Academy Travel 2019 Tour Program

2019 TOUR PROGRAM

Gateway to discovery

academytravel.com.au

new tours Siberia & the Russian Far East

35 Opera in Northern Italy

45 Mexico

Vienna to Venice

36 Italian Summer Music Festivals

73

Greece by land and sea

37 Melbourne Private Homes

50 Guatemala, Honduras & Belize

72 2

Stockholm to St Petersburg

41 French Canada & New England

63 Christmas in New York

69 Istanbul Study Tour

75

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contents

Gateway to discovery Dear Academy Traveller, We’re delighted to present the full range of tours available from January to December 2019. This brochure outlines 70 different tours, travelling to 38 different countries on five continents. This is an unrivalled range of tours and destinations for an Australian-based, small group cultural tour company.

Behind the diversity of our tours however there lies a consistency of philosophy and a consistency of approach. Academy Travel’s tours explore distinct themes, including history, archaeology, the visual arts, architecture, music and stage performance. Tours are designed and led by acknowledged experts in their fields, keen to share their knowledge, passion and experience with a like-minded group of travellers.

Look out for the various styles of tour that we offer. Travellers wanting maximum depth and a relaxed pace should think about our residential and study tours, with long stays, regular background lectures, and time for individual exploration. Academy Travel is the market leader in this style of tour. If you love archaeology and ancient history, look for our tours to the Mediterranean basin, central Asia and Mesoamerica. And if the performing arts are your thing, there’s a range of classical music and opera tours, with carefully selected performances designed to appeal to connoisseurs, as well as several tours to New York, with theatre, fine music and great dining.

The backbone of our program is a range of tried-and-tested tours to destinations favoured by cultural travellers, such as Italy, Germany, Egypt, Spain, Portugal, Greece, the islands of the Mediterranean and to the world’s great cultural capitals: Berlin, Paris, London, New York, Rome and Venice. But we’re always adding new destinations to tempt regular Academy Travellers and keep ahead of trends in cultural travel. Page two opposite lists some of these new tours, including new destinations and new ways of approaching more traditional ones.

This brochure, and the tours it describes, are gateways to discovery – keys to unlocking the endless fascination of our world, its people, history and cultures. We hope you find a tour that’s right for you.

Robert Veel, Director On behalf of the Academy Travel team

Italy 12 Europe 23 Music & Theatre

42

Asia

52

Australia & New Zealand 59 The Americas

65

Africa & The Middle East 76 Study Tours

80

2020 Tour Program

84

Tour Index

86

Visit our website Our website contains detailed itineraries, maps and tour leader profiles.

Our site also features an online booking form. academytravel.com.au

More information Detailed itineraries for all tours are available by calling us or by downloading from our website. academytravel.com.au

Sold out tours (not listed)

Egypt: from the Great Pyramid to Abu Simbel January 2019, with Lucia Gahlin

Japan Unmasked: art, history & culture May 2019, with Dr Kathleen Olive

Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan: a journey through central Asia May 2019, with Ben Churcher

tailored small group Journeys › Expert tour leaders › Maximum 20 in a group › Carefully planned itineraries

Front: Gate of All Nations, also known as the Gate of Xerxes, Persepolis, Iran

Inset: Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait with Bonito, 1941 Brochure production: Damien Flint Design: Pro Bono Publico

Tour Product Managers: Stuart Barrie, Robina Frosinini, Nick Gordon, Hannah Kleboe, Matthew Laing, Mark Lalor, Royna McNamara, Kathleen Olive and Robert Veel.

3 Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Why choose academy travel?

There are lots of tour operators out there, with lots of tempting offerings. So why choose us?

Great itineraries

Like-minded groups

Long stays

Academy Travel works hard to create itineraries that provide a balanced experience – walking tours, museum and gallery visits, live performances, city and countryside. We’re proud to be constantly innovating, from opening up new destinations, creating tours around festivals and special exhibitions, to providing unrivalled depth in our residential tours.

Over the years we’ve been in operation, we’ve developed a loyal band of Academy Travellers, some of whom have travelled with us more than 10 times. They say the small groups (maximum 20, average 17) and distinct themes of our tours attract like-minded travellers and create a relaxed, convivial atmosphere.

Feedback from our clients consistently tells us that creating itineraries with three and four-night stops, or even longer, is far more appealing that rushing from place to place. Wherever possible, we plan our tours around a limited number of stops, making your travels more relaxed and more meaningful.

“The tour was excellent in all respects, organisation and preparation were superb. The tour leader was excellent and the tour manager was always cheerful, positive and very well organised.

An amazing experience.”

“I really enjoyed the tour – good company, fantastic architecture, accommodation and an excellent tour leader.”

– Gardens of Southern England, June 2018.

– Frank Lloyd Wright: Chicago to New York, May 2017.

“What a wonderful trip! Venice for 15 days was an outstanding experience, with a good balance bet ween different activities.

It was my third time to Venice but the first time to most of the museums and many of the other places. The hotel was a good choice, being right in the middle of everything but quiet.”

– Venice: City, Republic & Empire, October 2017.

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Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Special Events

Expert tour leaders

Years of experience

A private viewing of the Sistine Chapel? Tickets to a sold-out concert by the Berlin Philharmonic? A worldfamous art fair? Access to private homes and gardens? Behind-thescenes visits? Many of our tours feature access to places and events that are usually not offered on most group tours.

We work closely with a team of academically qualified and highly experienced tour leaders. They don’t just ‘rattle off the facts’ – they help us plan our itineraries and, on tour, freely share their deep knowledge and genuine passion. Most of our tour leaders are still teaching at an advanced level and many are still undertaking academic research.

Academy Travel was founded in 2004 by a team with decades of prior experience in small group travel. On average, our tour leaders have over 11 years’ experience, some with 25 or more years. To ensure quality, we have our own office in Rome, Italy and a network of trusted suppliers around the world.

“I didn’t want the tour to end! It was such a wonderful introduction to New York – a city I had not visited. Matthew’s comments, notes, talks, humour and choices of theatre, restaurants and excursions made this such an exciting, memorable experience. I’m still on a high, the group was such fun.”

“I thought this tour, my first with Academy, was excellent, made so by the combined knowledge and experience of the tour leaders. All up, the most professional tour I have done.”

– Puglia to Pompeii, March 2018.

“For many years Academy Travel has been my ‘tour operator’ of choice. I have recommended the company to many friends and they all have agreed the attention to detail and choice of tour leaders is superior.”

– New York: music, theatre, art & food, March 2018.

– New York: music, theatre, art & food, March 2018.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

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Our experts lead the way

Academy Travel’s team of expert tour leaders offers genuine academic expertise, enthusiasm and the ability to communicate their knowledge to interested travellers.

FIND OUT MORE

Chloe Sayer

Dr Chris Carter

Has conducted extensive research and fieldwork on traditional crafts and textiles throughout Mexico. Chloe lived and worked in Mexico for many years.

Has an Honours and Master’s degree in archaeology and has recently completed a PhD. He has led tours to Central and South America for over 20 years.

Upcoming tour: Page 72

Upcoming tours: Pages 68 &73

Elena Ortega

Dr Estelle Lazer

Holds degrees from the University of Sydney and the National Art School.

Born in Zaragoza, she lived for many years in Granada.

Is an archaeologist who has worked on site at Pompeii for seven seasons and has an international reputation for her research on the city’s skeletal remains.

Upcoming tour: Page 26

Upcoming tour: Page 15

Dr Jenny Lawless

Dr John Tidmarsh

Has led tours to Turkey, Greece and Iran.

Jenny has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship and a NSW Premier’s History Prize for her research and writing.

Is the former president of the University of Sydney’s Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation, and a former lecturer in the Department of Archaeology.

Upcoming tours: Page 27 & 82

Upcoming tours: Pages 41 & 79

Lindy Montgomery

Lucia Gahlin

Is a graduate of both the University of Sydney and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she taught musicology for 13 years.

Is a UK-based Egyptologist with a wealth of experience as an educator, researcher, archaeologist and museum curator.

She has led tours to Egypt since 1994.

Upcoming tour: Page 43

Upcoming tour: Page 77

Dr Michael Adcock

Michael Carr

Is a social and cultural historian who specialises in the art and history of France. He has led several highly successful tours to Paris.

Has Honours in Art and Law from ANU and over 20 years’ experience as an art collector and historian, previously opening a art dealership in Moscow.

Upcoming tour: Page 81

Upcoming tour: Page 24

Robert Gay

Robert Veel

Is one of Australia’s leading music tour leaders and music educators. He has led more than 90 performance-based tours to Europe and the US.

Holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Education. He is a director of Academy Travel and leads tours to Europe, Scandinavia, the US & Australia.

Upcoming tours: Pages 45, 46, 48, 49 & 51

Upcoming tours: Pages 16, 18, 22, 36 & 53

Dr Sophie Oosterwijk Is a Dutch art historian who specialises in Medieval, Flemish and Dutch art.

Upcoming tours: Page 30 6

Stuart Barrie Is a director of Academy Travel and has over 30 years’ experience in travel, including leading groups through Western Europe, Russia and the United States.

Upcoming tours: Page 74 Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Ann MacArthur

Ben Churcher

Holds a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies and speaks fluent Japanese.

She has over 20 years experience as a museum educator.

Has a wide range of experience as an educator, and an archaeologist. Since 1994 Ben has led tours to Jordan, Greece, Syria, Egypt, China & Morocco.

Upcoming tour: Page 56

Upcoming tour: Page 57

Christopher Bradley Specialises in the history and art of North Africa and Arabia.

Upcoming tour: Page 58

Christopher MEnz Is a former Director of the Art Gallery of SA. He has published extensively on the decorative arts and is a regular contributor to Australian Book Review.

Upcoming tours: Pages 29, 44 & 62

Gerald Deslandes

Dr Jeni Ryde

Is a former curator and cultural historian with a BA from Cambridge University, and has led more than 50 tours to Europe and the UK.

Has a wide-ranging knowledge of Italian history and cultural traditions.

Jeni has a PhD focusing on tourism, heritage and Renaissance studies.

Upcoming tour: Page 17

Upcoming tours: Pages 14, 25, 26, 28 & 40

Judy Tenzing

Dr Kathleen Olive

Has a degree in South Asian History.

She has a lifelong passion for travel and over 30 years’ experience as a tour leader on the sub-continent and in Asia.

Has a PhD in Italian Studies, speaks fluent Italian and lectures on the art, history and culture of Europe. Kathleen has an outstanding knowledge of Italy.

Upcoming tour: Page 55

Upcoming tours: Pages 13, 17, 25, 60 & 83

Dr Matthew Dal Santo Is a writer, historian and foreign affairs commentator, with a focus on Russia.

Upcoming tours: Pages 35 & 38

Dr Matthew Laing Is a historian and political scientist with a PhD from ANU. Matthew leads tours to the United States and Scandinavia and lectures for Academy Travel.

Upcoming tours: Pages 33,66,67,69,70,71 & 75

Michael Turner

Dr Nick Gordon

Is a garden historian and lecturer.

He is the former Senior Curator of the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney.

Has a University Medal and a PhD in history and lectures on European art.

Nick is also a practising painter and brings this passion to the visual arts.

Upcoming tours: Pages 19, 31 & 34

Upcoming tours: Pages 20, 21, 32, 37, 61, 63 & 64

Dr RosAMUND Bartlett Is a cultural historian with a deep knowledge of western history and music.

Upcoming tours: Page 47

Royna McNamara Is a musician, educator & conductor.

She has a passion for travel and has spent extended periods of time working and travelling in Spain and Italy.

Upcoming tours: Page 50

Sue Rollin

Thomas Abbott

Holds degrees in Near Eastern history and archaeology, South Asian studies and interpreting. Sue has led tours in India, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Holds a degree in art history, specialising in the architecture of Berlin, the art of 18th-century Germany and the Bauhaus.

He has led many tours in Germany.

Upcoming tours: Page 78

Upcoming tours: Page 39

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

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Tour Themes

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Each of our tours is specifically designed around a distinctive historical, artistic or cultural theme, allowing you to explore your passion for archaeology, music, painting, design or landscape. Use the symbols listed on each page as an easy reference to find a tour that’s right for you.

Archaeology & Ancient History

Music & Theatre

Fine Arts & Design

Qualified and experienced archaeologists design and lead our in-depth surveys of ancient cultures and pre-historic sites around the Mediterranean, Middle East & North Africa and in Central Asia.

Enjoy great seats to opera and orchestral music in the grand theatres of London, the United States and Europe, or catch the latest Broadway plays on our carefully curated performing-arts tours.

From Renaissance masterpieces to the contemporary scene, indulge your passion for the visual arts on our fine art and design themed tours, exploring both masterpieces from the past and cutting-edge contemporary.

Garden Tours

Residential Tours

SMALL SHIP TOURS

Delight your senses as history, landscape and design come together on our select range of garden tours to the UK and Europe, covering everything from Renaissance villas to 20th-century creations.

Unpack your bags and get to know the world’s great cities in depth on our residential tours. Extended stays in cities such as Rome, Paris, Venice, New York, London and Berlin.

Our land+cruise itineraries combine overland travel with a 6-9 night cruise on a select range of comfortable 40-90 berth ships. We only select cruise itineraries with a strong historical or artistic component.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Itineraries, Bookings & Airfares

Client services team

Each of our tours has a dedicated, professional consultant who will manage all aspects of your booking.

We can organise your international flights, additional travel before or after your tour, private airport transfers and travel insurance. Your consultant is your one-stop point of reference for all matters relating to your travel.

If you are interested in a tour, get in touch with one of our consultants below on 02 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 outside of Sydney.

Fitness Requirements

We have assigned a star grading to each tour to give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required for participation. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring.

Grade one

Grade One tours are appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility. You should be able to participate comfortably in up to three hours of physical activity per day on most days.

Grade two Lynsey Martin

Groups administrator lynsey@academytravel.com.au

Hannah Kleboe

Groups travel manager hannah@academytravel.com.au

Kathy Wardrop

Groups travel manager kathy@academytravel.com.au

Jamal Fairbrother

Groups travel manager jamal@academytravel.com.au

Grade Two tours are designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including challenging archaeological sites and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights.

Grade three

Grade Three tours are our most physically demanding. To participate on these tours, you should be able to comfortably undertake in up to seven hours of physical activity per day, over several days.

TOUR Booking process

We’ve tempted you with one of our tours, so what happens next?

Detailed itineraries

For each tour, we publish a detailed itinerary providing day-by-day descriptions of the tour program and other important information. This is published 12 months before departure.

Booking on a tour

Each person booking on a tour must complete and sign a booking form and send it to us together with a deposit of $500. Booking forms can be downloaded from our website, or you can book online at academytravel.com.au

Welcome letter and updates

Once we have received your booking, we will send you a letter confirming all details of your booking and any special requests. We will keep you updated on other matters as they arise.

Pre-departure

About a month before your tour begins we’ll send you a comprehensive package with your travel documents, tour notes and practical information.

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, you will find a number of our itineraries challenging.

Grade Three tours are unsuitable for travellers more than 80 years old, unless you are exceptionally fit. We ask travellers more than 80 years old to contact Academy Travel before submitting a booking form, so that we can outline the physical requirements of the tour.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

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Why we Choose to travel with Academy travel...

“We have been friends since our teens and frequent travel companions ever since. Our shared love of travel has taken us to many parts of the world, mostly under our own steam.

Ten years ago, after researching how to get the most out of a visit to Pompeii, we decided that this fascinating site would best be appreciated as part of a specialist group tour. Luckily for us we discovered Academy Travel and its Bay of Naples tour and we haven’t looked back since.

The qualities we enjoyed on that first trip have been maintained on all our subsequent tours with Academy Travel: amazingly knowledgeable tour leaders who bring the history to life with well-timed talks, the provision of excellent dining experiences (a memorable seafood meal on the island of Ischia has yet to be beaten) and fantastic boutique hotels located in the heart of the cities.

Travelling with a friend on an Academy Travel tour has many advantages. The twin rooms have always been of good size, you have someone to share the moment with then later reminisce about those wonderful sights, memorable meals and, of course, the ongoing interest in the places you have been. We are hooked!”

Diane Augee and Julie Lawrence.

Since 2007, Diane and Julie have enjoyed five tours with Academy Travel.

Academy Travellers Diane Augee and Julie Lawrence at Villa Balbianello, overlooking Lake Como, Italy.

Tours to Italy Academy Travel began by offering small-group cultural tours to Italy, and these remain a cornerstone of our operations. Our most popular itineraries include Sicily, Puglia to Pompeii and across northern Italy – all difficult to access for the independent traveller. Equally sought-after are our in-depth ‘residential’ visits to Rome, Venice and Florence, which offer an unrivalled chance to get to know these major centres of history, art and architecture.

The Doge’s Palace, Venice

FIND OUT MORE

Art Cities of Tuscany Pisa, Siena & Florence

$6,980 pp, twin share $1,240 single supplement

January 7-21, 2019

Experience • The art and culture of medieval Tuscany, far beyond what most tourists see • Tuscany’s glorious small towns, villages, monasteries and villas – each one different from the other, each one beautiful, atmospheric and compelling • Renaissance masterworks by Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Botticelli • Tuscany beyond Florence, from Pisa’s maritime excellence to Siena’s Gothic glories • The rise of the Medici in Florence, their power and enduring artistic legacy • Regional diversity in landscape, gastronomy, art and architecture

FIND OUT MORE

Overview Travellers flock to the cities and towns of Tuscany to admire the world’s greatest concentration of medieval and Renaissance art, but rarely devote sufficient time to fully appreciate its technical brilliance and intellectual richness. Unpack your bags and enjoy longer stays in Pisa, Siena and Florence on this new 15-day tour exploring the region’s economic and cultural flowering in the Middle Ages, and its rise to European super-power with the Medici. Tuscany’s simple, seasonal cuisine is at its best in winter, when there are also fewer visitors and the weather is generally mild.

Highlights > World-class art in Florence’s Uffizi and Accademia, Siena’s Pinacoteca and Pisa’s spectacular Museo di San Matteo > Beautiful villages and atmospheric abbeys, from Lucca and San Gimignano to San Galgano and Monte Oliveto Maggiore > Explore the careers of major Renaissance artists: Piero della Francesca in Arezzo, Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel, Filippo Lippi in Prato > Elegant Siena: time to shop and enjoy the evening passeggiata over four nights > Savour Tuscany without the tourist hordes: winter cuisine, wine tastings in stunning contemporary settings, uncrowded museums

Your tour leader

Dr Kathleen Olive “Kathleen Olive does a great job – so knowledgeable, so experienced, considerate, generous and fun to be with.” – Masterpieces of Florence and Rome, January 2017.

Getting there Qatar Airways and Emirates offer flights into cities suitable for this tour. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Explore Pisa. Day trip to Lucca.

Days 4–7: Visit Volterra and San Gimignano.

Discover Siena’s art and architecture, atmospheric abbeys at San Galgano and Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Renaissance Pienza.

Day 8: Investigate Piero della Francesca in Arezzo.

Days 9–11: Contemplate Florentine sculpture from the Middle Ages to Renaissance. Follow the rise of the Medici in San Lorenzo and San Marco. Enjoy day trips to Prato and Pistoia.

Days 12–15: Admire world-class art in Florence’s Uffizi and Accademia. Survey Fiesole’s Etruscan and Roman heritage. Enjoy Tuscany’s resurgence at a stunning contemporary winery.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Pistoia Prato

Lucca

Fiesole Florence (7)

Pisa (3) Bargino

San Gimignano Arezzo Volterra

ITALY

Siena (4)

Pienza

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Sicily

Siracusa, Agrigento & Palermo $6,450 pp, twin share $1,150 single supplement

January 17-29, 2019

Discover

FIND OUT MORE

• The history, art and architecture of Sicily, showcasing more than 3,000 years of Mediterranean civilisation • The island’s rich classical heritage at some of Europe’s best preserved Greek and Roman archaeological sites • Palermo’s extraordinary history, where medieval Arab and Norman rule is seen today in distinctive art and architecture • Varied and dramatic landscapes, from active volcanoes to rugged seaside cliffs and pristine coastlines • The benefits of low-season travel, with fewer visitors and mild weather

Overview Sicily has been one of the most sought-after places in the Mediterranean. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards have each settled here, making it one of the most culturally dense and diverse regions of modern Italy. The setting for this long and distinctive history is unmatched – the towering volcano of Mount Etna, rolling hillsides in the interior and the dramatic coastline. Discover the beauty, history and culture of Sicily – from ancient cities and Greek temples, to Norman mosaics and elegant baroque towns – on this new 13-day tour, timed to take advantage of low-season visitor numbers and mild weather.

Your tour leader

Dr Jeni Ryde “Jeni Ryde was a most enthusiastic and caring leader. She always ensured that we knew where we were by providing appropriate maps. She also made useful suggestions for activities in our spare time.” – Grand Tour of Spain, April 2017.

Getting there Emirates offers the best connections to Rome. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Exceptionally well-preserved Greek and Roman archaeological sites in Siracusa, Agrigento and Taormina > The exuberant ‘Sicilian Baroque’ architecture of Siracusa and Noto > Delightful 4th-century mosaics in the palatial Roman villa at Piazza Armerina > Agrigento’s ‘Valley of the Temples,’ including some of the world’s finest surviving examples of Greek architecture > The remarkable medieval Arab-Norman architecture of Palermo > UNESCO World Heritage-listed mosaics in Monreale and in Palermo’s Palatine Chapel

Itinerary Palermo (6) Segesta Cefalu

Sicily

Taormina Catania

Agrigento (1)

Ragusa

Siracusa (5) Noto

14

Days 1–5: Take a group flight from Rome. Arrive in Siracusa; tour the remarkable archaeological park and museum, and admire striking baroque architecture here and in nearby Noto and Ragusa.

Take day trips to Taormina and Catania. Enjoy a Nero d’Avola wine tasting.

Day 6: Travel to Agrigento to survey the impressive Greek temples, with an excursion to the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina to admire the well-preserved mosaics.

Days 7–13: The tour ends in Palermo, exploring the city’s fascinating heritage and enjoying visits to Monreale cathedral, the Norman Palace and its Palatine Chapel. Take day trips to Cefalù, Segesta and Marsala.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Puglia to Pompeii Classical Southern Italy March 21 – April 6, 2019 October 17 – November 1, 2019

$8,370 pp, twin share $1,750 single supplement

Explore • The history and classical archaeology of southern Italy, from the Greek colonists at Paestum to the Romans at Pompeii and Herculaneum • Thousands of years of foreign rule and cultural influence, from the Arabs and Normans in the Middle Ages, to the Aragonese, Spanish and Bourbons in the modern era • Stunning natural beauty, from rugged mountain ranges to dazzling Mediterranean coastlines • The prized regional culinary traditions of southern Italy

MORE MAR/APR MORE OCT/NOV

Overview Take ‘the road less travelled’ through Puglia and Basilicata and on to the stunning scenery and renowned archaeological sites of the Bay of Naples. This tour begins with the fascinating history of southern Italy, from the cave-dwelling people of Matera to ancient Greek colonies, Norman castles and cathedrals, and elegant Southern Baroque architecture in Lecce. It then continues to the Bay of Naples, justly lauded in antiquity for its superb scenery and relaxed lifestyle, and today a wonderland of art and archaeology, from Pompeii and Herculaneum to Caravaggio and his followers.

Highlights > The medieval castles and cathedrals of Puglia, built by Norman and German rulers > The battlefield of Cannae, where Hannibal defeated the Romans in 216 BC > The unique ‘sassi’ cave dwellings in the ancient city of Matera, one of Italy’s most remote cities > The hidden artistic and architectural gems of Naples, seen by relatively few tourists > Europe’s premier archaeological sites, including Paestum, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis > Capodimonte, the Bourbon royal palace housing a remarkable collection of fine art

Your tour leader

Dr Estelle Lazer “I cannot say strongly enough how much we learned from Estelle. She worked so hard to make the tour a success.” – Sicily & the Aeolian Islands, Oct 2017.

Getting there Emirates offers the best connections to Rome. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Take a group flight from Rome. Arrive in Lecce, explore the town, Otranto and Brindisi.

Days 4–5: Tour Taranto, see the ‘sassi’ of Matera.

Days 6–8: In Trani, visit Roman and medieval sites and sections of the Appian Way. Days 9–11: Travel to Vietri sul Mare and spend a day at Paestum. Drive part of the Amalfi Coast to the hill-top town of Ravello.

Days 12–16/17: Explore the city of Naples, including the National Archaeological Museum.

Visit key archaeological sites at Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis, as well as Capodimonte.

Optional post-tour extension to Capri and Amalfi.

Italy Rome

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Trani (3) Naples (5) Vietri sul Mare (3)

Brindisi Matera (2) Paestum

Lecce (3)

15

Venice

City, Republic & Empire $7,730 pp, twin share $1,960 single supplement

March 27 – April 10, 2019

Explore

FIND OUT MORE

• The history of Venice and its key role in the Mediterranean during the Crusades and the Renaissance • The unique art and architecture of Venice, visiting centuries-old sites and world-class museums • The all-important and allencompassing relationship between Venice and the sea • The excellent food and wine of the Veneto region, from sparkling prosecco to excellent seafood • The Renaissance architecture of Andrea Palladio, from Venice to Vicenza

Overview Unpack your bags for 15 days and discover the city that ruled the Mediterranean for 1,000 years. From a family-run four-star hotel just a few minutes from St Mark’s Square, this tour explores the art, history and culture of Venice, and uncovers the depth of Venice’s influence with day trips to Ravenna, Padua and the Palladian villas of the Veneto. The tour also takes in quiet lagoon islands, including Byzantine Torcello and Armenian San Lazzaro, and dines at some of Venice’s best restaurants. The off-season travel period means fewer crowds and cruise ships.

