2025 Highlights | January 2025

ACE CULTURAL TOURS 2025 HIGHLIGHTS

Travel for the Culturally Curious

Welcome

ACE Cultural Tours is pleased to present our 2025 Highlights Brochure. This publication features a selection of the latest releases from our inspiring 2025 schedule.

In this publication we’re pleased to share a choice of tailored musical experiences taking place throughout 2025. We’re particularly excited to announce ACE’s first ever tour to the Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival, an exclusive small-group opportunity to join an acclaimed festival in historic surroundings, based in a beautiful corner of rural East Sussex. We will also be returning to Hintlesham Hall for a brand new edition of ACE’s country house music festival in which jazz musician and ACE Tour Director Sandy Burnett will be leading a journey through the age of jazz and beyond with an excellent array of performers.

For culturally curious travellers hoping to discover hidden gems, Tour Director Sarah Burles will once again lead our Connoisseur’s Cambridge tour to discover museum collections of international significance as well as hidden artistic treasures. Further afield, Rita Roussos will join travellers in exploring the unassuming side of Greece’s ancient capital with visits off the beaten track on Hidden Athens.

We are also pleased to share departures beyond Europe to vibrant Uzbekistan where Steve Mastin will return with a group to trace the Cities of the Silk Road. Amongst Islamic and Roman influences, Eireann Marshall will lead our Morocco: Archaeology of the Western Kingdom tour, enabling travellers to experience the fascinating archaeology and art of Morocco including the wonderful city of Marrakesh.

Our complete 2025 schedule can be found on pages 40-42 as well as on our website where we have also recently published details of our provisional 2026 schedule. For departures in both 2025 and 2026 not yet on sale, we invite you to register your interest by completing the form on our website or by contacting the ACE Cultural Tours office on 01223 841055 or email at sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk By registering your interest you will receive the full details by email as soon as they are available. We look forward to welcoming you on tour.

Above & Cover: A Windmill on a Polder Waterway or In the Month of July by Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël, c 1889 – Rijksmuseum

Small Grains at Stapleford Granary

About Stapleford Granary

ACE Cultural Tours are the only UK travel company owned by a charity. Profits from the company are gift-aided to the charity to support cultural lifelong learning as set out by our founder Philip Brooke Barnes in 1958. Much of this educational work is undertaken by Stapleford Granary, our beautiful award-winning arts centre home in South Cambridge where you’ll also find the ACE Cultural Tours office.

In this special feature for our 2025 Highlights Brochure, Kate Romano, CEO and education lead at Stapleford Granary reflects on the pioneering Small Grains programme.

Stapleford Granary is set in a converted 19th century farm complex situated at the foot of the Gog Magog Downs, just 5 miles from the centre of Cambridge. A home for the culturally curious, we host an all year-round concert programme of outstanding indoor and outdoor events and community days. Our art exhibitions and our on-site cafe are open 6 days a week.

Stapleford Granary is owned and operated by The Association for Cultural Exchange, a groundbreaking charity established in 1958. Our founder, Philip Brooke Barnes, set up the charity to promote lifelong education and a belief that cultural understanding is a foundation upon which good relations are built. The Association for Cultural Exchange also wholly owns ACE Cultural Tours, whose profits support the work at Stapleford Granary where the ACE Cultural Tours office is located.

At Stapleford Granary, we carry those founding principles into our programming, our educational work and daily operations, aiming to be a unique, inspiring environment for experiencing music and art. Our ‘culturally curious’ approach underpins all we do, from concerts, exhibitions and Discovery Rooms, to our cafe where visitors are surrounded by art, books and music.

Small Grains

Kate Romano, CEO and education lead at Stapleford Granary reflects on the pioneering Small Grains programme.

What happens when an arts centre works closely with a primary school? 18 months ago, we placed this simple question at the heart of a new pilot programme. Every week or so, classes from Stapleford Primary School walk half a mile from the school to Stapleford Granary to experience artistic and creative projects closely aligned with cultural events at the Granary.

We’re fortunate to have a primary school on our doorstep who value the arts, with a head teacher, Laura Rawlings, who eagerly agreed to our ‘twinning’ proposal. There are 235 pupils at Stapleford Primary School, a single form entry school with above average for SEND support (Special Educational Needs

& Disability) and EAL (English as an Additional Language) and below average FSM (Free School Meals). But even a school that places importance on the arts does so against a decade of erosion and deprioritisation of arts education in state-maintained schools. It is widely recognised that the majority of generalist primary teachers lack confidence in teaching the arts effectively and many Stapleford Primary School teachers acknowledge this.

Cultural education lies at the heart of our charity, the Association for Cultural Exchange. Founded in 1958 to promote life-long learning, I can’t think of a more important place to start that journey than with the youngest generation. So we threw ourselves into Small Grains in March 2023, with a promise to create unique, memorable visits for the pupils and a curiosity to understand the type of ‘cultural exchange’ we might experience as partners in this venture.

Small Grains at Stapleford Granary (continued)

What’s in a name?

The name of the programme – Small Grains – references the historical function of the Granary (a place where small grains were held and cared for) with a nod to ‘small gains theory’ (small improvements across a number of different areas lead to more significant and noticeable gains overall). The SG initials of Small Grains replicate those of Stapleford Granary: a commitment to the linking of a school and local arts centre which we hope will always continue.

What we did

We devised a series of inspiring, fun and participatory projects based around the constantly changing cultural programme at the Granary. We explored collections of fossils and dinosaur footprints, created mythical creatures and imaginary worlds, watched a shadow puppet show of Peter & the Wolf, made bird feeders, collages, clay sculptures and self-portrait model boxes. We met musicians and artists, learned about printmaking, perspective and acrylic painting, read and wrote poems, sang songs, played rhythm games and watched our leaf designs develop into beautiful cyanotype photographic pictures in the sunshine.

I set out some general principles: continuity and routine were important

(regularity of sessions, pattern of visits, familiar faces and names) and would provide a structural framework for us to introduce new ideas into. Each visit would have 2-3 complementary elements; a whole-class talking / questioning section, a hands-on ‘doing’ section and an independent looking / listening section. There would be no curriculum and no assessment. Free flowing child-led conversation would be encouraged to generate confidence building and a ‘no-right-and-no-wrong’ environment. The activities would replicate the ‘real life’ environment of the arts centre as closely as possible, by presenting the Granary’s changing

cultural offer in bite-sized chunks. Children’s visits would mix with the visiting public and activities would take place all around the site.

What we learned

“We call this the magic place”, whispered a Year 4 pupil to me one day. It’s a delightful endorsement of all we aspire to be; a place to expect the unexpected, to be amazed, inspired, to experience unforgettable things. Stories of impact started to reach us: the highest school attendance day on ‘Granary days’; animated conversations about art and “more singing in the playground”; previously unrecognised talents revealed (especially amongst children with SEN); parents, carers and teachers showing increased confidence in talking about the arts.

I was also curious to understand more about the role of an arts centre in our community. We noticed the children bringing parents and grandparents to visit “our arts centre”, proudly leading them around the spaces and pointing out paintings on the walls, like little tour guides. We found members of the public deliberately timing their visits in order to ‘listen in’ on the conversations we were having with the pupils about art. They tell us that it has opened their eyes to the arts by hearing the children speak freely, uninhibitedly and imaginatively about what they are hearing or seeing.

Dino Discovery Room

“I wish we’d had something like this when I was a child... I wouldn’t have been so fearful of the arts”

– parent helper

Parents at the school cite the Small Grains programme as having the most influence on their children’s arts education, and comment on the immediate, positive impact the experience has on pupil engagement. The Board of Governors commend the programme, summarising the way it “makes the arts come alive and leap off the page, as they should”. The school has responded brilliantly to the partnership, embedding the Granary’s projects into their Arts Award work and their journey to ArtsMark, and are gaining wider recognition for the emphasis they place on the arts.

Through this constant exchange, we also found a greater sense of clarity about the unique educational experience we offer. A ‘culture of half teaching’, often associated with museums and galleries, offers children the opportunity to use their imagination and creativity to

fill in the things they might not yet fully understand. We found that their emotional responses and the backstories they created for themselves lingered for a long time in their memories. The strong sense of excitement about coming to ‘the magic place’ puts children in a mood to marvel, and equips them with an expectant frame of mind, ready to learn and absorb.

What next?

At present, the Small Grains programme is wholly funded by our charity. It costs us around £40 per child per year to provide them with regular access to professional artists and musicians, visiting specialists, vibrant exhibitions, hands-on Discovery Rooms and a myriad ways to create and express themselves. We’re now into our second year, with new clearly defined aims to prolong the impact and legacy of our work. These include ways to train and build teacher confidence, the provision of project-specific resource packs and wider initiatives around roles in art including more behind-the-scenes exposure for pupils.

We’re also ambitious to take some of the Small Grains magic further afield. Tiny

Concerts is an offshoot of the Small Grains programme which would see classical music presented with storytelling in a beautiful pop-up ‘toy theatre’ reaching thousands of pupils in regional schools with lower-then-average levels of cultural engagement. We are seeking funds for Tiny Concerts so that we can begin to tour in 2025-26.

I hope that the legacy of Small Grains is lifelong. We know that people don’t suddenly and spontaneously start engaging in culture in later life; they only do so if they have been inspired and excited by the arts in their formative years. I would like our Small Grains alumni to grow up thinking that an arts centre is ‘a place for me’; that when they move to a new area, and have families of their own, they would seek out their local arts centre because they know it’s a place they will find inspiration, fulfilment and magic. I hope that the memories of Small Grains will encourage them to go to concerts and the theatre, or join a choir, or visit a gallery. They might become future travellers with ACE Cultural Tours. Eighteen months on, the programme has strengthened my belief that there is a golden window of opportunity to introduce the wonder and significance of the arts to children, at an age when they are highly receptive to new ideas and their imagination knows no limits. By experiencing the arts in ‘real life’ at the Granary, we aim to empower this generation of young people with the confidence, curiosity and creativity that a lifelong love of the arts brings.

If you would like to find out more about any aspect of the Small Grains programme please contact Kate Romano by emailing kate@staplefordgranary.org.uk

You can read the full year 1 report on the Stapleford Granary website at www.staplefordgranary.org.uk

Musical Group on a Balcony by Gerrit van Honthorst, 1622

Music Tours

“Our engagement with this very special meeting of music and culture is given further depth and resonance through an exploration of Orkney’s ancient landscape and its many archaeological sites of wonder”

– ACE Tour Director Paul Jackson (St Magnus Music Festival on Orkney)

An ACE music tour is more than music alone. From the soaring interior of Verona’s Arena to the church architecture of Peasmarsh and idyllic meadows of Austria, each departure weds sublime performance quality with captivating architecture, atmosphere and musical insight.

We work closely with Tour Directors and festival organisers to ensure our itineraries showcase the very best and exclusive elements, complemented by a rich offering of local visits integrating landscape, history and artistic heritage. Rest is also important, and every tour includes well-timed breaks for participants to pause, reflect upon and discuss what they have heard together.

“Russell is splendid. Apart from his daily lectures which are always excellent and well-prepared, he is always around and approachable and very willing to discuss any aspect of the music and performances we’ve seen”

– ACE customer on the 2024 Worcester Three Choirs Festival tour with Russell Keable

As well as being wonderful musicians and speakers in their own right, our musicologists are fantastic hosts, and the pre- and post-performance conversations – often over a glass of wine – are among the high points of many tours.

In 2025 we are delighted to offer several brand new departures as well as a number of special anniversary tours. Prague Spring Festival will celebrate 80 years with an outstanding line-up including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and composers ranging from Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Mahler to Luboš Fišer and Jindřich Feld. Seasoned Tour Directors Nicholas Wearne and Emilie Capulet will provide commentary and lectures throughout.

Earlier in the year, Nicholas will lead our popular annual tour to Elgar country, weaving private recitals around two spectacular performances in Birmingham including Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony.

An exclusive small-group experience awaits us in Peasmarsh, where we will enjoy the festival’s critically acclaimed chamber programme in intimate church venues, alongside a tour of the famous gardens at Great Dixter and a visit to Lamb House in Rye. Richard Wigmore will lead the tour, which also features a special guest lecture with medievalist Imogen Corrigan.

“This trip was the best ACE tour I have done. Exceptional organisation, accommodation and unforgettable musical performances” – ACE customer on a 2024 music tour at Hintlesham Hall

East Neuk Festival celebrates 20 years with a programme featuring all of Beethoven’s late quartets, Schubert’s three song cycles and Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Tour Director Michael Downes will then go on to lead one of our most joyful music tours, taking in performances of Iolanthe, The Pirates of Penzance and Princess Ida at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton.

Turning towards autumn, Sandy Burnett will present a one-of-a-kind residency at Hintlesham Hall, taking us on a journey through the age of jazz and beyond with an excellent array of artists, from jazz quartets and authentic six-piece bands to dancers, soloists and a ‘roaring twenties’ and ’30s fashion expert.

Read on to discover these and other musical highlights for 2025, followed by additional new releases in our other subject categories. For our full music line-up, and a comprehensive list of all tours taking place in 2025, please visit our website or contact the ACE office.

Elgar, Birmingham & Worcester

March 5–10, 2025

Enjoy two excellent large scale concerts in Birmingham, featuring Beethoven’s dramatic Symphony No 6 ‘Pastoral’ and an exhilarating programme of Latin American Baroque from Ex Cathedra

Take in works by Elgar during private recitals from our Tour Director

Make special visits to the the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and The Firs, Elgar’s birthplace

Savour the rich and varied classical musical scene found in the city of Birmingham and spend time exploring Elgar country in nearby Worcester and the Malvern Hills. This tour includes private recitals alongside two outstanding public performances.

Renowned around the world, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will present our first concert with award-winning soloists Karen Cargill and Brenden Gunnell. They will bring us Mahler’s “greatest symphony” (in the words of Bernstein), Das Lied von der Erde, alongside another great symphonic work, Beethoven’s beloved Symphony No 6 ‘Pastoral’.

Our second concert features one of the country’s most celebrated choirs, Ex Cathedra, who will perform an exhilarating programme of Latin American Baroque, supported by skilled instrumentalists. Sung in the languages of the Aztecs and Incas, this performance will sweep us on a journey from Mexico to Brazil and Bolivia in “a heady mix of

Our Tour Director is Nicholas Wearne , BA, MPhil, a former ACE Bursary student and previous organist at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square. Nicholas is a Senior Tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and has in-depth knowledge of the city.

gloriously rich polyphony” (BBC Music Magazine).

Narrating the musical story of Birmingham, our daytime itinerary features a privileged opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire; we also hope to take in a lunchtime recital at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts or Elgar Concert Hall.

Further highlights include visits to the composer’s birthplace and St George’s Church in Worcester, where Elgar and his father were organists.

Our base will be the four-star Hyatt Regency Birmingham Hotel, located in central Birmingham opposite the Symphony Hall.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour involves a moderate amount of time spent on foot, walking around Birmingham (which can be busy with traffic, so care must be taken) and walking and standing at visits. Some church interiors may be dimly lit and visits will involve traversing uneven ground and steps. It can be cold at this time of year in the churches, and potentially icy and slippery underfoot. A good level of fitness and mobility is required; please consult ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the itinerary in full, some elements, including the visits and musical programmes, may be subject to change.

D ay 1 Tour assembles 1500 at Hyatt Regency Birmingham Hotel for five nights. Orientation

walking tour of the city. Introductory lecture: A Musical History of Birmingham

D ay 2 Morning lecture and visit to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (guided tour and private recital, including works by Elgar). Some free time followed by evening performance at Birmingham Symphony Hall featuring City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano), Brenden Gunnell and Alpesh Chauhan (conductor): Beethoven Symphony No 6 in F, Op 68 ‘Pastoral’; Mahler Das Lied von der Erde.

D ay 3 Morning visit to St Mary’s Convent followed by lunchtime recital at Elgar Concert Hall (subject to final scheduling). Afternoon: University of Birmingham for Cadbury Research Library (documents from Elgar collection) –subject to final confirmation.

D ay 4 Excursion to Worcester for The Firs (Elgar’s birthplace), Nicholson & Co Ltd (pipe organ builders) and St George’s Church (private recital and illustrated talk: Elgar Vesper Voluntaries , Op 14).

D ay 5 Opportunity to attend Sunday morning service at St Philip’s Cathedral or visit Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (newly reopened). Afternoon performance at Birmingham Town Hall featuring Ex Cathedra and Baroque Ensemble with Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor): highlights by Araujo, Hernandez, Nunes Garcia, Salazar, Zéspedes & Zipoli and others.

D ay 6 Tour disperses after breakfast at the hotel.

Cost of £2195 includes: accommodation based on sharing a double bedded room, performances as described, five breakfasts, five dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £360. TOUR CODE: ELBW25

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Prague Spring Festival: 80th Anniversary Tour

May 14–21, 2025

Experience the 80th anniversary celebrations of this illustrious classical music festival

Take in works by Brahms, Bach, Rachmaninoff and Mahler

Enjoy exclusive recitals with our Tour Directors in historical settings

The Prague Spring Festival ranks as one of the most prestigious events on the classical music calendar, and the 80th anniversary offers a particularly spectacular line-up of concerts.

The NHK Symphony Orchestra will bring us works including Brahms’s Symphony No 4 and Alban Berg’s haunting Concerto for Violin and Orchestra ‘To the Memory of an Angel’. Festival Artist-in-Residence Patricia Kopatchinskaja will take listeners on a fascinating journey through six centuries of music in a programme combining string orchestra, world music and medieval mass. We will also enjoy an evening performance of Stravinsky, Bartók and Milhaud, alongside the pivotal 20th century work by Arnold Schoenberg, Pierrot lunaire.

The Wihan Quartet will be marking their own 40th anniversary with a programme juxtaposing the last string quartets by Mozart and Beethoven. Later, a very special concert to mark the 90th birthday of composer Arvo Pärt will be given by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. We build towards Mahler’s monumental Symphony No 6,

This tour will be led by Emilie Capulet , MA, MMus, PhD and Nicholas Wearne , BA (Hons), MPhil (Oxon). Emilie is an award-winning concert pianist, lecturer and musicologist. Nicholas is an organist and Senior Tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Jaap van Zweden for which we have premium category tickets.

Complementing the festival concerts, we will enjoy two exclusive private recitals given by our Tour Directors, as well as visits to the excellent Dvořák Museum and Strahov Monastery.

We will stay at the elegant and comfortable Hotel Josef, a four-star establishment in the heart of Prague’s medieval Old Town.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: While this tour is not expected to be particularly strenuous, participants should be comfortable exploring Prague on foot, including to and from the concert venues and during city-based walking tours. Participants should also feel confident navigating uneven, potentially slippery surfaces at some sites, and with ascending and descending stairs and steps, which may not always have handrails. Please note that some sites will be crowded and interiors may be dimly lit. All participants should meet our fitness requirements as detailed in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the itinerary in full, some elements, including the visits and musical programmes, may be subject to change.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 1325 on British Airways, arriving Prague 1625. Transfer to Hotel Josef for seven nights. Welcome and introduction to the tour.

