February 22nd - Explore Lisbon on our own
We chose to arrive a day early to allow us to get accustomed to the time change before our adventure begins. Today we will spend most of our time exploring Lisbon on our own.
Read MoreFebruary 21st - Arrive in Lisbon, Portugal
After a 5.5 hour layover in CDG, we depart for Lisbon, Portugal at 1:15pm, and land just an hour and a half later at 2:45pm. Around 5pm we will check in at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon.
Read MoreFebruary 20th - Depart to Portugal
It is time yet again for another adventure. We are so excited to share with you our tour of Africa. We start our journey today by flying out of DTW at 5:45pm on a nonstop flight to Paris-Charles De Gaulle.
Read MoreMay 25th, 2016 - Return to Franklin
What a fun adventure we have had over the last three weeks. While we will miss the sights and our new friends we are excited to be returning home.
May 24th, 2016 - Bergen, Norway
Today we are free to tour Bergen on our own. We can't wait to see what we will find!
Read MoreMay 23rd, 2016 - Bergen, Norway - Disembark
After breakfast, you will disembark the National Geographic Explorer and head to the airport.
Read MoreMay 22nd, 2016 - Shetland Islands
Today the ship will dock at the Shetland Islands, an archipelago of about 100 islands and islets. You’ll drive through a rolling landscape with Shetland ponies. Then explore the ruins of Jarlshof, which reveal 4,000 years of near-continuous settlement.
Read MoreMay 21st, 2016 - Fair Isle and Mousa
Visit the bird research station today. You’ll hike to a nearby beach to look for puffins. Then, on the uninhabited island of Mousa, see one of the best examples of an Iron Age broch.
Read MoreMay 20th, 2016 - Orkney Islands
You’ll encounter a sophisticated Stone Age culture on your visits to the Ring of Brodgar and the 5,000-year old stone-slab village of Skara Brae. This afternoon you’ll step into the medieval St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Read MoreMay 19th, 2016 - Inverewe
You’ll stroll through Inverewe Gardens today, where colorful subtropical flora thrives. You’ll explore the charming fishing village of Ullapool later this afternoon.
Read MoreMay 18th, 2016 - Outer Hebrides: St. Kilda & Callanish
You’ll visit the Outer Hebrides today, where Scottish Gaelic is still spoken and artisans weave traditional woolen fabrics. Weather permitting, you’ll explore the cottages of remote St. Kilda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inhabited from the Bronze Age. Later, you’ll see the Neolithic Callanish Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis.
Read MoreMay 17th, 2016 - Iona and Staffa, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
On Iona, you’ll venture into an ancient nunnery and a 13th-century abbey. Be sure to examine the Celtic high crosses of kings such as Duncan and Macbeth. This afternoon you’ll explore Staffa, an island famed for its geometric basalt columns and deep-sea caves. It was here that Felix Mendelssohn was inspired to write his “Hebrides Overture.”
Read MoreMay 16th, 2016 - County Donegal, Ireland
You’ll explore the fishing harbor of Killybegs today, gateway to the Donegal’s famous woolen mills, or you may opt to discover some of the region’s ancient archaeological sites. The day will end with a sailing past the 2,000-foot cliffs of Slieve League.
Read MoreMay 15th, 2016 - Cliffs of Moher and Aran Islands
Today you’ll visit the towering Cliffs of Moher as the ship sails by them this morning. You’ll then continue to the Aran Islands, known for their limestone moonscapes and strong Gaelic identity. Then you’ll visit Dun Aengus, an enigmatic Celtic ring fort perched on the edge of a cliff.
Read MoreMay 14th, 2016 - The Skelligs and Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
Rising abruptly from the sea, the rocky isle of Skellig Michael was once an important center of Celtic Christianity. From the ship be sure to gaze up to see the beehive huts of its seventh-century monastery, clinging to the jagged peak 600 feet above the sea. After lunch, you’ll explore the ancient sites of beautiful Dingle Peninsula and wander through the village of Dingle.
Read MoreMay 13th, 2016 - Isles of Scilly
According to Arthurian legend, the Isles of Scilly are all that remain of Lyonnesse, a land off Cornwall that vanished beneath the Atlantic. You’ll have time to meander through Tresco Abbey Gardens, where an astounding variety of subtropical plants flourish.
Read MoreMay 12th, 2016 - Fowey/Eden Project
After the ship positions in the Foy River mouth, we’ll head to the Cornwall countryside and the Eden Project, where our botanical journey will continue. A celebration of nature, the Eden Project is more than a garden walk—with vast biomes (greenhouses), it emphasizes man’s connection to, and dependence on, the natural world.
Read MoreMay 11th, 2016 - Portsmouth
Set along the south coast of England, Portsmouth plays a major role in British naval history. The rich heritage is evident at the Historical Dockyard which houses HMS Victory, the three-masted flagship in which Lord Nelson led the victorious Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and the Mary Rose, a Tudor-era warship.
Read MoreMay 10th, 2016 - London
This morning we embark the National Geographic Explorer along the Thames River, seeing the iconic Tower Bridge.
Read MoreMay 9th, 2016 - London
Morning visit to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. In the late afternoon we arrive in London and have the rest of the day to explore at our leisure.
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