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Alaska Cultural Walking Adventure

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Half the people we know have cruised to Alaska. The other half plans to. But as much as we love a cruise, it just seems a shame to float right past some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth. After all, the Kenai Peninsula offers a range of wonderful walking options that don’t require “bush” skills. There’s the world’s most northerly rain forest…Exit Glacier where a scenic path allows us to experience its awesome scale up-close…Resurrection Bay with its humpback whales and orcas…the wildflower meadows too far from shore to ever be spotted by a landing party. With Classic Journeys, you’ll see it all—and you’ll meet local fishermen, naturalists and other friends. Accommodations include historic lodges and hotels. Even if we don’t offer a 2 a.m. dessert buffet, we think you’ll take home equally happy memories of a lakeside salmon-bake followed by fresh-picked blueberries. And then you’ll know you’ve truly touched Alaska.

• Begin with a warm-up walk on one of Anchorage’s most scenic coastal paths offering striking views of three mountain ranges including Denali, North America’s highest peak
• At the foot of Mt. Alyeska, take a forest walk past a series of waterfalls culminating at the state’s richest gold mine where you’ll pan for gold
• Take to the waters for a breathtaking boat trip into the Kenai Fjords to witness the power and fragility of glaciers up close
• Be camera-ready as you spot moose, bear, and caribou in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge before choosing your own adventure: a gentle river-rafting excursion or riverside walk.
• Ferry to the fringes of the Alaskan wilderness for a hike amongst the prolific wildlife
• Watch the local halibut fishermen return and unload their catch
• Experience the rich culture and hearty people of Alaska during an exchange at the local artists' farmstead and art studios.

Starting Point:

Ending point:.

Dates & Prices

The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won’t be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. Talk with one of our travel experts at 800-200-3887 .

Select our “Family Departure” to travel with other families.

Why Choose Classic Journeys

Travel + Leisure has awarded Classic Journeys the #1 World’s Best Tour Operator multiple times and says, "Classic Journeys provides unbeatable access to experiences around the globe." Here’s what that access means for you.

• Experience the world on foot and at eye level. Each day, join your guide on the most cinematic footpaths in the region.
• Exceptional full-time local guides who become your well-connected friend. Our amazing guides are with you throughout each day of the tour, share their lifelong connections as well as engaging anecdotes about the history and culture of the region.
• Small groups that provide you unrivaled access. An average of fewer than 10 guests per departure means we can offer you special access to sites like Stonehenge so you experience the stone circle when it’s closed to the general public, a guided visit to Zion Narrows that other companies cannot arrange because of larger group sizes, and vineyard walks with a count and countess in Tuscany.
• Award-winning hotels are waiting for you at the end of every day. Luxuriate in the finest and most distinctive accommodations in the region you’re exploring, including rainforest lodges, 16th century villas, and award-winning properties that show up on World’s Best and Gold lists.
• Eat like (and with) the locals. Food is a foolproof way into the hearts, homes and history of the places you visit with us. From gourmet picnics to coveted local restaurants, our meals offer you opportunities to explore native food traditions and fine dining.
• Handcrafted itineraries with all activities included. With our long-term friendships, we know our walking tour regions more personally than anyone else. So you get thoughtfully curated itineraries that combine explorations of the villages, organic farms, archeological sites and the people who know them best.
• Sustainable travel that supports the places you’re visiting. We put our local currency into the pockets of the people who live where we travel. It’s your guarantee that you’ll have authentic, up-close experiences on your trip. Best of all, our person-to-person approach helps sustain their ways of life.

Accommodations

We spend years cultivating personal relationships with our hoteliers to provide you thoughtfully selected accommodations that reveal the true character of the region. Here is a sampling of our favorite hotels on this tour. 

The Hotel Alyeska

Tucked amid Alaska’s Chugach Mountains, this luxurious chateau-style resort is surrounded by hanging glaciers and spectacular ocean views. Enjoy the indoor saltwater pool, fitness center, and hot tub overlooking the north face of Mt. Alyeska.

Land’s End Resort

Watch otters, seals, whales and eagles from your room’s private deck on the shores of Kachemak Bay. Take in 180-degree view of the Kenai Mountain Range from the oceanfront spa and outdoor hot tub.

Harbor 360 Hotel

Your gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park in the scenic harbor town of Seward, Alaska. Located directly on the waterfront of the Seward Small Boat Harbor, Harbor 360 Hotel offers guests stunning 360 degree views of Resurrection Bay.

What’s Included

• All breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners
• Full-time experienced guide(s) who are with you throughout the trip and handle behind-the-scenes logistics
• Admissions to scheduled events as noted in the detailed daily itinerary
• Gratuities for hotels, meals and baggage
• All land transportation during the trip

Above & Beyond Benefits

Privileged access events.

• One-of-a-kind access to remarkable people, places and activities arranged just for you.

Invisible Check-In

• When your group arrives, we whisk you and your bags to your room immediately. No waiting – no tipping.

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Reviews 4.4.

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The sights but the most significant…

The sights but the most significant reason was our guide Katharina. She was simply amazing.

Date of experience : April 11, 2024

Absolutely fabulous vacation!

Absolutely fabulous vacation bc of the amazing guides we had and awesome locations & restaurants they knew where to take us to. The hotels were gorgeous, private, spacious and centrally located too. Everyone we met in the hotels & throughout the vacation was extremely friendly & helpful. We went as a family of 6 and will always be grateful for the everything we learned and all of the wonderful memories we made together. I cannot say enough good things! Highly, highly recommend this tour agency!

Date of experience : March 03, 2024

The hotels were fabulous, so I gave an extra star for that. We took the Classic Journeys trip to Southeast Asia and it was so poorly handled that all the participants were shocked, emailing and calling the company mid-trip and swore never to go one another one of their trips again. Poor to no communications, mediocre guides who didn't have the itinerary, no information on our internal flights, had to beg for the final itinerary before we left, are meals included or not?, the guides didn't know. I could go on and on. And it seemed as if Classic Journeys didn't even care ("we've never had a trip with issues before") or apologize. A small credit towards a future journey with a company you cannot trust, doesn't seem to cut it. This is not just me, every person in the group felt the same way.

Date of experience : January 01, 2023

Reply from Classic Journeys

Hi Esther, Thank you for your review, and we appreciate you taking the time to speak with our office after your trip. Unfortunately, the Lunar New Year impacted our scheduling and activities on this itinerary, more so than ever before - as this was the first true opportunity for locals to celebrate this holiday since the start of the pandemic - so it is true that these issues were not something that we have dealt with previously in this region. The other feedback you shared with our office was incredibly helpful - and we sincerely appreciate you bringing it to our attention so that we can better understand your experiences, and make sure that our itinerary is operating as intended. I'm happy to report that a number of guests from your departure are planning a future trip with Classic Journeys, and given the opportunity, we would be thrilled to host you again too. Please count on us to make sure that your next trip will be an incredible experience, should you choose to join us again.

Unethical behavior

Booked a trip for May 2020: paid $600 deposit. Trip canceled by company (Covid) deposit rolled over to next trip Rescheduled for May 2021: canceled by company. (Covid) Deposit rolled over to next trip Rescheduled for May2022. Cancelled by company:insufficient amount of enrollees. Company refuses to return deposit. Will credit it towards a future trip.

Date of experience : June 18, 2022

Great guides

Great guides, great accommodations for a family of 2 and a family of 11. 2 of us took the Amazon extension and didn't know what to expect....but it exceeded expectations with excellent guides into a jungle ride that was unlike anything I ever did. Warning...lots of walking through jungles is tough slogging. We joined the rest of our family in the Galapagos at the the airport in Quito and met our guide for the first time.....What a guy. A naturalist, sportsman, a gentleman and humorist. Our only glitch was with the original reservations...slow to respond to questions. But, it was worth it.

Date of experience : December 07, 2018

Would I go again with Classic Journeys???

Life changing! Alex our guide incredibly knowledgeable, caring and has a great sense of humor. If I needed a day to relax (and perhaps shop) it was totally encouraged and acceptable - Porto Fino amazing! The itinerary and hotels spot on! I’m ready to go back, maybe the Amalfi Coast!!! Don’t hesitate, book the guided trip now!!

Date of experience : October 01, 2023

Paradise isn’t always tropical!

Winter in Alaska? YES! Classic Journey’s did all of the work including off the charts accommodations, fantastic adventures (think—helicopter landing on a glacier and walking through an ice tube), and most importantly the best guide on earth! Catharina was not only knowledgeable on Alaska but knew more about my home state than I do! PERFECTION! Thank you!!!

Date of experience : February 27, 2023

Our trip to Tuscany and Cinque Terre…

Our trip to Tuscany and Cinque Terre was fantastic with Classic Journeys. Our guide, Luciano, was absolutely the best! Not only was he unbelievably knowledgeable but he thought of every single detail to make our trip so memorable. It was as if every stop and experience was perfectly curated just for us.(the scenery, the visit to the sheep farm with the unbelievable freshly made pecorino, the lovely villa where we stayed in Tuscany, hiking stops for photos at just the right spots, the restaurants that provided the true taste of Tuscany, and even the evening serenade of Italian songs on our way home from dinner--all made us feel very special.)

Date of experience : May 16, 2023

This was an incredible journey.

This was an incredible journey. From start to finish, everything fell into place and made our trip comfortable and enjoyable. The Galápagos Islands are a world of their own and our very knowledgeable guide (Alfredo) knew every nook and cranny. We were up close and personal with giant tortoises, swam with Sea turtles and penguins and baby sea lions. Met a host of marine iguanas sunning on boardwalk and pathways as well as adult sea lions. Hotels, restaurants, and special venues served up delicious local specialties and beverages. Truly, a trip to remember.