D ay 2 Morning walking tour of the Old Town. Afternoon: some free time followed by lecture. Evening festival performance at the Rudolfinum (Dvořák Hall) featuring NHK Symphony Orchestra with Fabio Luisi (conductor) and Akiko Suwanai (violin): Tōru Takemitsu Three Film Scores; Alban Berg Concerto for Violin and Orchestra ‘To the Memory of an Angel’; Brahms Symphony No 4 in E minor, Op 98.

D ay 3 Morning visit to the Mucha Museum. Afternoon visit to a private collection (subject to final confirmation) – please note if this is not possible, we will instead visit National Gallery

Prague. Late afternoon lecture and evening festival performance at the Rudolfinum featuring Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin, director) with Camerata Bern: John Zorn ‘Kol Nidre’; Karl Amadeus Hartmann Concerto funebre; J S Bach Selection of chorales; Guillaume de Machaut ‘Kyrie’ from Messe de Notre-Dame; Frank Martin Polyptyque; Luboš Fišer Crux

D ay 4 Morning lecture followed by festival concert at St Agnes Convent featuring Jan Čmejla (piano): Chopin Berceuse in D flat major, Op 57; Adam Skoumal Berceuse; Leopold Godowsky Study in E flat minor after Op 10, No 6, Study in A flat after Op 25, No 1; György Ligeti Études; Rachmaninoff Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op 22. Free afternoon. Evening festival performance at the Rudolfinum featuring artists including Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin, recitation): Stravinsky L’Histoire du soldat (suite) for clarinet, violin and piano; Milhaud Jeu for clarinet and violin; Bartók Contrasts for violin, clarinet and piano; Schoenberg Pierrot lunaire, Op 21.

D ay 5 Morning visit to the Dvořák Museum, including private recital featuring Emilie Capulet (piano) and Eva Garajová (mezzo-soprano) –subject to final confirmation. Some free time followed by short afternoon lecture and early evening festival performance at the Carolinum featuring Wihan Quartet: Mozart String Quartet No 23 in F, KV 590; Jindřich Feld Laus cantus , Chinese Folk Songs, Four Songs about Happiness (world premiere); Beethoven String Quartet No 16 in F, Op 135. Free evening and independent dinner.

D ay 6 Morning lecture followed by guided tour of Municipal House. Afternoon: visit to Strahov Monastery and private recital with Nicholas Wearne (organ) – subject to final confirmation. Evening festival performance at the Rudolfinum featuring the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tõnu Kaljuste (choirmaster) and Kadri Toomoja (organ): selection of works by Arvo Pärt including Summa, The Deer’s Cry and Vater unser

D ay 7 Morning lecture followed by guided tour of the Jewish Quarter including Spanish Synagogue. Free afternoon. Evening festival performance at Municipal House (Smetana Hall) featuring Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Jaap van Zweden (conductor): Gustav Mahler Symphony No 6 in A minor ‘Tragic’.

D ay 8 Depart Prague 1250, arriving Heathrow 1400.

Cost of £4995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, seven breakfasts, one lunch, six dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £875. TOUR CODE: PSIF25

Rudolfinum Prague with Dvo řák statue DVORAK STATUE INFRONT OF THE RUDOLFINUM

St Magnus Music Festival on Orkney

June 22–28, 2025

Discover the history of this famous festival, established by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

Enjoy high calibre and varied performances, presented by musicians from Orkney and beyond

Explore the natural and archaeological treasures of these stunning islands

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, one of the foremost British composers of our time, moved to Orkney in the early 1970s and immersed himself in the culture of the islands. The vast majority of his subsequent compositions, including the witty An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise, have been imbued with the spirit of this remote archipelago of Neolithic monuments, sweeping beaches and rolling countryside.

Soon after arriving in Orkney, Davies established the St Magnus Festival, now one of Britain’s liveliest musical gatherings. The wide-ranging programme features musicians of international repute alongside members of the local community.

Our tour will present a handpicked selection of concerts from the 2025 St Magnus Festival, subject to final programme confirmation, bringing together a range of outstanding musical groups and genres.

Previous ACE tours have included performances by early music ensemble Florilegium and the Amsterdambased Ragazze Quartet. The Hebrides Ensemble, an international group of musicians with their roots in Scottish culture, have also entranced previous groups with an evening of ballet music in

Please note, travel to and from Orkney is not included in the cost of this tour as we find participants prefer a variety of different arrangements for travel. Advice can be provided on travelling by ship and air – please contact the ACE office for further information.

the magnificent surroundings of Orkney’s St Magnus Cathedral.

The archipelago is renowned for its fascinating archaeological sites and its wealth of bird and sea life. We hope to explore Orkney’s ancient history with visits to the Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae, as well as the Earl’s Palace and Bishop’s Palace in Kirkwall.

We will stay at The Orkney Hotel in Kirkwall, a 17th century hotel chosen for its location, ideally situated in the town centre. While the accommodation is of a more basic standard, the hotel provides a comfortable base close to Kirkwall’s amenities.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Some of our visits will involve walking on rough, uneven and occasionally boggy ground, and access to some archaeological sites can be challenging. A good level of fitness and mobility is therefore required. The hotel has no lift and all rooms are located on the 1st and 2nd floors, however staff will be on hand to assist with luggage. Please consult ACE’s fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

Cost of £2795 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, festival performances (subject to scheduling), six breakfasts, two lunches (one packed), six dinners (one light) with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £300. Full details, including the musical programme, will be released in spring 2025. Please note we cannot guarantee which performances will be included in the tour until the release of the full festival schedule.

TOUR CODE: ORKF25

This tour will be led by Paul Jackson , PhD, conductor, pianist, musicologist and former Director of Music at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Paul has enjoyed an extensive career as a conductor of opera and as a chamber musician, performing widely across the world.

ITINERARY

Please note, the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and we cannot guarantee which performances will be included in the tour until the release of the full festival schedule in spring 2025, at which point the itinerary may be adjusted to accommodate the best selection of concerts. Some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer to the departure.

D ay 1 Tour assembles 1800 at The Orkney Hotel, Kirkwall, for six nights. Welcome and introduction.

D ay 2 Morning lecture followed by orientation walking tour of Kirkwall including visits to the cathedral and museum. Free afternoon. Evening festival performance.

D ay 3 Morning visits to Standing Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae. Evening festival performance.

D ay 4 Morning lecture followed by visit to Earl’s and Bishop’s Palaces. Afternoon and evening festival performances.

D ay 5 Morning lecture followed by some free time. Afternoon festival performance followed by visits to Rennibister Earth House and Cuween Cairn. Evening festival performance.

D ay 6 Morning visits to Churchill Barriers, Italian Chapel and Orkney Winery. Afternoon and evening festival performances.

D ay 7 Tour disperses after breakfast at the hotel.

St Magnus Cathedral interior

Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival

June 26–30, 2025

Take in the full programme of one of the UK’s most enchanting chamber music festivals

Enjoy a guest talk on the historical churches of Romney Marsh with medieval historian Imogen Corrigan

Visit Great Dixter House & Gardens, once home to celebrated gardener and garden writer Christopher Lloyd, and Lamb House in Rye

We are delighted to present an exclusive small-group opportunity to join ACE at the annual Peasmarsh Festival for the first time. Every year the festival brings world-class musicians to this historical and beautiful corner of rural East Sussex, allowing audiences to enjoy first-rate chamber music performances, featuring internationally celebrated musicians, in an intimate church setting.

Most concerts take place in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Peasmarsh, located deep in the East Sussex countryside but within easy reach of the historical town of Rye.

Balancing tradition with a spirit of discovery, the programmes typically include masterpieces from the central chamber and keyboard repertoire, from Bach to Britten, alongside rarities from the 19th and 20th centuries and a smattering of modern works.

We are delighted to be attending all eight festival performances in 2025, as well as a festival drinks reception and dinner with other audience members between concerts.

Cost of £2395 includes: accommodation based on sharing a standard or family twin or double bedded room, performances as described, four breakfasts, three lunches (including one light & one packed), four dinners (two buffet) with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, standard double room for single use supplement £370.

TOUR CODE: PEAS25

Tour Director Richard Wigmore , MA, AGSM, is a writer, broadcaster, lecturer and former professional singer. He has lectured at Birkbeck College, the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music.

We will also delve into the region’s past with a historical walking tour of Rye; special guest talk from medieval historian (and regular ACE Tour Director) Imogen Corrigan; and visits to Great Dixter Houses & Gardens and Lamb House.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good overall level of fitness: participants should meet ACE’s minimum fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions. Travellers should be prepared for navigating uneven and grassy terrain, cobbles (especially in Rye), steps and staircases, and for staying on their feet for extended periods. At Great Dixter there are uneven paths (slippery when wet), and steps without handrails. There may also be uneven steps into the churches, without handrails. Churches can be dimly lit and chilly even in June. To take advantage of both the convenience and special festival atmosphere, some meals will take place in the audience marquee at Peasmarsh. We will use one or more smaller vehicles for the majority of the tour, as the sites – and Peasmarsh in particular – are not accessible by larger coach.

The itinerary features one late-night performance at Peasmarsh (c 2130-2230) on Day 3, preceded by an audience dinner; participants are welcome to return earlier to the hotel if wished.

Our Accommodation

We will stay at the historical threestar Mermaid Inn in Rye, dating back to 1156 and rebuilt in 1420. The inn boasts beautiful original features, while its modern facilities and welcoming service ensure a comfortable stay. Owing to its age, this hotel has uneven and sometimes creaky floors, multiple staircases, some low and sloping ceilings, and there is some variation across the rooms. There is also no lift on site and participants should be prepared for using several staircases, sometimes with uneven steps.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. The festival programme details will be released in early spring 2025, and our itinerary will be updated on the ACE website once concerts are confirmed. Some elements, including the musical programme, may be subject to further change or confirmation nearer the time.

D ay 1 Tour assembles from mid-afternoon at The Mermaid Inn, Rye, for four nights. 1630 welcome and introductory lecture. Evening festival performance at Church of St Peter & Paul, Peasmarsh.

D ay 2 Morning walking tour of Rye, including Rye Castle, and festival performance in St Mary’s Church Square. Afternoon guest lecture with Imogen Corrigan: The Romney Marsh Churches , and lecture introducing this evening’s performance. Evening festival performance at St Mary’s Church, Rye.

D ay 3 Morning festival performance at Church of St Peter & Paul, Peasmarsh. Some free time and afternoon lecture followed by evening festival performances at Church of St Peter & Paul, Peasmarsh, including audience dinner.

D ay 4 Morning lecture followed by festival performance at Church of St Peter & Paul, Peasmarsh. Afternoon visit to Great Dixter House & Gardens (created by celebrated gardener and garden writer Christopher Lloyd, with a house restored by Edwin Lutyens). Early evening talk and festival closing performance at Church of St Peter & Paul, Peasmarsh.

D ay 5 Morning: Lamb House, Rye (former home of Henry James and E F Benson). Tour disperses approx 1430 at hotel.

Small Group Experience

This tour offers an exclusive small group experience of up to 15 guests. We recommend early booking to avoid disappointment.

The Norman Church of St Peter and St Paul

East Neuk Festival: Celebrating 20 Years

June 24–30, 2025

Attend a range of excellent concerts, featuring the renowned Belcea, Castalian, Elias and Pavel Haas String Quartets, as the festival marks its 20th occasion

Hear Beethoven’s late quartets and Schubert’s three song cycles performed by Mark Padmore, James Newby and Joseph Middleton

Discover the history and culture of this spectacular ‘nook’ of Scotland

Founded in 2004, this superb event takes place annually to broad critical acclaim; attendees particularly enjoy the festival’s eclectic range of venues set in a landscape that is both historical and naturally stunning.

Festival Director and Co-Founder Svend McEwan-Brown will introduce the festival’s new programme to our group, before the festival opens with a performance from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under their Principal Conductor Andrew Manze accompanied by guitarist Sean Shibe.

The Belcea, Castalian, Elias and Pavel Haas Quartets will each perform a cycle of Beethoven’s late quartets building to a fantastic collaborative closing concert, while violinist Alexander Janiczek will be joined by a terrific ensemble to present Beethoven’s Septet, one of the composer’s most popular works.

Schubert’s great song cycles – rarely heard together during one festival and performed here by specialists Mark Padmore, James Newby and Joseph Middleton – will form another key strand.

While music will be at the heart of the tour, visits to the delightful fishing village of Anstruther, Falkland Palace and Garden and Scotland’s Secret Bunker will allow us to explore local history in more depth.

We will stay at the comfortable fourstar Old Manor Hotel, Lundin Links, overlooking the Firth of Forth.

This tour will be led by Michael Downes , MA, MPhil, DPhil, Director of Music at the University of St Andrews. Michael is a conductor, lecturer and writer, whose latest book, Story of the Century: Wagner and the Creation of the Ring was published in November 2024.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions. The tour involves some long days to make the most of the concert programme. Group members should feel comfortable walking across uneven ground, cobbles, and up and down steps and stairs (sometimes stone or without handrails) both at visits and the hotel, where there is no lift.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements, including the musical programme and artists, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

D ay 1 Tour assembles 1430 at Edinburgh Waverley Station for transfer by coach to The Old Manor Hotel, Lundin Links, Leven, for six nights. Welcome and introduction with Sven McEwen-Brown (Co-Founder and Festival Director).

D ay 2 Morning lecture and excursion to Falkland Palace and Gardens. Afternoon: some free time. Evening festival concert at Bowhouse featuring Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Andrew Manze (conductor) & Sean Shibe (guitar): Larsson Pastoral Suite, Op 19; Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez ; Schubert Symphony No 6 in C, D 589.

D ay 3 Morning lecture and excursion to Anstruther: Scottish Fisheries Museum and some free time. Late afternoon festival concert at Crail Kirk featuring James Newby (baritone) & Joseph Middleton (piano): Schubert Die Schöne Müllerin,

D 795. Evening festival concert at Kilrenny Kirk featuring Elias Quartet: Mozart Quintet in B flat, K 514; Beethoven Quartet in E flat, Op 127.

D ay 4 Morning lecture and festival concert at Kilrenny Kirk featuring Castalian Quartet: Adès Arcadiana, Op 12; Beethoven Quartet in B flat, Op 130. Continue to Crail for some free time followed by late afternoon festival concert at Crail Kirk featuring Mark Padmore (tenor) & Joseph Middleton (piano): Schubert Winterreise, D 911. Evening festival concert at Crail Kirk featuring Belcea Quartet: Mozart Quintet in C, K 515; Beethoven Quartet in C sharp minor, Op 131.

D ay 5 Morning lecture and festival concert at Kilrenny Kirk featuring Elias Quartet: Beethoven Quartet in A minor, Op 132. Afternoon visit to Scotland’s Secret Bunker. Evening festival concert at Crail Kirk featuring Mark Padmore (tenor), James Newby (baritone), Joseph Middleton (piano) & Pavel Haas Quartet: Schubert Schwanengesang, Quintet in C, D 956.

D ay 6 Morning lecture and lunchtime festival concert at St Elie Church featuring Alexander Janiczek (violin) & ensemble: Beethoven Septet in E flat. Some free time in Elie. Late afternoon festival closing concert at Bowhouse featuring Belcea, Castalian, Elias & Pavel Haas Quartets: Sibelius Andante Festivo; Beethoven Quartet in F, Op 135; Beamish Field of Stars for four quartets; Mendelssohn Octet, Op 20.

D ay 7 Morning: Culross Village. Transfer to Edinburgh where tour disperses approx 1230 at Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Cost of £2695 includes: accommodation based on sharing a superior twin or double bedded sea view room, performances as described, six breakfasts, one light lunch, six dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £330, classic double sea view room for single use supplement £390.

TOUR CODE: ENEU25

Pavel Haas Quartet

Schubert in Schwarzenberg: 50th Festival Tour

August 22–29, 2025

Relax in this beautiful part of Austria while attending recitals from world-class musicians including the Pavel Haas Quartet, Hagen Quartet, Andrè Schuen and Sabine Meyer

Enjoy performances of Schubert’s famous Die schöne Müllerin, Winterreise and ‘Trout’ Quintet

Visit the Kunstmuseum

Liechtenstein and beautiful Baroque library in St Gallen

Each summer, amidst the tranquil mountain scenery of the Bregenz Forest, a select group of excellent musicians gather to present a dynamic selection of Schubert’s timeless music alongside works by other composers in the surroundings of the Angelika Kauffmann Hall, one of the best places to hear chamber music in the country.

Lieder naturally forms a core focus: we will open with a recital featuring internationally acclaimed baritone Andrè Schuen and pianist Daniel Heide; while later in our tour, baritone Konstantin Krimmel and pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz will perform Schubert’s song cycles Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise.

Chamber highlights will range from Schubert’s Sonata in A minor, his ‘Trout’ Quintet and Haydn’s String Quartet in A to a performance of Mozart’s sublime Clarinet Quintet in A.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel Die Wälderin, a luxurious modern hotel situated in scenic surroundings. Rooms are of a premium standard with balconies.

Tour Director Nicholas Wearne , BA, MPhil, is an organist and international competition prizewinner. He currently holds the position of Senior Tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, which involves walking for up to 90 minutes at a time. Please consult ACE’s fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions. Participants should feel comfortable ascending stairs, as lifts are not available at some visits and restaurants. This tour also involves walking over cobbles (which may be slippery when wet), and negotiating occasionally steep inclines and rugged terrain. Our tour includes a ferry crossing. The journey to and from Zurich Airport takes approximately 2.5 hours.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements (including musical programme details) may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 0840 on SWISS, arriving Zurich 1135. Transfer to Mellau for seven nights at Hotel Die Wälderin. Welcome and introduction.

D ay 2 Guided walking tour of Schwarzenberg and visit to Angelika Kauffmann Museum. Afternoon lecture followed by song recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Andrè Schuen (baritone) & Daniel Heide (piano): ‘Dreams & Nightmares’ – works by Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner & Alexander von Zemlinsky. Evening chamber concert at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Pavel Haas Quartet & Boris Giltburg (piano): Schubert String Quartet in D minor, D 810 ‘Der Tod und das Mädchen’; Brahms Piano Quartet in G minor, Op 25.

D ay 3 Morning lecture followed by piano recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Paul Lewis (piano): Beethoven Sonata in C minor, Op 10/1; Mozart Sonata in C, KV 330; Brahms Three Intermezzi, Op 117; Schubert Sonata in B flat, D 960. Afternoon chamber recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Simply Quartet, Dominik Wagner (double bass) & Lukas Sternath (piano): Haydn String Quartet in A, Op 20/6; Schubert Sonata in A minor, D 821 ‘ArpeggioneSonate’, Piano Quintet in A, D 667 ‘Trout’. Evening song recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Konstantin Krimmel (baritone) &

Ammiel Bushakevitz (piano): Schubert Die schöne Müllerin, Op 25 (song cycle based on poems by Wilhelm Müller), D 795.

D ay 4 Free morning to relax or explore locally. Afternoon lecture followed by recital by the Tour Director in Mellau Church. Evening song recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Sophie Rennert (mezzo-soprano), Ludwig Mittelhammer (baritone) & Joseph Middleton (piano): works by Schumann & Schubert.

D ay 5 Morning: Rieger Orgelbau workshop. Afternoon lecture followed by song recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Patrick Grahl (tenor) & Daniel Heide (piano): works by Mendelssohn, Johann Vesque von Püttlingen, Schubert & Schumann.

