Upcoming Tours
(General Announcement)
COVID-19 Update (3 September 2022):
Prior to the onset of COVID-19, Katie and I, with our friend and
professional tour operator Grzegorz (Gregory) Poplawski, were planning a
number of wonderful tours to exciting locations. Regrettably, these had to
be postponed due to the pandemic (and interconnected events). We worked
hard to reschedule them and are now (September 2022) posting the new dates
for two: Egypt 2023 (with several optional add-ons, including one
to Jordan, featuring Petra) and Turkey 2023. They will both occur
during the summer, as this is when I can get away (for a bit) from my
university duties. Please see below for details on both of these tours.
Regarding the tours to Easter Island, Peru, Israel, Armenia and Lebanon,
and India, we are working to reschedule them.
We announce tours to our private mailing list first, then to social media, etc.
If you would like to be placed on our private mailing list, please see
the Contact page for how to do this.
We look forward to traveling again soon! Please stay safe and well.
Egypt, 22 May 2023 – 04 June 2023
(With three special add-ons, including Jordan!):
Katie and I, working with our friend and professional tour operator, Grzegorz (Gregory) Poplawski, have planned a grand tour of Egypt for 22 May 2023 - 04 June 2023. This comprehensive tour will also offer three special add-ons: A day (preceding the body of the tour) to visit additional museums in the Cairo area (for those who just love museums and/or Egypt - there are more high-quality Egyptian artifacts in the museums of Egypt than can be found anywhere else in the world), a day in Alexandria, Egypt (following the 2-week Egypt tour which begins and ends in Cairo), and a 5-day excursion to Jordan, which will feature Petra!
By the way, for those who have traveled to Egypt with us in the last few years, prior to the pandemic, the 2023 Egypt tour will include all the highlights of previous tours (including, of course, the Great Sphinx and Giza Pyramids); however, we have added some additional sites and adventures, particularly in Middle Egypt, that I have not included on my tours for many years. Be sure to read through the itinerary thoroughly. This is going to be an exciting trip.Please see Gregory's official tour website for all the details and for information on how to register. Spaces are limited (and opportunities for travel are becoming increasingly unpredictable).
Turkey, 12–25 August 2023:
Working with our friend and professional tour operator, Grzegorz (Gregory) Poplawski, Katie and I have planned a grand tour of Turkey for 12 - 25 August 2023. I have to admit that I love the ancient sites of Turkey: the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), ancient Troy, Biblical Ephesus, Cappadocia with its underground cities and amazing geology, Catalhoyuk, Mount Nemrut, Harran, and Urfa - to name just a few. However, for me and so many people the highlight of the tour is Göbekli Tepe (which we will visit twice, so as to see the site by both morning and afternoon light). We will also visit Karahan Tepe, a site which has been hailed as the sister-site of Göbekli Tepe.
Our tour of Turkey explores the direct evidence for some 12,000 years of history, from Göbekli Tepe, dating to the end of the last ice age, through the 6,000-year Solar-Induced Dark Age, to the re-emergence of civilization around 5,000 years ago followed by the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman societies of Anatolia - and up to the present day. This is a tour not to be missed.
Please see Gregory's official tour page for the complete itinerary and all the details, and for information on how to register. Spaces are limited (and opportunities for travel are becoming increasingly unpredictable).
Additional tour information, as it becomes available, will be posted above.
Below is a sampling of past tours.
Egypt Tours – May and June 2019
Katie and I, working for the first time with our ORACUL partners, put together two tours to Egypt this year (a May 2019 tour initially, and then a June trip after the May tour filled quickly). We were so pleased by the public's response. Both tours were filled to capacity -- and what fun we had on them! Thank you to all the guests for their participation. We do have some new tours in the works and we'll be announcing them soon, so if traveling to Egypt, Turkey, Easter Island, or elsewhere interests you, please drop Katie and me a note (see my Contact page for how to do this) and let us know you would like to be on our personal mailing list. There are times, for various reasons (such as with space limitations), when Katie and I only announce trips privately.
Cruise to Chichen Itza – July 2019
I was invited by Mike and Wendy Migliore at Holiday Maker Travel to cruise to Mexico to see the ancient ruins at Chichen Itza, and along the way give presentations on my research, which I did. Katie and enjoyed the sites as much as the guests traveling with us -- and, of course, the presentations by the other guest speakers. I was not the organizer of this tour; just a participant, but it was a pleasure to do so. Our thanks to the Migliores.
Ireland Tour
In June of 2018, Katie and I, along with our friend and tour organizer Andrea Mikana-Pinkham, hosted a week-long tour of the ancient megalithic sites of the Emerald Isle. Together we visited places that harken back to extreme antiquity. We took in the beautiful countryside, shared meals (organic and non-gmo) and conversations, as we journeyed across the island together. I gave two formal presentations about my overall research into the extreme antiquity of civilization, and Andrea gave two presentations on her work as well. Our thanks to so many who made this a wondrous adventure.
The Ancient Enigmas of Malta
In March of 2017 I was thrilled to lead a 7-day tour of the wondrous Mediterranean island nation of Malta. The trip was organized by Andrea Mikana-Pinkham and Sacred Sites Journeys. Malta is home to some of the most mysterious sites and structures of the ancient world, including megalithic "temples", the world famous and deeply problematic "cart ruts" preserved in solid stone, and more. It is my hope to conduct another tour to Malta again soon. Please let me know if this should interest you or a group of 20 or more of which you are a part.
Peru, Bolivia, and Easter Island Tour
In January of 2017, as in years past, I led a two-week tour to Peru and Bolivia, with a 3-day add-on to Nazca prior to the main trip and a 3-day add-on to Easter Island afterwards. Katie and I again teamed up with our friend and colleague, tour organizer Gregory Poplowski, for this wonderful adventure. For those who missed it, please let us know and perhaps we can organize another one.
Turkey Tour – 2012, 2013, and 2015
I've had the pleasure of leading (as guest speaker) a number of tours to Turkey with my friend and colleague, Grzegorz ("Gregory") Poplawski. His company, The Time of a New Era, takes care of all the logistics for the tours (he is the official organizer). I speak on site, give lectures during selected evenings, and explore the ancient wonders of Turkey together with our guests (there is always something new to learn!). If you and your group (of 20 or more) would like to arrange a tour like this especially for yourselves, please feel free to contact me.
Egypt Tours
Over the years I have led many tours to Egypt, and plan to do so again in the future (I am tentatively working on organizing one for possibly next year). As an example of one of my previous Egypt trips, for the very special December 2012 holidays - including the Winter Solstice, Christmas, and New Year's - our trip included visits to the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, the Coptic church of the Holy Family, and a Nile cruise, with stops at Karnak, Luxor, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Temple of Edfu, Abu Simbel, and much more. We even visited the pyramid and labyrinth area of Hawara.
I lead Egypt tours quite regularly, with different organizers, so if you would like to join me on a trip, please let me know.
Comments from Katie
Tours are like tapestries, woven together by the sites visited, the travelers
participating, the emotions generated, and the climate of all combined. No two are
alike, but we have loved each one. We meet new people,
expand our community of friends and supporters (which we so very much appreciate),
and often consider the adventures magic carpet rides to and through the ancient
wonders of the world. Thank you to all who have joined us and, in doing so,
graced our days on this beautiful Earth.
– Katie (Catherine Ulissey)
The photo: In 2012, our group enjoyed sunrise at the 12,000-year-old archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. It was one of the most magical (and profound) moments in all of our travels: spontaneous, stunning, and spiritual to the point of sacred.