Last year we released our inaugural Cruising Special in honour of Australia’s growing appetite for exploring the high seas.
This year, we’re following up with another truly exciting first: a partnership between APT and Gourmet Traveller that will see us co-host six river tours in 2018.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, APT has undoubtedly changed the way we travel. A family run business, Geoff McGeary turned a suburban bus company into a global travel empire, taking a risk on river cruising in the early 2000s. It paid off. Today APT operates 18 luxury ships on the rivers of Europe and Asia, all with the same motto: exceed expectations.
The APT and Gourmet Traveller tours will aim to follow suit, showcasing a diverse and exciting array of river cruising destinations at their finest, while also inviting readers to join the Gourmet Traveller team on what will surely be a memorable expedition.
THE 2018 APT AND GOURMET TRAVELLER PROGRAM
**Tour 1: 13 Day Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights (Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City)
**Departure date: 2 February 2018
Highlights: Enjoy a degustation dinner at Ho Chi Minh City’s Xu Restaurant inspired by APT Ambassador Luke Nguyen; journey to Ba Ria and learn about the Battle of Long Tan; learn how Vietnamese rice paper is made; take a rickshaw ride around Tan Chau; discover the World Heritage-listed Temple of Ta Prohm; partake in an authentic Buddhist blessing at the Monastery of Oudong.
Price: From $6,395pp
**Tour 2: 13 Day Highlights of the Danube (Budapest to Prague)
**Departure date: 11 April 2018
Highlights: Explore Budapest’s Great Market Hall; enjoy a private classical concert at the City Palace; take in Vienna’s striking architecture; visit Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, and see some of the architectural landmarks that were built during the city’s time under Communist rule; stroll over Prague’s gothic masterpiece, Charles Bridge, on the way to the Old Town Square; get a private tour of the Chateau Jemniště.
Price: From $7,295pp
**Tour 3: 13 Day Best of China (Beijing to Shanghai)
**Departure date: 24 May 2018
Highlights: Explore the Imperial City; have a private lunch at the Great Wall of China; board a traditional vessel for a cruise around the Summer Palace in Beijing; cruise along the Yangtze River through the spectacular Three Gorges region; sample and learn how to make some delicious Shanghai dumplings.
Price: From $8,095pp
Tour 4:**12 Day The True Heart of Italy – Small Group Discovery (Rome to Venice)
**Departure date: 22 June 2018
Highlights: Take a trip to Rome’s famous Trevi Fountain; sample Italy’s iconic chocolate in Perugia; take a traditional Italian cooking lesson; enjoy your own private market and an exclusive brunch at Florence’s Central Market; check out the local produce in Modena; travel via the dramatic landscapes of the world-famous Cinque Terre.
Price: From $8,895pp
**Tour 5: 14 Day A Taste of Iberia – Small Ship Europe Cruise (London to Lisbon)
**Departure date: 24 September 2018
Highlights: Try the oysters at Cancale; enjoy an evening stroll in Bordeaux; visit Entre-Deux-Mers and Pomerol vineyards where Merlot grape dominates; discover A Coruna’s food scene; explore a Portuguese family estate, where you will enjoy a local wine tasting and lunch; take a tour of Sintra.
Price: From $14,245pp
**Tour 6: 15 Day Incredible India (Kochi to New Delhi)
**Departure date: 5 November 2018
Highlights: Learn how to prepare a traditional Keralan meal in Kumarakom, explore energetic Mumbai and the World Heritage-listed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus; wake up to breakfast overlooking the Aravali Ranges; enjoy lunch overlooking the Taj Mahal; explore the labyrinth of tiny lanes of Shahjahanabad in a rickshaw.
Price: From $14,995pp
This article is presented by APT. More information about the 2018 APT and Gourmet Traveller tours will follow soon.
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