Date of experience : June 04, 2019

Multi-sport trip to Iceland

We travel a lot, but just took our first trip with Classic Journeys a few weeks ago. Our small group "multi-sport" trip to Iceland was simply wonderful, from glacier hikes and ice caves, to riding Icelandic horses on the black sand beach, to hiking or snorkeling in the mid-Atlantic rift between tectonic plates. Our guide was one of the best we've ever had, incredibly knowledgable and just fun to be with. We'll travel with Classic Journeys again!

Date of experience : November 28, 2018

Excellence every day!!

Our superb, experienced, caring, responsible and fun guide, Alessandro along with the beautiful people who made up our group enhanced the beauty of our Classic Journeys experience. The tour itself was true to the itinerary outlined when I booked our tour. It was truly a “walking and cultural experience “ each and every day. We tasted wine, amazing cheeses, unique and incredible dining experiences (a different place each night). We visited less tourist driven villages and really got to feel the heartbeat of Tuscany. I loved each of our hotels as well as “The Villa” we stayed in. Each place had its own unique character and charm as well as luxury as defined with the context of the hotel. There is “a walk” scheduled each day with the option to stay on the bus and ride to the end destination. By the way our driver Michela was superb. I have high expectations and I was not disappointed or dissatisfied at any point. Enjoy your classic Journey!!

Well organized, informative trips by Classic Journeys

This was our second Classic Journeys trip. They excel at being well organized and taking seamless care of all the details that people take organized trips for -- ie. hotel reservations, bus and plane transport,meals, guides, entry fees, etc. We have had excellent guides that enhanced our trip experience. Not so active, but they really provide good basis for cultural and historical learning.

Date of experience : March 05, 2019

Lifetime Memories

We have done both a family trip (3 kids ages 11-15) in Provence and also an adults trip in Sicily--both were fabulous. We have loved literally everything we have done with Classic Journeys and wouldn't change any detail except for maybe creating a 28-hour day so we could do more?! So, for us it's not a question of IF we will go with Classic Journeys again, it's a question of HOW SOON we can go! The guides are superb. The accommodations so lovely. And the experiences are truly lifetime memories.

Date of experience : July 09, 2019

Amazing Adventure in Costa Rica

From beginning to end Classic Journeys was a joy to work with. Planning a family trip for nine (5 adults/4 teenagers) could have been a nightmare. However, Classic Journeys provided us with a dream vacation. Our guide was fantastic and our own comfortable van and driver made touring hassle-free. Costa Rica is rich with flora and fauna, glorious seaside to majestic volcanos, wonderful food and welcoming people. One of our highlights was a visit to a local K-6 school. The children performed for us and interacted with our family. A delightful experience. Go! You'll love it!!

Date of experience : March 21, 2019

Perfect in every way

Perfect in every way. This was my third trip with Classic Journeys. Ever detail is arranged to give you a luxury vacation that is both adventurous and pampered. Imagine a 5 star hotel, with a private patio, looking out over an Ancient Greek temple. Breakfast over looking the Mediterranean. Dinner served by a 5 star Michelin chef. A hike up an active volcano. Kayaking a glacier lake. Exploring a monastery on a mountain lake... all of those things are possible when you travel with Classic Journeys.

Date of experience : November 07, 2019

Our fourth Classic Journey

The places we went were special, not just popular and the pace was full but not hurried Where we stayed, the inns and hotels were unique, beautiful, intimate. The guides knew their terrain AND listened well to the people on the tour The groups were small - made up of interesting people who treated each other in a warm and respectful manner

Date of experience : October 02, 2022

My 2 Italian tours .

My 2 Italian tours with Classic Journeys were first class in every way. The guides that accompanied our small group were caring, educated, organized and fun. The local guides which joined us at different times were also very well-informed and professional and very enjoyable. Our meals were delicious 5 star quality with free flowing wine at every dinner. The hotels were immaculate and historic with top notch service. I would recommend Classic Journeys.

Date of experience : October 15, 2019

Once in a lifetime

What a truly memorable journey. Lots to see, do and feel. The Galapagos has a soulfulness you don't often experience on a family vacation. Our guide, Pablo Puente, was the best. Under his skilled and attentive watch, we had a front row seat to the fragility, splendor and resiliiance of the islands and of life ion this planet in general

Date of experience : September 04, 2018

A wondersul getaway

A wondersul getaway, with gorgeous surroundings, great food, and the most educational trip I've had in many years of hiking tours. The weather even cooperated, with rain when were indoors and pleasant weather when hiking. Our guide, Bart, was fabulous with both academic and local knowledge. And the truffle farm experience was exceptional, even learning how truffle dogs are trained. A great trip...

Date of experience : July 03, 2019

Costa Rica with Classic Journey's

Very pleased with Classic Journey's. Our guide and driver were both outstanding (knowledgeable, friendly, flexible, and great at spotting wildlife). The properties, and rooms/suites were excellent. Included meals were, generally good to very good (especially breakfasts). Included activities, and options, generally, suited clients with varying physical capabilities and desires although some could have been better coordinated. Highlights were the thermal springs at Tabacon resort neat Arenal volcano, kayaking, the Pardor resort overlooking the ocean, and the wildlife (,monkeys, sloths, iguanas, crocs, and birds of many varieties).

Date of experience : March 11, 2020

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Classic Journeys is a luxury boutique tour company, operating small group walking, cultural, family, culinary, and multisport trips in 100 regions in 50 countries on six continents.

The award-winning company, which celebrated its 25-year anniversary in 2020, is the Adventure Travel Trade Association's (ATTA) longest-standing member , with its membership dating to 2001.  

In the midst of testing time for the travel industry, Lesley Brannen with the ATTA sat down with Classic Journeys president and founder, Edward Piegza, to discuss the effects of the pandemic, and his hopes for the future of travel.

Q: Classic Journeys turned 25 recently, congratulations! You’re also officially ATTA’s longest-standing member. 

Thank you! When we joined in 2001, ATTA’s passion for adventure travel, and your mission to “protect the natural and cultural capital” really resonated with me because it matches our mission at Classic Journeys. ATTA is a supportive and inspiring community to be part of, especially as we work together to make sustainable, regenerative tourism the norm. 

Q: As a leader in the industry, what kind of adventure travel trends are you seeing emerge amid COVID-19?

A lot of guests who usually travel abroad and don’t want to wait for border re-openings are opting for domestic trips with the same awesome itineraries and bespoke service that Classic Journeys delivers worldwide. For example, though COVID-19 forced the postponement of a trip to Iceland, we were able to give guests an experience just as unforgettable in Alaska - complete with northern lights sightings, an incredible glacier hike, husky sledding, and more! We’ve termed it Bucket List Experiences over Bucket List Destinations. 

We’ve seen an increase in guests enquiring after destinations that are more off the beaten path, for both domestic and international travel. Ironically, destinations that are more restrictive in their guidelines have actually become highly sought after. These include the Galapagos, where they limit the number of visitors to the islands, and Zion National Park, where the Bureau of Land Management caps the number of people in the Narrows to no more than 13 at one time. Places like Montana and Iceland, which are wild, open, and sparsely populated, are also being prioritized because they offer an unforgettable experience, around very few people. 

Q: In response to COVID testing requirements, Classic Journeys created “travel bubbles” for destinations like the Galapagos. Can you tell us more about that?

Where countries have carefully reopened to travelers who meet certain safety steps (e.g., a series of negative COVID tests), we’ve sat down with tourist board members, our expert local guides, and an infectious disease doctor (who just happens to be a 17x Classic Journeys guest) to plan what we’ve called a travel bubble. For our Galapagos travel bubble, that means the moment guests arrive in Quito or Guayaquil, they’ll meet their Classic Journeys guide and representatives from a private COVID testing company. While they await the negative results to continue onto the Galapagos (we’ve arranged for a quick turnaround), we’ve curated a two-night visit in either city that includes a socially distanced but immersive tour of the city, as well as airport transfers, breakfasts, and the PCR tests. The result is that instead of complicating the travel experience, it actually streamlines it, makes it all seamless and turnkey for the traveler, and allows our guests to maximize their enjoyment in the Galapagos by providing them piece of mind that they are in a safe travels environment.

Q: This model seems like it would fit well with the CDC announcement that from January 26, a negative PCR test must be provided to return to the U.S. 

Absolutely. We’ve become well-practiced in adapting to COVID requirements of different destinations and ensuring safe and quick testing around the world. We can incorporate testing seamlessly into our tours, without taking away from guests’ enjoyment of the destination.  

Q: The media are predicting a surge in bookings after COVID, nicknamed revenge travel. Does this look likely to you?

I’m definitely feeling a combination of pandemic fatigue and pent-up wanderlust, as are my family, colleagues, friends, and all of our guests who send me notes of encouragement and aspiration. People who usually travel several times a year are holding those funds for a bucket-list adventure like our Chile Antarctica total eclipse tour this December. Guests have booked trips to make up for missed graduation, birthday, or anniversary celebrations. A lot of travelers are booking more in advance for late 2021 and 2022, to save their places ahead of the “revenge travel” surge and experience the joy of having something to look forward to. Of course, everyone has their own idea of when they’re happy to travel again, whether it’s a lower number of cases, or the vaccine. We understand that, and our resounding message is, “we’re ready when you are”. 

Q: What other adventure travel trends do you foresee emerging?

I’m anticipating more private tours, and I think companies will look to our small group model when it comes to public tours. Micro weddings – where large hometown weddings don’t meet COVID-19 restrictions. Multigenerational family trips. So many birthdays have been missed, not to mention holidays and anniversaries, graduations. Travelers are starting to turn to us to help them find ways to celebrate them all in one trip. 

Q: One thing that identifies Classic Journeys is how you feature local guides in all of your trips around the world. How have you managed to stay in touch and keep spirits high amid the border closures?

