A Sense of Place with Every Boutique Connection

Abercrombie & Kent Develops New Immersive Journeys across Europe for 2019

 

 

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – September 4, 2018…. A common thread found in the most unforgettable travel adventures are authentic intimate experiences. Connections Boutique Group Journeys reflect Abercrombie & Kent’s commitment to curating immersive experiences to provide guests with a vibrant sense of place. “This boutique style of travel has resonated with travel advisors and guests alike, which led us to expand the portfolio for 2019 with intriguing new itineraries in Greece, Finland — our first winter program in Europe — and a new river cruise on the Rhine,” explains Abercrombie & Kent President Keith Baron.

 

Combining the best of A&K expertise and style with authentic experiences and intimate boutique hotels, Connections Boutique Group Journeys offer an immersive dive into captivating locales. Exclusive and engaging local interactions reveal the distinctive culture of each destination. Take a lesson in the lively sport of dogsledding from an expert instructor, then try your hand as musher with your own dog team. Join a welcoming Greek family in their home where you’ll learn to prepare regional dishes and then feast on them together, family-style. Visit the flower auction at Aalsmeer, for a first-hand look at the operations behind how more than 20 million flowers make it to market.

 

Designed by A&K’s local experts, these new journeys offer immersive travel at its finest:

 

NEW for 2019 – Greece: Athens & the Aegean

Discover treasured wonders of the ancient world, and meet locals keeping traditions alive in farming, handicrafts and business. Learn the secrets of Greek cuisine at a private in-home cooking class. Pay an exclusive visit to an organic cosmetics producer to learn about traditional Greek beauty products. Stroll through the Minoan Bronze Age settlement of Akrotiri (reputed to be Atlantis), admiring its frescoes. Includes a private yacht cruise around the southern coast of Santorini. 10 days from $6,495

 

NEW for 2019 – Northern Lights of Lapland

Venture to the northernmost part of Europe for winter adventures including a cruise on an icebreaker with the chance to swim in a specially-designed floatation suit. Overnight in an ice hotel, and try your hand at ice fishing and sculpting snow. Cross the Arctic Circle and spend two nights sleeping under a glass dome for the best opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Includes active options such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing and dog sledding. Nine days from $8,395

 

A&K’s European River Cruise Journeys provide the same boutique ambiance as the Connections land journeys. These expertly curated itineraries explore the finest rivers in Europe — and deliver the most inclusive, small-group river cruise experience available. All off-ship sightseeing and dining is included and exclusive to A&K. Best of all, every cruise offers a complete itinerary, with stays in smaller, boutique hotels in major cities, along with enriching, guided visits to must-see destinations.

 

NEW for 2019 – Switzerland & the Rhine

Cruise the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel on this all-new journey. View Holland’s vibrant blooms at the world’s largest flower auction; take in the majesty of the Alps from the top of Mount Pilatus; and sample local cheese in Edam, beer in Cologne, wine in Rüdesheim and Strasbourg, and chocolate in Zurich, as well as five exclusive meals on shore. At the Douwes Fine Art gallery, learn how old paintings are restored. Stay in boutique hotels in Amsterdam and Zurich, with premium cabins aboard ‘Amadeus Silver II’ or ‘Amadeus Silver III’ with open-air French or walk-out balconies. 11 days from $8,495

 

With intimate groups of no more than 24 guests, A&K’s Connections Boutique Journeys are led from start to finish by a Resident Tour Director^®, who has lived for decades, if not their entire life, in the destination. This makes an important difference in providing intimate access to places and experiences not available to larger groups.

 

Accommodations are carefully selected for their local character. Preference is given to smaller properties – often less than 100 rooms – that are locally or family-owned, and reflect the distinctive character of the destination through their history or style. Memorable hotels like the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, which once served as the headquarters of the Bolshevik party, and Polonia Palace Hotel, the only hotel in Warsaw to survive World War II, have colorful histories that make them destinations in their own right, as does the family-run Markree Castle, built in 1802 in Western Ireland, now a luxury hotel with only 30 guest rooms.

 

Each journey features authentic experiences that fully immerse guests in the energy – and flavor – of local life. These Boutique Connections range from exploring a Nuremberg art bunker that sheltered paintings from destruction in World War II; a private tour and lunch at Badminton House, the private country estate of the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort; or learning the art of Puglian cuisine during a pasta-making demonstration with an expert chef.

 

Experience the world beyond the guidebook with Abercrombie & Kent’s 2019 Connections Boutique Group Journeys. Call 800.554.7094 to speak with an A&K Travel Consultant, go to https://www.abercrombiekent.com/small-group-journeys/connections-boutique-group-journeys, or contact your travel professional to learn more.

 

 

About Abercrombie & Kent
https://www.abercrombiekent.com/

Abercrombie & Kent pioneered luxury adventure travel with our first African safaris in 1962, and today our award-winning travel services extend around the globe to more than one hundred countries on all seven continents. A&K’s custom itineraries and small-group journeys offer one-of-a-kind inspiring experiences, while our more than 55 on-site offices ensure invitation-only access to the people and places that make every destination unique. Join the world of A&K by following us onFacebook, Twitter: @AKTravel_USA and Instagram: aktravel_usa.