Your tour leader

Robert Veel “This was our second tour under Robert’s leadership and, once again, he did not disappoint. His knowledge of Italian art, architecture, culture and history is well renowned. This combined with his charm and ease of interaction with all tour members made this tour a memorable experience.” – Lakes & Villas of Northern Italy, May 2018.

Getting there Emirates has daily flights from most Australian cities to Venice, via Dubai.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > A legendary lunch at Locanda Cipriani on the island of Torcello > Glittering 5th and 6th-century mosaics in Ravenna, echoes of the Ostrogoths and of Byzantium > The baroque surrounds of opera at Venice’s rebuilt La Fenice > The colours of Carpaccio, Bellini, Titian and Veronese in palaces and churches > The most complete cycle of Giotto’s work, in Padua’s Scrovegni Chapel > Outstanding contemporary art at the Ca’ d’Oro and the Punta della Dogana > Harmonious Palladian villas of the Renaissance in and around Vicenza

Connect this tour with xx on page xx

Itinerary Vicenza Venice (14) Padua

ITALY Ravenna

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Days 1–3: Orient yourself with a trip around the lagoon, to Burano and Torcello, and visits to key state history museums.

Day 4: Day trip to Ravenna.

Day 5: Explore medieval and early Renaissance Venice – the world of the merchants and Crusades.

Day 6: Day trip to Padua.

Days 7–10: Tour the Ghetto’s synagogues, admire fine art in the Accademia, Frari and Scuola di San Rocco. Baroque exuberance in fine house museums.

Day 11: Day trip to Vicenza and Palladio’s villas.

Days 12–15: Modern art at the Guggenheim, glass on Murano. The islands of San Lazzaro and San Giorgio Maggiore.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Sicily & the Aeolian Islands

Jewels of the Mediterranean March 29 – April 14, 2019 September 20 – October 6, 2019

$8,870 pp, twin share $1,680 single supplement

Discover • The thriving colonies of the ancient Greek world – wealthy, cultured centres of literature and art • Ancient Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman societies, and their struggle to control the Mediterranean • The lasting legacy of medieval Arab and Norman rule, expressed in the impressive mosaics and architecture of Palermo • The distinctive period of Sicilian Baroque architecture • Dramatic countryside, including active volcanoes and rugged limestone cliffs • The natural beauty and traditional lifestyle of the Aeolian Islands

MORE MAR/APR MORE SEP/OCT

Overview Sicily and the Aeolian Islands have a remarkable history and culture that is a blend of Mediterranean civilisations. From the well-preserved remains of Greek and Roman cities and temples, to Norman cathedrals with fine Byzantine mosaics and Arab-influenced cuisine, the island’s unique and varied history is tangible. This 17-day tour has been designed to give the first-time visitor an overview of Sicily’s diverse and fascinating past, its art and traditions, and shows how the extraordinary landscape – volcanoes, rugged coastlines and the jewel-like sea – has shaped the island’s vibrant history and culture.

Highlights > A scenic private boat trip of the Aeolian Islands, from Lipari to Stromboli and Panarea > Outstanding archaeological museums in Siracusa, Agrigento and Lipari > The Sicilian Baroque architecture of Noto and Ragusa that evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries > The exceptionally well-preserved 4th-century mosaics in the imperial Roman villa at Piazza Armerina > The UNESCO World Heritage-listed mosaics in the cathedral of Monreale and Palatine Chapel in Palermo, undertaken by Byzantine masters for their Norman rulers > An excursion to the summit of Mt Etna

Your tour leaders

Gerald Deslandes (March) Gerald joins our program in 2019.

Gerald is a former curator and cultural historian.

Dr Kathleen Olive (September) “The tour was excellent and had a good variety to the schedule.

Kathleen is an exceptional tour leader and her knowledge is second to none.

Brilliant.” – Rome to Turin, October 2017.

Getting there Emirates offers the best connections to Rome. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Group flight from Rome to Siracusa; tour archaeological sites and the old town.

Days 5–6: Travel to the Greek temples at Agrigento via the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina.

Days 7–10: Explore the capital Palermo, including Monreale, the Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel.

Visit the tiny island of Mozia.

Days 11–13: Continue on to Cefalù en route to the Aeolian Islands. Take a private boat trip from Lipari to Stromboli and Panarea.

Days 14–17: From Taormina visit the Greco-Roman theatre and Mount Etna, before taking a group flight to Rome.

Optional pre-tour extension to Malta.

Stromboli Lipari Islands (3) (Aeolian Islands) Palermo (4) Messina

Segesta Selinunte

Cefalu

Sicily

Mt Etna

Taormina (3)

Piazza Armerina Catania

Agrigento (2)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Ragusa

Siracusa (4) Noto

17

The City of Rome Easter in the eternal city

$6,670 pp, twin share $1,690 single supplement

April 16-26, 2019

Experience

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• 2,500 years of Western civilisation, a ‘living museum’ on display in the streets, piazze and palazzi of Rome • The complex legacy of ancient Rome in history and culture, especially from the Renaissance to the 20th century • Little-visited but wonderful sites tucked away in the heart of the city • La dolce vita: fine dining, excellent local trattorie, a symphony concert or opera • The masters of the Eternal City, from emperors and popes to Caravaggio and Bernini

Overview Rome is a city of unique character and charm, and well worth an extended visit. Historic sites, stretching from Etruscan pre-history to the 21st century, are set among the ageless laneways and piazze of the old city. Our 11-day tour begins with ancient Rome, source of the city’s pride and traditions. We then explore the pivotal medieval, Renaissance and baroque periods, brimming with fine art and architecture by masters such as Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, before turning our attention to impressive 20th- and 21st-century sites.

Accommodation is in the perfectly located four-star Hotel Ponte Sisto.

Your tour leader

Robert Veel “Our tour leader Robert Veel was humorous, very knowledgeable and had an attention to detail that was quite exemplary. He was quite meticulous and extremely well organised. One of the best tour leaders I’ve ever had the pleasure of travelling with.” – Palermo and Naples, January 2018.

Getting there Emirates has daily flights from most cities in Australia to Rome. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Private evening visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel > Walking tours and gallery visits, exploring Rome from its earliest days to today > A full day surveying the remarkable art of Caravaggio > Visits to difficult-to-access sites, such as the home and studio of 20th-century artist Giorgio de Chirico and the Domus Aurea > Discover distinctive neighbourhoods, including Trastevere, the Spanish Steps and the Ghetto > A day trip to Tivoli, visiting the splendid gardens of the Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa

Itinerary Galleria Borghese

Spanish Steps Vatican City Piazza Navona

Pantheon

Hotel Ponte Sisto Capitoline Museum Trastevere

ROME 10 nights

18

Tivoli

Days 1–3: Explore ancient Rome, from the Etruscans to the age of Constantine, with walking tours and visits to museums.

Days 4–5: Discover the gems of the Renaissance and baroque city, from Bramante’s Tempietto and Raphael’s frescoes in the Villa Farnesina, to the playful architecture of Bernini and Borromini.

Days 6–8: Enjoy a day trip to Tivoli, visits to special exhibitions, and a full day examining the works of Caravaggio in the city and at the Galleria Borghese.

Days 9–11: Get to know modern Rome. Visit the Forum and experience a private visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

$8,670 pp, twin share $1,940 single supplement

Lakes & Villas of Northern Italy April 25 – May 9, 2019

Enjoy • Italy’s genius for art and architecture in spectacular lakeside and country sites • The sheer range of art and history in northern Italy, from medieval towns to villas and 21st-century estates • Some of the world’s most beautiful gardens still in private hands • Palladio’s finest Renaissance villas, from Villa Emo to Villa Capra “La Rotonda” and Villa Barbaro • The stunning colours and landscapes of pre-alpine Italy • The best of northern Italy’s regional cuisines, famous for prosciutto, parmigiano and prosecco

FIND OUT MORE

Overview The villas and gardens of the Italian lakes are as spectacular as the alpine landscape surrounding them. This 15-day tour visits many of the finest villas and gardens of northern Italy, from the shores of Lake Como to the foothills of the Apennines, with its medieval towns and contemporary villas, and on to the Veneto to admire the Renaissance country houses of Andrea Palladio. The tour concludes on Lake Maggiore, best known for the baroque splendour of Isola Bella, and enjoy the lakes, villas and gastronomy of the region at a gentle pace.

Highlights > The villas and gardens of Lake Como in bloom: Villa Melzi, Villa Carlotta and Villa Balbianello > Bergamo and Asolo: beautiful medieval hill towns with surprising histories > Elegant Verona, the historic Giusti Gardens and a private visit to Villa Arvedi, still the home of the Counts of Arvedi > The fascinating towns of Lake Garda and tranquil Lake Orta > Excellent regional cuisine and wine, including lunches in country restaurants, at Villa d’Este and in scenic Valdobbiadene, home of prosecco > The Borromean Islands: baroque masterpieces on Lake Maggiore

Your tour leader

Michael Turner “Michael Turner led a very compatible group of travellers, everyone being enthusiastic every day. Northern Italy with its lakes, villas and hill towns is very beautiful and tranquil. The preservation of its history is mind blowing, Italy with its rich countryside is hard to beat. A fabulous trip, thank you!” – Lakes & Villas of Northern Italy, May 2018.

Getting there Emirates offers the best connections to Milan. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Arrive in Bellagio and explore Lake Como by boat, visiting the 18th and 19th-century estates of Villa Balbianello and Villa Melzi, with lunch at the Villa d’Este. Day trip to Bergamo.

Days 5–6: From Cremona, explore the hill towns and medieval castles of Emilia-Romagna.

Days 7–9: Visit Vicenza en route to Asolo. Admire Palladio’s country houses, palaces and theatre.

Days 10–11: Explore refined Verona and picturesque Bassano del Grappa.

Days 12–15: Travel to Stresa via Lake Garda.

Experience the extraordinary villas and gardens of Lake Maggiore and enjoy the tranquillity of undiscovered Lake Orta.

switzerland ITALY Stresa (3)

Lake Como Asolo (3) Bellagio (4)

Lake Maggiore

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Milan

Verona (2)

Lake Garda

Vicenza

Cremona (2)

19

The Venice Biennale Modern & contemporary art

$5,730 pp, twin share $1,640 single supplement

June 5-13, 2019

Experience

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• The remarkable world of contemporary art by leading artists from around the globe, at the world’s largest and oldest art fair • The less well-known sites of Venice and its surrounds: quiet islands, hidden gems and Roman ruins • Stunning new modern art spaces in Rovereto, showcasing Italian and international art • The backstreets of Venice, home to unofficial exhibitions and performances • The renowned architecture of Venice, including the Arsenale – only open to the public during the Biennale

Overview The Venice Biennale is the world’s oldest, largest and most prestigious contemporary art fair.

Many of the fine Renaissance palaces of Venice, usually closed to the public, open as centres of modern and contemporary art for its duration. We explore the 2019 Biennale over nine days from our quiet hotel in the heart of the city, interspersing these visits with trips to Venice’s modern and contemporary galleries and some of the less well-known historic sites and galleries in the region, such as the Roman city of Aquileia and MART, a stunning art gallery at Rovereto.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Getting there

> Well-paced visits to the Biennale’s exhibitions, in the historic Giardini and Arsenale and in palaces throughout the city > Visits to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Ca’ Pesaro in Venice > Day trips to two of northern Italy’s best new modern art galleries in the alpine town of Rovereto, and to the World Heritage-listed Roman ruins and mosaics at Aquileia > The tranquil islands of San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Torcello, where we enjoy a meal at Locanda Cipriani > The best of today’s international contemporary art in one place > The excellent food and wine of the Veneto region

Dr Nick Gordon “The tour to the Venice Biennale was everything we hoped for and more – loved the accommodation, its convenience etc. – I found everyone helpful.

Nick was always approachable, kind and informative.” – Venice Biennale, August 2017.

Emirates offers good connections to Venice from Australian airports. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

See also Art Basel, Alsace & the Black Forest on page 32

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

To Rovereto, Aquileia and Grado

To Torcello

Grand Canal Rialto Bridge Giardini Arsenale Peggy Guggenheim San Giorgio Maggiore

St. Mark's Square

VENICE 8 nights

San Lazzaro degli Armeni

20

Connect this tour with xx on page xx

Days 1–3: Settle in to our hotel in central Venice; explore the national pavilions located in the Biennale Giardini, an open park with architecture

by Alvar Aalto, Josef Hoffmann and Carlo Scarpa, and in the Arsenale, the historic shipyards of Venice.

Days 4–6: Visit Rovereto, an alpine town with excellent new galleries, and the Roman ruins at Aquileia. See hidden gems of Renaissance art in Venice and explore the Biennale’s numerous collateral exhibitions and unofficial events.

Days 7–8: Continue with the Biennale and visit Venice’s modern and contemporary galleries; enjoy lunch at the legendary Locanda Cipriani on Torcello.

Day 9: Depart Venice in the morning.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

$5,840 pp, twin share $1,610 single supplement

The Venice Biennale & Film Festival August 29 – September 6, 2019

Enjoy • The Venice International Film Festival, the oldest and one of the most prestigious events of its kind • The remarkable world of contemporary art by leading artists from around the globe • The history of Venice from its commercial origins to the birth of the modern “Art City” • The less well-known sites of Venice: quiet islands, hidden gems and charming palaces • The Regata Storica – historical pageantry and the annual gondola race along the Grand Canal

FIND OUT MORE

Overview During the Biennale, the fine Renaissance palaces of Venice open as centres of modern and contemporary art, showcasing many of the world’s best artists in a kind of ‘Art Olympics’.

We explore the 2019 Biennale from our quiet hotel in the heart of the city, exploring art exhibitions by day and visiting the International Film Festival in the evening. The tour also coincides with Venice’s annual gondola race along the Grand Canal – an event by and for Venetians – and is rounded out with fine dining, Venice’s less-visited gems and tranquil islands.

Highlights

Connect this tour with xx on page xx

> The best of today’s art in one extraordinary city, including visits to the Giardini Biennale, Arsenale, and exhibitions in historic buildings throughout the city > Excellent modern art collections, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Ca’ Pesaro > Four evenings at the Venice Film Festival, arriving in style by private launch > Tranquil lagoon islands, including lunch at Torcello’s legendary Locanda Cipriani > The glorious pageantry of Venice, a stage for social performance from the Middle Ages to today > Special exhibitions and retrospectives coinciding with the Biennale

Your tour leader

Dr Nick Gordon “Nick was a great tour leader – knowledgeable, professional, easygoing, tolerant and helpful.”

– Venice Biennale & Film Festival, September 2017.

Getting there Emirates offers the best connections to and from Venice. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Settle in to our hotel in central Venice, explore the national pavilions in the Giardini Biennale and Arsenale, visit the best exhibitions throughout the city, and visit the Venice Film Festival.

Days 4–6: Witness the Regata Storica; visit special exhibitions timed to coincide with the Biennale; take in films in competition at the Film Festival; and discover Venice’s less-visited gems, including San Lazzaro degli Armeni.

Days 7–9: Continue exploring the Biennale, Film Festival and Venice’s modern and contemporary galleries. Visit Torcello, one of the oldest settlements in the lagoon, and enjoy lunch at Locanda Cipriani.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

To Torcello

Grand Canal Hotel Al Codega St. Mark's Square

Rialto Bridge

Giardini Arsenale Peggy Guggenheim San Giorgio Maggiore

VENICE 8 nights

San Lazzaro degli Armeni Lido

21

Malta & Sicily

Aboard the Sea Cloud II $12,750 pp, twin share $5,900 single supplement

September 23 – October 9, 2019

Discover

FIND OUT MORE

Overview Academy Travel is proud to offer a tour that explores the islands of the Mediterranean in style, featuring a seven-day cruise on the luxury 50-cabin sailing yacht Sea Cloud II. As well as the ancient sites, travellers will encounter masterpieces of medieval Arab, Norman and Byzantine society and the exuberant baroque art and architecture of later periods. All this takes place in a setting of remarkable beauty – the spare, rocky shores of Malta, the dramatic mountains and volcanoes of Sicily and the countless bays and cliffs of the coastline.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Getting there

> Cruising for six nights aboard Sea Cloud II, a very different experience to mainstream cruising, with outstanding service, fine food and wine > Exploring the city-fortress of Valletta, constructed by the Knights of St John > Touring the Neolithic temple complex at Tarxien and the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum > Caravaggio’s paintings in Malta and Sicily > Sailing around the volcanoes of Stromboli and Vulcano, viewing active eruptions > Outstanding archaeological museums in Siracusa and Agrigento > The UNESCO World Heritage mosaics of Monreale and the Palatine Chapel in Palermo

Robert Veel “A particular highlight for me was the Sea Cloud II, which was truly magnificent in my opinion. Robert was truly professional as our tour leader.

He was simply outstanding.” – Malta & Sicily aboard Sea Cloud II, October 2017.

Emirates offer flights direct to Malta and home from Rome. It is also possible to travel via many major European cities to Malta.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

• The complex web of European and eastern influences that have created the unique and distinctive cultures of Malta and Sicily • The 5,000-year-old prehistoric civilizations on Malta • The flourishing colonies of the ancient Greek world on Sicily – wealthy, cultured centres of literature and art • The multi-ethnic kingdom of the Norman rulers of Sicily • The active volcanoes and stunning landscapes of Etna and the Aeolian Islands

The Sea Cloud II The Sea Cloud II is a luxurious 3-masted barque, traditionally crafted in teak, but with modern features. White cloth sails and understated elegance create a unique environment that is at once nostalgic and luxurious. Although most of the journey takes place under motor, on some days the crew climb the rigging to set the square sails and jibs and you experience the thrill of ocean yachting.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Lipari

Trapani

Palermo (3)

Taormina

Sicily Agrigento (1) (6)

Valletta (4)

Malta 22

Siracusa (2)

Days 1–5: Arrive in Valletta and tour Malta’s main sites, including the Neolithic complex of Tarxien and the medieval walled town of Mdina.

Days 5–11: Six-night cruise on Sea Cloud II, disembarking in Siracusa. Ports-of-call include Trapani, Palermo, Lipari and Taormina, plus a full day at sea.

Days 11–12: Explore Siracusa’s archaeological sites and baroque architecture.

Days 13–14: Travel to Agrigento’s Greek temples via the spectacular Roman villa at Piazza Armerina.

Days 15–17: Explore Palermo, including stunning mosaics in Monreale and the Palatine Chapel, and breathtaking stucco oratories.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Tours to Europe Our range of cultural tours to Europe is designed to explore the history, art and architecture of the continent in a way that is more relaxed than most Europe trips, but at the same time offering depth and focus. We offer broad survey tours through Spain, Germany, France, Central Europe and Scandinavia, as well as more specialised explorations of Portugal, Berlin, Moscow and St Petersburg and the gardens of England.

Gaudí’s Casa Batlló, Barcelona

FIND OUT MORE

Winter in Moscow & St Petersburg

$10,795 pp, twin share $1,675 single supplement

January 6-20, 2019

Get to know

FIND OUT MORE

• The significance of winter in Russian culture, from Orthodox Christmas to cityscapes immortalised by Russia’s literary giants • Russia’s incredible history from imperial power, to revolution and beyond • Vast repositories of fine and decorative arts in Russia’s diverse array of museums and galleries • Rivalry with the West: from the tsars to distinctively Russian movements in modern and contemporary art • The art of the palace: from the might of the Kremlin to Catherine the Great’s country retreats

Overview Winter has a special place in Russian culture, permeating its literature, performing arts and national story of triumph through hardship. This new 15-day tour explores the incredible wealth of culture, history and art in St Petersburg and Moscow at a time of year that brings quintessential elements of Russian culture to the fore. Experience Russia at its most magnificent, from the palaces of Catherine the Great, to superb fine and decorative art collections, including the Hermitage, Fabergé Museum and Tretyakov Gallery, and its cuttingedge contemporary and performing arts scene.

Your tour leader

Michael Carr Michael joins our program in 2019.

He has Honours in Art and Law from ANU and over 20 years’ experience as an art collector and historian, previously opening a art dealership in Moscow.

Getting there Emirates has daily flights to Moscow and returning from St Petersburg. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Marvel at the treasures housed in the State Armoury and Diamond Fund > Orthodox Christmas and the joy of the festive season > Cathedrals of the Kremlin, site of the coronation and funeral processions of the Tsars > A private tour with a curator through the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art > Masterpieces of Russian and European art at the Tretyakov Gallery > Art and architecture in St Petersburg, including the Hermitage, Fabergé Museum and the Yusupov Palace > The magnificent palaces of Catherine the Great

Itinerary

Peterhof

St Petersburg (7) Pushkin

RUSSIA

Moscow (7)

24

Kuskovo

Day 1: Arrive into Moscow.

Days 2–3: Tour Red Square. Admire the decorated Metro stations and wander through Gorky Park.

Day 4: Day trip to Kuskovo Park and Estate and Pushkin Galleries.

Days 5–7: See the Tretyakov collections, Kremlin, State Armoury and Diamond Fund. Visit the Tolstoy House Museum and Novodevichy Convent.

Day 8: Travel by fast train to St Petersburg.

Days 9–11: Explore St Petersburg’s extraordinary landmarks, cathedrals, palaces and museums, including a full day at the Hermitage.

Days 12–15: Day trips to Catherine’s palaces at Pushkin, Pavlovsk Park and Oranienbaum.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Sardinia & Corsica

From the Stone Age to Napoleon

March 29 – April 13, 2019 October 11-26, 2019

$8,450 pp, twin share $1,850 single supplement

Explore • The history of these Mediterranean islands, whose diverse landscapes, cultures and past belie their proximity • Remarkable archaeology, offering fascinating evidence of prehistoric and classical civilisation • The influence of Pisa, Genoa and Catalonia, medieval maritime empires whose presence remains in Romanesque architecture and modern notions of independence • Evocative scenery, combining dramatic coastlines with sweeping dry interiors • Vibrant contemporary cultures that have remained defiantly independent

MORE MAR/APR MORE OCTOBER

Overview Sardinia and Corsica each have a unique history, stretching back 5,000 years. In spite of centuries of invasion and occupation, each island has maintained a distinctive culture, reflecting both their current status as part of modern Italy and France, and millennia of ancient and diverse Mediterranean influences. This tour showcases the very best of each island – from prehistoric archaeological sites, to Romanesque architecture, and the history of Napoleon – and explores how their history has been shaped by the superb mountainous landscapes and coastlines, living on in the distinctive cuisines and local traditions.

Highlights > Key Bronze Age and Roman sites in Sardinia, particularly Nuraghic towers, tombs and fortress-villages > Distinctive Pisan Romanesque architecture on both islands > Bonifacio, a citadel perched on southern Corsica’s precipitous limestone cliffs > Ajaccio, Napoleon’s birthplace, and the Musée Fesch, the extraordinary art collection acquired by his uncle > Scenic drives along Sardinia’s west coast and the high mountains of central Corsica, plus the Scandola Nature Reserve > The fresh and distinctive food and wine of the islands

Your tour leaders

Dr Jeni Ryde (March) “Jeni is outstanding. We particularly enjoyed Jeni’s surprises on tour.” – Puglia to Pompeii, March 2018.

Dr Kathleen Olive (October) “Kathleen – tour leader extraordinaire!

With your knowledge, insight and humour our visits to sights were enhanced – your sense of story a delight.” – Burgundy, Provence & The Riviera, June 2018.

Getting there Several airlines offer daily connections to Rome. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Group flight from Rome. Stay in the resort town of Pula, visit sites at Nora and Su Nuraxi.

Days 4–5: Travel to Santa Caterina, visit the Punic-Roman site Tharros.

Days 6–8: Explore Alghero’s Catalan influences, take a boat trip to the ‘Grotte di Nettuno’ and enjoy a wine tasting.

Days 9–10: Marvel at the Costa Smeralda on the way to the ferry for Corsica. Explore Bonifacio.

Days 11–13: Travel to Ajaccio via prehistoric Filitosa. Boat trip to the Scandola Nature Reserve.

Days 14–16: Admire vestiges of Pisan rule in the Romanesque architecture outside Bastia, a picturesque port.

Bastia (2)

Italy

Corsica

Ajaccio (3)

Rome

Bonifacio (2) Santa Teresa Gallura

Alghero (3)

SARDINIA

Santa Caterina di Pittinuri (2)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Cagliari Pula (3)

25

Grand Tour of Spain Granada to Barcelona March 31 – April 16, 2019 October 13-29, 2019

$8,980 pp, twin share $2,290 single supplement

Experience

MORE MAR/APR MORE OCTOBER

• The Moorish kingdoms of Andalucía in Spain’s south, a medieval by-word for sophistication, luxury and tolerance • Spain in the 16th century: from east to west, the most powerful empire on earth • The art of Renaissance and baroque Spain, including Velásquez, Titian, El Greco and Goya in the Prado • The excellent regional food and wine traditions of Spain • The distinctive culture and modernista art and architecture of Catalonia in Spain’s north, from Gaudí to Picasso

Overview Take a comprehensive tour of Spain and discover its fascinating history, art and traditions.

