Discover our new Cultural Breaks
ACE Cultural Tours is pleased to announce a fresh approach to cultural travel designed with the more independent traveller in mind. Our Cultural Breaks balance portions of the highest quality guidance, courtesy of our subject specialists, with free time, allowing travellers to customise the experience in line with their personal interests. Group members will benefit from the Tour Directors' rich knowledge of each destination, using this to make the best of their independent time, from hidden churches and famous galleries to the neighbourhood's most delicious coffee and cake.
“I may never travel again without my own personal art historian, Marie-Anne was excellent”
– ACE customer on a previous tour led by Marie-Anne Mancio
We have purposefully based our Cultural Breaks in centres where leading sites sit alongside undiscovered treasures. This will enable our Tour Directors to give new perspectives on familiar places, while introducing the group to aspects they may not know – from lesser known history, art and architecture to music and gastronomy. At a selection of core daytime visits, participants will learn from their Tour Director's particular expertise, before dispersing for free time with plenty of guidance and recommendations as to how to spend it. Those who prefer not to explore independently are, of course, welcome to stay with the tour personnel, who will remain close by.
While each Cultural Break will vary depending on the destination, subject and tour leader, they will usually include:
- The exceptional cultural content that ACE is known for alongside the freedom to make the tour your own
- More free time during each day, coupled with periods of high quality guiding at specially selected sites. This enables travellers to enjoy the best of both worlds
- More free evenings for travellers to make their own plans, book-ended by group meals at the beginning and end of the tour
- More use of city walking and public transport as an easier and quicker way to access sites
In 2026 we are excited to present six Cultural Breaks. Art and architecture tours are located in cities with world-class galleries and museums, including Madrid and Malaga, New York, Vienna and Berlin. Our archeological tours, meanwhile, are based in the legendary cities of Luxor and Cairo, where ancient treasures await in magnificent tombs and temples.
CULTURAL BREAK
Art Treasures of Valencia: City of Arts & Sciences
13–17 October, 2026
with Tom Abbott
Explore Valencia, a captivating city of architectural and historical contrasts. Seamlessly blending the rich remnants of its past with an innovative, futuristic style, the city’s landscape offers a compelling journey from the ancient world to the modern day.
CULTURAL BREAK
Art Treasures of Madrid and Malaga
23 - 28 February, 2026
24 -30 November, 2026
with Marie-Anne Mancio
Travel from the vibrant and compelling capital of Madrid to the artistic hotspot of Malaga as we explore world-class collections that display eminent figures such as Velázquez, Bosch, Goya, Raphael and Picasso, including a focused viewing of Guernica.
CULTURAL BREAK
Art Treasures of Vienna
16 - 21 June, 2026
with Alex Koller
Join expert art historian Alex Koller, born in Vienna, and explore a city of incomparable historical and cultural richness. From the lesser-known churches in the Kahlenberg area to the Gothic Cathedral of St Stephen and the impressive Hofburg Palace complex, this tour takes in Vienna's diverse artistic heritage.
CULTURAL BREAK
Ancient Treasures of Cairo
26 November - 1 December, 2026
with Ellen Jones
Uncover the burial ground of Pharaohs and Queens at the awe-inspiring Giza, Dashur and Saqqara and view the extraordinary artefacts from Tutankhamun’s Tomb at the Grand Egyptian Museum. We will also wander Coptic Cairo gaining insights into the medieval Coptic and Islamic architecture.
CULTURAL BREAK
Seville: Pearl of Andalusia
January, 2027
History and culture intersect in the vibrant capital of Andalusia, renowned for its breathtaking architecture – from the Moorish Alcázar Palace to the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque influences of the Cathedral and Plaza de España.
CULTURAL BREAK
Art Treasures of Madrid and Malaga
April, 2027
with Marie-Anne Mancio
For art lovers, visiting Madrid and Malaga offers a rich and comprehensive insight into Western Art History as well as Spanish Art History. Our tour encompasses world-class collections of art, from medieval to modern and contemporary.
CULTURAL BREAK
Lisbon and Porto: From Iberian Tiles to Urban Murals
May, 2027
with Marie-Anne Mancio
Our tour will take in two contrasting cities, exploring world-class galleries, historical monuments and charming streets. A curated selection of visits will immerse travellers in the exciting landscape of Portuguese culture and art.
CULTURAL BREAK
Trieste: Crossroads of Land & Sea
August, 2027
with Eireann Marshall
Called the 'Vienna of the Sea', Trieste boasts a rich cultural legacy from its Illyrian roots to the modern day. Our new short tour to Trieste will take in many of the key highlights including the well-presevered ruins of the 1st century CE amphitheatre.
CULTURAL BREAK
Art Treasures of Valencia: City of Arts & Sciences
November, 2027
with Tom Abbott
Explore Valencia, a captivating city of architectural and historical contrasts. Seamlessly blending the rich remnants of its past with an innovative, futuristic style, the city’s landscape offers a compelling journey from the ancient world to the modern day.
Image credits:
Self-portrait by Diego Velázquez, c. 1645 | Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Garden restaurant on the Havel, Max Liebermann, 1916 | P ublic domain via Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Las Meninas ('The Ladies-in-waiting'), Diego Velázquez, 1656-1657 |Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
La Grenouillère, Claude Monet ,1869 | Public domain via WIkimedia Commons
