Ancient Kingdoms & Dynasties: A Journey by Private Jet 2025

Lisbon, Portugal

Overview

Your journey begins

Arrive in Lisbon and meet your fellow guests at a cocktail reception and gala dinner. The next morning, ride a private tram to the summit of São Jorge hill and visit the Fronteira Palace for an exclusive tour and drinks. Tonight’s dinner is accompanied by some of Lisbon’s best fado musicians.

Fez, Morocco

Overview

Timeless Fez

Board your private jet for Fez, one of Morocco’s main religious, artistic and intellectual centers. Visit Fez el- Jadid, a 13th-century addition to the original medina. Walk the Mellah, the former Jewish quarter, and learn the history of Morocco’s Jewish community. The next day, continue exploring in Fez el-Bali, the world’s largest living medieval city and the cultural heart of Morocco. Walk some of the 9,000 narrow lanes, alleys and souks that make up the labyrinth of this city’s old quarter. Along the main promenade of Fez, stop for an exclusive culinary encounter, an opportunity to learn about and taste some of Morocco’s bestknown specialties. You also visit the tanneries, where leather goods are still produced using techniques little changed since the Middle Ages.

The next day, enjoy your chosen Design Your Day activity:

Visit the Archaeological Site of Volubilis, the best-preserved Roman ruins in northern Africa.

Enjoy a Private Shopping Excursion and browse hand-woven carpets, ceramics and other traditional Moroccan crafts.

Unwind at a Hammam, a traditional spa combining steam baths and revitalizing full-body scrubs.

Learn the Art of Moroccan Cooking with an expert chef, preparing your own tagine.

On your last evening, gather at Dar Batha Museum, formerly a sultan’s summer palace, and enjoy a farewell dinner with accompanying Andalusian musical performance.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Overview

Exotic Zanzibar

Arrive in Zanzibar, an archipelago off the eastern coast of Africa, with a diverse history shaped by Arab traders, Portuguese colonization and the British Empire. This heritage is reflected in Stone Town, Zanzibar’s UNESCO-listed trading hub. Visit the cathedral, built on the site of a former slave market; the Palace of the Sultans, adorned with treasures and rich carvings; the old Arabic Fort; and Forodhani Park, a shaded respite from the energy of the city. Lastly, stroll a bustling fruit and vegetable market to rub shoulders with locals as they make their daily purchases. The next day, enjoy the Design Your Day activity of your choice.

Explore Jozani Forest National Park with a guide and look out for numerous species of birds and tree-dwelling monkeys.

Experience Everyday Life in Zanzibar on a village visit where you see a seaweed farm, meet the village chief, and observe traditional practices like thatching roofs and baking bread.

Snorkel Off Mnemba Island and search for beautiful corals, schools of blue tangs and other tropical fish, and possibly even dolphins or sea turtles.

Refresh With a Spa Treatment or Go Kayaking at your resort.

Bid farewell to Zanzibar with a festive dinner at your resort.

Salalah, Oman

Overview

Sultanate of splendors

Your jet carries you to Salalah in southern Oman, a distinctive blend of natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Marvel at the architectural splendor of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, admiring its intricate artwork and stunning stained tiles with insights from an Islamic scholar. Then delve into Salalah’s storied past with an exclusive visit to the Al Balid Museum, situated within an archaeological site, and explore the museum’s exhibits with the curator. Journey to Wadi Dawkah, nestled within the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Land of Frankincense.” Walk among a vast expanse of frankincense trees and witness the time-honored tradition of frankincense harvesting, still practiced to this day. Have lunch privately in a local village. Tonight’s dinner caps off your Oman visit with a musical performance by a local band and harpist, an opportunity to be painted by a henna artist and mesmerizing traditional performances.

Udaipur, India

Overview

Floating fortresses

Arrive in Udaipur, a city of lakes, palaces, gardens and temples set on the shores of Lake Pichola. Begin with a visit to the opulent City Palace, standing on a crest overlooking the lake, and then proceed to the world-famous Crystal Gallery, which houses rare objects ranging from lamps to washing bowls to writing instruments and even a crystal bed. This evening, gather for a spectacular Bollywoodthemed banquet where you are served local culinary favorites, with an extravaganza of Indian live music unfolding all around you. Set off to the temples of Eklinji and Nagda, a marble complex spanning over 100 temples dedicated to Shiva and Lord Vishnu, both known for their lavish carvings depicting all aspects of life.

The next day, pursue the Design Your Day activity of your choice:

Tour the Vintage and Classic Car Museum to view an impressive collection ranging from a pristine Model A Ford to a solar-powered rickshaw.

Explore the Markets of Udaipur on a guided shopping expedition, browsing a tremendous variety of handicrafts and artwork.

Indulge in a Spa Treatment at your hotel, choosing a nourishing body wrap, facial or Ayurvedic treatment.

Your intimate farewell dinner features live instrumental music, a perfect conclusion to your stay.