The tour begins by exploring Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla – great medieval cities whose cosmopolitanism is preserved in their Moorish architecture – and then travels forward in time to Madrid, capital of a unified Spain whose impressive palaces and museums reflect the power of an empire that once spanned the Atlantic. The tour concludes with three days in exuberant Barcelona, home to Spain’s finest modernist art and architecture. Dining in carefully selected restaurants throughout the tour showcases the outstanding culinary traditions of each region.

Your tour leaders

Highlights

Dr Jeni Ryde (September) “Tour great, tour leader Jeni great, and a lovely person. I would happily travel with Jeni again. Thank you!”

– Grand Tour of Spain, April 2017.

> The 13th-century Alhambra in Granada, a complex of palaces and water gardens > Cordoba’s renowned Mesquita (mosque), a blend of Visigothic and Islamic art > Visiting the mighty cathedral and wandering the lanes of Sevilla, the city of Carmen and Don Juan > The art collections of the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums in Madrid > Philip II’s monastery-palace of El Escorial, the epitome of Spanish imperial power > Segovia’s ancient Roman aqueduct, proudly dominating this historic town > Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família in Barcelona, in the context of his other works

Elena Ortega (March) Elena is Spanish-born but has lived in Australia since 1992. She has a passion for Fine Arts, European history and literature.

Getting there We recommend Emirates flights into Madrid or Barcelona, with connecting flights to Granada.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Barcelona (3)

spAIN Madrid (4)

Cordoba (3) Sevilla (3)

26

Granada (3)

Days 1–3: Discover Granada, from the Alhambra to the lime-washed alleyways of the Albaicín and Flemish art in the magnificent cathedral.

Days 4–6: In Cordoba, explore the Mesquita and Moorish sophistication at Medina Azahara.

Days 7–9: Three nights in Sevilla. Visit the Alcázar, dazzling seat of the Christian kings, and relax in atmospheric plazas.

Days 10–13: In Madrid, tour the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza, Philip II’s El Escorial and Segovia’s Roman acqueduct.

Days 14–17: Travel to Barcelona, centre of Catalonian art and culture, from the Romanesque at MNAC to Gaudí’s flourishing Modernisme.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

$8,975 pp, twin share $1,525 single supplement

Classical & bronze age Greece April 8-24, 2019

Discover • The extraordinary history of ancient Greece, preserved in its excellent museums • Icons of cultural achievement and their modern legacies: the Acropolis in Athens, Olympia and the Olympic Games • The fascinating Mycenaean civilisation, dating back to the 2nd millenium BC • Ancient legends and heroes and their stories: from the Delphic Oracle and King Agamemnon, to the Battle of Thermopylae • Spectacular landscapes and cultures of relaxation: Venetian Napflio and island life on Santorini’s volcanic caldera

FIND OUT MORE

Overview Explore ancient Greece and its incredible legacy on this 17-day tour. The tour begins in Athens, with guided visits of its iconic monuments and excellent museums, before travelling to the spiritual centres of Greek civilisation at Olympia and Delphi and delving into the history and archaeology of the classical period on the Peloponnese. The tour also steps back in time to the Aegean Bronze Age, entering the world of Mycenaean kings with their forbidding palaces and monumental burial sites on the mainland and at Santorini, where there is also time to enjoy island life.

Highlights > The incomparable museums, acropolis and agora of Athens > Ancient feats of engineering: Epidaurus’ well-preserved 4th-century BC theatre and the citadel of Tiryns > Mycenae’s iconic Lion Gate and the world of Agamemnon > Olympia’s legacy and the values that have carried through to the modern era > Mystical Delphi and its excellent museum, home to the most famous oracle in antiquity > Stunning Santorini, the perfect place to enjoy unique beaches, sunsets, museums and island villages

Your tour leader

Dr Jennifer Lawless Jennifer joins our program in 2019.

She has co-authored over ten books on ancient history that are widely used in senior history classes. Jennifer has been awarded a number of scholarships and awards for her writing and research, including a prestigious Churchill Fellowship.

Getting there Emirates and Etihad Airways have daily flights to Athens. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Arrive in Athens; visit the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum.

Days 4–7: Admire modern engineering at the Corinth canal and enjoy Venetian architecture in pretty Nafplio. Explore excellent archaeological sites at Epidaurus, Mycenae and Tiryns.

Days 8–9: At Olympia, survey the Temples of Zeus and Hera and take in the history of the games.

Days 10–11: Consult the oracle at Delphi, and visit the Persian War site of Thermopylae.

Days 12–14: Drive through Marathon and fly to Santorini, explore Minoan Akrotiri and Theran prehistory.

Days 15–17: Return to explore Athens.

GREECE

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Delphi (2)

Athens (5) Olympia (2) Nafplio (4)

Santorini (3)

27

Northern Spain & Portugal Bilbao to Lisbon

$9,120 pp, twin share $2,250 single supplement

April 19 – May 7, 2019

Experience

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• The history of Christian reconquest and pilgrimage along the Camino to Santiago de Compostela • Medieval architecture – shaped by pilgrims from France • Modern art and contemporary architecture in stunning locations • Inspiring landscapes: coastlines, lush river valleys and rugged mountains • The Age of Exploration and its legacy in Lisbon’s many layers of history and art • Celebrated regional cuisine: tapas, seafood and the fine wines of the Rioja and Rías Baixas regions

Overview Northern Spain and Portugal have distinctive cultures and preserve the keystones of Europe’s history. This 19-day tour explores these regions in depth, from the Romanesque chapels, cathedrals and cloisters in Castilla, León and Asturias that bear witness to the Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, to the devotion of pilgrims on the Camino, the Age of Exploration in Lisbon – once the centre of the world’s first global trading empire – and the modern revival epitomised by Bilbao’s stunning contemporary architecture. The tour is complemented by visits to premier wine regions and dining in some of Spain’s finest restaurants.

Your tour leader

Dr Jeni Ryde “Jeni Ryde is an excellent tour leader, very professional and helpful to all our group. A pleasure to travel with and we would be happy to travel with her again on another tour.” – Northern Spain & Portugal, April 2018.

Getting there We recommend flights with Emirates to Barcelona and from Lisbon, with connections to Bilbao. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Highlights > Frank Gehry’s extraordinary design at the Guggenheim in Bilbao > Wine-tasting at the avant-garde Bodega Ysios winery in the Rioja > The exquisite Romanesque and Gothic churches and cathedrals along the Camino > A mountain walk and lunch in the clear air of the majestic Picos de Europa in Asturias > Fine tapas in San Sebastián, and Spain’s most renowned seafood restaurant in Galicia > An exceptional range of museums and galleries in Lisbon > A visit to Sintra exploring exquisite palaces decorated with tiles

Fitness requirement Santiago de Compostela (3)

Itinerary

Oviedo (2) Leon (2)

Bilbao (3)

Burgos (2) Porto (2)

Portugal Lisbon (4)

28

spAIN

Days 1–3: In Bilbao, visit Gehry’s Guggenheim, the Museum of Fine Arts and San Sebastián.

Days 4–7: Explore the Rioja wine region, plus Burgos and León on the Camino trail: their Gothic cathedrals and Romanesque churches.

Days 8–10: Discover elegant Oviedo, walk its well preserved old town and sample the local cider.

Days 11–13: Arrive in spectacular Santiago de Compostela and enjoy seafood and wine in Rías Baixas.

Days 14–19: Travel to Portugal, with two nights in Porto and ample time in vibrant Lisbon, surveying leading art galleries and the Age of Exploration.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Berlin & Beyond

Berlin, Leipzig & Dresden

$7,250 pp, twin share $1,750 single supplement

May 2-15, 2019

Discover • Dynamic Berlin, one of Europe’s greatest and most troubled cultural capitals • Art-collecting in the Enlightenment, from Old Masters to antiquities of the highest importance • Modern Germany’s development into an internationally-acclaimed centre of contemporary art and design • A famous musical heritage • Berlin’s 20th-century history: Cold War neighbourhoods in the East and West • Renaissance Leipzig, Prussian Potsdam, and Dresden’s dramatic post-war rebirth

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Overview Berlin is one of the most interesting and diverse of all the great capitals of Europe, and is enjoying a major cultural renaissance. This two-week residential-style tour takes an in-depth look at Berlin, and the nearby cities of Potsdam, Dresden and Leipzig. The tour visits many of Berlin’s internationally renowned cultural institutions, enjoys fine performances in historic venues, and traces the history and development of Berlin from its earliest days through the glory days of the Prussian and German Empires, to the darker days of the 20th century and its rebirth after 1989.

Highlights > An extraordinary range of museums and art galleries, including Berlin’s Museum Island and Gemäldegalerie > Extended stays in Berlin, exploring historic neighbourhoods in the East and West > Rococo architecture and garden design at Frederick the Great’s Sanssouci Palace at Potsdam > Renaissance Leipzig’s old town, Goethe’s “little Paris”, and the scenic countryside surrounding it > Elegantly restored Dresden and the impressive art collections at the Zwinger Palace > Farewell meal atop the Reichstag with views across Berlin

Your tour leader

Christopher Menz “The tour leader was delightful and organised. Christopher Menz’s knowledge was exceptional.”

– ABR Munich to Berlin, June 2018.

Getting there Qatar Airways offers direct flights from Australia to Berlin. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–5: Arrive in Berlin, tour the city and cruise the Spree River to Charlottenburg Palace. Spend two days visiting Museum Island, explore Potsdam and see the world-class Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Days 6–7: Travel through the countryside to Leipzig to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and the Grassi Museum.

Days 8–9: In Dresden, tour the Old Masters Picture Gallery at the Zwinger Palace and admire the Pillnitz Palace.

Days 10–14: Return to Berlin and visit the Bauhaus Archive, New National Gallery, and the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum of Contemporary Art. Attend an opera and enjoy a farewell meal atop the Reichstag.

GERMANY

Berlin (9)

Potsdam

Leipzig (2)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Dresden (2)

29

High Art in the Low Countries BRUSSELS, BRUGES, DELFT & Amsterdam

$7,270 pp, twin share $1,580 single supplement

May 31 – June 12, 2019

Explore

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• More than five centuries of masterpieces, from Van Eyck to Rembrandt, Vermeer to Van Gogh • The dynamic culture of the Dutch Golden Age and its antecedents in Antwerp and Bruges • The historic towns of the region and their fascinating histories, including Haarlem, Leiden, Leuven and Ghent • Architecture from Gothic churches, to Renaissance townhouses and the birth of the Art Nouveau • The emergence of modern commerce at some of Europe’s most vibrant, wealthiest and cosmopolitan cities

Overview Belgium and the Netherlands have extraordinary artistic traditions which have withstood and evolved through some of the most turbulent periods in European history. This 13-day tour explores the art and architecture that flourished in these dynamic environments, taking you on a journey from the Late Gothic splendour of Brussels and Bruges to the creation of recognisably modern art and life in 17th-century Amsterdam and its surrounds. The tour takes you to the region’s exceptional galleries, smaller centres such as Ghent and Delft, and through exquisitely preserved medieval and Renaissance cityscapes.

Your tour leader

Dr Sophie Oosterwijk Sophie joins our program in 2019.

She is a Dutch art historian who has lived and worked in the UK for over 20 years. Sophie specialises in Medieval, Flemish and Dutch art and has led and designed tours to Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain and the United Kingdom since 1994.

Getting there Emirates offer flights into Brussels and out of Amsterdam. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Highlights > The refurbished Rijksmuseum and Mauritshuis, housing the world’s finest collections of Dutch Golden Age painting, including many of Vermeer’s and Rembrandt’s masterpieces > Beautifully preserved cities, including stays in the centre of Bruges and Delft > Extraordinary works in less well-visited galleries, such as the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, overlooked by most travellers > Modern masterpieces by Van Gogh and Magritte, and stunning Art Nouveau architecture by Victor Horta

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Haarlem The Hague

Amsterdam (4) Leiden Delft (3)

Netherlands Antwerp Bruges (2)

Ghent

BELGIUM

Leuven Brussels (3)

30

Days 1–3: Explore Brussels, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Magritte Museum and Victor Horta House Museum, and Leuven.

Days 4–6: See Van Eyck’s Mystic Lamb in the Ghent altarpiece, enjoy the art of Bruges and get to know Antwerp, once Europe’s largest port and today a flourishing city with many excellent museums.

Days 7–9: Survey the life and times of Vermeer in Delft, visit The Hague and the Royal Collection in the Mauritshuis, and admire Leiden, a town whose history spans the Atlantic.

Days 10–13: Enjoy Amsterdam’s superb museums and UNESCO World Heritage-listed canals, and visit Haarlem.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

$6,995 pp, twin share $1,950 single supplement

Great Gardens of Cornwall & Devon June 3-12, 2019

Discover • From medieval herbs and simples to 18th-century landscape gardens • Stone keeps and great feudal estates • The birth of the modern concept garden, from 19th-century exotics to contemporary biomes • Modern icons of innovation and design: Sir Tim Smit, the Bannermans, the Wileys at Wildside • British environmentalism and conservation, from the National Trust to the Royal Horticultural Society and visionary philanthropy • The beauty of the English countryside in early summer

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Overview From small private gardens to great estates, from rediscovered 18th and 19th-century masterpieces to world-famous, ultra-modern concept gardens, enjoy the great gardens of Cornwall and Devon in their English summer glory. This new 10-day tour also takes you to the gardens of some of the most famous names in modern garden and landscape design, including Sir Tim Smit and Isabel and Julian Bannerman. The beauty of the gardens is complemented by their situation: the dramatic coastline of Cornwall, the curious microclimate of the Isles of Scilly and the wild moors of Devon.

Key gardens visited > Godolphin House, with its medieval gardens > Scilly’s Tresco Abbey Gardens > The Lost Gardens of Heligan, lovingly tended by generations of the Tremayne family > Sir Tim Smit’s Eden Project, an extraordinary exercise in conservation > Trematon Castle, the Bannerman’s lush masterpiece > Wildside, Buckland Monachorum: a visionary nursery and garden > Lanhydrock in Cornwall: from the Middle Ages to World War I > Montacute House, a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture > Rosemoor: the showpiece of the Royal Horticultural Society

Your tour leader

Michael Turner “A wonderful tour, enhanced

by Michael’s knowledge and enthusiasm. He is a great tour leader.” – Gardens of Southern England, June 2018.

Getting there Singapore and Emirates both offers flights into and out of London from most Australian cities. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: From Marazion, near Penzance, visit St Michael’s Mount and Godolphin House. Fly to the Isles of Scilly; admire Tresco Abbey Gardens’ exotics.

Days 4–5: Travel to St Austell in Cornwall, via the Eden Project’s biomes. Explore Victorian Lanhydrock and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, the Bannermans’ pre-Raphaelite garden at Trematon Castle, and the Wileys’ extraordinary Wildside in Buckland Monachoram.

Days 6–10: Travel to Devon’s vast Dartmoor National Park; visit Lutyen’s garden at Castle Drogo, the Elizabethan Montacute, the Tudor mansion of Barrington Court, and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Rosemoor, to admire the splendid rose garden.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

To London via Gatwick RHS Rosemoor

Castle Drogo Newquay airport

North Bovey (3)

Trematon Castle The Eden Project St Austell (3)

Marazion (3) Land’s End Isles of Scilly

31

Art Basel, Alsace & the Black Forest June 14-21, 2019

$5,380 pp, twin share $1,490 single supplement

Experience

FIND OUT MORE

• Art Basel: exceptional contemporary art at one of the world’s leading and largest contemporary art fairs • Private collections and special exhibitions in Europe’s ‘Art Valley’, where Switzerland, Germany and France meet • The Upper Rhine region and its diverse cuisines and landscapes, from the rolling hills and hamlets of Alsace to the mountains of the Black Forest • The development of contemporary architecture, from Zaha Hadid to Frank Gehry, Mario Botta and Renzo Piano • Well-preserved Strasbourg and Colmar

Overview Art Basel is one of the world’s premier art events. Almost 300 leading commercial galleries assemble for a single week to showcase their best contemporary artists and recently acquired 20th-century masterpieces. In addition, there are halls dedicated to large-scale sculpture, special exhibitions and installations and performances around the city. This new eight day tour takes you to Art Basel and then surveys the excellent collections that have accumulated along the Upper Rhine. It then continues to Strasbourg to explore this beautiful Gothic city, enjoying the countryside, cuisine and small towns of Alsace and the Black Forest.

Your tour leader

Dr Nick Gordon “Nick is a very kind person who quietly and efficiently handles everything, including all that wonderful knowledge imparted with such good grace.” – Art Along the Rhine, June 2017.

Getting there We recommend flights into and out of Zurich with Singapore Airlines. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

See also The Venice Biennale on page 20

Fitness requirement Baden-Baden Strasbourg (4) Black Forest

Obernai Sélestat

GERMANY Colmar

France Basel (3)

Switzerland 32

Zurich

Highlights > Mind-boggling displays of modern and contemporary art at Art Basel over three days, including exceptional displays of largescale sculpture and public art > Excellent private collections, such as the Fondation Beyeler and Würth Collection, and special exhibitions at the Kunstmuseum > The natural beauty and distinctive cuisines of Alsace and the Black Forest: vine-covered hills, medieval hamlets, Michelin stars and simple country inns > Gothic architecture at Strasbourg’s cathedral > Beautiful medieval towns, including Obernai and Colmar, with the new Unterlinden Museum and Isenheim Altarpiece

Itinerary Days 1–3: Experience Art Basel, with three days of guided visits, lectures and ample time to explore.

Discover the art of Basel and its surrounds, including visits to the recently renovated Kunstmuseum and Fondation Beyeler, a private collection in a villa designed by Renzo Piano.

Day 4: Visit the Vitra Design Campus and Colmar, including Matthias Grunewald’s masterpiece at the Unterlinden Museum, recently renovated and expanded by Herzog & de Meuron.

Days 5–8: Explore Strasbourg’s art and architecture, from its Gothic cathedral to its fine collection of modern art. Enjoy the medieval hamlets and scenery of Alsace and the Black Forest.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Scandinavia & Iceland The Nordic World

$14,225 pp, twin share $3,760 single supplement

June 17 – July 1, 2019

Explore • Denmark’s royal traditions, from Hamlet’s castle at Helsingør to Frederick and Mary • The Nordic sensibility, joining a deep appreciation for nature with a desire for innovation • Iceland’s unique blend of Celtic, Viking and Nordic culture, shaped by its remarkable volcanic landscape • Modern art and design: Edvard Munch, Jørn Utzon and Scandinavian design • The history of Scandinavia, from the voyages of the Vikings to the Kingdom of Denmark and the emergence of modern Nordic culture

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Overview From Vikings and mythology to the emergence of a modern culture, expressed through cuttingedge architecture and design, Scandinavia is home to distinctive cultural traditions whose influence has extended far beyond its borders. This 15-day tour takes you from Copenhagen, to Oslo, Bergen and Iceland, and goes behind the clichés to uncover the connections between their histories and highly innovative societies. Discover how the natural environment – from southern Sweden’s golden fields, to Norway’s fjords, and the pristine coastlines and volcanic landscapes of Iceland – permeates Scandinavian art, architecture and design.

Highlights > Jørn Utzon’s Bagsvaerd Church and Henning Larsen’s Opera House in Copenhagen > Modern art at the Astrup Fearnley Museum and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art > Helsingør Castle, the setting of Elsinore for Shakespeare’s Hamlet > Norway’s stunning fjords and the unsettling art of Edvard Munch > Evocative southern Sweden, from the World Heritage-listed cathedral of Lund to the mysterious standing stones of Ales > The dramatic landscapes of Iceland, including the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where Jules Verne set his Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing “Matthew’s four formal lectures were outstanding – a really valuable and impressive part of the tour.” – Scandinavia & Iceland, May 2017.

Getting there British Airways offers flights to Copenhagen and from Reykjavik via Heathrow. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–5: Explore Copenhagen and its surrounds, including Elsinore Castle, Utzon’s Bagsvaerd Church and the exceptional Louisiana Art Museum. Enjoy a day trip to Wallander-country visiting Lund and the standing stones of Ales.

Days 6–9: Discover Oslo with its modern architecture, fine art collections and Viking history. Experience the natural beauty of the Norwegian Fjords and relax in Bergen.

Days 10–15: Fly to Reykjavik. Explore the geysers, volcanos and the rugged isolated coastlines of Iceland. Experience the untouched beauty of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula by coach and tour a lava cave.

Iceland Snaefellsnes (1) Reykjavik (4)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

NORWAY Bergen (2) Oslo (3) Copenhagen (4)

Denmark

33

Yorkshire to the Lake District June 19 – July 3, 2019

$8,350 pp, twin share $1,950 single supplement

Enjoy

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• The glory of early summer in England, from the Pennines to the North Yorkshire moors, from the wild coast of Northumberland to the majestic Lake District • Garden history: from 18th-century landscapes to modern-day innovation • Great garden designers: Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, Gertrude Jekyll and contemporary luminaries Arabella Lennox-Boyd and Piet Oudolf • The Romanticism of Lakeland poets, authors and artists: William Wordsworth and John Ruskin

Overview Yorkshire and the Lake District are home to many of the best-known and most-loved gardens in England. This 15-day tour takes you through some of the most dramatically beautiful countryside in England as these gardens – from great estates to those on a more intimate scale – burst into full bloom. Join garden historian and classicist, Michael Turner, and get to know both the gardens and the world of passionate men and women: the garden designers, artists and poets, such as Capability Brown, Gertrude Jekyll, Wordsworth and Ruskin, who have created some of England’s most enduring cultural heritage.

Your tour leader

Michael Turner “This fabulous tour visited a variety of delightful, luscious and aromatic gardens, hosted by the infectiously enthusiastic Michael.” – Yorkshire to the Lake District, June 2017.

Getting there Emirates has flights into and out of Manchester which coincide with the tour.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement Holy Island Alnwick (3)

UNITED KINGDOM

Lake District (5) Castle Howard York (3)

Chester (3)

34

Manchester

Key gardens visited > Exclusive, behind-the-scenes tours of two of the most spectacular houses and gardens in England: Castle Howard and Chatsworth House > Bodnant Garden, with its impressive 55-metre floral arch of golden Laburnum > Biddulph Grange Garden, a masterpiece of Victorian garden design > The Holy Island of Lindisfarne with its tiny but celebrated garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll > Alnwick Garden: the largest, most controversial and most expensive garden created in England since WWII > Levens Hall and its unique topiary

Itinerary Days 1–3: Explore Chester, its cathedral and famous medieval walls. Private tour of Bodnant’s extensive grounds and of Biddulph Grange.

Days 4–6: From York, visit Chatsworth House, Castle Howard, Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal Water Garden and Scampston Walled Garden.

Days 7–9: Travel to Doxford Hall and visit Alnwick Castle; cross the sea to Gertrude Jekyll’s tiny garden on Lindisfarne.

Days 10–15: From Grasmere, in the Lake District, survey Roman heritage at Hadrian’s Wall and Housesteads Roman fort. Admire stately Dalemain House and Brantwood’s views; enjoy the colour of Gresgarth and Levens Hall.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

$16,795 pp, twin share Single supplement to be advised

Siberia & the Russian Far East July 6-21, 2019

Experience • A cultural kaleidoscope, from modern Orthodox to Old Believers, Mongol Buryats and Kamchatka’s indigenous reindeer herders • Awe-inspiring landscapes: serene Lake Baikal, the Eastern Siberian steppe, and the volcanoes and geysers of Kamchatka, ‘Russia’s Alaska’ • Tales of exile and the tyranny of distance, from the time of the Tsars to the Soviet Gulag • Unique wildlife: Baikal’s mysterious nerpa, a freshwater seal thousands of kilometres from the sea, and Kamchatka’s reindeer

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Overview Embark on a journey of a lifetime to one of the world’s last travel frontiers. This sixteen-day tour reveals the cultural and geographic wonders of Siberia and the Russian Far East. We begin in Irkutsk, a Cossack settlement on the steppe and the cultural capital of Siberia, and then travel to the superbly beautiful Lake Baikal, sacred to the indigenous Buryat people, and Ulan-Ude, a culturally Mongolian town that is the centre of Russian Buddhism. From here we take the Trans-Siberian railway to Vladivostok and then continue to Kamchatka, Russia’s Alaska, to explore its extraordinary landscape and the culture of its indigenous reindeer-herding and husky-raising people.

Highlights > Marvel at the immensity and tranquillity of Siberia’s Lake Baikal, with its stunning vistas of pine-studded islands > Journey across the Eastern Siberian steppe on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway > Private helicopter and walking tour of Kamchatka’s snow-capped volcanoes and the stupendous Valley of Geysers > Reflect on the pathos of Irkutsk, a miniature St Petersburg recreated by exiled Decembrists > Explore the heart of Russian Buddhism at Ulan-Ude’s central datsan > Meet Kamchatka’s indigenous people, the reindeer-herding Koryak

Itinerary Days 1–4: On Lake Baikal, meet the mysterious nerpa seal and investigate Bronze Age petroglyphs.

Days 5–6: Explore Barguzin Valley’s natural wonders; encounter Russian Buddhism in UlanUde and visit a village of ‘Old Believers’, Orthodox dissidents expelled in the 17th century.

Days 7–9: Board the Trans-Siberian Railway to cross East Siberia’s vast steppe.

Days 10–11: Stay in Vladivostok, a vibrant Pacific port closed to foreigners until 1991.

Days 12–14: Fly to Petropavlosk-Kamchatksky.

