Home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world (and the second-oldest in continuous operation on the planet), Oxford is more than a celebrated microcosm of academic scholarship: there's the splendid architecture, hefty literary heritage, and plenty more to fill an eventful few days.

Adelaide is a new city in an old land, founded as a British colony in 1836 and now the capital of South Australia. Today, its rich mix of diverse cultures has adopted a relaxed and cosmopolitan lifestyle amidst green parks as well as 30km of beaches stretching along its suburbs. The city is famous for its al fresco eating culture, and it is the centre of the Australian wine industry, with some of the best food and drinks in the world.

The impressive, enchanting shadow of the Alhambra casts a magical spell upon all those who pass through Granada. A city of legends, of travellers and pirates — lore comes to life in the warren of the Albayzin, and in the inescapable presence of the ancient Moorish castle, the famous Alhambra. The Sierra Nevada Mountains provide an impressive backdrop and add to the enchanting feel of this mysterious place.

Pisa is strategically located in the central part of Italy, at only 12 km from the Ligurian Sea, 20 km from the harbour of Livorno and the ferries heading to the Elba Island, Sardinia and Corsica, and 80 km from Florence. This city is most known for its leaning tower, but it also preserves Piazza dei Miracoli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its medieval centre, numerous masterpieces of architecture and medieval history. The area around Pisa is also excellent for farm holidays, trekking, beaches and water sports on the Versilian coast.

Like so many of the towns and cities of Egypt, Hurghada, Luxor and Marsa Alam are living history museums. The three cities are positioned as corners of a triangle in the Eastern Desert. Hurghada, a former fishing harbour, stretches 24 kilometres along the waterfront and is the perfect area for water sports. Marsa Alam is found by the Red Sea coast and tourism is just starting to make an impact. The city of Luxor, with its jaw-droppingly beautiful monuments built by the hands of ancient craftsmen, lies 240 kilometres inland on the banks of the River Nile.