Suggested Tour Operators

Arts and Travel (http://www.artsandtravel.com, Tel. + 44 0808 234 6830)
Luxury travel to Europe’s art cities, museums and cultural sights.
Travel For The Arts (http://www.travelforthearts.co.uk, Tel. + 44 020 8799 8350)
An opera and dance specialist providing small group tours to the world’s legendary opera.
Society for Asian Art Programs (http://www.societyforasianart.org/programs/travel.htm, Tel. + 1 (415) 581-3701)
Travel Society for Asian Art organizing trips to Asia such as Japan, Turkey and Rajasthan.
Arts of Travel FG (http://www.artsoftravel.com)
Guided art history tours with a personal historian to experience the historical heritage of Europe’s most important cities.
HF Holidays (http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/literature/index.asp, Tel. +44 (0) 20 8732 1220)
Literature festivals and themed tours in Great Britain including Hay, Keswick and Cheltenham.
Thomas Hardy Tours (http://www.hardythomas.co.uk, Tel. +44 (0) 1626 772068)
Literature courses for small groups following in the Steps of Thomas Hardy in the west country of England.
Music Travel and Tours (http://www.musictravelandtours.com, Tel. + 1 800 748 6542)
Group tour packages for band trips, orchestra or choir performances and music competitions in the US, China, Britain, Europe, Caribbean and Mexico. Plus free quotes for customized tours.
Music Tours in Europe (http://www.musictraveltours.com, Tel. + 1 800 838 6860)
Independent and escorted tours to opera festivals, classical music and other events in Europe.
Martin Randall Travel (http://www.martinrandall.com, Tel. +44 (0) 20 8742 3355)
Cultural tours themed on art, architecture, music, archaeology, gastronomy and history in the US but also China, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and other locations.
Renaissance Tours (http://www.renaissancetours.com.au, Tel. + 61 (02) 9299 5801)
An Australian company that believe travel makes a good bedfellow with art, literature or music. Tours incorporate worldwide locations.
Lancaster Authentic (http://www.lancasterauthentic.com, Tel. +44 (0)1524 65628)
Small group travel following literature, historical and art trails in England.
Coombe Farm Studios (http://www.coombefarmstudios.com)
Offers art courses and retreats to the home base in Devon, England and also to locations within Europe, Bali, Morocco and Zanzibar.
Literary Traveler (http://www.literarytraveler.com, Tel. + 1 800 314 8602)
A website providing informative and inspiring travel writing featuring writers and the places that they have traveled. And also a variety of literary tours and literary events for those seeking interesting places to visit
Richardson and Gray (http://www.richardsonandgray.com)
Cultural tours for discerning travelers following the literary trail through England
Archers Direct (http://www.archersdirect.co.uk/music_tours.php, Tel. + 1 0871 423 8425)
USA music tours and vacations.
Rhythm Konnections (http://www.rhythmkonnections.com/Cultural_Tours.htm)
Mali based drumming and music tours.
Edinburgh Book Lovers’ Tour (http://www.edinburghbookloverstour.com, + 44 01573 223888)
Literary Pub Tour and Book Lovers Tour taking in the great Scottish writers and their haunts.

Do-it-yourself options

If you seek more independence a lot of tour operators offer self-guided itineraries or can tailor one for your needs. These are not just designed for individuals or families but also for student groups, music ensembles or any touring artist group. Agents will line up performances as you travel, book you into museums and so on.

If you wish to organize and undertake your own journey it is easy to develop an itinerary. Consider your personal interests and research the locations where you can best satisfy them. For example if you like music festivals visit Europe for varying summer events. If you are particularly interested in classical music you might consider a trip to Salzburg but if your preference is for tango or salsa then you should head to Latin America. Or combine your next trip to New York to undertake the theatre on Broadway.

If you wish to follow in the footsteps of a favorite author such as Ernest Hemingway or John Steinbeck, consider visiting the scenes and cities they immortalized, the hotels they stayed in, cafes they frequented or where they lived.