Absolutely. I’ve always said it’s not what I know, it’s who I know! And that is never truer than our amazing extended family of expert local guides around the world. I’ve always admired how well-connected our guides are. And that’s never been more apparent than at the beginning of COVID-19 when we had guests in South Africa and Chile at the time of the border closures. Our South African guide, Clive, had to call in favors with the station chief for British Airways to get the last seats out of Cape Town for guests whose flights on Virgin were canceled. And thanks to his personal relationship with the mayor of Easter Island, our Chilean guide, Andres could fast track our guests to the front of the line for the last flight to Santiago so they could fly home before the border closed. 

We followed the journey of Ulisse in Naples, who sent daily updates from the moment coronavirus hit Italy, through lockdown announcements and more. And the same with other guides around the world; Atli in Iceland, Susana in Portugal, Vibeke in Norway and so many more. Inspiring and moving. 

Q: You run tours to 100 regions in 50 countries. How do you manage to make each one bespoke and personal?

We kiss many frogs to find prince and princess charming! That includes the guides who join our guests throughout their trip, each hotel they stay in, the restaurants they dine in, and the vineyard owners, artisans, and craftsmen they meet along the way. We don’t stop searching until every detail is perfect, and if perfect doesn’t already exist, we create it! Just one example...once we lunched with a Cuban farmer to discuss the best local walking trails, and because our dream route didn’t exist, he cut the path for us!

Q: As a valued member, Classic Journeys participated in the global consultation process to develop the COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines (see here ). What are the biggest challenges your company has faced amid the global pandemic?

Because we operate trips in more than 100 regions in more than 50 countries on six continents, it offered us a 60,000-foot view on what was taking place around the world and what was working as the pandemic developed. From that, we were able to respond quickly as the pandemic hit, managing to get all guests home safely against sudden border closures, and rescheduling already-booked trips. There’s been a lot to adapt to amid constantly changing situations from state to state, and country to country. And it’s been difficult not being in person as much with our guides and hoteliers around the world—who are really personal friends. On top of that, it is so emotionally draining to watch everyone struggle with the effects on the tourism industry. Thanks to the resilience and optimism of the Classic Journeys family around the world, there’s been no hurdle too high, and I’m confident we can face anything together.

Q: What long-term effects do you think COVID will have on the way people travel?

People already feel more mindful when ordering takeout to support local restaurants in their community, and I think the same will apply to travel. We’re aware of the cost COVID has had on every level of tourism, so supporting small tourism businesses, boutique hotels etc. will be more important. There’s hope of a movement above and beyond ‘sustainable tourism’, to ‘regenerative tourism’, where we work to change places and practices for the better, so that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren can enjoy the wonders of world travel. 

We’re already seeing this shift, for example, the social distancing adaptions they’ve made at Machu Pichu (to space out visitors, and limit numbers,) is something UNESCO has been campaigning to do for years to better preserve the site. It’s a vastly improved way to experience such an important—formerly over visited—place. I am betting that reopening this way will encourage more conscientious plans for the future. 

Contributing members are responsible for the accuracy of content contributed to the Member News section of AdventureTravelNews.

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• World's Best

The 15 Best Tour Operators in 2022

These are the companies Travel + Leisure readers trust to provide them with travel expertise and memorable experiences.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

When it comes to an itinerary, Travel + Leisure readers want more than a string of photo opportunities — and the right tour operator makes all the difference in creating a trip of a lifetime versus one that simply checks off a list of sights. This year, our readers were especially drawn to companies that utilize local expertise and experience to thoughtfully design trips that will entertain as well as inspire.

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey , T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated tour operators and safari outfitters based on their staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and overall value.

The top picks were noted for their deep knowledge of destinations and guides who "go the extra mile." One reader who has been traveling for more than five decades said a trip with Classic Journeys (No. 2) was the "very best" they had experienced. Others noted attention to pandemic safety details, while one who went to Norway was charmed by a "wonderful surprise dinner in Bergen out on the water that was fantastic."

Tour operators that seamlessly navigated the logistics of a trip also came out on top. Quasar Expeditions (No. 9) was noted "for really planning out every detail" so that "all you have to do is show up and have a great time." Meanwhile, of TCS World Travel (No. 10), a guest said: "You never lift a finger and just spend your time actually exploring the destination." They even added that they "learned so much" along the way.

Among the five companies on this year's list that weren't on last year's were two women-only tour operators that cater to travelers of all ages. AdventureWomen (No. 14) has multiday tours designed by women from Bhutan to Yellowstone National Park, while Explorer Chick (No. 15) has everything from day trips — like glassblowing in Baltimore and cave rappelling in St. Louis — to full itineraries in Machu Picchu and the Galápagos. One reader said her Everest Base Camp trip with AdventureWomen was filled with "like-minded women" who "bonded so well," while another said she felt it was a "safe tour group for women."

No matter which tour they chose, readers were most taken by the people they met along the way, as one said of Trek Travel (No. 13): "By the end of the trip, a group of strangers felt like longtime friends." Find out which other companies round out the list of the best tour operators below.

1. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

A tour with DuVine goes far beyond just riding a bike — it's a way to really see the character of a destination. Case in point: even those who say they're not necessarily cycling fans have been converted. That's part of what helped the tour operator — which runs trips in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and Africa — skyrocket from No. 14 last year to this year's top spot. Its "top-notch biking equipment" and "challenging but doable itineraries" didn't hurt either. One reader was especially taken by a guide picking figs off of a local tree in Puglia for an extra energy boost during a tough climb, as well as another guide singing to the group after dinner. As another reader put it simply: "They exceed your expectations."

Score: 99.12

More information: duvine.com

2. Classic Journeys

Score: 99.04

More information: classicjourneys.com

3. Artisans of Leisure

Score: 98.38

More information: artisansofleisure.com

4. (tie) Black Tomato

Score: 98.33

More information: blacktomato.com

4. (tie) GeoEx

More information: geoex.com

4. (tie) Wilderness Travel

More information: wildernesstravel.com

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 98.14

More information: insidejapantours.com

8. Kensington Tours

Score: 98.03

More information: kensingtontours.com

9. Quasar Expeditions

Score: 97.84

More information: quasarex.com

10. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.78

More information: tcsworldtravel.com

11. Butterfield & Robinson

Score: 97.33

More information: butterfield.com

Score: 96.95

More information: tauck.com

13. Trek Travel

Score: 96.90

More information: trektravel.com

14. AdventureWomen

Score: 96.11

More information: adventurewomen.com

15. Explorer Chick

Score: 95.87

More information: explorerchick.com

Classic Journeys

Review Highlights

“ I had such a great time on the tour of Provence that I have booked a tour of Tuscany and a tour of the Amalfi Coast. ” in 3 reviews

Location & Hours

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7855 Ivanhoe Ave

La Jolla, CA 92037

Park Row & Silverado St

Serving La Jolla Area

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About the Business

Classic Journeys is a luxury tour operator, handcrafting trips of a lifetime. Classic Journeys operates culture + walking adventures, culinary tours, multisport adventures, river cruising, and family journeys in 100 regions around the world. Classic Journeys has won awards from publications like Saveur, National Geographic and has been named one of the World's Best Tour Operators by Travel + Leisure every year since 2007. …

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Worst tour ever. I cannot believe I paid that much money to be treated so poorly and stay in rundown motels.

We have taken two private group trips organized and led by Classic Journeys -- Panama & Costa Rica including sailing through the Panama Canal and up the Pacific coast of Costa Rica; New Zealand. Both trips were awesome with terrific itineraries. I'll never forget the Canal transit, cruising on the Star Breeze (best cruise experience ever), zip lining through jungle in Costa Rica, white water rafting, or the visit to an indigenous tribe in Panama. Nor will I forget jet boating on a braided river in New Zealand, Valentine's Day in Auckland, visiting Waiheke Island, panning for gold, Queenstown, or racing on America's Cup boats.

In 2019 I won a "Trip of a Lifetime" contest sponsored by 23&Me worth approx. $10,000 for a trip for two anywhere in the World [to be fulfilled by Classic Journeys] that showed up in my ancestry. I'm totally European, so I chose the Amalfi Coast tour for the free trip and added the Puglia trip as an extension which I paid full price for. I also paid an additional several thousand dollars to upgrade our flights from economy [so much for "Trip of a Lifetime"!] to first class since I had just retired and felt we deserved it. At first the staff was helpful in organizing the trip but once we had issues with what they were providing they became increasingly unsupportive. The first week of the trip was the Amalfi Coast tour which started in Naples where we were placed in a nice hotel [best part of the trip] right on the waterfront. It's supposed to be a "culinary tour", but we were NOT given ANY culinary experiences in Naples nor the Amalfi Coast. In fact, we never ever even saw the Amalfi Coast! Our driver who drove us to Pompeii [part of the trip] said usually they drive us on to Amalfi for the day with a culinary experience and were surprised that they were told we won't receive that! We/the drivers called and spoke directly with Classic and they would not help at all! We did get a ferry out to Capri, a tour, and a culinary lunch experience [which was nice], but were never taken on the grotto boat tour as expected. We both agreed that this was NO "Trip of a Lifetime". I contacted 23&Me to tell them how disappointed I was and that they got "ripped-off" by Classic Journeys, but they didn't want to get involved. SAD to say this first week of the trip ruined our view of Classic Journeys forever because no matter how many times I contacted them to ask for help they didn't care at all. The second part of the trip in Puglia that I paid for was great. It was far more of a lifetime trip than any part of the first trip. It's a shame that Classic Journeys is so preoccupied with making a profit that they don't care about meeting customers' expectations since they've lost us as future travelers. They CAN provide a great trip, just "buyer beware" that if things don't go right, they probably won't do anything about your situation.

We took the Morroco tour with them. We were badly surprised by the transportation vehicle and the stops along the journey (not in the main cities, but along the route). These stops were very cheap, and the guide often pushed to avoid having a stop on a long driving journey. The bus was dirty and poorly maintained. The air conditioning was barely functioning. Regarding the restaurants, we also were disappointed by the deserts. The negotiated deserts in almost 90% of the restaurants were: ripe bananas, ripe oranges, and ripe apples. It was easy for the guide to promise things and not execute them, always giving an excuse. The group was so disappointed that on the last day we all decided to spend it alone without the guide. And classic journey did not even reach out to us when we complained about the quality of the tour.

