The world is waiting. Experience history, culture and archaeology in 2019 with Andante Travels' brand new collection of expert-led tours, known as Bare Bones.

Starting at just £499/$699 per person, Andante's newly launched Bare Bones tours will visit Greece, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt. Accompanied by the same expert guide lecturers that the company is renowned for, these new tours offer both an Essential and Insiders' angle, allowing guests to get the most out of their chosen destination while enjoying a little more freedom than Andante's full-bodied itineraries typically include. 

With one free afternoon and evenings spent at leisure during these tours – which have a shorter duration of around five to seven days – and breakfast being the only meal of the day included, guests can choose their own mealtimes and have the chance to dine independently of the group if they prefer some quality time by themselves. There is also the option to add a meal package to each of the Bare Bones tour itineraries. 

The hotels remain hand-picked, but are 3.5 – 4* and more centrally located to ensure that any free time can be used as fully as possible. No flights are included with the price of Andante's Bare Bones tours, but this provides guests with more flexibility to extend their stay at either end of the package easily. What's especially exciting about Bare Bones is that the departure and return dates have, in some cases, been designed to coincide so that tours can be combined if a more intensive experience is desired by the traveller. For example, Insiders' Rome can be tagged on the end of Essential Rome or guests might choose to join Essential Istanbul and follow it directly with Insiders' Istanbul. The opportunity to tailor make and build your dream tour is now a reality with Andante.

Special Access

• On Essential Rome, visit the Mithraeum beneath the Circus Maximus, an atmospheric underground temple accessed by appointment only
• During the Insiders' Rome tour, unlock rarely-visited sites, enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and experience a private visit to the majestic Porta Asinaria
• Essential Athens offers guests the chance to tour mysterious Eleusis
• Spend a spectacular day in Dougga, a UNESCO site with incredibly well-preserved ruins, alongside an expert archaeologist on the Essential Carthage tour
• Be treated to private visits at the magnificent Doge's Palace and the Basilica of San Marco on Essential Venice
• Take an unusual tour of hidden escape tunnels beneath the Berlin Wall on Essential Berlin in the company of an expert

Choose between an Essential or Insiders' tour

Essential tours are perfect for first-time visitors, introducing the iconic attractions of a city or historic site in the company of a knowledgeable Guide Lecturer. Insiders' tours, as the name suggests, focus more on the hidden secrets, taking you 'behind the scenes' of your chosen destination - a fully immersive experience.

Expert Guides

Joining our Bare Bones tours as guide lecturers are the likes of University of Cambridge faculty member Nick Jackson, a documentary presenter and archaeologist with over 20 years of excavation and guiding experience; Tony Wilmott, 2012's Archaeologist of the Year and an archaeologist specialising in the Roman and medieval periods; historian Nick Jackson, who specialises in revolution and war, and edits Military History Monthly; and Terry Richardson, author of the Rough Guide Istanbul, Rough Guide Turkey and Pocket Rough Guide Istanbul. For the full list of expert guides, see the website.

For the full range of tour itineraries, prices and day-by-day schedules, click the link: https://www.andantetravels.co.uk/tours/all/48/0/Bare-Bones/departure-date.html 

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Notes to editors

Founded in 1985, Andante Travels – part of the Specialist Journeys group – has grown to become one of the UK's leading specialist tour operators. The company has previously won the 'Best Small Holiday Company for Customer Service' title at the prestigious British Travel Awards, and thanks to the wonderful support of its travellers, it is nominated in the Best Special Interest Holiday, Best Escorted Tours Holiday Company and Best Holiday Company to the Italian Peninsula & Malta categories at the 2018 British Travel Awards, and was recently shortlisted for the Best Cultural Tour Operator at this year's Silver Travel Awards.  

Andante's tours have also been named 'Trips of a Lifetime' by the National Geographic Traveler on five occasions and, earlier this year, it appointed Jackie Willis as its new CEO, who brings with her over 35 years of touring and travel experience. Over the years, the company has introduced thousands of people to the wonders of the ancient world. Its tours are all designed and led by renowned experts, who bring a unique, special insight to each site visited in every corner of the globe, and every one of its itineraries boasts exclusive access to either a museum or venue, a specific archaeological site or to a workshop. Andante's tours are peppered with hands-on, immersive experiences that offer an authentic taste of each destination and leave the guest with memories that will last long after they return home.

For more information, call Andante Travels on 01722 569640 or visit https://www.andantetravels.co.uk/

For further media information, contact: Martha Whatley, Content Marketing and PR Executive, martha@specialistjourneys.com