The Oldest Temples In The World That You Can Visit With Culture Trip

Temples are like a window into ancient history, standing as rare mementos of a bygone era, hinting towards the scale of civilisations centuries ago. Enjoy the most magical history lessons imaginable on these small-group trips, which visit some of the oldest, most incredible temples on Earth.

Luxor Temple – Ultimate Egypt

Giza and Cairo, in the north of Egypt, are the country’s most visited destinations, but no trip to this ancient land is complete without heading south to Luxor. This city is as historically rich as any region of Egypt, most notably being home to the temples of Luxor and Karnak. The former is approximately 3,443 years old, which makes the quality of what remains rather astonishing. You can follow the Avenue of Sphinxes, which lead you directly to the sturdy sandstone entrance, guarded by two statues of Ramesses II. From there you can explore the fascinating remnants of a complex that saw several famous Pharaohs come and go. Our Ultimate Egypt trip features a visit to Luxor Temple at night, when the entire place is gloriously lit-up in candlelight, as well as a visit to Karnak Temple – the baby of the family, at only 2,000+ years old.

From US$2239

Next available from 23rd May 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Cairo, Egypt

ENDS AT

Aswan, Egypt

DURATION

9

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Light

STYLE

Discovery

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Relief of the Twelve Gods in Yazilikaya, a holy site near Hattusa, the ancient capital of the Hittite Civilization in Turkey

Yazilikaya – Majestic Turkey

Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia comes in at an impressive 1,486 years old and attracts huge swathes of tourists to the city’s European side every single day, but Turkey’s history stretches far beyond the Common Era. The best physical example of this today is the remains of Hattusa, a truly ancient capital of the Hittite Empire, an Anatolian civilisation during the Bronze Age. Parts of the city, thought to have housed around 50,000 people at its peak, dates back at least 5,000 years. You’ll get to explore the stone walls and carvings that have been discovered on our Majestic Turkey trip, as well as visiting the remains of the sacred temple of Yazilikaya, thought to be around 3,200 years old.

From US$2699

Next available from 1st Mar 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Istanbul, Turkey

ENDS AT

Antalya, Turkey

DURATION

12

GROUP SIZE

18

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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Winter Sale

The Parthenon with a setting sun in Athens, Greece

Parthenon – Greek Island Odyssey

Is there a city on Earth that offers such rich historical findings as Athens? Arguably not, as the city’s iconic Acropolis proves. This ancient hilltop citadel is remarkably well-preserved, and it’s most famous landmark is around 2,469 years old. The Parthenon was built as a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It also spent time as a Christian church and a mosque, while the structure was supposedly built to replace an even older Parthenon, which was destroyed during the Persian invasion. Today it stands as one of the most symbolic images of ancient Greece, proudly representing the art, architecture and cultural legacy of a civilisation ahead of its time. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the Acropolis on the first full day of our Greek Island Odyssey trip, an island-hopping adventure that goes from Athens to Milos, Naxos and Santorini.

From US$1939

Next available from 28th Apr 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Athens, Greece

ENDS AT

Athens, Greece

DURATION

9

GROUP SIZE

18

PHYSICAL RATING

Light

STYLE

Discovery

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Holiday Sale

Golgulsa Temple in Gyeongju-si, South Korea.

Golgulsa Temple – Soulful South Korea

South Korea is famous for its rich Buddhist heritage, best represented by the thousands of temples spread across the country. One of the oldest and most striking being Golgulsa. This unique grotto structure, inspired by the cave complexes of India, was built sometime in the sixth century. Today it is open every single day of the year for visitors to experience the unique phenomenon of Korean temple stays, which you’ll get to have on our Soulful South Korea trip. As well as spending a night within the ancient temple itself, you’ll meet Buddhist monks, dine on traditional veggie delights and take lessons on archery, meditations chants and Sunmudo, a meditative martial art practiced by Korean Buddhists for over a thousand years.

From US$3499

Next available from 10th Mar 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Seoul, South Korea

ENDS AT

Seoul, South Korea

DURATION

10

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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Winter Sale

Angkor Wat – Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam

Cambodia’s most famous landmark is the baby of this list, thought to be approaching its 900th birthday – how adorable! The ancient majesty of this place is no less impressive than its more seasoned contemporaries, though. This is the largest religious structure in the world, and its intricately designed walls show their age by being slowly recaptured by Mother Nature’s tree roots and vine branches. The complex was first a Hindu Temple and later a Buddhist one throughout the Khmer Empire. Today it’s one of the most soul-stirring places on Earth, best observed either as the sun falls behind it or rises above. Our Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam trip includes an early morning visit to Angkor Wat, so you can see dawn break behind the complex, bathing the old walls and reflecting moat in a glorious reddish hue – now that’s a sight for the ages.

From US$2499

Next available from 25th Mar 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Bangkok, Thailand

ENDS AT

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

DURATION

11

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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landscape with balloons floating in the air

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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.