D ay 6 Morning excursion to Vaduz, Liechtenstein for Kunstmuseum and optional visit to St Florin’s Cathedral. Evening song recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Konstantin Krimmel (baritone) & Ammiel Bushakevitz (piano): Schubert Winterreise (lieder cycle based on poems by Wilhelm Müller), D 911.

D ay 7 Relaxing excursion to Lake Constance area, including picturesque town of Lindau (by ferry). Evening chamber recital at Angelika Kauffmann Hall featuring Hagen Quartet & Sabine Meyer (clarinet): Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A, KV 581; Schubert String Quartet in G, D 887.

D ay 8 Morning: Baroque library at the Abbey in St Gallen. Continue to Zurich for 1835 departure, arriving Heathrow 1925.

Cost of £4495 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a premium twin or double bedded room, performances as described, seven breakfasts, four lunches (three light, one packed), seven dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, premium double room for single use supplement £245. TOUR CODE: SCSC25

Angelika Kauffman Hall

Verona Opera Festival

July 9–14, 2025

Be among the first to see the festival’s eagerly anticipated new production of Nabucco, Verdi’s first great operatic masterpiece

Enjoy productions of Verdi’s muchloved opera La Traviata, and Bizet’s Carmen – both staged within the magnificent Arena

Explore the ‘fair Verona’ of Romeo and Juliet and journey by boat across Lake Garda

Established for over 100 years, Verona’s internationally renowned opera festival ranks as one of the most outstanding in the world. Staged in the monumental Roman amphitheatre known as the Arena di Verona, the festival has hosted many of the world’s greatest opera singers.

The 2025 festival promises to be a memorable occasion as the Arena welcomes some of its most popular works from across the century, as well as a new production of Nabucco, featuring dazzling new staging by Stefano Poda.

Considered by Verdi as the opera with which his ‘artistic career really begins’, romance and political agenda are dramatically interwoven against a richly historical backdrop.

Next we will experience perhaps Verdi’s best-known opera, La Traviata, based on Alexandre Dumas fils’ play, The Lady of

A mainstay of the festival, director Franco Zeffirelli’s vivid and colourful production of Bizet’s Carmen features costumes by Anna Anni, and choreography by José El Camborio.

the Camellias. Argentinian director Hugo De Ana’s production pays homage to the Belle Epoque era.

A previous performance of Carmen at the Verona Opera Festival

Verona

In Verona, we will explore captivating streets and splendid medieval churches. An excursion will take us to the shores of Lake Garda for a boat trip from Sirmione, where the celebrated and influential 20th century soprano Maria Callas lived in the 1950s, having made her debut in Verona in 1947, to Lazise.

In Valpolicella Classica, we will explore the area’s long heritage as a producer of some of Italy’s finest wines, with a tour and tasting at the beautiful 14th century manor house, Palazzo Montanari.

This tour will be led by Paul Jackson , MA, PhD, pianist, musicologist and former Director of Music at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Paul has enjoyed an extensive career as a conductor of opera and also as a chamber musician.

Our accommodation is at the comfortable Hotel San Luca, located a five –minute stroll away from Verona’s Arena.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required as this tour involves a significant amount of walking over cobbles, slippery marble paving stones and up and down steps (sometimes without handrails), potentially in hot sunshine or over wet pavements. Please consult ACE’s fitness criteria in the Booking Terms & Conditions. The walk from the hotel to the Arena is on flat ground and takes around 5 minutes; our return walk is after nightfall but the area is well lit. All performances are scheduled to begin at 2115, and there can be occasional delays in the case of rain; therefore our itinerary has been balanced with later starts in the mornings and some free time during the days in which to rest and relax. This tour also includes a boat trip.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. While we will endeavour to deliver this in full, some elements may be adjusted nearer the time, particularly owing to local weather conditions. Cast and performance details may also be subject to change by the festival office.

Day 1 Flight from London to Verona. Transfer to Hotel San Luca, Verona, for five nights.

Day 2 Morning: relaxed walking tour of Verona (architectural and historical treasures). Free afternoon and early evening lecture. Evening performance at the Arena: Verdi Nabucco

Day 3 Morning excursion to Palazzo Montanari, Valpolicella (guided tour, wine and olive oil tasting). Free afternoon in Verona followed by early evening lecture. Evening performance at the Arena: Verdi La Traviata

Day 4 Morning: further explorations of Verona on foot. Free afternoon and early evening lecture. Evening performance at the Arena: Bizet Carmen

Day 5 Free morning. Afternoon excursion to Lake Garda: boat trip from Sirmione to Lazise.

Day 6 Free morning. Flight from Verona to London.

Cost of £3995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described (gold category), five breakfasts, one light lunch, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £590. TOUR CODE: VROP25

Verona Arena

Hereford Three Choirs Festival

July 29 – August 3, 2025

On this special extended version of our popular tour, Hereford’s beautiful cathedral resounds with an array of music, including Coleridge-Taylor’s The Atonement in the composer’s 150th anniversary year

Enjoy a performance of Alexander’s Feast by Handel, presented by Gwilym Bowen and Gareth Brynmor John with the Three Cathedral Choirs and Music & Amicable Society

Visit the Mappa Mundi exhibition at Hereford Cathedral and make an excursion to Elgar’s birthplace in the Malvern Hills

For over 300 years the cathedral cities of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester have taken turns to host a renowned annual music celebration. In 2025 the Three Choirs Festival will take place in Hereford, where we will enjoy a specially extended version of our popular tour.

Our tour opens with a performance of Alexander’s Feast, Handel’s 1736 setting of Dryden’s celebratory ode to St Cecilia, the patron saint of music. The festival will also mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who was recommended to the Three Choirs Festival organisers early in his career by none other than Edward Elgar. His oratorio The Atonement featured at the 1903 edition of the festival, and we look forward to hearing it brought to life again in the surroundings of the cathedral.

Further musical highlights will include a programme featuring Dobrinka Tabakova’s Centuries of Meditations alongside Fauré’s much-loved Requiem, as well as the festival’s closing concert, Mendelssohn’s monumental Elijah, featuring celebrated soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn MBE and contralto Jess Dandy.

Exploring the city of Hereford and its environs, we will view the medieval Mappa Mundi, and travel further afield

This tour will be led by musicologist Richard Wigmore , MA, AGSM, a writer, broadcaster, lecturer and former professional singer who contributes to Gramophone , BBC Music Magazine and BBC Radio 3’s Record Review

to the delightful historical town of Ludlow and The Firs, Elgar’s birthplace in Lower Broadheath.

Our base is the comfortable Green Dragon Hotel, ideally located in the heart of Hereford, just minutes on foot from the cathedral.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions, and be prepared for a moderate amount of walking, including over steep ground in Ludlow, as well as over cobbles, up steps and within dimly lit interiors.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some details, including the musical programme, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

D ay 1 Tour assembles 1400 at the Green Dragon Hotel, Hereford, for five nights. Afternoon: orientation walking tour of Hereford. Evening lecture followed by festival performance at Hereford Cathedral featuring Gwilym Bowen (tenor), Gareth Brynmor John (baritone), Three Cathedral Choirs, Music & Amicable Society & Geraint Bowen (conductor): Handel Alexander’s Feast

Afternoon festival performance featuring James Gilchrist (tenor) & Anna Tilbrook (piano): works by Quilter, Fauré, Mahler, Delius & Boulanger. Free evening.

D ay 3 Morning lecture followed by excursion to Ludlow (free time and opportunity to explore historical sites). Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral featuring Ella Taylor (soprano), Aoife Miskelly (soprano), Rachel Roper (mezzo-soprano), David Stout (baritone), Festival Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra & Samuel Hudson (conductor): Coleridge-Taylor The Atonement

D ay 4 Morning lecture followed by excursion to The Firs (Elgar’s birthplace). Independent dinner followed by evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral featuring Ossian Huskinson (bass baritone), Festival Voices, Philharmonia Orchestra & Adrian Partington (conductor): programme to include Dobrinka Tabakova Centuries of Meditations & Fauré Requiem

D ay 5 Morning lecture followed by optional independent visit to the Museum of Cider. Free afternoon. Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral featuring Elizabeth Llewellyn (soprano), Jess Dandy (contralto), Anthony Gregory (tenor), Matthew Brook (bass baritone), Festival Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra & Geraint Bowen (conductor): Mendelssohn Elijah

D ay 6 Tour disperses after breakfast at the hotel.

Cost of £2195 includes: accommodation based on sharing a classic twin or double bedded room, performances as described, five breakfasts, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £315.

TOUR CODE: HTHC25

D ay 2 Morning lecture followed by Mappa Mundi exhibition at Hereford Cathedral.

The interior of Hereford Cathedral

International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival

August 7–11, 2025

Explore the world of Gilbert and Sullivan in the picturesque spa town of Buxton

Take in three core performances staged by the professional National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: Iolanthe, The Pirates of Penzance and Princess Ida

Enjoy a variety of talks, as well as performances of Patience presented by Peak Opera and The Mikado by Charles Court Opera

Gilbert and Sullivan represent quintessential Victorian England. The brilliant, witty lyrics of W S Gilbert dazzle alongside the attractive melodies of Arthur Sullivan. We look forward to returning to the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in its “spiritual home” of Buxton, surrounded by the glorious hills of the Peak District, to enjoy five operatic performances.

Our tour will include professional performances by the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company of perennial favourites Iolanthe and The Pirates of Penzance as well as the less frequently staged but no less entertaining Princess Ida. Gilbert and Sullivan’s eighth operatic collaboration, this comic opera is based on a narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

We will enjoy a professional production of The Mikado by Charles Court Opera, the “superb” (Evening Standard) chamber opera and musical theatre company with a strong legacy of presenting G&S, and an amateur performance of Patience by Peak Opera, all staged in Buxton’s delightful opera house.

We also hope to feature some special guest talks with Professor Ian Bradley, one of the country’s foremost experts on Gilbert and Sullivan, and festival trustee Bernard Lockett.

Our base is the comfortable four-star Best Western Plus Buxton Lee Wood Hotel, located in a Georgian building in Buxton.

This tour will be led by opera expert Michael Downes , MA, MPhil, DPhil, a conductor, writer and lecturer who has held the posts of Director of Music at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and the University of St Andrews. He has lectured for many of the UK’s leading opera companies and was musical director of St Andrews Chorus (Scotland’s largest choral society). Well acquainted with the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, Michael has conducted a St Andrews student production of The Gondoliers in Buxton.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Our itinerary will involve a moderate amount of walking between the hotel, opera house and other venues. There is an uphill section on the return to the hotel, with some uneven pavements, and the route is poorly lit, so care must be taken. Taxis can be arranged (at participants’ own expense) if required. Rooms at the hotel are located in the main building, accessible by lift. The majority of the rooms have a shower over the bath, rather than a separate walk-in shower. To make the most of the festival, our itinerary will be busy, with multiple performances/events spread across each day. Participants should meet ACE’s fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements, including the musical programme and guest events, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

D ay 1 Tour assembles at the Best Western Plus Buxton Lee Wood Hotel, Buxton, for four nights. 1530 welcome talk including introduction

“Michael was so knowledgeable, and very willing to discuss and enlighten us on many topics”

– ACE customer on a 2024 tour led by Michael Downes

to Patience. Evening amateur performance at Buxton Opera House featuring Peak Opera: Patience

D ay 2 Morning talk introducing The Mikado followed by historical walking tour of Buxton. Afternoon guest talk with festival trustee, Bernard Lockett: G&S – 150 Years on from ‘Trial by Jury’. Evening professional performance at Buxton Opera House featuring Charles Court Opera: The Mikado

D ay 3 Morning talk introducing The Pirates of Penzance followed by special guest or fringe event (details to be confirmed nearer the time). Matinee professional performance at Buxton Opera House featuring the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: The Pirates of Penzance Evening guest talk.

D ay 4 Morning talk introducing Princess Ida and Iolanthe followed by optional festival church service. Matinee professional performance at Buxton Opera House featuring the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: Princess Ida Evening professional performance at Buxton Opera House featuring the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: Iolanthe

D ay 5 Tour disperses after breakfast at the hotel.

Cost of £1595 includes: accommodation based on sharing a standard twin or double bedded room, performances as described, four breakfasts, four dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes. Not included: travel insurance, standard double room for single use supplement £200.

TOUR CODE: IGSB25

Buxton Opera House

Jazz at Hintlesham Hall

October 6–9, 2025

Take a journey through the age of jazz and beyond with a superb array of artists, from jazz quartets and solo pianists to authentic six-piece bands, dancers and a celebrated vocalist

Enjoy a jazz and swing dance demonstration featuring professional dancer and writer Nikki Santilli

Explore the changing fashions of the ‘roaring twenties’ and ’30s with guest speaker Grace Evans, Keeper of Costume at Chertsey Museum

Whether you are new to jazz or well versed, our immersive residency-style tour will provide a feast for the ears and mind as we explore this dynamic musical genre and its wider cultural impact in the first half of the 20th century.

Emerging towards the end of the 19th century from a mix of African, European and wider musical influences (including marching brass bands), jazz quickly became a cultural phenomenon that spread all over the world. The Great Depression of the 1930s witnessed the development of swing – coupled with star solo performers such as Ella Fitzgerald and trumpeter Harry James – followed a decade later by more experimental forms, particularly Bebop. To learn about the age of jazz is to explore its impact on life, dance, fashion and entertainment, and we have designed this tour to provide fascination and enjoyment in equal measure.

A series of lively early evening performances will form the heart of the itinerary, whisking us through the music of the 1920s and ’30s and the British Trad Revival – courtesy of the Peter Rudeforth Jazz Club Four – to swing and the Bebop Era of the 1940s with Duncan Hemstock and his All Stars. The brilliant American vocalist Elise Roth, meanwhile, will present a sparkling performance of ’20s and ’30s jazz focusing on female voices, brought to us by an authentic six piece ensemble.

Our daytimes will feature lectures, guest talks and demonstrations designed to enrich our understanding of the period as well as entertain. Tour Director Sandy Burnett will ground our exploration of the music of the era and its changing character over time. He will be joined by versatile jazz pianist, composer and arranger Martin Litton, who will apply his historical expertise to the jazz piano

of the 1920s during an illustrated discussion. Later on Grace Evans, Keeper of Costume at Chertsey Museum, will delve into the fascinating links between jazz and fashion in the ‘roaring twenties’ and ’30s. A particular highlight will be a jazz and swing demonstration courtesy of professional dancer and writer Nikki Santilli, ranging from early dance forms including the ragtime Turkey Trot of the

Hintlesham Hall

Trumpeter Pete Rudeforth

Tour Director Sandy Burnett , MA, is a musician and broadcaster who spent a decade as one of the core team of presenters on BBC Radio 3; highlights there included hosting the breakfast programme, presenting live broadcasts from the Proms and Edinburgh Festival, and interviewing many of the world’s finest musicians. As a double bass player, Sandy has performed, toured and recorded with many of the finest musicians, artists and ensembles from Britain and beyond. He is the regular bass player for Blue Harlem, the Hep Chaps, the Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra and for the American singer/songwriter Gerard Kenny; he has a Friday night residency at the Chelsea Arts Club, appears regularly at Ronnie Scott’s, and in 2016 his playing was featured in the National Theatre’s acclaimed revival of August Wilson’s play based around black American music-making in the 1920s,

early 1900s to the Jitterbug. An excursion to a local art gallery will help to break up our musical treats, and we end with a morning round-up lecture before the tour disperses.

We will stay throughout at the beautiful four-star Hintlesham Hall Hotel, which enjoys classically decorated rooms and comfortable areas in which to relax, all located within 175 acres of Suffolk countryside. Lunches and dinners will be taken in the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, which serves seasonal menus in elegant, traditionally decorated surroundings. All jazz performances will take place in the hall’s beautiful Salon.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour is not expected to be particularly strenuous, as all performances and talks will take place at Hintlesham Hall. However, please note that there is no lift at the hotel, so participants should be comfortable negotiating staircases on a daily basis. The majority of the bedrooms are on the first and second floors, with no lift access; a limited number of ground floor rooms are

“This trip was the best ACE tour I have done. Exceptional organisation, accommodation, and unforgettable musical performances”

– ACE customer on a 2024 music tour at Hintlesham Hall

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Conducting credits have included a complete cycle of Bach cantatas as well as work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and in London’s West End. He is the author of the Idler Guide to Classical Music and he was appointed as the Hogwood Fellow of the Academy of Ancient Music for the 2018/19 season.

Sandy writes: “I’m so thrilled to be hosting this exciting jazz festival for ACE Cultural Tours at Hintlesham Hall; it will take us from the very earliest years of jazz right through the 1920s and ’30s to the outbreak of the Second World War. As well as my talks on the music of the era, there will be lectures on popular dance and costumes. And I’m delighted that several of my closest musical associates will be joining us to bring this music to life before our eyes.”

subject to availability. The visit will be a short coach ride away and will require some walking and standing on site – specific details will be confirmed nearer the time. The final group size will be limited to 43 participants to preserve an intimate atmosphere for this exclusive series of jazz performances.

ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements, including the lectures, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

Day 1 1445 assemble at Ipswich Railway Station (for those travelling by train) and transfer to Hintlesham Hall for three nights. 1545 welcome and introduction, followed by a lecture with the Tour Director and early evening jazz performance featuring the Peter Rudeforth Jazz Club Four: Jazz from the 1920s and 1930s, and the British Trad Revival.

Day 2 Morning talk followed by illustrated lecture featuring Martin Litton (piano) in discussion with the Tour Director: Jazz Piano of the 1920s . Afternoon jazz and swing dance demonstration featuring Nikki Santilli: How they danced when the Band played Jazz! From Turkey Trot to Jitterbug. Early evening jazz performance featuring Elise Roth and Her High Standards: Personality Girls – Female Vocalists of the ’20s and ’30s.

Day 3 Morning talk followed by guest lecture with Grace Evans: The Roaring Twenties – How the Jazz Age changed Fashion, 1920s-’30s. Afternoon visit to a local art gallery – details to be confirmed nearer to departure. Early evening jazz performance featuring Duncan Hemstock and his All Stars: Jazz from the 1930s and 1940s –Swing and Bebop Era.

“Very knowledgeable and prepared and gave excellent lectures. Also good fun to be with”

“Sandy had an amazing depth of knowledge and was genuinely enthusiastic for everything musical”

“Made a big effort to engage directly with each of the participants”

– ACE customers on 2024 tours led by Sandy Burnett

Day 4 Morning round-up lecture with the Tour Director. Tour disperses approx 1200 at Hintlesham Hall, followed by approx 1230 at Ipswich Railway Station.

Cost of £1895 includes: accommodation based on sharing a large principal twin or double bedded room, performances & lectures as described, three breakfasts, two lunches with water & coffee, three dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £295, superior double room for single use supplement £495. Principal and Junior Suite upgrades available on request. TOUR CODE: JZHH25

Tour Director and jazz musician Sandy Burnett

Roussillon

June 2–9, 2025

Explore the fascinating medieval architecture and modern art to be found in this beautiful region of France and across the border in Spain

Visit the Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes and view its remarkable Romanesque architecture

Discover Céret, home to iconic 20th century artists such as Picasso, Braque and Matisse

Nestled between France and Spain, Roussillon – a former county of the Principality of Catalonia – boasts diverse landscapes and a unique identity. It is particularly noted for its fascinating medieval history, but this French gateway to Spain also inspired and welcomed several artists from the 20th century avant-garde, such as Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Dalí and Braque.

