Message from the President

The summer is flying! I look around, see Labor Day approaching and realize I’ve fallen far behind in communicating with you about what’s coming up on our tour calendar. My focus this summer has been on doing physical therapy to get myself back into traveling condition, seemingly endless medical check-ups, and restoring pandemic- and cancer-frayed connections with friends and family. Updating the website is a big job that demands time and focus – especially writing scintillating text for the detailed itineraries and selecting accompanying photos. The job can seem overwhelming at times. This newsletter is my way of breaking the logjam to at least provide you with thumbnail itineraries of yet unpublished tours so you can make long-range plans. Rest assured; the final details are coming! Please let me know if you are considering one of these tours, and I’ll rush you an advance copy of the detailed itinerary.

Lima ~ Sacred Valley ~ Machu Picchu ~ Cusco ~ Lake Titicaca April 20 – 30, 2023

April 20 – Arrive Lima / Rest Day
April 21 – Lima City Tour / Welcome Dinner
April 22 – Fly from Lima to Cusco / Transfer to the Sacred Valley
April 23 – Tour in the Sacred Valley
April 24 – Transfer to Machu Picchu / Tour Machu Picchu
April 25 – Tour Machu Picchu / Transfer to Cusco
April 26 – Cusco City Tour
April 27 – Board the Belmond Andean Explorer Luxury Train / Travel to Puno at Lake Titicaca
April 28 – Tour Lake Titicaca / Continue on the Belmond Andean Explorer to Saracocha
April 29 – Tour Sumbay Caves / Arrive Arequipa Mid-Afternoon / Farewell Dinner
April 30 – Tour Arequipa / Lunch / Late check-out / Transfer to Arequipa Airport for evening flight to Lima and onward.
Click here to read a detailed itinerary.

São Paulo Gay Pride ~ São Luis ~ Barreirinhas ~ Recife ~ Salvador ~ Rio

Gay Pride Pre-Tour Extension: June 9 – 12, 2023

Main Tour: June 12 – 21, 2023

Rio de Janeiro Extension: June 21 – 23, 2023

Optional Gay Pride in São Paulo

June 9 – Arrive São Paulo / Welcome Dinner
June 10 – São Paulo City Tour / Nightlife
June 11 – São Paulo Gay Pride Parade / Nightlife
June 12 – Recovery Day / Main Tour Group Arrives

Main Tour

June 12 – Arrive São Paulo / Welcome Dinner
June 13 – Fly to São Luis / City Tour
June 14 – Transfer to Barreirinhas / Desert Adventure at Grandes Lençois in 4 x 4 Vehicle
June 15 – Speedboat Adventure on Rio Preguiças / 4 x 4 Adventure to Lençóis Maranhenses
June 16 – Return to São Luis / Fly to Recife / Dinner at the Seaside Cais Rooftop Lounge
June 17 – Morning Tour in Olinda (UNESCO) / Afternoon Catamaran Tour on Recife Canals
June 18 – Morning Tour of Historic Recife / Brennand Castle / Fly to Salvador
June 19 – Salvador City Tour Including Pelourinho (UNESCO) / African Heritage Evening
June 20 – Visit São Joaquim Market (buy ingredients for cooking class creating Bahian signature dish for lunch) / Sunset Boat Cruise on Todos los Santos Bay / Farewell Dinner / Nightlife at Rio Vermelho (the Bohemian Quarter)
June 21 – Depart from Salvador Airport for Home

Rio de Janeiro Extension

June 21 – Fly to Rio / Tour to Sugar Loaf Mountain
June 22 – Tour Rio Historic Center / Visit Carnival Backstage / Afternoon Cog-Wheel Train to Top of Corcovado Mountain / Samba Nightlife
June 23 – Depart from Rio de Janeiro for Home

Cinque Acque & Cinque Terre

Northern Lake District: September 1 – 10, 2023

Villages of the Ligurian Coast: September 10 – 14, 2023

Main Cinque Acque Tour

September 1 – Stresa on Lake Maggiore / Welcome Dinner
September 2 – Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore
September 3 – Orta San Giulio on Lake Orta (last of 3 nights in Stresa)
September 4 – Verona / Sirmione on Lake Garda
September 5 – Salo / Garda Town / Lazise
September 6 – Sirmione Peninsula / Castello Scaligero (last of 3 nights in Sirmione)
September 7 – Como on Lake Como
September 8 – Cruise on Lake Como including Villa Carlotta and Bellagio
September 9 – Day Tour to Lugano on Lake Lugano in Switzerland / Farewell Dinner
September 10 – Departure from Como or Continue on Cinque Terre Extension

Optional Cinque Terre Extension

September 10 – Transfer from Como to Santa Margherita Liguere on the Portofino Peninsula
September 11 – Hike the “Lover’s Way” (trail connecting hillside coastal villages)
September 12 – Tour Portofino / Farewell Dinner
September 13 – Return to Milan
September 14 – Depart from Milan for home

Tanzania & Kenya Photo Safari: November 4 – 17, 2023

November 4 – Arrive Arusha in Tanzania / Welcome Dinner
November 5 – Mto Wa Mbu Village / Ngorongoro Conservation Area
November 6 – Ngorongoro Crater
November 7 & 8 – Tarangire National Park
November 9 & 10 – Amboseli National Park in Kenya
November 11, 12 & 13 – Lake Nakuru / Lake Elmenteita / Lake Naivasha / Crescent Island
November 14, 15 & 16 – Maasai Mara / Northern Serengeti
November 17 – Depart Nairobi for Home

Southern India

This tour is still in the planning stages

Vietnam ~ Laos ~ Cambodia

This tour is still in the planning stages

Nepal

Regarding this destination, I am considering organizing a trek to the Tibetan Plateau (altitude 12,600 feet) to attend the annual Mustang Tiji Festival. This three-day festival is the most important Tibetan Buddhist ceremony surviving since the exile of Buddhist monks from their homeland. The Upper Mustang region is very scenic, hidden behind spectacular Himalayan ranges. The sandy terrain, amazing yak caravans, exquisite mountains views, ancient monasteries, Tibetan culture, and the spiritual values of the region make trekking here a pure delight. Once we leave Kathmandu and begin the trek, accommodations will be very basic in lodges and tea houses. The entire tour will take 18 days, not counting travel to and from Nepal. Participants will need to be in great physical condition, as a few days will require 7 to 8 hours of trekking between villages, with significant altitude gains. Please click here to view a short video of the route and scenes of the festival. I need at least six people showing strong interest in this unusual experience if I am to proceed with the plans. The trip can be reduced to 12 days if done by jeep, but my preference is to go all-out for one of the greatest trekking adventures Toto Tours has ever offered! Are you up for it? You’ve got plenty of time to get into shape if you start now! Please let me know so I can gauge whether or not we have enough people to lock in the tour!

Our Morocco tour in November is completely full. We are nearly at capacity for the India tour in January, so be sure to let us know right away if you want to join. The Egypt tour in March is selling well, and there is still plenty of space. We hope to see you on one of our exciting adventures in the months ahead!