Escorted cultural travel has long been synonymous with the eighteenth century ‘Grand Tour’ to Italy when travellers ventured across the Alps to engage with the antiquity of the peninsula, its architecture and decorative and fine arts. Many were led by companiable guides who knew the place backwards, could open doors otherwise closed and reveal the cultural and artistic heritage of the places visited in an appealing and convivial manner.

How in the country do I pass the time? The answer to the question’s brief:

“I lunch and drink, I sing and play, I wash and dine, I rest. Meanwhile I Pheobus quiz, and Muses frisk”

Leon Battista Alberti on villa life. On the Art of Building 1452.

It is in this spirit that we conduct our gently-paced cultural tours with an accent on hand-picked comfortable hotels in desirable city, coastal and rural locations, excellent food and wine and a superlative level of private access to palaces, villas and gardens and diplomatic residences in the countries we visit. Our webinars focus on individual cultural and artistic themes and subjects often relating to and complementing our tours.