Smithsonian Journeys

02/20/2025

Experience Provence from the unique perspective of the Rhône River with Smithsonian Journeys and AmaWaterways.

Cruise south from the historic center of Lyon to the picturesque towns of Avignon and Arles. Along the way, enjoy magnificent historic sites from the Roman Pont Du Gard to the Papal Palace, culinary tours, and visits to renowned wine regions and the stunning gorges of Ardêche.

See the itinerary and departure dates on our website: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/rhone-river-cruise-colors-of-provence/itinerary/

02/19/2025

The River Seine is the lifeblood of Paris, famously curving past iconic monuments from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower.

Cruise this storied waterway with Smithsonian Journeys and AmaWaterways out of the heart of Paris, winding through the glorious countryside of Normandy to the English Channel. Along the way, explore historic sites such as Rouen and Omaha Beach, savor the region’s proud culinary traditions, and trace the footsteps of great artists from Claude Monet to Josephine Baker.

See the full itinerary and reserve your space: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/along-the-seine-river-cruise-paris-normandy/itinerary/

02/17/2025

Cruise with Smithsonian Journeys and AmaWaterways along the Douro River as it carves through the mountains of northern Portugal.

Set sail from the World Heritage-listed city of Porto to discover the spectacular landscapes of Portugal’s Douro River Valley, where wines have been produced for some 2,000 years. Visit picturesque villages and palaces; spend a day in beautiful Salamanca, Spain; and enjoy tastings at historic wine estates.

See the full itinerary and reserve your river cruise: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/cruising-portugal-douro-river-valley/itinerary/

02/15/2025

Are the gardens of Keukenhof on your must-see list?

Experience the brilliant colors of spring as you glide through the enchanting canals and waterways of Holland and Belgium aboard an upscale AmaWaterways river ship.

Beginning and ending in Amsterdam, cruise to ports that illustrate the region’s history and culture. With a range of excursions to choose from at each port of call, you might watch porcelain artisans at work in Delft, view iconic paintings at world-renowned museums, make chocolate with a chocolatier in Ghent, and ride a bike to the windmills of Kinderdijk or the tulip fields in the Dutch countryside.

Cap off your experience at the breathtaking gardens of Keukenhof, immersed in a sea of millions of tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils.

See the full itinerary and reserve your river cruise: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/holland-belgium-spring-river-cruise-tulip-time/itinerary/

02/14/2025

Celebrate traditions of love from about the globe with Smithsonian Journeys!

💛 For thousands of years, women in Egypt—and across many Islamic societies—gather the night before the wedding to decorate the bride’s hands and feet with henna. Their russet designs, often in elaborate botanical or geometric patterns, last for several weeks and are said to bring the couple good fortune. Learn more about Egyptian culture of the past and present as you explore temples, pyramids, tombs, and modern-day life on our journey to Ancient Egypt and the Nile. https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/ancient-egypt-and-nile/itinerary/

💙 When the indigenous people of the Peruvian Andes get hitched, they call on the spirits of the mountains to protect their union and pay tribute to Pachamama, or Mother Earth. Wearing locally woven ponchos and hats, they exchange a chumpi, or a woolen engagement sash, which symbolizes their two lives merging onto a single path. Spend time in Andean villages on our Active Journey Walking the Inca Trails, or combine Peru’s archaeological wonders with an incredible wildlife experience on our Machu Picchu and the Galápagos tour. https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/machu-picchu-galapagos/itinerary/

Check out these tours and more on our website: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/tripfinder/

02/12/2025

Join Smithsonian Journeys and AmaWaterways on the mighty Rhine River, cruising from one fascinating city to the next.

Marvel at the hilltop castles of the Rhine Gorge; explore charming medieval towns like Colmar and Heidelberg; and delve into history and architecture in Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Strasbourg.

Along the way, enjoy your choice of excursions: see Dutch masterpieces at the Rijksmuseum, discover the Roman relics in historic Cologne, tour the EU Parliament in Strasbourg, and go for a hike in Germany’s Black Forest.

See the full itinerary and reserve your river cruise: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/rhine-river-cruise-amsterdam-basel/

02/07/2025

Introducing a rewarding way to explore Europe’s rivers with Smithsonian Journeys and AmaWaterways!

We invite you to experience a new collection of river cruises that embody the enriching exploration and spirit of discovery that define the Smithsonian. Beginning in 2026—and available to book now—our river cruises will set sail on legendary rivers from the Danube and the Rhine to the Seine, bringing travelers to breathtaking landscapes and history-making sites in the company of two Smithsonian Journeys Experts.