Marvel at volcanoes and geysers; relax in Nalychevo’s thermal springs.

Days 15–16: Fly to Vladivostok, departure.

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Dal Santo “Matthew’s knowledge of Russia and his knowledge of the history of politics were inspirational. We learnt so much on this tour and we feel very privileged to have participated in it.”

– St Petersburg & Moscow, October 2017.

Getting there Korean Airlines have flights into Irkutsk and out of Vladivostok. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement RUSSIA Petropavlovsk (3)

SIBERIA Aya Bay (2) Irkutsk (1) Ust-Barguzin (1) Ulan Ude (2)

MONGOLIA

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

3

Vladivostok (4)

CHINA 35

Stockholm to St Petersburg A Baltic Journey

$11,345 pp, twin share $2,690 single supplement

August 26 – September 11, 2019

Get to know

FIND OUT MORE

• The remarkable interaction of peoples of the Baltic: Vikings, missionaries, merchants and maritime empires • The golden age of Sweden in the 16th and 17th centuries • Tsarist Russia’s empire in the Baltic: the Grand Duchy of Finland, Estonia and Latvia • A striking tradition of architecture and design, from the birth of modernism in the early 1900s to cutting-edge contemporary work • From the art of empires to modern nations: the superb galleries of Sweden and St Petersburg

Overview Explore the eastern Baltic in depth, from the days of the medieval Hanseatic trade network and the centuries of struggle for dominance between Sweden and Russia, into the modern era, where great design and architecture make for compelling destinations. This 17-day tour from Stockholm to St Petersburg combines visits to excellent collections, historical and architectural walking tours, and the quiet beauty of the Baltic landscape. The itinerary includes two crossings of the Baltic, a train journey into Russia from Helsinki, and an opera at the Riga Festival. An extension tour to Moscow is also available.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Getting there

> Stockholm’s Vasa museum, a testament to the country’s former maritime glory, and the delightful Drottningholm Palace > The beauty of the Stockholm archipelago, surrounding the city and admired on our Baltic crossing > Great Art Nouveau architecture in Riga, and the medieval old town of Tallinn > Stunning modern and contemporary buildings in Helsinki, including Alvar Aalto’s Nordic modernism > The glories of imperial Russia in St Petersburg: palaces, gardens, cathedrals and great art galleries > An opera at the Riga Festival

Robert Veel “Robert is a true gentleman and a delight to have as our tour leader.

His knowledge of the places visited definitely added greatly to the pleasure of the tour.” – Lakes & Villas of Northern Italy, April 2018.

Finnair offers well-priced flights via Helsinki.

Emirates has direct flights into Stockholm and home from St Petersburg. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

FINLAND SWEDEN Stockholm (3)

1

Helsinki (4) St Petersburg (4) Tallinn (2)

ESTONIA RUSSIA Riga (2)

36

LATVIA

Days 1–4: Explore Stockholm’s royal and maritime history, plus its modern architecture and design.

Days 4–5: Overnight ferry from Stockholm to Riga.

Days 5–6: In Riga, investigate the heritage of this former Hanseatic port and enjoy an opera at the Riga Festival.

Days 7–8: Drive to Tallinn, the superbly preserved Estonian capital, and tour the old town.

Days 9–12: Ferry to Helsinki. Visit Russian and Swedish imperial sites and sample Finland’s remarkable design and architectural scene.

Days 13–17: Train from Helsinki to St Petersburg.

Visit galleries and palaces from Russia’s imperial period and explore Russia’s extraordinary history.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Vienna to Venice Crossroads of History

$8,230 pp, twin share $1,830 single supplement

September 8-24, 2019

Explore • Europe’s great crossroads: from Romans and barbarians, to the fusion of Austrian, Italian and Slavic cultures • Archaeology from the Neanderthals to Celts, Romans and Lombards • Age of Empires: the Habsburgs, Venetian Empire, and tragedy of World War I on the Austro-Italian frontier • Stunning scenery, from the Austrian Alps to the forests and caves of Slovenia and the Adriatic coast • Exceptional art and architecture: the imperial collections of Vienna, Art Nouveau Ljubljana, and romance of Venetian Gothic

FIND OUT MORE

Overview Explore Europe’s extraordinary history and archaeology at one of its great cultural crossroads.

This new 17-day tour begins in Vienna, the heart of the Habsburg Empire, and takes you through the Austrian Alps to Slovenia – whose beauty and archaeology reveal a different side of Europe’s deep history – and onwards to the Adriatic coast: Trieste, Istria and Venice. The extraordinary history and diverse cultures of the region are everywhere apparent, from the great art and architecture of imperial capitals, to exceptional archaeology collections, the fusion of Roman and barbarian cultures, and the tragedy of World War I.

Highlights > Ljubljana: a delightful European capital, with a relaxed café society, Art Nouveau architecture and fine art collections > The world’s oldest musical instrument: the Neanderthal flute in Slovenia’s National Museum, now 60,000 years old! > Fascinating and little-visited Friuli, from Roman Aquileia to the Lombards’ bestpreserved art and architecture in Cividale > Fairytale Lake Bled and Postojna Cave, the stunning natural beauty of Slovenia > Trieste and Istria, a meeting place for Slavic, Venetian and Austrian cultures > Private after-hours visit to St Mark’s Basilica in Venice

Your tour leader

Dr Nick Gordon “Nick is a consummate tour leader and provided us with a trip rich in experiences. His in-depth knowledge of the history and culture of the region and especially his understanding of art, made this a great learning experience.”

– Florence, Ravenna & Venice, April 2018.

Getting there Both Emirates and Qatar offer flights into Vienna and out of Venice from most Australian cities. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Explore Vienna, from the Habsburgs’ grand palaces to their exceptional collections at the Kunsthistorisches and Royal Treasury.

Days 4–5: Explore southern Austria, including Graz’ UNESCO-listed Eggenberg Palace, Styria’s vineyards and the Austrian Alps.

Days 6–9: Discover Slovenia, from delightful Ljubljana to Lake Bled and the Postojna Caves.

Days 10–13: Explore cosmopolitan Trieste, the Istrian coast from Piran to Poreč, and Friuli, including Cividale and the dramatic alpine border between Kobarid and Gorizia.

Days 14–17: Visit Aquileia and Grado; enjoy Venice, including a private visit to St Mark’s Basilica.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Vienna (3)

AUSTRIA Gurk Abbey

ITALY Aquileia

Graz (2)

Slovenia

Ljubljana (4) Trieste (4)

Venice (3)

37

Moscow & St Petersburg

$11,495 pp, twin share $2,340 single supplement

September 27 – October 13, 2019

Discover

FIND OUT MORE

• A rich and tumultuous history stretching back to the Slavs, Kievan Rus and Byzantine Empire • The pursuit of greatness: superb collections of fine and decorative arts in Russia’s museums and galleries, collected over centuries • The rulers of Russia, from tsars to presidents, and their complex relationship with the West • The resilience of a people who have survived wars, upheaval and revolution • Russian architecture, from traditional wooden towns to onion-domed churches and imperial palaces

Overview Delve into an incredible wealth of culture, history and art on this comprehensive 17-day tour.

The tour begins by exploring Russia’s medieval heart – Vladimir, Suzdal and Sergiev Posad – in the Golden Ring, before travelling to its modern capitals, Moscow and St Petersburg. The remarkable history of these cities, immortalised in iconic landmarks such as the Kremlin, is equalled by their extraordinary collections of art, at the Hermitage and the Tretyakov Gallery, and leading cultural institutions, such as the Bolshoi. The tour is rounded out with a day trip to Catherine the Great’s palaces and select performances.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Getting there

> Visits to St Petersburg’s cultural highlights, including the Hermitage and Fabergé Museums, Yusupov Palace and the Church of the Spilled Blood > Wander through the magnificent palaces of Catherine the Great > Evocative Red Square and the treasures of the State Armoury in Moscow > Explore the Kremlin, seat of the tsars, headquarters of the USSR and residence of Vladimir Putin > Russian Masterpieces at the Tretyakov Gallery > Historic Suzdal, with its wooden architecture and churches of the Golden Ring

Dr Matthew Dal Santo “Matthew’s interest in Russia and his knowledge of the history and politics were inspirational. We learnt so much and we feel very privileged to have participated in this tour.” – St Petersburg & Moscow, September 2017.

Emirates has daily flights from most Australian cities to Moscow and returning from St Petersburg. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

St Petersburg (6)

RUSSIA

Pushkin

Suzdal (3) Vladimir Moscow (6) Domodedovo Airport (1)

38

Day 1: Arrive into Moscow Domodedovo Airport.

Days 2–4: Travel to Sergiev Posad and visit the Trinity Monastery of St Sergius. Continue to the charming Golden Ring town of Suzdal for three nights; visit historic Vladimir.

Days 5–10: Explore Moscow, from revolutionary history at Red Square, to the churches and museums of the Kremlin, the Tretyakov Gallery, and legendary Bolshoi Theatre.

Day 11: Travel by fast train to St Petersburg.

Days 12–17: Marvel at St Petersburg’s extraordinary landmarks, galleries, churches, palaces and museums, including a day trip to Catherine’s palaces at Pushkin.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Warsaw to Berlin

$9,790 pp, twin share $1,790 single supplement

October 14-31, 2019

Experience • The world of the Saxon kings, warriors, lawmakers and art patrons • The beautifully preserved palaces of Poland and Germany, including baroque Nieborow and neo-classical Sanssouci and Łazienki palaces • From medieval cityscapes to stunning contemporary architecture and some of Europe’s best collections of Old Masters • Romanticism and its discontents: Chopin, Caspar David Friedrich, and extraordinary imperial art collections • The turbulent and sometimes tragic history of central-northern Europe, and its resurgence after the Berlin Wall

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Overview Eastern Germany and Poland have undergone a major revival since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and their rich histories, from medieval kingdoms to modern cultural centres, are now more accessible than ever before. This 18-day tour explores the history and culture of this region in depth, from Renaissance Krakow, to the exceptional musical and artistic heritage of Dresden and Leipzig, and the rebirth of Berlin and Warsaw as modern capitals. Stays in each of these cities allow you to experience their thriving cultures, visit excellent collections of antiquities and Old Masters, enjoy musical performances, and explore their turbulent histories.

Highlights > The palaces and parks of Warsaw’s Royal Route, and the extravagance of Nieborow and Łazienki palaces > Krakow, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities with a World Heritage-listed Renaissance town centre > Dresden’s masterpieces of art, old and new: from Raphael to Titian, Rodin to Caspar David Friedrich > The extraordinary antiquities, jewellery, sculptures and porcelain of the Green Vault > Musical Leipzig, from Handel to Bach > Outstanding collections of Greek, Egyptian and Persian antiquities on Berlin’s Museum Island

Your tour leader

Thomas Abbott “I enjoyed the tour immensely and learnt so much. Thomas was a marvellous guide and I feel he got to know each of us so well.” – Berlin & Beyond, May 2018.

Getting there Emirates has flights into Warsaw, with connections in Germany from Berlin.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Arrive Warsaw, tour the Royal Route, historic Jewish quarter, sumptuous Nieborow and Łazienski palaces and Chopin’s birthplace.

Days 5–7: In Krakow, explore the medieval city and its Jewish Quarter, including Wawel Palace, where Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine is preserved.

Days 8–10: Travel to Dresden, stopping to visit Wrocław. Tour the 18th-century New Town, visit the Albertinum, Zwinger and Pillnitz palaces.

Days 1–12: Explore Leipzig, including the Bach church, house and museum.

Days 13–18: Discover historic Berlin and enjoy its world-class galleries and museums. Day trip to Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace.

GERMANY

Poland

Berlin (5) Warsaw (4) Leipzig (2) Dresden (3)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Wroclaw

Krakow (3)

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Portugal $8,860 pp, twin share $1,670 single supplement

September 26 – October 9, 2019

Discover

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• Portugal’s archaeology, from granite megaliths at Almendres Cromlech to dinosaur footprints at Cabo Espichel • An architectural tradition embracing Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance and contemporary styles • Portugal’s rich cultural heritage, including fine wines and port, and the melancholic music of fado • A varied landscape: stunning coastlines, lush river valleys, rugged interiors • The Golden Age of Discovery, in Lisbon’s history, art, science and culture

Overview Portugal has a remarkable history, from Roman colonies to medieval Moorish-influenced art and architecture, to a glorious Golden Age when Lisbon was the centre of the world’s first global commercial empire. Its history has left it with extraordinary cultural wealth, including prehistoric megaliths and rock art, World Heritage-listed cities, and fine medieval and Renaissance architecture. The great monuments of its past are situated among a striking landscape of turquoise coastlines, rugged mountains and picturesque towns, and are complemented by its vibrant modern culture and distinctive contemporary architecture.

Discover Portugal on this comprehensive 15-day tour.

Your tour leader

Dr Jeni Ryde “Jeni Ryde is an excellent tour leader, very professional and helpful to all our group. A pleasure to travel with and we would be happy to travel with her again on another tour.” – Northern Spain & Portugal, April 2018.

Getting there Emirates offers flights into and out of Lisbon, with connections from Porto. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Exceptional Old Masters at the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian > Exquisite palaces on rocky outcrops: a full day in fairytale Sintra > Technical skill and stunning colours in the National Tile Museum’s extraordinary azulejos > Walk in the footprints of dinosaurs alongside the Atlantic, at Cabo Espichel > A full day cruising the Douro and two nights in Pinhão > Cutting-edge contemporary architecture: Rem Koolhaas, Álvaro Siza Vieira and Porto’s Fundação Serralves

Itinerary Porto (2)

Pinhão (2)

Coimbra (2)

Portugal

Lisbon (4,1) Evora (3)

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Days 1–4: Explore Lisbon’s Age of Discovery, admire the Museu Gulbenkian’s masterpieces.

Enjoy an excursion to Sintra.

Days 5–7: In Évora, prehistoric archaeology at Cabo Espichel, megalithic Almendres Cromlech, and the ever-present Romans.

Days 8–9: Tomar’s World Heritage-listed Convento de Cristo; Coimbra, medieval capital; and 1st-century mosaics at Conímbriga’s Roman villa.

Days 10–11: Admire Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal. Porto’s colourful Ribeira district.

Days 12–13: Cruise the Douro; two nights in Pinhão and the Cõa valley’s prehistoric rock art.

Day 14-15: Return to Porto by land.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Greece

from Antiquity to Byzantium $9,645 pp, twin share $1,785 single supplement

November 3-19, 2019

Experience • Minoan culture and history on Crete, Europe’s first civilisation • Greece’s defining symbol of cultural achievement: the Acropolis in Athens • Secluded bays and beautiful uninhabited islands, enjoyed from the comfort of a small motor yacht • Outstanding archaeological sites, ancient civilisations and the mythology of the Peloponnese, immortalised in the annals of history • A multicultural Mediterranean world, from the Delphic Oracle and ancient Olympia to the Mycenaeans, Spartans and Venetians

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Overview Explore the extraordinary world of ancient Greece, from the sprawling palaces of Minoan Crete and the citadels and monumental tombs of the Mycenaeans to the incomparable museums of Athens and the emergence of the Byzantines at the end of Antiquity. This 17-day tour by land and sea takes you from Crete to the Peloponnese, Olympia, Delphi and Athens, visiting archaeological sites and museums, and enjoying the dramatic landscapes – mountains, spectacular coastlines and rocky islands – of the Greek world. Get to know the deep history of the cultures that made Greece the cradle of western civilisation.

Highlights

Your Tour leader

> The legacy of Venice’s medieval maritime empire at Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania > Knossos, palace of King Minos and home to the legendary Minotaur > Athens’ incomparable museums, the Acropolis and Agora > Epidaurus’s well-preserved 4th-century BC theatre > The palaces of Agamemnon at Mycenae, and the beautifully preserved Palace of Nestor at Pylos > Revered Delphi, home to the most famous oracle in Antiquity, and Olympia, birthplace of the modern Olympic Games

Getting there

Dr John Tidmarsh “I enjoyed the tour very much and John’s insights and breadth of knowledge were very interesting.

I enjoyed the small towns we toured, lots of fun.” – Greece, May 2018.

Emirates and Etihad offer daily flights from Australian capitals to Athens. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

MS Galileo

Itinerary

The 48-metre Galileo is a charming steel hull motor sailor with classic interiors renovated in 2016 and served by a crew of 16.

25 air-conditioned guest cabins measuring 12.5 square metres are located on Upper and Lower decks, all with large portholes and equipped with ensuite bathrooms with showers.

Relax in the lounge or with a drink on the shaded outdoor deck or sundeck.

Days 1–4: Arrive Athens. Fly to Heraklion and explore the Palace of Minos at Knossos, Arkhanes and Phaistos.

Days 5–6: Travel to Chania via Venetian Rethymno and the Australian Infantry Forces sites at Souda Bay. Embark on the MS Galileo.

Days 7–12: Circumnavigate the Peloponnese, calling in at historic Epidauraus, Mycenae, Gythion, Pylos, Olympia and Delphi. Sail through the narrow Corinth Canal to Piraeus.

Day 13: Disembark the Galileo, return to Athens.

Days 14–17: Survey Athens, Acropolis and Agora; investigate the National Archaeological Museum and superlative Benaki and Cycladic museums.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

GREECE Itea Piraeus Katakolon

Athens (5)

Epidauria Nafplio

Pylos

Gythion

7

Chania (1)

CRETE

Heraklion (3)

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Music & Theatre tours Our music and theatre tours are planned around top flight international performances in world-famous venues, providing experiences that are simply not available in Australia. We work closely with leading organisations, including Glyndebourne, The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Bavarian State Opera. As well as orchestral music and opera, tours to New York and London feature a broad range of performing arts, including musicals, stage drama and dance.

The Elbphilharmonie concert hall in the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg

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Opera in New York $7,950 pp, twin share $2,300 single supplement

January 9-18, 2019

Discover • The careers of the operatic firmament’s greatest singers and conductors: Netrebko, Yoncheva, Skelton, Margaine, Radvanovsky, Dudamel and NézetSéguin • Glorious vocal music from the core 19th and early 20th-century repertoires • The production history of leading stage directors: Franco Zeffirelli, Sir David McVicar, Sir Jonathan Miller, Sir Richard Eyre and Bartlett Sher • In-depth analysis of productions and performers, to expand your musical knowledge and help you get more out of performances

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Overview It’s cold outside, but the singing is hot! Take 10 days out of the Australian summer to enjoy singing, orchestral music and stage productions of the highest calibre on our Opera in New York tour. We have secured seats in the Grand Tier for all performances – in our view, the best seats in the theatre for acoustics and sight-lines. The performance program is complemented by visits to a range of New York’s top collections, including a private visit to the Museum of Modern Art, smaller and more intimate collections such as the Frick, architectural tours and free time to relax.

Your tour leader

Lindy Montgomery “Lindy was a superb, knowledgeable and enthusiastic leader.” – Montreal to New York, April 2017.

Getting there Qantas, United and American Airlines offer daily flights. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Meet for welcome drinks, enjoy an architectural tour of Midtown Manhattan, visit the intimate Frick Collection and tour Rockefeller Center. Performance of Verdi’s Otello.

Days 4–6: Admire Klimt at the Neue Galerie, spend a day at the Met, and walk along the rejuvenated High Line. Performance of Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur and Zeffirelli’s production of Verdi’s Aida.

Days 7–10: Visit the Guggenheim Museum and Morgan Library; take a private after-hours tour of MoMA. Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, a performance of Beethoven and Rachmaninov by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bizet’s Carmen.

Performances > Verdi’s Shakespearean opera Otello.

The all-star cast is led by tenor Stuart Skelton, with Sonya Yoncheva as Desdemona. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel makes his Met Opera debut. > Russian diva Anna Netrebko as Adriana Lecouvreur in Cilea’s eponymous drama of love, rivalry and murder. A David McVicar production. > Franco Zeffirelli’s celebrated production of Verdi’s Aida. Met regulars Sonya Radvanovsky and Dolores Zajick star, with Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee as Radamès. > Debussy’s landmark Pelléas et Mélisande.

Incoming Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Jonathan Miller production. > Bizet’s ever-popular Carmen. Mezzosoprano Clémentine Margaine has been asked back to reprise her remarkable 2017 portrayal. > A concert by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra of works by Beethoven and Rachmaninov.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

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London & Paris art and music

$8,950 pp, twin share $2,625 single supplement

January 17-31, 2019

Enjoy

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• A tale of two cities: vibrant and cosmopolitan capitals, long-time rivals • Premier ensembles in iconic venues: opera, orchestral music and theatre • Masterpieces of European art, at world-class museums and in lesserknown galleries • Excellent gastronomy: fine dining in London and the proud traditions of Paris’s brasseries and bistros • Opulent historic opera at Covent Garden and the Palais Garnier; modern reinterpretations at the Opéra Bastille • Blockbuster winter exhibitions without high-season crowds

Overview London and Paris come alive in the wintertime while the tourist numbers are low, with blockbuster exhibitions and excellent performance programs designed for lovers of art and music. Explore two of the world’s great cultural capitals, from their celebrated collections to their lesser-visited galleries and house museums, and appreciate the range of performances on offer, from grand opera and orchestral concerts to well-reviewed stage plays and recitals.

A week in each city, staying in the centre, allows you ample time to unwind and enjoy the best of times with like-minded travellers in these two cities.

Performances Seven outstanding performances, including: London > Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke at the West End’s Duke of York’s Theatre > Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra at the National Theatre, starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo > Richard Eyre’s stunning production of Verdi’s La Traviata at the Royal Opera House, starring Ermonela Jaho and Charles Castronovo > A concert by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, performing Bruckner’s Symphony No 6 Paris > A concert by the Filarmonica della Scala di Milano, conducted by Riccardo Chailly and featuring violinist Maxim Vengerov, at the Philhamonie de Paris > Scarlatti’s Il primo omicidio at the Palais Garnier, starring Kristina Hammarström and Olivia Vermeulen > Berlioz’s Les Troyens at the Opéra Bastille, starring Stéphanie d’Oustrac and Elina Garanca

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Your tour leader

Christopher Menz “Christopher Menz was a marvellous tour leader, his calm way of dealing with us all, and space given for our own interests were a plus. His knowledge and pre-talks on the six operas that we went to was of great help. It was a happy and relaxed tour.” – Opera in New York, April 2018.

Getting there A number of major airlines offer flights into London and out of Paris, from most Australian cities. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–7: In London, admire winter blockbusters at the British Museum and Tate Modern; attend a Covent Garden opera, orchestral concert and two plays, one Shakespearian and one in the West End. Visit smaller galleries, from the Royal Academy to the Wallace Collection, Courtauld Institute of Art and Dulwich Picture Galley; enjoy a day trip to Oxford’s Ashmolean and Christ Church College evensong.

Days 8–15: In Paris, enjoy The Greats without the crowds, at the Louvre, Versailles and Musée d’Orsay.

Explore the Rodin Museum, renovated Picasso Museum and elegant Musée Nissim de Camondo.

Attend performances at the Philharmonie de Paris, Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille.

Oxford

London (7)

UK

FRANCE Paris (7) Versailles

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Opera in Northern Italy

Bel Canto to Verismo

$11,595 pp, twin share $2,360 single supplement

March 28 – April 11, 2019

Experience • The world of Italian opera, from the bel canto of Rossini and Bellini to the stirring verismo of Puccini and Giordano • World-famous opera houses: La Fenice in Venice, La Scala in Milan and the Teatro Regio in Turin • The beautiful lakes and art-filled small cities to northern Italy • Fine gastronomic traditions: prosecco, prosciutto and ‘slow food’ in Turin • In-depth performance analysis, expanding your musical knowledge and increasing your enjoyment

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Overview Opera is an iconic Italian art form, and where better to enjoy it than the place of its birth?

This new 15-day tour takes you to eight performances of the great Italians, from Verdi and Rossini to Puccini and Giordano. Performances at historic venues – including La Fenice, La Scala and the Teatro Regio – are complemented by visits to the places where the composers lived and worked, allowing you to appreciate the history, and the personalities, behind the music. Staying in Venice, Milan, Parma and Turin, this musical journey is rounded out with visits to world-class museums and fine dining.

Your tour leader

Robert Gay “Robert Gay is outstanding, extremely erudite, gently articulate and amazingly competent at managing the group to their benefit. He always casts an enjoyable and illuminating light on all features of the tour.”

– From the Rhine to the Alps, April 2018.

Getting there Emirates offers flights into Rome and out of Milan from most Australian cities. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Lake Como

Bergamo

Milan (4) Venice (4) Turin (3)

Parma (3)

ITALY

Modena

Days 1–4: In Venice, attend operas at La Fenice, explore Venice’s historic architecture and marvel at Titian and the Bellini in the Accademia.

Days 5–8: Travel to Milan via Donizetti’s Bergamo, an elegant hillside town. Attend operas at La Scala, admire masterpieces by Piero della Francesca, Veronese and Caravaggio at the Brera, enjoy lunch at Lake Como’s stunning Villa d’Este.

Days 9–11: In Parma, investigate Verdi’s early years and visit his Villa Sant’Agata. Explore Renaissance Parma and medieval Modena, two of Emilia-Romagna’s refined centres.

Days 12–15: In Turin, attend an opera at Teatro Regio and marvel at the Egyptian Museum.

Performances Best available tickets to eight outstanding performances are included.

