What tour have you done that blew you away?

[dogs4fun]

My most memorable tour was a private, tailored tour of Rome with Roma Sotterranea that included the underground Porta Maggiore Basilica. 

 

[matamanoa]

In Oct. of 2019 we did an Iberian cruise and in the port of  Gran Canaria, we did a 12 hour private tour organized by a couple we met through the roll call.  It was run by a husband and wife team who took us around the island for the day, stopping at many interesting places.  We also enjoyed a picnic lunch in a forest, took us up and down mountains for spectacular views. stopping in many picturesque small towns and ended with a stop in Maspalomas Beach where we had champagne and had time to wander on 1000 yr. old sand dunes.  It was the most amazing tour we have done and gave us the flavour of the island.

 

Barb

[AKJonesy]

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

[danaps]

I have two - 

 

One was a private tour of the Vatican and Vatican Museum that we had before boarding the Edge for a Med cruise.  The amazing part was getting to see things that the normal tours did not cover and to have a tour guide that had an "inside" for the tour.  Best 4 hours I ever spent touring.

Second was a private tour in St. Maarten - the driver and guide was great and he took us to some out of the way places that we never would have found - and he told us so much of the history of the island.  Made us wand to go back for a land tour.

OHHH..and we did a Tapas tour with Devour in Barcelona - that was really a lot of fun too.

[donaldsc]

If pre-cruise tours count - the Atacama Desert.

 

DON

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, danaps said:

I have two - 

 

One was a private tour of the Vatican and Vatican Museum that we had before boarding the Edge for a Med cruise.  The amazing part was getting to see things that the normal tours did not cover and to have a tour guide that had an "inside" for the tour.  Best 4 hours I ever spent touring.

 

 

We did something similar though it was a private guide and a small group.  I  thought it was terrific. 

We had a private tour guide and driver for a few days in Beijing.   Expensive but the experience was worth in IMO.   

[rkacruiser]

8 hours ago, danaps said:

One was a private tour of the Vatican and Vatican Museum that we had before boarding the Edge for a Med cruise

 

Not a private tour with a guide, but on my second visit totally on my own.  I had my guide book, I stood aside while the tour groups went by, then, continued my journey through the Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's.  I experienced more than I did when I first visited as part of a tour group.  Memorable! 

[ALD18]

For us it was cruising the Baltic, especially the 2-day excursion in St. Petersburg Russia.  Peterhof, Catherine's palace, the Hermitage, Amber room, and various churches/cathedrals was awesome.  Truly incredible.  Side note, the main square in Tallin, Estonia was almost fairy tale like.  Don't know why but it always pops into my head as one of the coolest places we've been and don't know why:) 

Edited July 13, 2021 by ALD18
typo

[Smokeyham]

On 7/22/2020 at 7:34 PM, sprint180 said:

Harv and Marv whale watching.  In Juneau I believe, could be wrong.  It was amazing we were so close to the whales I could have almost touched them.

They are marvelous!  A group of 10 of us had a small boat with them all to ourselves.  The guide was a graduate student studying whales.

[mamaofami]

On 7/3/2021 at 3:04 PM, sail7seas said:

Murano  Glass Factory  and  museum in  Venice, Itly

Judy , I’ve tried emailing you several times and don’t get an answer. Have you changed your address.

[CoolNickname]

This one I did not do as a cruise tour, but you can do it as a cruise tour out of Cozumel. Parque Xcaret is amazing. Swimming in an underground cave, seeing their aquarium that does rescue work for several animals including sea turtles and rays, and doing Sea Trek there was just beyond amazing. And if you've done that one do Xplor or Xenses next time. Xenses has a sensory thing where you walk through different regions of Mexico in the dark that is pretty intense. Xplor has souped up gokarts you drive through the jungle and more caves to swim in.

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, mamaofami said:

Judy , I’ve tried emailing you several times and don’t get an answer. Have you changed your address.

 

I have tried to do the same with no response.  My e-mails don't get rejected, so, I assume her address remains the same.  

