While Europe is the first international destination for most Americans when they travel beyond North America, for one veteran tour operator it is the last, and a long time coming. 

Toronto-based Goway Travel added Europe to its destinations for its Holidays of a Lifetime brand. A high-volume international tour operator founded in 1970, Goway bills itself as an operator of small-group tours to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and the island destinations.

Europe has up to now been conspicuously absent from the list. But Goway’s founder, Bruce Hodge, says requests from repeat travelers have convinced him that the company needs to provide some programs for travel to Europe for loyal customers who like to travel under the Goway banner.

But even as it moves into Europe, it is not going the conventional route with the top selling Europe destinations of London, Paris, Rome and points west. Goway will debut its Europe program with two tours. Its Splendors of Europe includes visits to Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic and Dresden and Berlin, Germany.

The tour includes a cruise on the Danube River, a spa treatment in Budapest, a picnic in the Vienna Woods, a jazz cruise and a visit to a brewery in Prague, a visit to the Meissen porcelain factory and a cooking class in Dresden, an exploration of the Pergamon Museum and Potsdam in Berlin and concerts and special meals along the way.

Departures are set for June 6 and Aug. 8, 2014.

Goway’s other Europe tour is called The Treasures of Russia plus Helsinki and Tallinn. Other than visits to Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia, the program concentrates on St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia.

The St. Petersburg itinerary includes a visit to the Hermitage, a cruise on the Neva River, a cooking class, a visit to the Catherine Palace, a vodka tasting and a performance at the Mariinsky Theatre.

In Moscow, the program includes visits to the Kremlin, the Armoury, Lenin’s Tomb, the Ismaylova Street Market, the Tolstoy Museum, the Tretyakov Art Gallery and a performance at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Departures are offered July 15 and Sept. 9, 2014.