I haven't even traveled with them yet and I'm totally disgusted! They are putting me on the cheapest flight they can find with a stopover in Istabul and they refuse to change it for me. Hell no! So much for a supposed 'top-notch' travel company. They may have gotten good reviews back in 2010 but I see none recently. There's your sign.

Business owner information

Business Owner

Jan 27, 2022

Hi Stacey—I’m sorry for your poor experience, but it was not with us. We have not been operating trips to Turkey for several years (pre 2018) and we do not organize flights as we are a land tour company. Could it be a case of mistaken identity? Edward, founder

My wife and I recently returned from Portugal with Classic Journeys... it was our first experience with this company.Overall It was a mixed experience. The hotels were great and the meals included wine.Yeah! Overall the itinerary was good. My reservations was the group size of 18 participants...too large for optimal experience, with a large bus riding, lots of very long meals in two big tables, and guides without blue tooth head sets to allow all 18 of us to hear the lectures. ( Most big groups have individual ear pieces so one does not need the huddle around the guide). Also we thought this would be a walking/hiking tour. It wasn't...mainly a large cultural bus tour. The guides were accommodating, but not exceptional. Overall experience was "so-so" and we will not use their services in the future.

Nov 19, 2014

Alan, thanks very much for your candid and helpful comments following your return from our Portugal cultural walking tour. As the president and founder of Classic Journeys, I can assure you that we really do take all of our guests' comments very constructively, and we appreciate the time you've taken to provide your insightful thoughts. I'm very happy that you enjoyed many aspects of your time with us, including the hotels, meals and overall itinerary. That said, I want you to enjoy every aspect of traveling with us, and so I'm sorry that we fell short of meeting all of your expectations, including your interaction with our guides and the size of our group (18 guests). On all of our tours worldwide, we average 12 guests and take no more than 18 guests, so your trip was the largest that we operate. As such, we staffed the trip with two full time local guides, in order to keep a guest to guide ratio of 9:1. Even with that, we want you to connect with the guides personally, and I'm sorry that did not happen the way you would have liked. We'll use your comments productively in our post tour guide conversations as we always want to make sure that our guests and guides are having a great time together on every one of our trips. We see our guides as your host in the region in addition to being a great source of local knowledge. Finally, we'll be sure to verify the amount of walking we're doing each day and throughout the week in Portugal, to make sure that it's in our preferred range of 3 to 4 hours of easy going walking per day mixed in with visits to historic sites and with interesting local people. Again, Alan, thank you for your very constructive comments about your time with us in Portugal. Your satisfaction and patronage is extremely important to us, and we hope that your memory of the positive elements of the tour will give you reason to consider traveling with us again.

I traveled to the Amalfi Coast with Classic Journeys in June 2019. The itinerary was a great overview of this beautiful region, the guide/driver were first-rate as were the food & accommodations. The group had some really nice people in it, but a few who were "cliquish" and made for a less than ideal group dynamic. While there were many highlights, there was too much time in overly touristic areas jammed with tourists and virtually no down time to enjoy our beautiful hotels/pools, etc. I had booked back to back trips with CJ, and when the second trip was cancelled by the operator due to lack of sales, I had to pay my own change fees for the air. This left me with a bad taste in my mouth because they would not refund the $160 change fee. So be warned. If the trip doesn't go, and you don't re-book another trip with them, you are on your own to cover those lost costs. I would not take another CJ trip based on my experience with the Amalfi Coast.

I recently returned from a Classic Journeys walking tour in Turkey. While there were strong points and weak points to the tour , when they are tallied , I would not recommend this tour company I chose Classic Journeys primarily because they had been reviewed so highly, and because I was traveling solo, and the single supplement was very low in comparison to other tours. Other than that , and the fact that most of the food was fresh and good tasting peasant food, I did not feel it was a good value at all , even though the tour was enjoyable .The wine was substandard and resembled vinegar more than wine on more than one occasion. The company did not take responsibility for neglecting to pick me up at the airport as scheduled, and I had prepaid for the airport transfer to my hotel and confirmed it twice with the tour operators. They reimbursed me the $84.00 and apologized for the inconvenience , but really there was no excuse for finding myself in Istanbul at 1:40 AM without a driver or anyone to help me with my luggage.By the time I found another driver and got to my hotel, I was exhausted and too tired to take advantage of a private tour I had booked for the next day. (As an aside, I ended up taking the tour the following day , and it was outstanding.The guide on my privately booked tour was better than any guide employed by Classic Journeys for the Turkey trip .) The first Classic Journeys guide was fired by the other group participants after the first day.They disliked her performance, ganged up on her, and demanded that she resign. Classic Journeys replaced her with a lethargic , but knowledgeable fellow, who was a lot more interested in chatting with his wife on his cell phone, and meeting friends, while dropping the group off at particular shops which marked up their merchandise astronomically , and rewarded him with a handsome, commission .It felt like a shopping tour , not a walking tour. The extent of the shopping was over the top,by any reasonable standards, and not at all how I would have chosen to spend my time. I asked Mister Guide if he could help me change some money into Turkish Lira, , and although this small request was made several times, he did not honor even this small request. .I asked numerous times, and he sent me to a bank.I went to two or three , but could not accomplish the task,but rather than helping , Mister Guide went to meet a friend and left me in a cafe without money to buy even a coffee. This guide did the least amount possible to satisfy the requirements of his job. Each thing requested of him was an imposition. For example, after 4 days on the gulet, where guests were provided with only one bath towel and one hand towel for the duration,l, I requested an additional towel ( the cost of the tour BTW averaged about $800 a day), he VERY reluctantly got me one, but only after I insisted, stating emphatically that my towel was wet and dirty ."Do you use a new towel every day at home ? he inquired . No wine was served before dinner, unless a gla requested , and then only the person requesting it got it. A second , was likewise treated as a huge imposition. $800 a day was all I could think of! In order to swim off the gulet , you were required to climb down a steep ladder , without much support.The guide sat in the water on one of 4 available noddles and ignored me when I was frightened to come down alone.Finally , I said I was uncomfortable and frightened, and he told me to then move aside so the next person could come down.I suggested that it might be a good idea for the guide to help me instead , at which time , he moved off his noodle and helped me down into the water.He did it to save face in front of the other tour participants , but his reluctance was not lost on the group.He was too generously tipped by all of us- but for what , I am not sure .He also had a pretty bad cold and transferred it to me before departing. The wine provided by Classic Journeys( YUCK) on board the gulet was terrible, and the food as Istated earlier was fresh peasant food.- nothing special and certainly nothing gourmet.Since alcoholic beverages, when we were not on the boat were not included , that was the only time I had a decent glass of wine, Many of the restaurants were not establishments I would choose to eat at .The food was offered buffet style and I had no idea how long it had been sitting there. In the hotel in Cappadocia the lock on my door did not work.At this time we had a different guide, and I asked him to have my room changed or to have the lock fixed ,but neither of the suggestions was taken.Instead, the outside door was locked , forcing the other tour participants in my section to have to walk a circuitous route to reach their rooms. I have done quite a bit of luxury travel , and at least by my standards the Classic Journeys tour does not qualify.

A culinary tour is the perfect way for a foodie to experience a new place. Cooking instruction, visits to local markets, vineyards and museums is my idea of a wonderful vacation. That is exactly what Classic Journeys has to offer. I went on a culinary tour of Provence, France with Classic Journeys. The tour guides were born and raised in the south of France and knew their history well. Tours with Classic Journeys don't feel "touristy". Sure, we went to all the touristy areas and museums, but we also went to non-touristy places like local restaurants and markets. The culinary tours are a unique way to experience an area. I had such a great time on the tour of Provence that I have booked a tour of Tuscany and a tour of the Amalfi Coast. I am so excited to go on these next two tours! My only complaint of Classic Journeys would be that they don't offer culinary tours in enough countries! They have cultural walking tours available in just about any place you want to go, though.

My wife and I recently went on a tour of Charleston and Savannah. It started at the height of a thousand year rain event. Parts of the city were being evacuated and Classic chose to have us go into the area. It seemed to me that Classic did not care about our safety at all. Because the streets of the historic district were flooded.we could not do the walking tours and spent a lot time riding around aimlessly in a van. A lot of the sites we were to see where closed. Almost all the stores were closed. Classic did not have a clue as to what to do with the tour group. This was not a trip to an exotic location and the weather reports were telling everyone to stay away, yet Classic went ahead with the tour as planned even though we were not able to do the tour as planned. They had no back up plan and hung the tour guide out to dry without help from the office. Poor judgement all around Got to pay full price for this trip, but we got about only 1/2 of what was promised. A lot of money for a low quality product.

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9 Trips match your criteria (1 - 9 shown)

A Taste of Tuscany Culinary Tour

• Testing mouthwatering recipes in friendly cucinas
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• Seeing premium olives pressed into oil

Culinary & Wine, Cultural, Local Immersion & Homestays, Relaxing Retreats, Transformative

Canadian Rockies Family Journey

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• Marveling at glaciers and snow-capped peaks
• Hiking spectacular gorges with rushing waterfalls
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New Zealand South Island Family Journey

Christchurch, Queenstown

• Walking from a rain forest on to Fox Glacier
• Panning for gold
• Cruising though spectacular Fiordland National Park

Culinary & Wine, Family Friendly, High Adventure, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Rafting, Kayaking, Canoeing, Relaxing Retreats, Train & Rail Journeys, Sailing

Morocco Family Journey

Fez, Marrakech

• Sand surfing on the world’s highest dunes
• Playing drums around a Berber campfire
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Cultural, Family Friendly, High Adventure, Local Immersion & Homestays, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Relaxing Retreats, Transformative

Basque Pyrenées

Basque Country, Bilbao

• Exploring seaside towns and bucolic villages
• Living in luxury at a seaside Belle Epoque hotel
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50 plus, Culinary & Wine, Cultural, Family Friendly, Local Immersion & Homestays, Relaxing Retreats, Transformative

Zambia Family Safari Vacation

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• Zip-lining over the Zambezi River
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Amalfi, Al Buon Gusto!