Our stay in Roussillon will enable us to study Romanesque architecture and sculpture in depth. Highlights include Serrabone Priory, the Musée du Maître de Cabestany and the Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes – decorated by the Maître de Cabestany’s workshop in the 12th century.

The Musée d’Art Hyacinthe Rigaud in Perpignan encompasses fine examples of regional art from the Gothic period through to modern times. The village of Céret drew Picasso, Braque and Matisse, and this creative emulation led to the foundation of a rich Musée d’Art Moderne.

This tour will be led by Hugh Doherty, DPhil, a Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. A medievalist with broad historical interests, Hugh studied at King’s College London before gaining his MPhil at the University of Cambridge and DPhil at the University of Oxford.

Crossing into Spain, we will view the restored stone-built town of Besalú with its complex fortified bridge, and explore Dalí’s theatrical works in his purposebuilt Teatro-Museo in Figueres.

Our accommodation is at the simply furnished three-star Hotel Les Jardins du Cèdre just outside the fishing port of Port Vendres, chosen for its location and sea views.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour involves a significant amount of walking on cobbled and uneven surfaces, so care must be taken. The visit to St Pere de Rodes involves a walk of approximately 1 km from the coach to the entrance, and paths are narrow in places. This and several other sites have stone steps without handrails, and steps can be of differing sizes and depths. Lifts are not available at many sites and interiors can be dimly lit. The longest coach journey is 3 hours and some roads are narrow and winding. The weather at this time of year should be comfortably warm, with temperatures averaging in the mid-20s Celsius; there is the possibility of warmer temperatures. Participants must have a good level of fitness, mobility and stamina, and meet ACE’s usual fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Historical sites may close at short notice for restoration works, and some visits may be time permitting.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 1400 on British Airways, arriving Toulouse 1645. Transfer to Hotel Les Jardins du Cèdre, Port Vendres, for seven nights.

D ay 2 Introductory lecture followed by visits in Collioure: harbour and Church of Notre-Damedes-Anges. Continue to Elne (pre-Roman Iberian citadel of Ilíberis).

D ay 3 Morning: Prats de Molló and riverside town of St Joan de les Abadesses. Afternoon: stone-built town of Besalú in Spain.

D ay 4 Whole day excursion to Catalonia: Sant Pere de Rodes and Figueres (Dalí Museum).

D ay 5 Morning: Chapelle St-Genis-desFontaines and Church of St-André-de-Sorede. Afternoon: Céret for the Musée d’Art Moderne and Church of St-Martin-de-Fenollar.

D ay 6 Morning: Serrabone Priory followed by walking tour of Villefranche-de-Conflent. Afternoon: Abbey of St-Michel-de-Cuxa (subject to confirmation).

D ay 7 Maître de Cabestany Museum followed by Perpignan for Musée d’Art Hyacinthe Rigaud.

D ay 8 Transfer to Toulouse for 1705 flight, arriving Heathrow 1800.

Cost of £2875 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a deluxe (with sea view) twin or double bedded room, seven breakfasts, seven dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes. Not included: travel insurance, comfort (with partial sea view) room for single use supplement £225.

TOUR CODE: ROUS25

Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes

Isle of Wight

September 8–13, 2025

Discover the cultural highlights of the Isle of Wight, with a particular emphasis on its Victorian heritage

Explore the connections between the island and the Pre-Raphaelite movement

Delve into the broader history of the Isle of Wight, from Roman times to the 20th century

The Isle of Wight features picturesque scenery once favoured by royalty. We will explore the former royal residence of Osborne House and St Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, frequented by Queen Victoria; and our tour is based in the seaside resort of Cowes, which still bears substantial traces of Victorian England.

As well as these royal links, the Isle of Wight also holds connections with the radical Pre-Raphaelite movement of the 19th century. Many artists lived and worked on the island, including the 19th century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, and the painters George Frederic Watts, John Brett and Val Prinsep.

Cameron made her home at Dimbola Lodge, overlooking the stunning Freshwater Bay, while Farringford is the former home of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Northcourt is the largest of the island’s Jacobean manor houses, built in 1615 on the site of a medieval monastic building,

Our Tour Director is Christopher Bourne , BA, a proficient tour leader with particular expertise in 19th century art and architecture, including the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements. He is a member of the Victorian Society, the William Morris Society, Pre-Raphaelite Society and 20th Century Society.

while the monastic buildings and church of Benedictine Quarr Abbey – whose origins date back to the 12th century –are among the most important religious constructions of the 20th century in the UK.

Further highlights include the beautiful Mottistone Gardens, the Princess Beatrice Garden at Carisbrooke Castle and a journey on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

Our base is the Best Western New Holmwood Hotel, a traditional threestar hotel situated on the water’s edge, just ten minutes’ walk from Cowes, with comfortable, simply furnished rooms.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness as it involves a moderate amount of walking and standing, including over uneven terrain, cobbles, slippery surfaces and occasionally up steep steps. Several visits involve being outdoors, and at others lighting is kept low. Some sites do not have frequent opportunities to sit down, nor handrails (for example, at Mottistone Gardens, some steps do not have handrails). At Osborne House, the walk to/from the beach and Swiss Cottage takes approximately 30 minutes and is on a steep incline; this is more strenuous on the return uphill, however this element of the visit is optional. There is no lift at the hotel, and participants should feel comfortable moving their luggage up ramps for the ferry journeys. Group members should meet ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

D ay 1 Assemble 1430 at Southampton RedJet Hi-Speed Foot Passenger Service Terminal 2 for 1500 departure (as foot passenger), arriving West Cowes 1530. Transfer to Best Western New Holmwood Hotel, Cowes, for five nights. Welcome and introductory talk.

D ay 2 Morning excursion to Shorwell: St Peter’s Church, Northcourt House and gardens. Continue to Carisbrooke Castle. Afternoon: St Olave’s Church, Gatcombe and St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham.

D ay 3 Morning: Mottistone Gardens and Dimbola Lodge. Afternoon: Farringford House.

D ay 4 Morning: journey on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway from Havenstreet Station. Afternoon: Brading Roman Villa and St Mary the Virgin Church, Brading.

D ay 5 Morning lecture: The Isle of Wight, a Victorian Island followed by Quarr Abbey. Afternoon at Osborne House: state and private apartments, followed by free time to visit garden, beach, Swiss Cottage and Queen Victoria’s bathing machine.

D ay 6 Depart West Cowes 1130 via RedJet Hi-Speed Foot Passenger Service, arriving Southampton 1158, where tour disperses.

Cost of £1895 includes: return travel as foot passenger, accommodation based on sharing a standard twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, two lunches (one packed), five dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, standard double room for single use supplement £155. Limited rooms with sea view or partial sea view are available at a supplement. TOUR CODE: IWIT25

Sculpture of Queen Victoria at Osborne House

Turin: Art & Architecture of the Kingdom of Savoy

September 29 – October 4, 2025

Trace the history of Turin, Italy’s ‘first capital’, through visits to churches, galleries and palazzi

Visit the Palazzo Reale, with its Royal Armoury, Galleria Sabauda and chapel housing the Turin Shroud

Enjoy excursions to view masterpieces by Juvarra: the Basilica di Superga and Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi

Now the capital of Piedmont, the city of Turin is one of Italy’s hidden treasures. It has its own distinct character and unique style, a consequence of both its geography and history.

Sitting between France and the other Italian states, Turin became the capital of the Duchy of Savoy in the 16th century and later the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Dukes of Savoy employed leading Baroque architects to design elaborate churches, grand palazzi and elegant piazze.

Our itinerary takes us to the most important palazzi, churches and galleries in Turin, around its museums and galleries, as well as into the Piedmont countryside, to discover the beautifully preserved late Gothic painted hall of the Castello della Manta and the medieval town of Saluzzo.

In the 20th century, Turin was known as the Capitale dell’automobile (‘Capital of the car’). Fiat was founded here in 1899 and by 1916 the Lingotto factory was the largest in Europe. The building is now

This tour will be led by Sarah Burles , MA, an expert in art history who studied at Cambridge and UCL. An experienced tour leader and lecturer, she spent time living in Italy before a career in museum and gallery education, including 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

home to Giovanni and Marella Agnelli’s superb collection of paintings, displayed in a purpose-built gallery designed by Renzo Piano.

We will stay at Turin’s elegant five-star Grand Hotel Sitea, a smart, classically decorated property ideally situated in the city.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness, stamina and mobility is required, as this tour involves a significant amount of time spent walking and standing. There are several long staircases to navigate (at the Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Carignano and to access the frescoes on the 2nd floor of the Castello della Manta) and lifts are not available at these sites. The ground can be cobbled, loose or uneven underfoot. Some destinations are hilly, with steep cobbled streets at Saluzzo, and a short uphill climb to Santa Maria del Monte. Some walking is in darkness (e.g. returning from local restaurants to the hotel), and churches may be dimly lit. Please consult ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time, or time permitting on the day. Churches and heritage sites in Italy can sometimes close or change their opening hours at short notice, for example due to restoration works or services, so our itinerary may be adapted or certain visits reordered.

D ay 1 Depart London Gatwick 0830 on British Airways, arriving Turin 1130. Transfer to Grand Hotel Sitea, Turin, for five nights. Orientation walk: Piazza San Carlo, Via Roma,

Piazza Castello, Duomo and Churches of San Carlo & Santa Cristina. Evening: welcome and introduction.

D ay 2 Morning lecture: The Architects of the House of Savoy followed by Palazzo Reale: Royal Armoury, Cappella della Sacra Sindone (Turin Shroud) and free time to visit Royal Gardens. Afternoon: Galleria Sabauda and free time to visit collections of classical art and archaeology or Royal Library.

D ay 3 Morning: Baroque quarter (churches designed by Guarini, Alfieri and Juvarra), Palazzo Madama. Afternoon: Palazzo Carignano (Prince’s Apartments), Chiesa Filippo Neri and free time for optional independent visit to Museo Egizio.

D ay 4 Morning: Monte dei Cappuccini (Santa Maria del Monte and views over city and River Po), Lingotto (Pista 500 and Pinacoteca Agnelli). Afternoon: Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi. Free evening.

D ay 5 Morning in Saluzzo: historical walking tour (Church of San Giovanni and Museo Civico Casa Cavassa). Afternoon: Castello della Manta. Return to Turin via Santuario del Valinotto.

D ay 6 Morning: Superga Basilica and Reggia di Venaria Reale (Church of Sant’Uberto, Juvarra’s Stables) – visits subject to final flight times. Depart Turin 2000, arriving Gatwick 2055.

Cost of £2995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, one lunch, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £395. TOUR CODE: TURC25

Dancing Hall, Royal Palace of Turin

Palladio’s Villas in the Veneto

October 12–17, 2025

Learn about the life of Andrea Palladio, taking in both famous and lesser-known villas in the delightful Veneto region of Italy

Enjoy private visits to the Villa Porto Colleoni, the most important 15th century villa of the region, and the famous Villa Rotonda

Explore the frescoed Villa Godi, Palladio’s earliest country house, and Europe’s oldest botanical garden

Even five centuries after his birth, Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) remains one of the most distinguished figures in the history of western architecture. Born in Padua, Palladio trained originally as a stonecutter and mason in Vicenza, a picturesque historical town packed with delightful palazzi and public buildings.

This tour offers the opportunity to visit a handpicked selection of important Palladian highlights. The sumptuously decorated La Rotonda contains a central dome inspired by the Pantheon of Ancient Rome, and its quadruple porticos are amongst Palladio’s most imitated motifs.

Several visits will be to houses in private ownership, including the Villa Pisani La Rocca by Vincenzo Scamozzi, a house influenced by the Villa Rotonda; as well as Palladio’s Villa Pisani at Bagnolo and Villa Poiana at Poiana Maggiore. A visit to Villa Godi, Palladio’s earliest villa, and a private tour of the Villa Porto Colleoni,

This tour will be led by architectural historian Charles Hind , MA, FSA. Charles holds the positions of Chief Curator and H J Heinz Curator of Drawings at the Royal Institute of British Architects. He is a Trustee of the Georgian Group and Deputy Chairman of the Lutyens Trust. Charles has been leading ACE groups on explorations of Palladio’s work in the Veneto for many years.

considered the region’s most important 15th century villa, will also feature.

Alongside the villas themselves, we will admire exterior architecture (including some courtyards) on walking tours of historical Vicenza and Padua; the latter also offers an opportunity to visit Europe’s oldest botanical garden, founded in 1545 and still preserving its original layout.

The tour will be based in Vicenza at the four-star Hotel Campo Marzio, an elegant property enjoying comfortable and spacious rooms in an ideal location for our explorations.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required, as this tour involves a significant amount of walking. Participants must feel comfortable navigating uneven ground, steps, inclines and cobbled streets, and meet ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and due to the special nature of the visits, some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.Historical buildings in Italy can sometimes close at short notice, or restrict access due to restoration work.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 0845 on British Airways, arriving Venice 1200. Transfer to Vicenza for five nights at Hotel Campo Marzio.

D ay 2 Private visits to Villa Pisani La Rocca and Villa Pisani, Bagnolo. Afternoon: Villa Barbarigo-

Optional Extension

ACE is delighted to offer an optional tour extension, exploring Palladio in Venice , from October 17-20, 2025. For full details, please see the ACE website or contact the office. Please note that this extension can only be booked in conjunction with the main tour.

Rezzonico (exterior) and private visit to Villa Poiana (subject to confirmation).

D ay 3 Morning: via Villa Trissino (exterior) and Bassano del Grappa to Villa Barbaro (Villa di Maser) for private visit. Afternoon: Villa Caldogno.

D ay 4 Morning: private visit to Villa Porto Colleoni followed by Villa Godi. Afternoon in Padua: Basilica of San Antonio, Odeon, Loggia Cornaro and Botanical Garden.

D ay 5 Vicenza: walking tour (palazzo exteriors) and visit to Palazzo Thiene. Afternoon: Basilica Palladiana, Loggia del Capitaniato and Palazzo Valmarana (exteriors) followed by Church of Santa Corona, Teatro Olimpico and Museo Civico. Free evening.

D ay 6 Morning: private visit to Villa Rotonda. Continue to Venice for 1815 flight, arriving Heathrow 1930, or optional tour extension (please see website or contact the ACE office for details).

Full details, including the tour cost, will be released in early 2025. Please contact the ACE office or visit our website to register your interest. TOUR CODE: PALL25

Villa La Rotonda

ALBANIA

Wildlife & Walking in Albania

October 3–10, 2025

Uncover a little visited European gem, where snow-capped mountains plunge into bright blue seas, charming villages nestle amongst the forested landscape, and coastal lagoons teem with birdlife

Search for the rare Dalmatian pelican during a boat trip on Great Prespa Lake

Look out for wetland birdlife and migrating waders on the ‘Albanian Riviera’

The tectonic lakes of Ohrid and Prespa are some of the oldest lakes in the world and form an area of extraordinary beauty and biodiversity. Surrounded by high mountain peaks and centuries-old juniper forests, the region is home to several species found nowhere else in the world.

Our tour includes a boat trip on Great Prespa Lake to Maligrad Island, keeping watch along the way for rare Dalmatian pelicans, as well as hundreds of pygmy cormorants.

We will spend three nights in the mountain village of Voskopojë, an important cultural centre during its mid 18th century heyday. On local forest walks, we will look out for varied birdlife including goshawk, red-backed shrike and hawfinch.

Our tour will then transfer to the coastal town of Vlorë, surrounded by mountains

This tour will be led by conservationist and ornithologist Kevin Hand , MSc, MCIEEM. An environmental consultant with a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism, Kevin has led a project on eagles, vultures and other wildlife in Albania. He chairs the Newmarket Chalk Streams Trust, and is an RSPB Reserve Biodiversity Surveyor.

and overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The ‘Albanian Riviera’ is a patchwork of different habitats, from the forested mountains of Llogara National Park to the lagoons of Orikum, Narta and Karavasta. Wetland birdlife includes flamingos, great white egrets, avocets and spoonbills, as well as numerous migrating waders.

Our final night will be spent in the Divjaka-Karavasta National Park. We will stay at comfortable hotels throughout, well situated for our daytime explorations.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as our tour includes several walks of up to 5 miles. Some hotels do not have lifts so participants should be comfortable navigating steps and stairs, as well as walking over rugged, uneven and occasionally slippery terrain. Please be prepared to experience some bumpy journeys to certain sites. A suitable vehicle will be used, taking into consideration both passengers’ comfort and our ability to access sites in more remote areas. This tour also involves a boat trip, which may be choppy if windy. Please consult the Booking Terms & Conditions for ACE’s fitness requirements.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change. Certain details may be adjusted on the ground, depending on local conditions, and we cannot guarantee the presence of all wildlife mentioned.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 0750 on British Airways, arriving Tirana 1150. Transfer to Pogradec for overnight at Hotel Hymeti’s Palace.

Drilon National Park and mountain village of Voskopojë (St Nicholas’s Church). Three nights at hotel in Voskopojë (to be confirmed).

D ay 3 Walks in woodland around Voskopojë. Some free time with option to extend walk.

D ay 4 Whole day excursion to Lake Prespa with boat trip to Maligrad Island (possible rare Dalmatian pelicans, pygmy cormorant and Alpine swift). Visit to 14th century Eastern Orthodox Church of St Mary.

D ay 5 Transfer via Elbasan (Hammam, old castle walls, other monuments) to Vlorë for two nights at Hotel Partner.

D ay 6 Orikum Lagoon and saltpans: reedbeds, wetland birdlife. Llogara National Park: pine forests, abundant wildlife including migrating birds of prey such as short-toed eagle and booted eagle. Guest talk about PPNEA (Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment Albania) – subject to final confirmation.

D ay 7 Narta Lagoon: salt pans with birdlife including black-necked grebe, Mediterranean gull, ferruginous duck and flamingos. Afternoon at Divjaka-Karavasta National Park: lagoons, sand dunes, pine forest, possible colony of Dalmatian pelicans, possible golden jackal. Overnight at Hotel Divjaka Resort.

D ay 8 Transfer to Tirana for 1245 flight, arriving Heathrow 1500.

Cost of £2695 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, full board (some packed lunches) with water, wine or beer & coffee with dinner, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes. Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £195. TOUR CODE: WIAL25

D ay 2 Morning: Lake Ohrid and Lin. Afternoon:

Great Prespa Lake

Connoisseur’s Cambridge

October 13–16, 2025

Delve into the fascinating history of Cambridge, including an in-depth exploration of the Fitzwilliam Museum and private visit to its Founder’s Library

Enjoy a private tour of the recently restored Arts & Crafts interior of the David Parr House

Discover the remarkable story of Kettle’s Yard, home to a beautiful collection of early 20th century art

Cambridge is well known for its ancient university, beautiful colleges and scientific discoveries, but it is also home to museum collections of international significance as well as hidden artistic treasures. We will delve beneath the city’s surface on a series of privileged visits to discover the hidden histories of remarkable patrons – from the 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam in the 18th century, to Jim and Helen Ede in the 20th century.

A whole day will be devoted to studying the history and holdings of the Fitzwilliam Museum, with a private visit to the Founder’s Library in the company of a curator.