In Venice > Concert of chamber music at the Chiesa di San Vidal > Verdi’s Otello at Teatro La Fenice > Verdi’s La traviata at Teatro La Fenice In Milan > Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Teatro alla Scala, conducted by Ottavio Dantone and starring Marianne Crebassa > Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at Teatro alla Scala, conducted by Riccardo Chailly and starring Marcelo Álvarez In Parma > Giordano’s Andrea Chénier at Teatro Regio di Parma In Modena > Handel’s Serse at the Teatro Comunale di Modena In Turin > Bellini’s La sonnambula at the Teatro Regio

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

45

Wagner’s Ring Cycle IN NEW YORK

$9,870 pp, twin share $2,100 single supplement

April 27 – May 5, 2019

Experience

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• A once in a life-time musical pilgrimage to Wagner’s Ring Cycle • Robert Lepage’s striking, faithful and coherent interpretation of Wagner’s masterpiece • Conducting by the eminent Philippe Jordan, musical director of the Opéra National de Paris • An outstanding cast, headed by Christine Goerke, Michael Volle, Stuart Skelton and Andreas Schager • Pre-Cycle workshops on Wagner’s music, and morning pre-performance talks on other days

Overview Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is considered by many music lovers to be the pinnacle of the Western music tradition. It combines intense, heroic drama with orchestral and vocal writing which is both vast in scale and highly innovative. Academy Travel has secured excellent Grand Tier Premium seats at New York’s renowned Metropolitan Opera House, which offer excellent acoustics and unobstructed sight lines of Lepage’s large stage machinery. Two pre-Cycle workshops acquaint us with the complex musical structure and Wagner’s historical context, which complement pre-performance talks before the last three operas in the Cycle.

Your tour leader

Robert Gay “Robert Gay was, as expected, a wonderfully interesting leader and an enormous asset to Academy Travel.”

– Amsterdam to Leipzig, September 2017.

Getting there Qantas, American Airlines, Delta and United Airways have daily flights from Australia to New York. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum Metropolitan Opera House at the Lincoln Center MoMA Broadway

Guggenheim Museum Neue Museum

Warwick Hotel Morgan Library

High Line

NEW YORK 8 nights Whitney Museum

Brooklyn Heights

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Highlights > All four operas in the Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, performed in the space of one week > A private before-opening tour of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) > Superb medieval art at The Cloisters, on the northern tip of Manhattan > Gustav Klimt’s ‘The Woman in Gold’ (Adele Bloch-Bauer) and other Viennese masterpieces at the Neue Galerie > A stroll down the High Line, enjoying the remarkable transformation of the Chelsea neighbourhood into one of New York’s most fashionable districts

Itinerary Day 1: Arrive and settle in with drinks and canapes.

Days 2–3: Two in-depth workshops, a welcome lunch, and a visit to the Morgan Library.

Performance of Das Rheingold.

Days 4–5: Morning talk, medieval art at The Cloisters, performance of Die Walküre. Visit the Whitney Museum of American Art; stroll down the High Line.

Days 6–7: Morning talk, Cooper-Hewitt museum and the Neue Galerie; performance of Siegfried.

Private viewing of MoMA. Optional performance of Poulenc’s Dialogue of the Carmelites.

Days 8–9: Pre-performance talk, fine farewell lunch and performance of Götterdämmerung.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Berlin to Bavaria a musical journey

$11,975 pp, twin share $2,870 single supplement

May 6-22, 2019

Enjoy • Unrivalled musical heritage, stretching from Bach to Wagner, the 19th-century greats and modern masters • Innovative operatic productions with fine casts of local and international singers • The impact of patronage on music, from aristocrats and emperors to the modern state • Germany’s extraordinary modern rebirth: post-war destruction and contemporary innovation • Music and the modern nation: performances of Rossini, Verdi, Rachmaninov, and Wagner

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Overview Music lies at the heart of German culture, and no other country today can offer lovers of orchestral and vocal music an experience of such consistently high quality. Academy Travel’s annual musical pilgrimage to Germany is based, as always, on an outstanding line-up of eight performances by some of the world’s leading orchestras at first-class opera houses, and uncovers the history of musical patronage in Germany. Gain a deep appreciation of the country’s musical genius as well as its modern revival, with long stays in major centres of musical excellence, background talks and musically-themed sightseeing.

Your tour leader

Dr Rosamund Bartlett Rosamund joins our program in 2019. She is a cultural historian with a deep knowledge of western history and music.

Getting there Qatar airlines have daily flights from Australian capitals into Berlin and out of Munich. Contact us for fares and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Berlin (5) Potsdam

GERMANY Leipzig (2)

Frankfurt (3)

Munich (3)

Dresden (3)

Days 1–5: In Berlin, attend three performances; visit Museum Island. Excursions to Potsdam’s Sanssouci and Charlottenburg.

Days 6–7: Explore Leipzig, home to Bach and Mendelssohn. Attend a matinee at the Gewandhaus and survey the Fine Arts Museum.

Days 8–10: Marvel at Dresden’s renaissance, from the reconstructed Semperoper to the Green Vault’s extraordinary collections.

Days 11–13: Explore Wagner’s Bayreuth; cruise the Rhine and visit Goethe’s birthplace in Frankfurt.

Days 14–17: Travel to Munich via Rothenburg.

Enjoy the Pinakothek complex and Lenbachhaus art museum, and an excursion to Nymphenburg.

Performances Eight performances are included. Best available seats to all performances are included in the tour price.

Berlin > Rossini’s much-loved opera Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden > The season final performance of Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, featured as part of the Deutsche Oper’s Wagner festival week > A concert performance by the legendary Berlin Philharmonic of Mozart and Bruckner, with Bernard Haitink conducting Leipzig > A symphony by the acclaimed Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, under the musical leadership of Andris Nelsons Dresden > Puccini’s Tosca at the magnificent Semperoper Frankfurt > Oper Frankfurt’s new production of Handel’s Rodelinda featuring Andreas Scholl as Bertarido Munich > Christian Spuck’s complex adaptation of Rachmaninov’s ballet, Anna Karenina, based on Tolstoy’s novel and danced by the Bavarian State Ballet > Verdi’s opulent opera, Un ballo in maschera, at the National Theatre

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

47

Amsterdam to Bergen music in northern Europe

$11,850 pp, twin share $1,595 single supplement

May 10-26, 2019

Enjoy

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• Fine performances in some of northern Europe’s newest venues, including Hamburg’s stunning Elbphilharmonie • The Bergen International Festival, Norway’s most significant and dynamic performing arts fair • Contemporary architecture and urban rejuvenation, powered by the arts: Renzo Piano, Henning Larsen, Herzog & de Meuron • The influence of the Scandinavian landscape on the region’s music • Great cities of the Hanseatic League: Bremen, Lübeck, Hamburg and Bergen

Overview Northern Europe has excellent ensembles and many cutting-edge venues, demonstrating a mastery of music, design and acoustic engineering. This 17-day tour takes you to nine performances at northern Europe’s leading venues, including two at the Bergen International Festival. The performance program is complemented by visits to world-class galleries, day trips to the well-preserved medieval cities of the Hanseatic League, such as Lubeck and Bremen, and the sublime scenery of Norway. Musical history, background talks, fine dining and contemporary architecture – including the Elbphilharmonie, Renzo Piano’s Astrup Fearnley Museum and Henning Larsen’s Copenhagen Opera House – round out the program.

Performances Nine performances of opera, orchestral music and chamber music are included.

Amsterdam > A concert by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Joshua Weilerstein, and featuring pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen > A recital by master pianist Grigory Sokolov > Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, starring Elena Stikhina as Butterfly Hamburg > Puccini’s La fanciulla del West, conducted

by Josep Caballé-Domenech, with star soprano Anja Kampe as Minnie > A concert by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, conducted by Paavo Järvi, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller as soloist Copenhagen > Puccini’s Tosca at the Copenhagen Opera House, with Maria Pia Piscitelli singing the title role Oslo > Rossini’s La Cenerentola starring Norwegian mezzo soprano Tone Kummervold and American tenor Taylor Stayton Bergen Festival > Two performances at the Bergen International Festival 48

Your tour leader

Robert Gay “I loved the trip, it was very well organised and the choice of music and art was superb. His pre-event talks and general guidance that highlighted our experience was perfect.” – Amsterdam to Leipzig, September 2017.

Getting there Etihad Airway offers regular services to Amsterdam and home from Bergen via Amsterdam. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Arrive in Amsterdam, tour the historic centre and Rijksmuseum, enjoy three performances.

Days 5–8: Visit Bremen en route to Hamburg, attend performances at the spectacular Elbphilharmonie.

Explore the historic centre and harbour of Hamburg and take a day trip to Lübeck.

Days 9–11: Travel to Copenhagen to tour the town, including the celebrated Tivoli Gardens.

Days 12–13: In Oslo, admire the Renzo Pianodesigned Astrup Fearnley Museum and the outstanding Viking Ship Museum.

Days 14–17: Journey by train and cruise along Norway’s fjords to Bergen. Two performances at the Bergen International Festival.

NORWAY Bergen (3)

Oslo (2)

DENMARK

Copenhagen (3)

Hamburg (4) Amsterdam (4)

GERMANY

NETHERLANDS

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Munich & Glyndebourne OPERA FESTIVALS

$11,980 pp, twin share $1,970 single supplement

July 2-13, 2019

Experience • Seven top-flight performances, with internationally renowned singers, conductors and directors • Bavaria’s musical heritage, in expert pre and post-performance discussions • Southern Germany’s cultural wealth, from Augsburg’s renaissance to a nascent national identity on the Romantic Road • England’s fine tradition of countryhouse opera and summer music festivals at Glyndebourne • Diverse scenery: England’s seaside South coast city Brighton, Bavaria’s medieval villages and Baroque palaces

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Overview

Through its special connections in Munich and at Glyndebourne, Academy Travel is pleased to again offer entrée to difficult-to-access performances at two of the world’s leading opera festivals. Each year in Munich, the Bavarian State Opera presents all its new productions for the season over three weeks. The festival draws an impressive roster of singers, such as sopranos Anna Netrebko and Anja Harteros, and tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Established in 1934, Glyndebourne is the doyen of English country-house opera festivals, with superb productions, excellent singers and the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the pit.

Your tour leader

Robert Gay “I enjoyed this tour very much and can find little but positives. In particular, I appreciated the talks Robert gave each day and his wonderful enthusiasm and care for all members of the group. He is a treasure and so very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.” – Munich & Glyndebourne Opera Festivals, July 2018.

Getting there

Emirates and Etihad Airways fly daily from Australia to and from Munich and London.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary UK London Glyndebourne Brighton (4)

GERMANY

Munich (7)

Days 1–7: Munich, attend four fine operas by the Bavarian State Opera. Visit the superlative Alte Pinakothek; admire historic social housing in Augsburg, established by the Fuggers in the 16th century; and enjoy the iconic villages of the Romantic Road, crucial to modern Germany’s national identity.

Day 8: Fly to London and transfer to seaside city of Brighton.

Days 9–11: Attend afternoon performances at Glyndebourne, with long interval dinners.

During the day, explore the charming coastal city of Brighton, including the famous pavillion and encounter Bloomsbury Group intrigue at bohemian Charleston.

Performances

Best available tickets to seven outstanding operas are included.

Munich Four performances by the Bavarian State Opera as part of Munich’s traditional summer opera festival. The festival offers an impressive range of operas with a star-studded cast of singers. Stand-out performers in recent years have included Anna Netrebko and Anja Harteros, and tenor Jonas Kaufmann.

Glyndebourne Three operas at Glyndebourne, as part of the prestigious summer opera music festival set on this historic estate located in the heart of Sussex’s South Downs.

Glyndebourne never fails to dazzle, each year producing imaginative operatic productions of the highest standard, with a stellar cast of performers. Academy Travel is a sponsor of Glyndebourne, giving us access to the best tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

49

Italian Summer Music Festivals from the Lakes to Lucca

$9,050 pp, twin share $1,930 single supplement

July 23 – August 4, 2019

Enjoy

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• Italy’s stellar summer music festivals, at iconic outdoor settings in ancient monuments and by tranquil lakes • The comprehensive musical heritage of Italy • The striking landscapes that have inspired artists for centuries, from the lakes of northern Italy to the rolling hills and medieval castles of EmiliaRomagna • Private music recitals in opulent surroundings, a manifestation of this country’s long history of cultural patronage

Overview Immerse yourself in Italy’s extraordinary musical heritage at Summer Music Festivals in Verona, Lucca and Lake Como, where you experience Italy’s wonderful operatic and instrumental repertoire. Italian music is inseparable from the landscapes and history that have inspired it, and this new tour takes you behind the scenes of the great Italian composers, through visits to the diverse landscapes and provincial centres where they walked and worked, and a series of pre-performance talks by Royna McNamara. The tour is rounded off by fine dining in EmiliaRomagna, Italy’s premier culinary region, and a tour along the prosecco trail in the Veneto.

Your tour leader

Royna McNamara Royna joins our program in 2019. She is a musician, educator & conductor.

Royna has a passion for travel and has spent extended periods of time in Spain and Italy. Royna holds a B Mus Ed from the Conservatorium of Music, and a Masters of Education from the University of Sydney.

Getting there Emirates, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways all offer flights into and out of Italy from most Australian cities.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Highlights > Opera under the stars, in Verona’s magnificent Arena > Lake Como by private boat, stopping at Villa d’Este, Villa Carlotta and Villa Melzi > Elegant Vicenza and the graceful country houses of Palladio’s Veneto villas > Excellent regional cuisine, including lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant > Stradivari’s Cremona, far from the welltrodden tourist trail > A sunset performance on Lake Massaciuccoli, the inspiration for a number of Puccini’s best-loved works

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Bellagio (3) Valdobbiadene

Milan

Vicenza (3)

Verona

Cremona (3)

Mantua Parma

ITALY

Lucca (3)

50

Days 1–3: In Bellagio, explore Lake Como’s spectacular villas; enjoy lunch at Villa d’Este.

Attend the Lake Como Bellagio Music Festival.

Days 4–6: In Vicenza, survey Palladio’s elegant villas. Attend an opera at Verona’s Roman arena. Savour wine and gastronomy on the Valdobbiadene’s “Prosecco Road”.

Days 7–9: From Cremona, discover Stradivari’s birthplace, Monteverdi’s Mantua and Verdi’s Parma.

Days 10–13: In elegant Lucca, deepen your appreciation of Puccini’s work with walking tours, a visit to the Museo Villa Puccini and operatic performances at both Torre del Lago’s Puccini Festival and the Lucca Festival.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Paris to Madrid

a musical pilgrimage

$10,890 pp, twin share $2,250 single supplement

October 7-21, 2019

Revel in • Eight outstanding performances of opera and orchestral music at some of Europe’s leading opera houses and concert halls in Paris, Lyon, Barcelona and Madrid • Recitals and orchestral concerts with internationally-famous artists • Spain’s immense cultural heritage, from imposing royal palaces in Madrid to the exuberant Modernista architecture of Gaudí • The rugged beauty of Spain’s central plateau, the French countryside around Lyon and the cosmopolitan city of Paris

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Overview Academy Travel is proud to present this new 15-day program, offering performances of the highest calibre in four of Europe’s great cultural centres. The itinerary is built around eight performances in France and Spain, including the Opéra Bastille and the Philharmonie de Paris, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and the Teatro Real in Madrid. The musical program is complemented by excursions to the countryside and visits to the diverse galleries and museums that bring to life fascinating regional histories, from Roman Lyon to the popes at Avignon and Catalonia’s distinctive art and architecture.

Your tour leader

Robert Gay “Robert Gay was, as expected, a wonderfully interesting leader.”

– Amsterdam to Leipzig, September 2017.

Getting there Emirates and Qatar Airways offer flights into Paris and out of Madrid from most Australian cities. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Performances Full details of all eight performances will be available in May 2019.

Paris > Two operas at the historic Opéra Bastille > Two concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris Lyon > Concert at the Lyon Concert Hall or an opera at the Opéra National de Lyon Barcelona > Two operas at the Palau de la Música Orfeó Català or the Gran Teatre del Liceu Madrid > Two operas at the Teatro Real, Madrid

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Enjoy performances at Paris’s Opéra Bastille. Visit the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée Rodin and the Musée Jacquemart-André.

Days 5–7: Train to Lyon. Tour the city’s outstanding Roman ruins; visit the Gallo-Roman Museum and the superlative Musée des Beaux-Arts. Attend a concert or opera.

Days 8–11: Travel to Barcelona via Avignon, with a guided visit of the Palais des Papes and the iconic Pont d’Avignon. In Barcelona, visit the National Museum of Catalonian Art and the Fundació Joan Miró. Enjoy an opera.

Days 12–15: In Madrid, attend performances at the Teatro Real; art at the Prado, visit Segovia.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Paris (4)

France Lyon (3)

Avignon

Spain Segovia

Barcelona (4)

Madrid (3)

51

Tours to Asia Academy Travel’s Asian tours focus on the region’s superb cultural heritage, increasingly recognised by western travellers. Choose from thriving traditional cultures in Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and western China or the contemporary delights of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Japan, one of our most popular destinations, is an endlessly fascinating amalgam of old and new.

Punakha Dzong, Bhutan

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Singapore

ART Week 2019

$2,650 pp, twin share $780 single supplement

January 17-20, 2019

Experience • The vibrant visual arts and design scene of one of Asia’s most dynamic cities • Singapore’s melting pot: local Peranakan culture, British colonialism and globalisation • The history and design of the Asian tropical garden, from classic principles to stunning orchids • The complex heritage of the British, from fine architecture to resistance at Changi • Extensive collections of traditional and modern Asian art • Cutting-edge architecture and design

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Overview In the last 20 years the island-nation of Singapore has transformed itself from a bustling commercial city into a vibrant cultural one – a leading Asian centre of art, music and design.

It boasts remarkable museums and galleries, a fine symphony orchestra and an energetic and outward-looking culture. Our new tour has been timed to coincide with Singapore Art Week, held every January. The itinerary combines Singapore’s complex heritage, tropical gardens, the visual arts and an orchestral performance. Enjoy five-star accommodation close to venues we visit, and a varied program designed to appeal to cultural travellers.

Highlights > Attend Singapore Art Week, an enriching series of events and exhibitions > Curator-led tours of public and private galleries participating in Singapore Art Week > The Asian Civilisations Museum, surveying South East Asia’s cultural heritage > National Gallery, a vast and impressive museum with fine regional art > Gillmann Barracks, converted into a centre for contemporary art > A gala performance celebrating 40 years of the well-regarded Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall

Your tour leader

Robert Veel “Once again, we were very impressed by our Academy experience. Robert’s knowledge of all aspects of the places we visited was excellent and he had a relaxed friendly manner which gave the appearance that everything happened effortlessly.” – New Zealand, March 2018.

Getting there Singapore Airlines has several daily flights from Australian capital cities. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Day 1: Meet your fellow travellers over dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Visit the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan House Museum. Lunch at a Peranakan restaurant then visit Gillman Barracks arts centre.

Evening performance by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Day 3: Early visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, including the Orchid Garden. Morning visit to the National Gallery historic wing and current exhibition.

Day 4: Visit to Gardens by the Bay Complex and Fort Canning Park.

National Botanic Garden

Singapore Arts Museum Fort Canning Park Peranakan Museum National Gallery Singapore Esplanade Theatres Asian Civilisations Museum The Fullerton Hotel Gillman Barracks

Singapore 3 nights

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

53

Hong Kong & Shanghai Contemporary art in china

$5,180 pp, twin share $1,240 single supplement

March 28 – April 4, 2019

Get to know

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• Exceptional modern and contemporary art, presented by many of the world’s leading galleries • The unique histories of China’s most cosmopolitan cities, from ancient pasts to colonial heritage, and their emergence as modern cultural capitals • Traditional Chinese art and architecture, from temples and calligraphy to porcelain and painting • Old meets new: contemporary Chinese art in Shanghai’s commercial galleries • The culinary traditions and fine dining of Hong Kong and Shanghai

Overview Hong Kong and Shanghai are two of China’s most cosmopolitan cities, and their thriving arts’ cultures and complex histories have made them locations for the exchange of ideas between very different worlds. Discover the art and culture of these two cities on this new tour, exploring their traditional and contemporary art and architecture, private gallery districts, culinary traditions and major collections. The tour also includes guided visits to Art Basel in Hong Kong, the premier contemporary art event in the Asia-Pacific region, in which more than 200 private galleries showcase their wares.

Your tour leader

Dr Mikala Tai Mikala joins our program in 2019.

She is the director of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney.

As a curator, researcher, and academic specialising in contemporary Asian art, she has collaborated with local, national, and international organisations to strengthen ties between Australia and Asia.

Getting there Qantas and Cathay Pacific fly daily from Australia. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Guided visits to Art Basel in Hong Kong, the leading art fair in the Asia-Pacific region > Shanghai’s premier galleries and museums, including the Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai Art Museum, and Nanshi Power Station of Art > Exploring renowned art districts, such as the Bund and M50, with their fantastic and evolving exhibitions > Take a step back in time at traditional temples and gardens, including the Po Lin Monastery and Ming Dynasty Yuyuan Gardens > Experience Hong Kong’s thriving food culture, from markets to haute cuisine

Itinerary Shanghai (4)

CHINA

Hong Kong (3)

54

Day 1: Arrive in Hong Kong, tour the city by coach.

Days 2–3: Appreciate world-class art at Art Basel Hong Kong, visit the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha, and enjoy Hong Kong’s vibrant food culture.

Day 4: Fly to Shanghai, tour the city by coach and admire traditional Chinese garden design at the Yuyuan Gardens.

Days 5–6: Explore Shanghai’s art and architecture, including traditional art at the Shanghai Museum, and contemporary and modern art in the Bund and M50 arts districts, home to cutting-edge galleries.

Days 7–8: Take a day trip to a traditional and ancient Chinese water town.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Bhutan

The last Shangri-La $10,475 pp, twin share $1,620 single supplement

April 12-26, 2019

Discover • The unique history and culture of a kingdom that only began opening its borders to foreigners in the 1970s • The national philosophy: where Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product • Iconic landscapes: snow-covered peaks and serene forests of the Himalayas • Proud ancestral customs, traditional music, dance and weaving • Remarkable religious architecture, from monasteries and temples to fortresses and temples • Rare flora and fauna, in the secluded Phobjikha Valley and its rare wildlife

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Overview Little has changed over the centuries in the Kingdom of Bhutan, secluded among the pristine forests and protected by the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. Experience a sense of timelessness on this 15-day tour, visiting mountaintop monasteries, Buddhist temples and traditional villages, in which artists and artisans ply their ancestral crafts to sell at local markets. The tour also travels to Paro and Thimphu, whose museums preserve historic collections of Bhutanese arts and crafts, and up through Himalayan passes to remote valleys, such as Phobjikha, home to the rare black-necked crane.

Highlights > Remarkable architecture and a dramatic cliffside location at Tiger’s Nest Monastery > Bronze sculpture, precious paintings, weaponry and historic textiles at the National Museum of Bhutan in Paro > Mountain scenery of the eastern Himalaya > Explore Thimphu, the monastic capital, and visit the Heritage and Textile Museums > The remote Phobjikha Valley in central Bhutan, home of the famed black-necked cranes > Traverse the spectacular zigzag roadway over the 3000-metre-high Dochula Pass > The warmhearted people of Bhutan: archers, farmers and artists going about their daily lives

Itinerary Days 1–4: Arrive in Bangkok. Travel to Paro and visit the Paro Dzong fortress-monastery and museum, Tiger’s Nest and a textile-weaving centre.

Days 5–7: In Thimphu, explore the Tashichho Dzong and Heritage and Textile Museums.

Days 8–9: Travel to Punakha over the Dochula Pass, visiting local markets and Chimi Lhakhang, a monastery with a colourful history.

Days 10–11: Continue to Gangtey via Phobjikha Valley and Black Crane Information Centre.

Days 12–15: Free time in Punakha, then Paro, to appreciate local handcrafts, traditional dance or even a hot stone bath. Depart for Bangkok and onward flights.

Your tour leader

Judy Tenzing “We found the tour a wonderful experience. Judy and the two local guides (plus one fabulous driver) were all excellent. We particularly enjoyed Judy’s lectures – she was very willing to share her knowledge of Bhutan. Many thanks to everyone for a great trip” – Bhutan, March 2017.

Getting there Qantas has daily flights to Bangkok.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement CHINA

Punakha (3) Thimphu (3) Gangtey (2) Paro (5)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

bhutan

india

To Bangkok (1)

55

Japan Unmasked Art, history & culture

$11,485 pp, twin share $3,285 single supplement

November 8-23, 2019

Uncover

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• The contrast of a contemporary metropolis against the backdrop of Edo-period Tokyo • The serene history of some of Japan’s finest landscaped gardens and shrines • Complex military pasts: from Kanazawa’s wooden teahouses and Samurai culture to Hiroshima’s peace memorials • The floating world of the geisha in Kyoto’s Gion • An overwhelming cultural patrimony in art and history, dating back to the 6th century

Overview The richness of Japan’s history and art is immediate and tangible, but the culture that produced it often seems impenetrable. Move beyond appearances on this popular 16-day tour and gain comprehensive insight into the beauty and mystique of this wonderful land, from its Shinto and Buddhist temples and Zen gardens to its hypermodern cities and contemporary quirks. Explore old and new world Tokyo, understand the devastation at Hiroshima, and enjoy a week in Kyoto, discovering its temples, museums and traditions, with day trips to Nara, the ancient capital, and the bamboo groves of Arashiyama.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Getting there

> Hyper-modern Tokyo’s bright lights and a staggering range of museums > Kyoto’s Zen temples and stone gardens, colourful geisha and historic arts and crafts > Kanazawa’s famed Kenrokuen, one of Japan’s most significant and seasonal gardens > The moving display of human resilience at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial > Speeding through the countryside on the Shinkansen or bullet train > Soaring bamboo groves in Arashiyama and Japan’s early capital, Nara > Kaiseki dining: a multi-course, seasonal meal perfectly complemented by traditional Japanese architecture

Ann MacArthur Ann joins our program in 2019.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies and speaks fluent Japanese. Ann has over 20 years experience as a museum educator specialising in Asian art and culture.

