Academy Travel_Program_Jun16Jul17 by Academy Travel

TOUR PROGRAM June 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July 2017

Change Your Perspective

academytravel.com.au

new tours Masterpieces of Florence & Rome

Essential Sicily

Bologna to Milan

10 Catalonia in Depth

25 From the Alps to the Rhine

36 2

www.academytravel.com.au

11 Gardens of London and the North of England

14 Northern France

28 Southern England: Music & Jane Austen

Lyon to Berlin

22 Berlin to Vienna

29 Tasmania

32 Bhutan

contents

Change your perspective We’re delighted to send you details of our tours departing from June 2016 through to July 2017, with 46 tours travelling to 25 countries. All tours in this brochure are now open for bookings. The caption on our cover is ‘change your perspective’, because this is what every Academy Travel tour aims to do. Whether it is a stunning destination, a special feature not available on most tours or the expertise and enthusiasm of our tour leaders we hope that your journey with us changes the way you look at the world. As always, we’ve combined well-established and popular tours with a range of new offerings to tempt regular Academy Travellers. Over the last few years Scandinavia and Iceland have emerged as sought-after destinations (perhaps it’s all those ‘Nordic noir’ TV shows), so we’re running our popular tour in both late May and August 2017. Spain also continues to appeal to Academy Travellers, so we’ve expanded our range of tours to include a two-week Catalonia in depth itinerary. Italy remains a core destination for Academy Travel, and this brochure contains no fewer than 11 tours covering the length and breadth of the peninsula. Along with favourites such as The Grand Tour of Italy, Sicily and our Venice residential tour, we are also offering a new tour from Bologna to Milan and the return of our Puglia to Pompeii and Venice biennale tours. For those who see travel as a chance to experience people and cultures that are completely different to our own, we’ve tours to Rajasthan, Bhutan, Burma, Iran and Russia. Escaping the Australian summer and enjoying the peace of the northern hemisphere low season is attractive to many. In January 2017 we’ve a performing arts tour to New York, Masterpieces of Florence and Rome, Sri Lanka and a Christmas Music tour from Vienna to Berlin. Whatever your interests and motives for travel we hope you find something in this brochure to change your perspective in 2016 and 2017. Thank you for your interest in Academy Travel, especially to our loyal band of frequent travellers.

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

ITALY 6 EUROPE 16 MUSIC TOURS

ASIA PACIFIC

The Americas

AFRICA & Middle east

ADFAS 48 FITNESS Requirements

The next steps

academytravel.com.au Our website contains detailed itineraries, maps and tour leader profiles. Our site also features an online booking form.

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

Sold out tours Morocco

October 8-26, 2016 Tour leader: Ben Churcher

Front cover: Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, 2006, reflecting and distorting the city’s skyline in Millennium Park, Chicago.

Inset: A detail from the Ghent Altarpiece (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), commissioned from Hubert Van Eyck and completed by his better known brother Jan between 1430-1432. Brochure production: Damien Flint Design: Pro Bono Publico

Tour Product Managers: Stuart Barrie, Nick Gordon, Robina Frosinini, Hannah Kleboe, Mark Lalor and Robert Veel. More details at academytravel.com.au

Why choose academy travel?

The aim of every Academy Travel journey is to combine the pleasures of independent travel with the benefits and shared enjoyment of a group.

Carefully planned itineraries All itineraries feature a carefully thought out balance of walking tours, gallery and museum visits, scenic excursions, dining and performances.

like-minded groups Share your journey with fellow travellers who are in tune with your way of seeing the world. A maximum of 20 participants â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not too small and not too large â&#x20AC;&#x201C; creates a convivial atmosphere.

Long stays Perhaps the most appealing feature of our program. No whistlestop tours, no 7.00am departures, day after day. In most destinations we enjoy three or four nights to really get to know the place.

Special experiences A private viewing of the Sistine Chapel or the Museum of Modern Art in New York? Tickets to sold-out shows at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra? Many of our tours feature top-flight events not usually offered on group tours.

Expert tour leaders Our tour leaders combine academic expertise with a genuine passion for the places they visit. Under their expert guidance you see rather than just look, hear rather than just listen and understand rather than just observe. Your travel experience is transformed. 4

Carefully planned itineraries

Making it special

We aim to make every one of our itineraries unique. Here is a selection of the special experiences we offer:

Luxury cruising Spend a week on the luxury sailing ship Sea Cloud II as part of our On the Caravaggio Trail tour (p.7). Enjoy five-star service on a small ship and the romance of ocean sailing. In October 2017, our Malta and Sicily tour also incorporates a Sea Cloud II cruise.

Sistine Chapel private viewing On a busy day more than 20,000 tourists jam into the Vatican Museums to view Michelangelo’s masterpiece. But not on our Grand Tour of Italy (p.13), which features an after-hours private viewing of the Sistine Chapel. Be one of 20, not 20,000.

The Met Opera – live at the Lincoln Center Music lovers around the world flock to the cinema to see the Met Opera, ‘live’ on HD. But on Academy Travel tours to New York (pp.33-35), you can enjoy the world’s most renowned opera company live from your Grand Tier seat in the Lincoln Center.

Cocktails with Frank Lloyd Wright On our specialist Frank Lloyd Wright tour (p.44) you can admire Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece of the ‘Prairie style’, the Robie House in Chicago, as you sip on a cocktail at our private early evening tour of this architectural jewel.

As seen on the BBC Academy Travel tour leader Estelle Lazer has an international reputation for her groundbreaking forensic archaeology work in Pompeii. She recently teamed up with Professor Mary Beard for a BBC documentary dedicated to her work, Pompeii: New Secrets revealed. Spend a day in Pompeii with Estelle on our Puglia to Pompeii tour (p.12). More details at academytravel.com.au

Florence

And the Italian Renaissance September 17-30, 2016

$7,330 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,870 single supplement

DISCOVER

• Italian art and culture in Florence, far beyond what most tourists see • Excursions to Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza and the Tuscan countryside • Places not accessible to most visitors, such as Vasari’s Corridor and the Villa Medici • Tuscany’s gastronomic delights and artisanal traditions • The world of Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli and Bronzino • Florence beyond the Renaissance, including Etruscan and modern masterpieces

OVERVIEW

Florence has the world’s greatest concentration of masterpieces from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, when it was one of Europe’s largest and most dynamic cities. Settle in and relax on this ‘residential’ tour as we discover the unique amalgam of commercial enterprise, republican government, dynastic ambitions and individual virtuosity that shaped some of the world’s most revolutionary artists, writers and scholars: Dante, Giotto, Masaccio, Donatello, Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo. Our visits to diverse collections are balanced with daytrips to medieval towns in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, tours through Florence’s artisanal culture, wine tastings and fine dining.

YOUR TOUR LEADER

Dr Nick Gordon has a University Medal and PhD in Italian history from the University of Sydney. Having taught history at universities in Sydney for 10 years, he now leads tours to Italy and Europe exclusively for Academy Travel.

GETTING THERE

We recommend flights into and out of Bologna with Emirates. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

HIGHLIGHTS

> Seven days in Florence exploring the society, history and art of the Renaissance > Medieval towns and their art, including Siena and San Gimignano > The Tuscan countryside, including the Val d’Orcia, homeland of Brunello and Montepulciano > Medieval Benedictine abbeys: Monte Oliveto Maggiore and San Miniato al Monte > Private visit to Vasari’s Corridor, built by the Medici dukes and now home to the Uffizi’s wonderful collection of artists’ self-portraits > Tuscan cuisine, wine tastings, and Florence’s artisanal traditions

Itinerary Bologna

Florence

ITALY San Gimignano Volterra Siena Pienza

Val d'Orcia

Expert tour leaders

Day 1: Arrive in Florence. Days 2–4: Discover how Florence became the centre of the Renaissance; excursion to the medieval towns of San Gimignano and Volterra. Days 5–9: Artisans and Renaissance masterpieces in Florence; Pienza, a Renaissance jewel in southern Tuscany. Days 10–13: Renaissance heritage in art, science, letters; the gardens of Florence, including Villa Gamberaia and Villa Medici; day trip to Siena. Day 14: Depart Florence.

On the Caravaggio Trail

Aboard the Sea Cloud II

$12,815 pp, twin share (land content only) $POA single supplement

September 30 – October 17, 2016

Admire

• Caravaggio’s masterpieces in Malta, Sicily, Naples and Rome • The coastlines of Malta, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands from the decks of the Sea Cloud II, a traditionally crafted three-masted barque • The virtuosity of other Italian artists, including Bernini, Raphael and Borromini • The exceptional art and architecture of southern Italy • Ancient Greek and Roman ruins in Sicily and the prehistoric temples of Gozo, Malta

Overview

This new tour offers a survey of Caravaggio’s work in southern Italy, combined with the pleasure of sailing through one of the most beautiful parts of the Mediterranean on the Sea Cloud II. After staying in Valletta, exploring the island’s unique history, we travel by sea around Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, visiting ancient ruins, Norman mosaics and baroque masterpieces. Leaving the Sea Cloud II at Naples, we extend our stay in the city and continue on to Rome, home to many of Caravaggio’s most celebrated works.

Highlights

> Caravaggio’s oeuvre, from his early still lifes, to his mature masterpieces in Rome and Naples, and his last works in Sicily and Malta > 8-nights touring on the Sea Cloud II, a very different experience to mainstream cruising > Norman mosaics in Palermo, baroque splendour in Siracusa > The spectacular landscapes of Sicily and southern Italy, including the Aeolian Islands and Amalfi coast > The unique history of Malta, seen through prehistoric temples, crusader architecture and the Lascaris War Rooms > Masterpieces by Titian, Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo

Your tour leader

Dr Kathleen Olive has a doctorate in Italian Studies from the University of Sydney and is well-known as a lecturer on the art, history and culture of Europe. Kathleen speaks fluent Italian and has taught extensively on the art of Caravaggio and its historical context.

Getting there

For this tour we recommend Emirates who fly directly into Malta and out of Rome. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Days 1–5: Arrive in Valletta, see some of Caravaggio’s last works, explore the history and culture of Malta, including Mdina and Gozo; depart Malta on the Sea Cloud II. Days 6–11: Tour Sicily on the Sea Cloud II, visiting Siracusa, for its baroque magnificence and fabulous pieces by Caravaggio and Antonello da Messina, Taormina, Lipari, Trapani and Palermo. Days 12–14: We tour the Amalfi coast, and leave the Sea Cloud II at Naples, exploring Caravaggio’s work there, his influence in the churches of Naples and the superb collection at Capodimonte. Days 15–18: We travel to Rome, exploring the contexts in which Caravaggio worked and his indelible influence on Western art. More details at academytravel.com.au

Rome Naples Sorrento

Italy

Lipari Trapani

Palermo

Sicily

Taormina Siracusa

Malta Valletta

Sicily & the Aeolian Islands Jewels of the Mediterranean October 14-30, 2016 May 19 – June 4, 2017

$8,420 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,500 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 mosaics and architecture of Palermo • The distinctive period of ‘Sicilian Baroque’ architecture • Dramatic countryside, including active volcanoes • The natural beauty and traditional lifestyle of the Aeolian Islands

OVERVIEW

This 17-day tour around Sicily has been designed to give the first-time visitor an overview of the island’s diverse and fascinating history, art and traditions. Explore prehistoric, Greek and Roman sites across the island. Enjoy the dramatic scenery of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, with their volcanoes and steep coastlines. Visit medieval Norman cathedrals with fine Byzantine mosaics. Sample some of Sicily’s excellent wines and Arab-influenced cuisine. Optional 5-day extension tour to Malta.

YOUR TOUR LEADER

Dr Estelle Lazer (October tour) is an archaeologist of international acclaim. She has led numerous trips to southern Italy for Academy Travel. Michael Turner (May tour) is an antiquarian and art and garden historian. Since 2005 he has been Senior Curator of the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney.

GETTING THERE

Emirates offers regular flights to Rome. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

HIGHLIGHTS

> A 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 > The 4th-century mosaics in the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina > The UNESCO World Heritage mosaics of Monreale and the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, undertaken by Byzantine masters for their Norman rulers > An excursion to the summit of Mt Etna

Fitness requirement Stromboli Lipari Islands (Aeolian Islands) Palermo Messina

Segesta Selinunte

Cefalu

Sicily

Mt Etna

Taormina

Piazza Amerina Catania

Agrigento

Ragusa

Siracusa Noto

Maximum 20 in a group

ITINERARY

Optional pre-tour 5-day extension tour to Malta. Days 1–4: Arrive Siracusa and tour the archaeological sites and baroque architecture. Days 5–6: Travel to the Greek temples at Agrigento via the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina. Days 7–10: Sightseeing in the capital of Palermo, including the cathedral at Monreale. Visit the tiny island of Mozia. Days 11–13: Continue on to Cefalù and take a private boat trip from Lipari to Stromboli and Panarea. Days 14–17: In Taormina, visit the fine Greco-Roman theatre and enjoy superb views of Mount Etna.

Venice

City, Republic and Empire $6,750 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,660 single supplement

October 24 – November 7, 2016

EXPLORE

• 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 all-encompassing relationship between Venice and the sea • Venice’s outstanding musical tradition in both opera and baroque music • The excellent food and wine of the Veneto region • The Renaissance architecture of Andrea Palladio

Overview

Unpack your bags for 15 days and discover the city that ruled the Mediterranean for 1,000 years. Enjoy accommodation in a carefully selected four-star hotel in central Venice, just a few minutes from St Mark’s Square. Travel on day excursions to Ravenna, Padua and the villas of the Veneto. Dine in some of Venice’s best restaurants and explore the remote islands of the lagoon. The late autumn travel period means fewer crowds and cruise ships.

