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Artful fog design+art, la frieze prequel, santa fe: indigenous to contemporary, a pilgrimage to marfa, the home of american art, the center of the art world, america's museum redefined, contemporary art in london, contemporary art in paris, art in the hamptons, art in the hudson valley, land art in the american west, art basel in miami beach, unlock a world of art experiences, featured jaunt: washington d.c..

Spend a day experiencing magical Glenstone, one of the most exciting new private museums in the world. Located in Potomac, Maryland, 15 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. and set on 230 acres, Glenstone, designed by architect Charles Gwathmey, is renowned for its idyllic architectural spaces and important collection— 1,300 works by some of the most significant postwar artists from around the world. Developed and financed by billionaire American businessman Mitchell Rales and curated by his wife Emily Wei Rales, Glenstone—which collects artists in-depth and will only purchase work after an artist has been exhibiting for 15 years—has been compared to historic U.S. private museums such as the Frick Collection and the Phillips Collection. During your time in D.C., you will also visit major museum exhibitions of the moment, as well as new galleries and collectors' homes.

Space is extremely limited (8-10 people).

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Artful impact.

Now more than ever, art matters. Artful Impact was established to help amplify art's philanthropic influence on our communities. Our charitable efforts directly support artists, museums, public installations, art education, as well as social justice and sustainability issues. We donate a third of the revenue generated from art purchased on a jaunt to the Artful Impact Fund. Please take a moment to learn about some meaningful charities. We think you will agree they are making a significant difference.

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All of our tours are private, not public. So the tour is arranged just for you and yours.

• We recommend using our online booking tool for up-to-date availability.
• Select your tour experience and set your preferred date and time.
• Our booking system will help you select the right guide from our team of art historians based on the guides' availability.
• Tell us a bit about your interests and private group. We'll customize your tour from there.
• Your confirmation will show where the guide will meet you at the museum.
• Private tours for 1 - 4 people in your group booked online* are $225 per hour (a $5 discount over tours booked via email or phone).
• All tours have a two-hour minimum.
• Additional people and/or additional time have an additional fee.
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* For those who need a bit more service via email and phone, our pricing is $225 per hour for 1 – 4 people. Larger groups are $50 per adult, $25 per child.

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Art Smart Travels plans and leads private art tours through a broad range of locations in the United States and Europe. Our elite, personalized travel programs cater to your specific interests and needs so that you spend your time with personally satisfying treasures that will mean the most to you. Our travel advisory services include:

• Itinerary planning for self-guided tours An Art Smart consultant will work with you to develop a detailed itinerary featuring the perfect mix of experiences for your destination. We’ll assemble a portfolio of cultural resources, design a workable schedule, and arrange luxury travel programs that will make your experience insightful, delightful, and stress-free. Thanks to our extensive network of contacts, we can assist you in the selection of a local art expert to guide you in most locales.
• Escorted travel For a luxury experience, an Art Smart art historian can travel with you to provide the personalized guidance through art museums and cultural monuments. Along the way, you will receive expedited and VIP-level access to art venues.

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Art Smart knows how to make the most of your family’s travels around the world. We’ll start by building a custom list of recommended books and resources that are great for introducing your family to the area that you’ll be visiting. Then we’ll send you on your way with a custom guide to the can’t-miss masterpieces at your destination.

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We can use local art collections to familiarize your family with what you should look for while you are traveling. For a truly unforgettable experience, an Art Smart expert can travel with your family to provide the highest possible level of on-site expertise and guidance.

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Give us a call at (212) 595-4444 or email . Tell us when and where you will be traveling, what you hope to see, and a little bit about your interests. With that, we’ll create the perfect experience for you.

Expedition Cruises

Expedition cruising offers an extraordinary way to explore the world's most remote and captivating destinations. An Expedition cruise promises an adventure that's both exhilarating and serene. This type of cruise is perfect for those who seek to balance adventurous exploration with moments of relaxation in some of the world's most breathtaking locations.

Why Choose Expedition Cruising:

Expedition cruises offer a unique blend of adventure and luxury, taking you to some of the most remote and spectacular corners of the world.

Imagine setting foot in the pristine wilderness of Antarctica, where towering icebergs and diverse wildlife await.

The Galapagos Islands offer an unparalleled natural history experience, with endemic species that inspired Darwin.

In the Arctic Circle, experience the mystique of the Northern Lights and encounter unique wildlife in their natural habitat.

Alaska’s rugged beauty and rich Indigenous cultures provide a backdrop for unforgettable adventures. Onboard, enjoy expert-led talks that deepen your understanding of these extraordinary places.

Every day brings new opportunities for adventure, whether kayaking in icy waters, hiking in lush rainforests, or photographing wildlife. Our expedition cruises are more than a journey; they are an education in the wonders of our planet, a chance to reconnect with nature, and an adventure to cherish for a lifetime

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Our expedition cruises transport you to some of the world’s most awe-inspiring destinations.

In the Galapagos Islands, encounter unique wildlife like giant tortoises and marine iguanas in a place where nature takes centre stage. Journey to the ends of the Earth in Antarctica, a land of ice and wonder, where you can witness penguin colonies and majestic whales.

The Arctic Circle offers a rare glimpse into untouched landscapes and the chance to see polar bears in their natural environment. Alaska’s stunning fjords, towering glaciers, and rich wildlife make it a paradise for nature lovers.

Each destination on our expedition cruises offers unique and enriching experiences, taking you beyond the typical tourist path. They provide an opportunity to engage deeply with the environment and local cultures. These cruises are not just about seeing new places; they are about experiencing them in a way that is both meaningful and unforgettable.

Our Expedition Cruise Lines:

Our selection of expedition cruises includes renowned lines like Silversea Cruises , known for their luxury and remote destination expertise.

Hurtigruten Expeditions brings you closer to nature with their environmentally conscious approach. Seabourn Cruises offers an intimate, yacht-like experience, blending adventure with sophistication. With Quark Expeditions, adventure seekers can delve into polar regions with seasoned experts.

These cruises offer state-of-the-art facilities, from comfortable accommodations to fine dining. Smaller ship sizes ensure a personal experience, allowing for close encounters with nature and cultural immersion. Enjoy Zodiac excursions, wildlife viewing, and cultural visits. Each line, with its distinctive style and amenities, promises an expedition journey that is both adventurous and luxurious.

Tailored Expedition Cruise Experience:

At Art of Travel, we specialise in matching you with your perfect expedition cruise, leading you to the world’s most remote and awe-inspiring destinations, ensuring each journey is unforgettable. Luxurious onboard amenities and exceptional exploration opportunities await, as we aim to fulfil your travel aspirations. Our dedicated team, known for unparalleled customer service, is committed to guiding you toward an expedition that embodies adventure, comfort, and a lifetime of memories.

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If you dig creative tours and travels, then you’ll dig our unpackaged holidays. We line up dozens of Choice Experiences for each trip, so you can choose the art tours, artisan workshops, and creative travel options.

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS WITH LOCAL ARTISIANS

The only thing better than watching local artisans weaving rugs or spinning a potter’s wheel is getting involved yourself. Get your hands dirty, learn new skills, and bring home a unique souvenir with our creative tours.

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MOSAIC MAKING CLASS IN BARCELONA

After visiting Park Guell and seeing Gaudi’s incredible architecture and vision brought to life you’ll no doubt be feeling inspired. Channel your creativity into your own mosaic and craft a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

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PAINTING AND WINE IN PRAGUE

With some liquid courage (hello wine!) in one hand and a paintbrush in the other you’ll whip your own Prague masterpiece on canvas. Never painted canvas before? No stress. This class will teach you how.

798 ART ZONE IN BEIJING

This art tour will throw you into the lesser-known art world of Beijing. Wander through this gallery space set in a decommissioned military factory where you’ll meet artists in their studios and explore changing exhibitions.

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Art is everywhere – from the streets to gallery walls. Keep it traditional and gallery hop through NYC or London, or take to the streets where Gaudi has left a mark on Barcelona, Lima is full of street art and Lisbon’s tiles reflect the morning light.

