Tours with the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures are more than vacations, they’re journeys of a lifetime – adventurous, intellectually stimulating and richly memorable. ISAC's Travel Programs provide exclusive visits and on-site learning privileges not enjoyed by other institutions and travel groups. Participants learn directly from some of the most eminent archaeologists and scholars in the world, at sites ISAC has been excavating and researching for almost a century.
Details about our 2025 Egypt tour will be announced shortly. Email isac-membership@uchicago.edu to be added to our waitlist and to get first notice.
This month.. We set out on a luxury yacht cruise of Turkey and Greece!
Epic Journey Across Time: Heroes, Saints & Emperors
Led by Tim Harrison, ISAC Director
Leg one: April 9–18, 2025: Cyprus, Rhodes & The Turquoise Coast
Leg two: April 16–26, 2025: Asia Minor, Eastern Macedonia & Thrace
Full cruise: April 9–26, 2025
This April, we step back in time to explore the lavish treasures of Byzantine emperors and seafarers on a cruise aboard the elegant Emerald Azzurra yacht. Join your host, ISAC director, Tim Harrison, on a journey that takes you to Byzantine frescoes, lavish tombs, and world heritage sites in Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. Cruise around less visited ports, marvel at clifftop Venetian castles, and join us on excursions to Ephesus, Troy, Meteora, and Athens on this luxury experience.
In addition to Tim Harrison, ISAC travelers will be joined by curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and faculty from Princeton and Emory for lectures and discussions about the art, history, archaeology, and religion of the region.
This tour is offered in two 10-day legs, with the option to combine both for one 18-day excursion.
From April 9–18, 2025, we set sail on Epic Journey Across Time: Cyprus, Rhodes & Turkey’s Lycian Coast: Explore the world’s largest divided capital city, the birthplace of Aphrodite, and stunning Byzantine frescoes as we sail less-traveled shores. Highlights of this cruise include submerged ancient ruins, Neolithic settlements, Roman villas, and Crusader Castles.
From April 16–26, 2025, we embark on Byzantium, Devotion & Domination: Turkey to Greece, a cruise that will send you sailing over the legendary waters of Homer’s Odyssey, in the paths of the ancient Greeks, Macedonians, Romans, Jews, Byzantines, Venetians, and Ottomans. This leg of the tour will visit the Library of Celsus in Ephesus, survey field work at Troy, scale the monasteries at Meteora, and give you an option to observe an Orthodox Easter service in Greece.
Click here for the full itinerary and pricing.
For more information, please email blenz@uchicago.edu.
Click on International and In Country Departures below, and explore your next journey...
International Departures
Join ISAC on one-of-a-kind journeys! Experience the history and the culture of these regions with exclusive access and destinations that are off the beaten path. Tours fill up quickly! Click here to see our most recent tours.
Domestic Departures
Join us on quick getaways to some of our nations most prized collections and special exhibits. Domestic tours offer perfect opportunities for members who live outside of the greater Chicago area to experience ISAC in their own backyard!
