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.
Our Wonders of Egypt 2024 tour is currently sold out. Email isac-communications@uchicago.edu to be added to our waitlist and to get first notice on the 2025 tour and on our Egypt eclipse tour.
Coming in 2025... We return to Egypt and set out on a luxury yacht cruise of Turkey and Greece! Details on this cruise will be available soon.
The Crafts and Cuisine of the Silk Road, and ISAC tour of Central Asia
June 10 –27, 2024
Led by Gil Stein, Rowe Professor in Ancient Near Eastern Studies, ISAC, Director of the Chicago Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation, University of Chicago
Destinations include: Ashgabat, Merv, Kunya Urgench, Nukus, Muynak, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarakand, Tashkent, and the Fergana Valley
Join us this June as ISAC returns to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan on a journey that explores the traditional crafts and foods of Central Asia. We set out on the Silk Road, travel through epic landscapes and marvel at modern architecture as we come face to face with artisans who continue to practice the crafts that were essential commodities along one of world’s most monumental trade routes. Travel with us and visit Bronze Age archaeological sites at the foothills of the Kopet Dag Mountains, drop in at a ghost town by the Aral Sea, take in the ambience at ancient workshops, and discuss the importance of cultural heritage at some of the regions most important museums. We are excited to explore the Fergana Valley on this tour, it is a first time ISAC destination!
While the full brochure is coming soon, please read the itinerary and pricing here.
Our 2024 tour to Israel has been postponed and will occur on a future date.
Click on International and In Country Departures below, and explore your next journey...
International Departures
Join ISAC on one-of-a-kind journeys as we explore Egypt and Israel! Egypt is currently sold out, and info on Israel is coming soon! 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!