Paris for the Louvre, New York for The Met, Florence for the Ufitzi, Madrid for the Prado, and London for the Tate… some destinations have world-famous galleries worth traveling for. Others are just waiting to be explored by the more adventurous.

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10 Great Travel Destinations for Art Lovers

From a japanese art island to a creative colony among ancient olive groves in israel, these are the global art towns, big and small, we’d happily visit..

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Art meets nature at Brazil’s Instituto Inhotim, home to one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the country.

Photo by Brendon Campos

New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Los Angeles, Florence, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, São Paulo—these cities are all home to blockbuster art markets, creative superstars, and museums as famous as the works they house. We love these places, but we also love art destinations outside of the art-world orbit: places with an air of mystery, a whiff of a pilgrimage, a winking nonconformity, a love of experimentation, and a tight-knit sense of community.

Read on for 10 great destinations, big and small, art lovers should bookmark for their next vacation.

‘Your Rainbow Panorama’ tops the AroS Art Museum in Aarhus, Denmark.

Photo by Shutterstock

Aarhus, Denmark

In the heart of Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city and one of its oldest (dating to the 8th century), a colossal rainbow ring rises above the city. This is artist Olafur Eliasson’s installation, Your Rainbow Panorama, a walkway circling and capping the ARoS Art Museum, itself a jewel among Aarhus’s many cultural institutions. The museum is home to another art colossus, the crouching Boy sculpture by Australian artist Ron Mueck, and it hosts collections of Danish art from the 18 th century to today, as well as the work of international artists. Art lovers can wander among pieces by London-based, British-Palestinian Mona Hatoum, known for her probing and glowing installations; Japanese photographer Miwa Yanagi; and New York–based Tony Oursler, who has been innovating video and installation art since the 1970s.

In Aarhus, self-dubbed “Smilets By” (Danish for “City of Smiles”) and the “World’s Smallest Big City,” ARoS is just a jumping-off point for a smørrebrød (smorgasbord) of art destinations and happenings. Spiral out from the museum and see the city’s famous modern architecture, such as The Iceberg , a seaside apartment building that lives up to its name, and the grass-covered Moesgaard Museum . We love Charlotte Fogh Gallery , a Danish and international contemporary art gallery; the Højkant art collective and design shop full of cheeky creations; and the intimate PS Art Gallery and studio in a green, half-timbered, 17th-century home in the city’s Latin Quarter.

Juxtapose all this contemporary art and design with Den Gamle By (The Old Town), an open-air folk museum comprised of 75 historic buildings relocated from across Denmark, cobbled streets, and Danes dressed in period clothing baking bread and chopping wood. You can eat an actual smørrebrød here, as well as fried fish and frikadeller (Danish meatballs).

Chris Burden’s ‘Beam Drop’ (2008) was re-created at Inhotim; the original work was on display in New York in 1984.

Brumadinho, Brazil

Brumadinho is home to the Xanadu of the art world: the Instituto Inhotim , a contemporary art museum and sculpture park in a 346-acre private botanical garden founded by mining magnate and art patron Bernardo de Mello Paz.

Celebrating 15 years in 2021, the institute is one of the largest outdoor art spaces in the world, placing hundreds of giants of the art world alongside thousands of giants of the plant world, from octopus agave to ponytail palm and swamp cypress. The garden hosts more than 700 works by 60 artists, including Brazil’s own beloved boundary-defying Hélio Oiticica. As Oiticica intended, visitors can walk through his Magic Square #5 (1977), a colorful abstracted “public plaza” built of cement, glass, and stone. You could spend weeks wandering the grounds, a crash course in modern and contemporary large-scale art, studying the likes of Elisa Bracher’s eucalyptus and cedar wood Embrionário , going tête-à-tête with Paul McCarthy’s Pinocchio Block Head , gazing through Olafur Eliasson’s mirrored Viewing Machine, and falling in love with your own reflection at Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden Inhotim, 750 stainless steel orbs bobbing in a reflecting pool.

While the garden is the main draw, Instituto Inhotim has many noteworthy pieces in its indoor gallery as well, such as the blue-and-white tile room Celacanto provoca maremoto by Adriana Varejão , the sci-fi-inspired plant and mirror maze structure Vegetation Room Inhotim by Cristina Iglesias , and the enforested glass geodesic dome by Matthew Barney .

There are several places to eat across the sculpture park and the institute has many recommendations for nearby lodging, including Villa Rica , decorated with local art, or Villa Domaso , surrounded by lush nature.

Zeitz MOCAA has become a destination unto itself in Cape Town, South Africa.

Photo by Kiev.Victor/Shutterstock

Cape Town, South Africa

Rising from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, with Table Mountain as a backdrop, is the world’s largest museum devoted to contemporary African art: the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa , commonly known as Zeitz MOCAA. First things first, the museum itself is a marvel , a towering structure revamped from the historic Grain Silo Complex with an interior that looks like an abstracted concrete-and-glass honeycomb.

Zeitz MOCAA is home to works by some of the continent’s leading artists such as Athi-Patra Ruga and Mary Sibande of South Africa, Njideka Akunyili Crosby of Nigeria, Ghada Amer of Egypt, and Nandipha Mntambo of Swaziland. The permanent collection also includes works by artists of the African Diaspora, like Kehinde Wiley and Frohawk Two Feathers, both of the U.S.

But Cape Town was an artist’s haven long before the arrival of MOCAA in 2017. The Woodstock neighborhood alone, with its pink town hall, is home to several renowned galleries dedicated to contemporary African artists including SMAC , Goodman Gallery , Stevenson Gallery (all of which have sister galleries in another top South African art destination, Johannesburg).

Cape Town is also delightfully crowded with public art, such as Es Devlin’s installation Zoetrope at the Waterfront and Arch for Arch, a woven wooden structure next to St. George’s Cathedral that honors Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The organization Baz Art hosts the annual International Public Art Festival , which in 2021 focused on painting murals in the Salt River neighborhood . There are also several art road trips worth taking from the Cape. Drive inland through mountainous wine country (many of the vineyards you’ll pass have their own fantastic art collections) to Stellenbosch, an oak-lined university town packed with art studios and the awe-inspiring Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden .

Mismatched pastel buildings that look like scoops of gelato along the water in Collioure, France.

Photo by Pani Garmyder/Shutterstock

Collioure, France

Legend has it that Henri Matisse said the quality of light is just different— magical —in Collioure, a laidback and ancient fishing town on the French Mediterranean 15 miles from Spain. Matisse and André Derain would summer here and become the first fauves (French for “wild beasts”), leaders of fauvism, the early 19th-century art movement known for its bold colors and brushstrokes, an unruly descendent of Impressionism. Matisse’s famous Open Window (1905) and Derain’s Fishing Boats (1905) were painted here, among many more fauvist works.

Collioure’s very petit harbor still captures the brilliant sunlight, bouncing off a 13 th -century castle and fortress and layers of mismatched pastel buildings that look like scoops of gelato along the water. Visitors can see the town through the artists’ perspectives along the Chemin du Fauvism, which features both empty bronze frames that outline the views of their most famous canvases, as well as reproductions. The Maison du Fauvism offers guided tours.

Keep cool with an actual scoop of gelato—countless gelaterias line the streets and try a bite of Catalan fare at Le Neptune overlooking the bay or the Templiers restaurant and hotel, a cozy spot with a bar made from a ship hull and walls lined salon-style with paintings.

Bronze sculptures by the residents of Ein Hod, Israel, dot the surrounding landscape.

Photo by Leonid Radashkovsky/Shutterstock

Ein Hod, Israel

Within hilly olive groves, tucked between the Mediterranean sea and Mount Carmel, is Ein Hod , a small artist colony established in 1953 by artist Marcel Janco , one of the founders of the avant-garde dada movement, which formed in reaction to World War I. Legend has it that Janco toured Israel, sketchbook in hand, and stumbled across the then-abandoned village and found it could be the perfect refuge for artists.

