KIRKER – NEW ADDITIONS TO 2024 CULTURAL TOURS & MUSIC HOLIDAYS

An antidote to ordinary travel, Kirker takes you to little-known, exclusive places in the company of recognised experts and acclaimed musicians – from Baroque opera in Sweden to the wonders of the UK’s waterways, and from stargazing in La Palma to Christmas on the Côte d’Azur…

Specialist tour operator Kirker introduces exciting new cultural tours and music holidays for 2024, featuring trips in the UK, Europe, and further afield. Painstakingly planned and led by top experts in their field, each itinerary includes stays at fabulous hotels and visits to incredible – yet often overlooked – places of interest. Group sizes are kept intentionally small – typically between 10 and 20 passengers – and free time for independent exploration is allowed for.

Comments Ted Wake, Managing Director of Kirker: “We are committed to an absolutely thriving, independent travel community. In an age where mass-market muscle calls the shots, the richness of one’s holiday experience is, all too often, watered down via a one-size-fits-all approach. At Kirker, we remain devoted to producing beautiful brochures, confident in the undying appeal of browsing; we also continue to trust that conversations with our expert human beings offer the best and most bespoke way for our clients to book.”

Kirker’s new cultural tours and music holidays include:

GRANGE FESTIVAL – Hampshire – three nights in June
Located in rolling parkland, close to Winchester, The Grange is a magnificent, neo-classical house and a world-class music venue. The 2024 Festival includes two operas set in Rome: Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, retelling events that took place in the city in AD65; and Puccini’s Tosca, which is set more than 1,700 years later, at the time of Napoleon’s invasion. A walking tour of Winchester, in the company of a local guide, includes the resplendent mediaeval Cathedral, and Winchester College. A visit to Hinton Ampner, a house with a long and colourful past, invites guests to explore one of the finest gardens in Hampshire. Departing 19 June, this holiday costs from £1,695 pp (two sharing), including three nights’ accommodation in Winchester with breakfast, two dinners, one afternoon tea, tickets for the performances, all sightseeing and entrance fees, and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE – New York – five nights in July
This new tour combines a visit to the major exhibition, Crafting the Ballets Russes at The Morgan Library, with performances of Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet by The American Ballet Theatre at The Met. The itinerary also includes visits to New York’s leading art collections, including MoMA and The Whitney. Guests stay at The Wallace, a sophisticated boutique hotel located on the Upper West Side. Departing 5 July, this holiday costs from £4,369 pp (two sharing), including return flights to New York’s JFK (British Airways from Heathrow), five nights’ accommodation, two dinners at the Grand Tier (The Met’s own restaurant), tickets in the stalls, all sightseeing and entrance fees, and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

SCIENCE OF THE WATERWAYS – United Kingdom – six nights in July
In the company of waterways expert Roger Butler, visit six of the seven British wonders of the waterways, including Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Standedge Tunnel and Bingley Five Rise Locks. A landscape architect, writer, photographer and lecturer, Roger contributes to waterway and heritage magazines and also to a range of countryside and outdoor titles. By way of canal boat and steamship, get to grips with the science of the canals, and gain an understanding of the engineering work behind locks, tunnels, innovative swing bridges and magnificent aqueducts. Departing 6 July, this holiday costs from £1,898 pp (two sharing), including six nights’ accommodation with breakfast, four dinners, two boat cruises, all sightseeing and entrance fees, and the services of a guest lecturer and the Kirker Tour Leader.

