This tour is now fully booked.

4 days from £819.  Friday 17th – Monday 20th October 2025.

The basics

We stay three nights on a half-board basis at the 3* Best Western York House Hotel (click here).  Located on Eastbourne’s seafront and close to Eastbourne Pier, the hotel has a bar, restaurant and indoor swimming pool.  Our allocated Standard Inland-Facing Rooms are all en-suite and feature a television, iron and ironing board, and tea & coffee making facilities.

A choice 3-course dinner without drinks is included at our hotel on the first and second evenings, and a set 2-course dinner without drinks at Glyndebourne after the opera on day 3.

In addition to the opera we will visit:

• Brighton Pavillion
• Charleston House (home to artists Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell)
• Bateman's (Rudyard Kipling's home from 1902 to 1936)
• Ightham Mote (a medieval Manor House in Kent).

Click on the underlined place names above for more information about them.

Key points

• Duration of 4 days, 3 nights.
• Available rooms: twins/doubles and singles.
• Executive coach throughout.
• Guided tour of Brighton Pavilion on Day 1.  Services of a Blue Badge guide on Days 2 and 3.
• Included in the price: three nights bed and breakfast; three evening meals; tickets for stalls / circle seats at the 4pm performance of Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’; entrance fees to Brighton Pavilion & to Charleston House.
• Not Included: single room supplement (£59); gratuities; lunches; entrance fees to Bateman's & Ightham Mote (free to National Trust members).
• Price: from £819 (single room supplement £59).

This tour has been arranged by Tailored Travel (a Glyndebourne Tour Affiliate member).  A deposit of £100 per person will be payable by the end of April 2025.

Click here for a flyer.

This tour is now fully booked.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palazzo_Chiericati_(Vicenza).jpg licenced under the Creative Commons CC0 License

SORRY, OUR HOLIDAY IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED

We stay five nights at the 4* Terme Roma Hotel (www.termeroma.it) in the charming spa town of Abano Terme near Padova. Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, and an indoor and
outdoor swimming pool. All rooms are ensuite and feature television, telephone, minibar, safe and a hairdryer. A set 3 course dinner without drinks is included in our hotel every evening.

Our Group Organiser for this holiday is Helen Ross.  She can be contacted by email or telephone 07803 619215.

Click here for flyer and booking form. Please send completed booking form to Helen Ross.

WHAT WE WILL SEE

• Villa Barbaro at Maser – guided tour
• Asolo
• Villa Malcontenta – guided tour
• Palladio’s Vicenza – guided tour
• Teatro Olimpico
• Vicenza
• Verona – guided tour
• Mantova
• Palazzo Ducale – guided tour
• Palazzo Te
• Padua & Cappella degli Scrovegni –
   guided tour

Day 1

We meet at our designated pick up points and transfer by private coach
to Stansted Airport for our direct scheduled Ryanair flight to our allocated
Italian airport. On arrival in Italy we are met by our tour manager who will
accompany us throughout our tour. We continue by private executive
coach to the 4* Terme Roma Hotel at Abano Terme for a five night stay on
a half board basis.

Day 2

This morning we enjoy a guided tour of Villa Barbaro at Maser designed
by Palladio in collaboration with Veronese whose wonderful frescoes
adorn the walls. We continue on to Asolo, arguably one of the most
beautiful hill towns in Italy and one Robert Browning liked so much he
named a volume of poems after it. This afternoon, our guided tour at Villa
Malcontenta introduces us to one of Palladio’s finest villas. Built in 1560,
the interior of the villa is adorned with magnificent frescoes by Zelotti.

Day 3

On arrival in Vicenza this morning, we enjoy an included guided tour,
concentrating on the architecture of Andrea Palladio, and taking in a
number of his palaces and civic buildings. Our guided tour includes a visit
to the Teatro Olimpico, Europe’s oldest surviving indoor theatre designed
by Palladio in 1579, and the Basilica Palladiana. We then spend some
time at leisure in Vicenza, and on an individual basis you may choose to
visit Palazzo Leoni Montanari, home to a wonderful collection of Russian
icons and paintings.