Today Ein Hod , 12 miles south of Haifa, has about 650 residents—mostly painters, sculptors, jewelers, architects, and artisans—and the landscape is dotted with their handiwork: outdoor bronze sculptures (look for Couple in a Sardine Can by Ben Levy), murals, studios, galleries, and workshops that offer classes for visitors. See the abstract colorations of Miriam-Ruth Sernoff Frohlich at the Sernoff-Frohlich Gallery Of Fine Art , the soulful book art of Nechama Levendel at the Karoyan Gallery , and the work of many locals under one roof at the Artists Gallery Ein Hod .

This tiny bohemian enclave is also home to two museums, the Nisco Museum of Mechanical Music and the Janco-Dada Museum , created in 1983 to honor the work and vision of the colony’s founder. This museum features the restored stone-arch studio of Janco and the DadaLab , where museumgoers can try their own hand at creating the absurdist, convention-defying art that defined this movement. Since 1990, Ein Hod has hosted an international Sculpture Biennale , inviting artists to install large-scale works outside amid ancient olive trees.

You can eat with the locals in one of the village’s classic stone buildings at Café Ein Hold. While larger hotels are available in nearby Haifa, Ein Hod itself offers a handful of quaint and eclectic apartments for rent, many with views of the Mediterranean.

Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art is

Photo by C. de la Cruz/Shutterstock

Hobart, Tasmania

Looking out from the Berriedale peninsula onto the River Derwent is the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), or as founder—businessman, art collector, and high-stakes gambler David Walsh—calls it: a subversive adult Disneyland.

MONA is as irreverent as its benefactor, its website describing the museum’s everchanging identity as a “really elaborate marketing stunt” and “somewhere people can come to say ‘not sure about the art but the architecture is amazing.’”

And many are not sure about the art : MONA has the work of some of the biggest shock jocks of the art world: Hermann Nitsch’s bloody 6-Day-Play videos and Wim Delvoye’s stinking waste machine that is Cloaca Professional, to name a few.

Regardless of your take, the museum has helped put Hobart’s art scene on the map, bringing deserved attention to other art spaces like the Art Mob , which specializes in Tasmanian and Australian aboriginal art by the likes of Queenie McKenzie and Dennis Nona. Across the harbor are the contemporary fine art Despard and Handmark galleries, the latter of which is part of the bustling Salamanca Arts Centre , a transformed warehouse space home to several galleries and exhibition spaces, a theater, and the jewelry and metal collective Hammer & Hand , as well as public art such as We Are Made of Stardust by Michaela Gleave and Escape Pod by Colin Langridge. Stay in the neighborhood at the Henry Jones Art Hotel , which features contemporary art by Tasmanian artists in its rooms.

Kilns have been firing in this hilly city of Jingdezhen, China, known as the “Porcelain Capital of the World.”

Photo by CYSUN/Shutterstock

Jingdezhen, China

Leading ceramics artists and students worldwide travel to Jingdezhen, China, the “Porcelain Capital of the World,” where the ruins of ancient kilns meet contemporary factories and galleries. For more than 1,700 years and many imperial reigns, kilns have been firing in this hilly city of Jiangxi province along the Chang River, where ceramic masters have innovated technologies to produce the most coveted china, such as the emblematic blue and white pottery developed during the Ming Dynasty.

The stunning Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum —shaped like ancient kilns in red brick, and the Jingdezhen Ceramic Industry Heritage Museum , help put the expansive history of this art industry in context. The industry, however, is alive and well today, cultivating the next generation of ceramicists at the renowned Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute and employing 30,000 people at outfits like the Porcelain Sculpture Factory in the Eastern suburbs or in the nearby Sanbao International Porcelain Art Village filled with artist studios and workshops. The Pottery Workshop , run by artist and curator Caroline Cheng , is an education center and hub for young artists in Jingdezhen, known as jingpiao . Every Saturday morning, the jingpiao sell their wares—traditional pottery, jewelry, contemporary art—at the Pottery Workshop Creative Market .

Countless ceramic artists and designers have their practices in the city such as Cheng herself, plus Wan Liya , Juz Kitson , Lin Wang , Robin Best , and Ryan LaBar . Walk down the Taoxichuan, known as the Ceramic Art Avenue, to peak into studios, galleries, and markets, and try some classic Jiangxi fare such as Lushan San Shi and fish banquets. The Fairfield by Marriot Jingdezhen hotel is near many of these attractions, and there are a handful of gorgeous Airbnb options .

An art lover’s trip to Japan has to include Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea.

Photo by N_FUJITA/Shutterstock

Naoshima, Japan

There is a string of tiny flecks of land in the Seto Inland Sea that are teaming with museums, architectural marvels, and art installations. Naoshima, commonly referred to as Japan’s art island, home of the Benesse Art Site , leads the pack. Here, massive sculptures such as Lee Ufan’s Porte vers l’infini (2019) and Beatriz Millhaze’s Yellow Flower Dream (2018) dot the landscape creating a fine art playground. (Until recently, one of Yayoi Kusama’s massive pumpkin sculptures sat on a pier before a typhoon swept it out to sea . Benesse Art Site is in the process of restoring it.)

Then there are the museums and galleries: the mind-bending subterranean Chichu Art Museum designed by architect Tadao Ando housing works by Claude Monet and James Turrell; the Benesse House Museum , which melds a hotel and exhibition space with nature (with a restaurant serving kaiseki meals that rival the art for presentation); the kooky art facility Naoshima Bath where—you guessed it—visitors can take a bath surrounded by the artwork of Shinro Ohtake; and the Miyanoura Gallery 6 in the site of a former pachinko parlor once popular with islanders.

If you’re willing to island hop, head to Teshima to see large-format paintings in the Teshima Yokoo House (named for artist Tadanori Yokoo) and Inujima for an art museum housed in a old copper refinery .

You could spend a full day just exploring Georgia O’Keeffe’s artwork in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Photo by Fred Mays/Shutterstock

Santa Fe, New Mexico

One of the oldest cities in the U.S. (older than the country itself, with a founding date of 1607) Santa Fe and its iconic pueblo architecture encompass many art scenes and histories, from the vast indigenous collections of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) to the electro-pop experiences of Meow Wolf to the storied career of Georgia O’Keeffe who was so deeply influenced by the New Mexico landscape.

Housed in a historic Peublo Revival-style post office downtown, the IAIA’s Museum of Contemporary Native Arts stewards the National Collection of Contemporary Native Art, featuring 9,000 artworks created since 1962 including pieces by legends such as George Morrison, Helen Hardin, and Fritz Scholder. From here, walk past the Santa Fe Plaza to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum to see up-close and personal Black Hollyhock Blue Larkspur (1930), Pelvis IV (1944), and Spring (1948), among others. O’Keeffe fans can stay at the Abiquiú Inn , next to the The O’Keeffe Welcome Center housed in the artist’s former home and residence.

Around Canyon Road, you’ll find 80-plus galleries including Turner Caroll Gallery —whose international roster of artists includes Judy Chicago, Wanxin Zhang, and Swoon; Nedra Matteucci Galleries with its renowned sculpture garden; and the art collective and gallery Cielo Handcrafted , with goods including stoneware ceramics, leather totes, and silver jewelry.

Down Cerrillos Road, follow the neon glow of Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return , an “explorable art experience,” a sort of dayglo haunted house with more than 70 immersive rooms.

The streets of tiny Todos Santos are full of galleries and shops stacked with handmade ceramics, metal work, and beautiful textiles.

Photo by Arturo Verea/Shutterstock

Todos Santos, Mexico

About 50 miles northwest of Cabo San Lucas on the Baja California peninsula lies the bohemian Todos Santos, oft-compared to a young Taos and one of Mexico’s “ Pueblos Mágicos ” (magical villages), a designation given to places that have preserved their original architecture, traditions, history, and culture. Surrounded by Mexican cardon, the tallest cacti in the world, and azure water where whale sharks pass, Todos Sontos is also home to a thriving artist enclave. February is a prime month to engage the local art scene with the annual weeklong Festival del Art and Todos Santos Open Studio Tour . However, visitors can stroll the old-town cobblestone blocks fluttering with papel picado year-round to see what artists are up to.

