THANKSGIVING IN NEW YORK

The tour starts in the early evening on Sarturday 24 November, at the Warwick hotel bar, New York.

The tour ends in the morning on Thursday 5 December, at the Warwick hotel, New York.

Flights from Australia arrive in New York in the late afternoon. If you have arrived early we suggest you take the AIA harbour cruise today (Academy Travel can arrange bookings). In the evening, meet your tour leader and fellow travellers in the hotel for introductions. A light dinner follows in a nearby restaurant. Overnight New York (D)

We begin our exploration of New York’s unique history and architecture in the Downtown area, where the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam was founded in the 17th century, as well as Wall Street and the heart of the financial district so central to New York’s rise. Sights include the 9/11 Memorial, the Woolworth Building, and New York City Hall. We then enjoy a welcome lunch at the historic Fraunces Tavern, once a hub of revolutionary activity where Washington famously bid farewell to his troops. This evening we kick off our performance program with the 14th Annual Christmas in New York concert, held in the legendary Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall. Overnight New York (B, L)

Performance I
Venue: Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall
Program: Concert, 14th Annual Christmas in New York

We start the day ascending the Top of the Rock for the best view of Manhattan and beyond, including the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and the Empire State Building. After exploring the Art-Deco masterpiece Rockefeller Center, we then tour through the Midtown district with its unique mid-century architecture, finishing at Grand Central Terminal – the Beaux Arts gem. We break for lunch here, before an afternoon at leisure. The evening sees us experience actor and filmmaker Kenneth Brannagh directing and starring in a new production of Shakespeare’s King Lear at one of New York’s newest performance spaces, the Shed at Hudson Yards. Overnight New York (B)

Performance II
Venue: Griffin Theater at The Shed
Program: Play, Shakespeare’s King Lear

Today we visit the Guggenheim Museum on the Upper East Side. Frank Lloyd Wright’s last architectural masterpiece, the Guggenheim is a radical departure from the typical museum layout. We will inspect the building and tour the collection before free time to explore further on your own. This afternoon, subject to reopening, we make our way to the Frick Collection, a unique museum of European Old Masters’ paintings of the very highest quality, displayed in the former private home of Pittsburgh entrepreneur Henry Clay Frick. In the evening we head to Broadway for a new revival of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical Gypsy, helmed by Tony Award-winning visionary director George C. Wolfe. Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will be starring as Mama Rose as she fights for her daughter’s success—while secretly yearning for her own. Overnight New York (B)

Performance III
Venue: Majestic Theatre, Broadway
Program: Musical, Gypsy

We celebrate Thanksgiving today, beginning with the Macy’s Parade, New York’s favourite event and the world’s biggest parade, with spectacular floats and displays to bring a smile to all age groups. We then feast on a traditional American Thanksgiving banquet at Benoit New York, a contemporary French/American bistro by Alain Ducasse. For those who wish to walk off lunch, we will take an optional stroll through Central Park in the afternoon, whose landscaping has been described as New York’s largest work of art. Our walk will take in some of the carefully sculpted vistas the park provides, including the Belvedere and the Bethesda Terrace, as we discuss the history and creation of this unique urban space. The evening is at leisure. Overnight New York (B, L)

This morning we will take a tour of the magnificent New York Public Library, as well as Bryant Park, Herald’s Square and the Empire State Building area. We then take a guided tour of one of New York City’s often-overlooked gems – the Morgan Library. Once the private residence and library of the financier J.P. Morgan, it contains an exquisite collection of extremely rare manuscripts and books. We enjoy lunch in the glass-enclosed central court before returning to our hotel. With the Black Friday sales in full swing, the afternoon is free for you to shop till your heart’s content, if you so desire. This evening we enjoy a performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center in their magnificent auditorium overlooking Central Park. Overnight New York (B, L)

Performance IV
Venue: Jazz at Lincoln Center
Program: To be advised

This morning we’ll take the subway to Brooklyn and go on a guided tour of the highlights of the Brooklyn Museum, one of the most diverse and interesting art collections in the city, and with a growing reputation for its innovative exhibitions. We then make our way to downtown Brooklyn, and get a chance to see the famous brownstones and commanding views of Manhattan. For those feeling energetic, in the afternoon we’ll walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the great icons of the city. This evening we make our way to the Lincoln Center for a concert with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Pianist Yunchan Lim, the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn Competition, plays Chopin’s Second Concerto. Overnight New York (B)

Performance V
Venue: David Geffen Hall - Lincoln Center
Program: Concert, Yunchan Lim Plays Chopin

For early risers, we enjoy the opportunity to participate in a Gospel church service in Harlem, as joyous music carries the powerful message of praise, sacrifice and hope, before taking in some of the other northern Manhattan sights, including the home of founding father Alexander Hamilton. Returning to the hotel in the afternoon, we freshen up before our matinee Broadway show of Thornton Wilder‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic Our Town. Directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, this new production of the timeless drama stars four-time Emmy Award winner Jim Parsons as the Stage Manager. Overnight New York (B)

Performance VI
Venue: Barrymore Theatre, Broadway
Program: Play, Our Town

Today begins with a special private, before-hours tour of the Neue Galerie, housed in a gorgeous Beaux-Arts mansion on 5th Avenue. Specialising in German and Austrian art, it has become a must-see after the famous acquisition of Gustav Klimt’s Woman in Gold. We then make our way across to Hudson Yards, where we stroll the High Line – a beautiful urban park situated on a former elevated rail line above the chic Chelsea and Meatpacking districts. Ending at the eclectic Chelsea Markets, there is free time for shopping and lunch before the afternoon is spent at the Whitney Museum of American Art, housed in a Renzo Piano designed edifice. Tonight we enjoy New York City’s favourite holiday celebration – the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular, showcasing dance and choreography at Radio City Music Hall since 1932. Overnight New York (B)

Performance VII
Venue: Radio City Music Hall
Program: The Rockettes, Christmas Spectacular

This morning sees us head to The Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s medieval department, located on the northern tip of Manhattan. We then travel to the Museum’s main campus, where you can select from the 50 departments presenting outstanding art from pre-history to the 20th century and from all corners of the globe. You may like to join your tour leader in The American Wing, which houses one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of American art in existence. The evening sees us head to the Lincoln Center for a true New York experience – dinner at the famous Grand Tier Restaurant, followed by Verdi’s charged drama of family strife and forbidden love, Il Trovatore. Italian conductor Daniele Callegari leads David McVicar’s Goya-inspired staging, with tenor Michael Fabiano as the bold Manrico and soprano Angela Meade as the noble Leonora. Overnight New York (B, D)

Performance VIII
Venue: Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center
Program: Opera, Verdi’s Il Trovatore

A highlight of our tour is this morning’s private tour of MoMA, New York’s famous Museum of Modern Art. Before the doors open to the public, a museum lecturer guides us through the museum’s greatest works, with the likes of Picasso, Gauguin and van Gogh set to delight. We follow our tour with lunch at The Modern, the Michelin two-star restaurant that overlooks MoMA’s sculpture courtyard. After lunch, the remainder of the day is free to enjoy the museum or visit some of the other interesting sites nearby. For those feeling the Christmas cheer, this evening sees the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center and the Saks Fifth Avenue façade. Overnight New York (B, L)

Before we farewell New York, our final morning is free for those interested in squeezing in some extra shopping or additional sights. (B)

To get to performances in the evenings we will use a private coach, taxis or walk. Some of our daytime travel from site to site will also be in taxis. Taxis are much faster than coaches and give us total flexibility in the program. On one or two occasions, we will also use the city’s subway system.