Our second day will focus on the city’s Arts & Crafts heritage, with a special visit to the David Parr House, which reopened in 2019 following a two-year refurbishment. The artist-painter and decorator David Parr was an employee

This tour will be led by Sarah Burle s, MA, who studied History of Art at the University of Cambridge, before developing a career in museum and gallery education. This included 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum, as well as work in other Cambridge museums. Sarah is particularly interested in the history of collections and the collectors whose legacies have shaped the museums we see today.

of the decorative arts firm F R Leach & Sons, who carried out commissions for William Morris. Between 1887 and 1927, he created a remarkable interior in his modest terraced Cambridge house, which was wonderfully preserved by his granddaughter.

The house at Kettle’s Yard, once home to Jim and Helen Ede, has also benefited from redevelopment in recent years. It features works by artists such as Joan Miró, Ben and Winifred Nicholson, Christopher Wood and Alfred Wallis alongside textiles, natural objects, ceramics, glass and furniture in what has been described as “a masterclass of curatorship”.

Our itinerary concludes with a curatorled tour of the Women’s Art Collection at Murray Edwards College, the largest assemblage of works by female artists in Europe.

We will stay in the heart of Cambridge at the four-star Hotel du Vin, set in a former university building just a stone’s throw from the Fitzwilliam Museum.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants must have a good level of mobility and be prepared for a significant amount of walking, often over cobbles and uneven ground, up steps, and within dimly lit historical interiors. Our visit to the David Parr House will involve ascending steep steps and standing without support for up to an hour. Please note that Cambridge can be busy with bicycles, and some streets have wide

conduits which can fill with leaves, so care must be taken. Please consult ACE’s fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the itinerary in full, owing to the special nature of the visits, some elements may be subject to confirmation closer to the time.

D ay 1 Tour assembles 1330 at the Hotel du Vin, Cambridge, for three nights. Afternoon: walking tour of Cambridge followed by visit to the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College. Evening: welcome and introductory talk.

D ay 2 Morning lecture: The Fitzwilliam Museum – Private Collectors, Public Collections followed by whole day visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum: tour of the main galleries, opportunity to visit the current exhibition, and private visit to the Founder’s Library. Option to attend Evensong at King’s College Chapel.

D ay 3 Morning guest lecture: The David Parr House followed by private tour of David Parr House and visits to Jesus College, St Clement’s Church and All Saints’ Church (decorative works by Parr).

D ay 4 Morning lecture: 20th Century Cambridge Collections followed by visit to Kettle’s Yard. Afternoon: Women’s Art Collection at Murray Edwards College. Tour disperses approx 1630 at the hotel.

Cost of £1595 includes: accommodation based on sharing a deluxe twin or double bedded room, three breakfasts, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes. Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £275.

TOUR CODE: COCA25

Painted wall in the Drawing Room, David Parr House

Bulgaria: Thracians, Ottomans & Painted Monasteries

October 6–18, 2025

Delve into unspoilt landscapes and groundbreaking archaeology, unaffected by mass tourism

Discover the ancient city of Sofia, home to an abundance of cultural and archaeological assets

Step inside the country’s monasteries: treasuries of Bulgarian culture and once the focal point for artistic patronage

Carpeted in thick forest and studded with snow-capped peaks, Bulgaria’s natural landscape is only surpassed by the wealth of its cultural inheritance. On this tour, we will gain an in-depth understanding of the country and its heritage.

Our explorations begin and end in Sofia, where we will take in ancient churches, the superb 13th century frescoes in UNESCO-listed Boyana Church, the Banya Bashi mosque and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The National Archaeological Museum occupies what was formerly the largest Ottoman mosque, while the National Museum of History is home to major Thracian treasures from 1300-300 BCE.

On our journey, we will explore some of Bulgaria’s flamboyantly decorated monasteries, the symbolic strongholds

of the nation’s values and traditions. Bachkovo, surrounded by the Rhodope Mountains, is distinguished by a twostoreyed ossuary adorned with intricate murals, unique in the entire eastern Orthodox world. Ivanovo is an extensive complex of rock-hewn churches, chapels, monasteries and cells first dug out by hermits in the 12th century.

The 10th century Rila Monastery was home to a mystical hermit named Ivan Rilski who, opting for a life of solitude and prayer, settled in a remote cave. Following a succession of miracles Rilski became the patron saint of Bulgaria and his humble refuge grew into a

vast monastic community, a bastion of Christian and Slavic culture under Ottoman rule. The monastery, flanked by alpine forests and sweeping rivers, is decorated with vivid murals by Zahari Zograf, Bulgaria’s most famous icon painter, and is one of the largest and most spectacular in Bulgaria.

Further highlights will include the fine National Revival architecture of the village of Koprivshtitsa; the traditional rural architecture preserved at Etâra’s open-air museum; and Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria’s medieval capital, which has been extensively excavated.

Our base at the beginning and end of the tour will be the five-star Grand Hotel in Sofia’s city centre. As we journey across Bulgaria, we will stay in hotels of three and four-star quality in Sandanski, Plovdiv, Kazanlak and Veliko Tarnovo.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a very good level of fitness, as it has a full itinerary to make the most of our time in Bulgaria. Participants should be prepared for six separate hotel stays, some long days with early starts and a significant amount of coach travel. This tour will involve navigating steps and potentially uneven ground, and a significant amount of time will be spent walking and standing. Lifts are not available at all sites, including our hotels. For more information on ACE’s minimum fitness requirements, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions

National Revival Architecutre in Koprivshtitsa

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

This tour will be led by Alex Koller, PhD, a lecturer in art history and architecture. Born in Vienna, Alex has lived and studied in Vienna, Salzburg and Cambridge, gaining his first degree in History of Art and Slavonic languages before continuing to Cambridge for a PhD in History of Art from Magdalene College where he also lectured and supervised. Alex has been leading tours since 1998 and is an accomplished linguist. His experience ranges from Eastern Europe, Russia and the Himalayas to Japan and Southeast Asia. Alex has travelled extensively in Bulgaria, developing his specialism in Slavonic studies, and looks forward to returning with an ACE group in 2025.

ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Sites can sometimes close at short notice, for example owing to restoration works, and some visits may be time permitting on the day.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1400 on British Airways, arriving Sofia 1910. Transfer to Grand Hotel Sofia for three nights.

Day 2 Morning: National Museum of History (major Thracian treasures) and UNESCO-listed Boyana Church (superb 13th century frescoes). Afternoon walking tour including Banya Bashi Mosque, ancient churches and National Archaeological Museum.

Day 3 Whole day excursion to small town of Koprivshtitsa (19th century National Revival architecture). Free evening in Sofia.

Day 4 Zemen Monastery (14th century frescoes) and 10th century Rila Monastery (the largest and most spectacular in Bulgaria, with wood carvings, frescoes and icons). Continue to Sandanski for two nights at Interhotel Sandanski.

Day 5 Morning: Melnik (Church of St Nicholas the Miracle Worker and Kordopulov House) followed by medieval Rozhen Monastery (unique wood-carved altars, fine mountain position). Return to Sandanski for visit to early Christian basilica.

Day 6 Via ski town of Bansko (Church of the Holy Trinity) to Plovdiv for two nights at Ramada by Wyndham Plovdiv Trimontium.

Day 7 Morning: walking tour of Plovdiv old town (Roman forum, circus, Church of Sveta Marina, Cumaya Mosque, Dormition Church and Theatre). Afternoon: 11th century Bachkovo Monastery (ossuary, refectory and cathedral).

Day 8 Morning in Plovdiv: Ethnographic Museum, Church of St Konstantin and St Elena, Hindlian House. Afternoon: transfer to Kazanlak via Thracian tomb at Starosel. Overnight at Kings’ Valley Hotel.

Day 9 Morning visits to tombs around Kazanlak. Afternoon: Shipka memorial church, Etâra (open-air museum with traditional rural architecture) and Sokolski Monastery. Continue to Veliko Tarnovo for three nights at Gurko Hotel.

“Really enjoyed the tour… I learned a lot. Alex Koller is an amazing guide”

“Alex Koller’s erudition is remarkable – I learned a phenomenal amount”

– ACE customers on a previous tour to Bulgaria led by Alex Koller

Day 10 Environs of Veliko Tarnovo (medieval capital), including 12th century Tsarevets fortress (ruined royal palace and reconstructed church) followed by churches in Asenova Mahala. Afternoon visit to Church of the Nativity of Christ.

Day 11 Preobrazhenski Monastery (murals, icons) followed by Ivanovo cave monastery (vast rock-hewn complex with 14th century murals). Continue to city of Ruse on the Danube (19th century neo-Baroque buildings).

Day 12 Troyan Monastery (spectacular frescoes). Transfer to Sofia for overnight at Grand Hotel Sofia.

Day 13 Morning walking tour including St Sofia’s Church and neo-Byzantine Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (final flight times permitting). Depart Sofia 2005, arriving Heathrow 2130.

Cost of £3495 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, twelve breakfasts, four lunches, eleven dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £445. TOUR CODE: BULG25

Fresco details at Rila Monastery

Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road

October 10–21, 2025

Journey to the heart of Central Asia to discover an extraordinary civilisation

Visit the Silk Road cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand

Experience Samarkand’s famed Registan Square, bordered by elegant madrasas in shades of gold and turquoise

Uzbekistan has long been a prized territory: in the 4th century BCE Alexander the Great married the daughter of a local chieftain, and in the 13th century CE Genghis Khan waged war over the region. It was Timur, better known to us as Tamerlane, who finally overpowered the Mongols and established Samarkand as the glittering capital of an empire encompassing much of Central Asia.

Our tour begins in the modern capital, Tashkent, where the exhibits of the city’s museums will set our investigations in context. We will explore Khast-i-Imam, an extraordinary architectural complex in the heart of the old city that forms the spiritual centre of Tashkent. We then head to the oasis town of Khiva – once the final stopping-point of caravan trains before they set out on the long journey across the desert for Persia. The inner citadel of Ichan Kala was the first site in the country to be listed by UNESCO. Architectural delights include the Juma

Mosque, with its forest of carved wooden columns.

We will traverse the Kyzylkum desert to Bukhara, a centre of culture and civilisation from the 6th century BCE. The city of Samarkand, meanwhile, is one of the oldest in all of Central Asia. Captured by Alexander the Great in 329 BCE, it passed through the hands of successive civilisations before reaching its zenith as the capital of the Timurid Empire. The archaeological site of Afrasiab is preserved, along with frescoes bearing testimony to the vanished

Sogdian civilisation that dominated trade along the Silk Road for centuries.

Although the city walls of Samarkand are gone, the medieval layout remains in the narrow streets and many traditional houses. A highlight of our visit here will be the awe-inspiring Registan Square, bordered on three sides by elaborate madrasas and one of the most important complexes of Islamic architecture in the world. Our tour will also include an excursion to Shakhrisabz, birthplace of Timur himself and recipient of his considerable architectural patronage.

Tour Director Steve Mastin , MA, PGCE, FHA, studied history and classics before working as a school teacher for 17 years. During this time he organised and led many trips abroad, and has also worked overseas training history teachers in Singapore, Australia and Kazakhstan. Steve is a regular speaker at history conferences and has led many trips for ACE including to Pompeii, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Decorative tiles at Registan, Samarkand

Ismail Samani Mausoleum

“Loved the trip. Both the Tour Director and the local guide were great and worked so hard to make the tour rich, stimulating and smooth”

“The

places we visited were amazing”

– ACE customers on the 2024 Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road tour with Steve Mastin

We will stay at comfortable three or fourstar hotels close to the key sites on our tour. Our visits will be complemented by regular talks given by our Tour Director.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of general fitness and stamina is required for this tour, and participants should meet ACE’s minimum fitness criteria in our Booking Terms & Conditions. The tour involves very full days of sightseeing, and some long and tiring coach journeys (for example, the journey from Khiva to Bukhara takes eight hours with two stops en route). There are poor road conditions in places. We will also make two journeys by train. Some visits involve traversing steep steps and uneven ground, and participants should be prepared for basic facilities at some sites and during some of the journeys. The hotels have been chosen to carefully balance character, location, service and comfort levels, however please note that sometimes standards are simpler than those found at typical Western hotels.

ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time, or will be time permitting on the day. Sites can close or change their opening times at short notice; therefore, some visits may be reordered.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1620 on Uzbekistan Airways.

Day 2 Arrive Tashkent 0310 and transfer to hotel for early check in and time to rest. Afternoon: Khast-i-Imam architectural complex in the heart of the old city, followed by brief visit to Museum of Applied Art. Evening introductory lecture. Overnight in Tashkent.

Day 3 Morning: visits including short stop in Independence Square to view an example of Tashkent’s stunning underground metro stations, followed by State Museum of History of Uzbekistan – time permitting. Domestic flight to Urgench and transfer to city of Khiva for two nights.

Day 4 Khiva: Ichan-Qal’a, Juma Mosque, Kunya Ark Fortress, Kalta Minor Minaret and Muhammad Amin-Khan Madrasa. Evening lecture.

Day 5 Drive through the Kyzylkum Desert, occasionally sighting the River Oxus (now the Amu-Darya) crossed by Alexander the Great in 329 BCE. Three nights in Bukhara.

Day 6 Bukhara: Poi-Kalyan architectural complex, Mir-i-Arab Madrasa, Kalyan Mosque and Minaret, Ulugh Beg and Abdulaziz Khan Madrasas. Afternoon: Lyabi-Hauz and madrasas. Evening lecture.

Day 7 Bukhara: Tchor Minor Mosque, Sitora-i-Mokhi Khossa, 10th century Samanid Mausoleum, Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum, BoloHauz Mosque and Ark Citadel.

Day 8 Free morning to explore local sites and markets. Afternoon: transfer by train to Samarkand. Three nights in Samarkand. Evening lecture.

Day 9 Samarkand: famed Registan Square with 15th and 17th century madrasas, Guri-Amir Mausoleum, Bibi Khanum Mosque and colourful Siyob Bazaar.

Day 10 Excursion to Shakhrisabz, hometown of Timur: Portal of Ak-Saray Palace, Dor-us Saodat Memorial Complex, Dor-ut Tilavat Ensemble.

Day 11 Samarkand: Shakhi-Zinda tiled funerary complex, observatory built by Ulugh Beg. Afternoon: ancient site of Afrasiab. Train transfer to Tashkent for overnight.

Day 12 Depart Tashkent 1110, arriving Heathrow 1450.

Cost of £3995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, full board with water & tea, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £595. TOUR CODE: UZBK25

Khiva city walls

Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese

October 17–27, 2025

Discover Greece’s archaeology, taking in ancient temples, sanctuaries and palaces

Consult the Oracle of Delphi, located in striking surroundings beneath Mount Parnassus

Chart the path of heroes, from Herakles at ancient Nemea to Jason at Corinth

Our journey across southern Greece and into the Peloponnese peninsula embraces some of the most evocative names from ancient Greece: Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games; Mycenae, from where Agamemnon went to war against Troy; and Delphi, the ‘centre of the world’ and seat of Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi.

Stepping inside Athens’ New Acropolis Museum, we will view mesmerising caryatid statues and the impressive Parthenon Gallery. Our visit to the Acropolis will take in the Propylaia together with the Parthenon and the Erechtheion.

At Epidaurus, we will see the Sanctuary of Asklepios and the well-preserved theatre, renowned for its harmonious proportions and wonderful acoustics.

The wealth of Corinth is epitomised by the Doric Temple of Apollo and the magnificent buildings of the Roman forum. At Nemea, we will marvel at the Sanctuary of Zeus and museum, housing artefacts from the Early Helladic period.

The UNESCO-listed Bronze Age site of Tiryns is home to an evocative fortress,

This tour will be led by Rita Roussos , PhD. Rita was born in Athens, and read Ancient Greek and Latin at the University of California, Berkeley, before gaining her PhD in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Rita has worked on archaeological projects in the Peloponnese.

while Mystras near Sparta is a former Frankish outpost and a rare example of Byzantine civic architecture.

Birthplace of the Olympic Games, the sanctuary of Olympia was also home to the famed Temple of Zeus. Delphi’s archaeological museum, meanwhile, holds some of the most magnificent artefacts from the Mediterranean world.

We will stay at comfortable hotels of three and four-star quality, chosen for their locations close to sites.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour is designed to make the most of our stay in Greece with a wide variety of visits. The itinerary contains some longer days with a significant amount of coach travel and walking; our penultimate day involves approximately 4 hours’ travel in total, with stops and visits. We stay at five separate hotels. At some sites the ground is uneven or hilly, and there are steps to navigate. Mystras involves a slow descent over uneven ground, and some slippery paths with loose rocks or stones, so care must be taken, sturdy shoes must be worn and, if required, walking poles/sticks are recommended. A good overall level of fitness, mobility and stamina is required. Some archaeological sites are exposed, and the weather may be warm. For ACE’s fitness criteria, please see the Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Our itinerary may also be adjusted further on the ground.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 0835 on British Airways, arriving Athens 1420. Transfer to Hotel Amalia, Athens, for two nights. Welcome and introduction.

Back-to-back tour opportunity Customers travelling on this tour may also wish to consider booking on Hidden Athens, which will be running from October 29-November 4, 2025 and also led by Rita Roussos. Please see page 31 or contact the ACE office for more information.

D ay 2 New Acropolis Museum, agora and Stoa of Attalus, Acropolis, Propylaia, Parthenon and Erechtheion. Evening talk: Greek Architectural Orders.

D ay 3 National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Continue to ancient Corinth (Temple of Apollo, Archaeological Museum, South Stoa). Three nights at Hotel Amalia, Nafplion.

D ay 4 Morning: Nemea archaeological site (Sanctuary of Zeus, museum) followed by light lunch and wine tour. Afternoon: Epidaurus (theatre, Sanctuary of Asklepios, museum). Free evening.

D ay 5 Tiryns (Mycenaean fortress), Argos (agora, theatre), Mycenae (Treasury of Atreus, Lion Gate and museum). Evening lecture: Ancient Greek Medicine.

D ay 6 Mystras: archeological site, Byzantine town, churches with 14th and 15th century frescoes (weather permitting). Continue to Pylos for two nights at Hotel Philip, with talk en route: Spartans & Messenians.

D ay 7 Nestor’s Palace, Pylos, and Ottoman Neokastro fortress. Free afternoon in Pylos.

D ay 8 Messini (4th century BCE walls, Sanctuary of Asklepios and stadium). Continue to Olympia for two nights at Hotel Amalia. Evening lecture: Ancient Greek Athletics.

D ay 9 Ancient Olympia: Palaestra, Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, Stadium, Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Some free time with option to visit Museum of the Olympic Games. Evening talk: The Delphic Oracle.

D ay 10 Via Rio-Antirrio bridge to Delphi for Temple of Apollo and Archaeological Museum of Delphi. Overnight at Hotel Amalia, Delphi.

D ay 11 Transfer to Athens via Temple of Athena. Depart Athens 1410, arriving Heathrow 1625.

Cost of £4295 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, ten breakfasts, one light lunch, nine dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £570. TOUR CODE: PELO25

Caryatids on the Erechtheion

Hidden Athens

October 29 – November 4, 2025

Discover the unassuming side of this ancient capital with visits including Philopappou Hill and Kerameikos

Marvel at the Temple of Aphaia on the beautiful island of Aegina

Visit the Temple of Poseidon at the stunning archeological site of Sounion

The breadth of Athenian history stretches far beyond the walls of its capital or its more recognised sites. On our exploration of this beautiful region of Attica, we will discover an array of fascinating sites hidden away from the majority of the hustle and bustle.

