Art & architecture tours

Not at all. Some guests have studied the subject for years and others are simply drawn to beautiful things, and both get on well. The specialists travelling with you tell the story behind the work and bring art and architecture to life, and questions are always welcome. 

Art historians and specialists who know these collections and cities in depth. Standing in front of a painting with someone who can explain what the artist was attempting, what the commission demanded and how it was received at the time is a different experience from reading the caption beside it. 

Galleries and museums, certainly, but also the churches, palaces, houses and streets the work was made for.

Yes, and that is the point of travelling this way. Itineraries are built around fewer places seen well rather than a long list ticked off, and time is set aside at the major collections so you are not moved on before you have finished looking.

Museum and city days involve a good deal of walking on hard floors, and historic centres are often cobbled with steps and no lift. Each itinerary carries an activity level of light, moderate or active so you know what to expect before you book.

Very much so, and many guests travel solo. Shared interest naturally leads to easy conversation, and friendships formed on tour often outlast it.

Spring and autumn suit the city tours best, when the light is good and the major collections are quieter than in high summer. Some tours are timed around a particular exhibition or reopening, and each itinerary explains what it has been built around.