A great place to start is La Sonrisa de la Meurta , an international gallery and workshop (with a sister location in Belgium) featuring graphic arts—from limited-edition prints to card decks to handkerchiefs—printed by young and emerging Mexican artists. Nearby (everything is nearby in Todos Santos) are the Galería Arturo with Mexican artist Arturo Mendoza Elfeo ’s whimsical impasto and textured canvases, and Galería Logan , featuring American expat Jill Logan’s dreamy swirling canvases in sunbaked colors. For a historical perspective, stop by the Centro Cultural , housed in a red-brick former school with revolutionary murals dating back nearly a century.

The Hotel San Cristóbal makes for a chic home base in town, while Paradero Todos Santos could be your cultural retreat at the intersection of desert, mountains, and Pacific coast. At the hotel, and beyond, order any fish dish: Todos Santos began as a fishing town and fisherman still take their little panga boats out daily.

>>Next: 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites That Mix Nature and Culture

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Painting & Sailing in Croatia with Robert Masla

June 16 - June 23, 2024 - From Dubrovnik to Split. Experience the beauty of Croatia and plein air painting with Robert Masla on a small group sailing tour through the breathtaking islands of Croatia with artist Robert Masla. In addition to the islands, we’ll tour ancient cities and UNESCO World Heritage sites with captivating coastlines for inspiration - all from the comfort of our private, luxury 41 Meter yacht. This tour is filled!

Painting & Sailing in Croatia  with   David Dunlop

June 23 – 30, 2024 – Travel and paint with landscape artist David Dunlop, the engaging host and writer of two seasons of the Emmy Award winning national PBS television series, Landscapes Through Time with David Dunlop.

Join David Dunlop, modern day, old master whose luminous landscapes draw from both renaissance techniques and contemporary science on an exciting small group plein air painting and sailing tour through the breathtaking islands of Croatia. From the comfort of our 41 meter (134.5’) yacht MS Barbara.  David Dunlop will lead plein air painting sessions capturing the unique landscapes and seascapes of these Adriatic islands.

The Journey is everything

Explore the world while traveling in the comfort of a well appointed barge or motor sail yacht.  Stay in historical architectural treasures. 

Artful Travels works with dedicated artists and experienced travel partners.

Jeanne Fontaine

Founder/Travel Director

A passion for travel, love of the arts and a deep appreciation for the teaching artist is the inspiration for Artful Travels. Jeanne has led small group cultural tours nationally and internationally since 2003.  For nearly 30 years, Jeanne was the Courses Curator for the Museum School at the Springfield Museums overseeing the scheduling and implementation of studio art, art history and science classes for adults and children. In 2003, Jeanne took on the responsibility of coordinating the travel as well as the museum school classes. In this capacity, Jeanne had the privilege of working with amazing artists and teachers while coordinating and escorting international and local trips.  

Artist & Teacher Robert Masla

Robert is an award winning, internationally exhibited artist whose canvases, murals and portraits can be found in galleries, private residencies, corporations and film. With extensive teaching experience in all media, Robert conducts workshops from his home/studio in rural Ashfield, Massachusetts, where he lives with his family, and from their home/studio South – Casa de los Artistas, in Boca de Tomatlan, Mexico. 

In April 2022, Robert led a painting and barging tour in Holland. 

http://www.maslafineart.com

Artist & Teacher David Dunlop

David Dunlop is a modern day, old master whose luminous landscapes draw from both renaissance techniques and contemporary science.  A popular teaching artist with decades of experience, David teaches from his private studio, various museums, and art institutions with followers from around the globe. 

His paintings have been shown internationally and are held in the collections of major corporations. 

In addition to his success as a landscape artist and teacher, David is well known as the host and writer of the popular national PBS television series, “Landscapes Through Time with David Dunlop,” for which he won an Emmy and a CINE Golden Eagle Award.

In September 2015, David led a Painting & Barging in France

In September 2016, David led a  week of Painting in Toledo Spain 

http://www.daviddunlop.com

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Art Lover's Tour of Europe - Italy, Switzerland, France, Netherlands

Grand history tour of europe - france, germany, czech republic, scientific marvels of europe - italy, switzerland, france, england.

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Day 1: Welcome to Rome

Welcome to Rome! On arrival you are met by your Travel Director and transferred to your accommodation. (D)

Day 2: Rome Sightseeing

This morning, visit the Vatican Museum with a Local Expert. Admire the papal art collection and enter the Sistine Chapel and admire Michelangelo’s masterpiece on its ceiling. Next door, in St Peter’s Basilica, see one of Michelangelo’s early works, the Pieta, and the splendid dome, completed after his death. Afterwards, visit the Colosseum, where the gladiators prepared for battle. (B, RD)

Day 3: Tuscan Hills onto Florence

Journey through the picturesque Tuscan Hills towards Florence. On arrival, join a local art historian to see Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia Museum. (B, D)

Day 4: Renaissance Florence

This morning, see the multi-coloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti’s ‘Gates of Paradise’. Then join a Local Expert for a visit to the Uffizi Galleries, one of the oldest and most famous art museums in Europe. You'll also enjoy works by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raphael, among other masterpieces. (B, RD)

Day 5: Leaning Tower of Pisa & Milan

Stop first in Pisa to see the incredible Leaning Tower, as well as its splendid cathedral and baptistery. Continue north to the financial and fashion capital Milan. (B, D)

Day 6: Experience Milan

This morning, visit the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie with a Local Expert. It is an outstanding work of architecture and an emblem within the Catholic tradition, and is perhaps even more famous for its connection to Leonardo Da Vinci’s fresco of ‘The Last Supper’, which is preserved inside its refectory (dining hall). The Church is one of Renaissance art’s most important testimonies and has therefore been included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (tickets to the Last Supper are subject to availability).  Later, for a change of pace, we embark on an alternative visit to Milan to see urban graffiti, murals and street art scattered around the city. Get a glimpse of an alternative Milan, meet colourful characters, learn about modern-day Milan and be inspired by the vibrancy of city life.  (B, D)

Day 7: Milan to Basel

Travel across the border into Switzerland. En route, we stop for a cheese or chocolate tasting before heading to Basel. (B, D)

Day 8: Basel Sightseeing

Explore Basel, with a Local Expert, concluding with a visit to Foundation Beyeler In 1997, the famous collection of Ernst and Hildy Beyeler in Riehen. The collection contains around 200 pictures and sculptures, including works by Cézanne, Picasso, Rousseau, Mondrian, Klee, Ernst, Matisse and Newman.  Famous around the world, the astounding temporary exhibitions are highlights of your visit. (B, D)

Day 9: Basel to Paris

Travel through the French countryside to Paris. (B, D)

Day 10: Best of Paris

After an orientation tour, visit one of the world's best-known art collections at the Louvre Museum. A specialist art historian guides you through the galleries to see the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, Mona Lisa and more (Louvre visit subject to availability). Continue on a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral, famously protected by its roof-top gargoyles, to learn about over-arching Parisian history. This evening, embark on an illuminations journey in Paris to see iconic sights at night. (B, HD)

Day 11: Musee De L’orangerie & Giverney

This morning, visit the Musée de l'Orangerie, an art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. Though most famous for being the permanent home of eight Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet, the museum also contains works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Alfred Sisley, Chaim Soutine, and Maurice Utrillo, among others. Afterwards, we head to Monet’s garden in Giverney to see the inspiration of some of his most famous works before heading back to Paris. (BB, D)

Day 12: Paris to Amsterdam

Travel through northern France and Belgium en route to Amsterdam. (BB, D)

Day 13: Amsterdam Galleries – Rijksmuseum & Vincent van Gogh Museum

Admire world-famous masterpieces in the Rijksmuseum, which has on display 8,000 objects of art and history. There is a total collection of 1 million objects, spanning the years 1200–2000AD, among which are masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. Then onto the Vincent van Gogh Museum, which is dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in Amsterdam. The museum is home to the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world.  This evening, enjoy a canal cruise dinner to bid farewell to our time in Europe. (B, FD)

Day 14: Farewell Amsterdam

Your tour concludes after breakfast with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (B)

Day 1: Welcome to Paris

Welcome to Paris! On arrival at Charles De Gaulle airport you will be met by your Travel Director and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2: Paris From a History Perspective