Philopappou Hill offers exquisite views across to the Acropolis and overlooks the Pantheon, while as the democratic centre for the city and the location of the establishment of democracy, the Pnyx is one of the most important and oldest centres for modern day politics in the West.

At the Museum of Cycladic Art we will discover an outstanding collection of artefacts and figurines. Aristotle’s Lyceum, meanwhile, is one of three great public gymnasia in Athens and the site of the foundation of the Peripatetic School in 335 BCE.

At the Temple of Zeus Olympios, we will marvel at what was once the largest temple in Greece.

Hiera Odos, or the Sacred Way, connected Athens and Eleusis via an ancient pilgrim road. Kerameikos, at its start, was the site at which Pericles honoured those who had fallen in the first year of the Peloponnesian War.

Back-to-back tour opportunity

Customers travelling on this tour may also wish to consider booking on Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese, which will be running from October 17-27, 2025 and also led by Rita Roussos. Please see page 30 or contact the ACE office for more information.

This tour will be led by Rita Roussos , PhD. Born in Athens, Rita read Ancient Greek and Latin at the University of California, Berkeley, before gaining her PhD in History of Art at London’s Courtauld Institute of Art.

Along the way, we will be beguiled by the UNESCO-listed Daphni Monastery, with famed masterpieces of middle Byzantine architecture.

Further highlights include Eleusis, site of the Eleusinian Mysteries, and an excursion to the beautiful island of Aegina, home to the architecturally acclaimed Temple of Aphaia. The archeological museum houses the statue of Sphinx, dedicated to Apollo.

Our tour continues with a visit to Brauron, one of the twelve cities of Attica before the unified Athenian state, while Sounion contains a temple dedicated to Poseidon.

We will stay throughout at the four-star Hotel Amalia in Athens, a comfortable hotel ideally located near to many sites.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour is designed to make the most of our stay in Greece with a wide variety of visits. It involves some longer days with a significant amount of coach travel and walking, so participants should have a good level of fitness, mobility and stamina. At some sites, the ground is uneven or hilly, and there are steps to navigate. Some archaeological sites are exposed, and the weather can be warm.

For ACE’s fitness criteria, please see the Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Our itinerary may also be adjusted further on the ground.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 0800 on British Airways, arriving Athens 1345. Transfer to Hotel Amalia, Athens, for six nights. Welcome and introduction.

D ay 2 Morning: visit to Amphiareion of Oropos archaeological site (oracle and healing sanctuary. Afternoon: Museum of Cycladic Art and Aristotle’s Lyceum. Evening lecture: Demeter & Kore.

D ay 3 Morning: Daphni Monastery, Eleusis archeological site and museum. Afternoon: Panathenaic Stadium.

D ay 4 Morning: Piraeus Museum followed by excursion to Aegina Island (archaeological museum and Temple of Aphaia).

D ay 5 Morning: Kerameikos, Philopappou Hill and Pnyx. Free afternoon. Evening talk: Pisistratus & Hadrian in Athens.

D ay 6 Visits to Brauron (Sanctuary to Artemis and museum), Thorikos (mining settlement and ancient theatre) and Sounion (archeological sites, Temple of Poseidon).

D ay 7 Morning: Temple of Zeus Olympios. Depart Athens 1410, arriving Heathrow 1625.

Cost of £2595 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a superior twin or double bedded room, six breakfasts, six dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, superior double room for single use supplement £425.

TOUR CODE: HDAT25

Panathenaic Stadium

BELGIUM

Bruges

October 27–31, 2025

Explore the delightful medieval town of Bruges, characterised by its fine churches, canals and cobbled streets

Discover the works of the Flemish Primitives, including Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling, with visits to the Groeningemuseum and the recently reopened Memling Museum at the Hospital of St John

Enjoy a private reception at the extraordinary Adornes Domain and Jerusalem Chapel

The city of Bruges was a vibrant trading metropolis and the jewel in the crown of the Dukes of Burgundy. The city’s wealth and prosperity attracted large numbers of cosmopolitan traders, and provided patronage to some of the greatest artists of the period, whose work became famous throughout Europe.

The historical centre of Bruges is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, and retains much of its medieval character, including the original pattern of streets, squares, canals and open spaces. It is the perfect city to explore in a relaxed manner on foot, with all the main sites within a short distance of one another.

Walking through the Cloth Hall and out into the Markt, it is easy to imagine this square as the city’s medieval commercial hub. Look up, and you see Bruges’s unique skyline dominated by the towers and spires of St Saviour’s Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, whose 115.5 metre brick tower is the second tallest of its kind in the world.

Art historian Sarah Burles , MA, will lead this tour. Sarah read History of Art at Cambridge before going on to a career in museum and gallery education. This included 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum as well as work in other Cambridge museums.

We will visit the Groeningemuseum, home to a stunning collection of paintings by the Flemish Primitives including Jan van Eyck’s famous Van der Paele altarpiece, Hans Memling’s Moreel Triptych and Gerard David’s Baptism of Christ. St John’s Hospital, established in the 12th century and recently reopened, holds six paintings by Memling, four of which were commissioned by members of the hospital community.

We will also visit the Gruuthusemuseum, which reopened in 2019 following a renovation and redisplay. This luxurious city palace of the Lords of Gruuthuse hosts outstanding collections of furniture, sculpture, tapestry, lace and silver, and the oratory which links the palace to the Church of Our Lady.

The Treasury at St Saviour’s Cathedral contains a small but fascinating collection of paintings and applied arts, while the Church of Our Lady boasts Michelangelo’s beautiful Madonna and Child

A highlight of our tour will be a visit to the extraordinary Jerusalem Chapel built by the Adornes family in the 15th century and based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. We will enjoy a private reception in the Adornes mansion, still lived in by the family.

Our tour concludes with a visit to the Cathedral of St Bavo in Ghent, to view the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb altarpiece.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel De Tuilerieën, an elegant 15th

century patrician house that has been transformed and extended into a luxurious contemporary hotel. The hotel is situated in the heart of Bruges overlooking the Dijver Canal, minutes from the Groeningemuseum and other sites on our itinerary.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour is taken at a relaxed pace, but participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions, and be prepared for some walking in Bruges’s historical centre, including over uneven pavements and cobbled streets. Participants should be prepared for traversing uneven ground, steps, dimly lit interiors and slippery surfaces. Please note that there is no lift at the Gruuthusemuseum, and some parts of the collection can only be accessed via narrow, steep and winding staircases.

ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

D ay 1 Depart London St Pancras 1104 on Eurostar, arriving Brussels 1405. Transfer by coach to Bruges for four nights at Hotel De Tuilerieën. Short walking tour: Vismarkt, Burg, Markt, Belfort, Wollestraat.

D ay 2 Morning lecture followed by visit to Groeningemuseum. Afternoon: St Saviour’s Cathedral and Church of Our Lady.

D ay 3 Morning lecture followed by visit to Memling Museum at St John’s Hospital. Afternoon: Beguinage and Almshouse. Free evening.

D ay 4 Morning visit to Gruuthusemuseum. Afternoon: St Anne’s Church followed by Adornes Domain and Jerusalem Chapel.

D ay 5 Transfer by coach to Ghent for visit to Cathedral of St Bavo. Continue to Brussels for 1651 departure by Eurostar, arriving London St Pancras 1747.

Cost of £2195 includes: return travel, accommodation based on sharing an executive twin or double bedded room, four breakfasts, one lunch, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes. Not included: travel insurance, charming double room for single use supplement £280. Executive rooms with a canal view are available at a supplement – please contact the ACE office for more details. TOUR CODE: BRUG25

Bruges

Everyday Life in Rome

November 5–11, 2025

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the lives of the Roman free society

Marvel at the largest stone map of the Roman Republic at the Museo della Forma Urbis Romae

Wander along the Appian Way, one of the earliest and most strategically significant roads of the ancient capital

This newly crafted tour will delve into the daily lives of the two distinct classes that formed Roman free society: patricians (the upper class) and plebeians (the working-class). Regarded as the first Imperial city and metropolis, Rome was central in the establishment of the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire.

Palatine Hill was the location of Rome’s foundation and has remained a focal point throughout the city’s history. Nearby are the Imperial Fora, an economic and political centre for the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, and Roman Forum, a nucleus for day-today life.

Along the Appian Way, we will marvel at the architecture of the afterlife with visits to the Tomb of Caecilia Metella and the Tomb of Scipiones. Further down is the Circus of Maxentius where visions of funerary games rise from the remnants. The Insula dell’ara Coeli, an ancient Roman apartment block, and Colombario dei Liberti di Augusto, a burial chamber from the imperial era

Our Tour Director is Eireann Marshall, PhD, an experienced tour leader, Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University. Eireann was raised in the Veneto and educated at Barnard College, Columbia University, as well as the universities of Birmingham and Exeter.

which we hope to visit, offer insights into the life and death of Roman citizens.

A unique stance on the religious and commercial overlap of daily life can be observed at the ancient cattle market in Santa Maria in Cosmedin and Porticus Octaviae, a medieval fish market.

Developed into a prominent commercial port and urbanisation, Ostia Antica’s subsequent decline and influx from sand dunes resulted in immaculate preservation of ancient buildings and beautiful frescoes and mosaics.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel Forum in Rome, occupying an 18th century building ideally situated in the heart of Rome overlooking the Forum of Augustus.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that this tour has a full itinerary and involves extensive walking, including over many cobbled streets, so a very good level of fitness is required. Some sites will involve walking up and down steps, which can be uneven and do not always have handrails. Rome’s streets and the Appian Way can be busy with traffic, so care must be taken. Archaeological sites are exposed with uneven ground so sturdy shoes must be worn and, if required, walking poles/sticks are recommended. Sites, particularly interiors of tombs, may also be dimly lit. Participants should meet our usual fitness requirements, as described in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. Sites in Rome can experience last minute closures owing to local events or restoration works. It may therefore

be necessary to confirm certain visits closer to departure, adjust arrangements on the ground, or view particular sites from the exteriors.

D ay 1 Flight from London to Rome. Transfer to Hotel Forum, Rome for six nights. Welcome and introduction.

D ay 2 Morning: Baths of Caracalla. Afternoon: Montetestasccio (exterior), Horrea Galbae (exterior) and archaeological area of Testaccio (time permitting). Evening lecture: The Forum Boarium.

D ay 3 Morning: Insula dell’ara Coeli (exterior), Theatre of Marcellus (exterior), Porticus Octaviae (exterior), Republican Temples, Ponte Rotta, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Arch of Janus and Arch of Silversmiths. Afternoon: Museo della Forma Urbis Romae and Archaeological Park Celio. Free evening.

D ay 4 Morning: Porta Latina, Tomb of Scipiones, Porta San Sebastiano (exterior) and private visit to Colombario dei Liberti di Augusto (subject to confirmation). Afternoon: Appian Way (Circus of Maxentius and Tomb of Caecilia Metella). Evening lecture: Ostia

D ay 5 Full day excursion to Ostia Antica: Neptune Baths, theatre, Piazzale Delle Corporazioni, Thermopolium of Diana, bakery, forum, forum baths, Mithraeum, Portus and Isola Sacra Necropolis. Evening lecture: Montetestaccio

D ay 6 Morning: Colosseum and Arch of Constantine. Afternoon: Imperial Fora, the Roman Forum and Palatine.

D ay 7 Morning: Pantheon and Largo Argentina Temples (final flight time permitting). Flight from Rome to London.

Full details, including the tour cost, will be released in 2025. Please contact the ACE office or visit our website to register your interest. TOUR CODE: ELRO25

Palatine Hill

Pompeii with Herculaneum

November 5–11, 2025

Gain unrivalled insights into day-today life in the Roman Empire

Discover Cumae, one of the most important Greek city-states in antiquity, alongside Pozzuoli with its impressive Roman amphitheatre

Explore Paestum with its Doric sanctuaries and the renowned Archaeological Museum in vibrant Naples

Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed yet preserved by the volcanic catastrophe, grant unrivalled insights into day-to-day life in the Roman Empire. Our tour offers the opportunity to explore the sites in depth, and we particularly look forward to viewing the House of the Vettii, recently reopened after extensive restoration works and years of closure.

Our comprehensive itinerary in and around the Bay of Naples will take in a wider array of ancient treasures, such as the exceptional finds on display at the National Archaeological Museum in the ever-vibrant city of Naples, and the vast villa complex at Oplontis. Adorned with sumptuous wall paintings that unveil the extravagant lifestyle enjoyed by the Roman elite, the villa is thought to have been Nero’s wedding present to his second wife, Poppaea.

Tour Director Steve Mastin , MA, PGCE, FHA studied history and classics before working as a school teacher for 17 years, leading trips to Italy, France and Germany. He has also worked overseas training history teachers in Singapore, Australia and Kazakhstan. A committed advocate of the power of storytelling, Steve is passionate about bringing a life-long love of history to students of all ages. He is a Fellow of the Historical Association and is a regular speaker at history conferences both in the UK and overseas.

Paestum, “inexpressibly grand” according to Shelley, was founded c 600 BCE by Greek colonists from Sybaris. Here we will pay particular attention to the Doric sanctuaries of Ceres, Hera and Neptune, which rank among the best-preserved Greek temples to be found anywhere in the ancient world.

Cumae, one of the most important Greek city-states in antiquity, is also on our itinerary together with Italy’s third largest Roman amphitheatre at Pozzuoli.

We will stay at the Hotel La Medusa, Castellammare di Stabia, an attractive four-star establishment set in beautiful grounds.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, and participants should be aware that the terrain at the archaeological sites can be uneven with slippery and rocky sections, and few opportunities to sit down. The optional ascent up Vesuvius involves a steep walk of around 30 minutes, and Cumae also includes an extended uphill walk. For more details on our minimum fitness requirements, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements, including the lecture titles, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Archaeological sites can close or change their opening times at short notice; therefore, some visits may be reordered.

D ay 1 Flight from London to Naples. Transfer to Hotel La Medusa, Castellammare di Stabia, for six nights. Welcome and introduction.

“Beyond all my expectations. Steve’s guiding was infused with his love of history, especially of this period”

– ACE customer on the 2024 Pompeii with Herculaneum tour led by Steve Mastin

D ay 2 Morning visit to Naples Archaeological Museum, followed by lunch on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius. Continue ascent by coach, followed by optional ascent to the crater (weather permitting; must be done on foot). Evening talk: The Events of 79 CE – Myth vs Archaeology.

D ay 3 Whole day visit to Pompeii: forum, shopping macellum, Villa of the Mysteries, baths, theatres and Houses of the Faun, Venus and Vettii – the latter recently restored.

D ay 4 Herculaneum (panoramic villas, palaestra, baths, shops) followed by Villa Poppaea, Oplontis and Villa Regina, Boscoreale. Evening talk: GrecoRoman Religion.

D ay 5 Whole day excursion to Paestum: temples of Ceres, Hera and Neptune, museum. Evening talk: Aeneas & the Sibyl of Cumae.

D ay 6 Cumae (cave of the Sibyl, acropolis), Pozzuoli (amphitheatre) and Stabiae (Villa San Marco).

D ay 7 Flight from Naples to London.

Cost of £2795 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, six breakfasts, two lunches (one packed), six dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £415. TOUR CODE: POM325

Pompeii with Vesuvius in the distance

From Bologna to Parma: A Feast for the Soul & Senses

November 10–16, 2025

Experience the artistic highlights of northern Italy from bases in historical Bologna and Parma

View works of art by Old Masters, including Bolognese paintings in the Pinacoteca Nazionale

Explore fascinating architecture, including the Gothic Basilica di San Petronio and Basilica di San Domenico in Bologna

Our tour begins in Bologna, the world’s oldest university city, which has attracted cultural thinkers since Dante and Petrarch and today continues to foster a spirit of intellectual curiosity and vibrancy.

Bologna’s Pinacoteca Nazionale is a treasure trove of Bolognese and Emilian paintings, and considered one of Italy’s most important galleries, housing works by Raphael, Titian and Guercino amongst others.

Progressing from Bologna to Parma, we will stop en route at Modena, taking in its historical core and visiting the Galleria Estense.

Founded by the Romans, the city of Parma was built on the Via Emilia, an important trade route. The cupola of the 11th century cathedral is acclaimed for its masterful ceiling frescoes by Correggio, while the imposing Palazzo della Pilotta houses the Galleria Nazionale with paintings by Murillo and Parmigianino. Mantua, which only joined the kingdom of Italy in 1866, is home to the famed

This tour will be led by art historian Andrew Spira , MA, a former curator at the V&A who has been leading cultural tours across Europe for over 20 years. Andrew studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art and City University, London.

Meanwhile, Sabbioneta, a uniquely preserved example of Renaissance town planning, features a rare surviving example of a Renaissance theatre.

Our first three nights will be spent at the four-star Art Hotel Commercianti, located in a restored 12th century former town hall in Bologna’s historical centre. We will then move to the traditional fourstar Hotel Mercure Parma Stendhal in Parma’s old town.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, as much of each day is spent walking and some visits will involve standing for periods of time. It is necessary to navigate uneven ground, cobbles and steps. For ACE’s fitness criteria, please see the Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change. Historical Italian buildings often close at short notice, for restoration works, so some visits may be reordered or subject to confirmation nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 0835 on British Airways, arriving Bologna 1150. Transfer to Art Hotel Commercianti, Bologna, for three nights. Short orientation walking tour and visit to San Domenico. Welcome and evening lecture: Medieval Devotion & the Origin of the Renaissance.

D ay 2 Morning: Pinacoteca Nazionale. Afternoon: Palazzo Poggi, Oratory of Santa Cecilia and San Giacomo Maggiore (subject to confirmation).

Back-to-back tour opportunity Customers travelling on this tour may also wish to consider booking on Art & Architecture of Puglia, which will be running from November 17-24, 2025 and also led by Andrew Spira. Please see page 36 or contact the ACE office for more information.

D ay 3 Morning: Cathedral and Archiginnasio. Afternoon: San Petronio and Oratorio di Santa Maria della Vita. Evening lecture: Humanism & Courtly Culture.

D ay 4 Depart for Parma via Modena (Galleria Estense). Afternoon in Parma: San Giovanni Evangelista, cathedral and baptistery. Evening lecture: Art, Theatre & Propaganda. Three nights at Hotel Mercure Parma Stendhal.

D ay 5 Whole day excursion to Mantua: Palazzo Ducale, Camera Picta, Basilica di San Andrea and Palazzo Te.

D ay 6 Excursion to Sabbioneta: Synagogue, Palazzo Ducale, Teatro all’Antica, Galleria degli Antichi and Palazzo Giardino. Return to Parma for Camera di San Paolo and Palazzo della Pilotta (Teatro Farnese and Galleria Nazionale).

D ay 7 Depart Bologna 1225, arriving Heathrow 1355.

Cost of £3395 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, six breakfasts, one lunch, five dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement (double room for single use in Parma) £295, double room for single use supplement (throughout) £495. TOUR CODE: BOLG25

Renaissance Palazzo Te and the Palazzo Ducale, containing majestic works by Rubens and Mantegna.

