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Ultimate Ancient Road Trips

27 March 2020

Who doesn’t love a road trip? Driving from place to place at a pace that suits you, stopping for snacks and to stretch your legs at sites that pique your interest along the way, and the all-important soundtrack – yes, road trips are pretty fantastic. However, there’s a new way to enjoy this kind of vacatian thanks to our 2021 preview brochure…

How about an ancient road trip? What’s that, you ask? Well, let us explain.

Some of the most fascinating vacatians are those centerd around – yep, you guessed it – history and archaeology. So, we decided to combine this with the fact that there are some incredible ancient roads out there and design a series of tours that will travel along them, in search of stories, artifacts and the sites that both put and have kept them firmly on the map. Which roads can we take you on? Browse our full selection of ancient road trip tours below:

The Via Appia – Queen of Roads

Enjoy a memorable journey along Rome’s most ancient road as we travel from Benevento to the Eternal City, giving you a glimpse into the way in which this world-famous destination was subdued and eventually helped to unite the entire country through its historic, monumental roads. Visits range from the lesser-explored site of Minturnae to the catacombs of San Senatore, and from the Circus of Maxentius to the 11^th century church of Sant’Angelo in Formis with its unique Byzantine mosaics.

Departs 26^th March and 17^th September | 8 days | Click here for more

The Via Flaminia

Traversing the Apennines, the Via Flaminia remains the best way to travel through central Italy. Originally built in the 3^rd century BC in order to facilitate the transport of grains to Rome, it crosses through some of the most spectacular parts of the country – from Rome, through the heart of Umbria and into Rimini. This new tour begins at the end of the road, at ancient Ariminium. Here, we see Tiberius’ bridge and Augustus’ triumphal arch. There is a private visit to the Hypogeum of the Volumni, time to explore Rome’s Piazza Navona, a tour of Ostia Antica, a stop at Spello’s Villa of the Mosaics and more.

Departs 24^th May | 10 days | Click here for more

Albania & Macedonia – The Via Egnatia

While this tour isn’t new, it does follow an enchanting ancient road – the Via Egnatia. The Balkans, divided by mountains, are united by roads and the greatest of these is the Via Egnatia. On this 9-day adventure, you will explore the ruins of ancient Apollonia (one of the Via Egnatia’s starting points), you’ll travel along the shores of historic Lake Ohrid and there will be a visit to Edessa with its refreshing waterfalls. Elsewhere, discover the palace complex of Galerius, experience Albania’s capital of Tirana and explore Thessaloniki’s fantastic Archaeological Museum.

Departs 10^th October | 9 days | Click here for more

Greece & Turkey – The Via Egnatia II

East from Thessaloniki, the Via Egnatia cuts across Thrace to Istanbul, taking in millennia of European history. The tour begins at the Roman and Macedonian colony of Philippi. A crucial point along the road, here Augustus and Mark Anthony defeated Brutus and Cassius – the assassins of Caesar. Visits on this tour are staggering and range from the inimitable Hagia Sophia and extraordinary Blue Mosque in Istanbul, to the ancient city of Thasos and then Xanthi, the latter of which was a Byzantine and Ottoman era trading town.

Departs 3^rd June and 19^th October | 10 days | Click here for more

Roman France – Côte d’Azur | On the Trail of the Via Julia Augusta

This ancient Roman road, begun in 13 BCE by Augustus and completed by later emperors, runs from Piacenza in Italy through to Arles in France. Explore the numerous remains and surrounding towns that once relied on the road for ancient trading. Discover the recently excavated site of Roman Albintimilium, take a tour of Arles’ amazing ruins that include an amphitheater and a cryptoporticus, and explore the Balzi Rossi caves across the border in Italy.

Departs 4^th September | 7 days | Click here for more

If you’re after a tour that focuses less on a specific road, but also includes elements of a certain road’s history, we have a few options that might be of interest…

Registan Square at the twilight Samarkand

Historic architecture of Itchan Kala walled inner town of the city of Khiva

The ancient city of Ayaz Kala in Karakalpakstan

Uzbekistan

Explore the sites and cities of the Silk Road on this extended tour of historic Uzbekistan. This iconic road once ran from China to Europe, with Uzbekistan at its heart. The steppes, deserts, mountains and blue-tiled cities tell stories of trade and conquest, and you’ll follow in the footsteps of those who’ve travelled these routes for thousands of years. Discover four UNESCO-listed sites such as Khiva and Samarkand, explore the Bibi Khanym Mosque and tour the mighty fortresses of Ayaz Kala.

Departs 25^th March and 17^th September | 15 days | Click here for more

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Uncover the jewels of the Silk Road – a road that has long captured our imaginations here in the Andante office. This tour offers the best of two Khanate states whose vast wealth was ploughed into splendid architecture. Explore the UNESCO-listed site of Khiva, the deserted city of Kunya-Urgench with its 11^th-16^th century ruins and spend two memorable days at the unique Turkmen site of Merv.

Departs 16^th April and 3^rd September | 18 days | Click here for more

Hidden Rome

If you’d like to experience a slice of the Appian Way, why not book a place on our Hidden Rome tour? Travelling down part of this legendary road, you will explore some of its renowned villas such as the villa of the Quintili and villa of Emperor Maxentius. There will also be a visit to the Roman baths of Caracalla, which were once Rome’s second-largest baths and could accommodate around 1,600 bathers.

Departs throughout the year | 7 days | Click here for more

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Ultimate Ancient Road Trips was published on 27 March 2020