Frequently Asked Questions
Our tours aim to uncover cultural intricacies across a wide range of subjects. Each itinerary is designed to provide detailed insights and a broader perspective, placing every experience within a wider landscape. Below you may find answers to common questions about our tours, read on for more information.
About ACE Cultural Tours
Established in 1958, ACE Cultural Tours is the UK’s longest established cultural travel tour operator, with over 67 years’ experience. We offer cultural tours around the world, aiming to uncover cultural intricacies and connections across a wide range of subjects,from art and architecture to music, literature, archaeology, history and wildlife. Our itineraries are designed to explore artworks, archaeological sites and historical events holistically and to provide context within a wider cultural landscape, reaching beyond the boundaries of traditional categories.
ACE Cultural Tours operates as a business to provide financial support to The Association for Cultural Exchange, a charity established in 1958 by our founder, Philip Brooke Barnes, to promote lifelong cultural education. Each year, the trustees support charitable and educational projects both at our home, Stapleford Granary Arts Centre, and all over the world, including international conservation and research projects. To read more about our charitable work, please click here.
The ACE Cultural Tours office is based in Stapleford Granary, a thriving, much-loved and admired regional arts venue, with an annual footfall of around 70,000. Stapleford Granary is owned by The Association for Cultural Exchange, and all the charitable work that happens here is underpinned by a desire to educate and to help people become and remain curious throughout their lives. To find out more about Stapleford Granary click here.
The Tours
From intricate wooden churches in the Tatra Mountains, Slovakia, to masterwork jungle temples at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, our tours take in a range of landscapes and destinations across the globe allowing travellers to enjoy a multitude of experiences. To view all our destinations, click here.
Yes, our tours operate all year round. For more information please visit our full schedule here.
Our tours are designed for all ages. No prior knowledge is needed, just an interest in the subjects concerned.
Yes, we offer tours in subjects ranging from art and architecture to music, literature, archaeology, history and wildlife. To search our tours by subject, please click here.
The majority of ACE tours accommodate a maximum of 23 participants. Occasionally a tour might be restricted to 15 or 18 places – for example, certain wildlife tours or music tours – while our cruises and country house festivals often welcome a larger number of participants. There are occasions where we don’t reach the maximum numbers and the tour runs with fewer participants. Please contact us if you wish to double check the specific situation for a particular tour.
Yes, we always welcome single travellers. Our travellers, whilst often independent in spirit, enjoy the inviting ambience we like to create on our tours. Group dinners, for example, are a wonderful opportunity to get to know new friends and discuss the day’s visits and experiences in a convivial atmosphere.
Most ACE tours are led by a Tour Director, who provides the cultural content through a series of lectures and/or on-site guiding, and a Tour Manager, who ensures the smooth day-to-day running of the itinerary. On some tours – particularly long-haul departures and tours that require strong local knowledge – the tour management is handled by an experienced local guide, who may also provide cultural content. Please note that in rare cases, where the group size is smaller than expected, the tour may be led by a solo Tour Director without a Tour Manager or local guide – we will notify you if this is the case
Our Tour Directors illustrate and illuminate their themes through a blend of formal lectures and on-site talks, and where appropriate, local guides will provide a complementary and often personal perspective. Many itineraries also include privileged access, exclusive visits or private concerts to further enhance our travellers’ enjoyment.
Am I Fit Enough?
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, our itineraries are full – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina. Many visits will involve navigating steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys. Walks on natural history tours are typically 3–5 miles in length, often in hilly or mountainous regions.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self-assessment tests:
- Walk for 60 minutes at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Booking & Reservations
To book a tour with us, please use the Book Now button on our website, which can be found at the bottom of each tour page. From here, you will be invited to fill in an online booking form, and pay the tour deposit to confirm your booking. Alternatively, you can always call our Sales team at +44(0)1223 841055.
Our tours can fill up quite quickly, so we would always recommend booking as soon as possible – at least six months in advance. However, please contact us to find out about availability. We also operate a waiting list system as occasionally tour places become available closer to departure.
For UK tours, we will need a completed booking form and information about your next of kin. We also recommend that customers have travel insurance in place. For overseas bookings, we will require a completed booking form, passport information, next of kin information and details of your travel insurance.
Yes, if you are booking 10 weeks or more before departure, the following deposits are payable at the time of booking: £300 per person for UK tours, £400 per person for all European tours, £550 per person for worldwide tours, £500 per person for all cruises (in addition to the deposit at the time of booking, all cruises require a further payment of £500 six months prior to sailing). If you are booking less than 10 weeks before departure, full payment for all tours must be made at the time of booking. Please contact the ACE office if you wish to find out more about the deposit for a particular tour.