Highlights

> Welcome lunch at the legendary Locanda Cipriani on the island of Torcello > Day trip to view the 5th and 6th-century Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna > An opera at Venice’s glittering La Fenice theatre > The art of Carpaccio, Bellini, Titian, Veronese, Tiepolo and others in palaces, confraternities and churches > Day trip to Padua to view Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel and the ancient university > The private art collections of the Ca d’Oro and the Punta della Dogana > Day trip to Vicenza and the beautiful Renaissance country villas of Andrea Palladio

Tour Leader

Robert Veel holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Education, from the University of Sydney. A fluent Italian speaker, Robert’s special interest is in Italian medieval and Renaissance history, and he has taught numerous courses in this area at the University of Sydney and elsewhere since 1990.

Getting there

Emirates has daily flights from most Australian cities to Venice, stopping at Dubai. Please contact us for quotes.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Venice and settle in. Days 2–3: Orientate yourself with a trip around the lagoon and visits to key state history museums. Day 4: Day trip to Ravenna. Days 5–7: Explore medieval and early Renaissance Venice – the world of the merchants and Crusades. Day 8: Day trip to Padua. Days 9–12: Investigate Renaissance art and architecture in Venice. Day 13: Day trip to Vicenza and Palladio’s villas. Day 14–15: Explore baroque and modern art.

More details at academytravel.com.au

Vicenza Venice Padua

ITALY Ravenna

Masterpieces of Florence and Rome

$7,350 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,740 single supplement

January 4-18, 2017

Experience • Art, architecture and culture, far beyond what most tourists see • Florence beyond the Renaissance, from local festivals to contemporary architecture • The legacy of ancient Rome on Italy’s later history and culture, from the Renaissance to the 20th century • Little-visited sites, hidden in the centre of the cities • The excellent regional food and wine traditions of central Italy • The benefits of low-season travel, with fewer visitors and mild weather

Overview Explore two of Italy’s premier art cities in depth with historian Dr Kathleen Olive. This 15-day residential-style tour offers time to appreciate fully the history and culture of Florence and Rome. See world-class galleries and museums, private villas, palaces and gardens, visit difficult-to-access sites like the Sistine Chapel for a private viewing, and enjoy the best of city touring, regional cuisine and the ease and comfort of superior, centrally located hotels.

Your tour leader

Dr Kathleen Olive has a PhD in Italian Studies from the University of Sydney and is well-known as a lecturer on the art, history and culture of Europe. Kathleen speaks fluent Italian and has an outstanding knowledge of Italy’s cultural heritage.

Getting there There are a number of options available for flying to Bologna and out of Rome. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Highlights > Exclusive visits to difficult-to-access sites In Florence > Private visit to explore the secret passageways of the Palazzo Vecchio > Villa Gamberaia in Settignano to admire the impressive garden > Before opening-hours visit to the Accademia, with Michelangelo’s David In Rome > View the collection of Palazzo Colonna > Apartment of artist Giorgio de Chirico, with around 50 of the master’s superb paintings > Private viewing of the Sistine Chapel – see this masterpiece free from crowds

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Bologna Florence

Siena

Italy

Rome

Tivoli

www.academytravel.com.au

Days 1–7: Survey Florence’s history at the Medici, Davanzati and Martelli family palaces. Examine masterpieces in the Uffizi and spend a morning with Michelangelo’s David. Admire the garden at Villa Gamberaia, and sample a storied Tuscan wine at a stunning contemporary vineyard. Days 8–15: Travel to Rome via medieval Siena. Examine Rome’s ancient history at major sites such as the Colosseum, and Renaissance icons at the Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj and Villa d’Este. Contemplate Caravaggio and Bernini at the Borghese Gallery and take an exclusive tour of the Sistine Chapel.

Essential Sicily $7,250 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,620 single supplement

January 9-23, 2017

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 legacy of medieval Arab and Norman rule, expressed in the mosaics and architecture of Palermo • Distinctive ‘Sicilian Baroque’ architecture • Norman cathedrals with fine medieval mosaics • Spectacular coastline and dramatic countryside, including active volcanoes

Overview This 15-day journey will appeal to those looking to take a tour of the highlights of Sicily’s diverse and fascinating history, art and traditions. Survey the island’s immense cultural heritage, from the ancient Greeks to the Arabs and Normans of the Middle Ages and the flourishing Baroque of more recent centuries. As well as an in-depth look at famous historic sites, we visit out-of-the-way villages and country estates, where fine food and ancient traditions still prevail.

Highlights > Exceptional Greek and Roman archaeological sites in Siracusa, Agrigento and Segesta > Stunning 4th-century mosaics in the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina > The Sicilian Baroque architecture of Noto, Ragusa and Modica > The UNESCO World Heritage mosaics of Monreale and the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, undertaken by Byzantine masters for their Norman rulers > Sicily’s excellent wines and Arabinfluenced cuisine > The benefits of low-season travel with fewer visitors and mild weather

Your tour leader

Dr Jeni Ryde is a former Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney. Her PhD focused on the Renaissance, heritage tourism and museology.

Getting there Emirates offers regular flights to Rome from most Australian cities. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Optional pre-tour 5-day extension tour to Malta. Days 1–2: Arrive Taormina, visit the GrecoRoman theatre and enjoy the superb views of Mount Etna. Days 3–7: Travel to Siracusa for its baroque magnificence and ancient Greek ruins. Day trips to Noto, Ragusa and Modica, as well as to the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina. Days 8–15: See the Greek temples at Agrigento en route to Palermo. Sightseeing in Palermo, including the cathedral at Monreale. Day trips to the island of Mozia, Cefalù, Erice and Segesta. Visit the home of author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (The Leopard). More details at academytravel.com.au

Palermo Mozia

Segesta Cefalu

Sicily

Taormina Catania

Agrigento

Ragusa

Siracusa Noto

Puglia to Pompeii Classical Southern Italy March 16 – April 1, 2017

$7,970 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,750 single supplement

Explore

• The history and classical archaeology of southern Italy on display at Paestum, Pompeii and Herculaneum • Thousands of years of history ranging from the Greek colonists and the Romans in the classical age to the Arabs, Normans, Germans, Aragonese, Spanish, Bourbon and French • The rich diversity of landscapes, from rugged mountain ranges to stunning Mediterranean scenery • The excellent regional food and wine traditions of southern Italy

Overview

This 17-day tour will appeal to those looking to take ‘the road less travelled’ through the regions of Puglia and Basilicata, and on to the famous archaeological sites of the Bay of Naples. We explore sites ranging from the cave dwellings of Matera to ancient Greek colonies, fine Norman castles and cathedrals and the striking scenery of the Salentine peninsula. Along the way we enjoy the fine food and hospitality that is traditional in southern Italy, a region still delightfully free of mass tourism. (An optional four-day extension to Capri and Amalfi is also available.)

Your tour leaders

Dr Jeni Ryde is a former Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney. Dr Estelle Lazer is an archaeologist with an international reputation for her years of work onsite at Pompeii. Estelle will be with the group in Pompeii and Naples.

Getting there

Emirates flies to Rome daily from most Australian cities. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Highlights > The ‘Southern Baroque’ architecture of Lecce > Unique ‘sassi’ cave dwellings in Matera, one of Italy’s most remote cities > 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 > Hidden artistic and architectural gems of Naples seen by relatively few tourists > Paestum, Pompeii and Herculaneum – Europe’s premier archaeological sites > Capodimonte, one of Italy’s finest art galleries > Italy’s most important archaeological museum in Naples

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Italy Rome Trani Naples

Brindisi Matera Paestum

Carefully planned itineraries

Lecce

Day 1: Arrive in Lecce. Days 2–3: Enjoy three nights in Lecce, visiting Otranto and Brindisi. Days 4–5: Tour Taranto and the ‘sassi’ of Matera. Days 6–9: Spend four nights in Trani, seeing Roman and medieval sites and sections of the Appian Way. Days 10–12: Travel via Melfi to Paestum and spend a full day enjoying the Greek temples here. Days 13–16: Enjoy five nights in Naples, exploring Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capodimonte and the National Archaeological Museum. Day 17: Transfer to Rome airport for flights home, or continue on the optional four-day extension to Capri and Amalfi.

Grand Tour of Italy

Naples, Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence & Venice $8,250 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,200 single supplement

March 21 – April 7, 2017

DISCOVER

• 2,500 years of art and architecture, stretching from the frescoes of Pompeii to the art of the Italian Renaissance, the Baroque and 20th century • The dramatic history of Italy, brimming with memorable personalities and great dynasties • The rich regional variety on the Italian peninsula, from the Mediterranean south to rural Umbria and Tuscany and the great centres of Rome and Venice • Stunning landscapes, such as the Amalfi Coast, the hills of Tuscany and the Venetian lagoon

OVERVIEW

Our signature tour is designed to take you to the great sites of Italy in style. We survey the sweep of Italian history, culture and art from the ancient Romans to cutting-edge modern design. Three and four-night stays allow you time to take in the important cities and explore a little on your own. Food and wine play a central role in Italian culture, and we have included several memorable meals, accompanied by regional wines.

HIGHLIGHTS

> Pompeii and Herculaneum – Europe’s premier archaeological sites > Private boat tour to Capri and Amalfi > Private evening viewing of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in Rome – an unrivalled opportunity to see this masterpiece free of the tourist crowds > Italy’s leading art museums, including the Galleria Borghese, the Uffizi and the Venice Accademia > Al fresco lunch at the celebrated Locanda Cipriani on the island of Torcello in Venice > Private after-hours tour of St Mark’s Basilica to witness the illumination of the mosaics

YOUR TOUR LEADER

Michael Turner is a classicist and archaeologist. Since 2005 he has been Senior Curator of the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney.

GETTING THERE

Emirates offers the best connections to Rome and Venice. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive Rome and transfer to Naples. Days 2–4: Explore the Bay of Naples, with walking tours, a private boat trip and visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum. Days 5–7: Three nights in Rome, with walking tours, leading art galleries and our Sistine Chapel private visit. Days 8–11: Four nights in Umbria exploring medieval villages, hidden valleys and the world of St Francis of Assisi. Days 12–14: Travel to Florence via Siena, visiting key sites of the Italian Renaissance. Days 15–18: On to Venice, via the 6th-century mosaics of Ravenna. More details at academytravel.com.au

Venice

Italy

Ravenna

Florence Siena

San Luca

Assisi Rome

Naples

Bologna to Milan da Vinci to Morandi April 26 – May 12, 2017

$8,750 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,950 single supplement

Admire • Art and architecture, from Byzantine Ravenna to medieval Bologna and elegant Milan • The Renaissance courts of northern Italy: Urbino, Mantua and Parma • Italian genius and design, from Piero della Francesca and Leonardo to Lamborghini and the makers of modern Italy • Modernism: from the colourful dynamism of the Futurists to the meditative beauty of Giorgio Morandi • The landscape and culinary delights of Italy’s leading gastronomic region

Overview Emilia Romagna and Milan are home to extraordinary art and architecture, including World Heritage-listed mosaics in Ravenna and Leonardo’s Last Supper. Many of these masterpieces are also in beautiful locations offering panoramic views over the Italian countryside, such as Urbino and the foothills of Parma, a little off the regular routes taken by most travellers. This new 17-day tour takes you through the art and history of this delightful region, which is also home to some of Italy’s finest cuisine.

Your tour leader

Getting there There are a number of options available for flying to Bologna and out of Milan. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Highlights > Private visit of Leonardo’s Last Supper > Milan’s hidden gems, including Bramante’s San Satiro, the Villa Necchi Campiglio and the Casa Boschi di Stefano > Bologna, a delightful medieval city little touched by mass tourism > The World Heritage-listed mosaics of Ravenna > Renaissance masterpieces in out of the way places: Piero della Francesca in Urbino and Parmigianino in Fontanellato > Parma: private collections in modern villas and medieval hamlets in the Apennine foothills

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Milan Fidenza Parma

Mantua

Bologna

Ravenna Dozza San Marino

Urbino

italy

Expert tour leaders

Days 1–4: Explore medieval Bologna, including Santa Maria della Vita, visit Giorgio Morandi’s house museum and the Museum of Modern Art, day trip to Ravenna. Days 5–7: Travel to Urbino via Dozza, tour Renaissance Urbino. Day trip to San Marino. Days 8–11: Visit the Lamborghini Museum, explore the art and history of Parma and Mantua, visit private collections around Parma. Days 12–17: Visit medieval hamlets, explore Milan – including a private visit to Leonardo’s Last Supper – tour the Brera and sample the art and culture of modern Milan.

The Venice Biennale

Modern & Contemporary art in Venice & Beyond $5,730 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,600 single supplement

June 7-15, 2017

Experience • The remarkable world of contemporary art by leading artists from around the globe • The less well-known sites of Venice and its surrounds: quiet islands, hidden gems and Roman ruins • Stunning new modern art spaces, 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

Extend the Biennale with Art Basel & the Upper Rhine Valley June 16-23, 2017 $5,380 pp, twin share (land cont. only) $1,470 single supplement Art Basel is a world premier art fair, with more than 280 internationally respected galleries showcasing their modern and contemporary artists over a long weekend. This new 8-day tour begins with 3 days in Basel exploring the best of Art Basel before continuing onto Strasbourg, our base for enjoying the Upper Rhine region, home to medieval towns, the Black Forest, and excellent private collections in galleries designed by the likes of Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano and Richard Meier. Tour led by Dr Nick Gordon.

Overview During the Biennale, many of the fine Renaissance palaces of Venice, usually closed to the public, open as centres of modern and contemporary art. We explore the 2017 Biennale over 9 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 new art gallery at Rovereto.

Highlights > Well-paced visits to the Biennale’s exhibitions, located in historic buildings > Modern art at 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 > World Heritage-listed Roman ruins and mosaics at Aquileia, one of the greatest cities of the Roman Empire > The tranquil lagoon islands of San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Torcello, where we enjoy a meal at Locanda Cipriani > The best of today’s international art in one place, including Tracey Moffatt’s solo exhibition in the new Australia Pavilion

Your Tour Leader

Dr Nick Gordon has a University Medal and a PhD in History from the University of Sydney, lectures on European art, and has led many popular tours to Europe for Academy Travel. He is also a practising painter and brings this passion to the visual arts in general.