Day 4

Verona is our destination today, often described as Italy’s fourth classical
city, and home to the Arena dating from 1BC, and Shakespeare’s
inspiration for ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Our included guided tour of this
beautiful Romanesque city takes in sights such as the Basilica of San
Zeno Maggiore, built to house the shrine of Verona’s patron saint and one
of northern Italy’s most ornate Romanesque churches. The rest of the day
is at leisure in Verona, and on an individual basis you may choose to visit
the Museo di Castelvecchio housing a wonderful overview of Veronese
paintings including works by Pisanello, Veronese and Tintoretto.

Day 5

Our full day in Mantova begins with a guided tour of the Palazzo Ducale,
once one of Europe’s largest palaces and now housing a wonderful art
collection including the frescoes in the ‘Camera degli Sposi’ by
Mantegna. This afternoon we visit the magnificent Palazzo Te, which was
built in the 16th century for the Gonzaga family. The palace includes the
Sala dei Giganti (Room of Giants) where the art and architecture work
together to produce striking effects.

Day 6

This morning we make our way to Padua, one of Italy's oldest university
towns and the setting for Shakespeare's “Taming of the Shrew”. On
arrival we have a guided tour visiting the Cappella degli Scrovegni with
Giotto’s famous frescoes. We then make our way to our allocated Italian
airport for our direct scheduled flight to Stansted, and onwards coach
travel back to our original pick up points.

NB:- Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Durham_MMB_02_Cathedral.jpg licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

This is now fully booked

From £889. Holiday arranged by Tailored Travel

We stay five nights on a half board basis at the 3* Gibside Hotel (click here) at Whickham, four miles south west of Newcastle. Located in the centre of this historic village, facilities at the hotel include Paco’s Restaurant that offers a high standard of cuisine and the Egyptian style Sphinx Bar with its superb panoramic views over the Tyne Valley. All rooms are en suite and feature
telephone, television, tea & coffee making facilities and a hairdryer.

Our Group Organiser for this holiday is Helen Ross.  She can be contacted by email or telephone 07803 619215.

Click here for flyer and booking form. Please send completed booking form to Helen Ross.

WHAT WE WILL SEE:

• The Bowes Museum

• Durham – guided walking tour

• Durham Cathedral – guided tour

• Laing Art Gallery

• Newcastle

• Alnwick Castle

• Cragside House & Gardens

• Lindisfarne Priory

• Wallington

• The Spanish Gallery

• Auckland Castle

• Mining Art Gallery

• Nostell Priory

Day 1

We depart by executive coach from our designated pick up points and en route to our hotel we visit The Bowes Museum. This purpose built public art gallery was created by John and Josephine Bowes between 1862 and 1875 and is home to a large collection of fine and decorative paintings from around Europe. We then continue to the 3* Gibside Hotel at Whickham for a five night stay on a half board basis.

Day 2

We enjoy a guided walking tour of Durham this morning with our Blue Badge guide. Our guided tour includes a visit to the Cathedral, once described as ‘one of the great architectural experiences of Europe’ and a renowned masterpiece of Norman architecture. This afternoon we visit the Laing Art Gallery, home to a wonderful collection of British and European paintings, sculpture, prints and drawings. The rest of the day is at leisure in Newcastle. 

Day 3

Our Blue Badge guide accompanies us to Alnwick Castle, the second largest inhabited castle in England, the first being Windsor Castle, and home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since 1309. We continue to the National Trust’s Cragside House and Gardens, a wonderful Victorian mansion dating from the 19th century and described as ‘the palace of a modern magician’. Its interior features state of the art hydraulics powering a revolutionary lift system and internal telephones which mesmerised visitors in its time. 

Day 4

We visit the remains of Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island with our Blue Badge guide this morning. The ancient monks built the priory nearly 1,400 years ago and this is the site where St Aidan and St Cuthbert founded the great powerhouse of Christianity in Anglo Saxon Northumbria, and where the famous Lindisfarne Gospels were created in the early 700s. The Priory’s museum focuses on a grisly Viking raid, the cult of St Cuthbert, and the beautiful medieval manuscript, the Lindisfarne Gospels. We then visit the National Trust’s Wallington property, the much loved home to generations of the unconventional Treveylan family. Here, we are inspired by the beautiful furniture, family paintings and treasured collections, whilst also enjoying the informal landscape of lawns, lakes, woodland, parkland and farmland. 

