Arrive in Paris 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), a private hotel transfer and accommodation before or after the tour.

At 18:00, meet your tour leader, ballet expert Donna Cusack, and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

(D)

Following a talk by Donna on the upcoming performances, visit La Madeleine for a guided tour of this monumental Neoclassical church, built in the form of an ancient Greek temple and encircled by over 50 Corinthian columns. Discover the richly decorated interior, with marble sculptures and a gilded apse mosaic, before lunch and some time at leisure.

In the evening, walk to the Palais Garnier for an exclusive, private backstage tour of the magnificent 19th-century opera house commissioned by Napoleon III and designed by Charles Garnier. Explore the lavish interiors, including the Grand Staircase and the Foyer de la Danse, before attending the evening performance, José Martinez’s Les Enfants du paradis, inspired by Marcel Carné’s celebrated film and Jacques Prévert’s poetic screenplay.

(BL)

This morning, visit the Musée des Arts décoratifs for a retrospective celebrating more than 30 years of haute couture by Dutch design duo Viktor&Rolf, whose creations bring fashion and theatrical performance together.

Following an afternoon at leisure, transfer to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, an Art Deco landmark that opened in 1913 and is renowned for its place in Parisian performing arts history. See Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet in Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, presented as a French premiere. Inspired by the Scandinavian summer solstice, this inventive contemporary ballet combines classical and modern movement with music by Mikael Karlsson.

Enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant after the performance.

(BD)

This morning, step into a whimsical wonderland at the Musée des Arts Forains, housed in beautifully restored 19th-century wine warehouses. The museum features an extraordinary collection of fairground memorabilia from the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Belle Époque carousels, weird and wonderful automatons and Venetian carnival costumes.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel for an afternoon and evening at leisure.

(BL)

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer by coach to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport for a flight to Hamburg (flight included in tour price).

Arrive in Hamburg in the afternoon and check in to the hotel. The city is renowned for its rich musical heritage, distinguished architecture and vibrant cultural scene.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at one of Hamburg’s fine restaurants.

(BD)

This morning, join Donna for a talk about the performances ahead at the 52nd Hamburger Ballett-Tage, followed by a private, guided tour of the Elbphilharmonie performing arts venue and its spectacular Grand Hall.

Following an afternoon at leisure, walk to the Hamburg State Opera to see Scirocco, performed by Stuttgart-based WINNDance, an ensemble of internationally renowned dancers. This compelling double bill brings together Death in Venice, inspired by Thomas Mann’s novella, and John Neumeier’s Bridge of Sighs, a meditation on love, longing and farewell inspired by Venice’s famous bridge and the music of Dmitri Shostakovich.

(B)

In the morning, visit Ballettzentrum Hamburg, the training and rehearsal centre of the internationally acclaimed Hamburg Ballet. The afternoon is at leisure.

This evening, enjoy an early dinner at a local restaurant before returning to the Hamburg State Opera for Romantic Evolution/S, pairing August Bournonville’s Romantic ballet La Sylphide with Ether, a work by Hamburg Ballet principal dancer and choreographer Aleix Martínez. Commissioned by interim ballet director Lloyd Riggins, Martínez draws inspiration from this classic to create a new choreographic work.

(BD)

This morning, enjoy a private, guided visit to Hamburg’s Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, whose collections range from Art Nouveau interiors and decorative arts to historic musical instruments. Discover the collection’s highlights, including the striking Expressionist dance costumes created by Lavinia Schulz and Walter Holdt in the 1920s.

This evening, attend John Neumeier’s A Cinderella Story at the Hamburg State Opera. Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s evocative score, this imaginative interpretation moves beyond the familiar fairy tale to explore the journey from childhood to adulthood, the longing to escape restrictive circumstances and the transformative power of love and dreams.

(B)

After breakfast, explore the city’s famous Composers Quarter, where six dedicated museums bring to life the city’s rich musical traditions. From the exhibition on Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, to Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler, this ‘metropolis of music’ tells a diverse history, from the Baroque to the early modern age. Then, enjoy an afternoon at leisure.

Following dinner, walk to the Hamburg State Opera to attend Neue Welten. This double bill brings together Letters from Lincoln, a new creation by Hamburg Ballet principal dancer and choreographer Edvin Revazov, and Copland Dance Episodes by acclaimed American choreographer Justin Peck. Created for 30 dancers, Peck’s exuberant ballet draws on four orchestral works by Aaron Copland.

(BD)

Today, embark on a private, guided tour of the Kunsthalle Museum with its treasure trove of art dating from the Renaissance period through to the present day. Gain an appreciation for the collection of old masters’ paintings, from Rembrandt, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Rubens to works by modern masters such as Max Beckmann and Edvard Munch.

Afterwards, enjoy a special farewell lunch with Donna and fellow travellers at a local restaurant.

In the evening, attend John Neumeier’s The Seagull at the Hamburg State Opera. Inspired by Anton Chekhov’s celebrated play, Neumeier reimagines its world of artistic ambition, love and personal conflict through the lives of dancers and choreographers in early 20th-century Russia.

(BL)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Hamburg 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 and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)