Getting There Emirates offers the best connections to Rome and Venice. Contact us for competitive quotes.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Settle in to our hotel in central Venice, explore the national pavilions in the Biennale’s Giardini and Arsenale sites. 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 the Biennale’s unofficial exhibitions. Days 7–9: Continue with the Biennale and visit Venice’s modern and contemporary galleries. The tour ends with an evening meal on the peaceful island of Torcello.

More details at academytravel.com.au

Gardens of Southern England gardens of a passionate mind

$10,450 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,950 single supplement

June 2-17, 2016

ENJOY

• The exquisite countryside of midsummer England, experienced through visits to fine gardens, stately homes, country houses and castles • The gardens of passionate professional gardeners and writers, from Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to Gertrude Jekyll, and Vita Sackville-West to Christopher Lloyd • The gardens of equally passionate amateurs, including Henry Hoare at Stourhead and Sir Roy Strong at The Laskett • The history of the English garden from 1700 to the present day

Overview

This new tour surveys the work of the passionate men and women who, over the past three hundred years, have created some of the best-loved gardens in the South of England – from the magnificent 18th-century Arcadian landscapes at Rousham and Stourhead, with their temples, lakes and grottoes, to idyllic Kelmscott Manor, the Arts and Crafts country home of William Morris. We also visit Britain’s oldest Botanic Garden, in Oxford, as well as one of its newest and most influential gardens, at Highgrove House, of which Prince Charles has said, ‘The garden at Highgrove really does spring from my heart’.

Your tour leader

Michael Turner is an antiquarian and art and garden historian. Since 2005 he has been Senior Curator of the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney. Michael has homes in Sydney and Sussex.

Getting there

Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways fly to London daily. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

highlights

> The private gardens of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall > Stourhead, the most beautiful 18th-century Arcadian Landscape garden in England > Jewels of the Arts and Crafts movement: Kelmscott Manor, Hidcote, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter > The gardens of romantic Hever Castle and the beautifully situated Arundel Castle > The gardens of the Bloomsbury Group > Opera at Glyndebourne with a farewell dinner in the garden

Fitness requirement

Itinerary ENGLAND Oxford London Wych Cross

Bath

Glyndebourne Brighton

Maximum 20 in a group

Days 1–3: Tour begins in Oxford. Visit the beautiful Oxford Botanic Garden, Kelmscott Manor and Rousham. Days 4–7: From our base in Bath we visit the Laskett Gardens, Stourhead, Royal Highgrove and other estates. Days 8–10: Travel to Wych Cross from where we visit Sissinghurst, Great Dixter and Hever Castle. Days 11–15: From Brighton, enjoy several wonderful castles, homes and gardens in the Sussex Downs. Attend an opera at Glyndebourne with dinner in the garden. Day 16: Transfer to London for flights home.

Finland and Iceland

with optional extension trip to Greenland $10,750 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,230 single supplement

July 13-27, 2016

Experience

• Finland’s remarkable golden age of art, architecture and music 1880-1918, mixing Romanticism and Art Nouveau with a deep reverence for nature • Helsinki’s outstanding modern architecture and design – Alvar Aalto, Eliel Saarinen, Marimekko and others • The pristine lakes and pine forests of central Finland • Iceland’s unique Viking history and culture • Iceland’s spectacular scenery – lava landscapes, active volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, waterfalls, pristine lakes and coastlines

Overview

Building on the success of our popular Scandinavia and Iceland tours, this new 15-day adventure offers a more in-depth look at two distinctive and remarkable Nordic countries, Finland and Iceland. In Finland we explore the history, architecture and design of the capital, Helsinki, before travelling north to the lakes to enjoy an opera at Savonlinna, a 15th-century castle. Our nine days in Iceland include excursions in and around the vibrant capital Reykjavík, the fjords of Akureyri in the north and the outstanding scenery of the Snaefells peninsula. An optional extension to Greenland is available.

Highlights

> Walking tours of the striking 19th-century, Art Nouveau and contemporary architecture of Helsinki > Private visits to both historic houses and modern residences designed by Alvar Aalto and his followers in Finland > A performance of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni in Olavinlinna Castle > The unique atmosphere of Reykjavík > The fjords, bird and animal life of Iceland > Two days in a remote boutique hotel on the Snaefells Peninsula, where Jules Verne set his Journey to the Centre of the Earth > A snowcat trip to the ice-capped summit of the Snaefells volcano

Your tour leader

Robert Veel is a director of Academy Travel and has more than 20 years’ experience leading special interest groups to Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States and Scandinavia. Robert designed and led Academy Travel’s first Scandinavia and Iceland tours in 2015.

Getting There

Finnair has well-priced code-share services between Australia and Scandinavia. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Explore Finland’s history and remarkable architecture in Helsinki and on Lake Tuusula. Days 5–6: Express train north to Finland’s Lakeland district. Cruise the lakes and attend an opera in a 15th-century fortress. Days 7–9: Fly from Helsinki to Iceland. Explore sites in Reykjavík, visit the site of the ancient Viking parliament, plus waterfalls and geysers. Days 10–15: Fly north to Akureyri to explore the fjordlands, then visit the stunning Snaefells peninsula. Commence Greenland extension or depart from Reykjavík.

More details at academytravel.com.au

Snaefells

Iceland

Reykjavik

Scandinavia Savonlinna Helsinki

Islands of the Mediterranean Corsica, Sardinia and Malta september 3-19, 2016 April 29 – May 15, 2017

$8,450 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,980 single supplement

Discover

• Three Mediterranean islands whose diverse landscapes, cultures and history belie their proximity • Fascinating evidence of past settlements dating back millennia • World Heritage-listed sites and museums and spectacular coastal and mountain scenery • Vibrant contemporary cultures which have remained defiantly independent, despite centuries of invasion and occupation • A culinary heritage which blends history and tradition with the best of local produce

Overview

An exploration of three Mediterranean islands which, despite centuries of invasion, plunder and settlement, retain a proud independent spirit. In their beautiful setting we discover the diverse histories of each island, from their ancient sites through to their rich contemporary cultures. Extended stays on each island combine site and museum visits with time for independent sightseeing.

Your Tour Leader

Dr Estelle Lazer is an archaeologist with an international reputation for her years of work onsite at Pompeii. She has expert knowledge of classical art, archaeology and mythology. When not leading tours, Estelle researches and teaches at the University of Sydney and other institutions. She has led numerous trips for Academy Travel since 2005.

Getting there

For this tour we recommend Emirates who fly into Nice and direct from Malta. Contact us for competitive quotes.

Fitness requirement

Bonifacio

Days 1–5: On Corsica travel from Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoleon, to the harbour-side citadel of Bonifacio. Visit the megalithic site at Filitosa and take a boat trip to the Scandola Nature Reserve. Days 6–11: Ferry across to Sardinia, see the Costa Smeralda on the way to Alghero. Travel to Cagliari via Nora, Tharros and Anghelu Ruju. Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Su Nuraxi at Barumini. Days 12–17: On Malta discover Valletta visiting the Neolithic sites, the medieval walled town of Mdina and the island of Gozo.

Italy

Alghero

SARDINIA Cagliari

Valletta

> The megalithic site at Filitosa and the natural beauty of Corsica’s Scandola Nature Reserve > Bonifacio, perched on the precipitous limestone cliffs of southern Corsica > The distinctive nuraghe, the conical stone towers for which Sardinia is famous > The Castello district in Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital, dating back to the 13th century > Valletta, with its massive bastion walls built by the Knights of St John, and two late Caravaggios > Malta’s exceptional archaic sites, including the Neolithic temple complex at Tarxien, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and Ggantija Temples on Gozo

Itinerary

Corsica Ajaccio

Touring Highlights

Malta

www.academytravel.com.au

Classical art & antiquities

In the museums & stately homes of england $9,960 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,850 single supplement

September 17 – October 2, 2016

Experience

• The enduring legacy of the Grand Tour in England through visits to the British Museum, the Sir John Soane Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal Museums, Greenwich • The magnificent collections of some of the finest stately homes in England including Blenheim Palace, Waddesdon Manor, Holkham Hall and Hever Castle • The fascinating use of antiquities in the 18th-century Arcadian landscape gardens of Stowe and Rousham • The English countryside in all its late summer glory

Overview

Explore the most important classical art and antiquities in English museums, private collections and stately homes on this new 16-day tour. Travelling between London, Oxford and Cambridge, look at the Grand Tour of the 18th and 19th centuries, which, with its emphasis on the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, was to have a profound effect on the design and decoration of houses, gardens and museums, and on the mindset of collectors. Go behind the scenes for an exclusive chance to meet curators, directors, collectors, archaeologists and dealers.

Highlights

> Exclusive visits to meet directors and curators at the British Museum, the Ashmolean, the Fitzwilliam, the Museum of London, and the Royal Museums at Greenwich > Exclusive visit to the Bond Street showroom of one of London’s leading antiquities dealers > Private tour of the museum of the Society of Antiquaries > Exclusive visit to the Thames Foreshore Authority > A river cruise down the Thames from Westminster to Greenwich > Private dinner at a Cambridge college

Your tour leader

Michael Turner is an antiquarian and art and garden historian. Since 2005 he has been Senior Curator of the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney. Michael has homes in Sydney and Sussex.

Getting there

Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai and Emirates offer daily flights to London. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Days 1–4: Arrive in London and visit the Royal Museums, Greenwich, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, the Society of Antiquaries and a renowned antiquities dealer. Days 5–8: Explore Oxford and the Ashmolean Museum, along with the estates of Stowe House, Rousham and Blenheim Palace. Days 9–11: Tour Cambridge and the Fitzwilliam Museum, then travel to Norfolk to visit Holkham Hall and Houghton Hall. Days 12–16: Return to London to visit the Freud Museum, the Sir John Soane Museum, the Egypt Exploration Society, the Petrie Museum and Hever Castle. More details at academytravel.com.au

Norfolk

ENGLAND Cambridge

Oxford

London

St Petersburg and Moscow September 23 – October 9, 2016

$9,990 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,890 single supplement

Get to know

• A rich and tumultuous history stretching back hundreds of years • Vast repositories of art and culture in Russia’s incredible array of museums and galleries • Sumptuous palaces built for the tsars and designed by architects to rival the best in Western Europe • The resilience of a people who have survived catastrophic wars and revolution • Ancient wooden towns of the Golden Ring around Moscow

OVERVIEW

Delve into Russian culture, history and art on this comprehensive 17-day tour. Spend seven nights in St Petersburg exploring the city’s famous landmarks, art museums, churches and palaces, with a day trip to Catherine the Great’s palaces. Immerse yourself in Moscow’s Red Square, visit the Kremlin’s cathedrals and Armoury Collection, the Tretyakov Gallery, and experience a performance at the legendary Bolshoi. Spend three nights in Suzdal, with visits to the Golden Ring towns of Sergiev Posad and Vladimir.

YOUR TOUR LEADER

Dr Matthew Dal Santo is a historian with Honours degrees from both Sydney and Cambridge universities. He was a Fellow in History at Trinity College, where he received his PhD, and speaks numerous languages, including some Russian.

GETTING THERE

Emirates offer daily flights from Australian cities via Dubai to St Petersburg and home from Moscow. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

HIGHLIGHTS

> Seven nights in St Petersburg visiting the Hermitage and the Russian Museum. > Full-day excursion to the magnificent palaces of Catherine the Great > Red Square and the treasures of the State Armoury in Moscow > A performance at the Bolshoi > Masterpieces of Russian art at the Tretyakov Gallery > Sergiev Posad, home of the Russian Orthodox Church > Three nights in Suzdal exploring the wooden architecture and churches of the Golden Ring

Fitness requirement

ITINERARY

St Petersburg

RUSSIA

Pushkin

Suzdal Vladimir Moscow

Carefully planned itineraries

Day 1: Arrive in St Petersburg. Days 2–8: Over six days explore the city’s extraordinary landmarks, galleries, churches, palaces and museums, including a day trip to Catherine’s palaces at Pushkin. Day 9: Travel in luxury by fast train to Moscow. Days 10–14: Over four days discover Red Square, the Kremlin, the Tretyakov Gallery and Moscow’s museums, and attend a performance at the Bolshoi. Days 15–17: Stay three nights in the charming Golden Ring town of Suzdal, with visits to Sergiev Posad and Vladimir.

Turkey

Classical, Byzantine & Ottoman $8,470 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,990 single supplement

April 21 – May 8, 2017

Discover

• Majestic Byzantine and Ottoman art and architecture in Istanbul • Ancient Neolithic, Greek and Roman civilisations of Asia Minor • The Byzantine rock-hewn churches and underground cities of Cappadocia • Medieval Seljuk civilisation – fine mosques and Whirling Dervishes • Ancient traditions and vibrant contemporary culture in Turkey • Fine food and a bustling modern scene on the Asian side of the Bosphorus • The superb collection of artifacts housed at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara

OVERVIEW

Turkey has for centuries been a crossroads of religions and cultures, connecting the East with the West. Layers of Neolithic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history have endowed it with a wealth of unique historical and archaeological sites, often found in places of breathtaking natural beauty. This 18-day journey follows a comprehensive path through Turkey’s rich past from Istanbul, one of the great cities of the world, to the Aegean coastal towns of Kusadasi and Assos and the unique landscape of Cappadocia, before concluding in Istanbul.