KIRKER JAZZ FESTIVAL – London – three nights in August
Internationally acclaimed singer, pianist and songwriter, Joe Stilgoe, is to perform three private concerts at the Royal Over-Seas League in St James’s this summer. A mixture of outstanding musicianship and incredible theatricality, Stilgoe’s improvisation and quick wittedness is quite astounding. With accommodation in the ROSL’s comfortable clubhouse, guests will dine each evening with Joe and his band. During the day, visits will be made to the recently re-opened National Portrait Gallery and to the new Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy. Departing 5 August, this holiday costs from £1,598 pp (two sharing), including three nights’ accommodation with breakfast, three dinners, three concerts, and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

BAROQUE OPERA IN SWEDEN – Stockholm – five nights in August
Built across 14 of the 30,000 islands that shelter the city from the Baltic, Stockholm is unquestionably one of the world’s most elegant capitals. The number of Swedish opera singers who enjoy top-level careers and who grace the world’s stages is nothing less than astonishing. Where better to experience a dazzling duo of Baroque operas in the splendid surroundings of two magnificent 18^th century theatres? Plus, enjoy a cruise around the islands of Stockholm’s archipelago, a visit to the recently re-opened National Museum of Fine Art, and to the Vasa Museum to see the extraordinarily well-preserved warship and to learn about her dramatic sinking in 1628. Departing 8 August, this holiday costs from £2,678 pp (two sharing), including return flights to Stockholm (British Airways from Heathrow), five nights’ accommodation with breakfast, three dinners, tickets for performances, all sightseeing and entrance fees, and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

VERDI FESTIVAL IN ITALY – Parma – five nights in October
The annual Verdi Festival takes place in one of Italy’s most beautiful historic cities, Parma. It is here in the countryside around Parma that Verdi was born, grew up and lived for much of his life. The festival brings together a range of operas from different periods of Verdi’s composing life, including an operatic rarity, a rare translation, and one of his most enduringly popular works. Two performances will be given at the city’s Teatro Regio, and one at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi, in Busseto. Led by art historian and opera specialist, Patrick Bade, the tour will include visits to several important museums, and the delicious cuisine for which this region is famous. Departing 2 October, this holiday costs from £2,998 pp (two sharing), including return flights to Bologna (British Airways from Heathrow), five nights’ accommodation with breakfast, two dinners, two lunches, tickets for three performances, all sightseeing and entrance fees, and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

ASTRONOMY AND VOLCANOES – La Palma and Tenerife – seven nights in November
Accompanied by New Scientist astronomer Abigail Beall, this expert-led stargazing holiday travels to Europe’s most important astronomy sites in La Palma and Tenerife. Due to its clean, dry air and low light pollution, UNESCO has designated La Palma its first ‘Starlight Reserve’ and has also recognised it as a Biosphere Reserve for its volcanic landscape and lush laurel forests. On neighbouring Tenerife, explore the dramatic interior of Mount Teide National Park, which offers perfect conditions for stargazing. Departing 28 November, this holiday costs from £3,387 pp (two sharing), including return flights from Gatwick (outbound to La Palma, inbound from Tenerife), seven nights’ accommodation with breakfast, seven dinners, all sightseeing and entrance fees, and the services of a guest lecturer and the Kirker Tour Leader.

CHRISTMAS ON THE CÔTE D’AZUR – Nice – five nights in December
Staying at Nice’s iconic five-star Hotel Negresco, this festive trip combines the city’s most important museums and galleries, visits to Antibes and St Paul-de-Vence, and exquisite French cuisine. Christmas Eve dinner is taken in the hotel’s Royal Salon, Christmas Day lunch at the wonderful Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, and Boxing Day lunch at La Colombe d’Or, St Paul-de-Vence, where the walls are adorned with works by Matisse, Picasso, Braque and Chagall – evidence indeed that the Côte d’Azur has lured artists to visit and stay since the 19^th century. Located on the Promenade des Anglais, overlooking the beautiful Baie des Anges, the hotel is a sumptuous base for an unusual and enlightening Christmas. Departing 22 December, this holiday costs from £3,789 pp (two sharing), including return flights to Nice (British Airways from Heathrow), five nights’ accommodation with breakfast, three dinners, two lunches, all sightseeing and entrance fees, and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

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A copy of Kirker’s 2024 Cultural Tours & Music Holidays brochure can be ordered in digital or print format by clicking here.

 For more information, or to book one of Kirker’s small group tours, tailor-made short breaks, or holidays to Europe and beyond, please call 020 7593 2284 or visit www.kirkerholidays.com.