Day 5

We spend the day at Bishop Auckland with our Blue Badge guide. We firstly visit The Spanish Gallery. The gallery depicts a story of Golden Age Spanish art during the 16th and 17th centuries, exploring how its artists expressed the tension between man’s yearning for eternity and the transience of life. We then visit Auckland Castle, positioned high above the meandering River Wear. The castle was once home to the Prince Bishops of Durham, who were given exceptional powers by the Norman kings of England, as well as the Church, and governed vast swathes of North East England. The castle was built to host lavish medieval celebrations and hunting parties, to entertain royalty and impress visitors with the bishops’ power and wealth. Our day concludes with a visit to the Mining Art Gallery. Home to three permanent rooms and one temporary exhibition space, the gallery explores working life in the coal mines through original artefacts and artworks by prominent mining artists such as Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish. 

Day 6

After checking out of our hotel we visit the National Trust’s Nostell Priory in Yorkshire, home to England’s best collection of documented Chippendale furniture, an outstanding art collection, a longcase clock by John ‘Longitude’ Harrison and a remarkable 18th century dolls house complete with its original fittings and Chippendale style furniture. Taking carefully selected comfort stops en route, we return back to our original pick up points. NB:- Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this tour may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.

NB:- Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this tour may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.

ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glasgow_Montage.png,  Images by Thomas Nugent licensed under CC-BY-SA-3.0

No further bookings can be taken as this holiday is fully subscibed.

From £899. Holiday arranged by Tailored Travel.

We stay five nights at the centrally located 4* Clayton Hotel (click here) in Glasgow. Located in Glasgow’s West End, facilities at the hotel include a restaurant and bar. All rooms are en suite and feature television, telephone and a hairdryer. Dinner is included in our hotel on the first evening, and the remaining four nights are on a bed and breakfast basis.  

Our Group Organiser for this holiday is Helen Ross.  She can be contacted by email or telephone 07803 619215.

What we will see:

Little Moreton Hall

St Mungo’s Cathedral

Guided tour of Glasgow

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum 

House for an Art Lover

National Gallery of Scotland

Royal Yacht Britannia

Hunterian Gallery

Hill House, Helensburgh

Dumfries House

Burrell Collection

Harrogate

Day 1

We depart from our Great Shelford pick up point in our private executive coach. En route to Glasgow we visit the National Trust’s Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire. On arrival in Glasgow, we check in at the centrally located 4* Clayton Hotel for a 5 night stay. A welcome dinner is included in our hotel this evening.

Day 2 

Our Blue Badge guide meets us at our hotel this morning and accompanies us throughout the day. We firstly visit St Mungo’s Cathedral (donation not included). We then spend some time at leisure in Glasgow, or accompany our guide on a combined coach and walking tour of the city. We continue to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Later this afternoon we visit the unique House for an Art Lover, which opened to the public in 1996 and was inspired by Mackintosh’s competition entry of 1901. 

Day 3

With our Blue Badge guide we visit Edinburgh and the National Gallery of Scotland. This afternoon we visit the Royal Yacht Britannia. 

Day 4

This morning with our Blue Badge guide we visit the Hunterian Gallery. Whilst at the Hunterian Gallery, you may choose to visit Mackintosh House (entrance fee not included) on an individual basis, which is a reconstruction of the principal interiors from the original Glasgow home of the architect. This afternoon we visit Hill House in Helensburgh.

Day 5

This morning we visit Dumfries House for a guided tour followed by included tea or coffee and shortbread. This afternoon we visit the newly refurbished Burrell Collection.

Day 6

After checking out of our hotel we make an early start home to Great Shelford. En route home we make a stop at Harrogate where we have free time to enjoy sights such as the Royal Hall, Montpellier Gradens and Betty's Tea Rooms, and to take some lunch. Taking carefully selected comfort stops en route, we return back to our original pick up point in Great Shelford.

NB:- Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems. 

Montage of Liverpool scenes, credit: Jimmy Guano (2014), licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

THIS HOLIDAY IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

Monday 19th to Friday 23rd September 2022

Five days / four nights on a half-board basis at the 4* Liverpool Marriott Hotel City Centre. From £629. Holiday arranged by Tailored Travel.

Click here for a printable leaflet and booking form.  Please note that booking is closed because this is now fully booked.

Click here to explore our holiday details on the Tailored Travel website.

For further information about any of the places we will be visiting, click on its name below.

Monday 19th

Travel by private executive coach. En route to our hotel we visit Knowsley Hall, ancestral home of the Earls of Derby. The Hall is set within magnificent parkland that was landscaped by Capability Brown in the 1770s. Tea and cakes are included.