[rkacruiser]

On 7/13/2021 at 10:43 AM, ALD18 said:

Side note, the main square in Tallin, Estonia was almost fairy tale like.  Don't know why but it always pops into my head as one of the coolest places we've been and don't know why:) 

 

I feel the same way.  Maybe a reason is, at least visiting the ports on my Baltic Cruise, Tallin stood out as being the "most European original" city that we visited.  So many had become so "modernized" with construction and more construction.  Copenhagen was a particular disappointment for me.  

[sail7seas]

On 7/14/2021 at 3:59 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

I have tried to do the same with no response.  My e-mails don't get rejected, so, I assume her address remains the same.  

 

 

I'm so sorry to have not seen your e-mail. I'd love ro her from both of you

 

I had trouble for weeks with my aol account and never, (hardly ever  go to g-mail to check it.

 

Hope you and yours are all well   a nd happy.

 

 

I'm  doing good   but  still making  tons of typos    I  limit how much typing   I do these days.

 

 

[ontheweb]

On 7/14/2021 at 4:02 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

I feel the same way.  Maybe a reason is, at least visiting the ports on my Baltic Cruise, Tallin stood out as being the "most European original" city that we visited.  So many had become so "modernized" with construction and more construction.  Copenhagen was a particular disappointment for me.  

We were in Copenhagen for a day after our cruise and were disappointed that many museums were closed because it was a Monday.

 

The port that disappointed me the most was Helsinki. We just did not find that much there. Stockholm was the opposite as there was way, way too much that interested us given the time we had there.

 

And Talinn did stand out.

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, sail7seas said:

I'm so sorry to have not seen your e-mail. I'd love ro her from both of you

 

I had trouble for weeks with my aol account and never, (hardly ever  go to g-mail to check it.

 

Great to hear from your Sail!  I will send you an e-mail this week-end to your gmail account.  I don't seem to have your AOL address.  I think I had it at one time, but, if so, can't locate it in my address book.

 

                 Bob  

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

The port that disappointed me the most was Helsinki. We just did not find that much there. Stockholm was the opposite as there was way, way too much that interested us given the time we had there.

 

 

Helsinki was a city that was different than the others that we visited.  More laid back, seemed less hectic, and, I thought, scenic.  The Church built into the side of a mountain with its fantastic organ was unique.  I have one negative memory of my visit there.  My tour included a lunch of Finnish smoked foods.  I ate too much of these smoked foods.  My digestive system was not accustomed to such foods and somewhat rebelled.  

 

Agree that Stockholm had too many sights to see.  Add that to the fact that the ship had anchored (don't think the Eurodam docked) so far from the city that time was lost going to and from the city.  I enjoyed what I saw; the VASA Museum was the highlight for me.  But, if I get to return, a visit to the ABBA Museum is at the top of my "to visit" list.  

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Helsinki was a city that was different than the others that we visited.  More laid back, seemed less hectic, and, I thought, scenic.  The Church built into the side of a mountain with its fantastic organ was unique.  I have one negative memory of my visit there.  My tour included a lunch of Finnish smoked foods.  I ate too much of these smoked foods.  My digestive system was not accustomed to such foods and somewhat rebelled.  

 

Agree that Stockholm had too many sights to see.  Add that to the fact that the ship had anchored (don't think the Eurodam docked) so far from the city that time was lost going to and from the city.  I enjoyed what I saw; the VASA Museum was the highlight for me.  But, if I get to return, a visit to the ABBA Museum is at the top of my "to visit" list.  

I was much more impressed with the VASA Museum than I expected. We also went to Skansen (I'm not sure I spelled that right) which was an outdoor exhibit of various Swedish things. I had a feeling we were spending too much time there, but DW kept wanting more. Then we went to the National Museum and she realized we definitely had spent to much time there! As an art teacher, she usually lingers at almost all paintings, but even she rushed through Dutch masters. And we did not even get to see the floor that was design even though that is also one of her favorites.😢

