Category: Thoughts, Views & News

New destinations include Lebanon, the Baltic states, the French elections and Colombia. Call us on 0843 289 2349 today for details not yet on the website. Lebanon   2 - 10 Feb Glamorous and challenging, scarred by war and yet remarkably stable; Lebanon defies all expectations.  This tour delves into the country’s recent past, explores the impact of the conflict in Syria and looks at the balance of power between its diverse religious groups.  We meet with some of Lebanon’s best-known political leaders from Nabi Beri to Walid Jumblat and visit the wonderful Roman ruins at Baalbek.  The tour is lead by Nicholas Blanford, one of the foremost commentators in the region and a frequent writer on Hezbollah. 8 nights Modern Iran   15 - 23 April If Donald Trump has his way Iran’s rapprochement with the West is in doubt. Author and former Economist correspondent, Christopher de Bellaigue, considers what change is afoot on our Iran tour with exceptional access.  Meetings include a senior religious figure, visits to local businesses, schools and a national newspaper.  The tour travels through Tehran, the Valley of the Assassins and has an optional extension to Isfahan. Early booking is advised – this is a popular tour. 8 nights French Presidential Elections   2 – 8 May After Brexit and Trump, all eyes are on France.  A political upset here would leave the future of the EU hanging in the balance.  Centre-right leader Francois Fillon is pitted against Marine Le Pen, leader of the anti-immigrant eurosceptic Front National as the incumbent Socialists trail behind.  We travel south looking at rural and provincial France before ending in Paris for the vote.  Like our US election tour in 2016 this could be an opportunity to see history in the making. 6 nights Putin's Russia  17 - 25 June Vladimir

Nicholas Wood describes how the idea for Political Tours came about and how we run our tours. He was speaking with the Aussie politics website, The Big Smoke. How did you come up with the ideas for the company? In many ways I think I had the best job in the world. Prior to launching Political Tours I worked for the New York Times and before that the BBC in the Balkans. As a journalist you are incredibly privileged to have access to all sorts of issues and people. I tracked down war crimes suspects, interviewed presidents and wrote about the major events of the day (wars in Kosovo, Macedonia as well as Iraq). I also really enjoyed writing features, sometimes quirky, but more frequently about ordinary people caught up in the flow of events around them. And then increasingly I thought why should it just be me who gets to see all this and ask these questions? Isn’t there a way of giving interested people the same kind of access? Was there one catalyst that caused you to think now is the time to launch? The idea had been brewing in mind for some time – particularly as family and friends came to visit me either in Kosovo or Slovenia where I both lived for a period of 5 years in each. But there is one moment that stands out. I had a long drive (900 k) from Slovenia to Kosovo to do shortly before Kosovo was expected to declare independence and I picked up a hitchhiker to share the drive. He was a Californian animator who wanted to go to Dubrovnik the famous Croatian port on the Adriatic. I convinced him that Pristina (arguably the ugliest capital in the Balkans, although Skopje comes close) was the place to

Our new brochure is out and we have a fascinating year ahead. There new tours to Cuba, Russia and Ukraine added to this year's list of small group tours. We have nine scheduled departures as well as dozens of smaller bespoke tours ahead of us. In Cuba and Iran we examine growing ties with the United States. In the UK the government is dabbling with a possible exit from the European Union. And in Asia, North Korea continues to rattle its sabre; possibly more bark than bite. Tour Highlights Some of my highlights from the last year include one of Ayatollah Khomeini's closest advisors feeding our group spoonfuls of jelly at a magnificent lunch in Tehran, tea in a Palladian mansion in the heart of the West Bank, and hushed conversations with security officials about Russia's latest moves in Ukraine. If you are interested in the US elections you will want to follow us on the campaign trail in Ohio and DC in November, one of our most popular tours yet. All of the tours have our exceptional mix of real life, expert analysis, and access to key decision makers earning us, we are proud to say, rave reviews in the press. It's gritty, challenging, and thought provoking, but also highly enjoyable. The tours and dates are listed below or on the main tour page. Call 0843 289 2349 or email us on info@politicaltours.com to find out more, or ask us for our new brochure. Tours for 2016 Modern Iran 16 – 24 April North Korea, Pyongyang 23 April -3 May Putin's Russia 7 – 15 May UK & the EU 22 – 25 June Ukraine 2 – 10 July North Korea, the Northeast 10 – 20 September Israel & Palestine 18 – 27 September US Elections 2 - 9

Our trips have had a huge impact on our customers, and could make an ideal present for a friend or relative. You can make a deposit of £250.00 a reserve a place for them on a tour or holiday. To book your place on one of our new 2014 tours click here » These deposits are transferable so you can choose a tour for them and if they can not make it they can choose from any of our tours in 2013. Download our Booking Form to reserve your place, or email: info@politicaltours.com. Our tours for 2014 includes trips to North Korea, Russia, China, Bosnia and Kosovo. We can also create tailor-made tours for individuals or small groups of 2-5 people to almost anywhere in the world.[/caption] Here are some comments from some of our recent customers: “It goes without saying that I thoroughly enjoyed the Beijing-North Korea trip and many thanks for all your expert guidance and organisation. It will always be an unforgettable experience for me and one which has given me a different perspective on life.” Tim H. on our tour to North Korea "The trip to Turkey was excellent and so also were all the logistics. I think the politica ltours concept is wonderful.. " Ian S. on our tour to Turkey “In May I took my most worthwhile package tour ever, a trip to Bosnia and Serbia organised by Political Tours. My fellow travelers constituted one of the most rewarding aspects of the trip; from a range of backgrounds, all were knowledgeable, interested and, pretty important, pleasant – not something you can say of all package trips!” “It was a sobering, thought provoking and memorable eight days." Elizabeth B on our tour of Bosnia and Serbia  

We are delighted to announce a list of some of South Africa's most prominent figures among our speakers and guests for our South Africa Tour. It will run between January 19th and 27th, and will be led by Peter Sullivan, the former editor of The Star and Group Editor of the Independent Newspapers SA. He's one of South Africa's best known journalist and thanks to him we have access to some of the country's most senior politicians, businessmen and community leaders. Needless to say we will also be getting people's boots dirty and examining key grass-roots issues. To find our more about latest tour to South Africa click here » For further details contact Nicholas Wood at info@politicaltours.com or call him directly on +44 (0) 7855 266 151. Meetings with key politicians and leaders, including: His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelethini of the Zulu Kingdom Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille Mayor of Cape Town, Ann Bernstein, CEO of the think-tank the Centre for Development and Enterprise, Mike Moriarty, Gauteng Democratic Alliance leader, Kate O'Regan, Constitutional Court Judge, Mike Solomon, Mining engineer and commentator, Alan Dunn, Editor-in-chief of KZN's Independent Newspaper group, Don Ncube, ANC Sandton Branch chairman, Dr Paul Davis of The Aurum Institute – (A medical research and management institute specialising in the treatment of TB and HIV-AIDS), Denis Beckett, political commentator, Peter Soal, MP, radio personality, diplomat and commentator The tour starts in rural Kwa-Zulu Nata, and then moves on to Johannesburg and Cape Town, and is designed to look at how South Africa has faired since the end of apartheid. Tour Highlights Analysis of rural development,and home visits A visit to Jacob Zuma's extensive new compound Tour of Soweto new and old Visit to an SA mine - one of the key sectors of the economy Visit to The South