I think the answers thus far clearly point to the overall winner hands down for favorites as
the original Scotland trip. The trend I see is that trip developers come up with absolutely amazing trips and then after the first year some of them get watered down, price points go up and some of the spectacular points disappear. I guess that's incentive to take the risk and jump on new trips - our favorite was the re-imagined Australia trip, from which they next gutted the best parts and also tied up a "free" day with minor activities after the first year. My wife disagrees - her favorite was Italy - but it was the pre and post activities that she relies on to reach that position, which also bypassed the unbelievable crowds and our too large group. On that trip (pre-day) we were front row to see the Pope in one of his addresses, and had arranged well in advance a Scavi tour at the Vatican which takes you in a small private tour through a part of the Vatican and to the excavations underground to the tomb of St. Peter. We also arranged a great small group guided trip to Pompeii and down to Sorrento. Post trip we stayed in Venice awhile longer and arranged to see an opera in an old Dodge's palace (maximum capacity of 24) and explored on our own. Those made the trip special for her. I have to admit, taking away our own add ons in Australia of a full day whale watching the migrating humpbacks and skydiving onto the beach may be influencing my opinion.
Since others chimed in on second favorites, I am breaching my own posting as well. Our second favorite was the old extended South Africa trip - a longer version of what they presently have wherein we drove up the eastern side of the country with many stops along the way at out of reach places that were unique, surprising, and fun, such as a hands-on walkthrough of a massive old train museum, to swimming in the Indian Ocean, to an exclusive lunch in a vineyard that isn't open to the public at all. As Carolinatennisgirl and Cousin Orville noted, the total variety of activities and culture on this (like the re imagined Australia) trip was hard to beat.
Third up would probably be the scheduled Italy
ABD tour which is tied with Peru, then our first ABD trip - Costa Rica (our trip was good - but off the schedule - several days were not available at the last minute so we did some very different things that have never been otherwise a part of their schedule). We did not have a good ABD trip on the Winter Wonderland for Yellowstone - but our pre and post trip add-ons took the sting out. The guides were not engaged at all, LaMar Valley was cancelled the day of with no explanation and nothing to replace one of the two key points of the trip, the first night of campfire and storytelling the guides didn't even show up. They have made some changes to that trip too since then.
We are presently back to the "other options" for touring, but I remain hopeful some new trip that sounds amazing so we can jump in before it disappears. Presently working on a 10 day New Zealand South Island/Tasmania trip right now. Maybe. Unless I get off my rear and go finish the remaining 1/4 of the Appalachian Trail.
Really wanted to do the old Scotland trip, and do not see a reasonable way to cover that schedule on my own, and think that a group setting there would make it much more fun. Oh well.
Safe travels to you all; there is adventure out there.