Highlights

> Seven nights in Istanbul with visits to the major Byzantine and Ottoman sites > The Gallipoli Peninsula, including Anzac Cove and Lone Pine > The archaeological sites of Assos and Troy > Three nights in Kusadasi, visiting the ancient cities of Ephesus, Priene, Miletus and Didyma > Three nights in Cappadocia with its ‘moonscape’ of caves and chimneys > The painted cave-churches at the Göreme Open Air Museum > The Neolithic site of Çatal Hüyük

Your Tour leader

Judy Roberts holds a BA (Hons) in Archaeology and Ancient History from the University of Sydney. She has travelled extensively in Greece and Turkey and has been involved with the University of Sydney excavation at Paphos, Cyprus.

Getting there

Emirates offers regular flights to and from Istanbul. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Days 1–4: Explore Istanbul from ancient times to the Ottoman conquest, visiting the Hagia Sophia, the city walls and Topkapı Palace. Days 5–7: Marvel at spectacular cave churches and unique volcanic landscapes in Cappadocia. Days 8–9: Examine the Neolithic site of Çatal Hüyük and Pamukkale. Days 10–12: On the Aegean coast, visit ancient Ephesus and Aphrodisias. Days 13–-14: Two nights in Assos visiting Pergamum and Troy. Days 15–18: Return to Istanbul via Gallipoli for further exploration. More details at academytravel.com.au

Istanbul Gallipoli

Assos

TURKEY Ankara Cappadocia

Kusadasi Pamukkale

Konya

Lyon to Berlin

Art & Design in Europe’s ‘second cities’ October 20 – November 5, 2016

$8,630 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,100 single supplement

Experience • The histories and collections of provincial cities, from Roman antiquities and Rodin in Lyon to contemporary art in Leipzig and Basel • Vermeer, Caravaggio, Léger, Rodin, Picasso, and Baselitz: masterpieces in premier European galleries • Private and public collections in Europe’s “Art Valley”, in buildings by Gehry, Piano and Meier • Medieval Burgundy, including Cluny Abbey and Champmol • The Bauhaus Trail, from World Heritage sites in Weimar and Dessau to the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin

Overview Europe’s cultural heritage extends well beyond its current capitals and reflects the tumultuous history of numerous duchies, kingdoms and independent states, each of which has sought to establish its own cultural legacy. This tour takes you to the superb galleries and museums that have resulted from this desire for lasting greatness, and explores how the history of each city is reflected in its unique collections and cityscape. The tour ranges from Roman antiquities, to Old Masters, modern art, contemporary architecture and design, and beautiful provincial towns such as Besançon and Freiburg.

Tour Leader

Dr Nick Gordon has a University Medal and PhD in History from the University of Sydney. Having taught at university for 10 years, he now leads tours exclusively for Academy Travel. An intimate knowledge of art gained from being a painter complements his academic background.

Getting there There are a number of options for flying into Lyon and out of Berlin. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Leading art museums: Frankfurt’s Städel, Lyon’s Musée des Beaux Arts, Basel’s Künstmuseum, Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie > Cluny Abbey and Champmol, the funerary church of the Dukes of Burgundy > UNESCO World Heritage-listed Bauhaus sites in Weimar and Dessau and the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin > Contemporary architecture by Richard Meier, Frank Gehry, Botta and Piano > The art and wine of provincial France in Burgundy > Lyon, from Roman heritage to playful murals in this World Heritage-listed city (and its extraordinary cuisine!)

Itinerary Berlin

Germany Leipzig

FRANCE

Dijon

Frankfurt

Basel

Lyon

Expert tour leaders

Days 1–5: Explore the art and history of Lyon, and the medieval art and history of Burgundy at Dijon. Enjoy the gastronomic and viticultural delights of these two great regions. Days 6–9: To Basel via Besançon, explore modern art and design in and around Basel, visit the medieval town of Freiburg. Days 10–14: Visit the exceptional collections in Frankfurt. Follow the Bauhaus Trail through Weimar and Dessau. Old masters and contemporary art in musical Leipzig. Days 15–17: Explore Berlin’s renowned collections and its history through its art.

Amsterdam to Paris

from van Eyck to van Gogh

$8,970 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,440 single supplement

May 19 – June 4, 2017

Explore • More than five centuries of European masterpieces, from the Middle Ages to the modern era • Innovation and the relentless pursuit of beauty in the works of Van Eyck, Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Van Gogh • How the considerable wealth and the exchange of goods and ideas from around the world in the merchant cities of northern Europe created a dynamic cultural scene • The broader history and development of some of Europe’s richest, most vibrant and historically cosmopolitan cities

Overview The Low Countries have extraordinary artistic traditions which have withstood and evolved with some of the most significant upheavals in European history. On this tour, Dr Nick Gordan takes you from Amsterdam to Delft, Brussels, Bruges and Paris, exploring the art and architecture that flourished in these dynamic environments. We also visit smaller centres such as Utrecht and Ghent, while enjoying exceptional museums and galleries and exquisitely preserved medieval and Renaissance cityscapes.

Highlights > The refurbished Rijksmuseum, housing the world’s finest collection of Dutch painting, with masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer > Stays in beautifully preserved medieval and Renaissance cities, including Bruges and Delft > Master paintings in some of Europe’s finest galleries, including the Louvre and the Mauritshuis > Visits to many less well-visited galleries, seeing the extraordinary works overlooked by most travellers > Modern masterpieces by northern masters – Van Gogh, Magritte and Escher

Tour leader

Getting there Emirates and Singapore Airlines offer flights from Australia to Amsterdam and home from Paris. Contact us for competitive quotes.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Explore Amsterdam, once the centre of an empire extending from Brazil to Japan. Days 4–6: Visit art sites in Utrecht and The Hague, as well as Rotterdam and Delft. Days 7–10: In Brussels, visit superb Old Masters and modern galleries, admire Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture and tour Wallonia. Days 11–13: Visit Ghent to see the famous altarpiece by the Van Eycks, before exploring Bruges and Tournai. Days 14–17: Cap off our tour with visits to the Louvre, Cluny and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

More details at academytravel.com.au

Netherlands Amsterdam Delft

Bruges Brussels

BELGIUM FRANCE Paris

Grand Tour of Spain

Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla, Madrid & Barcelona October 27 – November 13, 2016 April 20 – May 7, 2017

From $8,330 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,250 single supplement

Get to know

• The Moorish kingdoms of Andalucía in Spain’s south • The history of Spain in the 16th century, the most powerful empire on earth • The art of Renaissance and Baroque Spain, including Velásquez, El Greco and Goya • 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, designed to give the first-time visitor an overview of the country’s diverse and always fascinating history, art and traditions. Begin with the medieval Moorish worlds of Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla, then explore royal Madrid and the exuberant city of Barcelona. Visit major art galleries, palaces and religious sites. Enjoy exceptional dining in carefully selected restaurants, designed to showcase Spain’s outstanding culinary traditions.

Your tour leader

Dr Angela Smith (October 2016) has a degree in art history from the University of Leicester and a PhD from the Warburg Institute.

Dr Jeni Ryde (April 2017) is a former Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney. Her PhD focused on the Renaissance, Heritage Tourism and Museology.

Getting there

We recommend Emirates flights into Madrid or Barcelona, with connecting flights to Granada with Vueling or Iberia. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

highlights

> The 13th-century Alhambra in Granada, a complex of palaces and water gardens > The renowned Mesquita (mosque) of Cordoba, 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 > The extraordinary Alcázar of Segovia > Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família in Barcelona, together with other works

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Barcelona

spAIN Madrid

Sevilla

Cordoba Granada

Maximum 20 in a group

Days 1–3: Visit Moorish sites in Granada and explore Spain’s Roman heritage. Days 4–6: Travel to Cordoba via small towns in Andalucía. Explore the Mosque and other remarkable sites. Days 7–9: Three nights in Sevilla exploring museums, architecture and simply relaxing. Days 10–13: High-speed train to Madrid, where we visit galleries and palaces, take a trip to El Escorial and have a full free day. Days 14–17: Travel to Barcelona, centre of Catalonian art and culture.

Catalonia in Depth $6,120 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,550 single supplement

May 7-19, 2017

Discover • Greek and Roman culture in Catalonia and its legacy • The best-preserved Romanesque art and architecture in Europe • Catalonia’s long relationship with France and French Catalonia • The history of the Jews and their expulsion from Spain • The distinctive modern art and architecture of Barcelona • The celebrated cuisine of Catalonia: the region of Spain with the most Michelin-starred restaurants

Overview Catalonia is a region with a distinct language, culture and identity. Its history is equally unique, stretching back beyond the Roman period, to its rise in the Middle Ages as Europe’s largest Empire, Aragon, and its modern quest for independence. This new 13-day tour begins in Barcelona, with its exuberant architecture and street life, before exploring the charming coastline of the Costa Brava, the rugged interior and the majestic Pyrenees.

Highlights > Modernist architecture in the backstreets of Barcelona, beyond the busy sites > Empúries and Tarragona, Greek and Roman sites along the Catalonian coast > Montserrat and Sant Pere de Rodes, the spectacular mountain-top monasteries > The bizarre world of Dalí: his theatremuseum at Figueres and his house in the fishing village of Portlligat > A day in the clear mountain air of the Spanish Pyrenees > Dinner in one of Catalonia’s Michelinstarred restaurants and a cava (sparkling wine) degustation > Three nights in Cadaqués, one of the Costa Brava’s most beautiful coastal villages

Your tour leader

Michael Neuman was for a number of years Professor of Sustainable Urbanism in the Faculty of the Built Environment, UNSW. He has published a book and many articles about Spain, and lived for five years in Barcelona and Madrid. Michael speaks Catalan and fluent Spanish.

Getting there Emirates offers regular flights to Barcelona from most Australian cities. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–3: Architecture and Modernism in Barcelona. Day trip to the monastery of Montserrat. Days 4–5: Travel to Tarragona, via Sitges, for its Roman remains. Day trip to the monastery at Poblet. Days 6–8: Explore the scenery and air of the Pyrenees, and the Jewish heritage of Besalú and Girona. Days 9–13: Greco-Roman Empúries and Dalí at Figueres and Portlligat. The hilltop monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, lunch in the French Catalonian town of Colliure, and Cadaqués, the jewel of the Costa Brava. Return to Barcelona via the gardens at Blanes. More details at academytravel.com.au

Pyrenees

SPAIN

Cadaqués

Vic

Montserrat Poblet

Barcelona Sitges

Tarragona

Warsaw to Berlin

from the Prussian world to modernity $9,795 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,790 single supplement

May 8-25, 2017

Explore • The world of the Saxon kings, warriors, lawmakers and art patrons • The beautifully preserved palaces of Poland and Germany, including Baroque Nieborow and neoclassical Sanssouci and Lazienski palaces • The art and architecture of this region, from medieval cityscapes to stunning contemporary architecture and some of Europe’s best collections of Old Masters • The turbulent and sometimes tragic history of central-northern Europe and its resurgence after the Berlin Wall

Overview This 18-day tour explores five important cities of central-northern Europe, which have enjoyed new vitality since the fall of the Berlin Wall: Warsaw, Krakow, Dresden, Leipzig and Berlin. The attractions of major centres are complemented by country estates, centres of religious pilgrimage. In Germany, historic buildings such as Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, the Reichstag and Dresden’s Frauenkirche vie for attention with stunning contemporary architecture. The region also boasts exceptional galleries and museums, and we enjoy its wonderful musical traditions with performances in Dresden and Berlin.

Tour Leader

Thomas Abbott was born in the US but has lived in Germany since 1988. He holds a degree in art history and has led many cultural tours throughout Germany, specialising in the architecture of Berlin, the art of 18th-century Germany and the Bauhaus.

Getting There Emirates have flights into Warsaw with return flights from Berlin via connections in Germany. Contact us for competitive quotes.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Four nights in Warsaw, Poland’s bustling capital, with excursions to nearby estates, such as Nieborow and Lazienski palaces > Three nights in medieval Krakow, Poland’s most beautiful city > Three nights in Dresden, brimming with fine art, architecture and music > Leipzig, a city whose impressive musical heritage is complemented by its re-emergence as a vibrant university and art city > Five nights in Berlin, staying in centrallylocated accommodation near Museum Island, visiting major galleries, historical sites, and palaces

Itinerary GERMANY Berlin Leipzig

Poland

Warsaw

Wroclaw

Dresden

czech Republic

www.academytravel.com.au

Krakow

Days 1–4: Arrive Warsaw, tour the Royal Route to the Royal Castle. Visit the Nieborow and Lazienski palaces, and Chopin’s birthplace. Days 5–7: Travel to Krakow, explore the medieval city and its Jewish Quarter, day trip to the extraordinary Weiliczka salt mine. Days 8–12: Travel to Dresden, stopping to visit Jelenia. Tour the 18th-century New Town, visit the Albertinum, Zwinger and Pillnitz palaces. Explore Leipzig, including the Bach church, house and museum. Days 13–18: Explore historic Berlin, and enjoy its world-class galleries and museums. Day trip to Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace.

Scandinavia and Iceland

Nature and Design

$11,370 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,460 single supplement

May 31 – June 16, 2017

Discover • Finland’s remarkable golden age of art, architecture and music from the 1880s to the 1930s, with a deep reverence for nature expressed through Romanticism and the Art Nouveau • Scandinavian modern architecture and design – Alvar Aalto, Eliel Saarinen, Jørn Utzon, Marimekko and others • Denmark’s royal traditions, from Hamlet’s castle at Helsingør (Elsinore) to Frederick and Mary • The fjords of Norway, and Bergen • Iceland’s unique blend of Celtic, Viking and Nordic culture, shaped by its remarkable volcanic landscape

Overview Academy Travel’s popular 17-day tour has been carefully planned to showcase the best that Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have to offer the cultural traveller. These northern lands have strong and distinctive cultural traditions, from the Vikings of the Middle Ages to the emergence of Art Nouveau and cutting-edge mid-century modern design in the 1950s and 60s, a tradition that continues to this day. Equally impressive is the natural beauty of the region, with its forests, lakes, pristine coastlines, fjords and wild volcanic landscapes. An optional 3-day extension to Greenland is also available.

