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Cultural Tours & Musical Holidays
Renaissance Art in Florence
Florence, Italy
tbc nights from £tbc per person
Since the Renaissance, Florence has been one of the most important destinations for discerning travellers with an appreciation of art, but it was the Grand Tourists of the 18th century who made Florence an essential component in a cultural education. During our tour to Florence we will not only explore the glorious collections at the great galleries: the Uffizi, Bargello and Accademia, but we shall also enjoy a lecture at the British Institute in its 16th century palazzo on the banks of the Arno. Furthermore, we shall visit a remarkable private art collection which is only rarely open to the public, and see the wonderful interiors of churches including Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo, the family church of the Medici.
The British Institute of Florence
Since its foundation in 1917, the British Institute of Florence has remained a beacon of the city’s cultural community, and a place to seek out the legacy of the Grand Tour. Formed by writers and poets who were members of the then “British Colony at Florence”, the Institute had as its goal, the development and cultivation of links between Italian and British culture. Today, the 16th century Palazzo Lanfredini, overlooking the river from the Oltrano district, is the main home of the Institute, and it is here that you will find their extraordinary English-language library – one of the most extensive in Europe. The wonderful piano nobile of the Palazzo was provided by the wealthy scholar Sir Harold Acton, after whom the library is now named, and it offers a wonderful collection of elegant rooms, lined from floor to beamed-ceiling with books covering English and Italian literature, history, and history of art.
What's included
Five nights’ accommodation with breakfast
Three dinners at local restaurants
All sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities
The services of a Kirker Tour Lecturer
Speak to an Italy specialist
Contact our expert team for first-hand advice and a tailor-made quotation.
Kathryn Irons
Team Leader and Senior Reservations Consultant
Hotel Details
Degli Orafi
superior
Florence, Italy
This beautiful hotel is housed in one of Florence’s most attractive ancient residences, with parts dating back to the 12th century. It is located a few steps from the Uffizi Gallery overlooking the River Arno, just 100 metres from the Ponte Vecchio in the heart of the historical centre.
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Baltic States
Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn
The three independent states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are close neighbours on the Baltic Coast and their history is inextricably linked, yet each nation has a remarkably distinct language, architecture and culture.
8 nights price from £3868 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Meals
Wine tasting
+2
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Umbria - The Essence of Italy
Umbria
Perugia, the capital of Umbria and one of the finest cities in Italy is the centre from which we explore this fascinating region. Umbria is filled with historic art towns, perched on their hilltops with wonderful views of the rolling Umbrian countryside planted with olive groves and vineyards.
7 nights price from £2798 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Meals
Entrance Fees
+1
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Ravenna, Urbino & Ferrara
Ravenna, Urbino
One of our two holidays to this region focuses on three historic cities in the western part of Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche. Ravenna was the last capital of the Western Roman Empire, and remains a treasury of some of the world’s most dazzling mosaics and Byzantine architecture – memories of the final glowing embers of imperial glory.
5 nights price from £2492 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Three Dinners and One Lunch
Entrance Fees
+1
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Metropolitan Opera & Galleries and Museums of New York
New York
We return to The Met this season for a programme of carefully selected operas with several important debuts by impressive young singers, including the high-flying tenor Jack Swanson, as well as appearances by the Russian soprano Aigul Akhmetshina who thrilled Glyndebourne audiences in 2024.
6 nights price from £4778 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Opera Tickets
Dinners
+2
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Italian Lakes - Gardens & Villas of Lakes Como & Maggiore
Lake Como
After a morning walking tour of Como, we travel by hydrofoil to Bellagio, known as the ‘Pearl of the Lake’. At the Villa Melzi exotic species thrive in the warm climate – the garden is renowned in springtime for its riotous display of azaleas.
6 nights price from £3989 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Meals
Entrance Fees
+1
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Art of the Cote D'Azur
Nice
French artists began to discover the attractions of the Côte d’Azur and the iridescent quality of the region’s dazzling light towards the end of the 19th century. Monet was the first artist to be lured to the Riviera, arriving there in 1885.
5 nights price from £2225 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Meals
Entrance Fees
+1
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Andalucia: Seville & Granada
Seville, Granada
Our tour takes in three of Andalucia’s great Moorish cities – Seville, Córdoba and Granada, each one with its own very distinctive characteristics and atmosphere. The grandeur of Seville is represented by its awe-inspiring cathedral and great Alcázar.
7 nights price from £3547 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Meals
Sightseeing
+1
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
The Kirker John Hall Venice Course, Week 1: Art & History
Venice
The first of our two weeks in Venice with Charlie Hall provides a fascinating in-depth introduction to the art, architecture and history of La Serenissima in the company of world-class experts, as well as a day in Ravenna, last capital of the Western Roman Empire.
5 nights price from £3126 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Meals
Lectures
+2
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Christmas in Venice
Venice
Christmas brings a unique atmosphere to La Serenissima, returning Venice to a place of brooding mystery and beauty. It’s a time for the cognoscenti to enjoy the city’s undimmed charms in peace and solitude.
5 nights price from £3398 per person
Includes
Flight
Accommodation
Meals
Tour Leader
+1
Cultural Tours & Music Holidays
Byzantine & Ottoman Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul is one of the world’s most fascinating cities and has a colourful and complex history, spanning many centuries. Our five night holiday will introduce you to both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods; spanning 1,600 years fro...
5 nights price from £2298 per person
Includes
Flights
Accommodation
Meals
Sightseeing
+1
Speak to an expert - 020 7593 2288
Our expert reservations team regularly travel to a wide range of destinations to explore new cities, visit hotels and to research museums, galleries and restaurants so that we can offer the most up-to-date advice and recommendations.
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