We are delighted to start looking ahead to next year with the release of our newest publication, the 2025 Spring Bulletin. Read on to discover a selection of highlighted tours featured in the new brochure.
Nature tours |
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Wildlife & Walking in Norfolk27 - 31 January, 2025 with Kevin Hand 7 - 11 July, 2025 with Mark Welch
One of ACE's longest running nature tours, our two departures to the coastal wetlands of Norfolk promise abundant wildlife in winter and in summer. In the winter, we will watch migratory birds wheeling in the vast skies, and in summer, we will focus on insect and plant life and learn about the conservation efforts in the area.
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Wild & Ancient Somerset5 - 8 February, 2025 with Peter Exley 19 - 22 June, 2025 with Peter Exley
Nestled in the shadow of Glastonbury Tor, the Somerset Levels are home to some of the UK's best nature reserves, which teem with wildlife all year round. Watch starlings roosting at dusk in the Avalon Marshes in the winter, or search for the rare Large Blue Butterfly on the Collard Hill trail in the summer.
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Wild & Ancient Crete15 - 22 April, 2025 (Relaxed edition) with Kevin Hand 16 - 23 September, 2025 (Active edition) with Kevin Hand
Its mountains and gorges alive with wildlife, Crete is one of the most exceptional botanical and ornithological areas in the Mediterranean. In the spring, myriad orchids grace archaeological sites, and fields sparkle with wild gladioli and irises; while in September, the landscape comes alive with cyclamen, autumn crocuses and sea daffodils.
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Iceland: Forces of Nature8 - 18 July, 2025 With Harriet Allen
From the Gullfoss waterfall and the Geysir Geothermal Area, to the falls of Dettifoss and the otherworldly Jökulsárlón lagoon, the long summer days are a wonderful time for wildlife in Iceland. Uniquely, our tour will feature a whole day excursion to the Westman Islands, home to the world’s largest population of nesting puffins.
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Further afield |
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Secret Treasures of Egypt with a Nile Cruise6 - 19 January, 2025 With Gillian Hovell
Designed for the second-time visitor to Egypt or those wishing to travel off the beaten track, this tour encompasses some of the lesser known but no less extraordinary sites, covering millennia of history - including the colourful Tomb of Nefertari, the majestic Temple of Abydos and the poignant cemeteries of El Alamein.
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Jordan: Kingdoms of the Desert12 - 22 April, 2025 With Nick Jackson
From the Stone Age to the Ottomans, Jordan has long felt the tide of history. Our journey begins in Amman for an excursion to the superb Hellenistic and Roman city of Jerash, and further visits include the extraordinary desert of Wadi Rum, the fortress of Qasr Amra, and the world famous site of Petra.
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A Journey Through Vietnam: History, Art & Culture19 January - 3 February, 2025 With Alex Koller
From Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, we will journey through Vietnam on a cultural and artistic adventure. Highlights include a cruise across Halong Bay, the former imperial capital at Hué, and the UNESCO listed My Son temple complex.
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Algeria: Encounters Between Rome & North Africa1 - 13 April, 2025 With Niccolò Mugnai
Learn about the Roman colony of Timgad, the ‘Pompeii of Africa’, founded by Emperor Trajan on the edge of the Aurès Mountains, and discover several UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Casbah in Algiers, Timgad, Djémila and the M’Zab valley.
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Europe |
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Art Treasures of Naples: From the Romans to the Baroque24 February - 3 March, 2025 With Alex Koller
Once the favourite haunt of Roman citizens, and later Italy’s only truly royal city for almost six centuries, Naples was never short of artistic patronage. Dukes, archbishops, nobles and religious orders contributed to an extremely dense collection of buildings and works of art in and around the city: in particular, many examples of Neapolitan painting from the 17th and 18th centuries have remained in their original locations.
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Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig: Anniversary Tour23 - 30 May, 2025 With Richard Wigmore
For the first time, ACE will attend a festival dedicated to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich. 50 years after his death, this highly anticipated event will take place amidst the outstanding acoustics of Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, and will include everything from intimate chamber concerts and song cycles to large orchestral works, choral masterpieces and opera. Contributors include the Gewandhaus and Boston Symphony Orchestras, both under Andris Nelsons.
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Mahler Festival in Amsterdam8 - 14 May, 2025 with Russell Keable 13 - 19 May, 2025 with Michael Downes
Journey to Mahler's 'second musical homeland' for one of the world's biggest celebrations of his compositions. Our two tours cover the first and second halves of the festival, each encompassing five concerts at the Royal Concertgebouw performed by renowned orchestras, conductors and soloists.
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Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge26 September - 3 October, 2025
Beginning with an exploration of the old town of Oporto, we travel in style through the picturesque Douro Valley. Along the way, we will explore the handsome Renaissance city of Salamanca, visit to the 18th century Mateus Palace, and enjoy a special tour of Graham’s Port Lodge.
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United Kingdom |
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Cornwall Calling: The Artists of Newlyn, Lamorna & St Ives7 - 12 April, 2025 With Sarah Burles
Follow in the footsteps of the artists inspired by the Cornish land and seascapes from the 1800s to the present day, from the Newlyn School led by Stanhope Forbes to 20th century avant-garde artists such as Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth.
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Stained Glass in England: Style, Technique & Colour17 - 21 March, 2025 with Alex Koller 17 - 21 November, 2025 with Alex Koller
From a base in Cambridge, explore some of the country’s finest stained glass dating from the medieval era onwards across a range of privileged visits to churches, college chapels and cathedrals in Ely, Oxford, Norwich and Bury St Edmunds.
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Art Treasures of Manchester3 - 6 March, 2025 with Julia Marwood 17 - 20 March, 2025 with Julia Marwood
The city of Manchester dazzles with the breadth of its cultural heritage, the prosperity of its industrial past and its world-class art collections. This tour explores the artistic treasures to be found in and around Manchester, from the Whitworth Art Gallery to The Lowry on Salford Quays.
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Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation13 - 19 May, 2025 With Julia Marwood
A visit to the newly-refurbished Burrell Collection will be at the heart of our tour exploring Glasgow’s artistic highlights. We will consider the art, architecture, crafts and historical collectors of this great industrial city, and also take in the beautiful landscape settings of some of the grand houses of the Scottish aristocracy.
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