4 Amazing Tasmania Experiences in Hobart

Founded in 1804 as a penal colony, Hobart is steeped in a rich and colorful history and is a fantastic destination for a variety of tours, attractions and activities.

A rich colonial heritage and natural charms make the capital city of Tasmania a very interesting place to visit not to mention the world heritage wilderness areas, diverse landscapes and amazing wildlife found along the wild Tasmania coast. Hobart boasts a thriving arts and entertainment scene, along with a thriving culinary scene.

Here are just a few of the amazing experiences to be had in Hobart, Tasmania:

 
Meet the Maker TourTour Lark Distillery, Wicked Cheese and Barilla Bay Oysters. Learn the production process and sample the delicious products.




 

Tahune AirWalkTravel to the picturesque Huon Valley and get closer to nature during a guided walk amoung the tree tops.

Museum of Old and New ArtCruise the Derwent River and visit the provacative Museum of Old and New Art.

Historic Walking TourThe classic must-do tour, provides a great introduction to Hobart's history & orientation of the city today.


These are just a few of the choices when you travel to Tasmania on one of our Premier Escorted Vacations. Choose Celtic Tours World Vacations for your next vacation to Tasmania

Experience the World With Your Favorite Group of People!

Group Travel is an exciting and rewarding way for like-minded people to experience the world together. With so many different types of groups and so many destinations to choose from, the possibilities are endless for Group Travel. A group could be your friends and family, your local church or school group or an organization you belong to - to name a few. Destinations can range anywhere from Australia and New Zealand to Europe and Ireland - and anywhere in between. Activities and sightseeing can be arranged based on where your group is traveling to and what type of group is traveling.

Here are a couple of our favorite Group Tours:

Celtic Dream - Travel to Ireland with your favorite group of people. Our Celtic Dream vacation to Ireland continues to bring you the best of Ireland, with an updated itinerary for 2012! This tour travels around the entire island of Ireland, in 12 or 13 days, featuring most of the major historic and scenic attractions of Ireland. The Celtic Dream is acknowledged by visitors and Travel Agents as being the best value tour offered to Ireland.

Irish Harmony- Your group can experience the best of Ireland on this extra value tour. Your Irish Harmony tour of Ireland combines all the comforts of a more expensive tour at fantastic savings. Sightseeing includes Killarney, the crystal city of Waterford, Cork, Blarney and Dublin. Enjoy the traditional music of Ireland at renowned Irish pubs and visit the famed Guinness Storehouse.

Tuscan Experience - Tuscany will enchant your group because it holds a special link between traditions of the past and present. Villa Casagrande, a wine-producing villa constructed in 1392, will serve as your group's host for six nights. Located in Figline Valdarno, a medieval village, in the middle of the triangle made up of Siena, Arezzo and Florence. Enjoy the local delicacies and the Tuscan lifestyle. Your group will find your selves strolling down quiet lanes bound by stone walls, cypress trees and cream-colored villas. A true Tuscan Experience!

Bavarian Spirit - A unique group experience with the opportunity to visit the Home of the Pope. This group itinerary can be customized to suit your groups travel needs.

Experience Spain - This group travel itinerary brings your group a leisurely itinerary, and a Fabulous European experience at a great pace. Visit Madrid and Barcelona on this group trip.

Tulips and Chocolate - A unique travel experience for your group to visit Amsterdam and Brussels. Your group will enjoy the flowers, gardens and chocolates of these European cities.

Experience France - Explore Paris and Nice on this leisurely group vacation to France.

Experience Portugal - Your group will love this small group itinerary taking in two of Portugal's most famous cities - Lisbon and Porto.

French Wine Country - This fantastic group travel itinerary is great for the wine enthusiasts. Your group will enjoy the wine regions of France and tasted some of the best wines in the world on this once in a lifetime group travel experience.

Customized Group Tours - As always, Celtic Tours World Vacations can customize the perfect itinerary for your group travel. Whether you are looking for a family trip to Ireland, a River Cruise through Europe's waterways, a fantastic trip to Australia and New Zealand or a cultural discovery in any of Europe's fascinating cities, give us a call 1-800-833-4373 to speak to our highly experienced group travel planners.

Discover ‘Lunar Wine’ in the Cinque Terre

Be whisked away by the legendary and rugged stretch of Italian Riviera coastline, the Cinque Terre. Consisting of five remote seaside villages dangling from cliffs mirrored on the crystal waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Cinque Terre moves the heart like few places in the world. Nearly inaccessible by car, the Cinque Terre provides a uniquely intimate experience, a hidden gen for your honeymoon or romantic vacation.

Tucked away from the rest of the world, the Cinque Terre is one of the more memorable viticultural zones in Italy. The Cinque Terre vineyards are planted on perilously steep slopes, close enough to the sea that the spray from the breaking waves is able to form a fine mist over the vines. In the past, the Cinque Terre’s people would anchor fishing boats below the terraced vineyards. Baskets laden with grapes were then lowered from above into these small boats which then sailed round to the otherwise inaccessible village.

Sciacchetra is an ancient and legendary raisin wine made from grapes left to dry in the Italian sun. Gold colored with amber reflex, Sciacchetra has an intense honey scent – the quintessence of the Cinque Terre. Historically praised by the likes of poets Boaccaccio and Petrarch, Sciacchetra was described at ‘lunar wine’ by Pliny the Elder. And surely the wine is out of this world with 18 percent alcohol, while most wine is only 11 percent.

