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Marco Polo Club Invitational Tours

Marco Polo Club Invitational Tours are open only to Marco Polo Club members residing in North America and travelling through Abercrombie & Kent, Inc. - Oak Brook IL, USA.

These unique itineraries journey to exotic destinations, featuring exclusive activities and special speakers that do not generally appear in other A&K programs.

Display by Date
2008 | 2009

Display by Region
Africa | Australia | China, India & Orient | Egypt, Morocco & Beyond | Europe | Latin America

Africa

Rwanda's cool, misty highlands are home to some of the last surviving rare mountain gorilla. Get to know our primate "cousins" on an unforgettable tracking expedition. Gorilla viewing is best in the Virunga volcanoes of Rwanda, and you and your trained guides take on the pinnacle of wildlife experiences. As a bonus, extend your trip to Tanzania for a quintessential safari experience in amazing national parks and wildlife reserves.
 

More than merely lemurs (although they are reason enough to visit), the treasures of Madagascar include its fabulous flora and fauna. Delve into cultural activities, meet the locals and come face to face with creatures that are indigenous to this island. A truly raw and undiscovered country, Madagascar appeals to the adventurous traveller.

Join Marco Polo Club for a journey to South Africa for the best nature and man have to offer. Begin in Cape Town, then sample the finest wines and gastronomy of the Cape Winelands. Hike along the cliffs of Hermanus as waves crash on the shore and whale breach in the harbor. Celebrate romance at Knysna's Pezula Resort, where the fire crackles in your room at night and you dine in luxury on a deserted beach. Then travel to the bush in A&K style, watching amazing wildlife at every turn of your Land Rover's wheels.
 

China, India & Orient

To most Westerners North Korea is a closed society, a "Hermit Kingdom" rarely visited and poorly understood. As a valued Marco Polo Club member you have the unique opportunity to visit this little-known country, meet its people, glimpse daily life and witness the Arirang Mass Games, a spectacle of athleticism and national pride unlike anything else in the world.

Japan is blessed with a natural beauty and traditional culture that lends a rich sense of history to this thoroughly modern country. The seamless synthesis of modern and traditional ensures a fascinating travel experience. Enjoy breakfast with a retired sumo wrestler, attend a private kabuki presentation and participate in a traditional tea ceremony.

For centuries, the mighty Himalayas, often called "the rooftop of the world," have formed a natural barrier that protected and preserved the fascinating cultures and traditions of the remote mountain kingdoms of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. Explore temples, stupas, pagodas, palaces, and dzongs (Buddhist monasteries) in these idyllic kingdoms as you traverse terraced rice paddies, virgin forests, snowcapped peaks and prayer flags flapping in the wind.

It's impossible to prepare yourself for Southern India, a lush region that is home to some of India's oldest and most cosmopolitan cultures. A stimulating kaleidoscope of color, dance, art, religion and nature, Southern India is a tropical land of temples and villages, where traditional folkways are still intact. Extend your adventure to Sri Lanka, a potpourri of cultures, religions, customs and natural beauty.
 

One need not be a follower of Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam to be forever changed by the spiritual wealth of Southern India. Never subjected to the domination by the invaders who ruled the north, it has a truly Hindu flavor, with a touch of mysticism readily evident as you visit its most sacred sites.

March 7, 2009 – March 23, 2009
“All the jungle is thine,” says Bagheera the panther to Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. And so it is for you on this one-of-a-kind itinerary that combines India’s manmade wonders in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra with the incredible wilderness landscapes of two incredible jungle parks, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.

Verdant rainforests, exotic wildlife and a rich diversity of cultures and peoples contribute to Malaysia’s reputation as Asia’s best-kept travel secret. Savor exotic Borneo, a haven for wildlife, and discover mysterious oil-rich Brunei, the land of headhunters, dense jungles and impenetrable swamps.
 

The magical images rendered in poems and paintings are brought to life on a land and water voyage to China’s sacred mountains and along her holy waters. Visit Shanghai, Huangshan and Chengdu with a voyage aboard MS ‘Yangzi Explorer’ along the stunning Li River and the Three Gorges of the Yangzi River.

Following in the footsteps of ancient traders, this journey from Eastern Asia to Central Asia offers a front-row seat to the rich romance of a storied past. Experience the intense energy of Beijing, where a once-forbidden market economy now thrives, and stand in awe of the unspoiled beauty of remote Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Egypt, Morocco & Beyond

Egypt is an intriguing land of pyramids, temples, colossal statues, mummies, golden treasures, and hieroglyphics. Sail the Nile on a traditional felucca, ride a camel among pyramids, and explore hidden tombs with an Egyptologist. See the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, the Temple of Karnak at Luxor, King Tut's Tomb in the Valley of the Kings, Old Cairo, and more fascinating civilization where architectural feats and antiquities still amaze thousands of years after their creation.

The Sultanate of Oman is the hidden jewel of the Middle East, a bastion of beauty and peace, with towering mountains, wadis, and deserts to explore, along with historic forts and landscapes straight out of A Thousand and One Nights.

