Melbourne Star + Melbourne Zoo

Trip style: Local Life & Culture, History & Heritage Language Tour: English Full Itinerary Get the local lowdown on a city that's seen its fair share of drama in recent years on this historical Detroit tour that takes you through the city's crazy past. Begin your Detroit tour at a cafe on Broadway, where you'll meet your local guide and head out onto the streets. From the minute you leave the meeting point you'll start seeing some famous Detroit landmarks, such as the 95-year old Detroit Athletic Club, the renovated Opera House, the vacant Wurlitzer Building, and the fine new downtown YMCA. Your local guide will be telling you all you need to know about these spots, and what they mean to the city of Detroit.   Continuing on your tour in Detroit, see the site where one of the biggest department stores in the US once stood. When it closed in the 1980s, it left a hole in the city that hasn't been filled.  There are not many stores in the old retail district, but apartments and lofts have brought some new life to the area. Next on this Detroit city tour, the Compuware Building from 2002 is worth a visit, for its 15-story atrium and colorful fountain. Outside that building you'll see a panorama that includes landmarks like the 47-story Penobscot Building from 1928, the Guardian Building from 1929, and the Renaissance Center from 1977, which is home to the tallest hotel in the entire Western Hemisphere (72 floors!) as well as the headquarters of General Motors. Then you'll see Campus Martius Park in the heart of downtown, which opened in 2004 and features an ice-skating rink in winter and activities year-round. It recently won an award as the nation's most transformative urban park, and is a fine example of how Detroit is making a serious comeback. A visit to the Guardian Building gives you a picture of the greatness of Detroit in the late 1920s. The lobby and banking room of this art-deco skyscraper are truly incredible. We'll take a stop here, and then we take a ride on the elevated People Mover, which has been moving people around downtown Detroit since 1987.  From the Michigan Avenue Station, see the $800 Million MGM Grand Casino and hotel that were completed in 2008, and the new Rosa Parks Transit Center (named for "the mother of the Civil Rights Movement") with its dramatic canopies.    If the weather is nice, we'll walk to a nearby hotel that's a great example of Detroit's rise, fall and renewal.  When it opened in 1924 it was the tallest hotel in the world and one of the fanciest, but it closed in the 1980s and stood vacant for more than 25 years on a prominent street corner. Detroiters were thrilled when it reopened after a $200 million renovation as the wonderful, a proud moment in Detroit's history! A block down from here is one of the world's tallest vacant buildings at 36-storeys high. Your leader will tell you stories of its past and how it awaits a new life. Next, we visit the area near Grand Circus Park, which is full of examples of Detroit's rocky history. Here we'll find even more vacant buildings as well as legendary parks and music venues that have hosted the like of Bruce Spingsteen and Detroit's own Eminem. This gives us many more opportunities for your guide to let you in on all the local secrets behind them. It's one thing simply seeing these buildings, but to get to know the history behind them makes the experience even more special, especially when it comes from the mouth of a local! Our last stop will be at a local brewpub, where you can sip on a local beer or soft drink and continue to chat about Detroit with your local guide. The first drink's on us!

What to bring: Waterproof Jacket Sunscreen Warm Clothing Insect Repellent 

Where to go? Mersey Ferries, Liverpool Pier Head Ferry Terminal, Georges Parade, L3 1DP (Same building as The Beatles Story Fab4D) 

Leaving Glasgow you will head north-west through the rugged Highlands of Scotland until you reach Inveraray, a quaint town built in the mid-18th century on the shores of Loch Fyne. Here you can choose to visit Inveraray Castle* the historic home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Clan Campbell, nestled in large beautiful gardens overlooking Loch Fyne. Alternatively, explore the town’s white-washed Georgian houses, wide streets and breathtaking views across the loch.  Your route climbs further north into the Highlands through stunning scenery marked by several dramatic castles and beautiful lochs. You'll pause to admire Kilchurn Castle, one of Scotland’s most photographed castles, nestled on the banks of Loch Awe and beautifully framed by mountains.  Next you will make a stop for lunch in the picturesque harbour town of Oban, ‘Gateway to the Isles’, with free time to explore its horseshoe bay and see MacCaig’s Folly, an iconic 19th century tower reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome.  After free time exploring, we travel onwards past the 15th century Castle Stalker, which is set on a small island on Loch Laich, before reaching Glencoe, one of Scotland’s most haunting glens and site of the 1692 massacre of the MacDonald clan.  The return journey will take you over the dramatic landscape of Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount before you make the final stop at the pretty conservation village of Luss on the ‘Bonnie, Bonnie Banks’ of Loch Lomond. Here you can feel free to walk along the shore or admire the village before returning to Glasgow.  *OPTIONAL EXTRA. PLEASE NOTE: Inveraray Castle open April - October, alternatives offered November-March. Sun, Tues & Fri | ALL YEAR

What time is best to visit? It's a question we're often asked, and the truth is that there is no best time to visit the Sydney Tower Eye. Whether it's bright sunshine, overcast, windy, night or even foggy, there's always something to see. Sunset is our busiest time of day, so if you want to catch an amazing sunet, be sure to arrive at least 45 minutes before sunset. 

Your Journey: Take off from Queenstown, and fly above the rugged backcountry of Central Otago, before heading westward to where the glacial fed rivers empty into Lake Wakatipu. Witness what the power of nature has created over the years, as you journey over two remarkable National Parks; Mt Aspiring and the world heritage listed Fiordland National Park. On arrival in Milford Sound, join your purpose-built small boat for a comfortable two hour cruise through one of the world’s natural wonders. Make your way out past the iconic Mitre Peak and cruise the length of the fiord while our skipper highlights points of interest along the way, including the mighty Bowen Falls, Lion Mountain, Copper Point, Seal Rock and Stirling Falls. Keep an eye out for wildlife that can be found in the region including seals, pods of dolphins and the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin (seasonal). Complete your journey with a birds-eye view of the largely untouched region as you fly back over the Southern Alps and are welcomed to the incredibly blue Lake Wakatipu upon landing in Queenstown.