Explore Moscow, resplendent with its golden domes, new neon lights, and the venerable red brick Kremlin. Ring in the New Year in St. Petersburg, where this favorite holiday of the year features plenty of festivity. After the cultural riches and festive brilliance of Russia's two capitals, St. Petersburg and Moscow, head to the snow-covered Golden Ring cities of Vladimir and Suzdal. This is one of the oldest Russian routes, and Russian Winter Festival events are held in many small towns to celebrate the new year.
Beautiful St. Petersburg, Peter the Great’s visionary city with its graceful bridges spanning miles of canals, is a cultural capital brimming with world-class museums, renowned theaters, gorgeous palaces, and 18th century pastel buildings. Over the course of a week, explore and delve into the history and living arts traditions of this fascinating city through visits to museum, lectures, and cultural arts performances.
Closer to Africa than Italy, Italy's Sardinia feels relaxed and unspoiled. Discover stark granite headlands, romantic bays, valleys of citrus groves, and a breathtaking coast. Cycle and hike, stay in charming hotels, enjoy the best food and wine Sardinia offers, and experience a spectacular variety of land and sea, archaeological, and cultural experiences.
The study of anatomy during the Renaissance spanned a wide range of contexts and uses, from the classroom and the artist’s studio, to religious ritual. This unique, luxury program provides insider access to sites and collections off-limits to the public and private visits to universities and historic anatomy theatres of the time. Enjoy curator-led museum visits highlighted by hand-picked, rarely viewed works. Dine in Michelin-rated restaurants.