Travel Programs
June 13 - 27, 2013
Vassar Host: Barbara Olsen, Assistant Professor of Greek & Roman Studies
Exclusive tour provided by Wiser World Travel & Discover Europe, Ltd.
Following an extraordinary, sold-out tour of Turkey in 2011, and by popular demand, Professor Barbara Olsen will take us on a 10-day trip to Malta and Cyprus with an optional 5-day extension to include Crete. We begin in Malta, a tiny island nation whose position at the gateway between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean has bequeathed it a history totally out of proportion with its size. From here we fly to Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite and an island that has seen many civilizations come and go. Hittites, Mycenaeans, Egyptians and Romans have all ruled here over the centuries and the island remains divided to this day between the Greeks and the Turks. Our final stop, for those who choose, is Crete, the childhood home of Zeus and the island to which he abducted the princess Europa – but that’s another story. And you’ll have to come on the tour to hear it!
More...
Waitlist
July 27 - August 3, 2013
Vassar Host: Lucy Johnson, Professor of Anthropology
Tour provided by Orbridge
The inexorable forces of nature are on full display in Alaska - mountains eroded by the crushing force of massive glaciers, icebergs crowding cold, aquamarine seas, the cycles of plants and animals compressed into the scant weeks of an arctic summer. Join us for an 8-day cultural and wildlife exploration of the Inside Passage, as we navigate the waterways in luxury aboard the 66-passenger Admiralty Dream, encountering abundant wildlife, breathtaking peaks and fjords, and ice-blue glaciers of unfathomable proportions. The wildlife spotting is extraordinary and can include the humpback whale, orca, brown bear, harbor seal, sea otter, arctic tern, bald eagle, and more. The spray of whales will be only yards away as we venture into secluded inlets, either from the comfortable decks of the Admiralty Dream or aboard its skiffs and kayaks. Your Vassar host will be Professor of Anthropology, Lucy Johnson, who has done extensive archeological field studies, including survey and excavations, in Alaska.
This tour is currently sold. To be placed on the wait list, please contact either Susan Quade at Vassar (845) 437-5453 or suquade@vassar.edu or our tour provider Orbridge at (866) 639-0079.
More...
August 3 - 12, 2013
Vassar Host: Rebecca Edwards, Professor of History on the Eloise Ellery Chair
Tour provided by Orbridge
Join us and experience the best of the West! On this family-friendly tour, you can trace the legendary paths and natural beauty of the old American West while overnighting in extraordinary historic lodges that are destinations unto themselves. Our tour will begin in the Badlands of South Dakota and will take you into Wyoming to Cody, Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth Springs, Grand Teton National Park, and will conclude in Jackson. With expert guides at your side, you will see and learn about the storied sights and monuments of the frontier days; be spellbound by four of our country’s most magnificent national parks; and enjoy the rustic luxury of unique lodgings like Custer State Park’s famed State Game Lodge, the Spearfish Canyon Lodge in the Black Hills of South Dakota, picturesque Lake Yellowstone Hotel, and majestic Old Faithful Inn. Our Vassar host will be Rebecca Edwards, Professor of History on the Eloise Ellery Chair. Her research interests focus on the post-Civil-War era, and she teaches courses on the 19th-century United States, women in the United States up to 1890, and the American West.
Cost: $3,295 per person, based upon double occupancy; single occupancy is $4,395. Airfare is not included.
More...
Great Music Capitals of Europe: Vienna and Prague
October 24 - November 2, 2013
Vassar Host: Kathryn Libin, Associate Professor of Music
Exclusive tour provided by The Grand Tour
Join Vassar Associate Professor of Music, scholar of Mozart and Beethoven, and President of the Mozart Society of America, Kathryn Libin, for an intimate 10-day journey to two of the great music cities of the world, Vienna and Prague. We will explore the heart of these beautiful places where many of the great composers lived and worked and the Habsburgs reigned. We’ll enjoy an all-Beethoven performance by the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein, one of the world's greatest concert halls, as well as Mozart's sparkling opera "The Marriage of Figaro" in the Prague theatre, as well as private concerts exclusive to the group. A cruise along the blue Danube, deluxe accommodations, great food and wine, and Kathryn’s expert commentary complete this spectacular trip for music lovers.
The itinerary is almost ready for publication. Watch for an email with all the details on or about May 20.
The Performing and Visual Arts of Cuba: An Insider's View
November 2 - 9, 2013
A 7-day cultural journey to Havana and beyond
Vassar host: Colleen Cohen, Professor of Anthropology and Women's Studies
Exclusive tour provided by Academic Arrangements Abroad
We are pleased to invite you on an Vassar-exclusive journey through Cuba. Our week-long program will offer a unique entree to Cuba's remarkable arts community as we tour the country's most historic cities and sites and meet talented artists, museum directors, and architects. Specially arranged dance and theatre performances will enhance our visit, as will talks on Cuban history and art, and a briefing on Cuban-American relations.
The itinerary and pricing are currently being finalized and brochures will be available by email and here on the website in late April. We are anticipating an enthusiastic response to this tour offering, so please feel free to contact Susan Quade, Associate Director of Alumnae/i Affairs at (845) 437-5453 or suquade to indicate your interest.
Waitlist
November 7 - 21, 2013
Paradores & Pousadas: Historic Lodgings of Spain & Portugal
Vassar Host: Lisa Paravisini-Gebert, Professor of Hispanic Studies
Exclusive tour provided by Odysseys Unlimited
You are invited to join Lisa Paravisini-Gebert on a distinctive small group journey through the Iberian Peninsula to the intimate lodgings of Spain’s paradores and Portugal’s pousadas: medieval monasteries, historic fortresses, and stately palaces, each reflecting the spirit of its region. We will feel the spell of Iberia’s rich Roman and Moorish past – and the pull of its vibrant contemporary life. Cities to be visited include Lisbon, Evora, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, and Madrid. Lisa has spent the fall of 2012 and the spring of 2013 in Spain as the Director of the Vassar Wesleyan Program and she looks forward to sharing so many cities with you that she knows so well!
Cost: from $4,457 total price from Boston or New York ($3,795 air & land inclusive plus $662 airline taxes and departure fees); single supplement is $995. Please call Odysseys Unlimited at (888) 370-6765 for pricing from other U.S. cities.
This tour is currently at capacity. For further information or to be placed on our wait list, please contact Odysseys Unlimited at the above phone number.
More...
January 25 - February 4, 2014
Vassar Host: A. Marshall Pregnall, Associate Professor of Biology
Tour provided by Go Next
Savor the tropical splendor of emerald-green palms, white sand beaches, and brilliant turquoise waters as you sail aboard the luxurious Oceania Cruises Marina for a 10-day cruise to some of the most stunning destinations in the South Pacific. We will sail throughout the romantic, volcanic islands and coral atolls that inspired Gauguin, Stevenson, and Cousteau. Our Vassar host will be Marshall Pregnalll, Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the Vassar Environmental Research Institute. He looks forward to joining you in this exploration of an extraordinary party of the world that has shaped history through its beautiful extremes of land, sea, and weather, and that is currently helping us to inform us of how our world is changing.
More...