A dessert wine, Sciacchetra is paired well with biscotti. As with all dessert wines, this one should be sweeter than the food accompanying it. The slight bitterness of the biscotti balances the intense sweetness of the wine. Sciacchetra also works well with a slice of panettone.

Find a romantic spot, enjoy a glass of wine and be whisked away by the Cinque Terre. Visit the Cinque Terre on your honeymoon or romantic vacation with Celtic Tours new honeymoon package: Cinque Terre Romance.

Dublin and Rome - on Sale!

Dublin and Rome

This 2 Spectacular City Stay Package of Ireland and Italy starts in the eternal city of Rome and ends in cosmopolitan Dublin.

Your Dublin and Rome Tour Includes:

* 6 Nights Accommodations: 3 Nights in Rome, 3 Nights in Dublin
* Breakfast daily, except day of arrival
* Transfer to/from Rome Airport to hotel
* Transfer to/from Dublin airport to hotel

Learn More

Please note that hotels are on request, in the event the hotels that the package is based on are not available - alternate hotel options may be offered.

Irish Mead

Traditionally, when people speak of Irish Wine, they are referring to a unique drink made from white wine, honey, and herbs called Meade. This wine was said to have been first made in secret by Irish Monks. Its origins, however are lost in pre-history with the earliest archeological evidence dating back to 7000 BC.

Mead is best known as the ancient drink of Ireland, where it was relished by the High Kings of Tara, and ever after down through medieval times, to today. Mead is considered a creative alternative to more traditional wines and compliments all meals. One excellent label of mead in Ireland today is an Irish honey wine made in Bunratty. A version of Bunratty Mead, labeled "Bunratty Meade," is imported in the United States. It is a white wine with honey and herbs added. Though very good, it is not quite the same as the Bunratty Mead served in its home town in Ireland. Traditional Irish Mead can be sampled during the famous Bunratty Medieval Banquets.

For all things Irish, Old World, and New Age, mead (or meade) is a cutting edge honey wine to serve at parties, holidays, and informal gatherings. Actually, mead has been an "in" drink for a very long time, as in over 2000 years. There are many artful ways to serve mead.

In Ireland, a traditional way to serve mead is hot, in earthen mugs. This hearkens back to the belief in its serving in the old times, at medieval tables to banish the damp and chill of a rainy climate. There are several ways hot mead can be served, similar to hot cider. As a light wine, mead is good served cold. Simply chill and pour straight glasses of the chilled wine from the bottle to serve with main courses. For a truly Irish Experience: stop into the Galway Crystal Factory to purchase Dolmen Goblets. The distinctive Celtic pattern created in the Waterford Dolmen collection has been at the heart of Irish artistry for centuries. For those captivated by the romance and mythology of Ireland, Waterford Dolmen is the link to Waterford’s Celtic past.

Sample your traditional Irish Mead at a Bunratty Medieval Banquet. Bunratty is a featured stop on the Celtic Tours 2011 Celtic Dream Tour of Ireland. This amazing Ireland Vacation is available in a 12 day and 13 day option! Other sights you will see along the way: Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Kilkenny Castle, Cobh Heritage Center, Blarney, Foynes Flying Boat Musuem, Cliffs of Moher, Rathbaun Farm, Galway Crystal Factory, Belleek Pottery Factory, Glenveagh Castle and National Park, Fort Dunree, Moville Pottery, Giants Causeway, Titanic Docks & Pumphouse…Wow, what an amazing Celtic Dream. Learn more about this tour.

You can also add the Banquet onto any Celtic Tours package to Ireland for $89 PP, entertainment and 4 course meal included. Learn More about Celtic Tours Ireland Vacation Packages

Wine Tasting in Chianti

Tuscany is known for its legendary cities, picturesque towns, and its world-renowned wines; all part of its stunning landscapes. Experience the heart of Tuscany with wine tasting tours in Chianti.

Chianti is a region in central Tuscany where the famed Chianti and Chianti Classico wines are produced. Chianti wine is a red wine, historically associated with a squat bottle, enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco. Chianti Classico wines are characterized in their youth by their predominantly floral and cinnamon spicy bouquet. As the wine ages, aromas of tobacco and leather can emerge. Chiantis tend to have medium-high acidity and medium tannins. The acidity in the wines make them very flexible with food and wine pairings.

The black rooster emblem that appears on the neck labels of many Chianti Classico is the symbol of the Consorzio Chianti Classico, a foundation of producers in the Chianti Classico region. The foundation was founded with the aim of promoting the wines of the region, improving quality and preventing wine fraud.

Wine tasting in Chianti is a little different than in the US. As most wineries are small, you should call ahead to make an appointment to do a tour. We recommend doing three or less tours in a day because wine tasting in Italy generally takes a couple of hours. You can also find wines to taste, buy and drink at an Enoteca. An enoteca is an establishment where you can sample wines from a wide variety of local wine estates. One of the largest in the Chianti Classico area is Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti, where you can sample over 140 wines, cheese, salame, grappa and olive oil. There is also a wine museum.

A wine tasting tour is Chianti is the perfect way to compliment your Tuscan stay. For more information on Celtic Tour’s Italy tours, please visit our website.