Amalfi Coast, Naples, Positano

• Balancing top-notch instruction with breathtaking walks
• Visiting exquisite villas with beautiful gardens
• Pausing to learn how limoncello is made

Culinary & Wine, Cultural, Family Friendly, Local Immersion & Homestays, Relaxing Retreats, Transformative

Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia Family Journey

Angkor Wat, Da Nang, Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Saigon, Siem Reap

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Cultural, Family Friendly, Local Immersion & Homestays, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Rafting, Kayaking, Canoeing, Relaxing Retreats, Transformative, Sailing

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Asheville Luxury Brokers – Cri

Would I go again with Classic Journeys???

Life changing! Alex our guide incredibly knowledgeable, caring and has a great sense of humor. If I needed a day to relax (and perhaps shop) it was totally encourage...

Kelly Sullivan

Excellence every day!!

Our superb, experienced, caring, responsible and fun guide, Alessandro along with the beautiful people who made up our group enhanced the beauty of our Classic Journ...

Extraordinary Tuscany with Classic Journeys experience

Extraordinary experience! Beautiful, luxury hotels. Small bus travel broken up nicely. Fantastic food. Knowledgeable, friendly tour guide who cared for each of us as...

Horrible Vacation/More Horrible Customer Service

CAVEAT EMPTOR!!- Having taken numerous vacations with other tour groups all over the world I can say without a doubt this was absolutely one of the worst vacations ...

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Bait and Switch Tactics: Beware

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This is a US based tour company. I asked for recommendations on the London forum regarding tours to Scotland and got one reply from someone who booked with them six times. They advertise a great rate for the single supplement. They also advertise flexibility.

Anyone take their tours around the United Kingdom?

BEWARE: Classic Journeys promises ‘self-indulgent first class accommodations’ and ‘gourmet dining,’ but what Classic Journeys delivered to us was something very different. Our trip was to have consisted of six nights in villas and palazzos in the Hill Towns of Tuscany and Umbria, Italy. Only after we had paid our final (non-refundable) installment did we learn that half the trip had been moved to a remote kiwi farm, La Riserva Montebello. TripAdvisor’s 2010 reviews about La Riserva tipped us off… 2.25 stars out of 5, as well as negative comments (e.g. ‘needs work’). When our travel agent called Classic Journeys to ask them about the switch, she was assured that our entire experience would be ‘exceptional.’ Although the first half of the trip went well, the second half of the trip was awful: isolated location, stopped up drains, stains and mold in the bathroom and bedroom, ceilings too low to stand up, over a mile to the main facilities, ripped sheets and uncomfortable beds, furniture that collapsed, indifferent food and non-existent service, a guide who made fun of previous Classic Journey travelers who had complained about LaRiserva… we could go on and on, but we have photosthat really tell the story. Our dream trip became a nightmare, so awful that fellow travelers (tired from not sleeping well and from having to be transported lengthy distances to attractions) suggested ending the tour a day early. When we returned home and contacted Classic Journeys, we were given lengthy explanations about why their vendor was responsible for ruining our trip. Months later, after numerous letters and phone calls from us and from our travel agent, Classic Journeys has adamantly refused to reimburse us a penny. Instead they offered us a discount - if we would sign up for an additional trip to ‘give Classic Journeys another chance’ (and if we would pay them an additional $6000.) They even asked us for the names of friends to whom they could market!

Is there a particular reason that you think you would need a guided tour of Scotland?

What sort of thing did you want to see.

The language is mostly a variation of the one you speak, the public transport is pretty good in the British Isles and you will be able to read the signs. Even the driving in Scotland, outside of the major cities where there is little parking, isn't too difficult as there isn't as much traffic as further south.

The Tourist Information Offices can be very helpful about local sights.

Both the Lonely Planet Guide and the Rough Guides are loved by many and the Eyewitness guides are great for planning as they have great photos.

This would be my first trip to Europe alone. I am a little apprehensive about that. I picked Scotland becuase it is close to England and I have relatives that live near Chester. A friend of mine said one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen was the Scottish Highlands.

I wanted a small tour group, but after reading the above comments about the disastrous Italy tour, I am not sure now.

I am going to check your "Lonely Planet Guides" and the "Eyewitness" books.

I think your friend is probably right about the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. (Chester is rather nice as well) I love empty, slightly bleak landscapes too and, except for Connmara, which has black basalt lined lakes and silver coloured wild ponies, the Scottish highlands is as good as magnificent loneliness gets.

I admit I am not a fan of tours in general, although I can see their advantages in certain situations.

However, if you are committed to a total package, you are stuck with what you get, for better or for worse and the chemistry of each trip is different.

A slightly different way to organise things might be to book the framework of the trip yourself and add in local tours, whether for an hour at a museum or castle, or several days driving in a small van around the highlands. Then if you get a dud, you haven't lost much.

Have a look on the Scottish forum http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g186485-i107-Scotland.html and try asking there about small group tours of the highlands.

When I was driving around Scotland, I found the local Tourist Information offices very useful for places to see, but also for finding places to stay.

IMO, the bleak beauty of the Highlands is most powerful when viewed solo and if you have come from staying with relatives, a solo break might be especially welcome.

I am surprised about ehaz' experience with Classic Journeys. We have taken two trips with them, one to southern Italy and the other to Ireland. The thing we loved about CJ was that we didn't have to worry about anything; our vacations were so low-stress. Our guides were fabulous lifelong residents of the areas and it would take a lot of research to find comparable experiences/lodging/etc. Then, what if something goes wrong? In Italy, we were supposed to take a walk between two towns on the Amalfi coast, but it was raining and my kids were whining. No problem--our guide booked a bus while we looked around the town and we didn't have to worry about the schedule, finding the bus stop, or buying the tickets using our poor Italian skills. We have found them to be flexible and accommodating.

There are a lot of other satisfied CJ travelers who post on their Facebook page. I highly recommend them.

People want different things from their holidays.

satraveler40 wants low stress and for someone else to solve things for him/her. Fair enough, but do remember that you are stuck with the way the tour agency choses to solve things, whether it is to your taste or not.

Other travellers consider meeting the challenges and the confidence gained from doing so to be part of the experience. Sorting things out for yourself also goves you insight into the country you are visiting, which, IMO is at least part of the reason for travelling to another country.

A tour can serve to insulate you from the country you are visiting. Only you can decide if that is what you want/need.

Does anyone else find it interesting that someone who has "been a member since December 2010" has only posted once and that the post is an advert.for a tour? Particularly that the only post is on the solo forum by someone who does not travel solo?

We on the solo forum have made the choice to give a wide defination of "solo travel" to include those travelling alone in a group, but surely those travelling as family with a tour fall outside of this forum?

In my defense, I have used TripAdvisor for years, but I'm not a blogger and only post on things when I think I have something new to say. I joined in December to post a review on a great hotel in Barcelona that I booked completely based on other Trip Advisor reviews, so I wanted to provide some feedback. I certainly don't work for Classic Journeys and I don't have any relationship with the company except as a customer. I only came across the original post (which didn't seem to be posted by a solo traveler, either, I might add) because we're traveling with CJ to Costa Rica this summer and I wanted to see if anyone had any experience with that particular trip.

I don't have much experience with tours, having only taken two. Generally, I enjoy figuring things out as I go along, and have done so on many solo trips as well as on vacations with family and friends. But the poster of the original query indicated that he/she hadn't been to Europe before and might feel intimidated by taking a solo trip the first time. For someone like that, Classic Journeys is, in my opinion, a good option. It's a nice change to have someone else worry about the details. I wouldn't do that on every trip, but I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy it sometimes. Is there really a wrong way to travel?

I came across CJ in a catalog and liked the idea of a SMALL tour group. BUT, I am travelling for the first time by myself. My husband always was great about going without a strict itinerary, so we never took tours. But since his passing, I now have to travel alone (even if in a tour group) I will still be wanting a room by myself, and will be traveling to Scotland by myself, and I just wanted to know if anyone had taken a CJ tour.

I really appreciate all the knowledge of people on Trip Advisor and the honesty of opinions -- whether good or bad -- I know I have to decide for myself, but I am very flexible.

I know quite a few people from the Cabo San Lucas forum, but since I have relatives in England, I thought to try the London, or Scotland forums.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS. I really appreciate all the advice.

Satraveler40,

I owe you an appology.

We are so used to tour operators coming on and posting once and only once to paise (or damn) a tour company.

I had failed to appreciate that a search for "Classic Journeys" would turn up this question in the Solo Forum.

The OP is travelling alone but I'm sure your comment about your trip to Italy with the tour was helpful to her.

Thank you for posting and please don't let the temporary (I hope) grumpiness of a DE put you off participating on Trip Advisor.

I recently returned from a Classic Journey tour of Quebec City and the area northeast along the St. Lawrence River. I could not have been more pleased with the tour. The accommodations were exactly as described in the brochure, the food was wonderful, and the walking tours acceptable to this 71-year-old traveler. Special kudos should go to the guide, Lucette, who was not only professional and educational, but a real hoot, and I mean this in the positive sense of the term.

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Cata Classic Pre-Patch April 30, Launch May 20 - Cataclysm Classic

You’ve toppled the undead armies of the Lich King and ended Arthas' reign. Now, Deathwing, The Worldbreaker, bursts from the heart of the Maelstrom, unleashing his rage. All will burn beneath the shadow of his wings. Your new journey begins with the pre-expansion patch — the Shattering of Azeroth— on April 30 and continues with the launch of Cataclysm Classic on May 20, 2024 at 3:00 pm PDT worldwide.

