Expert-led Cultural Tours & Cruises

• Tour Operator of the Year Gold Award 2022 – AITO (Assoc. of Independent Tour Operators)
• Best Travel Company for Arts and Culture Holidays Silver Award 2021/2022 – British Travel Awards
• Tour Operator of the Year Silver Award 2019 – AITO (Assoc. of Independent Tour Operators)
• Tour Operator of the Year Silver Award 2018 – AITO (Assoc. of Independent Tour Operators)
• Tour Operator of the Year Gold Award 2017 – AITO (Assoc. of Independent Tour Operators)
• Tour Operator of the Year Silver Award 2016 – AITO (Assoc. of Independent Tour Operators)
• Tour Operator of the Year Gold Award 2015 – AITO (Assoc. of Independent Tour Operators)
• One of the world’s “Top Ten Learning Retreats” – National Geographic Traveller

A multi-award-winning family-run travel company, Peter Sommer Travels offer expert-led archaeological tours and cultural tours for small groups. In spring 2023, 2018 and 2016 we received the UK’s Tour Operator of the Year Gold Award and in February 2020, 2019 and 2017 the Silver Award from AITO, the UK’s most prestigious and leading organisation for specialist tour operators.

Take a gulet cruise or private gulet charter along a turquoise coast and enjoy total relaxation, beautiful food, and superb swimming – the perfect vacation. Or discover some of the finest archaeological sites in the world on our spectacular ‘Exploring’ land adventures such as Exploring Crete Tour, Exploring Hadrian’s Wall, Exploring Sicily, Exploring the Peloponnese or Exploring Ireland.

Expert Tour Guides:

A team of the finest guides, archaeologists and historians, vividly bring the past to life on our escorted tours and gulet cruises. Friendly and knowledgeable, they are natural enthusiasts steeped in the history and culture of Croatia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Turkey and the UK.

Why we Organise Gulet Cruises and Escorted Tours

In 1994, Peter Sommer walked 2,000 miles across Turkey, retracing the route of Alexander the Great, and in the process fell in love with the country, its archaeology and the Turkish people. A British archaeologist and documentary maker led his very first archaeology tour in Turkey in 1996. Since then, Peter and the team here at Peter Sommer Travels has been organising unique archaeological and cultural tours and gulet cruising holidays, escorted by the finest experts.

“Want a truly personal travel experience with a knowledgeable, witty, friendly guide, and small groups? Consider joining of Peter Sommer Travels’ tours.”
Tom Brosnahan, originator of the Lonely Planet and Frommer’s travel guides to Turkey and creator of turkeytravelplanner.com.

Small Group Tour Operator:

A UK-based specialist tour operator, we offer cultural vacations and holidays with a professional and above all personal touch. On our small group expert-led tours we take only small groups of like-minded people typically between 10 and 16 on our gulet tours (max 18 on our Cruising the Cyclades/Dodecanese trips) and between 10 and 18 on our land tours – travelling in an easy-going informal style.

Private Gulet Charters:

Alongside our scheduled gulet cruises in Croatia, Greece and Turkey, we also create bespoke gulet cruising holidays to order. Our private gulet trips feature comfortable and stylish boats, painstakingly prepared itineraries, a perfectly balanced mix of relaxation and activity and of course – delicious food, all accompanied by our expert guides and local guides. We provide a range of fully crewed boats, maintained to the highest safety standards, ranging from 4 to 11 cabins (6 to 22 guests).

Private Group Tours: Tailor made Land and City Tours

Our tailor-made expert-led land tours can focus on a single region or city, or we can create a bespoke itinerary for you that weaves together several different regions within one country or several different countries. From family-run boutique hotels and country houses to 5 star luxury hotels, we will find the accommodation that most closely suits your needs. We pride ourselves on our flexibility and capacity to arrange all aspects of your journey so you can travel and explore with all the details smoothly taken care of.

We strive to offer the finest small group cultural tours. If you have any questions, please get in touch. We’ll be delighted to help.

We are a trusted and longstanding member of ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents), The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and a number of other travel industry bodies.