Let the Journey Begin with and : https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/amawaterways/

02/07/2025

Voting is now open for Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards, and we are honored to be nominated in the Tour Operators & Safaris category. Visit tlwbavote.com and cast your vote before February 24! Results will be revealed in the August 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure.

01/04/2025

Is Egypt on your 2025 travel list? Join Smithsonian Journeys on our Ancient Egypt and the Nile tour and visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, which has finally opened 22 years after the first foundation stone was laid.

The Museum is the largest archaeological museum in the world. It encompasses 12 galleries covering three themes: society, kingship, and belief, through four time periods stretching from prehistory to the Greco-Roman era. The exhibitions offer insight into the history and lives of the pharaohs, but also of ordinary people in ancient Egypt.

Egyptologist Huub Pragt and Smithsonian Journeys traveler Kellie Mecham shared first impressions from their visit to the museum with us in October 2024, read more: https://s.si.edu/41PzyQi

11/15/2024

Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum when you travel to Egypt with us on our Ancient Egypt and the Nile journey: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/ancient-egypt-and-nile/itinerary/

Egyptologist Huub Pragt and Smithsonian Journeys traveler Kellie Mecham share first impressions from their visit to the museum just days after its long-awaited opening.

10/31/2024

Iceland’s volcanic landscapes are so infused with folklore and myth that every site seems to harbor resident elves or ogres. The sea stacks you’ll see along Reynisfjara beach are considered cursed trolls turned to stone for their bad deeds. The powerful cascade of Skogafoss shields a treasure chest hidden by a sorcerer. And a half-ogre, half-man lords over the Snaelfellsnes Peninsula from atop its ice-capped volcano. Glaciers, volcanoes, and geothermal curiosities take on a whole new life when you discover the magic that abounds here.

Learn more about our Glaciers and Waterfalls: An Active Journey to Iceland tour on our website: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/active-journey-to-iceland/itinerary/

10/31/2024

For much of the English Civil War, Oxford was a royalist stronghold and the refuge of the ill-fated King Charles I. After Oliver Cromwell condemned him to death by beheading, legend has it his ghost returned to the hallowed halls of the university to linger in Christ Church College and occasionally the Bodleian Library. 📚

It is still unknown whether he mingles with the other distinguished spirits said to haunt the campus, including the Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud and a Royalist colonel whose ex*****on was ordered King Charles I himself.

Learn more about our Smithsonian at Oxford tour on our website: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/oxford/itinerary/

10/30/2024

It’s not for nothing that the Brothers Grimm drew inspiration for Hansel and Gretel and many of their other somewhat sinister tales from Germany’s Black Forest. Several mythological creatures are said to inhabit these misty mountains blanketed with dense woods, from a headless horseman who passes through upon a white horse to a cursed soldier who was transformed into the werewolf of Morbach.

Expect no such spooky sights on our river cruise to holiday markets along the Rhine: as you travel through the Black Forest to charming Freiburg, the only spirit you’ll encounter will be the Christmas kind! 🎄

Learn more about our Holiday Markets: A Rhine River Cruise tour on our website: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/france-germany-markets/itinerary/

10/30/2024

Within the stately Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires lies La Recoleta Cemetery, one of the city’s most prestigious burial spots since it opened in 1822. Designed to resemble a city, its narrow lanes are lined with tombs and crypts of all sorts, some meticulously kept and laden with fresh flowers, others crumbling and laced with cobwebs. The most famous resident is undoubtedly former first lady Eva “Evita” Perón, whose embalmed body took a macabre two-decade journey to get there, having been stolen by political foes, shipped across the Atlantic and back, buried and disinterred in several countries, and even tended to by her husband’s third wife.

Learn more about our Patagonian Explorer tour on our website: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/patagonia/itinerary/

10/29/2024

Ancient Egypt was brimming with supernatural beings—from Anubis, the half-man, half-jackal god of the underworld to the fertility goddess Hathor, often depicted as a woman with a cow’s head.

But the spookiest of all? Well, mummies of course! New discoveries have shown that Egyptians were wrapping their dead in linen strips and resin to protect them for the afterlife as early as 3500 BC. On our journey to Egypt, you can see the world-renowned collection of royal mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. And as of this month, you’ll also view the mummies of several legendary pharaohs at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum!

Learn more about our Ancient Egypt and the Nile tour on our website: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/ancient-egypt-and-nile/itinerary/