Dubai Extension
In contrast, Dubai, once a small Bedouin town, invites with luxury hotels, spectacular shopping and pristine Persian Gulf beaches.

Visit a land where desert nomads still trek the Saharan sands by camel, and Berber farmers herd goats in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The busy souks and stalls of medieval Marrakech contribute to the ambience of old world romance and adventure, yours to savor in a manner befitting a sultan.

Because of their advantageous position between Asia and Africa, Israel and Jordan have born witness to merchants and soldiers, prophets and pilgrims as well as many great empires. Explore in depth the remains of these empires, from Tiberias to Capernaum, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Amman, Jerash and Petra.

Europe

They were painters, electricians, bakers, doctors. Mothers, fathers, children. All were united by a common thread: they were Jews living in Eastern Europe during World War II whose fate was determined by the "final solution." Go in depth on a journey that examines the Jewish communities and cultures created before the Holocaust and pays tribute to the millions who perished, leaving an even richer culture today.

Belarus' unique cultural and historical position in Europe is one where two worlds, two cultures and two ideologies meet. Ukraine, commonly called the "breadbasket" of Europe, has suffered and survived invasions from ancient times. A small country, Moldova shares borders with Romania and Ukraine and has influenced both. Examine these little known cultures and observe the way they are transitioning from old-world traditions to 21st-century life.
 

Remnants of the Roman Empire await discovery; walled cities and cathedrals of Castile embody the imperial might of a bygone era. Observe the co-existence of different faiths in Toledo and explore Islamic splendors in Andalusia. Visit at least 12 World Heritage Sites while staying in paradores — historical monuments in their own right.

Turkey — center of the Ottoman Empire that ruled half the civilized world, and location of Gallipoli, where the 20th century found its destiny. Explore in-depth a country that is a treasure trove of the ages, with roots going back as far as 8000 BC. Glimpse a virtual historical timeline as you go through the ages and empires.

“Sicily,” Goethe once wrote, “is the key to everything.” Lying at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Sicily and Malta still bear the marks of slave galleons, pirate ships, crusaders and Moorish invaders. Experience a treasure trove of Greek temples and theaters, Norman cathedrals and Roman piazzas, set to a spectacular backdrop of island scenery.

When the sun barely dips below the horizon, Stockholm celebrates in a spectacular manner. So does Helsinki, a city redolent with Nordic charm and culture. Although “White Nights” may not be unique to St. Petersburg, in no other city can you experience it with such lyricism and artistry.

Journey aboard the Orient Express' luxurious French barges the Fleur de Lys and the Amaryllis through Burgundy. Immerse yourself in Gallic history, art, gastronomy and the region’s famous wines aboard an intimate barge. Explore private vineyards and wine cellars, visit a château open only to you, and at all points savor Burgundy’s inimitable art de vivre.

From picturesque Vilnius on the banks of the Neris and Vilnia Rivers, travel through the wide plains and old world villages of Belarus to the vibrant new Czech Republic and Poland, witnessing their remarkable transformation since the fall of Communism 20 years ago.

 

Latin America

A land of archaeological, cultural and natural treasures, Peru draws those eager to learn about the distant past as well as experience its exciting present. Explore the legacy of the ancient Incas as you view spectacular ruins and artifacts that bear silent testimony to the power of their civilization. And in Bolivia, experience the cultural wealth, vastly differing Amazonian and Andean landscapes and the remnants of mysterious ancient civilizations that make it a rich and exciting destination.

Begin your photographic journey in Antigua, a charming city replete with Spanish colonial architecture. Witness an authentic Mayan ritual with a local shaman in the Guatemalan highlands. Cross Lake Atitlan by private boat to visit colorful lakeside villages, and explore the magnificent Mayan ruins of Copán in Honduras.

Some places in the world emanate a spiritual, almost mystical aura, and the Cape Horn region of Southern Chile is one. Experience the unmistakable atmosphere of “the bottom of the world” for yourself, and discover why this area has been both loved and feared by seafarers for 400 years.

(Minimum passenger age is 5 years)
Float through a winding canal in Tortuguero where thick tropical vines engulf your path, exotic wildlife lying within an arm’s reach. Observe nesting sea turtles, see the rich canopy of Corcovado National Park, snorkel among the vibrantly colored fish in the waters of Caño Island, and surf the shores off Punta Islita.
 

Come face to face with California gray whale in their natural breeding grounds in San Ignacio Lagoon. Snorkel in the Sea of Cortez, the “world’s aquarium,” and continue to the breathtaking desert scenery of Mexico’s Copper Canyon, all the while embracing the culture and flavors of local village life.

(Minimum passenger age is 5 years)
Share a family adventure through history on the first Marco Polo Club family journey to Peru. Visualize the rituals of long ago in the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. Celebrate with locals at the Corpus Christi Festival, embracing the culture shared by this ancient society, and discover the untouched wilderness and Indian village life along the Amazon River.