Highlights > Four days in Helsinki exploring its striking 19th to 21st-century architecture > Historical and modern art in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Bergen and Reykjavik > Jørn Utzon in Copenhagen > Helsingør castle, the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet > Two days to relax in Bergen, Norway’s cultural capital > The unique atmosphere of Reykjavik, the world’s most northerly capital city > Two days in a beautiful boutique hotel on the Snaefells Peninsula, where Jules Verne set his Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Laing holds a PhD in US political studies from the Australian National University. He has travelled extensively and has been leading art and architecture-focused tours for Academy Travel since 2013.

Getting there Finnair has reliable and keenly priced code-share services between Australia and Scandinavia. Please contact us for quotes.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: See Helsinki, with walking tours of art, architecture and design, some fine dining and a trip to the lakes to visit artists’ and musicians’ villas. Days 5–8: Fly to Copenhagen and explore royal palaces, stunning modern architecture and some fine art galleries. Days 9–10: Fly to Bergen, on Norway’s west coast, for a relaxing visit to the fjords. Days 11–16: Fly to Reykjavik in Iceland and explore geysers, volcanoes and the rugged, isolated coastline. Two days on the Snaefells Peninsula. Days 17–20: Optional Greenland extension. More details at academytravel.com.au

Iceland Snaefells Reykjavik

FINLAND

NORWAY Bergen

Copenhagen

Helsinki

Denmark

Gardens of London and the North of England

$9,450 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,250 single supplement

June 14-30, 2017

Experience • Seeing the gardens at their peak in the glorious English summer • Sublime scenery of the Lake District • Northern England’s often overlooked heritage: medieval cathedrals, Romantic poetry and art, urban revival • The history of the English garden from 1700 to the present day • Visiting the gardens of modern design greats • Background talks on garden history and key site visits

Overview This new 17-day tour travels from London to the wilds of Yorkshire and Derbyshire, to the dramatic Lake District. The emphasis is on the passionate connoisseurs who, over the past 500 years, have created some of the most fascinating of gardens. Journey from the splendours of Hampton Court and Castle Howard, to the Chelsea Physic Garden, the intriguing wonders of the Poison Garden at Alnwick Castle, and the tiny Gertrude Jekyll garden on the island of Lindisfarne.

Your tour leader

Michael Turner is an antiquarian and art and garden historian. Since 2005 he has been Senior Curator of the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney. Michael has homes in Sydney and Sussex.

Getting there Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways fly to London daily. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Highlights > Travelling by boat up the Thames for a private tour of Hampton Court Palace and its gardens > Visiting the gardens of modern design greats Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd at Gresgarth, and Piet Oudolf at Scampston Hall > Admiring the extraordinary high Victorian garden of Biddulph Grange > Private tours of the gardens and collections of some of the greatest country estates in England: Burleigh, Castle Howard and Chatsworth > Strolling the 17th-century formal garden with its magnificent original topiary at Levens Hall

Itinerary Alnwick Castle Garden Chathill

Windermere Gresgarth Manchester

York

Castle Howard

Biddulph Grange Burghley House

London

Carefully planned itineraries

Days 1–4: In London, tour Hampton Court. Visit the Chelsea Physic Garden and the Garden Museum at Lambeth Palace. Days 5–7: Explore Yorkshire: Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal Water Garden, Castle Howard. Days 8–10: Visit Alnwick Castle and garden, take a boat to the island of Lindisfarne to see the Gertrude Jekyll garden. Days 11–13: Head to the Lake District to visit Dalemain House and Levens Hall. Days 14–17: See the private gardens at Gresgarth and Biddulp Grange. The tour ends with a visit to Chatsworth House.

Northern France

Cathedrals, Chateaux & Battlefields $8,650 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,950 single supplement

June 25 – July 11, 2017

Get to know • French history from the mists of GalloRoman and Celtic antiquity to the Middle Ages and into the modern era • Normandy’s rugged coastline and history, from the Normans to D-Day • Striking countryside, with rolling green hills, mustard fields and the medieval villages of Burgundy • The Loire Valley, with many of France’s most extravagant castles • Superb Romanesque and Gothic architecture • Excellent regional wines and the gastronomic tradition of France

Overview Travel through some of France’s most beautiful and historic regions on this new 17-day tour, designed for those wanting to experience the country’s rich history, architecture, art and sophisticated culture. We begin in Normandy, to survey Mont Saint-Michel, the Bayeux tapestry and the D-Day beaches. We then explore the Loire Valley from our base in a historic chateau, before heading to medieval Burgundy. In Reims, visit a champagne vineyard, and the WWI battlefields of the Somme from Amiens.

Highlights > The celebrated Bayeux tapestry > Mont Saint-Michel and its spectacular island site > A collection of the finest chateaux and gardens of the Loire Valley > The beautiful abbey of Vézelay, restored in the early 19th century by the young Viollet-le-Duc > The evocative ruins, war cemeteries and battlefields of WWI at the Somme and WWII D-Day beaches in Normandy > The heart of France’s champagne region, with a tour and tasting at Maison Taittinger

Your tour leader

Dr Michael Adcock is a social and cultural historian who specialises in the field of modern France. His extensive teaching includes several years with the History Department of the University of Melbourne, where he lectured in courses devoted to 19th and 20th-century France.

Getting there Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines fly to Paris daily. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–5: Explore Bayeux and tour the local area, including Caen and the Abbey of Mont Saint– Michel. See the famous Bayeux tapestry. Day trip to Brittany and the WWII Normandy battlefields. Days 6–8: Travel to the Loire Valley to visit a range of chateaux and gardens. Days 9–11: Visit the abbeys of Vézelay and Fontenay on the way to Dijon. Trace the history of the Dukes of Burgundy. Days 12–13: Tour medieval Reims and enjoy a champagne tasting. Days 14–17: The tour ends in Amiens with day trips to the WWI battlefields.

More details at academytravel.com.au

Amiens Bayeux Reims Caen

Paris

Monte Saint-Michel

FRANCE

Brittany

Loire Valley

Dijon

Glyndebourne Opera Festival Week

$5,850 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,189 single supplement

July 16-23, 2016

Experience • Performances of the highest quality • The unique atmosphere of England’s most important opera festival, including picnics on the lawn • The English countryside in all its summer glory • The life of the Bloomsbury group outside London, at Sissinghurst Castle, Charleston and Monk’s House • Background talks on all performances and post-performance discussion

Overview Join us for a week at one of the world’s leading opera festivals, held in the rolling hills of the South Downs. Academy Travel is proud to again be a Corporate Member, awarding you priority access to the best seats at the most in-demand performances. Renowned British director Michael Grandage’s production of The Marriage of Figaro affirms Mozart’s beloved masterpiece as both of its time and perennially modern. Other highlights include a revival of Janá ek’s The Cunning Little Vixen and a new production of Rossini’s most popular comedy The Barber of Seville. We have complemented the program with visits to Sissinghurst Castle garden, and a tour of the Bloomsbury estates of Charleston and Monk’s House.

Your tour leader

Robert Gay, see biography on page 31.

Getting there Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways fly to London daily. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Performances As a Corporate Member of Glyndebourne, we have priority access to the best seats at the most in-demand performances. On this tour participants will attend the following operas: > Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, featuring Danielle de Niese > Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, featuring Davide Luciano > Janá ek’s The Cunning Little Vixen, featuring Elena Tsallagova

Fitness requirement

Itinerary ENGLAND London

Sissinghurst Castle Glyndebourne Lewes Monk’s House

Charleston House Alfriston

Expert tour leaders

Day 1: Arrive and overnight in London at the Bloomsbury Hotel. Days 2–5: Travel to the village of Alfriston, close to Glyndebourne, and attend the first two performances: The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro. Enjoy visits to historic Sissinghurst Castle, and a Bloomsbury day tour of the estates of Charleston, former home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and Monk’s House, the 17th-century country retreat of Leonard and Virginia Woolf. Days 6–8: Travel to the county town of Lewes. Attend the final Glyndebourne opera, The Cunning Little Vixen.

European Summer Music Festivals Salzburg, Schwarzenberg and Lucerne

$9,550 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,700 single supplement

August 21 – September 1, 2016

Enjoy

• Ten performances of the highest calibre – ranging from bold, new productions of operas at Salzburg to intimate chamber concerts at Schwarzenberg • The small villa-islands of Swiss lakes and the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen • The mountain scenery of Austria and Switzerland • Visits to Zurich, Innsbruck and other small European art cities • The company of like-minded music lovers and expert introductions to performances

Overview

Our European Summer Music tour is designed to appeal to those with a passion for opera, orchestral, chamber and instrumental music of the highest quality. The itinerary includes ten performances at three important summer music festivals in Austria and Switzerland – the famous Salzburg Festival, the delightful Schwarzenberg ‘Schubertiade’ in the Austrian Alps, and the prestigious Lucerne Festival, on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Participants will hear orchestral, chamber and operatic performances of the highest calibre, surrounded by magnificent Alpine scenery. There is also the chance to enjoy the long, mild days of the Alpine summer.

Your tour leader

Robert Gay is one of Australia’s leading music tour leaders and music educators. He has designed and led more than 80 performancebased tours. For 30 years he has presented music history courses at the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney.

Getting there

Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates each coincide with the tour itinerary. Please contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Itinerary GERMANY Munich Salzburg

Mainau Lindau Schwarzenberg

Zurich

Dornbirn Lucerne

Innsbruck

AUSTRIA

Switzerland

Days 1–5: Transfer from Munich airport to Salzburg for two operas and a concert at the Salzburg Summer Festival. Days 6–8: Travel across Austria to Dornbirn, our base for the nearby Schwarzenberg Festival, held in a small alpine village. Attend three vocal recitals and two chamber concerts of the highest quality in an intimate setting. Days 9–12: Travel to Lucerne in Switzerland for three performances by leading orchestras at the Lucerne Festival. Depart from Zurich.

Performances

10 orchestral concerts, chamber music concerts, recitals and one opera including: In Salzburg (details in early November) > Two operas: Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Gounod’s Faust, at the Salzburg Summer Festival > Mahler Symphony No.9 by the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra In Schwarzenberg > Tenor Ian Bostridge singing Lieder by Schubert > Pianist Igor Levit playing Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas, Opus 109, Opus 110 and Opus 111 > Violinist Isabelle Faust performing Schubert’s Piano Trio D929 and other works > Baritone Gerald Finley singing Lieder by Schubert In Lucerne > Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Gatti, Von Weber, Schuman and Bruckner > Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Boulez and Mahler > Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Dvořák and Brahms

ITALY

More details at academytravel.com.au

Fitness requirement

Berlin to Vienna

a musical Christmas & NEW YEAR December 21, 2016 – January 4, 2017

$9,550 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,700 single supplement

Enjoy • Eight performances of the highest quality – from operas to intimate chamber concerts • The heritage of Europe’s leading opera houses in Berlin, Prague and Vienna • Orchestral music by excellent national orchestras • Walking tours of the cities in which we stay as well as visits to cultural sites, many with a strong musical history • Longer stays, with time for relaxing and for individual sightseeing • The company of like-minded music lovers and expert introductions to performances

Overview This new 15-day tour visits three of the great music capitals of Europe – Berlin, Prague and Vienna. The tour has been designed to coincide with the height of the winter music season, attending eight performances of the highest calibre. As well as featuring a series of outstanding performances, this musical journey takes you to the places where the great composers lived and worked, in addition to visiting key historical sites. Enjoy the modern treasures of Berlin, the baroque beauty of Prague, and the time-honoured splendour of Vienna.

Performances

Your tour leader

The tour price includes eight excellent performances of opera, orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental music. Possible venues range from the prestigious Musikverein in Vienna to the modern Berliner Philharmonie. All performances announced May 2016. In Berlin > Puccini’s La Bohème at the Deutsche Oper > Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at the Staatsoper > A concert at Berlin’s Philharmonie concert hall In Prague > Two performances at the Rudolphinum, Smetana Hall or the historic Estates Theatre In Vienna > The New Year’s Eve performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the Konzerthaus > New Year’s Day performance of Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at the Vienna Staatsoper

Getting there

There are a number of options available for flying to Berlin and out of Vienna. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Itinerary Days 1–5: In Berlin attend three performances, visit Museum Island, the Gemäldegalerie picture gallery and wander the Christmas markets. Days 6–9: Visit Dresden on the way to Prague, where we attend two performances, one at the historic Estates Theatre. Days 10–15: Travel to Vienna via Brno. Celebrate the New Year in Vienna, attend three performances and explore the city’s vast musical heritage.

Berlin

GERMANY Dresden

Prague

czech Republic Brno

Baden bei Wien

Fitness requirement 32

Maximum 20 in a group

AUSTRIA

Vienna

New York

music, theatre & art $6,950 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,600 single supplement

January 10-18, 2017

Experience • The peak of the performing arts season in New York, with worldfamous actors, singers and dancers in the best works of the season • A carefully balanced program mixing opera and classical music with jazz and a contemporary stage drama • The charm of smaller galleries and museums, free from tourist crowds • An introduction to New York from an expert in US history and culture • Time to relax and undertake individual sightseeing on a long-stay tour

Overview Yes, it’s cold outside, but the shows are hot! Spend nine days in the Big Apple, attending the very best in opera, orchestral music, jazz, dance and drama, while visiting some of the world’s top art and history museums, and learning about the city’s dynamic history. Highlights include performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center, new-season’s stage plays and a jazz evening. Accommodation is in a four-star hotel on the neighbourly Upper West Side, perfect for theatre and concert goers, and within walking distance of the Lincoln Center. It is well connected for travel around the city and has a great range of small restaurants, cafes and unique shops.

Tour leader

Highlights

Dr Matthew Laing is a research fellow at Monash University. He holds a PhD in US political studies from ANU. He has served as a congressional intern in Washington, lectured widely and travelled the length and breadth of the USA.