Basilica di San Petronio

Art & Architecture of Puglia

November 17–24, 2025

Explore the diverse artistic and architectural heritage of Bari, Barletta, Matera and Otranto

Visit UNESCO-listed sites, including Matera’s Sasso district and Alberobello with its delightful trulli

Discover one of southern Italy’s most impressive 15th century narrative fresco cycles at the Romanesque Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria

Nestled in the heel of Italy lies Puglia – or Apulia as it was originally named –the most prosperous region in the south of the country, but surprisingly one of its less-frequented parts. The diversity of its architectural heritage reflects its multifaceted past and importance on ancient trading and pilgrimage routes.

In Bari, we will explore the Pinacoteca Provinciale, home to a distinguished collection of Old Master paintings, sculptures and 19th century Italian art. In Barletta, we will visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, built in both the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Our Tour Director is art historian Andrew Spira, MA, who studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art and City University, London. Andrew has worked as a curator at the V&A and as Programme Director at Christie’s Education.

Back-to-back tour opportunity Customers travelling on this tour may also wish to consider booking on From Bologna to Parma: A Feast for the Soul & Senses , which will be running from November 10-16, 2025 and also led by Andrew Spira. Please see page 35 or contact the ACE office for more information.

Further highlights will include the UNESCO World Heritage site of Alberobello, capital of trulli country, and the ‘Sassi’ at the ancient city of Matera, originally a prehistoric troglodyte settlement.

Our journey continues in Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’, taking in its beautiful piazzas, churches and Roman remains.

In the cathedral of the coastal town of Otranto we will view the 12th century Tree of Life mosaic, while towards the end of our tour, we will see the 13th century paintings at Santa Maria di Cerrate and the celebrated fresco cycles in the Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria at Galatina.

Our first four nights will be spent at Bari’s five-star Grande Albergo Nazioni Hotel, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. We will continue to Lecce for three nights at the centrally-located five-star Patria Palace Hotel, occupying an 18th century former palazzo. This tour has been scheduled to take place outside the high tourist season, when we hope to enjoy quieter viewing conditions at sites.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour has a full itinerary and requires a good level of fitness and mobility. It involves a significant amount of standing and walking, including uphill and over cobbled, uneven and slippery ground (coaches are not allowed into the centres of some towns). Matera involves visits to underground church and cave sites, and participants should feel comfortable in low light levels and traversing steps (occasionally steep and without handrails). For ACE’s fitness requirements, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Historical sites and churches in Italy can undergo restoration work or closure at short notice.

D ay 1 Depart London Heathrow 1355 on British Airways, arriving Naples 1745. Transfer to Grande Albergo Nazioni Hotel, Bari, for four nights.

D ay 2 Morning introductory lecture: Puglia – Ancient & Medieval followed by walking tour of Bari (Romanesque cathedral and Basilica di San Nicola). Afternoon: Pinacoteca Provinciale. Evening lecture: Puglia – The Baroque & Beyond.

D ay 3 Morning excursion to Barletta: Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore and Pinacoteca De Nittis (Palazzo della Marra). Continue to Trani for Cathedral of San Nicola and Museo della Macchina Per Scrivere (subject to confirmation). Free evening.

D ay 4 Whole day excursion to Matera: Sassi, Rupestrian Church of Santa Lucia alla Mave, Cathedral of Santa Maria della Bruna, Baroque area, Sasso Barisano district and Palombaro Lungo.

D ay 5 Morning excursion to Alberobello for trullo sovrano. Afternoon visit to olive oil producer (tour and tasting). Continue to Lecce for three nights at Hotel Patria Palace.

D ay 6 Church of Santo Stefano, Soleto; Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, Galatina; Otranto (cathedral). Free evening.

D ay 7 Morning walking tour of Lecce: Castello di Carlo V, Piazza Sant’Oronzo, Roman theatre and amphitheatre, Church of Santa Chiara, Vittorio Emmanuele II, Piazza del Duomo, cathedral, Church of Santa Irene, Basilica di Santa Croce and Palazzo dei Celestini (exteriors). Afternoon: Santa Maria di Cerrate.

D ay 8 Transfer to Naples (with stops en route) for 1840 flight, arriving Heathrow 2035.

Cost of £3995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, seven breakfasts, five dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £625. TOUR CODE: AAPU25

Traditional trulli houses in Alberobello

Piero della Francesca

November 17–24, 2025

Discover the abundance of paintings and sites relating to the great artist Piero della Francesca along the eponymous trail stretching through Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches

Trace the artist’s beginnings in his birthplace of Sansepolcro, and explore his mature work in Arezzo and Urbino

Learn about other artists who have lived in the region, with a visit to Raphael’s House in Urbino

The Piero della Francesca trail offers visitors to Italy glimpses of rural villages and medieval walled towns that have changed little since the 15th century, as well as the opportunity to gain an indepth understanding of this fascinating artist, his life, times and work.

Our tour begins in the medieval walled town of Sansepolcro, with visits to the house where Piero was born, raised and died, and to the Duomo, his final resting place. The Museo Civico contains two of the artist’s most important paintings: his magnificent Madonna della Misericordia polyptych and his Resurrection, described by Aldous Huxley as “the most beautiful painting in the world”.

In Arezzo’s Church of San Francesco we will view Piero’s outstanding fresco cycle, the Legend of the True Cross, while Urbino’s beautiful Ducal Palace holds a rich collection of paintings including the Flagellation of Christ.

The hamlet of Monterchi in the Tiber Valley contains Piero’s Madonna del Parto, one of the earliest depictions

Our Tour Director is Lucrezia Walker, BA, MA, an author, art historian and experienced tour leader who lectures at London’s National Gallery. She has studied in Venice and Perugia, and lived and worked in Rome.

of a pregnant Madonna, while the Museo Diocesano in the ancient hill town of Cortona houses Fra Angelico’s Annunciation. We will see many Franciscan frescoes and paintings, complemented by an excursion to Assisi for the Basilica of St Francis.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel Tiferno, a converted palazzo with simply furnished rooms, conveniently located in the heart of Città di Castello near Perugia.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a high level of fitness, as most days involve visits to hilltop towns, which are steep with cobbled, uneven streets and paving. It is usually necessary for the coach to park at the bottom of these towns, and although some have lifts/escalators to reach the top, once in these towns, participants are required to navigate hilly and steep streets. Cortona must be accessed on foot and there is a steep climb up a cobbled street without a handrail. Assisi can be crowded with tourists. Several visits have steps and stairs (sometimes without handrails). Interiors can be dimly lit, and some walking (short distances back from local restaurants to the hotel) is in darkness. Please consult ACE’s fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks mentioned. Historical sites and churches in Italy can close at short notice for restoration works or services.

D ay 1 Flight from London to Florence. Transfer to Città di Castello for seven nights at Hotel Tiferno. Orientation tour (including Duomo) –final flight time permitting. Evening welcome and introduction.

D ay 2 Morning excursion to Sansepolcro: Piero della Francesca’s house, Museo Civico and Duomo. Afternoon: Monterchi and Museo della Madonna del Parto. Evening talk.

D ay 3 Morning excursion to Perugia: Collegio del Cambio, Merchants’ Guild, Sala dei Notari, Duomo and Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria. Afternoon: return to Città di Castello for Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera and San Domenico (subject to confirmation).

D ay 4 Morning excursion to Assisi (Basilica). Afternoon: return to Città di Castello for San Francesco and Burri Foundation. Evening talk.

D ay 5 Excursion through Apennine Mountains to Urbino for Raphael’s House and Ducal Palace.

D ay 6 Excursion to Cortona: walking tour and Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca. Afternoon: Museo Diocesano.

D ay 7 Excursion to Arezzo: Cathedral of San Donato, walking tour (Town Hall, Piazza Grande, Piazza della Libertà, Vasari’s Palazzo delle Logge – exteriors), Vasari’s House and Basilica of San Francesco.

D ay 8 Transfer to Rome for flight to London.

Cost of £2895 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, seven breakfasts, seven dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £165. TOUR CODE: PIER25

Madonna del Parto by Piero della Francesca, 1457

Morocco: Archaeology of the Western Kingdom

November 22 – December 3, 2025

Discover the delights of Marrakesh, including the 16th century El Badi Palace

Explore the citadel of the Chellah and the Kasbah des Oudaias in Rabat

Take an excursion into the foothills of the High Atlas mountains with their snow-capped peaks

Located in the Maghreb “the West” region of north Africa, Morocco’s earliest recorded history begins with Phoenician occupation between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE. Establishing trade routes and commercial outposts, such as Lixus, on the Mediterranean coast allowed northwest expansion to counter the Levant.

Roman expansion into this vast landscape allowed extension of its authority and influence across the Mediterranean, establishing strategic centres at Volubilis and Chellah, a Roman city and fortified Muslim necropolis. The spread of Islam during the mid-7th century then gave birth in Morocco to an artistic and architectural legacy of enormous diversity.

This tour provides an in-depth exploration of the country’s fascinating archaeology and art, as well as opportunities to take in its breathtaking landscape, as we journey along the coast and into mountains exploring this unique terrain and history.

Our Tour Director is Eireann Marshall , PhD, a Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University. Educated at Barnard College, Columbia, and the universities of Birmingham and Exeter, Eireann is an expert in the classical and ancient worlds and has published several articles on Ancient North Africa. She has led many tours across Europe and North Africa.

Rabat, a captivating mélange of influences and cultures, is home to a wealth of monuments. Recently reopened following a large restoration, the walled citadel of the Chellah, an abandoned ancient port that was transformed in the 14th century into a burial ground for the Marinid dynasty, forms one of Morocco’s most beautiful ruins. We will then enter the medina through the 17th century Andalusian walls, and walk to the Almohad citadel known as the Kasbah des Oudaias, with its impressive 12th century gate and enchanting Andalusianstyle gardens.

En route to Tangier, ‘Europe’s gateway to Africa’, we will visit Larache for the ancient city of Lixus, site of the legendary Garden of Hesperides, dating back to prehistoric times and boasting interesting Roman remains. We will also take in Asilah, one of the most elegant of the old Portuguese Atlantic towns. Highlights in Tangier itself include the walled Kasbah and the small Museum of Moroccan Arts, with ceramics from Fez and Meknès.

Our tour includes an overnight stay in the spectacularly situated mountain town of Chefchaouen, where the medina has magnificent views of the Rif Mountains.

Founded in the 9th century and home to the world’s oldest university, Fez reached its zenith under the Marinids, as witnessed by the elaborate profusion of souks, madrasas, mosques and minarets that date from the 13th century.

Meknès, meanwhile, founded in the 11th century and revitalised by Sultan Moulay Ismaïl in the 18th, is an attractive example of the harmonious blend of Islamic and Spanish styles.

We will also unravel the mysteries of the beautiful Roman ruins of Volubilis, the capital of ancient Mauritania and one of the country’s most important ancient sites, with extensive remains dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE.

Marrakesh charms with its breathtakingly intricate 16th century Saadian tombs, the vast and eloquent ruins of the El Badi Palace, Majorelle Gardens and Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Meanwhile, the snow-capped High Atlas provides a stunning backdrop to understanding this boundless landscape.

We will stay in a variety of boutique, characterful hotels in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fez and Marrakesh.

El Badi Palace

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness, mobility and stamina is required for this tour, as it involves a significant amount of travel and six different hotel stays, as well as time spent walking and standing at historical sites, where there are not always frequent opportunities to sit down. The longest coach journey is approximately 7 hours, with stops en route. Participants should be prepared for traversing uneven ground, steps and cobbles, as well as dimly lit interiors. Please consult ACE’s minimum fitness requirements in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY

The itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time, or adjusted on the ground to fit local conditions.

Day 1 Flight from London to Casablanca. Overnight in Casablanca.

Day 2 Casablanca: Art Deco architecture and Hassan II Mosque. Transfer to Rabat for two nights. Evening lecture.

Day 3 Morning in Rabat: esplanade of the Royal Palace, walled citadel of Chellah and Archaeology Museum. Afternoon: Medina with 17th century Andalusian walls, Kasbah des Oudaias, Andalusian-style gardens. Evening lecture.

Day 4 Via Larache for ancient Lixus and Asilah. Continue to Tangier for overnight.

Full details, including the tour cost, will be released in 2025. Please contact the ACE office or visit our website to register your interest TOUR CODE: MORO25

Tangier: walled kasbah, Museum of Moroccan Arts, reputed tomb of Ibn Battuta. Afternoon: depart for Chefchaouen for overnight.

Day 6 Morning in Chefchaouen: Kasbah, Medina. Transfer to Fez for three nights. Evening lecture.

Day 7 Morning: Volubilis (beautiful ruins of a major Berber-Roman city from the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE). Afternoon: visits in Meknès.

Day 8 Fez: souks, madrasas, Andalusian Quarter and al-Qarawiyyin Library (subject to confirmation). Afternoon: optional visits to Jewish quarter in Fez el Jedid and traditional pottery studio.

9 Via Rabat and Casablanca to

(approx 7 hour journey with stops on route) for three nights. Evening lecture.

Day 10 Marrakesh: Saadian tombs, Almohad gateway of Bab Agnaou, ruins of El Badi Palace, Koubba, Almohad tower of Koutoubia Mosque (exterior).

Day 11 Morning: Majorelle Gardens and Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Afternoon excursion to the foothills of High Atlas Mountains (Aghmat).

Day 12 Flight from Marrakesh to London.

Day 5

Day

Marrakesh

Chellah

Ben Youssef Madrasa

SCHEDULE

Full 2025 Schedule

We are pleased to share an overview of our planned departures for 2025. To register your interest in a tour not yet on sale, we warmly invite you to visit our website or contact the ACE office on 01223 841055.

Please note that some tours and dates may be subject to change or confirmation, and we cannot guarantee that all the tours listed below will go ahead.

January

6–9 Winter at the Royal Shakespeare Company (Second departure)

6–19 Secret Treasures of Egypt with a Nile Cruise

13–16 Winter at the Royal Shakespeare Company (First departure)

24–30 Mozart Festival in Salzburg

27–31 Wildlife & Walking in Norfolk: Winter Tour

February

4–10 Venice: The Triumph of Light & Colour (First departure)

6–9 Cambridge College Chapels & Organs

10–17 Renaissance Florence: City of Wonders (First departure)

19–23 Bath Bachfest

24–3/3 Art Treasures of Naples: From the Romans to the Baroque

March

3–6 Art Treasures of Manchester (First departure)

3–7 Roman & Byzantine Ravenna (First departure)

3–10 Art on the Côte d’Azur (First departure)

5–10 Elgar, Birmingham & Worcester

10–15 Aquileia: City of Antiquity (First departure)

17–20 Art Treasures of Manchester (Second departure)

17–21 Stained Glass in England: Style, Technique & Colour (First departure)

17–22 Art Treasures of Dresden: Porcelain & Paintings

19–26 Wildlife & Walking in Extremadura (active edition)

20–24 Fenland Abbeys

21–27 Pompeii with Herculaneum (First departure)

25–1/4 Music & Opera in New York

April

1–6 Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens

1–8 Bavarian Baroque

1–13 Algeria: Encounters between Rome & North Africa

3–6 The Rights of Man: Rebellion & Dissent in East Anglia

7–12 Cornwall Calling: The Artists of Newlyn, Lamorna & St Ives

7–13 Art Treasures of Berlin: Historical Riches

8–13 Yorkshire: From Arts & Crafts to Modernism

11–17 Music & Art in Provence

11–18 Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge (First departure)

12–22 Jordan: Kingdoms of the Desert

15–22 Wild & Ancient Crete (relaxed edition)

22–29 Wild & Ancient Sardinia

26–10/5 Lycian Cruise (First departure)

28–2/5 Romney Marsh Churches

30–8/5 Great Art Collections of Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington

Fenland Abbeys

SCHEDULE

May

5–10 Vienna: City of the Arts

6–10 Great Bardfield & Beyond: Mid–Century Art & Design in East Anglia

6–20 Wonders of Georgia: Archaeology, Culture & Landscape

8–14 Mahler Festival in Amsterdam (First departure)

13–19 Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation

13–19 Mahler Festival in Amsterdam (Second departure)

13–20 Wildlife & Walking on the Isles of Scilly

13–29 Japan in Springtime: History, Art & Landscape

14–21 Prague Spring Festival: 80th Anniversary Tour

15–21 Art Deco in Belgium

16–21 Houses & Gardens of Northern Ireland

21–28 Wildlife & Walking in Extremadura (relaxed edition)

21–31 Ancient Cyprus (First departure)

23–30 Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig: Anniversary Tour

June

2–6 Churches of Herefordshire & Shropshire (First departure)

2–9 Roussillon

3–8 Bauhaus: German Modern Art & Design

9–21 Northern Greece

12–18 Bach Festival in Leipzig

17–24 Wild & Ancient Islay & Jura

22–28 St Magnus Festival on Orkney

23–1/7 Hungary: Kingdom of the Magyars

24–30 East Neuk Festival: Celebrating 20 Years

25–2/7 Dingle & the Ring of Kerry

26–30 Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival

26–5/7 Danube River Cruise

30–4/7 Churches of Suffolk

30–4/7 Hadrian’s Wall

TBC Aldeburgh Festival (First departure)

TBC Aldeburgh Festival (Second departure)

July

3–10 Roman & Medieval Burgundy: From Vercingetorix the Gaul to Charles the Bold

5–9 Longborough Opera Festival

5–10 York Early Music Festival

7–11 Wildlife & Walking in Norfolk: Summer Tour

8–15 Wild & Ancient Orkney

8–18 Iceland: Forces of Nature

9–14 Verona Opera Festival

20–26 Ireland’s Ancient Heartland

21–24 Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk

21–25 Houses & Gardens of Herefordshire & the Welsh Borders

21–26 Buxton International Festival

24–30 The Hanseatic League: An Artistic Legacy

29-3/8 Hereford Three Choirs Festival

Northern Greece

SCHEDULE

August

4–8 Art & Ceramics of the Industrial Revolution

4–8 Northumbria in the First Millennium (First departure)

6–9 Sussex Modernism: Artists & Writers on the Downs

7–11 International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival

11–15 Northumbria in the First Millennium (Second departure)

11–16 Dorset Country Houses & Churches

11–16 William Morris in the Cotswolds: From the Pre-Raphaelites to Arts & Crafts

19–25 Art & Ceramics in Copenhagen & North Zealand

21–24 Bayreuth Festival

22–29 Schubert in Schwarzenberg: 50th Festival Tour

26–29 Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels

TBC Sibelius Festival in Finland: 160th Anniversary Tour

September

1–6 Scottish Art & Craft in Edinburgh & Dundee

6–13 Lycian Cruise (Second departure)

8–13 Aquileia: City of Antiquity (Second departure)

8–13 Isle of Wight

12–21 The Dodecanese Islands

15–19 Churches of Herefordshire & Shropshire (Second departure)

15–19 Roman & Byzantine Ravenna (Second departure)

16–23 Wild & Ancient Crete (active edition)

17–25 Prague & the Vltava Cruise: A Symphony of History & Music

22–27 Art & Landscape in Switzerland

22–27 Country Houses of North Norfolk

22–29 Art on the Côte d’Azur (Second departure)

26–3/10 Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge (Second departure)

29–5/10 Art Treasures of Berlin: The Modern & Contemporary

29–5/10 Turin: Art & Architecture of the Kingdom of Savoy

30–9/10 Ancient Sicily

TBC Haydn in Eisenstadt: Herbstgold Festival

October

3–10 Wildlife & Walking in Albania

6–9 Jazz at Hintlesham Hall

6–11 Jane Austen at 250

6–12 Pompeii with Herculaneum (Second departure)

6–18 Bulgaria: Thracians, Ottomans & Painted Monasteries

7–15 Arts & Crafts of Poland: Zakopane & Kraków at the Turn of the 20th Century

9–16 The Riviera di Levante

10–21 Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road

11–28 Chinese Civilisation

12–17 Palladio’s Villas in the Veneto

13–16 Connoisseur’s Cambridge

13–27 Havelis: Painted Mansions of Rajasthan

16–31 Mekong Cruise

17–27 Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese

21–6/11 Japan in Autumn: History, Art & Landscape

27–31 Bruges

29–4/11 Hidden Athens

30–9/11 Ancient Cyprus (Second departure)

TBC Ethiopia

TBC Glyndebourne (First departure)

TBC Glyndebourne (Second departure)

TBC International Chopin Piano Competition

TBC Oxford International Song Festival

TBC Wexford Opera Festival

November

5–11 Everyday Life in Rome

5–11 Pompeii with Herculaneum (Third departure)

6–12 Al-Andalus: Córdoba & Granada

10–16 From Bologna to Parma: A Feast for the Soul & Senses

10–17 Renaissance Florence: City of Wonders (Second departure)

11–17 Caravaggio in Italy

11–17 Venice: The Triumph of Light & Colour (Second departure)

17–21 Stained Glass in England: Style, Technique & Colour (Second departure)

17–24 Art & Architecture of Puglia

17–24 Piero della Francesca

22–3/12 Morocco: Archaeology of the Western Kingdom

25–30 Vienna 1900

TBC Bath Mozartfest (First departure)

TBC Bath Mozartfest (Second departure)

TBC Music & Opera in Vienna

TBC Oxford College Chapels & Organs

December

4–11 Ancient Treasures of Naples

TBC Ancient Egypt & the Nile: From Cairo to Aswan

TBC York Early Music Christmas Festival

Japan in Autumn: History, Art & Landscape

Our Experts

Chosen not only for their specialist knowledge, but equally for the clarity and enthusiasm with which they communicate and impart their passion to others, our expert Tour Directors are personally involved in the creation and planning of our tours. Below you will find Tour Directors leading departures featured in this brochure. To view the full biographies of all our Tour Directors, please visit aceculturaltours.co.uk/tour-directors

Christopher Bourne

Christopher Bourne, BA, has been leading art and architectural history tours in the UK and Belgium for over 20 years. He has a particular interest in 19th and 20th century art and architecture, from Arts & Crafts to Art Deco.