Siam Reap, Cambodia

Overview

Khmer heritage

Fly to the city of Siem Reap, your gateway to some of the most fabulous monuments ever built by mankind, the Khmer temples of Angkor. Begin at Ta Prohm, tucked amid entwined strangler figs and kapok trees, and proceed to other iconic sites including Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, the Terrace of the Elephants and Baphuon Temple, with its unique animal carving and large reclining Buddha to the west. Tonight includes a Dine Around opportunity that allows you to sample the restaurant of your choice from our hand-picked favorites.

Rise early the next morning and journey to famed Angkor Wat, built during the reign of King Suryavarman II. Witness sunrise over the temple and examine its basreliefs and stone carvings, many said to immortalize the mighty kings’ wars. You then take part in your chosen Design Your Day activity.

View the Treasures of Angkor National Museum, a blend of historic artifacts and state-of-the-art multimedia that illuminates the history of the Khmer Empire.

Visit Banteay Srei, an isolated temple miles away from the main Angkor complex, and the Cambodia Clean Water Project, an A&K Philanthropy-supported effort to provide clean drinking water for rural communities.

Cruise by Private Boat on Tonle Sap Lake, taking in the floating homes and markets that make up this village on the water.

Unwind With a Spa Treatment at your hotel.

This evening, a thousand-year-old Hindu temple is the background for a gala dinner that includes traditional entertainment by Apsara dancers.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Overview

Jewel of the Mekong

Your private jet delivers you to Luang Prabang, former imperial capital of Laos. Pay a visit to the beautiful Huan Chuan Heritage House, and feast on traditional Lao cuisine while taking in a music and dance performance. The next day, visit Tat Luang Temple, where you are welcomed by a senior abbot and partake in the baci ceremony, Laos’ most respectful form of welcome. The ceremony is made more indelible by the accompaniment of music and traditional dance, both integral parts of the ritual.

Locals offer insightful talks about different Lao art forms such as the stencil decorations adorning temples, ceremonial Buddhist offerings, goldwork and textiles. Cruise downstream from Luang Prabang on the mighty Mekong River, sipping Champagne as you watch the warm glow of sunset wash over scenes of local life along the riverbanks.

Istanbul, Turkey

Overview

Continental crossroads

Your visit to Istanbul begins with a private cocktail reception at Gallada Bosphorus Terrace. The following morning, experience the highlights of this venerable city, starting with a private visit to the Basilica Cistern before it opens to the public. This sixth-century cistern is perhaps the most unusual structure in Istanbul, over two acres in size and featuring hundreds of columns over 25 feet high. Then visit the Hagia Sophia, an awe-inspiring (and groundbreaking) work of architecture. Proceed to the periphery of the ancient city to view the impressive city walls, constructed between 413 and 447 by Theodosius II in time to turn back Attila the Hun. Also admire the exquisite Iznik tiles, set in floral designs at the Ottoman Rustem Pasha Mosque. Following lunch at a seaside restaurant, board a private boat for your leisurely journey on the Bosphorus. This evening, Dine Around at one of the restaurants handpicked by our local experts.

Begin your next day at Topkapi Palace, once the center of Ottoman government. Explore the palace’s grounds, domes, porticos, terraces and great halls and marvel at its exhibits of costumes, china, jewels and manuscripts. During your visit, you also have the opportunity to explore the harem quarters of the palace. After lunch, continue to the Grand Covered Bazaar, where you have time to explore and shop before returning to your hotel. Tonight’s farewell dinner includes a Whirling Dervishes performance.

Before departing for Malta, you may opt to explore the 19th-century Dolmabahce Palace, the largest and finest example of Ottoman Baroque architecture in the city and a monument to Turkey’s westernization process.

Valletta, Malta

Overview

Island outpost

Valletta is a fortified city housing a mixture of history and lively present-day culture within its walls. Begin your exploration at the Saluting Battery overlooking the Grand Harbor, and then proceed to the Lascaris War Rooms, an underground complex of tunnels and chambers that proved crucial during the Second World War. The National Library preserves the nation’s heritage with collections stretching back to medieval times. Explore this national treasure guided by one of the librarians, and then pay a private after-hours visit to St. John’s Co-Cathedral, whose austere exterior stands in drastic contrast to its sumptuous high Baroque interior. In the evening, dine with some of the vested Knights and Dames of Malta, a religious order dating back to the 11th century. Enjoy your chosen Design Your Day the next morning:

Visit Medieval Mdina, with its range of Norman, Arabic and Baroque features — as well as gates that Game of Thrones fans will recognize instantly as the entry to King’s Landing.

Explore Villa Bologna, dating back to the late 18th century, to meet the local family and hear their remarkable history in Malta.

Learn the Art of Falconry from a local expert who demonstrates the handling of a variety of hunting birds.

Visit Two Temple Excavations that predate the pyramids and Stonehenge, learning about the site from its curator.

Experience one of Malta’s oldest traditions, the village feast, where you are led by a marching band through the streets to experience a specially curated farewell “festa” and dinner at a traditional band club. After breakfast the next day, transfer to the airport for your commercial flight home.