Learn about the significance of the French Revolution and visit key sites such as Place de la Bastille, Les Invalides War Museum, the Conciergerie and Place de la Concorde. In the evening enjoy a walk along the Champs-Elysees, followed by a cruise along the River Seine. (BB)

Day 3: Disneyland in Paris

Spend the day at Disneyland Paris. Included in your tour is a full-day, one-park pass to either Disneyland Park or Disney Studio Park. (BB)

Day 4: Versailles & D-Day Memorial

Travel this morning to Versailles and visit the Palace of Versailles to see its opulent rooms and gardens. Experience the extraordinary Hall of Mirrors where the historic Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World War I.  Continue to Arromanches and visit the D-Day Memorial. It’s then onto Bayeux for our overnight stay. (BB, D)

Day 5: Battle of the Somme

Today we visit Amiens and the nearby Somme Battlefields, where some of the most intense fighting took place during World War I. More than 3 million men fought in this battle with1 million wounded or killed. We visit some of the many interesting memorials and museums dedicated to the fallen. Our overnight stay is in Amiens.  (BB, D)

Day 6: The Lost Territories - Strasbourg

We travel to Verdum where you will visit the Verdum Battlefields and War Memorial.  Our journey continues to Strasbourg, on the border of Germany, for our overnight stay. (BB)

Day 7: Strasbourg to Colmar

In the morning travel to Colmar where you will enjoy a boat tour in the canal quarter, followed by a walking tour around Petite Venise and the historic centre. From Colmar, continue to Riquewihr for a walking tour in the town.  We then visit Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg for a visit to the castle, before arriving back in Strasbourg for our overnight stay. (BB)

Day 8: Europa Park & Friedrichshafen

Spend the day at the Europa Park, one of the best theme parks in Europe. This evening we overnight in Friedrichshafen. (BB, D)

Day 9: Meersburg Castle onto Munich

Begin your morning with a walk up to Meersburg Castle. We then make our way to the well-known Neuschwanstein for a tour to the castle and a horse-carriage ride down the mountain. Then it’s onto Munich where a Local Expert will take you on a walking tour in the city centre, including key sites related to Hitler’s time in Munich and the Third Reich. Finally we visit the Nazi Documentation Centre. (BB)

Day 10: Eagle’s Nest & Obersalzburg

A short drive out of Munich, visit Hitler’s former retreat, known as the Eagle’s Nest. Afterwards, stop for lunch at Obersalzburg (own expense) and continue to the Konigsee for a boat tour on the Lake and a chance to swim in Lake Chiemsee. Return to Munich for your overnight stay. (BB)

Day 11: Dachau & Rothenburg

We start the day with a tour to the Munich Residenz Museum. It is then onto Dachau for a sobering visit to the concentration camp. Our overnight stay is in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. (BB)

Day 12: Explore Medieval Rothenburg

Rothenburg was regarded by the Nazis as the most “German” of German towns. Visit the Museum of Torture, explore the medieval city and battlements, and join a Nightwatchman tour. (BB)

Day 13: Nazi History in Nuremberg

We depart Rothenburg and continue to Nuremburg in the morning. On arrival, join a Local Expert for a tour to city centre. Walk up to the Kaiserburg Castle, visit the Nazi parade grounds and the Albert Speer Documentation Centre to bring to life the history of Hitler’s rise to power. In the afternoon, visit the Palace of Justice and Courtroom 600, the location of the Nuremburg Nazi trials. (BB)

Day 14: Onto Magical Prague

This morning travel to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. On arrival, join your Travel Director for an orientation tour of the old town centre, including the town square, St Nicholas Church and Tyn Church. Afterwards visit Prague Castle and walk to Charles Bridge. (BB)

Day 15: Museum visits in Prague

Visit The Prague Communism Museum, Jewish Museum and the Kepler Museum today. (BB)

Day 16: Military History in Dresden

In the morning we travel to Dresden where we join a Local Expert for a tour of the Dresden’s Zwinger Palace, the Bundeswehr Military History Museum, the Dresden Armoury and Frauenkirche. (BB)

Day 17: Tropical Islands Water Park

Depart Dresden and spend the day at the Tropical Islands Water theme park. (BB)

Day 18: Berlin Sightseeing

Tour to Berlin starts with a visit to the ‘Story of Berlin’ Museum to provide an overview of the city’s tumultuous history. Your journey with a Local Expert includes the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, sections of the Berlin Wall and Alexanderplatz. Visit also the Zeppelin Field and the Jewish Museum, the German Resistance Memorial Centre and the Holocaust Memorial. (BB)

Day 19: Farewell Berlin

On our final morning we visit the Wansee Haus Museum and Documentation Centre of the “Final Solution”. Later, explore the DDR Museum to learn about life under communist rule after the end of World War II. We bid farewell to Berlin and make our way to the airport for flights home. (BB)

Day 1: Welcome to Florence

Welcome to Italy! On arrival at Bologna airport, you will be met by your Travel Director and driver. We continue to our hotel in Florence where you’ll have time to settle in, before enjoying a welcome dinner at the hotel. (WD)

Day 2: Discover Florence

After a restful night’s sleep and breakfast at the hotel, we visit the Basilica di Santa Croce and Museo Galileo, home to the only surviving instruments designed and built by Galileo himself. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore Florence. (BB)

Day 3: Florence at your Leisure

Enjoy a day at leisure. Explore captivating Florence at your own pace or join your Travel Director for a day tour to Vallombrosa to see the Monastery where Galileo studied. (Guided tours only available in July & August). (BB)

Day 4: Bologna to Padua

After breakfast at your hotel, spend the morning at leisure. In the afternoon, we drive through Bologna to Padua where you’ll enjoy a local 3-course dinner alongside a guest lecturer from the Padua University. (Lecturer organised by MTG.)  (BB, HD)

Day 5: Padua to Venice

Today we visit the Il Bo University, the second oldest university in Italy, for a guided tour. The afternoon is free for you to visit the Botanical gardens and St Anthony Basilica. Later in the afternoon, we continue to our hotel, situated in Mestre Venice, where we will stay for 2 nights. (BB)

Day 6: Romantic Venice at your Leisure

After breakfast, the rest of the day is yours to explore romantic Venice at leisure. (BB)

Day 7: Onto Swiss Geneva

Les Nations Hotel After a restful night’s sleep, we cross the border to Switzerland. On arrival into Geneva enjoy a late afternoon cruise on Lake Geneva.   Afterwards we check into our hotel. (BB)

Day 8: Nuclear Science in Cern & Geneva Exploration

After breakfast we travel to CERN (subject to availability) to visit the European Organisation for Nuclear Research and see the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. The remainder of the day is free to explore the city of Geneva. (BB)

Day 9: Geneva to Paris

Enjoy a delightful drive through the French countryside, as we make our way to Paris. On arrival you are free to relax or explore the city of love on your own. Gather for dinner at the hotel, during which you’ll enjoy the company of a guest speaker from the Marie Curie Museum. (Lecturer organised by MTG.) (BB, D)

Day 10: Gardens of Paris

Visit the Botanical Gardens in the morning. Here you will discover the Alpine Gardens, which contain 2000 mountain plants from all over the world. Wander through the rose garden, the iris garden and the Botany School's Garden, where 4500 species are labelled and regrouped by families. (BB)

Day 11: Arts & Metier Museum in Paris

Take time to visit the Arts and Metier Museum and spend the rest of the day at leisure to explore the wonderful city of Paris. (BB)

Day 12: Science in Paris

After breakfast in the morning, visit the Marie Curie Museum. Completely re-designed, the Museum reveals the life and times of a family of unusual physicists and their huge contribution to science. The rest of the day is at leisure. (BB)

Day 13: Paris at your Leisure

Enjoy a day at leisure to explore the city of Paris. (BB)

Day 14: Eurostar to London

Bid farewell to Paris today, as we travel by Eurostar to London. On arrival we will be met and transferred to a local pub for lunch. We’ll then check into our hotel and you’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy at leisure. (BB, L)

Day 15: Day Tour to Kent

Today we travel to Kent to visit the Down House, the home of Charles Darwin, before returning to our London hotel. (BB)