Sarah Burles

Sarah Burles, MA, studied History of Art at Cambridge and gained a Masters at UCL before working at Cambridge museums including the Fitzwilliam. She is an accredited Arts Society lecturer and experienced tour leader.

Sandy Burnett

Sandy Burnett, MA, is a musician and former broadcaster on BBC Radio 3. He has conducted a complete cycle of Bach cantatas, is the author of the Idler Guide to Classical Music, and is a Hogwood Fellow of the Academy of Ancient Music.

Emilie Capulet

Emilie Capulet, MA, MMus, PhD, is an award-winning international concert pianist, lecturer and musicologist. She is BMus (Hons) Programme Leader at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and recipient of a Leverhulme Research Fellowship.

Hugh Doherty

Hugh Doherty, DPhil, is a Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. He studied at King’s College London before gaining an MPhil at the University of Cambridge and a DPhil at the University of Oxford.

Michael Downes

Michael Downes, MA, MPhil, DPhil, is a conductor, writer and lecturer with a particular interest in opera. He is Director of Music at the University of St Andrews and was formerly Director of Music at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

Kevin Hand

Kevin Hand, MSc, MCIEEM, is a conservationist and environmental consultant with a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism. He is Vice President of the Cambridge Natural History Society and chairs the Newmarket Chalk Streams Trust.

Charles Hind

Charles Hind, MA, FSA, is an architectural historian and Chief Curator and H J Heinz Curator of Drawings at the Royal Institute of British Architects. He is a Trustee of the Georgian Group and Deputy Chairman of the Lutyens Trust.

Christopher Bourne

Sandy Burnett

Emilie Capulet

Hugh Doherty Michael Downes

Kevin Hand

Charles Hind

Sarah Burles

Paul Jackson

Paul Jackson, MA, PhD, is the former Head of Music & Performing Arts and Director of Music & Performance at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. He has had an extensive career as a conductor and solo and chamber music pianist.

Alex Koller

Alex Koller, PhD, is an expert in art history and architecture, who has lived and studied in Vienna, Salzburg and Cambridge, gaining his PhD from Magdalene College, Cambridge. He is an accomplished linguist and experienced tour leader.

Eireann Marshall

Dr Eireann Marshall is a Research Associate and Associate Lecturer with the Open University, who has led many tours in Europe and North Africa. She was chosen as the Top History & Culture Guide for Wanderlust magazine’s 2019 World Guide Awards.

Steve Mastin

Steve Mastin, MA, PGCE, FHA, studied history and classics before working as a schoolteacher for 17 years. During this time he led many trips abroad and worked overseas training history teachers, including in Kazakhstan.

Rita Roussos

Rita Roussos, PhD, studied ancient Greek and Latin at the University of California, Berkeley, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute. She has worked on archaeological projects in the Peloponnese and taught at the American University of Athens.

Andrew Spira

Andrew Spira, MA, is an expert in art history who has worked at Temple Gallery, the V&A and Christie’s Education. He has written several books and has been leading cultural tours across Europe for over 20 years.

Lucrezia Walker

Lucrezia Walker, BA, MA, lectures at the National Gallery and teaches the London Art History Programme for the University of North Carolina. She previously lived, studied and worked in Italy, and has led many tours in Europe.

Nicholas Wearne

Nicholas Wearne, BA (Hons), MPhil, is an organist, former ACE Bursary student and Senior Tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He has held positions as organist at New College, Oxford and St Martin-inthe-Fields, Trafalgar Square.

Richard Wigmore

Richard Wigmore, MA, AGSM, is a writer, broadcaster, lecturer and former professional singer specialising in Viennese classics, lieder and opera. He has lectured at Birkbeck, the Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music.

Paul Jackson Alex Koller

Eireann Marshall Steve Mastin

Rita Roussos

Andrew Spira

Lucrezia Walker

Nicholas Wearne

Richard Wigmore

BOOKING PROCEDURE AND CONDITIONS

Booking Conditions

INTRODUCTION

ACE Cultural Tours meets or exceeds all the requirements of the Package Travel Regulations 2018, full details of which can be found online at: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/ made

In addition, flight-inclusive tours benefit from the financial protection afforded by our Air Travel Organiser’s License (ATOL 10204), whilst UK and other tours without flights are protected through the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT). We are also long-term members of the Association of Independent Tours Operators (AITO). For your own safety and financial security we do not recommend you book a holiday that does not benefit from the above protection.

The Package Travel Regulations 2018 together with the following booking information and our promotional material form the basis of your contract with ACE Cultural Tours. We have tried to keep this as concise and simple as possible, so please read all the following paragraphs to make sure you understand and are happy with the terms of your booking.

PAYMENT

If you are booking 10 weeks or more before departure, the following deposits are payable at the time of booking:

£300 per person for UK tours. £400 per person for all European tours. £550 per person for Worldwide tours. £500 per person for all cruises.*

The balance must be received by us not less than 10 weeks prior to departure. This date will be shown on the confirmation invoice. We do send an email reminder but ask that you also make a note of the date in your diary.

If you are booking less than 10 weeks before departure, full payment for all tours must be made at the time of booking.

*In addition to the deposit at the time of booking all cruises require a further payment of £500 six months prior to sailing.

NO SURCHARGES

Tour prices are confirmed at the time of booking and thereafter will not be subject to any surcharge. We have forward purchase of currency and other precautions in order to guarantee your holiday is not affected by fluctuations in fuel or currency rates. In the event of extraordinary circumstances making the tour unviable we would offer you a full refund or credit note or an alternative tour.

CANCELLATION BY YOU

You may cancel your booking at any time before departure. Notice of cancellation must be in writing and because we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the following charges will apply (for which we suggest you purchase appropriate insurance):

Period before departure within which written notification of cancellation is received by us Cancellation charge

70 days or more Deposit only

69-29 days 60% of total booking value

28-15 days 90% of total booking value

14 days or less 100% of total booking value

CANCELLATION BY YOU DUE TO COVID-19 OR OTHER ILLNESS

Please note that if you are personally prevented from travelling as a result of COVID-19 our normal cancellation charges will apply. For this reason we highly recommend that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking that specifically includes cover in the event that you are personally unable to travel. In addition you should have insurance to cover additional accommodation/transport/repatriation costs incurred due to local/national quarantine requirements.

CANCELLATION BY US

We reserve the right to cancel your booking if there are insufficient bookings on your tour (this will depend on tour type and destination) or for other unforeseen operational reasons. In such an event, we will provide you with at least 70 days’ notice of cancellation and provide you with a full refund.

Very occasionally, due to extraordinary circumstances in the immediate vicinity of the destination, it may be necessary to cancel the tour with less than 70 days’ notice, in which case we will likewise provide you with a full refund.

Note that in either situation we cannot reimburse any incidental expenses you may have incurred (for example, train fares, additional accommodation or connecting flights). If you are buying your own flights, please liaise with the office before committing to significant expenditure.

CHANGES BY US

We do our utmost to ensure that all the arrangements and visits are as described. However, it is in the nature of travel that changes are sometimes inevitable, although most of these will be minor in nature. In the event that a particular visit is not possible, we will aim to replace it with another of equal interest. If we have to make more significant changes to the itinerary in advance of departure, we will provide you with a choice of a refund, credit note or an alternative itinerary.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation in hotels is in twin/double bedded rooms, the majority of which have private bath/shower and toilet.

On cruise ships, accommodation is in cabins with shower and toilet only.

Single rooms: As a general rule, we aim to provide our solo travellers with double/twin rooms for sole use. However, this is not possible on all tour departures, and occasionally, despite a supplement being payable, only single rooms may be available, and such accommodation may not meet exactly the same standard as double/ twin accommodation or be located in the same area of the hotel. ACE Cultural Tours very much welcomes single travellers and we make no profit from single room supplements. The costs are simply down to the economics of running a hotel. Porterage is included on overseas tours where available.

FLIGHTS & TICKETS

Specific instructions relating to the departure and travel arrangements will be sent with your air and/or other travel tickets approximately two weeks before departure. It is essential that you check your tickets carefully immediately upon receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. Occasionally carriers will make late changes to departure times but we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs.

We will always aim to provide you with the name of your likely airline and flight times when you make a booking. However, flight schedules are set by the airlines and outside our control. We therefore reserve the right to change the actual carrier and flight times for your tour.

In accordance with the regulations, we are required to bring your attention to the Community List of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the UK & EU: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/ eu-air-safety-list_en

HEALTH & SAFETY

We operate a safety audit system and work hard with our suppliers to ensure the safety and comfort of our travellers. However, please note that some of the destinations to which we travel have lower requirements and standards than those of the UK. It is therefore essential that you follow any instructions and guidance provided by your tour manager or director.

FITNESS

The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature and, to make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy with visits every day. As such, they require a certain minimum level of mobility, physical and mental fitness, and stamina. Our visits may involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains, cruise vessels and even Zodiac dinghies. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm, and some tours may involve long coach journeys. All customers must be fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.

We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these

descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.

As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following selfassessment tests:

• Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest

• Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace

• Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes

• Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute

• Carry or otherwise move your own luggage

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS IN ADVANCE

Whilst we will provide details of any compulsory health requirements applicable to British citizens for your tour, it is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Please check with a doctor or clinic not less than ten weeks prior to departure to ensure that you have met the necessary requirements and have the applicable information.The following website may also be helpful: travelhealthpro.org.uk

For tours in the EU/EEA you should obtain an GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) prior to departure from https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/cra/start. Please note that an GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance.

You must be in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure (and pay for any related costs). We regret that we cannot accept any liability if you incur fees or are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS, OR REDUCED MOBILITY, OR DISABILITY

We aim to provide authentic cultural experiences and to provide excellent value for money. As a result, the majority of itineraries are quite intensive and can be tiring. They may involve a significant amount of walking, uneven surfaces at outdoor sites or in historic buildings, long journeys, and uncomfortable climatic conditions which might exacerbate existing medical or mobility issues. Destinations include many countries with lower standards of health and safety than the UK and limited adaptations for people with reduced mobility. Some destinations do not (and cannot reasonably be expected to) provide emergency and/or health care to the standard that travellers with mobility and/or health conditions may require in the event of any form of incident or emergency. For the above reasons, our holidays may not be suitable for people with certain disabilities, medical conditions or significantly reduced mobility.

If you suffer from any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility (including any which affect the booking process) or have any special requirements as a result, please tell us before making your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and in order that we can assess the potential risks to your welfare and health and safety.

If we feel that we cannot reasonably accommodate your needs, we reserve the right to decline your booking or, if full details are not given at the time of booking or the condition of disability develops after booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.

When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability.

If you have a medical condition, disability or restriction (from whatever cause) which develops or becomes worse after booking your tour and before travelling, please let us know as early as possible so that we can discuss the situation including any new requirements. In certain such circumstances, we reserve the right to cancel your booking if we reasonably feel unable to accommodate your requirements or limitations.

DIETARY AND SPECIAL REQUESTS

Please advise us at the time of booking of any food allergies or special dietary requirements you may have for medical or religious reasons and we will do our very best to assist. Please note, it is important that you distinguish between food allergies and other dietary requirements which have or are likely to have medical consequences if they are not met and food or dietary preferences. It is your responsibility to ensure that requirements which have (or are likely to have) medical consequences if not met are clearly communicated in writing as such. We are entitled to assume that failure to meet a request will not have medical consequences if the risk / likelihood of medical consequences is not made specifically clear in writing at the time the request is made. We may ask for independent verification of the medical consequences where we consider it appropriate to do so.

We are happy to cater for vegetarians or pescatarians. It is not, however, possible to offer extensive choices at every meal to cater for food preferences or requirements as many of our menu selections are fixed. Inclusion of the dietary or special request on your booking confirmation or any other documentation is not a guarantee that the request will be met. Food / dietary related requirements which have a medical consequence if not met must be discussed and specifically agreed with us at the time of booking to ensure we fully understand and can meet these requirements.

INSURANCE

It is a requirement of booking with Ace that all participants have comprehensive travel insurance for overseas tours, including cover for medical expenses, infectious diseases including Covid, quarantine, repatriation and personal liability, as well as cancelled, delayed and missed departure and loss or damage to personal possessions. Whilst accidental damage is a rare occurrence, your insurance should also cover any damage or loss caused by you and cover any resultant claims

made against you or us. For overseas tours, you must give us details in writing of your insurance, preferably on your booking form but in any case no later than before the departure date of your tour. If you fail to do so, we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

We strongly recommend insurance for our UK tours to cover cancellation for medical reasons.

We recommend that insurance premiums are paid as soon as you receive your booking confirmation as cover (in particular cancellation cover) will not be effective until you have done so. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs.

We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of this contract, for example, any additional services or facilities that you agree directly with a local hotel or other supplier. Please make sure you have adequate insurance to cover such services and the acts of other third parties.

CONSIDERATION FOR FELLOW TRAVELLERS

One of the great pleasures of ACE tours is meeting other people with shared interests and making new friends. This has always depended on mutual consideration for your fellow travellers. We therefore reserve the right that in the unlikely event you cause danger, upset or distress to any third party, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate your tour without liability for any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

PASSPORTS & VISAS

Whilst we will provide guidance for each individual tour and help where we can, your specific passport, visa and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant embassy or consulate. In particular, if you are not a British Citizen or hold a non-British passport, you must check the requirements for all countries to or through which you are intending to travel. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

For some tours and destinations we will require a copy of the picture page of your passport.

ISSUES

If you are unhappy with any element of your tour or the arrangements, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can attempt to resolve the issue. If you are on tour you should speak directly to your tour manager or tour director and not wait until you return home, when it may be impossible for us to help. In the unlikely event that we cannot agree on a satisfactory outcome between us, we will ask AITO’s Independent Dispute Settlement Service to find an amicable solution.

Our contract with you is subject to English law (and no other) and the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales only.

Quality Charter

AIR TRAVEL ORGANISER’S LICENSE

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this brochure are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate.

ABTOT

ASSOCIATION OF BONDED TRAVEL ORGANISERS TRUST LIMITED

The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under ABTOT Combined and The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for ACE Cultural Tours, ATOL number 10204, and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for the following:

• non-flight packages;

• flight inclusive packages that commence outside of the EU, which are sold to customers outside of the EU;

• flight inclusive packages, flight only and linked travel arrangements (LTAs) sold as a principal under ABTOT Combined.

ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if you are abroad. Please note that bookings made by customers outside the EEA are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with ACE Cultural Tours.

In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call ABTOT’s 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company.

You can access The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/ contents/made

All the flights and flight inclusive holidays in this brochure are financially protected either by ABTOT or the ATOL scheme. When you pay for something protected by the ATOL scheme you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

AITO

ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT TOUR OPERATORS

ACE Cultural Tours is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. To contact the Association, visit www.aito.co.uk or call 020 8744 9280

AITO is the Association for independent and specialist holiday companies. Our member companies, usually owner- managed, strive to create overseas holidays with high levels of professionalism and a shared concern for quality and personal service. The Association encourages the highest standards in all aspects of tour operating.

EXCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP

AITO sets criteria regarding ownership, finance and quality which must be satisfied before new companies are admitted to membership. All members are required to adhere to a Code of Business Practice which encourages high operational standards and conduct.

FINANCIAL SECURITY

An AITO member is required to arrange financial protection for all holidays and other arrangements (including accommodation only) booked by customers with the member under the AITO logo. This financial protection applies to customers who are resident in the UK at the time of booking and to most overseas customers who have booked directly with the member. In doing so, the member must comply with UK Government regulations. Members are required to submit details of their financial protection arrangements to AITO on a regular basis.

ACCURATE HOLIDAY DESCRIPTIONS

All members do their utmost to ensure that all their brochures and other publications, print or electronic, clearly and accurately describe the holidays and services offered.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENTS

All members are committed to high standards of service and believe in regular and thorough training of employees. Members continually seek to review and improve their holidays. They listen to their customers and always welcome suggestions for improving standards.

MONITORING STANDARDS

AITO endeavours to monitor quality standards regularly. All customers should receive a postholiday questionnaire from their tour operator, the results of which are scrutinised by the Association. In addition, customers can leave detailed feedback, accessible from the homepage of this website, or via a direct link supplied by their AITO tour operator, about their holiday.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Our members acknowledge the importance of AITO’s Sustainable Tourism ethos, which recognises the social, economic and environmental responsibilities of tour operating.

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

All members endeavour to deal swiftly and fairly with any issues their customers may raise. In the unlikely event that a dispute between an AITO member and a customer cannot be settled amicably, either party can call on an arbitration service to bring the matter to a speedy and acceptable conclusion.