> Gounod’s sparkling opera Roméo et Juliette, with an all-star cast, at the Metropolitan Opera > An orchestral concert at Carnegie Hall > Two new plays in the 2016-17 Broadway season, one featuring internationallyrecognised performers > A dance performance at the Lincoln Center > An evening of jazz in Chelsea > Leading small museums including The Cloisters, The Neue Museum, The Tenement Museum and The Frick Collection > The recently re-opened Whitney Museum of American Art in Chelsea > A private viewing of the Museum of Modern Art > Further details of music performances will be available by May 2016. Details of theatre performances will be available by October 2016.

Getting there Qantas and United have daily services to New York. Contact us for competitive quotes.

Itinerary Day 1: Welcome drinks and canapés in the hotel. Day 2: Midtown walking tour, Broadway musical. Day 3: The Cloisters and the Met. New season Broadway stage play. Day 4: Chelsea’s Whitney Museum, walk the High Line. Modern dance at the Lincoln Center. Day 5: Private tour of the MoMA. Concert at Carnegie Hall. Day 6: Matinee stage drama and dinner. Day 7: The Frick Collection and Neue Galerie. Evening jazz in Chelsea. Day 8: The Tenement Museum. Roméo et Juliette at the Met, with a farewell dinner. Day 9: Rockefeller Center observatory. More details at academytravel.com.au

Fitness requirement

New York

music, theatre, art & food March 29 – April 10, 2017

$9,950 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,930 single supplement

Enjoy • Eight outstanding performances: opera, orchestral concerts, plays and a Broadway musical • New York’s marvellous architectural heritage, with a focus on art deco, modern and contemporary • A breathtaking array of visual arts, ranging from the European Old Masters to 20th-century classics and the cutting-edge contemporary scene • A survey of New York’s food scene, from historic venues to Michelin three-star establishments • New York’s excellent small museums

Overview

HIGHLIGHTS

This tour sees us spending two weeks in the Big Apple, attending the very best in opera, symphony concerts and drama while visiting some of the world’s top art and history museums and dining in a selection of the city’s best restaurants. Accommodation is in spacious premier-plus rooms at the Warwick Hotel on 54th Street in midtown Manhattan. The location is perfect for theatre and concert goers, being within walking distance of major performance venues, art galleries and some of the city’s architectural icons.

Performances > Verdi’s La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera > Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, starring Russian diva Anna Netrebko > The New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the Lincoln Center > The San Francisco Symphony orchestra at Carnegie Hall > The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, at Carnegie Hall > A new season Broadway musical, selected from the 2016-17 season > Two stage plays at Broadway theatres, selected from the 2016-17 season Fine Dining > Lunches at the Morgan Library and Guggenheim Museum dining rooms > Lunch at the Michelin two-star restaurant The Modern, inside MoMA > Degustation dinner at the Michelin threestar restaurant Eleven Madison Park Art, Architecture and History > A private out-of-hours viewing of the Museum of Modern Art with a museum lecturer > Charming small galleries, including The Frick Collection and the Neue Museum > Private guided tour of the refurbished Whitney Museum of American Art in Chelsea > Architectural walking tours of Midtown Art Deco, Brooklyn Heights and the High Line

Your tour leader Robert Veel has a thorough knowledge of New York, developed over 20 years of visiting, teaching and tour-leading. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Sydney, where he taught for many years before co-founding Academy Travel.

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

Fitness requirement 34

www.academytravel.com.au

Montreal to New York

Fine music & the New England spring $9,920 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,970 single supplement

April 7-23, 2017

Experience • The art, history and music of French Canada in Montreal and Quebec City • The countryside of New Hampshire in the springtime, visiting artists’ homes, Quaker villages and other characteristic sites • The scenic coastlines of Maine and Connecticut • The cultural heritage of Boston, including a fine musical scene • The diversity of the musical scene in New York, from Broadway to the Met • Leading private and public art museums

Overview This new itinerary brings together great musical performances with the rich history of French Canada, the scenery of New England and the Maine coastline, and the vibrant energy of New York. We have included nine performances ranging from a famous baroque ensemble to fine symphony orchestras, the Metropolitan Opera and a bit of Broadway. Expert musical commentary ensures you get the most from each performance. Sightseeing includes the historical precincts of Montreal, Quebec City and Boston with days in the idyllic countryside of New England and the coastal scenery of the Atlantic.

Your tour leader

Performances

Lindy Montgomery is a graduate of both the University of Sydney and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she taught musicology for 13 years. Lindy possesses a fine soprano voice and has featured as a soloist with Pinchgut Opera and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.

Nine performances are included, with full details available by October 2016. Montreal > The Montreal Symphony with pianist Louis Lortie playing Vaughan Williams and Tchaikovsky > Quebec’s own Cirque du Soleil Quebec City > Les Violons du Roy, one of the world’s leading baroque music ensembles, with counter-tenor Phillippe Jaroussky Boston > Boston Symphony Orchestra with conductor Andris Nelsons and celebrated pianist Mitsuko Uchida, Mozart and Bruckner > Sunday concert at the delightful Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum New York > Verdi’s dramatic opera Rigoletto, at the Metropolitan Opera > The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlioz, Beethoven and Elgar > The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall – a tribute to Carol King and James Taylor > A quality Broadway musical selected from the 2016-17 season

Getting there Air Canada and Qantas code share flights are available from Australian cities. Contact us for quotes and bookings.

Itinerary

Quebec City

CANADA Montreal

USA Maine coastline

Boston Plymouth

New Haven New York

More details at academytravel.com.au

Days 1–3: Arrive Montreal, explore the city and attend two performances. Days 4–6: Follow the St Lawrence River to Quebec, the most beautiful of French Canadian cities. Enjoy sightseeing and baroque music in a great setting. Days 7–8: Travel to Plymouth in the heart of New Hampshire, visiting historic villages and artists’ residences. Days 9–11: Travel via the Maine coastline to Boston. Explore Boston’s history, its fine art museums and enjoy two concerts. Days 12–17: Travel to New York via New Haven, Connecticut. Explore art and architecture and attend four performances.

Fitness requirement

From the Alps to the Rhine Music in Bavaria, Alsace and Switzerland April 15 – May 1, 2017

$9,750 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,800 single supplement

Enjoy • At least eight performances at some of Europe’s premiere venues • The landscape and heritage of the Rhine River • Fine food and wine in Alsace and Franconia • Picturesque and historic towns of northern Bavaria • The ‘Romantic Road’ south to Munich • Bavarian castles and the Bavarian Alps

Overview In 2017, Academy Travel’s May music tour focuses on Germany’s southern region of Bavaria, the Alsace region of France and Switzerland. As always, the itinerary is built around fine performances at venues such as the Bavarian State Opera, the Frankfurt and Zurich opera houses and Zurich’s Tonhalle. A sightseeing program with a strong musical component complements the performances. Along with the scenery of the Alps and the Rhine we visit historic cities and towns, enjoy some fine food and wine, and visit a number of smaller galleries and museums. Accommodation in central four-star hotels and best available tickets to performances are included.

Performances At least eight performances are included. Details of some performances will be available in April and May 2016. We expect to have a final performance program by early October 2016. In Munich > Donizetti’s rarely performed Roberto Devereux at the Bavarian State Opera > Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde at the Bavarian State Opera > A performance by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra In Bamberg > A performance by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra In Frankfurt > Performances at the Alte Oper, Frankfurt Ballet or Frankfurt Oper In Strasbourg > The well-regarded Opéra national du Rhin In Basel > The Basel Symphony Orchestra or the Basel Chamber Orchestra > A performance at the Basel Opera In Zurich > A performance by the Zurich Opera > A concert by the renowned Tonhalle orchestra

Fitness requirement 36

Carefully planned itineraries

Tour leader

Getting there Munich and Zurich are served by major airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas/Emirates. Please contact us for competitive fares.

Itinerary Days 1–4: The tour begins in Munich with performances at the opera and symphony, a day in the Alps and leading galleries. Days 5–7: Travel along the ‘Romantic Road’ to the town of Bamberg, home to a fine symphony orchestra. Visit Wagner’s town of Bayreuth. Days 8–10: Performances in Frankfurt. Days 11–12: Travel the ‘wine road’ through Alsace and enjoy performances and fine food in Strasbourg. Days 13–14: Journey along the Rhine to the small city of Basel, boasting an excellent music and visual arts scene. Days 15–17: The tour ends in Zurich, with fine performances.

Frankfurt Bamberg

France

GERMANY Strasbourg Munich

Basel Zurich

Switzerland

Southern England Music & Jane Austen

$8,950 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,180 single supplement

May 23 – June 7, 2017

Get to know • The life of Jane Austen, visiting key sites in Bath, Lyme Regis, Chawton and Winchester • Fine music in historic venue • The beautiful English countryside in all its summer glory, from Somerset to Sussex • The Bloomsbury Group in the countryside at Sissinghurst Castle, Charleston and Monk’s House • The background to the music and sites on tour

Overview Our new tour combines music with a celebration of the life of one of England’s most acclaimed authors, Jane Austen. The tour coincides with the 200th anniversary of Austen’s death, so we can expect special exhibitions and events at the many Austen-related sites we visit. We have planned for six diverse music performances, ranging from chamber and vocal recitals in delightful historic venues at the Bath Music Festival, to opera at the prestigious Glyndebourne Summer Festival in the Sussex Downs. Optional 5-night extension tour to London.

Your tour leader

Robert Gay is one of Australia’s leading music tour leaders and music educators. He has designed and led more than 80 performance-based tours. Dr Penny Gay is Professor Emerita in English Literature and Drama at the University of Sydney. Her books include Jane Austen and the Theatre and As She Likes It: Shakespeare’s Unruly Women.

Getting there Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways fly to London daily. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Performance Highlights > Five performances of orchestral and vocal music at the Bath International Festival > A performance by the highly-regarded Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra > An opera at the Glyndebourne Festival

Touring Highlights > Sites associated with Jane Austen and her works, including sites in Bath, Lyme Regis and Portsmouth > Author Henry James’ home in Rye, and Dorchester, Thomas Hardy’s ‘Casterbridge’ > Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–5: Arrive in Bath, where Jane Austen lived and set many works. Performances at the Bath Music Festival. Days 6–7: Travel to Dorchester via Persuasion’s Lyme Regis. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concert. Days 8–11: Travel to Winchester via Salisbury. Visit Chawton, Austen’s home. Days 12–16: Travel via Chichester to the Sussex Downs. Attend Glyndebourne, tour Sissinghurst and other literary sites.

More details at academytravel.com.au

ENGLAND London Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Bath Chawton Winchester

Lyme Regis

Dorchester

Lewes

Rye Glyndebourne

Portsmouth

English Summer Opera Festivals July 5-22, 2017

$12,250 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,380 single supplement

ENExperience • Nine operatic performances in unique rural settings • A performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company in its home of Stratford-upon-Avon • The tradition of long interval picnic dinners during performances • Detailed background information on each performance • The atmosphere of Oxford, one of the world’s oldest university towns • The beautiful countryside of the Cotswolds and the Sussex Downs

Overview Since the first Glyndebourne Festival of opera in 1934, numerous private estates in England have followed the Glyndebourne example, opening private opera houses for summer performances of the highest artistic standards. On this carefully crafted tour we attend four of England’s most prestigious summer opera festivals – Garsington, Longborough, Grange Park and Glyndebourne itself – as well as the annual summer Shakespeare Festival at Stratford-upon-Avon, featuring the Royal Shakespeare Company. Academy Travel is a corporate sponsor of the Glyndebourne Festival, which gives us special access to tickets to three of the most in-demand performances.

Performances Ten performances will be included, with full details available in October 2015. Garsington Opera > Two operas in this glass-walled pavilion on an estate in Buckinghamshire. Stratford-upon-Avon > Two performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Longborough > A performance at this historic estate in the Cotswolds. Grange Park (moving to Surrey in 2017) > Operas take place in a converted 18th-century orangerie on this estate near Winchester. Glyndebourne > At least two performances at England’s most prestigious summer opera festival.

Room for another image

Fitness requirement 38

Expert tour leaders

Your tour leader

Getting there Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways fly to London daily from most Australian cities. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Itinerary Days 1–4: From our base in Oxford, attend two performances at the nearby Garsington Opera, explore Oxford and visit Blenheim Palace. Days 5–8: Travel through the Cotswold Hills to Stratford-upon-Avon to enjoy a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company and two evenings at the Longborough Opera. Days 9–11: From our base in Surrey, attend the Grange Park Opera and explore the surrounding area. Days 12–16: Travel to Lewes for five nights, to attend three performances at nearby Glyndebourne and visit Sissinghurst Castle’s gardens.

Stratford-upon-Avon Longborough

ENGLAND Garsington Opera London

Oxford Surrey

Lewes

Glyndebourne

Rajasthan

Land of the Rajput Kings $10,475 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,800 single supplement

October 22 – November 8, 2016

Discover • The history of India from the Moghuls to the British Raj and beyond • The beautiful monuments created by the fusion of cultures in Rajasthan • The diverse landscapes and colours of India • The joy of Diwali while staying at the luxurious Samode Palace • Rajasthan beyond the Taj Mahal • Jodhpur, a desert town nestled beneath the great Mehrangarh Fort of the Marwari kings • Old and new India in Delhi and Mumbai

Overview Explore Rajasthan, the land of the Rajput kings! This new 18-day tour offers the quintessence of India – majestic landscapes, palace forts and mausolea, historic cities and towns, and the great “festival of lights”, Diwali. Starting from Delhi, we proceed to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, “the Pink City”, the desert town of Jodhpur, and Udaipur, a fairytale town on the great Pichola Lake. We complete our tour in Mumbai, the gateway to British India and the nation’s economic capital.