Cataclysm Classic Pre-Expansion Patch

The Cataclysm Classic pre-expansion patch ushers in the shattering of Azeroth and the changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, a variety of systems changes along with new class and race combinations, and the new Worgen and Goblin races. Players can also begin learning the new Archaeology profession, use Reforging to upgrade your gear, and more.

• New Player Races: Goblin and Worgen
• New Race and Class Combinations
• Leveling Updates: Level through a changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms from level 1 through 60.
• Class Updates: New Talents, Trees, spells and More
• New Profession: Archaeology
• New Feature: Transmog Collection
• Updated Character and Gear Stats

What’s Inside Cataclysm Classic

With the launch of Cataclysm Classic on May 20, players will begin their journey from level 80 to 85 through new zones, new dungeons and raids, engage in PvP combat in Tol Barad, and delve further into the mysteries of the Darkmoon Faire on Darkmoon Island.

• 7 New Zones: Mount Hyjal, Vash’jir, Twilight Highlands, Uldum, Deepholm, Kezan, and Gilneas.
• 9 New Dungeons : Blackrock Caverns, Throne of the Tides, Vortex Pinnacle, The Stonecore, The Lost City of Tol’vir, The Halls of Origination, Grim Batol, Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep
• Dungeon Journal Introduced
• 3 New Raid Dungeons: Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent, and Bastion of Twilight
• Flexible Raid Lock system: Allowing players to do both 10 and 25-player raids in the same week.
• Tol Barad PvP Zone
• Darkmoon Island: Discover the mysteries Silas Darkmoon has in store for you.
• Flying in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor

What’s Going Away with Wrath of the Lich King

With the launch of the Cataclysm pre-expansion patch, some items and achievements will no longer be available or will be harder to obtain. It’s important to keep in mind that the game world is going through tremendous changes that will affect the availability of certain rare mounts and items.

• Swift Zulian Tiger: Zul'Gurub is changing from a raid to a leveling zone and this mount will no longer be obtainable.
• Swift Razzashi Raptor: This mount will also no longer be obtainable after the change to Zul'Gurub.
• Razzashi Hatchling : With the change to Zul'Gurub, this non-combat pet will no longer be obtainable.
• Tome of Polymorph: Turtle: This tome will continue to be available through other means.
• Crusader's White/Black Warhorse and Swift Alliance Steed/Swift Horde Wolf : As the attempt-based tribute system is being removed from Heroic Trial of the Crusader, the Argent Crusade Tribute Chest will no longer spawn, and these mounts will no longer be obtainable.
• Reins of the Blue Drake: This mount will once again be available from defeating 10-player Malygos without needing to use the Dungeon Finder. The Reins of the Azure Drake will only be available on 25-player Malygos.
• Mimiron's Head: This mount will change to be a very low drop chance when defeating 25-player Yogg'Saron with no Keepers assisting you.
• Invincible: This mount will change to be a very low drop chance when defeating Heroic 25-player Lich King.

Quest and Loremaster Changes

The shattering of Azeroth will drastically and permanently alter the continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. In the wake of Deathwing's devastation, adventurers will be summoned to embark on new quests from levels 1 to 60 in these transformed territories -- and with so much new content to be found on these original two continents, many original quests will no longer be available after the shattering occurs. These quests will automatically be removed from your quest log, while any quests you’ve accepted that still exist in Azeroth will remain in your log.

If you've already completed Loremaster of Eastern Kingdoms or Loremaster of Kalimdor, you will not lose your achievements. However, if you've made progress toward these achievements without yet completing them, be aware that any quests that are removed from the game will no longer count toward your progress, so you may see your achievement quest counter drop. If you’re close to earning either of these achievements, we strongly suggest you finish them with great haste, as Deathwing's return is imminent.

In addition, the Loremaster achievements are being redesigned slightly to make them easier to track. Rather than having players complete a huge number of quests throughout a single continent, the criteria will change so that you will instead need to complete a set number of quests in each zone. Once you've earned the achievements for each listed zone on a continent, you will then be awarded the Loremaster achievement for that continent. For those who do have Loremaster of Kalimdor or Eastern Kingdoms completed already, you can still go back and get the new achievements for questing in individual zones on those continents.

Are You Insane in the Membrane?

With the release of Cataclysm Classic, the Insane in the Membrane Feat of Strength will no longer be available.

Ignite Your Cataclysm Classic Journey with Fiery Upgrades

Cataclysm Classic will require only a WoW® subscription or Game Time to play. However, these optional upgrades can heat up your experience during your adventures in Azeroth.

Blazing Heroic Pack

The Blazing Heroic Pack includes Lil’ Wrathion pet for both WoW Classic progression 2 and modern World of Warcraft characters 3 , the Avatar of Flame flying mount 2 for WoW Classic progression characters, and a Runebound Firelord flying mount for modern World of Warcraft characters 3 . WoW Classic progression characters will also enjoy Hammer Regalia Transmog Set 4 and Town-In-A-Box Starter Set toy 4 .

Blazing Epic Upgrade

The Blazing Epic Upgrade includes everything in the Blazing Heroic Pack, plus a Level 80 Character Boost and 30 days of Game Time.

Upgrade Now

Certain restrictions apply. Visit  shop.battle.net  for more information.

• 1 Available on or before August 31, 2024.
• 2 Available in WoW Classic progression realms (currently Wrath of the Lich King Classic™) immediately after the purchase.
• 3 Available after the modern WoW® realms restart with the Guardians of the Dream (10.2) update.
• 4 Available with the Cataclysm Classic pre-expansion patch.
• The toy, Transmog set, and Avatar of Flame mount only available on WoW Classic progression realms (currently Wrath of the Lich King Classic™). The Runebound Firelord mount only available on modern WoW® realms.
• Requires WoW® Subscription or Game Time.
• Boost only available on WoW Classic progression realms. and usable only on the WoW game account for which it was purchased or redeemed.

Comment by Sklet

The only way you can get me to care about this garbage expac is if you put in the cut content you owe us

Comment by Xoro

considering how broken the beta is im shocked that the date isn't late june

Comment by Stitchified

I just would like to point out that Insane in the Membrane should still be obtainable in Cata Classic as the only thing that changes for it in Cata is that the Shen'dralar rep goes away and is no longer a requirement. Obviously we'll see what happens but I would be very surprised if the Classic devs made a feat of strength that is still obtainable in Retail unobtainable in Classic.

Comment by SinR

21 more days to get that ZG Raptor before its gone for good? damn. Oh well. At least I got the Tiger.

Comment by Mickh73

Queue classic andies calling Cataclysm a bad expansion because it filtered bad players. Don't worry fella fresh soon so you can press one button.

Comment by Merztastic

The beta isn't playable in the slightest. WTF are they shipping in a month?

Comment by Kloda

Flexible Raid Lock system: Allowing players to do both 10 and 25-player raids in the same week. Does this only apply to Normal mode as it did back in actual Cata? In Cata, normal only saved you to the boss, where-as a raid ID was made the moment you killed a boss in HC. The wording in the post doesn't differentiate. Personally would prefer if it remains saved for both on HC as it would otherwise create a strong preference for 25-man guilds again, especially if the over-tuned bosses are kept in 10M HC content. Bit weird that the decision wasn't made to keep old ZG and ZA given that it was done for Onyxia, but isn't a big deal. What about raid titles like The Undying, The Immortal, Bane of the Fallen King, Champion / Conqueror of Ulduar? They aren't in the list of removed content, will the immortal titles remain in the game? Considering that dungeon testing have only now been properly added to the beta about a day ago, releasing on 30th of May feels premature, have internal testing been done on 85 content to ensure a minimal amount of bugs will be present when they are eventually released for testing? Plus a 2½ week window for pre-patch feels pretty small, unless you plan to keep Joyous Journey through-out the entire thing along with the XP requirement nerfs?

Comment by schmilblick

1 Available on or before August 31, 2024. What's that ?

Comment by johntravolta342

Comment by foxburn.

I just would like to point out that Insane in the Membrane should still be obtainable in Cata Classic as the only thing that changes for it in Cata is that the Shen'dralar rep goes away and is no longer a requirement. Obviously we'll see what happens but I would be very surprised if the Classic devs made a feat of strength that is still obtainable in Retail unobtainable in Classic. True and real hopefully it was just an oversight from the writer

Comment by Artek88

Does on PREPATCH period the %chance to obtain MIMI HEAD and INVINCIBLE dropping to 1% or just AFTER PREPATCH(release) itself? Can someone moderator/writer CLARIFY this?

Comment by Apolyptica

I predicted April 30th as the first possible release date ( HERE ) and looks like they are making this a reality... 3 weeks left to fix the game for Pre-Patch ! Then another 3 weeks for the rest of the content ! Good luck Blizz !

Comment by RingoFlinthammer

Looking forward to WoW Classic: Shadowlands.

Comment by ShipmanMN

Does on PREPATCH period the %chance to obtain MIMI HEAD and INVINCIBLE dropping to 1% or just AFTER PREPATCH(release) itself? Can someone moderator/writer CLARIFY this? "With the launch of the Cataclysm pre-expansion patch" assuming yes, they drop 1% with pre-patch.

Comment by Shiftyr

May 20th seems reeeally early considering the state of the beta at the moment. Some spells dont even work and there hasn't been any raid testing yet. Its kind of more in an alpha state than beta and they wanna release this in less than a month and a half? There is also no mention of the elemental invasion prepatch event which means we are probably skipping it to rush this half-baked expansion out. I can't help but feel that the devs are being pushed to do this because of some scheduling requirements from higherups when its clearly not ready. I would honestly be very surprised if this isn't a fiasco when it launches.

Comment by Gigaovgodd

The only way you can get me to care about this garbage expac is if you put in the cut content you owe us Ye its actually mindblowing how a company has been given a SECOND chance to re-do things AND THEY &*!@ IT UP AGAIN and release cata which was ALL TIME LOW population like holy cow are there humans at blizz actually or just bots?

