Since 2002, the Renaissance Academy has sponsored more than 18 high-end, intimately sized, concierge-style excursions abroad.  Through unique, custom itineraries, participants have the opportunity to learn outside the classroom, to visit historic and cultural sites with outstanding local guides, to experience another culture – its customs, cuisine, language and history – and to delight in conversation and laughter with fellow travelers who share a love of learning and a sense of adventure.  Our excursions generally include accommodations in four/five star hotels; most meals and gratuities; private English-speaking guides; deluxe motor coach transportation; and all entrance fees.  Register onlineat https://RegisterRA.fgcu.edu to receive complete itineraries, cost information and registration forms or call 239-425-3272.  Reserve early!  Our exclusive excursionsare each limited to the 24 travelers.

 

China, Tibet and The Yangtze River

May 30 - June 17, 2012
19 days - Land & Air, $5,395 Per Person
Register Now! 

Discover the classical highlights of China including a special excursion to mystical Tibet. Starting in Beijing, savor the capital's legendary sites: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Haven, and the Great Wall. A tour highlight is a special inside look at communal life along Beijing's ancient alley-ways or hutongs, fast disappearing as the city rushes to modernize. View the famed life-size terra-cotta army in Xian. Spend three days in Lhasa, high in the Himalayas, exploring sacred temples and the vast Potala Palace. Cruise along the Yangtze River, on the world's longest and busiest rivers, aboard our Victoria Cruise ship. Witness daily life along its shores and see the spectacular Three Gorges and the much-heralded new dam. Our tour concludes in Shanghai, a city that epitomizes 21st century China. A 3-day/2-night "On Your Own" post-tour extension in Shanghai is also available. To view and print brochure click here or call 239-425-3272 for a detailed itinerary, cost information, and registration form.

Southern Italy and Sicily

September 5-19, 2012
15 days - Land and Air, $4,495 Per Person

Delight in a special exploration of southern Italy, from striking Sicily to the breathtaking Amalfi Coast to unheralded Apulia, the alluring "boot heal" where a vivid history, unique architecture, distinctive traditions, and bountiful plains join the sun and sea in creating a prized (and crowd-free) region. Explore Sicily staying in lovely Taormina with excursions to Agrigento and Mt. Etna. Discover Lecce, the "Florence of the South," and visit Alberobello, whose 400 or so trulli - conical houses with grey stone roofs - rank as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy lunch and a walking tour of Bari, capital of the Apulia region. Tour the UNESCO site of Pompeii, the city frozen in time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and gather for a hands-on Neapolitan cuisine cooking lesson in Naples. Travel to the storied isle of Capri. Embark on a breathtaking drive along the winding cliff-top Amalfi Coast. Bid "arrivederci" to Italy and fellow travelers at a farewell dinner. Spend 4-days/3-nights in Rome "On Your Own" as an optional post-tour extension. To view and print brochure click here or call 239-425-3272 for a detailed itinerary, cost information, and registration form.

Invitation to Tuscany

September 22-30, 2012
8 days - Land Only, $3,295 Per Person

Tuscany's vineyards, olive groves and soaring cypress trees provide a setting that soothes the soul, delights the eye and raises the spirit. Medieval towns and villages, hilltop castles and ancient farmsteads dotting the landscape await discovery in the most welcoming of climates. The cultural, artistic and architectural treasures of Florence, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, Certaldo, Bologna, Fiesole and San Gimignano will all be explored. This Tuscany excursion includes seven nights in a four-star Tuscan villa; most meals (lunches and dinners with wine); private English speaking tour guides; art history and wine lessons; deluxe motor coach transportation; all entrance fees, and a farewell feast at the private castle of Santa Maria Novella set amidst the Tuscan countryside. To view and print brochure click here or call 239-425-3272 for a detailed itinerary, cost information, and registration form.