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An expert host guides each of the fascinating Special Interest journeys, which include visits to key sites and in-depth talks that bring history to life. There is a wide choice of destinations and here is a taster:

Malta's Ancient Legacies
Trace Malta’s history from prehistoric times to Roman rule, exploring prehistoric sites, museums and medieval monuments on this all-inclusive holiday. Stay at the Salini Resort (4Q), in St Paul’s, and join eight excursions including The Temples of Tarxien; Malta’s National Museum of Archaeology; the UNESCO-listed Hypogeum - a subterranean temple and necropolis which was discovered in 1902, and the Ghar Dalam Cave which has evidence of the island’s earliest human occupation.
There are further visits to the island of Gozo and the old capital of Mdina during this fascinating discovery of Malta where visitors can even walk in the footsteps of the Knights of St John.
7 nights from £919 departing London Gatwick and Heathrow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter and Manchester on October 11, 2016, February 28 and April 11, 2017. Price includes a free bar open 12 hours a day.

Archaeology of Sicily
Uncover ancient treasures and discover the Greek and Roman legacies on an island that is steeped in culture. Tour Ragusa and its archaeology museum which is home to many Bronze Age artefacts; view UNESCO-protected Noto which was destroyed during the 1693 earthquake and almost entirely rebuilt in the Sicilian baroque style; hop aboard a ferry to Mozia to view the ruins of the Phoenician city; marvel at Giardini Naxos, which has been inhabited since 4BC and marvel at Taormina, a town which dates to the time of Dionysius around 400BC.
12 nights from £1,449, departing London Gatwick on November 17, 2016, February 23 and March 9, 2017. Price includes VIP door-to-door travel service, all breakfasts and 10 dinners, 12 excursions and four talks.

Crete and the Minoan Culture
Crete has a rich heritage of Minoan, Greek, Roman, Venetian and Ottoman influences. Guests visit the remains of the Doric city of Gortyn and the ancient city of Phaistos; view the most complete excavation of a Minoan town at Gournia; explore the ruins of the ancient city of Lato and tour Heraklion. The holiday is arranged on a full-board basis at the Belvedere Hotel, in Hersonissos, with a free bar open 15 hours a day.
Seven nights from £849, departing Cardiff, London Gatwick, Manchester and Newcastle on May 3 and October 11, 2016. Solos only departure October 4, 2016. Price includes a welcome cocktail party, six excursions, 14 visits and three talks.

Pompeii and Ancient Italy
Walk through the streets of Pompeii and wonder at how the city lay undisturbed beneath the ashes for more than 1,500 years after the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. Visit Herculaneum, a site that also fell victim to the volcano and where more than half of the city is yet to be excavated. Paestum is also on the itinerary - a jagged mountain outcrop where three Doric temples take centre stage, plus Phlegrean Fields, a caldera that was hailed the gateway to Hades by Homer and Virgil in classical times. Guests on this all-inclusive holiday stay at the Grand Moon Hotel (3Q) on the northern coast of the Sorrento peninsula.
Seven nights from £779 departing from London Gatwick on September 28 and October 5, November 2, 2016 and April, 5 and 19, 2017. Price includes a free bar open 12 hours a day, five excursions, nine visits and three talks.

Ends

For details call free on 0800 414 383 or visit saga.co.uk/holidays

Price includes return flights, airport taxes, accommodation as outlined, porterage, expert host and Saga representative, optional travel insurance and additional cancellation rights, or a discount of if passenger has own insurance.

Saga Holidays is the winner of 16 Gold British Travel Awards 2015 including Best for All-Inclusive Holidays. Saga Holidays offer a variety of River Cruises, Long-Haul, European and UK destinations, exclusively available for people aged 50 and over.