Day 16: Scientific Marvels of London

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing, including a visit to the Royal Observatory, Flamsteed, Meridian Courtyard and Maritime Museum, and a cruise on the River Thames. The remainder of the day is at leisure. (BB)

Day 17: Royal Society & Faraday Museum in London

This morning we visit the Royal Society followed by a visit to the Faraday Museum at the Royal Institution.  Lunch is served at a local restaurant. (BB, L)

Day 18: Westminster & Science Museum in London

We spend the morning visiting Westminster Abbey and the afternoon exploring the Science Museum in Kensington. (BB)

Day 19: Discover Cambridge

After breakfast, we continue to the university town of Cambridge for a 2-night stop. Enjoy a private walking exploration of the town including a visit to Trinity College – the largest of the Cambridge Colleges. (BB)

Day 20: Cambridge at your Leisure

Today is yours to explore at leisure.  We meet again in the evening to celebrate the end of our tour with a farewell dinner at our hotel. (BB, D)

Day 21: Farewell from London

Our science tour has come to an end. Transfer from Cambridge to the London Heathrow Airport for your flight home. (BB)

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Travel with The Met

Travel with The Met connects the Museum's wide and diverse audience to art, inspiration, and historical perspective. Our trips offer travelers the unique opportunity to see the world and humanity's highest artistic achievements with the guidance of The Met's renowned curators and educators. Itineraries focus on educational, enriching activities that will allow you to experience firsthand how art can bridge history and the present day to reveal our shared cultural heritage.

Trips are offered year-round to a variety of exciting destinations. More than just a vacation, a Travel with The Met international exploration combines curatorial expertise and behind-the-scenes viewing arrangements with spectacular itineraries and interesting companionship. The following list is updated regularly to include new itineraries as soon as they become available.

Set Sail with The Met!

Travel with The Met invites you to join our art-filled cultural cruises on one of our distinctive, privately chartered small ships and boutique riverboats. This summer, sail Homer’s “wine-dark sea” on our spectacular Aegean adventure into antiquity, cruising from Athens to Istanbul aboard the elegant Sea Cloud II . Travel with Met lecturer Frank Dabell , an acclaimed art historian whose passion and depth of knowledge about Greek and Roman art and architecture will inspire you.  In October, experience a unique journey by land and sea in the enchanting gem of Mediterranean Spain: Catalonia, the autonomous region with its own unique cultural identity, language, and ancient heritage. Join highly regarded museum educator Rika Burnham sharing her insights on historic Catalan art as your lecturer. Spend three nights in medieval Girona, venturing to Roman ruins, Salvador Dalí’s birthplace, and exceptional museums, and four nights sailing Sea Cloud II to art treasures in Valencia, Ibiza, and Mallorca.

Please contact a Met Travel consultant at Arrangements Abroad by phone 844-TRVLMET (844-878-5638); outside New York: 800-221-1944), or via email for more information or to reserve your place on any journey.

April 27–May 7, 2024

Aboard the brand-new small ship Ocean Albatros , embark on a captivating North Sea voyage to explore the influential Hanseatic League, a confederation of merchant guilds and market towns from the 12th to the 15th centuries, which generated unprecedented wealth along Europe’s northern coasts and laid the foundation for the Renaissance. Sail from the south of England to Denmark and discover the extravagant legacy of this prosperity, going behind the scenes of magnificent public buildings, lavish private houses, and richly furnished museums. Transfer from London to Portsmouth, where you will embark the recently christened Ocean Albatros . From England, sail to French Normandy for inside looks at marvelous châteaux, medieval cathedrals, and World War II history. In the Bayeux Cathedral, enjoy a private look at the sprawling Bayeux Tapestry, a landmark achievement of medieval art. Behold jewel-like medieval architecture in charming Bruges, Belgium. During Holland’s tulip season, discover millions of flowering bulbs at Keukenhof Gardens; experience Groningen, a hidden gem of a town; and enjoy exclusive private tours of museums such as Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. Arrive in Germany for a day in Hamburg, with its massive UNESCO-listed district of brick warehouses, or delve into Hanseatic history at the European Hansemuseum in elegant Lübeck. Then navigate the picturesque, 61-mile-long Kiel Canal connecting the North Sea to the Baltic. Call in sparkling Rostock, the “Gateway to Scandinavia,” and spend a day in Copenhagen, where you’ll have a special tour of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Traveling with You: Rika Burnham is a leading theorist and practitioner of art museum gallery teaching. Author of Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience , and lecturer at Columbia University, she has served as Head of Education at the Frick Collection, Museum Educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Project Director for TIME/Teaching Institute in Museum Education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and was appointed Getty Research Institute Museum Scholar in 2002 and 2018.

Cruise Rates: From $6,999 per person, double rate.

Activity Level:  Intermediate / Moderato

Download the brochure ( PDF ).

May 12–21 2024

In May 2024, embark on an enchanting cruise aboard the boutique riverboat Magnifique III , traversing the Low Countries from Amsterdam to Bruges. Journey along meandering rivers and canals, encountering majestic cathedrals, picturesque gardens, iconic windmills, and charming medieval villages. Immerse yourself in these cities’ medieval architectural splendor, from Amsterdam’s historic Begijnhof to Bruges’ serene béguinage . Travel with the guidance of seasoned museum educator Rika Burnham and enjoy private viewings of extraordinary masterpieces in churches and museums. From the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Dutch and Flemish masters like Vermeer, Rembrandt, Bosch, and Bruegel will captivate you. Marvel at the meticulously restored Adoration of the Mystic Lamb in Ghent’s St. Bavo’s Cathedral. In Rotterdam, discover the city’s experimental 21st-century architecture, including the awe-inspiring Markthal, which combines residential apartments with a grand market, and access to the newly opened Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first public art storage facility.

Traveling with You: Rika Burnham is a leading theorist and practitioner of art museum gallery teaching. Author of Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience , and lecturer at Columbia University, she has served as Head of Education at the Frick Collection, Museum Educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Project Director for TIME/Teaching Institute in Museum Education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and was appointed Getty Research Institute Museum Scholar in 2002 and 2018.

Land/Cruise Rates: From $8,999 per person (for select single-occupancy-only cabins); from $9,999 per person, double rate.

Download the brochure (PDF).

July 8-17, 2024

Venture to the ancient cradle of Western Civilization on an Aegean Sea voyage from Athens to Istanbul. First, enjoy overnight hotel accommodations in the Greek capital, where a private, after-hours tour and reception at the Acropolis Museum—with views of the Parthenon—will be rare pleasures. Then embark on your seven-night Aegean cruise aboard the elegant Sea Cloud II , discovering timeless villages, whitewashed houses, natural splendors, and treasures of antiquity. Step ashore on stunning Greek islands of myth and legend, including Santorini and sacred Patmos. Sail onward to the Graeco-Roman sites of Asia Minor, now in modern-day Turkey. Enjoy a special excursion to Troy, immortalized in Homer’s Iliad . Discover the region’s fascinating history over several millennia, from Bronze Age archaeological wonders to Byzantine monasteries.

Traveling with You: Frank Dabell was educated at Oxford University and is a former Fellow of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has led tours for major museums on journeys throughout Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Russia and has been celebrated for his work as a travel program lecturer and guide by Travel + Leisure. Most recently, he led Travel with The Met’s 2023 program through the Aegean.

Land/Cruise Rates: From $8,999 per person, double rate

September 19–27, 2024

Embark the elegant Sea Cloud II in Venice for an unforgettable Adriatic Sea journey between the Italian and Croatian coastlines, stepping ashore to admire timeless towns and archaeological sites. Savor a rare and exclusive inside look at the landmark achievements in art of the many cultures—from ancient Greeks and Romans to Byzantines and Venetians—who have made the Adriatic region their home. Starting in the lustrous canals of Venice, journey to Ravenna, former capital of the Western Roman Empire, to admire the fifth- and sixth-century mosaics of its early Christian churches. Traverse the Adriatic to Dubrovnik, one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which Lord Byron called “the pearl of the Adriatic.” Discover nearby Hvar, a fertile island of green mountains, Venetian fortifications, and pale stone houses surrounded by rosemary, lavender, and laurel. Step ashore in Zadar, home to historic Roman ruins, medieval churches, cosmopolitan cafés, and quality museums. Further highlights include the seafront city of Pula, whose foundations go back to the fifth century B.C. Experience these cities as they were centuries ago by Roman magistrates and Venetian merchant princes—by sea.

Traveling with You: Keith Christiansen is Curator Emeritus, formerly the John Pope-Hennessy Chairman of the Department of European Paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He began work at The Met in 1977, and, during his 44 years there, organized numerous exhibitions on Renaissance and Baroque painting. He has written widely on Italian art and is the recipient of several awards.

Cruise Rates: From $7,999 per person, double rate

October 13–22, 2024

On this Mediterranean Sea adventure touching two continents, cruise to the temples and cities left behind by waves of civilizations, including prehistoric peoples and the ancient Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans. Sail aboard Sea Cloud II as it travels from Malta to rugged yet beautiful Sicily, Tunisia, and Spain’s Balearic Islands. In Sicily, visit the magnificent Greek ruins of Agrigento and Segesta. In the North African country of Tunisia, experience Tunis and the ancient city of Carthage. In Sardinia, wander through Su Nuraxi di Barumini to see nuraghi , imposing Bronze Age structures only found on this island, and tour Cagliari, Sardinia’s ancient capital. Sail to the island of Menorca and its picturesque capital Mahón. After a memorable day at sea, disembark in Tarragona.

Traveling with You: Page Knox is Lecturer and Educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she offers her expertise on special exhibitions and the permanent collection, and also teaches membership classes. She is an adjunct professor of art history at Columbia University, where she received her Ph.D. in 2012.

Cruise Rates: From $9,999 per person, double rate

October 18–26, 2024

On this Balearic Sea adventure that combines a land program and an elegant cruise aboard Sea Cloud II , take an in-depth journey into the culture, history, and cuisine of cities along the Catalan coast and the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Mallorca. Experience the gems of Catalonia, starting with Girona, Northern Catalonia’s largest city. Over three nights with accommodations at an elegant hotel, discover Girona’s museums, galleries, and fine Romanesque and Gothic buildings, and visit the Museu d’Història dels Jueus, which highlights the contributions of Girona’s once-flourishing Jewish community. Continue to Figueres, the birthplace of Salvador Dalí and now home to his flamboyant theater-museum. Embark Sea Cloud II in Tarragona, formerly Tarraco, and explore its Roman ruins, the Iberian Peninsula’s oldest Roman settlement. On the Catalan coast, visit Valencia, where architectural styles abound, including architect Santiago Calatrava’s modern masterpieces. Stop on the glamorous island of Ibiza to explore its Phoenician history dating back 3,000 years, then head for the Balearic island of Mallorca. In its capital, Palma de Mallorca, tour La Seu, a spectacular sandstone cathedral that took 600 years to build, before returning to Tarragona for disembarkation.

Land/Cruise Rates: From $6,999 per person, double rate

Download the brochure ( PDF ). 

December 29,  2024–January 9, 2025

Embark on an extraordinary New Year’s journey into the heart of ancient Egypt. This exclusive program offers a unique blend of private plane travel, a four-night Nile River cruise aboard the elegant Sanctuary Nile Adventurer , and unparalleled access to Egypt’s legendary sites. The adventure begins in Cairo, where you’ll explore the Great Pyramids. Then see the Great Sphinx up close, bypassing the usual crowds. Visit the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, with a special look behind the scenes at its restoration center. Delve into the recently opened underground chambers of King Djoser’s Step Pyramid in Sakkara, and explore the tomb of Wahtye, adorned with statues, paintings, and hieroglyphs. A private flight to Luxor leads to visits to the UNESCO-listed necropolis in Thebes and rare access to Queen Nefertari’s tomb, known for its vivid wall paintings. Embark Sanctuary Nile Adventurer for your Nile River voyage, which takes you to sublime tombs and temples in Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan, with a private plane journey to the awe-inspiring temples of Abu Simbel. Conclude your journey in Cairo. You may choose to take part in an optional postlude in Jordan featuring the resplendent ancient wonders of Amman and Petra.

Traveling with You: Christopher Noey is an art historian, author, and an Emmy award-winning producer of films on art and culture who has been traveling to Egypt for 40 years. An expert in Asian and Islamic art, Mr. Noey has taught at Williams College and the City College of New York.

Land/Cruise Rates: From $13,999 per person, double rate

For more information, contact us by phone (212-570-3755), fax (212-396-5040), or email .

Stay informed: Sign up for our e-newsletter .

To reach our tour operator directly, please contact a Met Travel consultant at Arrangements Abroad by phone 844-TRVLMET (844-878-5638); outside New York: 800-221-1944),  email , or write to:

Arrangements Abroad 260 West 39th Street, 17th Floor New York, NY 10018-4424

Our Art Vacations

Jeannette and Suzy set a new high standard of travel. I joined an ArtWalk Greece with 3 girlfriends. We left Greece with a whole new appreciation of seeing the world by traveling “at the speed of you.” They are fabulous tour leaders. They have a depth of knowledge of the local towns and sites that I have never before experienced. We always felt so well taken care of. We did a lot of walking and art-making. I am looking forward to another Blue Walk in the future!

Prescott, AZ

Travel Journal Art Vacations

Create an experience to remember.

You’ve daydreamed of this: a vacation with time each day to simply create. The destinations are beautiful. The accommodations are welcoming. All the details are taken care of. In the company of like-minded travelers you savor the wonder of the present moment. And you capture it all through your art.

Create as You Travel

Our Art Walk art vacations are the perfect tours for artists of all levels. Talented and engaging teaching artists offer daily classes inspired by stunning locations. Equal parts journey and learning, our art vacations are based on a travel journal format. Art classes are mostly on site. Some programs have “studio” time at our hotels. Space is almost always limited, so you will learn to work with what is available, being able to create wherever and however you may find yourself. Sketchbook, watercolor, collage, and multimedia workshops are all represented in our schedule.

Everyone is Welcome

Join us. Solo travelers love the easy camaraderie our tours provide. First time European travelers and budding artists love the safe, supportive, and welcoming atmosphere. The main requirements are a desire for adventure and gratitude for the opportunity to pursue it. 

Travel at the speed of you.

Stretch your legs and expand your experience.

Find a community. Receive and share inspiration.

Return home renewed, accomplished, and feeling better than ever.

Keeping an illustrated travel journal enhances your trip and opens your mind. Everything around me is fresh and beautiful because I’m drawing it, seeing it truly for the first time.    

Once you return from your trip, your mind remains full of wonder. A quick flip through your journal’s pages keeps those memories alive.  

Danny Gregory

The Art of Keeping a Travel Sketchbook

Explore Our Art Workshops & Retreats

Sketchbook Travel Journal Vacation in Greece with Koosje Koene

Sep 24-Oct 6, 2024 join Koosje Koene’s island-hopping sketchbook journal vacation in Greece.

Art Journal Workshop in Paris, France with Betsy Beier

Sep 16-23, 2024 join Betsy Beier’s art journal workshop in Paris, France. Fill your sketchbook as we walk the neighborhoods of Paris!

Watercolor Sketchbook Art Workshop in Italy

Ohn Mar Win teaches a 7-night watercolor sketchbook art workshop in Italy. We will tour the Italian Riviera and stunning Lake Como. Join us October 2024.

Art and Creativity Workshop in Italy

Join Jill Badonsky for an art and creativity workshop on the Italian Riviera in October 2024. Write, paint, and sketch for an inspired week.

Art workshop in Venice, Padua, and Parma, Italy

Oct 21-27, 2024 Anne Leuck teaches her art workshop in Venice, Padua and Parma, Italy. See Venice like a local! Taste the best of Parma!

