Peter Sommer Travels has highlighted several voyage highlights for the coming few months still with availability, signaling a great opportunity for travellers to join the company’s expert-led small group tours of Europe and the Middle East.
From Sicily’s spice-laden kitchens and Rome’s hidden catacombs to the Peloponnese’s mythic hills, sun-drenched Turkish shores and Montenegro’s sparkling bays there are a handful of opportunities to join gulet- and land-tours where history, culture, cuisine, and spectacular landscapes collide in extraordinary ways.
Highlight departures in September and October 2025 include:
The eight-day A Gastronomic Tour of Sicily food-themed voyage departs Siracusa for an unforgettable exploration of Eastern Sicily’s culinary scene, a vibrant mix of delicious local produce with cooking styles drawn from its many foreign rulers – Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and the Spanish. Sicily bursts with bustling markets with fresh produce including fruits, nuts, cheeses, and an ocean bounty, all paired with Europe’s finest new wines. This gastro-tour, guided by local expert Lucia Iacono, journeys through ancient Syracuse’s grand theatres, rolling plains, and Baroque gems such as Noto and Ragusa Ibla. Guests can dive into Modica’s rich chocolate lore, roll pasta with a chef in Vizzini, and hike Mt. Etna’s surreal lava moonscapes. Departing September 20, October 4, and October 18, 2025 with generously inclusive rates from approx. AU$8,593 per person twin share (£4,195).
Two walking and gulet cruising tours in Lycia offer a wonderful cultural discovery of Turkey, which explore a magnificent stretch of coastline behind which developed an extraordinary culture and a fiercely independent people – the Lycians. The fifteen-day Walking and Cruising the Lycian Shore is led by Peter Sommer himself and is an ideal tour for hikers and for lovers of the sea alike, while providing the cultural and archaeological experience that is the trademark of Peter Sommer Travels. Aboard a traditional Turkish gulet, guests will cruise through the crystal waters visiting the ancient cities and villages that adorn this timeless coast. Departing on October 5, 2025, with rates from approx. AU$11,063 per person (£5,395). The week-long Walking and Cruising Western Lycia is led by Dr Richard Bayliss and includes Lycia’s most celebrated cultural and archaeological ‘must-sees’, such as Kayaköy/Levissa and the monumental Patara, capital of Roman Lycia. Departing on October 12, 2025, with generously inclusive rates from approx. AU$6,340.28 per person (£3,095).
Over an incredible 15 days, guests can discover Greek history first-hand on the Exploring the Peloponnese tour, led by archaeologist experts Dr Michael Metcalfe and Nota Karamouna and departing from Athens. The fame of the Peloponnese peninsula that forms the southern part of the Greek Mainland rests on a long and often spectacular history. Guests discover many of the area’s most famous highlights, including six UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the gargantuan Bronze Age fortifications of Tiryns and Mycenae, the Classical splendours of Olympia, famous for the games that still bear its name, Epidaurus with its beautiful theatre and Byzantine Mystras. There’s a chance to discover wonders off the beaten track, like vast ancient Messene, and mountainous Arcadia with its perched villages and gorge-side monasteries. Departing October 16, 2025, with rates from approx. AU$10,641 per person twin share (£5,195).
New in 2025, the eight-day Cruising the Coast of Montenegro tour departs Tivat in Montenegro for a cruise through the country renowned for its sparkling waters, atmospheric mountains and multi-layered history. Cruising onboard a traditional gulet, guests visit towns and villages from the Adriatic Coast to Lake Skadar and the Bay of Kotor and discover the influence of the ancient Illyrians, the Greeks, the Roman Empire, Venice and the Ottomans, as well as fabulous food from beloved family restaurants, wine made in the wooded hills and more. Departing September 15, and September 29, 2025, with generously inclusive rates from approx. AU$8,131 (£3,895) per person, twin share.
Over eight glorious days, the Exploring Rome tour takes guests on a journey of discovery of history’s grandest stage, where emperors, popes and legends left their mark and where every street hums with stories. This tour sneaks guests backstage to secret corners, hidden frescoes, and the spectral echoes of Ostia’s ancient port. Guests plunge beneath the city’s streets into endless catacomb corridors, and stay in a Baroque masterpiece by Borromini in vibrant Trastevere, where history and nightlife tango. Departing October 19, 2025, with rates from approx. AU$9,411 per person twin share (£4,595).