Tuesday 20th

Morning: Our Blue Badge guide escorts us on a tour of Liverpool, taking in the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Cathedral with its modern circular design, and Liverpool Cathedral, one of the most iconic buildings of the city.

Afternoon: Guided tour of the Walker Art Gallery, which houses one of the finest collections of fine and decorative art in Europe (works by Rembrandt, Poussin and Degas, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Gilbert & George, plus one of the most important sculpture collections outside London.

Wednesday 21st

Today we head off to Port Sunlight Village, built by the Lever family for their workers. There we have a guided tour of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which holds works collected throughout the life of its founder, William Hesketh Lever, the first Lord Leverhulme (British 18th and 19th century paintings, 18th century furniture and outstanding collections of Wedgwood and Chinese porcelain).

We then visit Crosby Beach to see 'Another Place', a work by contemporary artist Antony Gormley (perhaps most widely known for his 'Angel of the North' sculpture).  ‘Another Place’ is a series of massive installations: 100 cast iron figures, moulded from the artist’s own body.

Thursday 22nd

Morning: Our Blue Badge guide meets us at our hotel. We have a guided tour of the Tate Liverpool Gallery, housed in a beautiful converted warehouse in the historic Royal Albert Dock.  The gallery is the home of the National Collection of Modern Art in the North of England. Works on display include Rodin's The Kiss, Degas' Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, Picasso's Weeping Woman and Andy Warhol's Marilyn Diptych.

The rest of the day is at our own leisure. The Royal Albert Dock, with its stunning World Heritage waterfront setting, is home to the International Slavery Museum and the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

Friday 23rd

After checking out of our hotel, and on our way back to Great Shelford, we visit The Lowry, set in a magnificent waterside location at the heart of the redeveloped Salford Quays. A talk on arrival introduces us to the biggest public collection of works by LS Lowry with around 350 paintings and drawings, ranging across Lowry's entire artistic career.

Following this we have some leisure time at Salford Quays. Close by is the Imperial War Museum North, an award winning building by international architect Daniel Libeskind. We then resume our journey home, with carefully selected comfort stops en route.

Accessibility: Given the nature of the places to be visited, this holiday will entail a certain degree of walking.

We reserve the right to alter the itinerary if required for operational reasons.

Click here for a printable leaflet and booking form.

Click here to explore our holiday details on the Tailored Travel website.

THIS IS THE HOLIDAY ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR JUNE 2020.

Thursday 23rd to Monday 27th September 2021

Holiday arranged by Tailored Travel. Five days / four nights on a half-board basis at the 4* Marriott Hotel, Birmingham. Click here for the original brochure. The dates have changed but the itinerary has not.

For further information about any of the places to be visited, click on their names to be taken to the related website.

Thursday 23rd

Travel by private executive coach. En route to our hotel we have a guided tour of Arbury Hall (pictured), seat for 450 years of the Newdegate Family.

Friday 24th

Morning: Our Blue Badge guide escorts us on a tour of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Renaissance masterpieces, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, the Staffordshire Hoard and much more).

Afternoon: Guided tour of Soho House, elegant home of entrepreneur and industrialist, Matthew Boulton. Meeting place of the Lunar Society, with members such as Erasmus Darwin, Josiah Wedgwood, and James Watt.

Saturday 25th

Morning: Guided tour of Birmingham, visiting the Pugin-designed Catholic Cathedral of St Chad and the Anglican Cathedral of St Philip.

Afternoon: Guided tour of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, followed by a canal cruise.

Sunday 26th

Morning: Guided visit to Birmingham's newest museum, the Coffin Works, home of the old Jewellery Quarter firm, Newman Brothers, makers of some of the world’s finest coffin furniture, including the fittings for the funerals of Joseph Chamberlain, Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother.

Afternoon: Guided tour of Harvington Hall, a fine medieval moated manor house with the largest number of priest hides in the country, four of which are built around the main staircase, a false fireplace in the Marble Room led to two further hides in the attics.

Monday 27th
Before returning to Great Shelford, we have a guided tour of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. This houses a magnificent collection of paintings by artists such as Monet, Manet and Magritte; Renoir, Rubens, Rossetti and Rodin; Degas, Delacroix and Van Dyck – as well as Botticelli, Poussin, Turner, Gainsborough, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Bellows and Auerbach.