Flexible Raid Lock system: Allowing players to do both 10 and 25-player raids in the same week. Does this only apply to Normal mode as it did back in actual Cata? In Cata, normal only saved you to the boss, where-as a raid ID was made the moment you killed a boss in HC. The wording in the post doesn't differentiate. Personally would prefer if it remains saved for both on HC as it would otherwise create a strong preference for 25-man guilds again, especially if the over-tuned bosses are kept in 10M HC content. Back in OG Cata, there was a lockout for 10 NORMAL and 25 NORMAL, and a lockout for 10 HEROIC and 10 NORMAL. It appears they're making it so there's now FOUR lockouts, 10N 25N 10H 25H and nothing to do with Flex Raiding (scaling) or removing Raid IDs and having individual per player loot lockouts

Comment by Francoporto

How it can be ? The current beta is garbage, i'm not talking about some bugs, this is clearly unplayable. And this is unacceptable to remove Zulian Tiger from ZG, they should let it on the new ZG dungeons at least.

Comment by Majestyc

RIP Classic.

Comment by Ratfk

Flexible Raid Lock system: Allowing players to do both 10 and 25-player raids in the same week. Does this only apply to Normal mode as it did back in actual Cata? In Cata, normal only saved you to the boss, where-as a raid ID was made the moment you killed a boss in HC. The wording in the post doesn't differentiate. Personally would prefer if it remains saved for both on HC as it would otherwise create a strong preference for 25-man guilds again, especially if the over-tuned bosses are kept in 10M HC content. Back in OG Cata, there was a lockout for 10 NORMAL and 25 NORMAL, and a lockout for 10 HEROIC and 10 NORMAL. It appears they're making it so there's now FOUR lockouts, 10N 25N 10H 25H and nothing to do with Flex Raiding (scaling) or removing Raid IDs and having individual per player loot lockouts 10man and 25man shared lockouts in Cata. You could swap between them, IE. do Nef on 10man rather than 25man if you wanted but the lockout stayed at the same boss. https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/712593-Cataclysm-Raid-Progression-Refinements . I guess i could be wrong... but I dont think so.

The Cataclysm Classic Pre-Expansion Patch Goes Live April 30

You’ve toppled the undead armies of the Lich King and ended Arthas' reign. Now, Deathwing, The Worldbreaker, bursts from the heart of the Maelstrom, unleashing his rage. All will burn beneath the shadow of his wings. Your new journey begins with the pre-expansion patch — the Shattering of Azeroth— on April 30 and continues with the launch of Cataclysm Classic on May 20, 2024 at 3:00 pm PDT worldwide.

Cataclysm Classic Pre-Expansion Patch

The Cataclysm Classic pre-expansion patch ushers in the shattering of Azeroth and the changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, a variety of systems changes along with new class and race combinations, and the new Worgen and Goblin races. Players can also begin learning the new Archaeology profession, use Reforging to upgrade your gear, and more.

• New Player Races: Goblin and Worgen
• New Race and Class Combinations
• Leveling Updates: Level through a changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms from level 1 through 60.
• Class Updates: New Talents, Trees, spells and More
• New Profession: Archaeology
• New Feature: Transmog Collection
• Updated Character and Gear Stats

What’s Inside Cataclysm Classic

With the launch of Cataclysm Classic on May 20, players will begin their journey from level 80 to 85 through new zones, new dungeons and raids, engage in PvP combat in Tol Barad, and delve further into the mysteries of the Darkmoon Faire on Darkmoon Island.

• 7 New Zones: Mount Hyjal, Vash’jir, Twilight Highlands, Uldum, Deepholm, Kezan, and Gilneas.
• 9 New Dungeons : Blackrock Caverns, Throne of the Tides, Vortex Pinnacle, The Stonecore, The Lost City of Tol’vir, The Halls of Origination, Grim Batol, Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep
• Dungeon Journal Introduced
• 3 New Raid Dungeons: Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent, and Bastion of Twilight
• Boss Based Raid Lock system: Allowing players to do either the 10 or 25-player raid version of each boss in the same week. Lockouts are based on individual boss.
• Tol Barad PvP Zone
• Darkmoon Island: Discover the mysteries Silas Darkmoon has in store for you.
• Flying in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor

What’s Going Away with Wrath of the Lich King

With the launch of the Cataclysm pre-expansion patch, some items and achievements will no longer be available or will be harder to obtain. It’s important to keep in mind that the game world is going through tremendous changes that will affect the availability of certain rare mounts and items.

• Swift Zulian Tiger: Zul'Gurub is changing from a raid to a leveling zone and this mount will no longer be obtainable.
• Swift Razzashi Raptor: This mount will also no longer be obtainable after the change to Zul'Gurub.
• Razzashi Hatchling : With the change to Zul'Gurub, this non-combat pet will no longer be obtainable.
• Tome of Polymorph: Turtle: This tome will continue to be available through other means.
• Crusader's White/Black Warhorse and Swift Alliance Steed/Swift Horde Wolf : As the attempt-based tribute system is being removed from Heroic Trial of the Crusader, the Argent Crusade Tribute Chest will no longer spawn, and these mounts will no longer be obtainable.
• Mimiron's Head: This mount will change to be a very low drop chance when defeating 25-player Yogg'Saron with no Keepers assisting you.
• Invincible: This mount will change to be a very low drop chance when defeating Heroic 25-player Lich King.

Quest and Loremaster Changes

The shattering of Azeroth will drastically and permanently alter the continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. In the wake of Deathwing's devastation, adventurers will be summoned to embark on new quests from levels 1 to 60 in these transformed territories -- and with so much new content to be found on these original two continents, many original quests will no longer be available after the shattering occurs. These quests will automatically be removed from your quest log, while any quests you’ve accepted that still exist in Azeroth will remain in your log.

If you've already completed Loremaster of Eastern Kingdoms or Loremaster of Kalimdor, you will not lose your achievements. However, if you've made progress toward these achievements without yet completing them, be aware that any quests that are removed from the game will no longer count toward your progress, so you may see your achievement quest counter drop. If you’re close to earning either of these achievements, we strongly suggest you finish them with great haste, as Deathwing's return is imminent.

In addition, the Loremaster achievements are being redesigned slightly to make them easier to track. Rather than having players complete a huge number of quests throughout a single continent, the criteria will change so that you will instead need to complete a set number of quests in each zone. Once you've earned the achievements for each listed zone on a continent, you will then be awarded the Loremaster achievement for that continent. For those who do have Loremaster of Kalimdor or Eastern Kingdoms completed already, you can still go back and get the new achievements for questing in individual zones on those continents.

Ignite Your Cataclysm Classic Journey with Fiery Upgrades

Cataclysm Classic will require only a WoW® subscription or Game Time to play. However, these optional upgrades can heat up your experience during your adventures in Azeroth.

Blazing Heroic Pack

The Blazing Heroic Pack includes Lil’ Wrathion pet for both WoW Classic progression 2 and modern World of Warcraft characters 3 , the Avatar of Flame flying mount 2 for WoW Classic progression characters, and a Runebound Firelord flying mount for modern World of Warcraft characters 3 . WoW Classic progression characters will also enjoy Hammer Regalia Transmog Set 4 and Town-In-A-Box Starter Set toy 4 .

Blazing Epic Upgrade

The Blazing Epic Upgrade includes everything in the Blazing Heroic Pack, plus a Level 80 Character Boost and 30 days of Game Time.

Upgrade Now

Certain restrictions apply. Visit  shop.battle.net  for more information.

• 1 Available on or before August 31, 2024.
• 2 Available in WoW Classic progression realms (currently Wrath of the Lich King Classic™) immediately after the purchase.
• 3 Available after the modern WoW® realms restart with the Guardians of the Dream (10.2) update.
• 4 Available with the Cataclysm Classic pre-expansion patch.
• The toy, Transmog set, and Avatar of Flame mount only available on WoW Classic progression realms (currently Wrath of the Lich King Classic™). The Runebound Firelord mount only available on modern WoW® realms.
• Requires WoW® Subscription or Game Time.
• Boost only available on WoW Classic progression realms. and usable only on the WoW game account for which it was purchased or redeemed.

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We are Sergey and Simon, a Russian and a Frenchman, both  passionate about Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and classic cars. Together, we have created Put-in tours. Our goal is to help you experience Russian culture off the beaten path. Join us onboard our classic Soviet van and let’s get rolling!

In Moscow we offer you a city tour to discover most of the city in an original way as well as a night tour to admire the lights. Our pubcrawl is ideal to explore Moscow’s night-life and have fun. If you are craving to discover Russian culture, come impress your senses during our monastery diner or join our 100% Russian Banya Excursion . The latest will also bring you to Sergiyev Posad and it’s famous monastery!

For the most extreme travellers, our shooting tour will deliver your daily dose of adrenaline whereas our tank excursion will let you ride a real tank and shoot a bazooka.

We also offer help to receive your visa , safe and multilingual airport transfers , as well as organisation services for team-building events or bachelor parties .

All our excursions (but the monastery diner) happen onboard our Soviet military vans and can be covered by our  professionnal photographer or videographer.

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We welcome you in Saint Petersburg onboard our Soviet van to discover the imperial city with our city tour and night tour .

Continue your discovery in style! The adrenaline lovers will like our shooting tour  which brings 3 Russian weapons to the tip of your trigger finger.

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At Put-in tours, we put you in our classic Soviet vans to go explore Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Russian culture off the beaten path. Discover our Moscow city guided tour, visit Moscow by night, join our banya & Sergiyev Posad excursion, visit and dine in one of Moscow's oldest monastery or even Luzhniki stadium, before you party on our famous pubcrawl! Original and atypical tours : Shoot AK47 and a bazooka after riding on a tank with our tank & bazooka excursion ! Extreme tours: Fly a fighter jet in Moscow onboard a L-29 or L-39 aircraft!

