The Thinking Traveller

About The Thinking Traveller

A series that draws on the passions, expertise and interests of Academy Travel's academic tour leaders, to bring a wealth of additional knowledge to your travels, one topic at a time. Our tour leaders talk on a range of topics and interests related to travel, covering history, culture, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Publisher

Academy Travel

Category

arts · history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Feb 2020

Latest episode

24 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

82 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Oct 2026

   Shimla - Summer Capital of the Raj

   From 1864, the British administration in India moved each summer from the heat of the plains to Shimla in the Himalayan foothills. Officials and their families travelled into the mountains, bringing the business of government with them. What began as a retreat grew into the summer capital of British India, where political decisions were made against a backdrop of forested ridges and distant peaks. In this episode, Judy Tenzing joins us to discuss the people, politics and architecture that sha...

2. 

   11 Sept 2026

   Italy’s Hill Towns Along The Via Francigena

   For centuries, the Via Francigena carried pilgrims, merchants and armies across Europe to Rome, shaping the towns and communities that grew along its route. In this episode of The Thinking Traveller, Dr Jeni Ryde joins us to discuss the history of this ancient road, from its medieval origins and changing fortunes to the fortified hill towns, landscapes and cultural heritage that still mark its course through Italy today. Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, al...

3. 

   15 Aug 2026

   The Odyssey – From Myth to Mediterranean

   For nearly three thousand years, the Odyssey has held its place as one of the foundational texts of Western literature – the story of a man's ten-year journey home from Troy. A journey through shipwreck, sorcery and the wrath of the gods, the Odyssey belongs to myth. Yet the Greeks imagined its adventures unfolding across a real Mediterranean landscape, among the volcanic coasts of Sicily and southern Italy, where Etna still smoulders and the Strait of Messina churns between Scylla and Charyb...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

271,021

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

48

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

85

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