Historical
ROMAN & BYZANTINE RAVENNA
Today a small, tranquil town of cobbled streets, Ravenna was once one of the Mediterranean’s... more
HISTORIC MALTA
The world’s oldest human structures – more ancient than the Pyramids, more antique... more
SARDINIA - BIRDS, FLOWERS & NURAGHI
At the lagoons of Marina di Torre Grande we are likely to see flamingos, stilts and ospreys,... more
WINDSOR: LIFE IN THE ROYAL CASTLE
Windsor Castle is more than just a castle. Throughout its long history the complex... more
ROMAN & BYZANTINE RAVENNA
Ravenna’s surviving collection of early Christian monuments and mosaics is without... more
TUDOR & STUART COUNTRY HOUSE CRAFTSMEN
We investigate the interiors and exteriors of Tudor and Stuart country houses, which... more
THE MEDIAEVAL IMAGE & IMAGINATION (DAY)
The so-called marginal art in manuscripts, misericords, sculpture and metalwork shines... more
WAGNER FESTIVAL IN BERLIN
Our celebrations of Wagner’s bicentenary continue with four of his greatest ‘non-Ring’... more
WAGNER’S 200TH ANNIVERSARY IN LEIPZIG
The Richard Wagner Anniversary in Leipzig in 2013 is a unique opportunity to explore... more
LEIPZIG AT EASTER
In Leipzig, home to so many of the great composers, we shall celebrate Easter fully... more
THE HOLY LAND
We will explore Jerusalem from the early Iron Age (David and Solomon) through the rise... more
HEART OF PORTUGAL
Portugal has an astonishing story to tell. It is one of Europe’s oldest nations... more
ROUSSILLON
Roussillon, bordered by the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, is regarded as one of the most... more
GRAND HOUSES OF NORFOLK
Grand Houses of Norfolk takes its cue from a clutch of privileged visits to some... more
SECRET WAR
This long-weekend tour will unravel the myriad clandestine stratagems dreamt up by British... more
OTTOMAN TURKEY
Its skyline studded with domes and minarets, Istanbul pays eloquent testimony to more... more
COLONIAL COLOMBIA
As we explore Colombia’s numerous conserved colonial towns we will discover the influence... more
BOLOGNA, MANTUA & PARMA
This tour absorbs the pictorial splendours of Bologna, Mantua and Parma and brings... more
MALAGA: FROM THE MOORS TO PICASSO
Today the Moorish influence is still evident in Málaga, and in many cases has merged... more
AMERICAN GALLERIES IN THE FALL
Amid the Autumnal colours of the turning leaves, New York City and New England present... more
PARIS & PROVENCE: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CEZANNE & VAN GOGH
Follow the lives of Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) and Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) as we travel... more
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: ART & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Passing through landscapes that inspired contemporaries such as Joseph Wright of Derby... more
ADRIATIC CRUISE
Our new Adriatic cruise traces the coastal towns and classical ruins of four countries... more
HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS OF SCOTLAND
Our eight-day cruise embraces the Hebridean islands of Skye, Iona, Eigg and Mull... more
CALCUTTA, DARJEELING & SIKKIM
Our journey starts in Calcutta (or Kolkata as it is now officially known), capital... more
KARELIA & ARCHANGEL
Traditional lifestyle has proved tenacious in Russia's distant northern territories,... more
THE SILK ROAD REVISITED
Our Tour Director leads us along the Chinese section of this road originally created... more
FLEMISH PAINTING FROM VAN EYCK TO RUBENS
No country – with the exception of Italy – has made such a profound contribution... more
ART NOUVEAU BRUSSELS
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries Brussels enjoyed an outstanding period... more
BULGARIAN MONASTERIES
Our circuit will include six UNESCO World Heritage sites, from the Madara Horseman,... more
ANCIENT CYPRUS
Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean, just forty miles from the southern... more
ANCIENT EGYPT & NILE CRUISE
From our hotel overlooking the Pyramids at Giza, and then from our private yacht... more
CONNOISSEURS’ EDINBURGH
Amidst Edinburgh’s finest Georgian townhouses and in the shadow of the city’s... more
OUTER HEBRIDES
Strung out in a rugged arc off the north-western seaboard of Scotland, the Outer... more
THE CHANNEL ISLANDS: OCCUPATION & RESISTANCE
Encircled by the waters of the Gulf of St Malo and sheltered by the coasts of Brittany... more
