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Amazing science-inspired tours across the globe

With experts on board and in the company of fellow travellers who enjoy the discovery of science. Small group sizes, transferable and refundable deposits should Covid impact departure dates and safe touring protocols with your safety in mind.

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Tour

Neanderthal Origins: Southern France

Journey back in time to key Neanderthal sites in southern France and see some of the oldest stone tools, art objects and cave paintings left by archaic humans.

11 June and 1 September 2023

10

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Tour

Ancient caves, human origins: Northern Spain

Step into the past to see how our ancestors lived, tour a cave by torchlight and see ancient cave art, plus wines, expert talks and picturesque towns. 

13 June and 29 August 2023

7

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Tour

The Rockies and the Badlands: Geology and dinosaurs in Canada

Delve into the wildly contrasting landscapes of southern Alberta, from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Badlands in the east.

23 July 2023

7 days

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Tour

The science history of Scotland: The enlightenment and beyond

Discover Edinburgh and Glasgow's most famous scientific thinkers, visit key sites from the Enlightenment and enjoy seminars, walks and museums.

1 September 2023

5

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Weekender

New Weekender: The science of rewilding: Coombeshead, Devon, England

Immerse yourself in nature deep in the heart of Devon and discover how wildlife is returning to the British countryside.

1 September 2023

3

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Expedition

Vietnam: Caves, Conservation, Culture

Discover a different side of Vietnam in this wide-ranging tour that covers geology, stunning landscapes, animal conservation, culture and history.

Experience tropical jungles, limestone caves, blissful villages and amazing feats of underground engineering. 

6 September 2023

11

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Tour

Human origins: Neolithic and Bronze age Turkey

Journey back to the dawn of civilisation at sites in Turkey including Çatalhöyük, the first known city, Göbekli Tepe temple and the underground city at Kaymakli.

14 September 2023

10

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Tour

Salt mines to mountain peaks: The geology of the Pyrenees: Spain

Travel through the eastern Spanish Pyrenees and explore how the presence of salt layers has profoundly affected the character of the mountain belt and influenced the culture in the region.

9 September 2023

9

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Cruise

The science of whisky: Scottish Hebrides Cruise

A whisky lover’s dream island-hopping cruise taking in some of Scotland’s most renowned distilleries accompanied by whisky experts.

24 September 2023

8

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Tour

Renaissance astronomy in Kepler's Prague: Czech Republic

Discover the secrets of Renaissance period astronomers Kepler and Brahe in Prague, the stunning city of a hundred spires, and stargaze at the Stefanik Observatory.

10 September 2023

6

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Expedition

Science of the Incas: Peru

Immerse yourself in the Inca civilisation’s science, history and most important archaeological sites, including Machu Picchu.

17 September 2023

10

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Tour

Learn how to be an archaeologist at Mycenae: Greece

A unique tour of key Mycenaean sites including a "behind the ropes" experience learning how to explore and excavate with archaeologists. 

18 September 2023

8

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Tour

A desert adventure: Landscapes and cultures of Utah, USA

Southeastern Utah is a breathtaking wonderland of un-tamed landscapes cut by canyons deeper in places than mountains are tall. Learn the secrets of this Canyon Country from the ‘deep time’ of earth history through to prehistoric Native Americans, early explorers, miners and outlaws.

19 September 2023

9

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Weekender

New weekender: Mysteries of the Universe, Cheshire, England

Discover the riddles of the cosmos and hear from leading scientists who are deepening our understanding of the universe and everything in it.

29 September 2023

3

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Expedition

Endangered Wildlife of Malaysian Borneo

Explore Malaysia’s primary rainforests and wetlands in the footsteps of Alfred Wallace. Teeming with rare and endangered species. Expect to see orangutans, sun bears, civet cats, langurs, gibbons, proboscis monkeys, rhinoceros hornbills and many more. 

1 October 2023

10

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Tour

The archaeological wonders of Jordan

Explore archaeological sites from many different periods including the amazing Petra. Plus geology in Wadi Rum and float in the Dead Sea.

3 October 2023

8

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Tour

CERN and Mont Blanc: Dark and Frozen Matter: Switzerland and France

Visit the particle-smashing Large Hadron Collider near Geneva and delve into physics and this lakeside town's history before exploring glaciers in the Alps.

May and October 2024

6

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Tour

Iron age archaeology in Talayotic Menorca: Spain

Explore Iron Age Talayotic archaeological excavations and megalithic evidence on the beautiful Balearic Island of Menorca. 

16 October 2023

6

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Expedition

Land of fire and ice: Iceland

Marvel at volcanoes, erupting geysers, glaciers and waterfalls on a trip of geological adventure, with a chance to see the Aurora Borealis.

27 October 2023

8

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Tour

Megalithic Malta: Temples, fortifications and archaeology

Discover 7000 years of history including exceptional archaeological sites, mysterious temples, beautiful coastlines, fishing villages and architecture. 

7 November 2023

6

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Tour

The science of the Renaissance: Italy

Uncover the scientific wonders of Renaissance cities Florence, Pisa and Bologna, guided through the era's great discoveries and minds by our experts.

13 November 2023

8

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Tour

The science of biodiversity: Costa Rica

Experience the extraordinary biodiversity of Costa Rica on an expedition around several verdant ecosystems.

6 November 2023

13

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Cruise

In the wake of Alfred Wallace: Cruise Indonesia

Explore islands, rainforests and the rare species of the Malay Archipelago on a traditional yet luxurious boat, in the company of nature and history experts.

