Thor Vacation Club Holiday Tours

Horse Riding Vacation in France

Horse Riding Vacation in France

Enjoy excellent riding along miles of quiet lanes and paths through the wonderful scenery of Poitou-Charentes on this six-night horse riding holiday in France. Hack out in the mornings on well-behaved horses, then spend the rest of your time relaxing by the heated pool or exploring the historic and cultural sites of this region, rated by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 tourist destinations in the world. This holiday offers a winning combination of riding through lovely countryside and warm hospitality at a guesthouse with a lovely ambience, and all reasonably priced.

This is a single centre holiday, and your base is a small, beautiful Maison d’Hôte (guesthouse) in a deeply rural pocket of France that’s nevertheless easy to access. You’ll experience exceptional hospitality. The bonhomie and house-party feel here is an outstanding feature of each holiday, as important as the activities, and something guests always greatly enjoy. This has a lot to do with evening aperitifs at seven followed by a leisurely en famille meal with superb food, excellent wine, lively conversation, and a marvelous ambiance. All the food served uses wholesome local ingredients, skilfully prepared and presented.

Riding is based at a neighbouring farm, on an hourly basis, pre-arranged for up to two hours per day. Lessons are also available. The English-speaking guide is BHSAI qualified and is also very knowledgeable about the surrounding countryside. The horses are well cared for and well mannered. If you need transport your hosts at the Maison d’Hôte will take you to and from the riding facility. The season is from May to September and six-night riding holidays commence on most Sunday afternoons throughout the season.

Having enjoyed a morning hack, or on days when you decide to give riding a miss, there are lots of other things to do. Walking and cycling is excellent here, and bikes can be hired on a daily basis. There are also beautiful villages and historical sites to visit, to round out your trip.

You pay locally for your horse riding, at the rate of €20 to €30 per hour. Everything else on this holiday is included in the price. So that’s accommodation and use of facilities, breakfasts, packed lunches, aperitifs and each evening’s four-course meal. All coffee, tea, wine, beer, cider and soft drinks are included. Tea and coffee are also available in the rooms and there is a well-stocked drinks fridge available 24/7, without charge. Relax knowing that there are no hidden extras to pay for on this holiday – even the postcards are free.

The Baltic Experience Tour (Multiple Countries)

The Baltic Experience Tour (Multiple Countries)

Travel from Helsinki to Berlin, visiting six countries, on this Baltic experience tour. Begin in Finland, then take in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, before moving on to Warsaw in Poland and finally ending your 15 day holiday in Germany. Stroll through Tallinn’s Old Town, with its medieval architecture, walls and watch towers. Discover the art nouveau heritage and fun nightlife of Riga and the long history of Vilnius, which has been occupied by Sweden, Poland, France and Russia. This is so much more than a city tour, though. You’ll have time relax and explore in Lithuania’s Aukstaitija National Park, where you can kayak, take a sauna and enjoy some local home cooking. Visit the coastal Curonian Spit National Park, too, cycling around for a day to discover the huge sand dunes and beaches here, with a stop off in the pretty village of Nida. To finish your tour, leave the Baltics behind to explore Poland’s capital Warsaw and spend a night in Berlin, where you might choose to visit the Holocaust Memorial or the remains of the Berlin Wall, as well as enjoying the great restaurant and bar scene here.

The Great Stones Way Trekking Vacation

The Great Stones Way Trekking Vacation

The Great Stones Way is 52 miles long and is one of the newest UK walking trails. It starts in Swindon and goes via Avebury, Stonehenge, and Old Sarum to finish in Salisbury. You will also see 2 of the 8 White Horses in Wiltshire.
The Avebury Stone Circle and Stone Row, and Stonehenge, are World Heritage Sites. These are just two of the many prehistoric stone circles and henges you will pass along this route.

The hiking route is a great first walking holiday experience as it is easy walking and offers a wealth of interesting places to visit en-route.
This walking holiday in the UK operates from March to October and in either direction.
Short walking breaks are also available, with 2 or 3 days walking. Just select the part of the path you want to walk.
The above distances are only a suggestion. If you would like to walk longer or shorter distances, we can arrange that too.

What’s included
in your UK walking holiday
on the Great Stones Way
•accommodation at high-quality guest houses, inns or small hotels on a bed and breakfast basis
•room with en-suite or private bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities
•daily luggage transfer
•support should there be any problems on route
•detailed itineraries

How to get there
By Plane to Bournemouth, Southampton, Bristol or London where we can arrange a transfer to Swindon
By Car to Swindon where parking is available
By Train / Bus to Swindon

Christmas Markets Vacation, Central Europe

Christmas Markets Vacation, Central Europe

Get in the festive spirit on a week-long exploration of Central Europe’s famous Christmas markets. Travel to Austria, Germany and Hungary, contrasting the traditions, cuisines and of course, the warming mulled wine, in Munich, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest. Meander from stall to stall, discovering new sights, sounds, flavours and fashions.

Munich’s Christmas markets are probably the most famous of all, offering wonderful gifts and authentic Bavarian food, ale and music. You’ll also enjoy a Gluehwein tasting here. Vienna has spectacular seasonal shopping, with tonnes of hand-crafted toys, candles and paintings on offer. Where better to pick up those last-minute presents? Lively Budapest embraces the Christmas spirit wholeheartedly, with streets, trees and markets lit up in lights.

Travel in a small group of maximum 12 people, using trains to scoot between the cities and avoid traffic jams, with short journey times (max three hours) between each. You’ll spend seven nights in hotels, enjoying a mix of guided walks and free time, so you can wrap up, browse the markets and venture beyond into each city to explore at your own pace.

Prague Cultural Tour

Prague Cultural Tour

Welcome to Bohemia. You would think you know everything you need to make the most out of a visit to the unique city of Prague and its surroundings. Well, think twice.

A region with as much history as Bohemia, cannot be understood by visiting Prague’s Castle, walking Charles Bridge, and drinking overpriced beer or tasting non-Czech pastry by the Old-Town Square.

What about the 10th-century Vysehrad fort (the first seat of Czech dukes)? Or walking in neighborhoods like Karlín or Vinohrady where you can find traces of communist past and an image of a modern present? Have you heard about the church basement where the members of Operation Anthropoid hid during WWII? Have you walked the Bohemian countryside with a local whose family has lived there for over 100 years? And have you considered tasting local wine in the town of Melnik at the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe rivers?

Join us and write the memories of your Prague & Bohemia experience, and tell your friends what has truly shaped one of Europe’s most forward-thinking cities and its surroundings. Join us, and we will show you all that makes this place, fascinating – Vítejte v Praze!

Western Balkans Tour

Western Balkans Tour

This Western Balkans tour blends the top highlights of the Balkan region with the less-visited sights of Macedonia and Albania in a 12-day adventure that’s part-exploration part-cultural immersion. You’ll kick off your trip in Sofia, the relaxed capital of Bulgaria. One of the oldest cities in Europe, it’s a fascinating mix of stark communist-era architecture, Roman remains and beautiful Baroque buildings.

Moving on, you’ll head for Macedonia and the city of Skopje, where grand monuments and mosques are testaments to the city’s Byzantine and Ottoman past. You’ll also visit the Holocaust Museum and take a day trip to Prizren, the country’s second city, which is beautifully situated at the foot of the Sar Mountains. The city has been inhabited by the Romans, Ottomans, and Byzantines and these influences are visible wherever you go. Next, you’ll visit Europe’s oldest lake, Lake Ohrid, which is surrounded by mountains and beaches and is home to several ancient churches and monasteries, as well as a 2,000-year-old Roman theatre.

Crossing over the border into Albania, you’ll explore the historic cities of Berat and Tirana and head up into the mountains to the village of Kruja, which was the last place to hold out against the Ottoman army before the country fell to their rule. Montenegro and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Kotor are next on the agenda. Set between mountains and a secluded bay, Kotor has a fortified old town full of winding streets.

Dubrovnik is your final stop. You can choose to explore the city’s many ancient monuments, stroll the main promenade or even take a trip out to one of the beguiling Elafiti Islands.

Bulgaria Small Group Vacation

Bulgaria Small Group Vacation

Admire century-old church frescoes, ride on a mountain railway and explore the Black Sea coast on this comprehensive Bulgaria highlights tour. Along the way discover the extensive history from ancient Thracian right up to the rise and fall of communism.

Rila Monastery – Explore this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site with its brightly coloured frescoes
Plovdiv – In Europe’s 2019 Capital of Culture see the colourful mansion houses in the old town and the Roman amphitheatre
Rose Valley – Discover the ancient murals in the Thracian Tomb of Kazanluk and learn about Bulgaria’s famed rose production

Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova Vacation

Belarus, Ukraine & Moldova Vacation

Of the 44 officially recognized countries in Europe, few if any are less well-known from a travel perspective than Ukraine and Moldova. Yet both have much to offer those looking for a truly fascinating and enlightening travel experience much nearer to home than you might otherwise have expected to be possible.

From stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites at Lviv and Chernivtsi to the traditional Hutsul people of the Carpathians and the vast wineries of Cricova, this journey traverses steppe lands and beautiful mountains to reach the shores of the Black Sea at Odesa. Along the way we’ll discover ancient fortresses, medieval towns, and traditional villages. We’ll also visit the Moldovan self-declared republic of Transnistria, which seems caught in a time-warp and is perhaps one of the oddest places in Europe.

Of course, you can travel to the far ends of the earth…but when destinations as rewarding as these are so near, they deserve not to be neglected. So be sure to visit soon before the inevitable influences of the West dilute their unique character.

### Highlights: ###
* Discover Belarus’s Soviet Modernist architecture, picturesque palaces, and huge truck factory
* Hike amongst the highlands of Sheshory, Ukraine, home to the well-preserved Hutsul culture
* Spend time in the haunting atmosphere of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine
* Wander through Moldova’s immense underground wine cellars, the largest in the world
* See the impressive castle of Kamyanets-Podilsky and Residence of the Metropolitans in Ukraine
* Roam the cobbled streets of Lviv and Kiev, Ukraine, in search of UNESCO sites

### Tour Includes: ###
* Full services of a Tour Leader with local guides and drivers
* 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 13 dinners (typically in local restaurants where viable)
* All transport (minibusses, tuc tucs, and a privately chartered traditional Dahabiya or Sandal Nile cruise boat)
* 13 nights’ accommodation in a combination of hotels and guesthouses
* All entrance fees, sightseeing, excursions, and activities as per the itinerary

ALL OUR SMALL GROUP TOURS HAVE NO LOCAL PAYMENTS, HIDDEN EXTRAS, OR COMPULSORY SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS.

Belarus Tour, Highlights of Belarus

Belarus Tour, Highlights of Belarus

This small-group tour of Belarus takes you behind the Soviet-era curtain to reveal an altogether more modern example of life in Eastern Europe.

Journeying west, from the centrally-located capital, Minsk, your group will spend the next few days experiencing the highlights and lesser-known cultural sites of Belarus including an overnight stay in a village close to Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park.

UNESCO sites come thick and fast on this tour of Belarus with Nesvizh Castle and the Mir Castle complex providing a couple of historic highlights prior to a nature walk across the bird and berry abundant marshlands and swamps of Berezina Biosphere Reserve.

Almost half of Belarus is covered in forest and as you explore along the Berezina river you’ll quickly begin to imagine what the rest of Europe was once like prior to making the return journey to Minsk for one last night on the tiles.

Austria Skiing and Winter Activity Vacation

Austria Skiing and Winter Activity Vacation

This skiing and winter activity holiday is hosted at MoaAlm, a unique, beautifully designed mountain house, situated high in the Austrian Alps.

With the focus on being ‘relaxingly active’ the holidays we offer are a healthy balance of fresh air, mountain activities and great freshly cooked plant based food. A holiday here puts you right at the heart of our warm family atmosphere, with dedicated, enthusiastic staff, and a cosy but stylish living space.

SNOW SHOE HIKING:
We believe there is more to winter in the Alps than skiing. Situated at 1800m, our location offers a superb base from which to explore the breathtaking mountains of East Tirol on foot. Our local guide will teach you how to use snow shoes before taking you on stunning hikes through beautiful snow laden forests and on high Alpine ridges.

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
A popular sport in Europe, cross country skiing is done on a relatively flat course and is a really fun way to explore the valleys. Our guide is experienced at teaching beginners how to cross country ski, and we can guarantee you will be laughing your socks off as you learn how to glide through the snow.

DOWNHILL SKIING AND SKI TOURING:
We are situated on the edge of the GG resort in Kals am Grossglockner. A beautiful resort, it offers a perfect mixture or wide open slopes and windy forest runs perfect for all levels. It is possible to ski from here to the ski lift if you are an experienced off piste skier, otherwise we will give you a lift to and from the resort.

FOOD:
We are passionate about healthy living and reducing our impact on the environment. Therefore included in your holiday are six three course evening meals which are entirely plant based. Our in house chef creates seasonal menus and our food is organic and as locally sourced as possible. We also offer a delicious, organic breakfast and freshly baked cakes with organic tea and coffee on a daily basis.

YOGA:
Every holiday with us includes five morning and five evening yoga classes in our in-house yoga studio with panoramic mountain views. We believe that yoga is for everyone, no matter what your age or level of fitness and, as such, our classes are prepared with all of our guests in mind.

ABOUT THE AREA
We are situated on the edge of the Hohe Tauren National Park underneath Austria’s highest mountain, Großglockner. This means we have a unique opportunity to spot rare wildlife such as Ibex on an almost daily basis. Our local guide is extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna around the house and will be able to tell you about the unique Alpine species you will see. Our local village Kals is still a traditional Alpine village, where many of the residents graze animals on the high alpine pastures.

MoaAlm Mountain Retreat was recently featured in The Guardian, in a list of ‘mind, body and spirit breaks’.