Pricing & Payments
Our tours vary in cost; generally, our tours are very inclusive and there are few personal expenses.
Most tour prices include return airfare (if overseas), accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, all breakfasts, some lunches and several dinners with water and coffee (sometimes with wine), plus excursions and admissions, gratuities and all taxes.
We do not pay for travel insurance, and single travellers will have to pay a double room for single use supplement, the cost of which can vary. Some meals are independent. Please consult the cost box or contact us for information on what is included for each specific tour.
Yes, although we do offer an ‘Own Flight Reduction’ for travellers who would prefer to make their own flight arrangements
Yes, travellers who wish to stay longer are very welcome to request this in their bookings; we may be able to arrange this with the hotel.
We accept payment over the phone, by bank transfer or through online payment. We accept Visa, Mastercard & American Express debit and credit cards without additional fees.
Accommodation & Transportation
When selecting accommodation for our tours, we strive to achieve a balance between factors such as accessibility, location and cost. When travelling off the beaten track, it is sometimes necessary to use simpler accommodation, and we also consider less tangible qualities such as historical character and atmosphere.
Where possible we will always strive to choose hotels that are centrally and conveniently located, however depending on the nature of the tour destination, this may not always be possible.
All transfers are included in the cost of the tour.
All tours are led by an expert Tour Director who accompanies the group throughout and is responsible for the delivery of the majority of the cultural content as well as hosting the group. On most of our tours, the Tour Director will be supported by an experienced Tour Manager or local guide, responsible for ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of our itineraries. Sometimes, local guides or guest speakers will join the group at specific sites to add further information.
Safety, Accessibility & Support
Our tours range from fairly strenuous and challenging departures to those with a more relaxed feel, particularly our cruises. Regardless of the type of tour, it is important that our clients meet minimum fitness criteria to ensure that the enjoyment of the rest of the group is not compromised. Please consult the tour specific fitness requirements for more information about each particular tour, or contact our Sales team who will be happy to discuss the suitability of a particular departure
We operate a safety audit system and work hard with our suppliers to ensure the safety and comfort of our travellers. However, please note that some of the destinations to which we travel have lower requirements and standards than those of the UK. It is therefore essential that you follow any instructions and guidance provided by your Tour Manager or Director.
If you suffer from any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility (including any which affect the booking process) or have any special requirements as a result, please tell us before making your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the tour and arrangements in order that we can assess the potential risks to your welfare, health and safety.
Yes, we will always do our very best to accommodate dietary requirements. It is not, however, possible to offer extensive choices at every meal to cater for food preferences or requirements as many of our menu selections are fixed. Inclusion of dietary or special requests on your booking confirmation or any other documentation is not a guarantee that the request will be met.
Cancellation & Policies
You may cancel your booking at any time before departure. Notice of cancellation must be in writing and because we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the following charges will apply (for which we suggest you purchase appropriate insurance):
Period before departure within which written notification of cancellation is received by us:
- 70 days or more = Deposit only
- 69-29 days = 60% of total booking value
- 28-15 days = 90% of total booking value
- 14 days or less = 100% of total booking value
Please note that if you are personally prevented from travelling as a result of any illness, including COVID-19, our normal cancellation charges will apply.
We reserve the right to cancel your booking if there are insufficient bookings on your tour (this will depend on tour type and destination) or for other unforeseen operational reasons. In such an event, we will provide you with at least 70 days’ notice of cancellation and provide you with a full refund.
We will where possible continue our tours, however if travel is not possible then the tour will be cancelled and travellers will receive a full refund.
We will endeavour to find the most suitable alternative and communicate this at the earliest opportunity.
Preparation & Travel Requirements
Some tours do require visas to travel, and if this is the case then we will advise you at the time of booking.
Whilst we will provide guidance for each individual tour and help where we can, your specific passport, visa and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant embassy or consulate.
Whilst we will provide details of any compulsory health requirements applicable to British citizens for your tour, it is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure.
It is a requirement of booking with ACE that all participants have comprehensive travel insurance for overseas tours, including cover for medical expenses, infectious diseases including COVID-19, quarantine, repatriation and personal liability, as well as cancelled, delayed and missed departure and loss or damage to personal possessions.
Contact & Support
Our office is open 9am to 5pm Monday–Friday. You can contact our Sales team using the dedicated number +44(0)1223 841055 or the following email address: sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk
If you are on tour you should speak directly to your Tour Manager or Tour Director, if you have returned please contact our Sales team using the contact information above.
Many of our Tour Directors offer reading lists to help prepare travellers, although these are not mandatory. On the first night of the tour, travellers will be given a welcome talk, which will be provided by either the Tour Director or Tour Manager.
Have a question not answered above?
Our Sales team would be more than happy to help, please call +44(0)1223 841055 or email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk