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

I was much more impressed with the VASA Museum than I expected. We also went to Skansen (I'm not sure I spelled that right) which was an outdoor exhibit of various Swedish things. I had a feeling we were spending too much time there, but DW kept wanting more. Then we went to the National Museum and she realized we definitely had spent to much time there! As an art teacher, she usually lingers at almost all paintings, but even she rushed through Dutch masters. And we did not even get to see the floor that was design even though that is also one of her favorites.😢

 

Other than the VASA Museum, I really don't recall what else my traveling companion and I visited.  Don't think that either of the two sites you mentioned were part of our tour.  Everything in that tour was just so condensed because of the time constraints that my Stockholm visit remains more of a blur than anything else.  The video at the VASA Museum helped to put what I saw in excellent context.  It was worth the time spent watching it, I thought.  

[donaldsc]

51 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Other than the VASA Museum, I really don't recall what else my traveling companion and I visited.  Don't think that either of the two sites you mentioned were part of our tour.  Everything in that tour was just so condensed because of the time constraints that my Stockholm visit remains more of a blur than anything else.  The video at the VASA Museum helped to put what I saw in excellent context.  It was worth the time spent watching it, I thought.  

 

We visited the Vasa Museum on our own and probably spent 4 or 5 hours or  maybe more there.  When we were there, there was also a guided tour of some type at the museum.  Compared to the time we spent in the museum, the time that the guided tour spent was pathetic.  

 

DON

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

 

We visited the Vasa Museum on our own and probably spent 4 or 5 hours or  maybe more there.  When we were there, there was also a guided tour of some type at the museum.  Compared to the time we spent in the museum, the time that the guided tour spent was pathetic.  

 

DON

 

Same here. My DS was just the right age for the Vasa museum, so we went there first and spent much more time than I had planned. Luckily we were doing Stockholm on our own and I adjusted our plans accordingly. I figured it was more important to enjoy this place in-depth than rush around to see (yet another) changing of the guard. 

 

 

[ontheweb]

12 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Same here. My DS was just the right age for the Vasa museum, so we went there first and spent much more time than I had planned. Luckily we were doing Stockholm on our own and I adjusted our plans accordingly. I figured it was more important to enjoy this place in-depth than rush around to see (yet another) changing of the guard. 

 

 

I could really see the Vasa Museum fascinating a youngster of any age. It fascinated me, and I was a youngster of 60 at the time.😃

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

We visited the Vasa Museum on our own and probably spent 4 or 5 hours or  maybe more there.  When we were there, there was also a guided tour of some type at the museum.  Compared to the time we spent in the museum, the time that the guided tour spent was pathetic.  

 

DON

 

No memory of the amount of time that I was there, but, the time spent was quite adequate.  What I most appreciated by being in a tour group was avoiding the long line of tourists waiting to get into the Museum!  

 

When you were in Helsinki, did you try any of their smoked foods?  

[cruisemom42]

On 7/30/2021 at 7:21 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Other than the VASA Museum, I really don't recall what else my traveling companion and I visited.  Don't think that either of the two sites you mentioned were part of our tour.  Everything in that tour was just so condensed because of the time constraints that my Stockholm visit remains more of a blur than anything else.  The video at the VASA Museum helped to put what I saw in excellent context.  It was worth the time spent watching it, I thought.  

 

5 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

No memory of the amount of time that I was there, but, the time spent was quite adequate.  What I most appreciated by being in a tour group was avoiding the long line of tourists waiting to get into the Museum!  

 

 

Maybe off base, but seems like a disconnect in your two posts?  Your visit was a blur, but you had adequate time?

 

Sometimes, as in this post and your posts on Venice, I sense a certain wistfulness at not have more time in a place. Just curious if you've done (or considered) land tours in some of these places rather than cruises?

 

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

Maybe off base, but seems like a disconnect in your two posts?  Your visit was a blur, but you had adequate time?

 

Sometimes, as in this post and your posts on Venice, I sense a certain wistfulness at not have more time in a place. Just curious if you've done (or considered) land tours in some of these places rather than cruises?

 

Or another alternative to a cruise excursion is just getting off the ship and doing it on your own. If you find yourself fascinated with something like the Vasa Museum, you can spend more time there than your cruise excursion allows.