Qantas, Japan Airlines and ANA have daily flights to Tokyo, with return connections through Tokyo from Osaka. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Kanazawa (2)

Hiroshima (2)

56

Kyoto (7) Nara Osaka

Japan Tokyo (4)

Days 1–4: Explore Tokyo’s Koishikawa-Korakuen garden, Senso-ji Temple, Nezu and Ota museums and Ginza’s exclusive boutiques.

Days 5–6: Bullet train to Kanazawa; visit the Samurai district, teahouses and Kenrokuen garden.

Days 7–8: In Hiroshima, visit the Peace Memorial and Miyajima’s Itsukushima shrine.

Days 9–12: Bullet train to Kyoto. Stroll through the geisha district, encounter Zen Buddhism in temples, shrines and gardens, and participate in a traditional tea ceremony.

Days 13–14: Day trips to Arashiyama and Nara.

Days 15–16: Discover Nishiki market and Kyoto’s many traditional crafts.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Western China on the Silk Road

$10,575 pp, twin share $2,095 single supplement

October 10-30, 2019

Explore • Thousands of years of history, art and culture, passed on and preserved through successive dynasties • The Silk Road’s ancient caravan routes • The development of Chinese Buddhism, in grottoes and caves with remarkable sculptures and murals • Outstanding collections of art and antiquities, with treasures from the Neolithic through to the modern era • The contrast between Islamic culture in the western districts and Tibetan Buddhism in Gansu Province, emblematic of China’s historic diversity

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Overview Take a journey through western China, exploring its awe-inspiring history, cultural diversity and extraordinary achievements. The region’s most famous monuments – the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors – are certainly highlights, but they are just a small part of what western China offers the cultural traveller. This 21-day tour explores the region in depth, revealing a wealth of treasures and giving you insight into the complex histories, peoples and cultures of China. The tour includes visits to the brilliantly decorated Buddhist monasteries at Mogao Grottoes, the Silk Road market towns of Turpan, Ürümqi and Kashgar, and Islamic Linxia.

Highlights > The Great Wall outside Beijing, a lasting monument to the achievements of China > The overwhelming sight of over 8000 Terracotta Warriors, lined up in rows ready for battle since the 3rd century BC > Remarkable Buddhist sculptures and over 1000 square metres of murals, carved into the mountain face at the Maijishan Grottoes > A day immersed in the bustling Sunday markets at Kashgar, and an encounter with Ürümqi’s well-preserved mummies > The ubiquitous red sandstone of the Flaming Mountains gorge in the Mutou Valley outside Turpan

Your tour leader

Ben Churcher “The tour met my expectations of a better understanding of China’s history and current state. Ben Churcher was always amiable, available and responsive.” – Western China, September 2017.

Getting there Singapore Airlines offers daily flights into Beijing and out of Chengdu. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: In Beijing, explore the Forbidden City, long China’s political epicentre; visit the Great Wall.

Days 4–6: Fly to Xi’an to encounter the Terracotta Warriors and explore other sites.

Days 7–10: Admire Buddhist sculptures at Tianshui.

Travel to Lanzhou; discover the Bingling Grottoes and Islamic Linxia. Survey the Gansu Museum; visit Tibetan Xiahe and the Labrang Lamasery.

Days 11–13: Fly to Dunhuang, explore the famous Buddhist Caves.

Days 14–17: Cross the Taklamakan Desert to ancient Turpan. Meet Ürümqi’s mummies.

Days 18–21: Explore remote Kashgar, its vibrant markets and extraordinary mosque complex.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

CHINA Urumqi (1) Turpan (2) Dunhuang (2)

Beijing (3)

Kashgar (3) Lanzhou (3) Xiahe (2) Tianshui (1)

Xi’an (2)

Chengdu (1)

57

Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan a journey through central Asia

$8,975 pp, twin share $1,225 single supplement

October 10-26, 2019

Experience

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• The lives and conquests of history’s greatest leaders: Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great and Tamerlane • Central Asian architecture: World Heritage-listed palaces and mausoleums, extraordinary mosques and minarets • The archaeology of great ancient empires: Achaemenids, Persians, Sasanians and Parthians • Three thousand years of art and history in exceptional museums and galleries • The Silk Road, from its role in history to its fabulous carpets and stunning mosaics

Overview Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have long been the crossroads of civilisations and a vital link in the Silk Road. This 17-day tour explores the rich tapestry of history and cultures of this region, from the excellent archaeological sites and cities of the Achaemenids, Persians and Parthians, to the palaces, mosques and mausoleums of the emirs and Tamerlane’s capital, Samarkand. The tour takes you beyond these great civilisations of the past, allowing you to discover the distinctive culture of the ‘Stans’, from their traditional arts and crafts to the thriving cities of Central Asia.

Your tour leader

Christopher Bradley “Chris was excellent, with great historical and cultural insight – couldn’t have been better.”

– Iran, April 2018.

Getting there Korean Airlines and Asiana Airlines fly to Tashkent from Australia, with a stopover in Seoul. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Nukus (1) Khiva (2)

Tashkent (2) Samarkand (3) Bukhara (4)

Turkemistan Ashgabat (2) Mary (2)

58

> The city walls of Khiva’s old town and its mosques, minarets and madrassas > Fine Central Asian architecture and design at the World Heritage-listed site of Kunya Urgench > The ruins of ancient Parthian kings dating from the 3rd century BC, at Nisa near Ashgabat > The oasis city of Merv, with its outstanding archaeological sites from the Sassanid and Achaemenid periods > Bukhara and the Samanid monuments of the last Persian dynasty to rule Central Asia > Tamerlane’s Samarkand and Shahrisabz, the heart of the Silk Road

Itinerary

UZBEKISTAN Kunya Urgench

Highlights

Days 1–3: Arrive in Tashkent and tour the Uzbek capital; fly to Khiva and explore the old town.

Day 4: Drive to Nukus and visit the Savitsky Collection.

Days 5–6: Cross into Turkmenistan and visit Kunya Urgench; fly to Ashgabat and visit the carpet museum and the ruins at Nisa.

Days 7–8: Fly to Mary and visit the oasis city at Merv.

Days 9–12: Return to Uzbekistan, and explore Bukhara, Samanid sites, mosques and palaces.

Days 13–15: Drive to Shahrisabz and see Tamerlane’s city of Samarkand.

Days 16–17: Return to Tashkent for flights home.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Tours to AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND You don’t have to leave our region to explore extraordinary art and ancient cultures. Responding to demand from our travellers, we’ve expanded our range of Australian and New Zealand tours, going behind the scenes to visit private collections, and meet with experts at galleries and museums, the custodians of our own history and culture.

Sculpture by Bernard Vernet at invitation-only Gibbs Farm, New Zealand

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New Zealand

Nature, culture & the arts $6,350 pp, twin share $1,710 single supplement

March 14-23, 2019

Explore

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• The diverse wealth of Maori culture, an integral part of Kiwi life today • World-famous sculpture parks and gardens, still in private hands • New Zealand’s art in an iconic building: colonial to contemporary at the Toi o Tamaki Art Gallery, Auckland • Remarkable architecture, ranging from Art Deco Napier to Auckland’s cuttingedge design • Striking landscapes – rugged mountain ranges, wild coastlines, beautiful harbours, lakes and islands • Dramatic volcanic and geothermal activity in the centre of the island

Overview Delve into the art and architecture of New Zealand’s North Island, from its Maori heritage to its privately-owned art collections and sculpture parks, on this 10-day tour. The tour begins in the harbourside capital of Wellington, before heading up the Pacific coast to Napier and across the centre of the island to Lake Taupo and Rotorua, culminating in four days in and around Auckland.

Experience how the dramatic mountain ranges, centres of volcanic activity, stunning coastlines and rolling green hills, are both setting and context for the art and culture of New Zealand.

Your tour leader

Dr Kathleen Olive “Kathleen Olive is a very gifted woman. She managed the group with humour, professionalism, tact and had the gift of making each person feel special.” – Tasmania, December 2017.

Getting there Qantas and Air New Zealand have regular flights into Wellington and out of Auckland.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

> Internationally-renowned and privatelyowned sculpture parks – Gibbs Farm, north of Auckland, and Connells Bay on beautiful Waiheke Island > Remarkable landscape at Waimangu, with steaming geysers, hot springs and waterfalls > Napier’s impressive Art Deco in harmonious public buildings, beach promenades and commercial and residential buildings > Behind-the-scenes tour of Auckland’s Toi o Tamaki Art Gallery, New Zealand’s largest and most inspiring visual arts experience > Scenic drives through mountains, volcanic landscapes and verdant countryside > The wonderful food and world-class wines of the North Island

Itinerary

Gibbs Farm Auckland (3)

Rotorua (2)

New Zealand

Wellington (2)

60

Highlights

Napier (2)

Days 1–2: Arrive in Wellington and explore the city’s cultural heritage at the Te Papa Museum, National Portrait Gallery and Katherine Mansfield Museum. Tour the Beehive, Wellington’s iconic parliament, and the Botanic Gardens.

Days 3–4: Cross the Rimutaka Mountains, visiting the Wairarapa wine region and exploring Art Deco architecture in Napier.

Days 5–6: From Rotorua, travel to Lake Taupo and witness Huka Falls in action. Take in the area’s volcanic landscape, including the Te Puia hot springs.

Days 7–10: In Auckland, enjoy visits to the Wallace Arts Centre, Gibbs Farm and Ayrlies Garden. Explore Waiheke Island and Connells Bay Sculpture Park.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

the Yarra Valley to Bendigo

Victoria’s Regional Galleries

$3,790 pp, twin share $680 single supplement

February 27 – March 6, 2019

Get to know • The impact of the Victorian Gold Rush on colonial art and architecture • The role of the bush and the beach in creating Australia’s visual identity • The varied landscapes of Victoria and how successive generations of artists have approached them • Cutting-edge contemporary sculpture and painting in superb natural settings • The patronage of the visual arts by prominent Australians, and the role of the arts in reviving regional Australia • The excellent collections of heritage and modern art that have cemented Victoria’s cultural reputation

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Overview The small cities of the countryside and coastline surrounding Melbourne have a wealth of cultural sites to tempt visitors. Chief among them is an outstanding collection of regional and private galleries, with excellent collections of heritage and modern art. This new eight day tour gives art lovers the chance to sample a range of Australia’s best regional galleries, and then goes beyond the confines of the galleries to explore the landscapes and historic sites that give a broader context for understanding the art and history of Australia.

The tour is rounded out with fine dining and visits to wineries.

Highlights > Superlative regional galleries in the goldfields towns of Bendigo and Ballarat: two of regional Australia’s most dynamic and expansive collections > The wineries and landscapes of the Yarra Valley, Dandenongs and Mornington Peninsula > The McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery and TarraWarra Museum of Art, leading private collections of contemporary art > Colonial Australia, at Barwon Park Mansion, the well-preserved Gold Rush town of Maldon and Goulburn Valley’s Tahbilk Winery > Heide Museum of Modern Art, celebrating Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and the thoroughly modern Reed family

Your tour leader

Dr Nick Gordon “Nick Gordon gave us such insight into the culture of Italian life as well as politics, religion and food. Such a good and caring man, the tour was more than we had hoped for.” – Easter in Umbria & Tuscany, March 2018.

Getting there The tour begins and ends at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar have regular flights from all over Australia.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Meet at Tullamarine and travel to the Yarra Valley; visit Heide Museum of Modern Art and TarraWarra; explore the Dandenongs and Mornington Peninsula.

Days 4: Enjoy the Bellarine Peninsula, from tranquil Queenscliff to Geelong, whose regional gallery has helped change the city’s reputation, and bluestone heritage at Barwon Park Mansion.

Days 5–6: Uncover Gold Rush history at Ballarat and Bendigo’s galleries.

Days 7–8: Day trip to the Goulburn Valley to visit Shepparton Regional Gallery and the historic Tahbilk Estate, one of Australia’s oldest wineries.

Ascend Mount Macedon to enjoy sweeping views.

Shepparton Bendigo (3)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

VICTORIA Heide Museum

Ballarat

Warburton – Yarra Valley (2)

Melbourne

Geelong Queenscliff (2)

Mornington

Point Nepean – Sorrento

61

Adelaide & surrounds Art, history & food

$2,860 pp, twin share $575 single supplement

November 13-18, 2019

Discover

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• Fine public and private collections of Australian and European art • Rich Indigenous culture: from traditional and contemporary art, to native foods • A state founded by free settlers • Historic houses and gardens that served as inspiration to artists and collectors alike • Early multiculturalism, progressive politics and an innovative arts culture • The development of Australian landscape painting, from Tom Roberts to Hans Heysen • A region synonymous with abundant regional produce and world-class wine

Overview Adelaide has gained an international reputation for the arts, food and wine, since the progressive years of the 1960s. This six day tour explores the city’s art, history and food. It includes a guided visit of the Art Gallery of South Australia by Christopher Menz, a former director of the gallery, and takes in a number of collections at historic houses, including The Cedars, home of the Heysen family, Carrick Hill and Fermoy House. Day trips to the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley, to enjoy the region’s acclaimed food and wine, round out the tour.

Your tour leader

Christopher Menz Christopher led the ADFAS Travel Adelaide and Kangaroo Island tour in November 2017. Chris is a former director of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

“Tour leader Christopher Menz is excellent. His expertise in art galleries was invaluable and he went out of this way to show us galleries in our free time.” – Alps to the Rhine, April 2017.

Getting there Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar have daily flights to Adelaide. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Discover Adelaide’s heritage with a private visit of Ayers House and a guided walking tour of the city > Uncover the fine art housed in the South Australian Art Gallery > Visit Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills and tour The Cedars, the home and studio of Hans and Nora Heysen > Explore the art collection at Carrick Hill house museum and garden > Travel to the Barossa Valley and tour Seppeltsfield winery > Tour Fermoy House and see the unique collection of David Roche > Performance at Ukaria in the Adelaide Hills

Itinerary Barossa Valley

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adelaide(5)

Hahndorf

62

Day 1: Arrive in Adelaide and enjoy a welcome dinner in a fine Adelaide restaurant.

Day 2: Guided tour of Ayers House and history walk. Tour the Australian and William Morris collections at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Day 3: Visit the David Roche Foundation and tour Fermoy House. Guided walk through the Botanic Gardens.

Day 4: Day trip to the Barossa Valley. Visit Tanunda and tour Seppeltsfield winery.

Days 5-6: Travel to Hahndorf and visit the Heysens’ studio at The Cedars. Lunch and concert at Ukaria Cultural Centre in the Adelaide Hills. Return via Mount Lofty and Carrick Hill historic house.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Melbourne Private Homes COLONIAL TO CONTEMPORARY

$2,190 pp, twin share $580 single supplement

October 23-27, 2019

Get to know • Philanthropy and patronage: Melbourne’s private collections, the legacies of their founders, and a vibrant program of public bequests • Modern and contemporary art in Australia, from iconic works to emerging artists: Tracey Moffatt, Patricia Piccinini, John Olsen • The progression of Australian architecture, from Victorian terraces to the MCG and contemporary gems • Lush spring gardens, from traditional colour to innovative native plantings

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Overview Melbourne’s reputation as the cultural capital of Australia has been enhanced recently through the opening of a number of new private collections, many of which are in customdesigned house museums. This new four day tour takes you to the best of these, including Lyon Housemuseum, the Justin Art House Museum, the Johnston Collection and Buxton Contemporary. Private visits to these collections are complemented by a guided tour of the NGV’s spring blockbuster exhibition, visits to historic homes, including Como House, the Australian Tapestry Workshop, and the spectacular Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens.

Highlights > Lyon Housemuseum, one of Australia’s finest collections of contemporary art > The Johnston Collection, exploring the life and collections of colourful antique dealer, William Johnston > Como House and Garden, a beautifully preserved historic home of Melbourne’s 19th-century aristocracy > Buxton Contemporary and Justin Art House Museum, two of the latest additions to Melbourne’s art scene > The stunning Australian botanic gardens at Cranbourne > Private tour of the NGV blockbuster exhibition and the ACCA

Your tour leader

Dr Nick Gordon “Nick was a wonderful tour leader.

His knowledge of art, history and Italy greatly increased my enjoyment of the trip and sparked new interest for me to follow up.” – Florence, Ravenna & Venice, April 2018.

Getting there Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar have frequent flights to and from Melbourne. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Day 1: Assemble at Melbourne Airport, continue to the Australian Tapestry Workshop and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Day 2: Private guided tour of the Johnston Collection, with its fine collections of antiques, followed by a private tour of the MCG and visits to historic Como House and Garden and Buxton Contemporary, Melbourne’s newest gallery.

Day 3: Private guided tours of Lyon Housemuseum and the Justin Art House Museum, two excellent private collections of contemporary art.

Day 4: Lecture and guided tour of NGV’s blockbuster exhibition. Visit Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens.

Day 5: Depart Melbourne.

Airport

Johnson Collection

Melbourne CBD (4)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Australian Tapestry Workshop

Lyon House Museum

Justin Art House Museum

Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens

63

Tasmania

history, art & landscape $3,975 pp, twin share $985 single supplement

November 30 – December 7, 2019

Uncover

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• Outstanding colonial heritage, with some of Australia’s oldest private and public architecture • The complex history of Tasmania, involving early Indigenous contact and the full articulation of the convict system • A vibrant visual arts scene, ranging from important 19th-century painters to remarkable contemporary art • Pristine World Heritage-listed landscapes of forest, river and ocean • Wonderful food and wine, now gaining global attention

Overview Tasmania has a history, culture and landscape distinct from mainland Australia. This eight day tour offers unique insights into the island and its past, combining renowned attractions, such as the colonial Clarendon Estate and the World Heritage-listed convict site at Port Arthur, with sites of particular interest to the cultural traveller, such as the excellent Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) on the Derwent River, and a special focus on John Glover. These visits are carefully balanced with the experience of Tasmania’s pristine natural beauty, including a day trip along the Huon River Valley and a Freycinet Peninsula cruise.

Your tour leader

Dr Nick Gordon “Nick is an excellent tour leader – in his management, organisational and people skills; he has great knowledge of art and history, which he shared willingly, both in lectures and informally.” – Art Along the Rhine with Art Basel, June 2017.

Getting there Qantas and Jetstar offer direct flights to Launceston from Sydney and Melbourne and return flights from Hobart. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Highlights > Tasmania’s colonial sites, including Clarendon Estate and World Heritagelisted Port Arthur > Tasmania’s leading public art galleries in Launceston and Hobart > Cruise from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay, gaining a unique perspective of the Freycinet Peninsula’s sheer cliffs and abundant wildlife > A day trip to the Huon River Valley, visiting pristine rainforests, gardens and wineries > Fine regional wine and produce at some of Tasmania’s excellent restaurants and vineyards

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Launceston (3)

Ross

TASMANIA

Freycinet (1)

Hobart (3)

Days 1–3: The tour begins in Launceston, visiting historic homes and villages, exploring the farm of colonial artist John Glover and touring the Tamar Valley and hills towards the Cradle Mountain region. We also visit wineries and two excellent restaurants.

Days 4–5: Travel to the Freycinet Peninsula via colonial-era towns, and cruise Wineglass Bay. Days 6–8: In Hobart we continue our exploration of colonial artists, enjoy day trips to the Huon Valley and the Tasman Peninsula, and visit David Walsh’s astonishing MONA.

Port Arthur

64

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Tours to the Americas From the Mayan pyramids of the Yucatan Peninsula to Quebec and the St Lawrence River, our American tours cover key aspects of archaeology, history and the arts.

You can explore the complex mosaic of people and cultures in central America and the southern USA, or enjoy the best of the best in New York – outstanding performance, private visits to breathtaking museums and private collections.

The Chrysler Building, New York City, New York

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New York

Art, Architecture, History & Theatre $10,350 pp, twin share $2,930 single supplement

March 19-31, 2019

Experience

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• New York’s dramatic history, from colonial outpost to global metropolis • Outstanding performances: opera, orchestral concerts, plays and a musical • A breathtaking array of visual arts, ranging from European Old Masters to 20th-century classics and the cuttingedge contemporary scene • New York’s marvellous architectural heritage, with a focus on Art Deco, modern and contemporary • New York’s neighbourhoods: a city of villages with celebrated local histories • New York’s food scene, from historic venues to top establishments

Overview Wake up in the city that never sleeps – 12 times! This residential tour to New York combines a carefully-selected range of performances – from jazz to Broadway, orchestral music and opera – with private visits to a selection of the city’s best museums and galleries, and dining in some of its finest restaurants. It also explores the fascinating history and architecture of the city through walking tours of its renowned neighbourhoods: Brooklyn, Soho, Chelsea, Downtown, the Upper East Side and Central Park. Accommodation is in spacious premier-plus rooms at the Warwick Hotel, perfect for attending theatres and visiting galleries.

Highlights and itinerary Performances > Tosca, in production by the world-leading Metropolitan Opera directed by Carlo Rizzi > The Broadway smash-hit Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton > New York Philharmonic Orchestra performing Brahms Symphony No. 1 > Mozart virtuoso Mitsuko Uchida, leading the Mahler Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall > Some of the best jazz in the city at Jazz at the Lincoln Fine Art and Dining > A private out-of-hours viewing of the MoMA with a museum lecturer > Charming small galleries, including the Frick Collection and the Neue Museum > The encyclopaedic Metropolitan Museum of Art, including its exquisite medieval wing The Cloisters > Lunch at the Michelin two-star restaurant The Modern, inside MoMA > Dinner at the New York fine dining institution the Grammercy Tavern

Architecture and History > Architectural walking tours of Midtown’s Art Deco and Park Avenue modernism > New York’s fascinating history of immigration, from Ellis Island to the Lower East Side > Brownstone streetscapes, fantastic museums and diverse history in Brooklyn > Exploring Downtown, from New Amsterdam to the modern Financial District

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing “I didn’t want the tour to end! It was such a wonderful introduction to New York – a city I had not visited.

Matthew’s comments, notes, talks, humour and choices of theatre, restaurants and excursions made this such an exciting, memorable experience. I’m still on a high, the group was such fun.” – New York: music, theatre, art & food, March 2018.

Getting there Qantas and United Airlines fly regularly to the East Coast. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement 66

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

North East USA

Chicago, PitTsburgh, Washington & New York $10,860 pp, twin share $3,290 single supplement

April 2-18, 2019

Get to know • Key moments in American history, from the Dutch in New Amsterdam, to American democracy in Washington and the Civil War at Gettysburg • Some of the world’s finest art museums, with staggering collections of Old Masters and ground-breaking modern art • The breathtaking architectural legacy of Chicago and Frank Lloyd Wright • World-class performances at America’s best cultural institutions, including opera, symphony and the stage • An inside view of American politics and government in Washington DC

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Overview The cities of North East USA were the driving force behind America’s transformation into a global economic and cultural powerhouse. The wealth and idealism of their movers and shakers – some of the great philanthropists of the 20th century – have left an astounding legacy, from great museums, to gems of modern architecture and some of the world’s leading performing arts institutions. Explore Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington DC and New York on this 17-day tour, visiting their great museums and historic sites, enjoying performances and taking day trips to Gettysburg, Charlottesville and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater.

Highlights > The world-famous Art Institute of Chicago, and Metropolitan Museum of Art > Five days in the Big Apple, taking in its finest art and performances > The National Mall in Washington, including the Smithsonian and Lincoln Memorial > Thomas Jefferson’s World Heritage-listed Monticello and the University of Virginia > The incredible Chicago cityscape and architectural tours of the city > Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces: from Fallingwater to the Oak Park Home and Studio > Stellar performances at premier venues, in New York, Washington and Chicago

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing “Matthew was a wonderful guide.” – North East USA: Boston, Washington and New York, April 2016.

Getting there Qantas and United Airlines fly regularly to the North East. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Arrive in Chicago. Explore the birth of the skyscraper and the Art Institute.

Days 5–6: In Pittsburgh, discover the industrial powerhouse of America and Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Fallingwater.

Day 7: Survey Gettysburg, spending a day exploring the turning point of the Civil War and fascinating Amish country.

Days 8–12: In Washington DC, discover iconic monuments to democracy, an excursion to Monticello and colonial America in Philadelphia.

Days 13–17: Five days in New York City, taking in some of America’s finest museums, performances, architecture and dining.

