Explorers who really want to know a destination don’t take the word “experience” lightly. Neither does A&K, and it’s why we created Connections Boutique Group Journeys, which offer deeply immersive experiences — the kind that take you beyond the guidebook — in the most captivating neighbourhoods, enjoying specially tailored activities and dining experiences. Every journey is anchored by stays in Boutique Accommodations: one-of-a-kind hotels that put you in the heart of the places you most want to be; it also features groups of no more than 24 guests led by an A&K Resident Tour Director.
See for yourself what an A&K boutique group journey experience is like in this short video, with authentic travel experiences and stylish accommodations that reveal the very heart of your destination in Europe and beyond.
Every Connections Journey is designed to bring you to the beating heart of the places we visit, and we look to our Boutique Connections to take you there. Immersive travel at its finest, these authentic, exclusive and engaging local interactions not only reveal the distinct culture of a place, they connect you to it in unexpected and unforgettable ways.
Intimate, charming and brimming with stories, the boutique hotels we select for every Connections Boutique Group Journey add a unique dimension to your travel experience. Whether it’s Ireland’s historic Markree Castle, Munich’s family-run Platzl Hotel or Venice’s centrally situated Hotel L’Orologio, we seek out properties with just the right blend of heritage, character, location and scale.
On a Connections Boutique Group Journey with A&K, we don’t just bring you to the bustling seaside of Ston in Croatia — you sample fresh-caught oysters and a refreshing glass of wine with a local fisherman. Boutique experiences like this are what set A&K apart from any competitor, and speak directly to our extensive and long-established ties everywhere we operate. Our 55 offices in more than 30 countries — six in Europe alone — work tirelessly to design boutique experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
New cuisine is like a destination all its own, and so we choose vibrant restaurants favoured more by the locals than by tourists, and spanning everything from lunch at a Provençal family farm to a traditional musical gathering at an authentic Irish pub to an exclusive lunch in a garden villa in Budapest.
Connections Journeys feature intimate groups of no more than 24 guests on every departure, and that makes an important difference in how you experience your destination. Small groups allow for more intimate access to places and experiences that larger groups can’t manage. Travelling in these privileged small groups also offers more opportunities to get to know your Resident Tour Director as well as your fellow guests in a uniquely intimate atmosphere.
Our Resident Tour Directors have lived for decades — perhaps even their entire lives — in the places you visit. Year-round residents, they possess the kind of insight into local culture that can only come from being a local themselves. These passionate experts oversee your entire journey and accompany you every day, sharing a beyond-the-guidebook understanding of daily life. The result is a journey that reveals the real spirit of a place, connecting you to the people and places you encounter in a way you’ll never forget.
Discover the charming Old World on the only small-group boutique river cruise experience available in Europe. Every journey offers a comprehensive itinerary that reveals your destination on and off the water, including vital cultural hubs before or after your cruise, featuring the same carefully chosen boutique accommodations as our land journeys. Throughout, explore alongside local experts on enriching excursions that are exclusive to Connections guests. When dining on board, your Connections group sits at specially reserved tables, joined by your Resident Tour Director, and going ashore, your small group dines at local restaurants — something no one else on your cruise does.
See for yourself what our popular Connections European River Cruises are like in this short video. You'll experience A&K-exclusive sightseeing, from private tours to excursions, escorted by your own Resident Tour Director. Plus, stay in centrally located boutique hotels before and after the cruise.
