Small group touring specialist Back-Roads Touring has nine new tours in its UK & Europe 2020 brochure, including Christmas and winter trips for the first time.
New Christmas markets tours include The Best of Saxony and Bohemia which features the Striezelmarkt in Dresden – one of Germany’s oldest markets – and the opportunity to sleep in a castle at Schloss Purschenstein. It costs from £1,599 for six days.
Sweden and Finland also make their debut in the itineraries offered by Back-Roads Touring.
A Scandinavian Journey features Denmark, Sweden and Norway’s capital, Oslo. It costs from £2,479 for seven days.
Northern Lights: A Lapland Winter explores Finnish Lapland and costs from £4,369 for eight days.
Other new tours are Hampton Court Flower Show, English Christmas markets, Treasures of Scotland, The Headlands of Ireland, A Traditional Alsace Christmas and An Austro-Hungarian Christmas.
David Gendle, global sales general manager, said: “Our new and upgraded tours are a direct reflection on what customers and past Back-Roads guests have asked for, including more hands-on historical experiences and authentic epicurean discoveries.
“From visiting a reindeer farm in Lapland to browsing the stalls at Gallipoli’s famous fish market, and exploring the candy-coloured villages of Cinque Terre, we pride ourselves on our offering of truly unforgettable holiday experiences that feed the curiosity of mature travellers.”
Prices include boutique accommodation on a bed-and-breakfast basis, some lunches and dinners, excursions and transportation in premium mini-coaches, but not flights or transfers.
Early bookings on selected departures qualify for a 10% saving until September 30.
Pictured is Karlovy Vary in the west Bohemia region of the Czech Republic, featured on the Best of Saxony and Bohemia Christmas markets tour.