Day 1 | Wednesday 13 January
Arrive Sydney
In the mid afternoon, we gather at our hotel for introductions and an opening lecture by our Tour Leader, accompanied by a glass of wine or bubbles. Dinner together at a nearby restaurant follows before we make our way to our first Festival performance of the tour this evening (schedules permitting). Overnight Sydney (D)

Day 2 | Thursday 14 January
Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden
Sydney Harbour has long inspired artists, writers and performers, and few places capture this relationship between landscape and creativity more vividly than Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden. Created on a former railway site overlooking Lavender Bay, this remarkable harbourside garden was transformed over many years by the artist into one of Sydney’s most distinctive public spaces. After time to explore the garden and enjoy its harbour setting this morning, there is time at leisure before we gather for a matinee Festival performance. Later, we return to the hotel for a short break before reconvening for dinner together and a second Festival performance in the evening. Overnight Sydney (B, D)

Day 3 | Friday 15 January
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Since its foundation in 1871, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has played an important role in collecting and interpreting Australian art while presenting significant international works. Today, its collections extend across both historic and contemporary buildings overlooking Sydney Harbour. This morning we explore the Gallery with a curator-led experience focused on Australian art and cultural narratives. Entering via Naala Badu, the Gallery’s striking new pavilion, our visit examines works spanning the colonial period, key modernist movements and significant Indigenous artistic traditions, tracing the evolving visual language of Australia. Lunch is then enjoyed at Crafted by Matt Moran within the Gallery before taking in the afternoon’s Sydney Festival performance. Following the performance, we enjoy a special discussion with members of the artistic team, offering insight into the creative ideas and processes behind the work. Later in the evening we gather again for our final Festival performance. Overnight Sydney (B, L)

Day 4 | Sunday 16 January
King Street Gallery
Founded in 1982, King Street Gallery has played an important role in Sydney’s contemporary art scene for more than four decades. Originally established in Newtown before relocating to Darlinghurst’s historic arts precinct, the gallery has built a reputation for representing many of Australia’s leading painters, sculptors and printmakers. Our final morning is spent here exploring the gallery’s current exhibitions, gaining insight into the work of contemporary Australian artists and the enduring role of independent galleries in fostering artistic practice and supporting creative careers. Following our visit, we return to the hotel where the tour concludes. (B)