CORNWALL: ST IVES & THE NEWLYN SCHOOL OF PAINTERS
Despite its modest scale, Tate St Ives has a rich collection of modern art on show... more
HEREFORD & THE WELSH MARCHES
Rural and sparsely populated, the mountains, moorlands and river valleys of the Welsh... more
HALLS & HOUSES OF LANCASHIRE & CHESHIRE
The forests and plains of Lancashire and Cheshire, for so long the hunting ground... more
YORKSHIRE MINSTERS & MONASTERIES
No region of England shelters a greater abundance of minster churches and monastic... more
SCOTTISH BORDERS
The Scottish Borders has been described as ‘a land of soft beauty, fierce history... more
HADRIAN’S WALL
This long-weekend tour is devoted to Britain’s most majestic Roman monument: Hadrian’s... more
THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC
Discover the history and legacy left by the Battle of the Atlantic during this four... more
ART IN YORKSHIRE
The opening of The Hepworth Wakefield gallery was one of the major art events of the last... more
THE WORLD OF ST CUTHBERT & ST BEDE
This year, 2013, marks an exciting occasion for the north of England as the Lindisfarne... more
HARDY’S DORSET
Thomas Hardy was among the greatest of Victorian novelists and poets. He drew inspiration... more
RADICAL EAST ANGLIA
The heritage of the British Isles is conventionally seen in terms of castles, stately... more
MENDELSSOHN IN SCOTLAND
Felix Mendelssohn made an unforgettable visit to Scotland in the summer of 1829.... more
PICTS & THE KINGDOM OF FIFE
Who were the Picts? Where did they come from? Why did they disappear from the annals... more
THE PREHISTORIC & ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE LAKE DISTRICT
Within the stunning scenery of the Lake District National Park, ranging from glacial... more
JOHN PIPER
The artist John Piper (1903-1992) was an extraordinarily multi-talented figure, with... more
BRUNEL IN LONDON (DAY)
Britain’s most daring engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), is thought... more
GLADSTONE (DAY)
During our exploration of the life of William Ewart Gladstone we will come to understand... more
WREN’S CITY CHURCHES (DAY)
The fifty-one City churches rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666 have been... more
LIVERPOOL: CITY OF DELIGHT
Over the past few years Liverpool has undergone a second renaissance: its majestic... more
CASTLES, CAIRNS & CIRCLES: ARCHAEOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES OF CORNWALL
Cornwall is a land of myths, legends and extensive archaeological sites. From Neolithic... more
ACE REUNION AT ARUNDEL CASTLE
In 2013, we are delighted to revive the ACE annual reunion. It will be the perfect... more
BRITTEN CENTENARY IN ALDEBURGH
The musical world will be commemorating the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten... more
HISTORIC ETHIOPIA
Within the dramatic highland landscapes of northern Ethiopia is an interesting array... more
ETHIOPIA UNCOVERED: DIVERSE CULTURES, CONTRASTING LANDSCAPES
From the mystical mountains of the Gheralta to the wildlife haven in the Bale Mountains,... more
NATIONAL ROMANTIC FINLAND
Finland may perhaps be best known for its thousands of lakes, vast forests and elegant... more
FRENCH GOTHIC ART & ARCHITECTURE
Gothic art and architecture, the pursuit of the sublime, has its roots in the soil... more
PARIS: THE BIRTHPLACE OF MODERN ART
Many of the foundations of what constitutes modern art were laid down in the city... more
MONTPELLIER: THE HEART OF THE LANGUEDOC
A picture perfect city fashioned from golden, honey-coloured stone around one of the world’s... more
THE CAUCASUS: GEORGIA & ARMENIA
For four centuries the two Christian kingdoms of the Caucasus, Armenia and Georgia,... more
BERLIN: BIRTH & REBIRTH OF A NATION
Berlin has been subject to sudden and significant change four times during the 20th... more
BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL IN BONN
The history of the Bonn Beethovenfest stretches back to 1845 when the Rhineland town... more
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LUTHER
Our tour will follow Luther’s life and career from his birth in Eisleben in 1483;... more
REGENSBURG & BAVARIA
From Rubens in Freising to the Romans in Straubing, this tour centres on the undiscovered... more
ATHENS, DELPHI & THE PELOPONNESE
Our journey across the Peloponnese embraces some of the most evocative names from... more
DUBLIN TREASURES & THE BOYNE VALLEY
Some of the finest treasures of Ireland reside in Dublin and its surrounding countryside.... more
GEORGIAN IRELAND
Ireland’s 18th century architectural legacy ranks amongst the most handsome in Europe.... more
ART & ARCHITECTURE OF PUGLIA
This tour will be led by art historian Colin Bailey, BA, PhD, FSA, FSAScot, whose... more
PALLADIO & THE VILLAS OF THE VENETO
Even five centuries after his birth, Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) remains one of the most... more
HILL TOWNS OF UMBRIA
Perugia, Gubbio, Assisi, Todi and Orvieto: the hill towns of Umbria – a region... more
ITALIAN MARCHES
The Italian Marches, sandwiched between the towering Sibillini mountains and a long... more
PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA
The Piero della Francesca trail, made famous by the writings of John Pope Hennessy,... more
VILLAS & GARDENS IN LAZIO
From the age of antiquity through the Renaissance and Baroque periods and up to the present... more
VASARI: FATHER OF ART HISTORY
Vasari moved to Florence as a young boy to study under Michelangelo, and it is in this... more
REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
The former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia is undoubtedly the best-kept secret in the Balkans.... more
MAYA WORLD: MEXICO, GUATEMALA & HONDURAS
Our tour delves into the Maya past and present, and reviews the cataclysmic effects... more
TOWNS, PALACES & CHURCHES OF POLAND
Our walking itineraries will embrace some of Poland’s most compelling art and architecture,... more
PALACES OF ST PETERSBURG
Our itinerary centres on a series of ducal and princely palaces in and around St Petersburg,... more
KOSICE & EASTERN SLOVAKIA
Kosice is one of the most architecturally rich and compact cities in Europe, with... more
MOORISH SPAIN
With visits to Granada, Córdoba, Ronda and Seville, our tour concentrates on the finest... more
CLASSICAL ANATOLIA
This tour offers a marvellous opportunity to sample the remarkable Graeco-Roman architectural... more
GILBERT & SULLIVAN FESTIVAL IN BUXTON
Gilbert and Sullivan represent quintessential Victorian England. Between operas and illustrated... more
FENLAND ABBEYS
By the Middle Ages the Fenland was a prosperous region of England, with several arterial... more
MEDIAEVAL SUFFOLK
From our base at the Bull Hotel in Long Melford we will explore where the wool trade... more
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: ART & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Passing through landscapes that inspired contemporaries such as Joseph Wright of Derby... more
HAWKSMOOR’S LONDON CHURCHES (DAY)
Nicholas Hawksmoor, who started as a lowly assistant in the office of Christopher... more
HAWKSMOOR’S LONDON CHURCHES (DAY)
Nicholas Hawksmoor, who started as a lowly assistant in the office of Christopher... more
BRUNEL IN LONDON (DAY)
Britain’s most daring engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), is thought... more
HAWKSMOOR’S LONDON CHURCHES (DAY)
Nicholas Hawksmoor, who started as a lowly assistant in the office of Christopher... more
POMPEII WITH HERCULANEUM
Our comprehensive tour in and around the Bay of Naples will take in a wide array... more
STOCKHOLM & DROTTNINGHOLM PALACE
Our tour to Stockholm explores the rich variety of architectural treasures and presents... more
SECRET WAR
This long-weekend tour will unravel the myriad clandestine stratagems dreamt up by British... more
THE LONDON CHARTERHOUSE & ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL (DAY)
We will enjoy a guided tour of the Charterhouse and he Charterhouse organist will... more
NEW YEAR IN LISBON
Enjoy an evening of traditional Fado music before the panache of modern Lisbon comes... more
HISTORIC MALTA
The world’s oldest human structures – older than the Pyramids and Stonehenge... more
ROMAN & BYZANTINE RAVENNA
Ravenna’s surviving collection of early Christian monuments and mosaics is without... more
WINDSOR: LIFE IN THE ROYAL CASTLE
We will experience what it is like to live in the royal castle, staying within the castle... more
LAMBETH PALACE (DAY)
This summer we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of H.M. The Queen... more
CATHERINE THE GREAT & HOUGHTON HALL: PATRONAGE & ART COLLECTIONS
Works from Walpole’s collection are being returned temporarily to Houghton this... more
POMPEII WITH HERCULANEUM
Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed yet preserved by the volcanic catastrophe, offer... more