22 January 2024

13

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Tour

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Albuquerque to San Antonio, USA

Travel through space and astronomy sites of New Mexico to San Antonio then witness one of nature’s most magnificent events.

1 April 2024

10

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Tour

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Houston to San Antonio, USA

Witness one of nature’s most magnificent events at a private viewing site in Texas plus space centres, observatories and NASA Space Centre Houston.

3 April 2024

8

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Cruise

Science of the Arctic expedition cruise: Norway

Experience the realm of the polar bear and midnight sun with experts onboard a marine expedition ship. 

18 June 2024

13

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Cruise

Darwin’s Galapagos with Jo Ruxton MBE: Ecuador

Tour the Galapagos Islands by boat as Charles Darwin did, taking an exclusive yacht to look for famous, long-lived giant tortoises and marine iguanas. 

2024

10

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Tour

Volcanoes: Mount Etna and the Aeolian Islands: Italy

Experience the epic beauty and power of active volcanoes Etna and Stromboli, and enjoy the Aeolian Islands, scenic landscapes and Italian hospitality.

August 2024

8

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Tour

The birth of modern medicine: Paris and Montpellier: France

Discover the foundations of the modern science of medicine in two French cities: Paris, where the ‘Paris School’ of hygiene and hospital teaching flourished and Montpellier, home to the world’s oldest university medical faculty. Accompanied by New Scientist writer Linda Geddes.

July 2024

6

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Tour

Bohr's Copenhagen: Physics past and future: Denmark

Discover Copenhagen's rich science heritage, including Niels Bohr, Tycho Brahe and Ole Rømer, see observatories and delve into Denmark’s Viking past.

2024

6

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Expedition

Dinosaur hunting in the Gobi Desert: Mongolia

Join a unique expedition to seek dinosaur remains in the beautiful wilderness of the Gobi desert with experts from the Mongolian Institute for Palaeontology.

August 2024

15

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Tour

Human Origins: Pre-Historic Southwest England

A gentle walking tour to immerse yourself in Neolithic, Bronze and Iron age Wiltshire and Dorset including Stonehenge.

September 2024

5

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Tour

Space: The history and future of space exploration: USA

A comprehensive tour visiting key sites in the history and future of space exploration. From the first rockets, to the iconic missions, space stations and developing space tourism industry. Including three NASA space centers and Virgin Galactic Spaceport America.

 

2024

12

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Tour

New Zealand: Stunning geology, volcanoes and glaciers

Discover the diverse landscapes of New Zealand, that over millions of years have been shaped by forces deep within the earth and carved from above. Visit significant geological, volcanic and glacial features exposed on an impressive scale.

2024

8/15

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Tour

Tasmanian wildlife: Like nowhere else on Earth: Australia

Join conservationist Nick Mooney for an immersive expedition around Tasmania exploring its amazing flora, fauna and geology. Up close with a diverse range of species on land, in the skies and at sea.

March 2024

12

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Tour

Nobel's Stockholm: Celebrating science through space and time: Sweden

Discover the city of Stockholm's past and present, and learn about Alfred Nobel, the prizes named after him, and Sweden’s vast contributions to science. 

September 2024

6

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Tour

Wildlife of Madagascar

Join park rangers on patrol in Madagascar's stunning lemur-packed forests, and enjoy bush camps, canoeing and sunset walks.

September 2024

16

WHY NEW SCIENTIST DISCOVERY TOURS

Great itineraries with a science focus, to appealing destinations, curated by us.

OUR EXPERTS

Drawn from our extensive network of editors, journalists, academics and authors

PEACE OF MIND

We choose our tour-operating partners very carefully ensuring they hold ATOL licences and/or they have relevant bonding in place to provide financial protection.

GOOD COMPANY

You will be travelling with like-minded guests who enjoy the discovery of science. This leads to better interaction with our tour experts and deep organic conversations with fellow guests.

SUSTAINABILITY

We want to help you discover science through the joy of travel. We want to achieve that in a way that doesn’t harm the environment, people, cultures or wildlife.

Hence, we have set out the following guidelines around impacts, relationships and sustainability for how Discovery Tours operates.

  • We recognise that flying is a luxury that comes at a considerable cost to the planet. As a tour operator we cannot realistically avoid this impact, but we would urge all our customers to think carefully about when and where they fly. To assist in this, we offer alternative travelling arrangements avoiding flying for our tours wherever practical. From 2021, we will be fully separating the cost of travel options from the cost of the tours to give our customers the full freedom to make informed decisions. 
  • Many experts see carbon offsetting as a useful short-term tool for mitigating the effects of our activities on the climate, when employed in conjunction with emissions reductions. If you wish to calculate the carbon impact of your flight and offset emissions, we could recommend the official UN platform for carbon offsetting, which ensures that your money benefits only emissions mitigation projects certified under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
  • We only work with tour operating partners who have clear published sustainable tourism policies and/or are members of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (or similar body) who work with their members to embed sustainable tourism practices.
  • Our tours operate with full respect for local cultures, animal welfare, and the scientific, ecological and cultural significance of the places we visit.
  • We will not undertake any tours or experiences that in the view of the New Scientist editorial team contradict best practice or our values. For an issue where there isn’t clear cut best practice, we will err on the side of caution.

We aim to tread lightly and help our guests appreciate and protect this beautiful world we live in.

CONTACT US

If you have a query, idea or just want to chat, email us at tours@newscientist.com