In 2017, The Traveling Professor ran small group tours to Iceland, Peru, Italy, Ireland, Norway, Copenhagen, Paris, Austria, and Croatia.  Here are some of my favorite things about those trips:

Favorite Hotels:  We had the opportunity to stay in the luxurious Belmond Monasterio Hotel in Cusco, Peru.  We have a few 5-star hotels on our tours, but this was the best.  I always like the AM Konzerthaus in Vienna is always reliable and consistent.  Nothing beats the Fretheim Hotel in Flam, Norway for beauty and relaxation.  The Brooks in Dublin was top-notch for location and service.

Restaurants:  Paris is always a good place to start when talking about food and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch with our small group at the restaurant in the Orsay Museum with guide Michael Osman.  Nothing is cheap in Reykjavik, and I am not a big fan of seafood, but Kopar Restaurant was well worth it.  On our inaugural small group tour to Croatia, we ate at a traditional Croatian tavern, and I loved it.

Bars:   Well of course that one is in Dublin.  The Long Hall.

Tours:  Nothing compares to visiting the Normandy Invasion Beaches.  Every American and Canadian should do it.  We loved our inaugural cruise to Croatia and it should be even better for 2018.  I have a fondness for our Austria tours.   Paris remains a long-term favorite.

Favorite Activity:  What always comes to mind is a downhill bike ride through the Flam Valley from Myrdal to the fjord in Flam.  Swimming in the Adriatic Sea in Croatia was memorable too.   We also did a "fam" small group tour to the Chachapoyas where we were one of the first to ride in an unbelievable cable car.   We had a great wine tasting in San Gimignano in Tuscany.

My Top Favorite Thing of 2017:   Well, we went to a lot of places, saw a lot of things, and ate some good food.  But the best thing was meeting all the wonderful people who went on our small group tours this year.