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. In the early evening, we gather for drinks in the hotel bar. (If you have arrived early we suggest you take the AIA harbour cruise today. Academy Travel can arrange bookings.)

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. The afternoon is free, before we kick off our performances in style this evening with a concert at the legendary Carnegie Hall. The venue has superb acoustics and a long tradition of outstanding performances. (B, L)

Performance I
Venue: Carnegie Hall
Program: To be announced
Performers: To be announced

Today we spend the morning at 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 explore The American Wing, which houses one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of American art in existence, and you can enjoy lunch in one of the many museum restaurants across the campus. Public tours are regularly scheduled throughout the day, which you are free to join. The evening sees us head to the Lincoln Center for a true New York experience – dinner at the famous Grand Tier Restaurant and then a performance of the Metropolitan Opera, one of the cultural landmarks of the city. (B, D)

Performance II
Venue: Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center
Program: To be announced
Performers: To be announced

This morning we explore some of the Art-Deco architecture of New York’s Midtown district, including the United Nations, the Chrysler Building, the Rockefeller Center, and Grand Central Terminal. We’ll also go to the Top of the Rock and get the best view of New York from the top of the Rockefeller Center. In the evening we make our way to Broadway for a musical performance, selected from the 2024 season. (B)

Performance III
Venue: A Broadway theatre
Program: To be announced
Performers: To be announced

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 a leading local restaurant. For those who wish to walk off lunch, we will take an optional stroll through Central Park in the afternoon. (B, L)

Today we visit two stunning museums on the Upper East Side. The Neue Galerie, specialising in German and Austrian art, has become a must-see after the famous acquisition of Gustav Klimt’s Woman in Gold. Not far away is the Guggenheim Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright’s last architectural masterpiece. We will inspect the building and tour the collection. 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. (B)

Performance IV
Venue: Jazz at Lincoln Center
Program: To be advised
Performers: 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 and unusual special exhibitions. We’ll 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 return to the Lincoln Center for a concert by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. (B)

Performance V
Venue: David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center
Program: To be announced
Performers: To be announced

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. In the afternoon we return to Broadway for a matinee performance of a stage play, selected from the 2024 season. (B)

Performance VI
Venue: A Broadway theatre
Program: To be announced
Performers: To be announced

This morning we’ll stroll the High Line, a beautiful urban park situated on a former elevated rail line through the chic Chelsea and Meatpacking districts. After free time for shopping and lunch in the Chelsea Markets, we visit the Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by American socialite Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and moved to its new home in 2015, a Renzo Piano designed edifice. Evening at leisure. (B)

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 have a guided tour of the Morgan Library, containing an exquisite collection of extremely rare manuscripts and books, where we will enjoy lunch. In the evening, we return to the Lincoln Center to take in our second performance at the Metropolitan Opera. (B, L)

Performance VII
Venue: Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center
Program: To be announced
Performers: To be announced

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. In the afternoon, we’ll attend a performance of the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular, showcasing dance and choreography at Radio City Music Hall since 1932. Tonight, we return to MoMA for our farewell dinner at The Modern. This Michelin two-star restaurant overlooks MoMA’s sculpture courtyard and is certain to be one of the culinary highlights of the tour. After dinner, we continue the Christmas cheer by witnessing the spectacular lights of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center and the Saks Fifth Avenue façade. (B, D)

Performance VIII
Venue: Radio City Music Hall
Program: Christmas Spectacular
Performers: The Rockettes

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.