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Dead Drops & Double Agents: The Spycraft Tour of Europe
Apr 10 - 19, 2027
Walk the Cold War’s intelligence corridor with two retired senior CIA officers.
Dead Drops & Double Agents is a 10-day, small-group espionage history tour through Berlin, Leipzig, Prague, and Vienna. This is not a theatrical “spy experience.” It is a serious, intelligence-led journey through the real sites, decisions, and operations that shaped the Cold War.
This is not a standard European tour with a spy theme layered on top.
Dead Drops & Double Agents is a 10-day, small-group journey through the Cold War intelligence corridor of Central Europe — Berlin, Leipzig, Prague, and Vienna — designed for travelers who want to understand what happened in these places, why it mattered, and how espionage shaped the world we still live in.
You will walk the streets where intelligence services watched, recruited, deceived, exchanged, and disappeared people. You will visit sites tied to occupation, resistance, surveillance, tradecraft, state power, and the long contest between East and West. The point is not to play spy. The point is to understand the real history beneath the surface of these cities.
The tour is led by John Sipher, a retired senior CIA officer and former Chief of Station, joined by Jack Buchanan, founder of Tradecraft Travel and also a retired senior CIA officer. Together, they bring intelligence-community context to the ground you will be walking — not as a performance, but as a serious, firsthand interpretive lens.
Expert local guides in each city add historical, cultural, and regional depth. The result is a travel experience that combines operational context, local expertise, carefully chosen accommodations, private transfers, and enough time to absorb each city on its own terms.
The group will be intentionally small because the quality of this experience depends on conversation, access, and the ability to engage directly with the material.
Please review the terms, conditions, and cancellation policy before submitting deposit authorization.
© 2026 Tradecraft Travel LLC. All rights reserved.
Itinerary
Trip Details
Sat, Apr 10: Berlin
Sun, Apr 11: Berlin
Mon, Apr 12: Berlin
Tue, Apr 13: Leipzig
Wed, Apr 14: Prague
Thu, Apr 15: Prague
Fri, Apr 16: Prague
Sat, Apr 17: Vienna
Sun, Apr 18: Vienna
Mon, Apr 19: Vienna
Full Itinerary
Inclusions
- Two retired senior CIA officers as guides throughout the trip
- Accommodation with breakfast included
- Private bus for transfers and tours mentioned on the itinerary
- English speaking local guides for tours mentioned on the itinerary
- Welcome dinner (fixed menu)
- Lunch (fixed menu)
- Entrance fees as mentioned
- 24/7 assistance
Exclusions
- Your airfare – let Tradecraft Travel know if you’d like to receive pricing
- Travel insurance
- Airport transfers in Berlin, Vienna
- Pre- or post-tour extensions
- Visas (unless noted)
- Hotel Porterage (1 piece of luggage per person)
- Gratuities for services and experiences
- Lunches, dinners and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), unless specified in the itinerary
- Excess baggage charges, and where applicable, baggage not included in your fare
- Personal charges such as laundry, phone calls, SIM cards or room service
- Early check-in or late check-out from hotels (unless otherwise specified)
- Additional sightseeing, activities and experiences outside of your itinerary
- Optional enhancements like room or flight upgrades, or local camera or video fees
- Passport fees, immunization costs, and local departure taxes (when applicable)
- Hotel local city tax, to be paid in destination at time of check out
- Any other item not mentioned in the program
Tour Price & Final Payment
The tour price is $9,199 per person, double occupancy. Solo travelers will also have a single supplement ($3,330). Supplier costs may vary based on the final confirmed group size. This price does not include airfare.
Kensington Tours will issue traveler invoices for the supplier-managed portion of the tour. If the final Kensington invoice reflects a lower per-person supplier cost than the published tour price, the remaining balance up to the published tour price will be collected by Tradecraft Travel as a tour planning and program fee. This fee supports the design, coordination, expert participation, and specialized content that are part of the Dead Drops & Double Agents experience.
At final payment, travelers may see two separate credit card transactions: one from Kensington Tours and one from Tradecraft Travel. Together, those charges will not exceed the published tour price, plus any optional add-ons, upgrades, insurance, or other separately approved expenses.
Deposit and Payment Schedule
Travelers use BOOK NOW to authorize a deposit of 15% of the supplier cost per person. Tradecraft Travel will then process that authorization with Kensington Tours. Tradecraft Travel will contact you if necessary to follow up.
The remaining payment schedule is:
- 30% of the supplier's charges is due no later than October 31, 2026.
- Final payment is due to Tradecraft Travel by December 31, 2026.
- As noted above, any difference between $9,199 and the supplier's final charge will be charged at final payment by Tradecraft Travel as a program planning fee. This fee becomes non-refundable at final payment.
Tradecraft Travel is collecting payments in advance of supplier deadlines to ensure funds are processed and transmitted on time.
Important Disclosures
- Tour quotes do not include airfare.
- As the tour fills and client arrival and departure times are secured, Tradecraft Travel will coordinate airport transfers for interested parties.
- Cost increases in currency exchange, government fees, taxes, surcharges or hotel/lodge tariff increases between quote date and start date are payable by the client.
- Availability cannot be guaranteed until booked. Kensington Tours will exercise best efforts to book hotels per the itinerary, however, in busy seasons and with client bookings made within 90 days of tour date we may be forced to offer substitutes.
- Payment of the program price constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions set out at www.privateguided.com/terms-and-conditions
- Living standards and practices at destination may differ from those in North America with respect to provisions of utilities, services and accommodation.
Cancellation Policies
Kensington Tours’ cancellation and refund policies are based on how far in advance the cancellation occurs. For a tour start date of April 10, 2027, the following schedule applies.
Between deposit processing and January 10, 2027, payments are refundable less the $350 per person supplier cancellation fee. Tradecraft Travel does not charge an additional cancellation penalty.
Cancellations between January 11 and February 9, 2027 are subject to loss of 30% of the program price.
Cancellations between February 10 and March 11, 2027 are subject to loss of 50% of the program price.
Cancellations on or after March 12, 2027 are subject to loss of 100% of the program price.
Travel Insurance
Tradecraft Travel strongly recommends travel insurance for all participants.
Pay Using Flex Pay
Eligible Dead Drops & Double Agents travelers may have the option to finance at least a portion of the tour with monthly payments over time through Flex Pay. The application is simple and approval decisions are typically quick.
- Flex Pay by Upgrade charges simple interest with fixed and predictable monthly payments, unlike credit cards that charge compounding interest (interest on unpaid previous interest charges).
- There are no late fees or pre-payment penalties.
- Checking your eligibility will not affect your credit score.
- Borrowed funds can be used to pay for tour charges, associated travel insurance, and related air expenses.
- Flex Pay by Upgrade is available to most travelers worldwide but may be unavailable to residents of certain states like Iowa, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia because of local laws. (Upgrade)
As an example, travelers may expect to pay around $425 monthly for 24 months for the tour price of $9,199.
Interested travelers should contact Tradecraft Travel for details and next steps. Eligibility decisions are solely made by Upgrade, not Tradecraft Travel. Other terms and conditions apply.

Your Advisor
Jack Buchanan
Tradecraft Travel LLC

jack.buchanan@avoyanetwork.com
(571) 571-7573