Canada

Pittsburgh (2)

Chicago (4)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

New York (5)

Fallingwater Gettysburg (1) Washington (4)

USA

67

Chile & Peru

empires of the inca $13,650 pp, twin share $2,825 single supplement

May 4-25, 2019

Discover

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• Incan and pre-Incan civilisations, from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile to Cusco in Peru • South America’s archaeology, from the ancient mummies of the dry Atacama Desert to those frozen in Andean ice • The Spanish legacy in churches, monasteries and town squares • Diverse landscapes and their impact on human history: high deserts and soaring mountains, the world’s deepest canyon and highest navigable lake, Titicaca • Contemporary life in vibrant capitals, in Santiago and Lima

Overview Get to know the extraordinary lost civilisation of the Inca and how they made the most of the extraordinary landscapes of South America. This 22-day tour explores the empire from its southern periphery beyond the Atacama Desert to its inner sanctum in Cusco and Machu Picchu, high in the Peruvian Andes. Throughout the journey, we tour fascinating archaeological sites, museums, temples and towns to explore the many cultures that inhabited the area before and with the Inca. Visits to thermal springs, mountain lakes, passes and canyons bring to life the remarkable natural history of the region.

Your tour leader

Dr Chris Carter “Chris was a fantastic tour leader.

Always pleasant, very knowledgeable and funny – just a delight!” – Chile, Argentina & Peru – September 2017

Getting there Qantas and LATAM Airlines have flights into and out of Santiago. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Lima (2)

> Ascend the glorious mountain estate of Machu Picchu > Atacama’s dramatic desert and saltpans > Outstanding sites and museums in Arica, “city of the eternal spring” > Soaking in the thermal hot springs after journeying deep into the Colca Canyon > Unique traditional cultures on Lake Titicaca’s floating islands > The spectacular mountain pass from Altiplano via Umayo River Valley to Cusco > Amazing Incan sites and sun temples of the Sacred Valley: Coricancha, Sacsayhuaman and Ollantaytambo

Itinerary

Peru

Machu Picchu (1) Sacred Valley (2) Cusco (3) Chivay (2) Puno (2) Arequipa (1) Arica (2) Iquique (1) Atacama (3)

Chile

Santiago (2)

68

Highlights

Days 1–2: Take a walking tour of Santiago.

Days 3–5: Fly to San Pedro to visit pre-Incan sites, salt lakes and the high Andes.

Days 6–8: Drive across the Atacama, visit Arica’s archaeological sites and the Chinchorro mummies.

Days 9–11: Fly to Arequipa; visit a monastery and the Colca Canyon at Chivay.

Days 12–13: Explore Incan ruins and Lake Titicaca.

Days 14–15: In Cusco, visit an Incan sun temple, storehouse and citadel.

Days 16–19: Discover the Sacred Valley’s markets, churches and Incan ruins, including Machu Picchu.

Days 20–22: Explore Lima before departing for home.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

French Canada & New England

Quebec City, Montreal, the Berkshires & Boston $10,740 pp, twin share $3,460 single supplement

September 22 – October 7, 2019

Enjoy • Picture-perfect landscapes: flawless mountains, rugged coastlines, mirror lakes and tawny forests • Defining moments, from the first shots of the American Revolution in Boston and Lexington, to the Montreal Expo ‘67 and rebirth of Québécois nationalism • Pilgrims and pioneers: French Ursuline nuns and coureur de bois, the Mayflower, Puritans, Quakers and Shakers • The birth of American literature: Thoreau, Emerson, Melville, Wharton, Twain and Hawthorne

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Overview Maple trees and covered bridges, apple orchards and watermills, rugged coastlines and solitary lighthouses – few areas of North America are as breathtakingly beautiful as French Canada and New England in the autumn. This new 16-day tour takes you to the best these regions have to offer, from the stone ramparts and elegant chateaux of Quebec to the brilliant autumn colours, spectacular art and incredible literary legacy of New England. Stays in Quebec City, Montreal and Boston, are complemented by day trips to Ottawa, Hartford, Newport and Cape Cod, with plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of the countryside.

Highlights > Spectacular autumnal colours along the scenic byways and bridges of Vermont and Massachusetts > Stunning French-inspired architecture, including Montreal’s Notre-Dame and Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City > Iconic sites of early American history, such as Boston’s Freedom Trail, Paul Revere’s ride in Lexington and Concord, and the Mayflower landing site at Plymouth Rock > Art and craft in the Berkshires: the Clark Museum of Art, the Norman Rockwell Museum and an authentic Shaker village > Newport, Rhode Island’s stately homes, including the Vanderbilt mansion

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing “Seeing Frank Lloyd Wright in the context of his time and the urban background – the industrial and dynamic environment – was intelligently explained by our tour leader Matthew Laing – informative and enjoyable.”

– Frank Lloyd Wright; Chicago to Fallingwater, May 2018.

Getting there Air Canada fly direct to Vancouver, with connections to Quebec City. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Quebec City, exploring one of North America’s oldest settlements. Follow the St Lawrence River to Montreal.

Days 4–6: In Montreal, encounter French Canadian culture, from Gothic cathedrals to modern food, performance and architecture. Day trip to Ottawa.

Days 7–10: New England’s Fall colour, from picturesque Burlington, Vermont, to the Berkshires’ vibrant arts scene. Day trip to Hartford, home of Twain, Beecher Stowe and the outstanding Wadsworth Atheneum.

Days 11–16: To Boston via Lexington and Concord.

Discover the earliest history of the United States, and enjoy day trips to the Gilded Age mansions of Newport, Rhode Island and scenic Cape Cod. Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

via Vancouver

Quebec City (3)

CANADA Montreal (3)

Ottawa

New England (4)

USA Boston (5)

69

South by Southwest

Charleston, New Orleans, Dallas, Santa Fe $11,360 pp, twin share $3,240 single supplement

October 10-25, 2019

Get to know

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• Civil War legacies, from Antebellum plantations to the struggle for freedom and civil rights • Unique cultural experiences: New Orleans’ jazz, Dallas cowboys, and Santa Fe’s Native American arts and crafts • South Carolina’s forests, Louisiana’s bayous, the sweeping plains of Texas and New Mexico’s glorious deserts • Culture and cuisine: incredible seafood in Charleston’s Lowcountry, Louisiana’s French-Cajun and Texas’s famous steaks • Nation-defining stories of tragedy and perseverance, from JFK’s assassination to Hurricane Katrina’s legacy

Overview The American South is home to iconic landscapes and diverse peoples, its unique histories celebrated in art, music, literature and film. Yet the South is also home to some of the most enduring contradictions in American culture, from settlement and Civil War to the assassination of JFK. Join America expert, Dr Matthew Laing, on this new 16-day tour, exploring the history and culture of the South, from Charleston to French Louisiana in New Orleans, the great plains of Texas, and on to Santa Fe’s ancient deserts. A four-day extension, to the Grand Canyon and Phoenix, is available for this tour.

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing “I loved the trip, Matthew Laing was most informative, helpful and had a delightful sense of humour.”

– Thanksgiving in New York, November 2017.

Getting there Qantas flies direct to Dallas-Fort Worth, with connections to Charleston and Santa Fe. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement Canada USA

Santa Fe (4)

Charleston (4) Dallas (3)

MEXICO

70

New Orleans (4)

Highlights > Impeccably preserved southern plantations, including Oak Alley on the Mississippi > Colonial Savannah, Georgia: cobblestone squares and historic architecture > New Orleans’ unique fusion of French, Spanish, Creole and American cultures, from jazz and swing to Cajun and Creole cuisine > World-class art: the Kimbell Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum > UNESCO World Heritage-listed Taos Pueblo, an ancient mudbrick city occupied for almost a millennium > Private tour of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio in Abiquiu, and the spectacular landscapes that inspired her

Itinerary Days 1–4: The Old South in Charleston, with the Civil War’s beginnings at Fort Sumter, Antebellum townhouses and plantations, and immaculately preserved colonial Savannah and Beaufort.

Days 5–8: Explore a fascinating mix of Spanish, American and French influences in New Orleans, from jazz and swing in the French Quarter, to the Mississippi’s stately manors and bayous.

Days 9–12: The best of Dallas, from the Symphony and Kimbell Art Museum to a classic Texas rodeo and cowboy culture.

Days 13–16: In New Mexico, discover Native American culture at Taos Pueblo and the eerie beauty of Georgia O’Keeffe’s desert.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Frank Lloyd Wright Chicago to Fallingwater

$8,970 pp, twin share $1,640 single supplement

October 26 – November 5, 2019

Uncover • The career of Frank Lloyd Wright, from Louis Sullivan’s draughtsman to America’s greatest architect • The development of mid-century modernism in American architecture • Wright’s transformation of the American home, from the inspiration of the Midwest prairie landscape to his Japanese-influenced aesthetic • The innovative use of modern materials and the place of tradition in American architectural history • The emergence of the USA as a global economic and cultural force of the 20th century

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Overview Follow the Frank Lloyd Wright trail and discover the life and architecture of the greatest American architect. This 12-day tour takes in over 15 of Wright’s most acclaimed buildings.

It traces his development from his beginnings in Chicago and his Prairie style homes, to his tragic yet inspirational home in Spring Green, Wisconsin, the Darwin Martin complex in Buffalo, and Fallingwater, the most perfect embodiment of his architectural principles. The tour features private guided visits to homes and major galleries, a day trip to Niagara Falls, and places Wright in the context of modern America’s fascinating history and culture.

Key sites visited Visits to over 15 of Wright’s greatest buildings: > Private interior visit to Fallingwater, Wright’s most famous work > Robie House, Wright’s Prairie style home > Taliesin, Wright’s home for over 40 years and the scene of tragedy and triumph > Kentuck Knob, one of Wright’s later works > S.C. Johnson Wax Administration Building, whose ‘Great Work Room’ is often described as the most beautiful room in America > Wright’s Home and Studio in Oak Park > Unity Temple, a concrete place of worship > Darwin Martin complex, Buffalo > Jacobs House 1, the first Usonian home

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing “I really enjoyed the Frank Lloyd Wright tour – fantastic architecture, good company, accommodation and excellent tour leader.” Frank Lloyd Wright: Chicago to New York, May 2017.

Getting there We recommend Qantas and United Airlines who have daily flights to Chicago and from Pittsburgh. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: In Chicago, visit Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, Wright’s Home and Studio, Robie House and Farnsworth House.

Day 5: Coach to Milwaukee to see Johnson Wax Administration Building, Research Tower, Wingspread and the late work, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

Days 6–7: Continue to Madison for a full estate tour of Taliesin and to visit the first Usonian home, Jacobs House I. Days 8–9: Fly to Buffalo to view the Darwin Martin House, Graycliff and to tour Niagara Falls.

Days 10–12: Coach to Pittsburgh to see iconic Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob.

Canada

Buffalo (2) Madison (2)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Milwaukee (1)

Chicago (4)

Pittsburgh (2)

USA

71

Mexico

Aztecs, Maya & the Day of the Dead $8,840 pp, twin share $1,950 single supplement

October 25 – November 11, 2019

Experience

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• The archaeology of Mesoamerica and its peoples: Aztecs, Maya, Mixtec and Zapotecs • The origins of Mexico City, once a thriving Aztec lakeside metropolis called Tenochtitlán • The profound impact of Spanish colonialism, from the 16th century onwards • Days of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca, with elaborate rituals and flower-laden shrines • The compelling story of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and their involvement in the Mexican and Russian Revolutions

Overview Discover the history and culture of Mexico, from ancient civilisations to colourful folk traditions and the birth of a modern culture, epitomised by Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera.

This new 18-day tour begins in Mexico City and then travels through Oaxaca and on to the Yucatán Peninsula. It explores the multiple layers of Mexico’s history, taking you to the ancient sites of the Aztecs and Mayans, the fusion of cultures following Spanish colonisation at Puebla, and the survival of folk culture in Mexico’s villages. The tour is timed to coincide with the spectacular Days of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Getting there

> Teotihuacán’s vast and mysterious pyramids, dating from the 1st century BC > The UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites of Monte Albán and Chichén Itzá > Stay in the heart of Oaxaca city, during the Days of the Dead celebrations > Colourful colonial architecture in Puebla and its exquisite tile-covered churches > A boat trip through the jungle to the remote pyramids of Yaxhilán > The contrasts of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, in life and art > The natural beauty of Mexico’s highlands, Popocatépetl Volcano and Celestún’s flamingos

Chloe Sayer Chloe Sayer returns to our program in 2019. Chloe has conducted extensive research and fieldwork on traditional crafts and textiles throughout Mexico. She has lived and worked in Mexico for many years and is a fluent Spanish speaker.

Qantas, American Airlines and United Airlines offer flights to and from Mexico City, with connections through the USA. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Merida (3) Mexico City (4) Puebla (1)

Campeche (1)

MEXICO Oaxaca (4)

Palenque (2)

San Cristobal (2)

Guatemala

72

Days 1–4: Mexico City and the Aztec precinct.

Diego Rivera’s murals in Coyoacán, Teotihuacán’s pyramids.

Days 5–10: Travel to picturesque Puebla and on to flower-festooned Oaxaca for the Days of the Dead.

Archaeology at Mitla and Monte Albán; the market town of Ocotlán de Morelos.

Days 11–14: Mountainous San Cristóbal de las Casas and surrounding indigenous communities.

Ancient Palenque, Bonampak and Yaxchilán in the jungle. Coastal Campeche.

Days 15–18: The Yucatán Peninsula from a historic hacienda, the Maya at Uxmal and Chichén Itzá, a boat trip to view flamingos and colonial Merida.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Guatemala, Honduras & Belize

Pyramids, Temples & Tombs

$9,250 pp, twin share $1,565 single supplement

November 13-28, 2019

Discover • The rise and fall of the Maya, the dominant civilization of Mesoamerica, and their architectural legacy • Spectacular landscapes of Central America: jungles, lakes and rivers, volcanoes and coral reefs • A thriving culture, as seen in vibrant and colourful markets brimming with local cuisine and handicrafts • Superb regional architecture that flourished after the Spanish Conquest • An incredible diversity of flora and fauna, from the highlands through to the lowland jungles and the waters of the Caribbean

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Overview Explore the ancient civilisation of the Maya, visiting the pyramids, temples and tombs of this mysterious culture’s heartland in Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. This new 16-day tour takes you to a range of spectacular sites, voyaging up rivers, crossing spectacular volcanic lakes, driving through jungles, and even boating through a cave system to visit them. The diverse ecosystems in which the Maya flourished, such as the Barrier Reef of Belize and the Rio Dulce, which we follow into Guatemala, are also a highlight – as are the thriving contemporary towns and cities of this less-touristed region.

Highlights > Marvel at the massive pyramids and the elaborately decorated temples and cities of the Maya > Colonial Antigua, the historic capital of Guatemala > Spectacular Lake Atitlán and its surrounding villages, where Mayan culture remains strong and traditional dress is worn > Investigate the World Heritage sites of Tikal, Copán, Quiriguá and the Belize Barrier Reef > Sailing up the Rio Dulce Canyon beneath huge high cliffs and thick jungle, accompanied by the sounds of wildlife and birds

Your tour leader

Dr Chris Carter “Chris was a fantastic tour leader.

Always pleasant, very knowledgeable and funny – just a delight!” – Chile, Argentina & Peru – September 2017

Getting there Qantas and United Airlines have daily flights into and out of Guatemala City via the USA. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–2: Arrive Guatemala, travel to Lake Atitlán and experience the Chichicastenango markets.

Days 3–4: Return to Guatemala City and fly to Flores and see the Mayan citadel of Tikal.

Days 5–6: Admire the vast archaeological sites of Yaxha and Caracol.

Days 7–9: Discover the Mayan ceremonial site of Barton Creek in Belize and the ruins at Lamanai.

Relax on idyllic Caye Caulker.

Days 10–12: Sail the Rio Dulce to Castillo San Felipe. Investigate Quiriguá’s stone stelae and Copán’s ruins in Honduras.

Days 13–16: Explore Antigua, its museums, surrounding villages and coffee plantations.

Belize (3)

Belize

Flores (2)

2

Guatemala

Livingston (1) Porto Barrios

Lake Atitlan (1) Antigua (3)

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Guatemala City (1)

Copan (2)

Honduras

73

Thanksgiving in New York music, theatre, art & food

$9,950 pp, twin share $2,930 single supplement

November 24 – December 6, 2019

Delight in

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• New York’s unique Fall atmosphere, from seasonal food to Central Park’s golden leaves • Special Thanksgiving events, including a traditional lunch and the Macy’s Parade • The lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center, the traditional start of the holiday season • A stimulating range of new season performances of stage drama, musicals, opera and symphony • An expert’s account of New York’s history and architecture

Overview Enjoy Thanksgiving in the Big Apple and a host of other events on this special holiday tour. As well as the regular offerings on our New York performing arts tours – opera, symphony, private visits to galleries such as MoMA – we’ve included seasonal events that are only on offer at this special time of year, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and legendary Rockettes’ performances.

There’s also some great new season stage drama and musicals on offer. Accommodation, as always, is in spacious premium plus rooms in the perfectly located Warwick Hotel on 54th Street.

Highlights and itinerary The itinerary includes eight performances, some of the world’s top art and history museums and dining in a selection of the city’s best restaurants.

Performances > The smash-hit musical Hamilton, based on the life of New York’s founding father > A production from the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019-2020 season > A performance at world-famous Carnegie Hall > A performance by the New York City Ballet at the Lincoln Center > The Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall at the Rockefeller Center > A new stage play from the Broadway 20192020 season > An additional musical or stage play from 2019-2020 season > An evening of jazz at the elegant Jazz at the Lincoln Center

Your tour leader

Stuart Barrie “Exceeded my expectations, so many places were ticked off my wish list.

The group was lovely and Stuart was a great guide.” – Frank Lloyd Wright: Los Angeles to New York, October 2017.

Getting there Qantas and United Airlines fly regularly to the East Coast. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

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Art, Architecture and History > A private out-of-hours viewing of the Museum of Modern Art with a museum lecturer > Excursion to Philip Johnson’s Glass House, north of the city > Curator-led tour of The Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exquisite medieval collection on the northern tip of Manhattan > Charming small galleries, including The Frick Collection and The Neue Galerie > Architectural walking tours of Midtown, Downtown, SoHo and Chelsea, featuring Beaux-Arts, Art Deco and postmodern masterpieces > Lectures on the history, architecture and culture of the city Fine Dining > Lunch at the Michelin two-star restaurant The Modern, inside the Museum of Modern Art > The best of New American cuisine at the Michelin one-star Gramercy Tavern > A traditional all-American Thanksgiving meal at one of New York’s leading restaurants

Fitness requirement Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

$9,370 pp, twin share $2,680 single supplement

Christmas in New York December 20, 2019 – January 2, 2020

Experience • Festive New York, from 5th Avenue’s famous seasonal window displays to the incredible Christmas lights of Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights • Special events and performances, including the New York Ballet and the annual Winter Solstice Celebration • A day trip to Philadelphia, home to fantastic art and history • New Year, New York-style: canapes, cocktails and the iconic crystal ball, from a Times Square suite • The best of New York’s art and design, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA

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Overview Nowhere does Christmas and New Year’s Eve like New York City does. Experience both on this exciting new 14-day tour, combining the culture, art and architecture of New York with the vibrant atmosphere of the holiday season: from the Winter Solstice celebrations at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, to the annual Christmas performance of The Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet and the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.

These performances, in addition to opera, theatre, exceptional museums, New York’s stunning architecture and fine dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, round out this unique experience.

Highlights and itinerary The itinerary includes seven performances, some of the world’s top art and history museums, and dining in a selection of the city’s best restaurants.

Performances > A selection from the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019-2020 season > The Winter Solstice Celebration at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, a beloved cultural event in one of the city’s most impressive settings > A performance at world-famous Carnegie Hall > George Balanchine’s arrangement of The Nutcracker, an annual Christmas tradition by the New York City Ballet for over 50 years > The Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall at the Rockefeller Center > A new stage play from the Broadway 20192020 season > An additional musical or stage play

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing “This was an outstanding tour. I highly recommend it and congratulate Matthew on organising such a fabulous itinerary.” – New York, Nov 2017.

Getting there Qantas and United Airlines fly regularly to the East Coast. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Art, Architecture and History > A private out-of-hours viewing of the Museum of Modern Art with a museum lecturer > Curator-led tour of The Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exquisite medieval collection at the northern tip of Manhattan > Excursion to Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Barnes Foundation > Lectures on the history, architecture and culture of New York > Walking tours of Midtown, Downtown, Central Park and Brooklyn, combining architecture and history with seasonal attractions and local culture Fine Dining > Lunch at the Michelin two-star restaurant The Modern, inside the Museum of Modern Art > The best of New American cuisine at the Michelin one-star Gramercy Tavern > A grand Christmas lunch and leisurely afternoon at one of the city’s top restaurants

Fitness requirement

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

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Tours to Africa & The Middle East Academy Travel’s tours to Africa and the Middle East have a strong focus on ancient history and archaeology. Many tours are led by experienced archaeologists, several of whom have worked on sites in the region. Our small-group cultural tours to Iran are currently our most popular to the Middle East, with two departures each year.

We also offer in-depth tours to select destinations in North Africa, including Morocco and Egypt.

FIND OUT The music room of Ali Qapu Palace, Isfahan, Iran

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Egypt

From the Great Pyramid to Abu Simbel $9,495 pp, twin share $1,425 single supplement

September 26 – October 13, 2019

Discover • The 4000-year-old history of one of the world’s most iconic civilisations • The intriguing world of the pharaohs: mummies, funerary rituals and mysterious tombs • The daily lives of ordinary people revealed at rarely visited non-royal tombs • The life-giving waters of the Nile in myth and history • Incredible feats of engineering undertaken by the ancients, which remain difficult to explain today • The history of archaeology, from tomb-robbing to Napoleon, Carter and modern science

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Overview Explore 4000 years of history in the land of pharaohs, rock-cut tombs, pyramids and magnificent temples. This 18-day tour travels the full length of the Nile Valley visiting aweinspiring sites from one of the world’s most iconic civilisations, such as the pyramids of Giza, the great museums of Cairo, the Temple of Karnak and Luxor. The tour also takes in some rarely-visited sites, including a tour of the active excavations at Middle Kingdom Amarna – Akhenaten and Nefertiti’s capital – and cruises up the Nile from Luxor to Aswan visiting the temples of Upper Egypt.

Highlights > Explore Old Kingdom sites and New Kingdom tombs at Saqqara, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser > Admire Giza’s iconic Great Pyramid and the Sphinx > Experience Middle Kingdom sites in Amarna, rarely visited by tourists, with visits to working archaeological sites > Visit Luxor’s museums and the Valley of the Kings and Nobles, the Luxor Museum and Karnak Temple > Cruising the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, stopping at temples and sites along the journey > Marvel at the Ramses II Temple at Abu Simbel

Your tour leader

Lucia Gahlin “My recommendation is… do not let Lucia out of your sight… she is excellent in every way. Incredibly knowledgeable, a beautiful personality and a wonderful speaking voice.”

– Egypt, January 2018.

Getting there Emirates and Etihad Airways have daily flights from Australia to Cairo. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Arrive Cairo and explore the museums, pyramids and tombs at Saqqara and Giza.

Days 5–7: Drive to Minya and see Middle Kingdom tombs at Beni Hasan, Amarna and Abydos.

Days 8–11: Travel to Luxor and visit the Valley of the Kings and Queens, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Ramesseum.

Days 12–14: Visit Karnak Temple and the Luxor Museum. Cruise up the Nile, stopping at Luxor Temple, Edfu and Kom Ombo.

Days 15–16: Arrive in Aswan and visit the Temple of Philae, Aswan Dam and Elephantine Island.

Days 17–18: Fly to Abu Simbel and on to Cairo for departure.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Cairo (5)

El Minya (2)

Abydos (1) Luxor (4) 4

Egypt

Aswan (1) Abu Simbel

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Morocco

The grand tour $9,820 pp, twin share $2,295 single supplement

April 3-21, 2019

Uncover

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• The legacy of the Roman Empire at Volubilis and Sala Colonia • An extraordinary range of sites, from Roman ruins to medieval fortifications and Islamic kasbahs • A crucible for Islamic influence in the region, for more than a millennium • Exotic frontiers of the Western imagination: Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fes • A fascinating convergence of Moorish and European influence, • Human effort and the historical place of Morocco’s exceptional landscapes: the Atlantic coastline, Atlas Mountains and palmeries of the Drâa Valley

Overview Morocco’s exotic culture and stunning landscapes have attracted travellers for centuries.

Beyond the kasbahs, however, lies a fascinating history of successive European, African and Arabic empires, each of which has left traces of their love of this corner of Africa. This comprehensive 19-day tour travels from colonial Casablanca and the Mediterranean coast to the Islamic architecture and Berber towns of the interior. Experience Morocco’s rich history and cosmopolitan culture, from the ruins of Roman Volubilis, to the medinas of Rabat and Fes, the gardens and souks of Marrakesh and the oases of the Drâa Valley.

Your tour leaders

Highlights

Getting there

> The European gateway of Tangier, a unique melting pot straddling the Atlantic and Mediterranean > Fes’ narrow alleys and colourful souks, its walled medina suspended in time > The impressive ruins of Volubilis > Sensory overload in Marrakesh’s bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa, crowded with colourful water-sellers and performers > Stunning scenery, from the sublime Atlas mountains to picturesque valleys dotted with kasbahs and lush palmeries > Essaouira and the Atlantic: freshly caught seafood by the pretty harbour, local crafts in the medina

Sue Rollin “As always, Sue was highly professional, knowledgeable and informative while she and Stuart together were extremely well organised and helpful in every way.” – Morocco and Southern Spain, Oct 2017.

