For those who truly love to travel, the hardest part of a trip is often returning home – or waiting for the trip to begin in the first place. We get it – crossing days off your calendar while the anticipation builds up can be almost too much to bear, and the knowledge that all adventures must eventually end can put even the most upbeat traveler in a gloomy mood.
Don’t let yourself fall into either trap … instead, plan ahead! Many of our small group tours offer unique optional post-tour extensions or pre-tour options – for example, four days in the Amazon Rainforest before Machu Picchu to the Galapagos or five days to explore the Jordanian cities of Petra and Amman after Egypt & the Eternal Nile (pictured above).
In this blog post, we highlight 14 tours with particularly extraordinary post-tour extensions or pre-tour options – scroll down to learn more.
Tangier has long been called the “gateway to Africa,” and with good reason: Situated on the Strait of Gibraltar, Tangier owns a strategic location where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. For the first time ever, guests traveling on our Moroccan Discovery small group tour in 2026 and beyond will have the option to visit both Tangier and Chefchaouen, Morocco’s “Blue City.” Extensive sightseeing includes Tangier’s Villa Harris art museum, Perdicaris Park, Dar-el-Makhzen Palace, Cape Spartel lighthouse, and lively medina, plus a day amid the blue-hued medinas and souks of Chefchaouen (above).
According to folklore, the Giant’s Causeway (above) on Northern Ireland’s Antrim Coast is all that remains of the bridge built by the Irish giant Finn McCool to help him reach – and fight – Benandonner, a rival Scottish giant. In reality, though, volcanic activity formed the Giant’s Causeway approximately 50–60 million years ago. Guests on our Enchanting Ireland tour visit this natural landmark as part of a full-day exploration of County Antrim. Those who choose this optional four-day post-tour extension also spend time at Titanic Belfast, the expansive museum paying homage to this behemoth ship built in Belfast more than a century ago. A Belfast city tour and a Bushmills whiskey tour and tasting complement this exciting add-on.
Despite the city’s tragic history, Hiroshima rose from the ashes of the 1945 atomic bombing to become one of the world’s premier symbols of peace. Guests on our Insider’s Japan small group tour have the option to spend three additional days in this modern cosmopolitan city, complete with visits to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima Island with its floating torii gate (above).
Known for its stunning coastline, towering mountains, medieval villages, and rich culture, Montenegro is where East and West converge, and guests can experience it for themselves on an optional four-day extension following our Pearls of Dalmatia tour. Highlights include a tour of the 15th-century city of Cetinje, a boat ride around the Bay of Kotor (above), time to admire Roman mosaics and the Montenegrin crown jewels, and so much more.
Experts believe the enigmatic Rapa Nui people settled on Easter Island in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean sometime between 300 and 1200 CE. Their population flourished, peaking at roughly 10,000 before contact with Europeans in the 18th century and a steep decline thereafter. The Rapa Nui are known for the mysterious moai statues they constructed around the island, and guests on our Patagonia Explorer small group tour can see some of the over 1,000 moai still standing on Easter Island on this pre-tour option.
Six days of fascinating history and stunning natural beauty await on this optional extension following our Mystical India tour. Guests visit the UNESCO-designated Pashupatinath Temple, marvel at Boudhanath monument (above), tour the royal city of Patan – and, if blessed with good weather in Nagarkot, may even be able to watch the sunrise over the legendary Himalayas from the hotel’s rooftop observatory.
Built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the 12th century, Angkor Wat originally served as a Hindu temple honoring the god Vishnu before being gradually converted to a Buddhist temple not long after its completion. Today, Angkor Wat reigns as the largest religious complex on earth, as well as one of the most famous. Experts believe that it took over 500,000 artisans, laborers, and slaves almost 30 years to build, and guests on our Journey through Vietnam small group tour can visit this stunning structure for themselves – as well as the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh – on this optional five-day post-tour extension.
Few of the world’s architectural marvels rival the majesty and sophistication of the pyramids guests see on our Egypt & the Eternal Nile tour, but the “Rose City” of Petra makes a strong case. Featuring seemingly countless temples, tombs, palaces, and homes carved directly into cliffs of solid rock, Petra is perhaps best known for “the Treasury” (above), the massive and ornately carved mausoleum constructed some 2,000 years ago. Odysseys guests can thoroughly explore Petra and the ancient city of Amman on this optional five-day post-tour extension.
The Amazon Rainforest – named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011 based on a global poll – produces much of the world’s oxygen, helps regulate the global climate, and provides essential natural resources, both for the local indigenous people and for the rest of the world. Plus, as home to approximately 10% of the world’s known animal species, the Amazon plays an outsized role in supporting biodiversity. Guests taking our Machu Picchu to the Galapagos and Treasures of Peru small group tours can embark on this exciting optional add-on that winds well off the beaten path.
Before the Patagonian Frontiers small group tour gets underway, guests have the option to spend two days and two nights at Iguazu Falls on the Argentina-Brazil border. Iguazu Falls – which, much like the Amazon Rainforest, was recognized as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011 – is the largest waterfall system in the world, consisting of over 275 individual waterfalls.
Singapore sits off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, where it seamlessly blends old-world charm with modern sophistication to dazzle all who visit. Guests on our Southeast Asia Odyssey tour have the option to discover this multicultural Southeast Asian city-state on this post-tour extension that includes a cultural city tour, a bumboat ride on the Singapore River, a half-day tour of Gardens by the Bay (above), and so much more.
On this optional extension following our Legendary Türkiye small group tour, we discover Cappadocia, a magical destination renowned for its awe-inspiring natural rock formations. After first spending a day in Konya, guests enjoy three additional days in Cappadocia exploring the city’s many rock-hewn houses, churches, and even complete underground villages – all while staying in a one-of-a-kind hotel with rooms carved from stone that date back to the 5th and 6th centuries.
After exploring Warsaw, Budapest, Vienna, and Prague, guests on our Journey through Eastern Europe tour can opt to keep the adventure going in another incredible city: Berlin. This post-tour extension gives guests four additional days to independently explore the cosmopolitan German capital as they wish, perhaps by visiting Brandenburg Gate (above), the Berlin Zoo, Reichstag Building, Holocaust Memorial, or any of the city’s many museums or galleries.
So if you can’t wait to get on the road — or can’t bear to leave — join us on one of these can’t-miss optional add-ons, and enjoy the journey of a lifetime.
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