Arrive in London on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Andrew Wright and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel, followed by dinner.

(D)

After a talk by Andrew, enjoy a private, guided, behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Opera House. Gain insight into the normally off-limits spaces including rehearsal studios, and the costumes and production workshops.

After lunch at a local restaurant, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. This evening, attend a performance of Matthew Bourne’s production of Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Based on the classic fairytale, Matthew Bourne’s interpretation is set in wartime London, with the sound design by Paul Groothuis that draws the audience into the heart of Prokofiev’s score.

(BL)

Today, step into royal history with a visit to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion collection spanning more than 10 decades in the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. Featuring more than 300 items, many on display for the first time, this is the largest exhibition ever mounted of the late Queen’s fashion.

Enjoy an early dinner at a local restaurant before this evening’s performance at the Linbury Theatre. Accompanied by live performances of Baroque music, nine dancers from the Danish company Kammerballetten present Stay Tuned, a collection of chamber ballets by dancer-choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot.

(BD)

This morning, transfer to the Victoria and Albert Museum for a private, guided tour of the Theatre and Performance Collection. Housing objects from mid-18th-century Shakespearean apparel to contemporary designs for Broadway and West End musicals, the collection showcases items from over 100 years of performance.

This evening, attend a performance of Tchaikovsky’s beloved classic, The Nutcracker, by The Royal Ballet. Peter Wright’s production features elegant period designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman.

(B)

After breakfast, transfer to London Heathrow Airport for a flight to Amsterdam (flight included in tour price).

Arrive in Amsterdam in the mid-afternoon and check in to the hotel.

Dinner this evening is at a nearby restaurant.

(BD)

Begin the day with a morning talk by Andrew before a guided walking tour through Amsterdam’s historic centre. Learn about the city’s rich mercantile history and stroll beside picturesque canals and elegant 17th-century canal houses, while discovering several of Amsterdam’s historic theatres and the important role they have played in the city’s vibrant cultural life.

The afternoon is at leisure before a performance of Cinderella at the Dutch National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Specifically adapted by Christopher Wheeldon for the Dutch National Ballet, this production draws on the Brothers Grimm version of the tale along with Wheeldon’s distinct perspective of Cinderella as a self-assured young woman who carries her fate with quiet strength.

(BL)

This morning, enjoy a private, guided tour of the Rijksmuseum, one of Europe’s great art collections. Alongside masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, discover works depicting music, dance, costume and theatrical performance that celebrate the performing arts across the centuries.

The afternoon is at leisure to relax or to continue exploring Amsterdam’s many world-class museums.

This evening, enjoy a performance at the Concertgebouw of Handel’s Messiah by The Bach Choir & Orchestra of the Netherlands.  Written in 1741 in just 24 days, the celebrated Baroque oratorio is based on the Old Testament prophecies and the life of Christ.

(B)

After breakfast, transfer to Amsterdam’s Centraal train station for the Eurostar train to Paris (included in tour price).

Arrive in Paris in the mid-afternoon and check in to the hotel.

Enjoy some time at leisure before dining at one of Paris’s charming local restaurants.

(BD)

After a talk by Andrew, enjoy a matinee dance performance by Cirque le Roux at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Choregraphed by Maria Carolina Vieira, the production Entre chiens et louves revolves around three central characters living in different eras: 1870, 1960 and 2022. Conceived as a film in which the scenes unfold, eight dancers including Philip Rosenberg, Kaisha Dessalines-Wright and Mathilde Jimenez perform an epic adventure where comedy, acrobatics and dance numbers mingle.

This evening, embrace a true Parisian Christmas Eve and join Andrew and fellow travellers for a special Christmas dinner at a nearby restaurant. After dinner, there is the possibility to attend Christmas mass.

(BD)

The morning is at leisure to relax or explore Paris at your own pace.

In the afternoon, transfer to the Opéra Bastille, the primary home of the Paris Opera Ballet, to attend a performance of Rituals, a mixed-bill dance program comprising three distinct neoclassical and contemporary pieces, including Suite en blanc, Boléro X and The Rite of Spring. Each piece is choregraphed by a different artist – the late Serge Lifar, Shahar Binyamini and Pina Bausch respectively – showcasing a diverse range of styles and artistic visions.

After the performance, enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant.

(BD)

In the morning, visit the Palais Garnier for a private backstage tour of the magnificent theatre commissioned by Napoleon III and built by the architect Charles Garnier. Explore the 19th-century architectural masterpiece, celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and admire the lavish gold-leaf Grand Foyer, the dramatic Grand Staircase and the magnificent Auditorium.

Afterwards, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell lunch with Andrew and fellow travellers at a local restaurant followed by some time at leisure.

In the evening, return to the Palais Garnier for a performance of Pulsations by the Paris Opera Ballet, a contemporary triple-bill production exploring the organic rhythm of the body. The three pieces are choregraphed by post-modern dance icon Lucinda Childs, modern dance pioneer Martha Graham and acclaimed dancer-choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot.

(BL)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Charles de Gaulle Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including any additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour, a private airport transfer and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)