SMALL GROUPS MAKE BETTER TOURS

Cultural Crossroads tours are generally with groups of 8 to 16 people. This allows you to enjoy unforgettable hands-on opportunities, and a far more intimate travel experience. Because our groups are small, travelers with us can have exclusive entrances to museums, castles, tombs, vineyards, private art collections, gardens and much more.

Small tour groups also allow us to provide special activities such as cooking classes with a chef in their restaurant, or wine tastings with the owners of a vineyard. Plus, the arrangement of visits to private homes and ancient castles can all become possible with a small group. And, with Cultural Crossroads, your accommodations are often in boutique hotels, and always in places with the traditional style, charm and feel of the local culture. Dining will be in the special restaurants that the locals enjoy, and never in those that cater just to tourists. Come find the hidden gems of the world with us. You're sure to make new lifelong friends in the process.

• A Guatemalan Valentine
  

  What’s the buzz about Guatemala? Spend Valentine’s Day tasting the world’s finest coffee and chocolate as you travel in a small group!

  Guatemala truly has it all: a vibrant indigenous culture, spectacular natural beauty, the UNESCO world heritage city of Antigua, dramatic Mayan ruins, and the warmth and charm of its proud people. Immerse yourself in the traditions of the highlands via a hands-on exploration of two of the flavorful, aromatic stars of the Guatemalan table: coffee and chocolate. Meet farmers and artisan roasters, master weavers and museum directors, chocolate makers and contemporary chefs. Visit local markets and cook, eat and drink with friends who invite us into their lives and homes, offering an extraordinary insider’s look into the heart of Guatemalan culture.

  Our extension to Copán, Honduras let’s you delve deeper. Attend a cacao seminar at a 100-year-old converted farmhouse, engage in a lively conversation with an archaeologist during a home-hosted Maya meal, and explore the ancient ruins of the Mayan city of Copán, with its splendid hieroglyphics and dramatic ruins.

• From Plant to Palate - Coffee and Chocolate in Guatemala
  

  Indulge your thirst for knowledge and your passion for coffee and chocolate on this 8-day cultural journey to Guatemala. Immerse yourself in the “coffee: from crop to cup” experience, learn how to make chocolate in a hands-on class and take a morning gastronomic market visit. You will have an opportunity to discuss and see the oldest recorded books in Guatemala on the subject of coffee and chocolate, hear the pros and cons of Fair Trade, and celebrate your journey with the Coffee & Chocolate inspired tasting menu created by Jose Luis of La Gastroteca. A feast for the senses! You will also be hosted for a wine and chocolate reception by the Director of the Museum of Modern Art in Guatemala City before having a private tour of the Museum.

• Gourmet Fusion in Peru
  

  For eleven days delve into the cultural heart of Peru via a hands-on exploration of its world-class gastronomy and rich cultural traditions. From Lima to the Sacred Valley, we meet organic farmers, cook with distinguished chefs, visit art collectors and spend time with local friends who invite us into their homes and their lives, offering us extraordinary access rarely granted to foreign visitors. Whether this is your first time to Peru or your fifth, the journey to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is compelling. An overnight stay below the site at one of South America’s most stunning eco-lodges allows us to savor our experience with time to reflect upon Machu Picchu’s visual grandeur, rich history and mysterious allure. An extension to Puerto Maldonado is recommended for those with an appetite to experience the brash, natural world of the Amazon. Our lodging is at the upscale, eco-friendly Reserva Amazonica. A twilight boat ride, a suspended canopy walk, a two-mile hike to Lake Sandoval, highly trained naturalist guides and great food make our jungle experience second to none. Fly to Arequipa to explore Peru’s “white city” with its stunning views of 19,000-foot volcano Misti, which towers over this pretty colonial town. From here, Colca Canyon is within easy reach. Witness the majesty of giant condors soaring on thermal currents and hike along ancient Inca routes between rural villages while nestled in rustic, charming lodging near the canyon.