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The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

• Posted on April 14, 2018 July 26, 2018
• by Kings of Russia
• 8 minute read

Moscow’s nightlife scene is thriving, and arguably one of the best the world has to offer – top-notch Russian women, coupled with a never-ending list of venues, Moscow has a little bit of something for everyone’s taste. Moscow nightlife is not for the faint of heart – and if you’re coming, you better be ready to go Friday and Saturday night into the early morning.

This comprehensive guide to Moscow nightlife will run you through the nuts and bolts of all you need to know about Moscow’s nightclubs and give you a solid blueprint to operate with during your time in Moscow.

What you need to know before hitting Moscow nightclubs

Prices in moscow nightlife.

Before you head out and start gaming all the sexy Moscow girls , we have to talk money first. Bring plenty because in Moscow you can never bring a big enough bankroll. Remember, you’re the man so making a fuzz of not paying a drink here or there will not go down well.

Luckily most Moscow clubs don’t do cover fees. Some electro clubs will charge 15-20$, depending on their lineup. There’s the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you’ll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus.

Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That’ll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys chipping in. Not to mention that it’s a massive status boost for getting girls, especially at high-end clubs.

Without bottle service, you should estimate a budget of 100-150$ per night. That is if you drink a lot and hit the top clubs with the hottest girls. Scale down for less alcohol and more basic places.

Dress code & Face control

Door policy in Moscow is called “face control” and it’s always the guy behind the two gorillas that gives the green light if you’re in or out.

In Moscow nightlife there’s only one rule when it comes to dress codes:

You can never be underdressed.

People dress A LOT sharper than, say, in the US and that goes for both sexes. For high-end clubs, you definitely want to roll with a sharp blazer and a pocket square, not to mention dress shoes in tip-top condition. Those are the minimum requirements to level the playing field vis a vis with other sharply dressed guys that have a lot more money than you do. Unless you plan to hit explicit electro or underground clubs, which have their own dress code, you are always on the money with that style.

Getting in a Moscow club isn’t as hard as it seems: dress sharp, speak English at the door and look like you’re in the mood to spend all that money that you supposedly have (even if you don’t). That will open almost any door in Moscow’s nightlife for you.

Types of Moscow Nightclubs

In Moscow there are four types of clubs with the accompanying female clientele:

High-end clubs:

These are often crossovers between restaurants and clubs with lots of tables and very little space to dance. Heavy accent on bottle service most of the time but you can work the room from the bar as well. The hottest and most expensive girls in Moscow go there. Bring deep pockets and lots of self-confidence and you have a shot at swooping them.

Regular Mid-level clubs:

They probably resemble more what you’re used to in a nightclub: big dancefloors, stages and more space to roam around. Bottle service will make you stand out more but you can also do well without. You can find all types of girls but most will be in the 6-8 range. Your targets should always be the girls drinking and ideally in pairs. It’s impossible not to swoop if your game is at least half-decent.

Basic clubs/dive bars:

Usually spots with very cheap booze and lax face control. If you’re dressed too sharp and speak no Russian, you might attract the wrong type of attention so be vigilant. If you know the local scene you can swoop 6s and 7s almost at will. Usually students and girls from the suburbs.

Electro/underground clubs:

Home of the hipsters and creatives. Parties there don’t mean meeting girls and getting drunk but doing pills and spacing out to the music. Lots of attractive hipster girls if that is your niche. That is its own scene with a different dress code as well.

What time to go out in Moscow

Moscow nightlife starts late. Don’t show up at bars and preparty spots before 11pm because you’ll feel fairly alone. Peak time is between 1am and 3am. That is also the time of Moscow nightlife’s biggest nuisance: concerts by artists you won’t know and who only distract your girls from drinking and being gamed. From 4am to 6am the regular clubs are emptying out but plenty of people, women included, still hit up one of the many afterparty clubs. Those last till well past 10am.

As far as days go: Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Thursday is an OK day, all other days are fairly weak and you have to know the right venues.

The Ultimate Moscow Nightclub List

Short disclaimer: I didn’t add basic and electro clubs since you’re coming for the girls, not for the music. This list will give you more options than you’ll be able to handle on a weekend.

Preparty – start here at 11PM

Classic restaurant club with lots of tables and a smallish bar and dancefloor. Come here between 11pm and 12am when the concert is over and they start with the actual party. Even early in the night tons of sexy women here, who lean slightly older (25 and up).

The second floor of the Ugolek restaurant is an extra bar with dim lights and house music tunes. Very small and cozy with a slight hipster vibe but generally draws plenty of attractive women too. A bit slower vibe than Valenok.

Very cool, spread-out venue that has a modern library theme. Not always full with people but when it is, it’s brimming with top-tier women. Slow vibe here and better for grabbing contacts and moving on.

High-end: err on the side of being too early rather than too late because of face control.

Secret Room

Probably the top venue at the moment in Moscow . Very small but wildly popular club, which is crammed with tables but always packed. They do parties on Thursdays and Sundays as well. This club has a hip-hop/high-end theme, meaning most girls are gold diggers, IG models, and tattooed hip hop chicks. Very unfavorable logistics because there is almost no room no move inside the club but the party vibe makes it worth it. Strict face control.

Close to Secret Room and with a much more favorable and spacious three-part layout. This place attracts very hot women but also lots of ball busters and fakes that will leave you blue-balled. Come early because after 4am it starts getting empty fast. Electronic music.

A slightly kitsch restaurant club that plays Russian pop and is full of gold diggers, semi-pros, and men from the Caucasus republics. Thursday is the strongest night but that dynamic might be changing since Secret Room opened its doors. You can swoop here but it will be a struggle.

Mid-level: your sweet spot in terms of ease and attractiveness of girls for an average budget.

Started going downwards in 2018 due to lax face control and this might get even worse with the World Cup. In terms of layout one of the best Moscow nightclubs because it’s very big and bottle service gives you a good edge here. Still attracts lots of cute girls with loose morals but plenty of provincial girls (and guys) as well. Swooping is fairly easy here.

I haven’t been at this place in over a year, ever since it started becoming ground zero for drunken teenagers. Similar clientele to Icon but less chic, younger and drunker. Decent mainstream music that attracts plenty of tourists. Girls are easy here as well.

Sort of a Coyote Ugly (the real one in Moscow sucks) with party music and lots of drunken people licking each others’ faces. Very entertaining with the right amount of alcohol and very easy to pull in there. Don’t think about staying sober in here, you’ll hate it.

Artel Bessonitsa/Shakti Terrace

Electronic music club that is sort of a high-end place with an underground clientele and located between the teenager clubs Icon and Gipsy. Very good music but a bit all over the place with their vibe and their branding. You can swoop almost any type of girl here from high-heeled beauty to coked-up hipsters, provided they’re not too sober.

Afterparty: if by 5AM  you haven’t pulled, it’s time to move here.

Best afterparty spot in terms of trying to get girls. Pretty much no one is sober in there and savage gorilla game goes a long way. Lots of very hot and slutty-looking girls but it can be hard to tell apart who is looking for dick and who is just on drugs but not interested. If by 9-10am you haven’t pulled, it is probably better to surrender.

The hipster alternative for afterparties, where even more drugs are in play. Plenty of attractive girls there but you have to know how to work this type of club. A nicer atmosphere and better music but if you’re desperate to pull, you’ll probably go to Miks.

Weekday jokers: if you’re on the hunt for some sexy Russian girls during the week, here are two tips to make your life easier.

Chesterfield

Ladies night on Wednesdays means this place gets pretty packed with smashed teenagers and 6s and 7s. Don’t pull out the three-piece suit in here because it’s a “simpler” crowd. Definitely your best shot on Wednesdays.

If you haven’t pulled at Chesterfield, you can throw a Hail Mary and hit up Garage’s Black Music Wednesdays. Fills up really late but there are some cute Black Music groupies in here. Very small club. Thursday through Saturday they do afterparties and you have an excellent shot and swooping girls that are probably high.

Shishas Sferum

This is pretty much your only shot on Mondays and Tuesdays because they offer free or almost free drinks for women. A fairly low-class club where you should watch your drinks. As always the case in Moscow, there will be cute girls here on any day of the week but it’s nowhere near as good as on the weekend.

In a nutshell, that is all you need to know about where to meet Moscow girls in nightlife. There are tons of options, and it all depends on what best fits your style, based on the type of girls that you’re looking for.

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• moscow girls
• moscow nightlife

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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

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Cozy classic Journey is just $2.24 right now on Steam

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Celebrated indie studio thatgamecompany’s most recent title, Sky: Children of the Light , has debuted in early access on Steam. To mark the occasion of its chill, free-to-play MMO coming to PC, it’s knocking 85% off the cost of its masterpiece, Journey . It’s normally $14.99, but this Steam Deck verified game costs just $2.24 through April 17.

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Despite launching first on the PS3 back in 2012, Journey is absolutely worth playing if you haven’t tried it out, or just want to experience it again. Like all of the games that have come out of thatgamecompany, it’s absolutely stunning to look at, and its story and music pack an emotional punch.

Its multiplayer component is understated, yet surprisingly impactful, allowing players to support each other without voice chat (much like in its successor Sky: Children of the Light ) as they attempt to overcome environmental obstacles and scale a mountain. Words simply don’t do the experience justice, and at $2.25, I highly recommend trying it out. If you like the vibes, then check out Sky: Children of the Light .

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At the center of the criminal case against former President Donald Trump in Manhattan is the accusation that Trump took part in a scheme to turn The National Enquirer and its sister publications into an arm of his 2016 presidential campaign. The documents detailed three “hush money” payments made to a series of individuals to guarantee their silence about potentially damaging stories in the months before the election. Because this was done with the goal of helping his election chances, the case implied, these payments amounted to a form of illegal, undisclosed campaign spending. And because Trump created paperwork to make the payments seem like regular legal expenses, that amounted to a criminal effort at a coverup, argued Alvin Bragg, the district attorney of Manhattan. Trump has denied the charges against him.

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