Emirates has daily flights to and from Casablanca. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Tangier (2) Chefchaouen (1)

Casablanca (1)

Fes (3)

Rabat (2)

Ifrane (1)

Essaouira (2)

Marrakesh (3) Ouarzazate (2)

Taroudant (1)

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Morocco

Days 1–2: Arrive Casablanca, travel to Rabat.

Roman Chellah, Mohammed V’s Mausoleum and the kasbah.

Days 3–5: Ancient Lixus; tour Tangier; traverse the Rif Mountains to colourful Chefchaouen.

Days 6–9: Fes’ Batha Museum, el Bali medina and Roman Volubilis. Admire Middle Atlas forests before arrival in alpine Ifrane.

Days 10–12: Marrakesh’s tombs, palaces and madrassas. Visit the Jardin Majorelle.

Days 13–15: Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate.

The lush Drâa Valley and fortified Taroudant.

Days 16–17: Survey the Atlantic from Essaouira.

Days 18–19: Explore Casablanca’s grand Mosque.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Iran in Depth April 15 – May 7, 2019 October 6-28, 2019

$12,985 pp, twin share $2,325 single supplement

Discover • Ancient Persia: excellent archaeological sites and an enduring legacy in world history • Islamic Persia: stunning Safavid mosques, the palaces of shahs and a culture of learning • Northern Iran, from the world carpet-weaving capital, Tabriz, to the cliff dwellings of Kandovan • The Silk Road, along which Eastern and Western cultures have exchanged goods and ideas for thousands of years • A remarkably friendly, cultured and open population, eager to engage with the world outside Iran

MORE APR/MAY MORE OCTOBER

Overview Travel through the marvellous mountain and desert landscapes of Persia and visit some of the most remarkable monuments in the ancient and Islamic worlds. This 23-day tour explores the art and history of Iran, from Tabriz and Tehran in the north, to Isfahan and Shiraz. The tour visits ancient Achaemenid palaces and royal tombs, mysterious Sasanian fire temples, and enchanting mud-brick cities on the desert fringes, and explores Islamic Iran through its fabled Persian cities with their enchanting gardens, caravanserais, bazaars and stunning mosques.

Throughout we encounter the unsurpassed friendliness and hospitality of the Iranian people.

Highlights > Tehran’s wonderful museums and palaces including the Golestan Palace complex > Tabriz’s Ottoman-influenced turquoise mosque and Grand Bazaar > The Caspian Sea and northern Iran > Sasanian watchtowers, palaces and fire temples at Takht-e Soleiman > Wandering through the gardens of Shiraz, where Persia’s poets are celebrated > Classical sites of Persepolis and Pasargadae > Evocative Zoroastrian and medieval sites in the desert city of Yazd > UNESCO World Heritage-listed Isfahan, centre of the ‘renaissance’ Safavid period

Itinerary

Your tour leaders

Dr John Tidmarsh “John Tidmarsh and our Iranian guide, and the wonderful bus driver, were a team who worked exceptionally well together to ensure everything ran smoothly and that we were given every opportunity to experience this wonderful country.” – Iran, April 2017.

Getting there Emirates and Qatar have daily flights to Tehran. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement Tabriz (3)

Days 1–3: Explore Tehran’s palaces and museums.

Days 4–7: Drive to the Caspian Sea, then to Tabriz to visit the Blue Mosque, Azerbaijan Museum and the troglodyte village of Kandovan.

Days 8–9: Travel to Zanjan and examine the Sasanian ruins of Takht-e Soleiman.

Days 10–14: Investigate Bishapur, Persepolis and Firuzabad from Shiraz.

Days 15–17: In Yazd, visit Pasargadae and the Zoroastrian fire temples.

Days 18–21: Visit the Maidan and Chetel Sotun palaces and the Armenian Quarter in Isfahan.

Days 22–23: Return to Tehran via the merchant houses and water gardens of Kashan.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Astara (1)

CASPIAN SEA

Zanjan (2) Tehran (4)

Kashan

IRAN

Isfahan (4) Yazd (3)

Persepolis (1) Shiraz (4)

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Study Tours Academy Travel study tours are designed to provide in-depth intellectual stimulation for the independent traveller. The tours feature: daily background lectures; morning guided site visits; several afternoons for individual exploration or optional visits with the tour leader; longer walking tours of historical cities and use of public transport for short journeys; and, self-contained accommodation where possible, allowing you to live like a local.

Centre Georges Pompidou located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France

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PARIS

Study tour $5,470 pp, twin share $1,410 single supplement

June 28 – July 10, 2019

Explore • Old Paris, from Celtic and Roman settlements to capital of the kings of France • The glory of the Middle Ages at Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame • Masters of magnificence: from Louis XIV’s Versailles to the Empire of Napoleon • Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Paris, with masterpieces in less-visited galleries and Toulouse-Lautrec’s bohemian Montmartre • Paris in the 20th century, the cradle of modernism

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Overview This 13-day study tour takes you well beyond the tourist’s Paris, to explore the history, art and architecture of the quintessential European city. Beginning with its Roman origins, we move to an exploration of Paris’s medieval glory and rebirth as the epicentre of modernism.

A series of detailed background lectures, guided visits and historical walking tours are balanced with time for independent exploration. Accommodation is in self-contained apartments in Bercy Village, a local neighbourhood of the 12th arrondissement. Go beyond the typical tourist experience and explore the City of Light in all its glory.

Highlights > The glory of medieval Paris at Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame > Guided visits of world-class museums including the Louvre, and many quieter museums, such as the excellent Musée Jacquemart-André and the Petit Palais > Day trips to Versailles and Giverny, home of Monet’s garden > Walking tours of key sites in the city’s history, such as Montmartre, the Marais, and Haussmann’s Opéra district > Icons of modern Paris, including the Musée Pompidou and the Picasso Museum > Underground Paris: the Roman city and the Napoleonic Canal Saint Martin

Your tour leader

Dr Michael Adcock “In many ways, Dr Michael Adcock went above and beyond what would normally be expected of a tour leader. He provided copious notes and readings prior to the tour to allow everyone to get a feeling of what to expect. During the tour he was very generous with his time and was always approachable for advice and information.” – Paris Study Tour, July 2018.

Getting there There are a number of airline options available for flights into and out of Paris.

Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Arrive in Bercy. Explore ancient and medieval Paris, from Roman settlement to the pinnacles of Gothic architecture under the Kings of France. Cruise the Canal Saint Martin.

Days 4–5: Explore the Louvre in depth and experience the extravagance of Louis XIV and his court at Versailles.

Days 6–8: Discover the recreation of Paris in the 19th century, from Napoleon and Josephine to the birth of modern art; day trip to Monet’s gardens at Giverny.

Days 9–13: The cradle of modernism: bohemian Montmartre and modern art at the Pompidou Centre, Picasso Museum and more.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Montmartre

Sacré Coeur

To Giverny

PARIS 13 nights

Arc de Triomphe

Picasso Museum Louvre Eiffel Tower

Pompidou Centre Hotel de Ville Bastille

Luxembourg Gardens To Versailles

Panthéon

Montparnasse Cemetery

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Istanbul Study tour

$4,875 pp, twin share $485 single supplement

September 30 – October 12, 2019

Discover

FIND OUT MORE

• Classical Constantinople: the capital of Constantine and the Roman Empire in the East • Medieval Byzantium, from Justinian’s Hagia Sophia to medieval frescoes, the Genoese on the Golden Horn and the Fourth Crusade • Ottoman Istanbul, the great mosques and palaces of Suleiman the Magnificent • The birth of modern Turkey and the legacy of World War I • The neighborhoods of Istanbul: ancient and modern, straddling Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus

Overview Istanbul – capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires – has accumulated an astounding wealth of history, art and architecture. This 13-day study tour explores this metropolis in depth, from the archaeology of the early city through the successive civilisations that have ruled there, and on to its modern incarnation as a multicultural metropolis spanning Europe and Asia. The tour also includes two nights in Ҫanakkale, to spend a full day exploring Gallipoli with excursions to Troy and Iznik. A series of background lectures, guided visits and historical walking tours are balanced with time for independent exploration.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Dr Jennifer Lawless > Constantinople, including the Jennifer joins our program in 2019.

Hippodrome, Underground Cistern and She has co-authored over ten books on National Archaeological Museum Ancient History and has been awarded > Spectacular Byzantine and Ottoman sites, a number of scholarships and awards for writing Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi and research, including a Churchill Fellowship, and Dolmabahḉe palaces an Endeavor Research Fellowship for Turkey, > The superb collections of the Museum of and a NSW Premiers Award for History.

Turkish and Islamic Art and the Ottoman Military Museum Getting there > Excursion to the little-known, car-free Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways Princes’ Island of Heybeliada, and a have daily flights to Istanbul from most Bosphorus cruise Australian cities. Contact us for quotes and > A full day exploring Gallipoli and an bookings. excursion to Troy

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Istanbul (9)

Heybeliada

Gallipolli

Canakkale (2)

TURKEY

82

Days 1–2: Orientation walk of Sultanahmet.

Cruise the Bosphorus. Walk through Ortakoy and climb Galata Tower.

Days 3–4: Hagia Sophia, cisterns, Chora Church and Sinan’s magnificent Ottoman mosques.

Days 5–6: Admire the apotheosis of Ottoman culture at the Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Military Museum and Topkapi Palace.

Day 7: Dine at a waterside restaurant on the Princes’ Island of Heybeliada.

Days 8–10: Travel to Canakkale and Troy, with a full day exploring the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Days 11–13: Experience cosmopolitan Kadiköy on the Asian side and Dolmabahḉe palace.

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

Florence Study tour

$4,970 pp, twin share $1,020 single supplement

November 13-26, 2019

Experience • Revolutionary art from medieval Pisa to Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo in Renaissance Florence • The rise of the Medici, their power and enduring artistic legacy • The other Renaissance, from women, children and the poor to the emergence of a welfare state • “Forgotten Florence”: the Grand Dukes, Galileo and the emergence of a modern art market • The New Florence: modern art and fashion design, from Ferragamo and Gucci to the new Casamonti collection

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Overview The great names of the Florentine Renaissance need no introduction: Giotto, Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo. This new 14-day study tour provides a detailed examination of their works and of Tuscany’s cultural rebirth in the Middle Ages. Chart the impact of technology, luxury trade, self-government and a renewed interest in classical learning, and admire lesser-known masterworks in Pisa, Lucca, Prato and Fiesole. Explore the recent revival of Florence beyond mass tourism, with the redesign of iconic museums, and visit new collections of modern art and design.

Your tour leader

Dr Kathleen Olive “Kathleen is simply a delight – calm, so well-organised and generous in sharing her extensive knowledge.”

– In the Footsteps of Caravaggio, September 2017.

Getting there Emirates offers daily flights into cities suitable for this tour. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > World-famous collections: the renovated Uffizi Galleries, Brunelleschi’s dome, the new Museo degli Innocenti > Florence’s lesser-known gems, from superb Last Supper frescoes to pietra dura mosaics and Galileo’s telescopes > Excursions to Fiesole, Pisa, Prato and Lucca > The Medici’s Florence: Fra Angelico at San Marco, Benozzo Gozzoli in the Medici Chapel, Michelangelo at San Lorenzo > Detailed lecture series providing you with extensive knowledge of the city and its past > Modern Florence: Italian modernists at the Collezione Casamonti, contemporary art at the Museo Ferragamo

Itinerary Days 1–3: Explore medieval innovation: superb sculpture at Orsanmichele and the Bargello, Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto at Santa Croce.

Day 4: Excursion to Pisa.

Days 5–7: The Uffizi, and admire the Etruscans at archaeological museums in Florence and Fiesole.

Explore the Medici’s rise and their early patronage of Brunelleschi, Benozzo Gozzoli and Fra Angelico.

Days 8–11: Explore the Brancacci and Innocenti museums. Marvel at grand ducal commissions, from pietra dura, to Michelangelo’s Night and Day and Galileo’s discoveries.

Days 12–14: Florence’s new museums of art and contemporary design. Excursion to elegant Lucca.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

Prato Lucca Fiesole

Florence (13) Pisa

ITALY

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Upcoming tour program January – December 2020

ITALY

EUROPE

MUSIC & THEATRE

Palermo & Naples

Sardinia & Corsica

Opera in New York

January 2020 with Robert Veel

March 2020 with Dr Estelle Lazer

Rome: Study Tour

Grand Tour of Spain

January 2020 with Dr Nick Gordon

Venice: City, Republic & Empire March 2020 with Dr Nick Gordon

April & October 2020 with Elena Ortega & Dr Jeni Ryde

Classical & Ottoman Turkey April 2020 with Dr Jenny Lawless

April 2020 with Christopher Menz

Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Chicago April 2020 with Robert Gay

Music in Paris April 2020 with Robert Gay

Montreal to New York: fine music in historic cities

Puglia to Pompeii: Classical Southern Italy

Vienna: crossroads of history

March 2020 with Robert Veel

Bordeaux, Dordogne & the Loire

April 2020 with Lindy Montgomery

Sicily & the Aeolian Islands

April 2020

Music in Germany

April & September 2020 with Dr Jeni Ryde and Dr Estelle Lazer

Berlin to St Petersburg

May 2020 with Rosamund Bartlett

April 2020

Grand Tour of Italy

Greece: Agamemnon to Alexander

Music in Scandinavia

April 2020 with Dr Jeni Ryde

Lakes & Villas of Northern Italy April 2020 with Dr Kathleen Olive

Etruscans & Romans April 2020 with Michael Turner

Umbria& Southern Tuscany

April 2020 with Christopher Menz

May 2020 with Dr John Tidmarsh

Northern Spain & Portugal May 2020 with Dr Jeni Ryde

Art Along the Rhine

May 2020 with Robert Gay

Classical Portugal & Spain May 2020 with Royna McNamara

European Summer Music Festivals

May 2020

July 2020

Switzerland to Rome

Opera in Italy

June 2020

September 2020 with Robert Gay

May 2020 with Dr Nick Gordon

Scandinavia & Iceland

Florence & the Italian Renaissance

June 2020 with Robert Veel

Beethoven: 250 anniversary tour

September 2020 with Dr Nick Gordon

Renaissance Courts of Italy

Croatia

A European Christmas & New Year

June 2020

September 2020 with Dr Kathleen Olive

Great Gardens of Cornwall & Devon

Malta to Venice aboard the Sea Cloud II

Burgundy Provence & the Riviera

October 2020 with Dr Jeni Ryde

Trieste to Turin October 2020

September 2020 with Dr Tom Ford December 2020 with Robert Gay

June 2020 with Michael Turner June 2020 with Dr Kathleen Olive

Siberia & The Russian Far East July 2020 with Dr Matthew Dal Santo

Paris: Study Tour July 2020 with Dr Michael Adcock

Gardens of Scotland & the UK July 2020 with Michael Turner

Moscow to St Petersburg Sept 2020 with Dr Matthew Dal Santo

Archaeology in the Greek Islands September 2020 with Dr John Tidmarsh

Modern Art in the UK September 2020 with Gerald Deslandes

Istanbul & Venice October 2020 with Dr Kathleen Oiive

Portugal October 2020 with Dr Jeni Ryde

Berlin: Study Tour October 2020 with Thomas Abbott 84

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

AUSTRALIA & ASIA

THE AMERICAS

AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST

Winter in Japan

Cuba: then & now

January 2020 with Dr Kathleen Olive

February 2020 with Dr Stephen Wilkinson

Egypt: from the Great Pyramid to Abu Simbel

New Zealand: nature, culture & the arts February 2020 with Dr Kathleen Olive

Taiwan: cultural treasures & inspiring landscapes February 2020 with Judy Tenzing

From the Yarra Valley to Bendigo: Victoria’s regional galleries April & October 2020

Melbourne Private Homes April & October 2020

NGA Exhibition & Monaro Gardens April 2020

Japan Unmasked May & November 2020 with Ann MacArthur

Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan May 2020 with Chris Bradley

New York: the art of fashion March 2020 with Dr Anna Lebovic

New York: art, architecture, history & theatre April 2020 with Dr Matthew Laing

West Coast USA to Alaska

January 2020 with Lucia Gahlin

Israel & Jordan March 2020 with Ben Churcher

Egypt: Lake Nasser to Alexandria March 2020 with Chris Bradley

Iran in depth

May 2020 with Dr Matthew Laing

April & October 2020 with Ben Churcher (Oct)

Mayan tour of Central America

Morocco

September 2020

April 2020

Frank Lloyd Wright: Chicago to New York October 2020 with Dr Matthew Laing

Thanksgiving in New York November 2020 with Dr Matthew Laing

Ecuador & Galapagos November 2020 with Chris Carter

Flinders Ranges August 2020 with Chris Carter

Armenia & Georgia August 2020 with Dr Matthew Laing

To the Edge of the Outback: Mungo, Broken Hill & Beyond October 2020 with Chris Carter

Adelaide & Surrounds November 2020 with Christopher Menz

Royal cities of Indochina November 2020

Riches of Rajasthan November 2020 with Judy Tenzing

Tasmania: history, art & landscape December 2020

Register your interest for these tours today!

Contact us at info@academytravel.com.au or 02 9235 0023.

We’ll notify you as soon as booking are open and you will be among the first to receive a detailed tour itinerary.

Web: academytravel.com.au I Call: 9235 0023 (1800 639 699 outside Sydney) I Email: info@academytravel.com.au

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Tour Index FIND OUT MORE START DATE CATEGORY

TOUR NAME

TOUR LEADER

FITNESS

PAGE

Jan 6, 2019

Europe

Winter in Moscow & St Petersburg

Michael Carr

Grade Two

24

Jan 7, 2019

Italy

Art Cities of Tuscany: Pisa, Siena & Florence

Dr Kathleen Olive

Grade Two

13

Jan 9, 2019

Music & Theatre

Opera in New York

Lindy Montgomery

Grade One

43

Jan 17, 2019

Music & Theatre

London & Paris: art and music

Christopher Menz

Grade One

44

Jan 17, 2019

Italy

Sicily: Siracusa, Agrigento & Palermo

Dr Jeni Ryde

Grade Two

14

Jan 17, 2019

Asia

Singapore Art Week 2019

Robert Veel

Grade One

53

Feb 27, 2019

Australia & New Zealand

From the Yarra Valley to Bendigo

Dr Nick Gordon

Grade One

61

Mar 14, 2019 Australia & New Zealand

New Zealand: nature, culture and the arts

Dr Kathleen Olive

Grade Two

60

Mar 19, 2019 The Americas

New York: art, architecture, history & theatre

Dr Matthew Laing

Grade One

66

Mar 21, 2019 Italy

Puglia to Pompeii: Classical Southern Italy

Dr Estelle Lazer

Grade Two

15

Mar 27, 2019 Italy

Venice: City, Republic & Empire

Robert Veel

Grade One

16

Mar 28, 2019 Music & Theatre

Opera in Northern Italy: Bel Canto to Verismo

Robert Gay

Grade Two

45

Mar 28, 2019 Asia

Hong Kong & Shanghai: Contemporary Art

Dr Mikala Tai

Grade One

54

Mar 29, 2019 Italy

Sicily & the Aeolian Islands

Gerald Deslandes

Grade Two

17

Mar 29, 2019 Europe

Sardinia and Corsica

Dr Jeni Ryde

Grade Three

25

Mar 31, 2019 Europe

Grand Tour of Spain

Elena Ortega

Grade Two

26

Apr 2, 2019

The Americas

The North East USA

Dr Matthew Laing

Grade Two

67

Apr 3, 2019

Africa & Middle East

Morocco: The Grand Tour

Sue Rollin

Grade Two

78

Apr 8, 2019

Europe

Classical & Bronze Age Greece

Dr Jennifer Lawless

Grade Two

27

Apr 12, 2019

Asia

Bhutan: the last Shangri-La

Judy Tenzing

Grade Three

55

Apr 15, 2019

Africa & Middle East

Iran in depth

Dr John Tidmarsh

Grade Two

79

Apr 16, 2019

Italy

The City of Rome

Robert Veel

Grade One

18

Apr 19, 2019

Europe

Northern Spain & Portugal

Dr Jeni Ryde

Grade Three

28

Apr 25, 2019

Italy

Lakes & Villas of Northern Italy

Michael Turner

Grade Two

19

Apr 27, 2019

Music & Theatre

Wagner’s Ring Cycle in New York

Robert Gay

Grade One

46

May 2, 2019

Europe

Berlin and Beyond

Christopher Menz

Grade Two

29

May 4, 2019

The Americas

Chile and Peru: Empires of The Inca

Dr Chris Carter

Grade Three

68

May 6, 2019

Music & Theatre

Berlin to Bavaria: a musical journey

Dr Rosamund Bartlett

Grade Two

47

May 10, 2019 Music & Theatre

Amsterdam to Bergen: music in northern Europe

Robert Gay

Grade Two

48

May 31, 2019 Europe

High Art in the Low Countries

Dr Sophie Oosterwijk

Grade Two

30

Jun 3, 2019

Europe

Great Gardens of Cornwall & Devon

Michael Turner

Grade Two

31

Jun 5, 2019

Italy

The Venice Biennale

Dr Nick Gordon

Grade Two

20

Jun 14, 2019

Europe

Art Basel, Alsace & the Black Forest

Dr Nick Gordon

Grade Two

32

Jun 17, 2019

Europe

Scandinavia & Iceland: The Nordic World

Dr Matthew Laing

Grade Three

33

Jun 19, 2019

Europe

Yorkshire to the Lake District

Michael Turner

Grade Two

34

86

Maximum 20 in a group I Carefully planned itineraries I Expert tour leaders

START DATE CATEGORY

TOUR NAME

TOUR LEADER

FITNESS

PAGE

Jun 28, 2019

Study Tours

Paris: Study Tour

Dr Michael Adcock

Grade Three

81

Jul 2, 2019

Music & Theatre

Munich & Glyndebourne Opera Festivals

Robert Gay

Grade One

49

Jul 6, 2019

Europe

Siberia & The Russian Far East

Dr Matthew Dal Santo

Grade Three

35

Jul 23, 2019

Music & Theatre

Italian Summer Music Festivals

Royna McNamara

Grade Two

50

Aug 26, 2019

Europe

Stockholm to St Petersburg

Robert Veel

Grade Two

36

Aug 29, 2019

Italy

The Venice Biennale & Film Festival

Dr Nick Gordon

Grade Two

21

Sep 8, 2019

Europe

Vienna to Venice: the crossroads of history

Dr Nick Gordon

Grade Two

37

Sep 20, 2019

Italy

Sicily & the Aeolian Islands

Dr Kathleen Olive

Grade Two

17

Sep 22, 2019

The Americas

French Canada & New England

Dr Matthew Laing

Grade Two

69

Sep 23, 2019

Italy

Malta & Sicily: aboard Sea Cloud II

Robert Veel

Grade Two

22

Sep 26, 2019

Europe

Portugal

Dr Jeni Ryde

Grade Two

40

Sep 26, 2019

Africa & Middle East

Egypt: from the Great Pyramid to Abu Simbel

Lucia Gahlin

Grade Two

77

Sep 27, 2019

Europe

Moscow & St Petersburg

Dr Matthew Dal Santo

Grade Two

38

Sep 30, 2019

Study Tours

Istanbul: Study Tour

Dr Jennifer Lawless

Grade Three

82

Oct 6, 2019

Africa & Middle East

Iran in depth

Dr John Tidmarsh

Grade Two

79

Oct 7, 2019

Music & Theatre

Paris to Madrid: a musical pilgrimage

Robert Gay

Grade Two

51

Oct 10, 2019

Asia

Western China: on the Silk Road

Ben Churcher

Grade Two

57

Oct 10, 2019

Asia

Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan

Chris Bradley

Grade Three

58

Oct 10, 2019

The Americas

South by South West

Dr Matthew Laing

Grade Two

70

Oct 11, 2019

Europe

Sardinia and Corsica

Dr Kathleen Olive

Grade Three

25

Oct 13, 2019

Europe

Grand Tour of Spain

Dr Jeni Ryde

Grade Two

26

Oct 14, 2019

Europe

Warsaw to Berlin

Thomas Abbott

Grade Two

39

Oct 17, 2019

Italy

Puglia to Pompeii: Classical Southern Italy

Dr Estelle Lazer

Grade Two

15

Oct 23, 2019

Australia & New Zealand

Melbourne Private Homes

Dr Nick Gordon

Grade One

63

Oct 25, 2019

The Americas

Mexico

Chloe Sayer

Grade Three

72

Oct 26, 2019

The Americas

Frank Lloyd Wright: Chicago to New York

Dr Matthew Laing

Grade Three

71

Nov 3, 2019

Europe

Greece: From Antiquity to Byzantium

Dr John Tidmarsh

Grade Two

41

Nov 8, 2019

Asia

Japan Unmasked

Ann MacArthur

Grade Two

56

Nov 13, 2019

Australia & New Zealand

Adelaide & Surrounds

Christopher Menz

Grade One

62

Nov 13, 2019

The Americas

Guatemala, Honduras & Belize

Dr Chris Carter

Grade Three

73

Nov 13, 2019

Study Tours

Florence: Study Tour

Dr Kathleen Olive

Grade Three

83

Nov 24, 2019

The Americas

Thanksgiving in New York

Stuart Barrie

Grade One

74

Nov 30, 2019

Australia & New Zealand

Tasmania: history, art & landscape

Dr Nick Gordon

Grade One

64

Dec 20, 2019

The Americas

Christmas in New York

Dr Matthew Laing

Grade One

75

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