Highlights > Explore the old and new cities of Delhi > Admire Agra in all its glory with visits to the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort > Fatehpur Sikri – the deserted city of the Moghuls > Celebrate Diwali at the stunning Samode Palace > The exquisite textiles, palaces and gems of Jaipur > The desert city of Jodhpur, home of the greatest fort in Rajasthan, Mehrangarh > Udaipur, staying at the famed Lake Palace Hotel > The cosmopolitan city and Gateway of India, Mumbai

Your tour leader Judy Tenzing has over 30 years’ experience as a tour leader in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma. She has a degree in South Asian History and a wealth of knowledge to share.

Getting there Singapore Airlines offers daily flights into Delhi and out of Mumbai. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–5: Explore the art, history and cities of the Mughals in Delhi and Agra. Days 6–9: Visit Fatehpur Sikri on our way to Jaipur; enjoy the extraordinary art of Jaipur and celebrate Diwali at the Samode Palace. Days 10–15: Travel to and experience the diverse towns of Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Days 16–18: Fly to Mumbai and explore the art and history of the economic heart of modern India.

Delhi Samode Jodhpur

Pushkar

Agra Jaipur

Udaipur

INDIA Mumbai

More details at academytravel.com.au

Sri Lanka

A journey through the Holy Island January 23 – February 8, 2017

$7,475 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,990 single supplement

EXPLORE • World Heritage-listed ancient sites dating to the 3rd century that formed the beginnings of Sri Lankan civilisation • Colonial Portuguese, Dutch and British architecture in Galle and Colombo • A cornucopia of Buddhist art and culture • Sigiriya’s beautiful frescoes and incredible mountain-top fortress ruins • Tantalising spice gardens and lush tea plantations • A nature-lover’s paradise in Yala National Park

OVERVIEW Sri Lanka is truly the ‘Blessed Island’, full of unspoilt natural beauty, ancient sites, gardens, tea plantations and stunning beaches. The abundance of fine sculpture and painting is testament to the richness of this enduring nation. Encounter ancient Buddhist art and civilisation, wildlife on par with an African safari, and the old-world charm of Sri Lanka’s colonial heritage. This tour is for those with an interest in history, religions and the culture of one of Asia’s least known and long overlooked destinations.

YOUR TOUR LEADER

TOURING HIGHLIGHTS

Judy Tenzing has over 30 years’ experience as an administrator and tour leader in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma. Judy has a degree in South Asian History and regularly presents courses at Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education on the history and culture of this remarkable region.

> Three days exploring temples, dagobas and archaeological sites around Anuradhapura > Lion Rock at Sigiriya with its brilliant frescoes and landscaped royal gardens > The 150 Buddha images at Dambulla rock temple and the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy > Full-day safari spotting leopards and elephants in Yala National Park > Three nights exploring British, Portuguese and Dutch influences in Galle > A walking tour through the colonial architecture of Colombo with a visit to the National Museum

Getting there Singapore and Malaysian Airlines offer daily flights to Colombo. Contact us for quotes.

Fitness requirement

ITINERARY SRi Lanka Anuradhapura

Dambulla

Negombo Colombo

Kandy Nuwara Eliya

Yala Galle

Maximum 20 in a group

Days 1–4: Arrive in Negombo and explore archaeological sites of Anuradhapura and Mihintale. Days 5–7: See the Dambulla caves, climb Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa. Days 8–9: Visit the Temple of the Tooth and botanic gardens in Kandy. Day 10: Nuwara Eliya, the island’s prime teagrowing area. Days 11–12: In Yala, including a full-day wildlife safari. Days 13–15: Wander through the walled streets, galleries and museums of Galle Fort. Days 16–17: Visit the National Museum in Colombo and tour the colonial architecture.

Tasmania

history, art and landscape $3,470 pp, twin share (land content only) $845 single supplement

February 4-11, 2017

Discover • 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 distinctive history, culture and landscape which makes it quite different from Australia’s other states and territories. This tour offers a unique itinerary which combines the island’s well-known attractions with sites of particular interest to specialised travellers. Staying in both Launceston and Hobart, with day trips to surrounding areas, we visit historic homes and gardens and travel though stunning landscape. Art lovers are well treated, with an in-depth look at colonial artist John Glover and a visit to the renowned Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) on the Derwent River near Hobart.

Tour leader Robert Veel led Academy Travel’s inaugural tour to Tasmania for ADFAS and has over 20 years’ experience designing and leading tours around the world.

Getting there Jetstar/Qantas offer direct flights to Launceston from Sydney and Melbourne and return flights from Hobart. These can be booked online.

Highlights: > Tasmania’s World-Heritage-listed colonial sites, including Woolmers Estate, Oatlands and Richmond > Tasmania’s leading public art galleries in Launceston and Hobart > The Australian Wooden Boat Festival, in full swing on Hobart’s docks > Touring the landscapes of the Tamar Valley and the Tasman Peninsula > A day trip to the Huon River Valley, visiting pristine rainforests, gardens and wineries > Fine regional wine and produce while dining at some of Tasmania’s excellent restaurants and vineyards

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1-3: The tour begins in Launceston, visiting historic homes and villages, visiting the farm of colonial artist John Glover and touring the Tamar Valley and the hills towards the Cradle Mountain region. We also visit wineries and two excellent restaurants. Day 4: Travel down to Hobart via the historic towns of Ross and Oatlands. Days 5-8: In Hobart we continue our exploration of colonial artists, take day trips to the Huon Valley and the Tasman Peninsula and visit MONA.

Launceston

TASMANIA Ross Oatlands

Richmond Hobart

More details at academytravel.com.au

Burma February 15 – March 2, 2017

$8,985 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,495 single supplement

DISCOVER • A nation gradually emerging from years of military rule • A rich cultural and artisanal tradition of silk weaving, world-class lacquerware and skilled puppeteers • A wealth of Buddhist culture evidenced by the multitude of stupas and exquisite carved teak monasteries • Colonial history and architecture from the era of the British Raj • A remarkably friendly and easy-going nation made up of over 135 ethnic groups eager to share their history and culture

OVERVIEW From its ancient origins in settlement by Hindu Sakyas from India, through millennia of spiritual and political change, Burma has emerged with all that is quintessentially Burmese intact and as enchanting and enriching as it has always been. This tour takes you into the heart of old Burma – the sleepy town of Nyaungshwe on the edge of Lake Inle, the last royal capital of Mandalay, the vast Buddhist pagoda-studded plain of Bagan, and the splendour of the great pagodas of Yangon.

YOUR TOUR LEADER

HIGHLIGHTS

> A magical sunset at the golden-domed Shwedagon Pagoda, the greatest in Burma > New Year’s Eve on Lake Inle exploring the monasteries, pagodas, villages and floating gardens all built on stilts over the lake > The extraordinary complex of crumbling stupas at Indein in Shan state > Roaming through the National Botanic Gardens in Maymyo, with its stunning four-acre orchid garden > An overnight cruise down the famed Ayeyarwady River > The amazing pagoda-studded plains of Bagan, each structure unique in design and decoration

Getting there Singapore Airlines offer daily flights to Yangon. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

ITINERARY

INDIA China BURMA Bagan

Maymyo Mandalay Nyaungshwe

THAILAND Yangon

www.academytravel.com.au

Days 1–2: Explore Yangon’s colonial architecture and the Shwedagon Pagoda. Days 3–5: Fly to Lake Inle and explore the communities living on stilted houses. Days 6–7: Wander amongst the Botanic Gardens and colonial architecture of Maymyo. Days 8–10: In Mandalay visit teak monasteries, pagodas and the Royal Palace. Day 11: Cruise the Ayeyarwady River to Bagan. Days 12–14: In Bagan surveying some of the hundreds of pagodas scattered on the plains. Days 15–16: Return to Yangon with farewell dinner at the renowned Strand Hotel.

Bhutan Head A Head B

$8,840 $x pp, twin pp, twin share share (land (land content content only) only) $x single $1,745 single supplement supplement

March 25 – April 5,Date 2017

REVEL in Experience

• T • xhe unique history and culture of Bhutan, a kingdom that only began opening its borders to foreigners in the 1970s • The stunning peaks and serene forests of the Himalayas • The distinctive heritage and traditions of the Bhutanese people, who carry on the music, dance and weaving of their ancestors • The remarkable monasteries, fortresses, temples and villages of Bhutan • The secluded Phobjikha Valley and its rare wildlife

Overview

Little x has changed over the centuries in the Kingdom of Bhutan, perched among the pristine forests and snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. Its rich historic and cultural traditions are Highlights memorably expressed in its architecture – mountain-top monasteries, Buddhist temples and traditional villages – as well as in its textiles and its hardy and proud people. This tour > x takes you from major towns, such as Paro and Thimphu, to remote valleys, such as Phobjikha, home to the rare black-necked crane, and offers you the best of this unique country. Your tour leader x Tour Leader Judy Tenzing has there over Getting

30 years’ experience as x administrator and tour an leader in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma. Judy has a degree in South Asian History and regularly presents courses at Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education on the history and culture of this remarkable region.

Getting there There are a number of options available for flying to Bangkok, connecting on to Paro with Druk Air, Bhutan’s national airline. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Itinerary

Days 1–3: Days 1–4: xArrive in Paro, visit the Paro Dzong (fortress monastery) and its museum of Bhutanese art and history. Visit Tiger’s Nest and explore temples of Paro. Days 4–5: Explore the temples and museums of Thimphu, including the excellent Textile Museum. Days 6–8: Into the Punakha Valley, visiting the fortress of Bhutan’s first ruler and Wangdue. Enjoy the serenity of the remote Phobjikha Valley and its wildlife reserve. Days 9–12: Travel to Punakha, visiting local markets and Chimi Lhakhang, a monastery with a colourful history. Return to Paro, and enjoy the magic of the valley. More details at academytravel.com.au

Highlights > Bhutan’s remarkable architecture, such as the Tiger’s Nest fortress-monastery in Paro > The towering peaks of the eastern Himalayas – many over 7,000m > The remote and splendid Phobjikha Valley in central Bhutan – winter home of the black-necked cranes > The rich traditions of this ancient land expressed in its textiles, music and fine arts > The remarkable people of Bhutan – archers, farmers and artists

More at academytravel.com.au Fitnessdetails requirement CHINA

bhutan Thimpu

Punakha Gangtey

Paro Wangdue

india 43

Frank Lloyd Wright Chicago to New York

September 23 – October 7, 2016 May 13-27, 2017

From $9,810 pp, twin (land content only) From $2,600 single supplement

admire • The course of American modern architecture in the 20th century, from Louis B. Sullivan and the ‘Chicago School’ to Frank Lloyd Wright and beyond • Wright’s transformation of the American home, using inspiration from the prairie landscape of the American Midwest and a Japanese-influenced aesthetic • The story of private wealth and art patronage in the United States by Henry Clay Frick, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew W. Mellon and John D. Rockefeller • The vibrant performing arts scene in Chicago and New York

Overview Follow the Frank Lloyd Wright trail from Chicago to Pennsylvania and on to New York, discovering the wealth of art, architecture and history in some of America’s most impressive cities. The tour begins in Chicago, then travels north to Wisconsin before heading to Pittsburgh and the nearby Allegheny mountains of Pennsylvania, before ending up in New York. The itinerary features private guided visits to homes and major galleries, fine dining and some great performances. Accommodation is in comfortable four-star hotels throughout.

YOUR TOUR LEADER

HIGHLIGHTS

> Walking, coach and boat tours of Chicago’s 20th-century architecture > The Art Institute of Chicago, renowned for its impressionist works > Wright’s home, Taliesin, and his Johnson Wax Factory in Wisconsin > A private interior visit to Fallingwater, arguably his most famous work > A private out-of-hours viewing of the Museum of Modern Art in New York > Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan > Steppenwolf Theatre performance in Chicago and an orchestral concert and a Broadway musical in New York

GETTING THERE Flights from Australian cities to the USA. Discounted fares are regularly offered, so please contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Canada

Madison Chicago

New York Pittsburgh

USA

Carefully planned itineraries

Days 1–3: Our Chicago sightseeing includes Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, an architectural river cruise and a full day exploring Wright’s houses. Days 4–7: Coach to Wisconsin to view Wright’s Johnson Wax Building and Taliesin East. Days 8–10: Fly to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for Fallingwater, Wright’s masterpiece. Days 11–15: Over seven nights in New York we enjoy architectural walking tours, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wright’s Guggenheim Museum, a private viewing of the Museum of Modern Art, a Broadway musical and a concert at the Lincoln Center.

North East USA

Great patrons & their collections $10,360 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,770 single supplement

October 21 – November 6, 2016

Explore • The vast art collections of Chicago, Boston, Washington and New York • The collections of the great philanthropists: Isabella Stewart Gardner, Mildred Bliss, Andrew Mellon, Henry Clay Frick, John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan • American history from Independence, to the industrial boom and post-war turbulence • Fall colour and spectacular sculpture in New York’s Hudson River Valley • The development of American-style architecture from the early skyscrapers to midtown Manhattan

Overview Enjoy the phenomenal public and private art collections of North East USA on this 17-day tour through Chicago, Boston, Washington and New York. Experience the legacy of American art patronage, from the industrialists’ hordes of Old Masters, to the philanthropic collections of impressionists, moderns, and the uniquely American style of art that emerged after World War II. Private visits, city touring and carefully-selected performances round out the experience.

Highlights

Your tour leader

> Docent-led tours of Chicago’s Art Institute, Boston’s MFA, Washington’s National Gallery, and New York’s Met and Whitney > Private out-of-hours visit to New York’s outstanding Museum of Modern Art > Small house museums: the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Dumbarton Oaks, the mansions of Henry Clay Frick and J.P. Morgan, and a private tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House > Selected performances at Symphony Hall, Chicago, Kennedy Center, Washington and Lincoln Center, New York > Contemporary landscape design on New York’s High Line and at Storm King Art Center

Kathleen Olive has designed and led some of Academy Travel’s most popular tours to Italy, Spain and the USA. She has a PhD from the University of Sydney and a strong interest in art history, a subject she frequently returns to in popular adult education courses.

