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Dear Vacations To Go Customer,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, guided tours around the world temporarily stopped operating. In July, Collette launched its first tours since March and plans to run trips on a limited basis until normal operations can fully resume. We will let you know when other companies are operating again.

Also in July, the European Union began accepting visitors from select non-EU countries. The list of approved countries, which is said to be reviewed every two weeks, includes Canada but does not yet include the United States.

This week, I'll tell you about some of the world's most famous ancient wonders. Guided tours and independent vacation packages provide easy access to these special places. Click the name of any attraction below to see a photo.

Rome's Colosseum could hold about 50,000 people in its prime, when it served as an entertainment venue for gladiator contests, animal hunts, battle re-enactments and other public spectacles. Completed more than 1,930 years ago, the Colosseum has survived vandalism, earthquakes and a fire. It's an enduring symbol of the "Eternal City," linking modern Rome to its imperial past. Click here for tours that visit Rome.

Explore the hallowed grounds of Machu Picchu, and you might experience the same mystic energy that drew the Incas here in the mid-15th century. This was considered a sacred city, built as a tribute to ancient gods. The Incas felt close to their revered sun from this vantage point, perched on the edge of a cliff high in the Peruvian Andes. Today, visitors can walk among ruins shrouded by clouds and mountain shadows. Click here for tours that visit Machu Picchu.

The Great Pyramids of Giza lie just outside Cairo. Each was built to house and preserve the mummified body of a single pharaoh for eternity. The largest, the Great Pyramid of Cheops, was completed around 2690 B.C. It stands 448 feet tall and has a base that covers an area of 13 acres. Click here for tours that visit the Great Pyramids.

Historians still dispute the significance of Stonehenge, the mysterious stone circle built around 2500 B.C. in southern England. Some think it's an ancient religious site used for celebrations or sacrifice; others believe it's an early scientific endeavor, perhaps used to study the movement of the stars. Whatever the reason, the efforts behind its construction are impressive, as the stones are thought to have been transported from miles away. Click here for tours that visit Stonehenge.

On August 24 in A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted in a violent fury. Hell rained down for 19 hours, burying Pompeii, Herculaneum and nearby villages under 75 feet of volcanic ash and cinders. Pompeii remained lost for nearly 1,700 years before its accidental discovery in the 18th century. Now, the excavated site, with its beautifully preserved buildings, frescoes and mosaics, is a popular tourist destination in southern Italy, not far from Naples. Click here for tours that visit Pompeii.

Surrounded by thick jungle in the northern Cambodian province of Siem Reap, Angkor Archaeological Park contains more than 1,000 temples. These include Angkor Wat, the best preserved structure, and the Bayon temple, notable for the huge, enigmatic faces of its stone facade. The site was the capital of the Khmer Empire from the ninth to the 15th centuries and includes Hindu and Buddhist features. Click here for tours that visit Angkor Archaeological Park.

More than 2,000 years ago, Arabs known as Nabataeans carved a city from the dusky pink sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan. Excursions to Petra, called the "rose-red city," typically take in the treasury, the Roman-style amphitheater and the ancient tombs. The approach to Petra is rather dramatic -- visitors must walk through a dark, narrow gorge called the Siq -- about a mile long and, at some points, no more than 10 feet wide. Click here for tours that visit Petra.

A collection of classical Greek buildings awaits visitors who make their way to the summit of the Acropolis in Athens. The most iconic sight here is the Parthenon, built to honor the goddess Athena in the fifth century B.C. In addition to a good dose of ancient Greek history, the site offers panoramic views of the modern city below. Click here for tours that visit Athens.

Stroll down a marble street and admire what remains of the ancient city of Ephesus in western Turkey. It contains both Greek and Roman architecture and was the site of one of the original seven ancient wonders, the Temple of Artemis. That temple no longer exists, but today, the most frequently photographed sights include the two-tiered, columned facade of the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the large outdoor theater. Click here for tours that visit Ephesus.

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Here are this week's Top 10 Tours. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability.

1) Canyon Country Adventure, 8 days with Globus. Begins in Scottsdale and ends in Las Vegas. Save 10%. Starting at $2,479. Departures from April 23 through October 12, 2021.

2) Lisbon, Seville & Madrid, 9 days with Cosmos. Begins and ends in Madrid. Save $200 per couple. Plus, receive an additional $300 per couple discount off airfare. Starting at $1,209. Departures from March 5 through December 26, 2021.

3) Highlights of the Baltics, 9 days with Costsaver. Begins in Warsaw and ends in Tallinn. Save $300 per couple off airfare, plus pay a reduced deposit of $99 per person. Starting at $1,375. Departures from April 23 through September 24, 2021.

4) Irish Adventure, 8 days with CIE Tours. Begins and ends in Dublin. Save 10%, plus pay a reduced deposit of $99 per person. Starting at $1,480. Departures from January 4 through November 22, 2021.

5) Peru Highlights, 8 days with Monograms. Begins and ends in Lima. Starting at $1,689. Daily departures from January 1 through December 30, 2021.

6) Islands of New England, 8 days with Collette. Begins in Providence and ends in Cape Cod. Save 10%. Starting at $1,999. Departures from May 7 through October 15, 2021.

7) Sound of Music, 9 days with Trafalgar. Begins in Munich and ends in Vienna. Save 15%. Plus, receive an additional $300 per couple discount off airfare and pay a reduced deposit of $99 per person. Starting at $2,054. Departures from May 1 through October 2, 2021.

8) Italian Intermezzo, 8 days with Insight. Begins in Milan and ends in Rome. Save up to 12%. Plus, receive an additional $200 per couple discount and pay a reduced deposit of $99 per person. Save an extra $300 per couple off airfare. Starting at $2,335. Departures from April 18 through October 10, 2021.

9) European Highlights, 9 days with Globus. Begins in London and ends in Rome. Save 10%. Plus, receive an additional $300 per couple discount off airfare. Starting at $2,629. Departures from April 17 through October 2, 2021.

10) Colors of Morocco, 15 days with Collette. Begins and ends in Casablanca. Save 10%. Starting at $2,999. Departures from May 6 through December 30, 2021.


Sincerely,

Alan Fox
Executive Chairman
Vacations To Go