Watercolor Workshop in Greece with Angela Fehr

April 22 – May 4, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Portugal with Tammy Gilley

March 30-April 5, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Portugal with Mary Beth Shaw

April 6-12, 2025

Art Workshop Vacation in Paris, France with Tammy Gilley

April 12-19 , 2025

Watercolor Workshop in Italy with Angela Fehr

May 5-11, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Italy with Tiffany Goff-Smith

May 11-18, 2025

Collage Travel Journal Workshop in Greece with Karen Stamper

May 20-June 1, 2025

Sketchbook Art Workshop in Portugal with Anne Leuck

June 9-15, 2025

Watercolor Journal Workshop in Spain with Ohn Mar Win

June 30 – July 6, 2025

Travel Journal Art Workshop in Spain with Julie Snidle

Sep 8-14, 2025

Sketchbook Art Workshop in Spain with Koosje Koene

Sep 14-20, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Sicily, Italy with Mary Beth Shaw

Oct 19-Nov 1, 2025 (Coming Soon)

Art Workshop in Spain: Barcelona and Costa Brava

Join artist Mary Beth Shaw for a mixed media art workshop in Spain September 2024. Get inspired and renewed in Barcelona and Costa Brava.

Mixed Media Art Workshop Vacation in Nice, France

Join Tammy Gilley for a mixed media art workshop in Nice, France June 2-8, 2024. Follow in the footsteps of the Matisse, Monet, and Van Gogh.

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Switzerland

Join Mary Beth Shaw on her mixed media art workshop in Switzerland June 2024.

Art Vacations Schedule

This is a list of our public art vacations. The Blue Walk offers private and custom small group tours in addition to our advertised tours. 

There is a separate Blue Walk schedule for our walking vacations. 

2024 Art Vacation Workshops

• May 14-26: Watercolor with Angela Fehr in Greece (12 nights) from $4595 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
• Jun 2-8: Mixed media with Tammy Gilley on the French Riviera (6 nights) from $3495 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
• Jun 9-16: Mixed media with Mary Beth Shaw in Switzerland (7 nights) from $4845  (1 space available)
• September 7-14: Mixed media with Mary Beth Shaw in Spain (7 nights) from $3695 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
• September 16-23: Sketchbook journal with Betsy Beier in Paris, France (7 nights) from $4295
• September 24-October 6: Sketchbook journal with Koosje Koene in Greece (12 nights) SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
• October 7-14: Sketchbook journal with Ohn Mar Win on the Italian Riviera and Lake Como (7 nights) from $3795 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
• October 14-20: Art and Creativity workshop with Jill Badonsky on the Italian Riviera (6 nights) from $3595 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
• October 21-27: Sketchbook journal with Anne Leuck in Venice and Parma, Italy (6 nights) from ($3745)

2025 Art Vacation Workshops

• March 30-April 5: Mixed Media Workshop Vacation in Portugal with Tammy Gilley (6 nights) from $3495
• April 6-12: Mixed Media Art Workshop in Portugal with Mary Beth Shaw (6 nights) from $3395
• April 12-19: Art Workshop Vacation in Paris, France with Tammy Gilley (7 nights) from $3995
• April 22 - May 4: Watercolor workshop with Angela Fehr in Greece (12 nights) from $4745
• May 5-11: Watercolor workshop in Italy with Angela Fehr (6 nights) from $3445
• May 11-18: Mixed media art workshop in Italy with Tiffany Goff-Smith (7 nights) from $3795
• May 20 - June 1: Collage Travel Journal Workshop in Greece with Karen Stamper (12 nights) from $4745
• June 9 - 15: S ketchbook Workshop in Portugal with Anne Leuck (6 nights) from $3495
• June 30 - July 6: Watercolor journal workshop in Spain with Ohn Mar Win (6 nights) from $3595
• September 8-14: Travel Journal Art Workshop in Spain with Julie Snidle (6 nights) from $3445 
• September 14-20: sketchbook workshop in Spain with Koosje Koene (6 nights) from $3445
• Oct 21 - Nov 1: Mixed Media Art Workshop in Sicily, Italy with Mary Beth Shaw (11 nights) Details coming soon. Join interest list.

Book a Private Walking Tour or Art Vacation

Travel with your own tribe! Friends, family or colleagues with groups from 8-20 can reserve private tours. Special pricing or tour leader rates availble. We will work with you to reserve the best itinerary and dates for your own amazing tour.

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Delve into the unique cultures of the world and get a deeper insight with your Local Specialists on our art and cultural experiences. Meet with local artisans, learn how they keep their traditions alive, and witness moving cultural performances.

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Our cultural vacations continue on well into the night, with our unique Stays with Stories. Step back in time with a stay in the lavish 17th-century Château de Beauvois in France, sleep in a room hewn out of the surrounding ancient rock in Turkey, experience genuine Japanese hospitality at a traditional ryokan in a mountain hot springs village, or stay in an old Franciscan convent in Santa Maria degli Angeli in Italy.

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Our cultural trips connect you with locals who share their unique customs. Witness the revival of Khmer crafts by young artisans in Siem Reap, see the delicate craft of Venetian glassblowing on Giudecca Island, learn the art of haggling at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, discover the spiritual connections the local Anangu caretakers have with the land at Uluru, or learn how local artisans make Japanese washi paper in Gokayama. 

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Culture heritage tourism is traveling to experience authentic food, music, clothing, stories, artifacts and activities of different countries and cultures around the world. Our arts and culture tours include cultural heritage experiences like listening to Fado music in Portugal, learning how to wear a kimono in Japan, and witnessing the flamenco in Spain.

What is the art capital of the world?

Looking for the best cities in the world for art? You can’t miss the art mecca of Paris, with over 1,000 galleries including The Louvre. You also have to visit New York for its MoMa and Guggenheim, London for its Tate Modern and National Gallery, Florence for Renaissance art, Barcelona for the works of Gaudi, Amsterdam for its iconic Dutch artists, and Singapore for its futuristic exhibitions.

Which destinations are popular for arts and cultural trips?

If you’re keen on arts tours or cultural vacations, you can’t go past destinations like Kyoto in Japan, Shanghai in China, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hoi An in Vietnam, Wellington in New Zealand, the Northern Territory in Australia, the east coast of the USA, and European cities like Paris and Rome.

What are the top cultural trip destinations in Europe?

Our cultural tours take you to some of the top destinations in Europe where you can experience arts and cultures, including Istanbul, Vienna, Prague, Porto, Seville and of course, the cultural heavyweights like Venice, Florence and Rome of Italy and Paris and Bordeaux of France.

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

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Our Services

Travel Arts Group was established in 1984. Since then our travel experts have been passionately exploring and experiencing the world and sharing our acquired expertise, and personal and professional resources  with our valued clients. 

 With nearly 40 years of travel planning experience we know what it takes to make an ordinary vacation become an extra-ordinary experience. 

 We pride ourselves on personally knowing the most unique and enchanting places to stay, secret sights and highlights to see and of course the most fun and interesting things to do to make your travels that much more magical and memorable.  

Whether you prefer a cruise vacation, a land based itinerary, or a perfect combination of both, our travel specialists will make it all happen for you in the best and most efficient way possible. 

We will help you decide not just where and when to go, but how to get there, where to stay and what to do when you get there. 

 All to ensure that your trip plans are crafted to suit your personal needs and preferences and exceed your expectations!

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Our success is measured by your travel joys and your referrals. As a boutique business we are able to devote our time to getting to know each of our clients very personally in order to understand their travel wishes and wants and then translate them into unforgettable experiences.

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You can learn about the history of Moscow with a trip to Red Square. Experience the area's fascinating museums and acclaimed theater scene.

Moscow Kremlin

Visit the most iconic square in Russia, which is bordered by many of the city’s most famous landmarks.

St. Basil's Cathedral

Think of Russia and you probably picture this iconic building, whose onion-shaped domes overlook the Moscow skyline.

Bolshoi Theatre

A centerpiece of the Russian arts scene, this theater’s magnificent auditorium and top-tier productions will impress even the most jaded theatergoer.

Lenin's Mausoleum

Mourners and curious visitors stream to the grave to see the embalmed Vladimir Lenin, the famous revolutionary and one-time leader of the Soviet Union.

Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy

Learn about the events happening at Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy during your trip to Moscow. Wander the parks and gardens while you're in the area.

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• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Drama Theatre BOOM
• Museum of Labor and Battle Glory
• Bronnitsky Exhibit Hall
• Fifth House Gallery
• Church of Vladimir
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• Electrostal History and Art Museum

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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