Getting there Qantas and United Airlines offer daily flights from east coast Australian cities to Chicago, and homeward from New York. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary Days 1–4: Chicago’s icons including the Art Institute, Millennium Park, architecture river cruise and Robie House. Days 5–7: Early America in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., eclecticism at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the outstanding Museum of Fine Arts. Days 8–12: Cultural identities in Washington at the National Mall and National Gallery of Art. Modernism at the Phillips Collection and Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia. Days 13–17: Big Apple blockbusters MoMA, the Guggenheim, Met and Whitney; house museums at the Frick Collection and Morgan Library and Museum. Contemporary art in Chelsea. More details at academytravel.com.au/adfas academytravel.com.au

Canada

Boston Chicago

New York Philadelphia Washington

USA

In the footsteps of Alexander Turkey and Iran

September 17 – October 7, 2016

$9,690 pp, twin share (land content only) $1,640 single supplement

Discover • The world of ancient Persia, Asia Minor and the Hellenistic Middle East • The fascinating history of the region, with its layers of Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic civilisations and fusion of cultures • The magnificent archaeological sites and collections of Turkey and Iran, from rock-cut tombs and temples to the palatial cities of Persian emperors • Stunning Islamic and Persian art and architecture in vibrant urban centres • The life and times of Alexander the Great and his successors in the Hellenistic empires

Overview This 21-day tour traces the journey of Alexander the Great as he fought his way through Asia Minor and Persia. Beginning with Greek and Lydian cities on the Turkish coast, we move to mountain strongholds, rock-cut tombs, the Persian capitals of Persepolis and Pasargadae, and the spectacular museums and galleries of Tehran. We also visit the beautiful cities of Bishapur and Isfahan, among whose earliest inhabitants were Jews from Babylon freed by Cyrus the Great.

Your tour leader

Highlights

Prof. John Tidmarsh is president of the University of Sydney’s Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation. He is a co-director of excavations in Jordan and Syria, and has also excavated in Greece and Cyprus. He has led several highly successful tours through the Near and Middle East.

> Sites conquered by Alexander in Turkey: Didyma, Priene and Ephesus, one of the best preserved classical cities of the ancient world > The rarely-visited archaeological sites of Xanthos and Kaunos > The beautiful Lycian coastline, peppered with Hellenistic and Roman sites such as Perge, Aspendos and Termessos > The decadent palaces and museums in Tehran > Three nights in Isfahan, the jewel of ancient Persia > Three nights in Shiraz, visiting the great classical sites of Persepolis and Pasargadae

Getting there Emirates and Etihad both fly into Istanbul and out of Tehran. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

Fitness requirement

Itinerary

Izmir Bodrum

TURKEY

Kusadasi Antalya Fetiye

IRAN Tehran

Hamadan Isfahan Shiraz

Expert tour leaders

Days 1–3: Travel to Kusadasi to explore Sardis, the capital of ancient Lydia, Miletus, Priene, Didyma and Ephesus. Days 4–6: Travel to Bodrum, site of ancient Halicarnassus, and explore the Hellenistic theatre and temples, and visit Kaunos. Days 7–9: Travel to Antayla, visit Xanthos, Aspendos and Termessos. Days 10–14: Fly to Tehran and enjoy its museums and palaces; continue on to Hamadan, visiting key Persian sites, such as Nush-i-Jan. Days 15–17: Three days discovering Isfahan. Days 18–21: From Shiraz, we visit Pasargadae, Persepolis and Bishapur; return to Tehran.

Iran inHead depth A Head B

$x pp, twin only) only) $11,889 pp,share twin (land share content (land content $x singlesingle supplement $1,785 supplement

April 25 – May 17,Date 2017

REVEL in Explore

• Lxittle-visited sites on the Caspian Sea • in the ‘Azerbaijani’ regions of Iran • Memorable archaeological sites of the Ancient Persian Empire • The stunning tiled architecture of Iran’s Savafid-era mosques and palaces • The crosscurrents of Eastern and Western cultures at key Silk Road sites • The bazaars of Tehran, Tabriz, Shiraz and Isfahan • A remarkably friendly, cultured and open population, eager to engage with the world outside Iran

Overview OVERVIEW

Over 23 days we travel through the marvellous spring-time mountain and desert landscapes x of Persia and visit some of the most remarkable monuments in the ancient and Islamic Highlights worlds. We explore awe-inspiring Achaemenid palaces and royal tombs, mysterious Sassanian fire temples, enchanting mud-brick cities on the desert fringes, and fabled Persian > x cities with their enchanting gardens, caravanserais, bazaars and stunning cobalt-blue mosques. Perhaps more importantly, however, we encounter the unsurpassed friendliness Your tour leader and hospitality of the Iranian people which leave most travellers longing to return. x

HIGHLIGHTS Getting there

> The remarkable museums and palaces x of Tehran > The Armenian church of St Stephanos and the turquoise mosque in Tabriz > The imposing Mausoleum of Öljeitü and the Sassanian watchtowers, palaces and fire temples at Takht-e Soleyman > The gardens of Shiraz, where Persia’s poets are celebrated > Classical sites of Persepolis and Pasargadae > The desert city of Yazd, with its evocative Zoroastrian and medieval sites > The UNESCO World Heritage city of Isfahan, centre of the ‘renaissance’ Abbasid period

Itinerary ITINERARY

Days 1–3: Days 1–4: xExplore Tehran’s extraordinary palaces and museums. Days 4–7: Drive to the Caspian Sea then to Tabriz and visit Safavid mausoleums, St Stephanos. Church and the troglodyte village of Kandovan Days 8–9: Examine the Sassanian ruins of Takht-e Soleyman. Days 10–14: Investigate Bishapur, Persepolis and the Parthian city of Firuzabad. Days 15–17: Three nights in Yazd, with visits to Pasargadae and the Zoroastrian fire temples. Days 18–21: Relax with four nights in Isfahan. Days 21–23: Return to Tehran via the merchant houses and water gardens of Kashan. More details at academytravel.com.au/adfas

YOUR TOUR LEADER

Ben Churcher has a wide range of experience both as an educator, a traveller, a historian and an archaeologist. He holds an Honours degree in Ancient History and he also holds a Diploma of Education from the University of Sydney.

GETTING THERE Emirates offers daily flights to Tehran. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings.

More at academytravel.com.au Fitnessdetails requirement Tabriz

CASPIAN SEA

Anzali

Zanjan Tehran

Kashan

IRAN

Isfahan Yazd

Shiraz

ADFAS

Travel Program June 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July, 2017 Private Villas and Gardens of the Bay of Naples September 3-15, 2016 $10,500 pp, twin (land cont. only) $1,980 single supplement Tour leaders: Trisha Dixon and Philippa Torlonia

New Zealand March 16-28, 2017 Tour price to be advised Tour leader to be advised

Maximum 20 in a group

Coast to coast: modern architecture & design in the USA October 10-26, 2016 $10,740 pp, twin (land cont. only) $2,860 single supplement Tour leader: Dr Matthew Laing

Amsterdam to Paris May 12-28, 2017 $9,610 pp, twin (land cont. only) $2,440 single supplement Tour leader: Gerald Deslandes

Sicily: Island of myth and history November 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; December 3, 2016 $9,460 pp, twin (land cont. only) $1,800 single supplement Tour leader: Sue Rollin

Association of Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Societies

Academy Travel also manages the travel program for the Association of Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (ADFAS). With a 6000-strong membership from throughout urban and regional Australia, ADFAS offers a diverse program for likeminded travellers with expert UK and Australian-based tour leaders. For more information, please visit academytravel.com.au/adfas

Upcoming tour program August to December, 2017

Our program for the second half of 2017 is now being finalised and includes an exciting range of new destinations, along with repeats of some of our more popular tours! Further information for each tour, including a detailed itinerary, will be released 9-12 months before departure dates. Bookings open on publication of the final itinerary. If you are interested in a tour, please contact us to let us know and we’ll ensure you get an itinerary and booking form as soon as they’re released.

August

October

Scandinavia & Iceland: nature & design

Malta, Sicily, Capri aboard the Sea Cloud II

Frank Lloyd Wright: Los Angeles to New York

Tour leader: Dr Nick Gordon

Tour leader: Robert Veel

Tour leader: Stuart Barrie

September

Venice: City, Republic & Empire, with Istanbul extension

Amsterdam to Hamburg: a musical journey

ADFAS The First Italians: Naples to Florence Tour leader: Michael Turner

ADFAS Berlin & Beyond Tour leader: Thomas Abbott

Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan

Tour leader: Dr Kathleen Olive

Iran: Ancient Persia & the Silk Road Tour leader: Chris Bradley

Sicily & the Aeolian Islands Tour leader: Dr Estelle Lazer

Tour leader: Chris Bradley

On the Caravaggio trail

Rome to Turin: Italy’s western shores

Tour leader: Dr Kathleen Olive

North East Italy: Art, Food & Landscape

South by South West USA: Charleston to Santa Fe Tour leader: Dr Matthew Laing

Tour leader: Dr Nick Gordon

Turkey: Classical, Byzantine & Ottoman

St Petersburg & Moscow

Tour leader: Judy Roberts

Tour leader: Marina Campbell

Grand Tour of Spain

Northern Spain & Lisbon, with Evora extension

Tour leader: Dr Angela Smith

Tour leader: Dr Jeni Ryde

Tour leader: Ben Churcher

Tour leader: Robert Gay

November ADFAS Japan Tour leader: Pauline Chakmakjian

ADFAS Southern Spain & Morocco Tour leader: Sue Rollin

December Burma Tour leader: Judy Tenzing

ADFAS Tasmania Tour leader: To be advised

Western China: on the Silk Road

Chile, Argentina & Peru Tour leader: Chris Carter

Fitness Requirements of our tours It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on an Academy Travel tour. We have assigned a star grading to each tour to give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required for participation. There are three levels of grading. Please see below for the participation criteria of each grading. You will also find a star grading listed on each tour page in the brochure. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to consider carefully your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. If you have any questions about these gradings, or you are concerned about your ability to meet the requirements of the trip, we urge you to contact us for further information and to consult your medical practitioner for an realistic assessment of your travel fitness.

Grade One

Grade Two

Grade Three

Participation criteria for a Grade One tour

Participation criteria for a Grade Two tour

Participation criteria for a Grade Three tour

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, including walking at an easy pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, climbing stairs and standing in galleries.

You should be able to:

• keep up with the group at all times • walk for 2-3 kilometres at a moderate to slow pace • stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums • negotiate stairs and escalators • get on and off a coach with steep stairs unassisted • move your luggage a short distance if required

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. On a Grade Two tour it is unlikely that you will be able to undertake all activities and get the full value of the tour. Grade Three tours are unsuitable for travellers more than 80 years old, unless you are exceptionally fit. We kindly ask travellers more than 80 years old to contact Academy Travel before submitting a booking form, so that we can provide specific advice on the physical requirements of the tour in which you are interested.

www.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 walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights.

You should be able to:

• keep up with the group at all times • walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only short breaks • stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums • tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold, humidity and heat • walk up and down slopes • negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites, which are often uneven and unstable • get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or boat unassisted, possibly with luggage • move your luggage a short distance if required

Grade Three tours are our most physically demanding. To participate on this tour, you should be able to comfortably undertake in up to seven hours of physical activity per day, over several days. Activities may include travelling long distances, walking on difficult terrain, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/ or boats, exposure to high altitudes and long days of touring. These tours may include one night stops and early starts.

You should be able to:

• keep up with the group at all times • walk for 5-7 kilometres at a moderate pace with only short breaks • stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums • tolerate varying climatic conditions such as humidity and heat • enjoy a reasonable level of physical and respiratory fitness • tolerate a diet that can be significantly different from a typical Australian diet, and where some dietary requirements cannot be met • walk up and down slopes • negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites or mountain paths, which are often uneven and unstable • get on and off a large coach with steep steps, train or boat unassisted, possibly with luggage • move your luggage a short distance if required

The NEXT STEPs

itineraries, bookings, airfares

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

For each tour, we publish a 10–12 page itinerary providing day-by-day descriptions of the tour program and other important information. This is published 9–12 months before departure. Bookings are only accepted once the detailed itinerary is published.

Booking on a tour

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 special tour-related events and other matters as they arise.

Pre-departure

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 are attached to all detailed itineraries and can also be downloaded from our website.

About a month before your tour begins we’ll send you a comprehensive package with your travel documents, tour notes and practical information. If you prefer you can arrange a meeting in our Sydney office to go through your documents in person with your travel consultant.

Travel consultant

Beyond the tour: Other services

Each of our tours has a dedicated, professional consultant who will manage all aspects of your booking from rooming and special requests to airfares, travel insurance and additional accommodation. Your consultant is your one-stop point of reference for all matters relating to your travel.

Outstanding small-group journeys are just one of the services Academy Travel offers. We are a full-service travel agency and can also organise your international flights, additional travel before or after your tour, private airport transfers and travel insurance. We organise group airfares for tours to difficult-to-reach destinations such as Russia, Iran and Uzbekistan. For travel to Europe and the US we offer competitive individual fares in economy, business or first class. Why begin your tour jet-lagged? We can arrange pre-tour accommodation so you can relax for a few extra nights in the first hotel before your tour begins.

Back cover: Inside the Vatican Museums, Vatican City.

Meet our client services team

Our consultants are here to look after all matters relating to your travel. If you are interested in a tour or would like to book your place, get in touch with one of our consultants below on 02 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 outside of Sydney.

Stuart Barrie

stuart@academytravel.com.au

Hannah Kleboe

hannah@academytravel.com.au

Erin Laffin

erin@academytravel.com.au

Hayley Monson

hayley@academytravel.com.au

Level 1, 341 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Ph: +61 2 9235 0023

academytravel.com.au