New York
Plus Landmark Exhibition ‘Raphael: Sublime Poetry’
6th – 12th May 2026
Memorable Manhattan: Exploring New York City and celebrating 250th anniversary of Declaration of Independence
Manhattan is a vibrant canvas of history, art and culture, and next Spring we will be offering an unforgettable journey through the iconic landmarks and hidden gems. This itinerary will blend historic sites, world-class museums including MOMA and the newly reopened Frick Collection, local culinary delights and breathtaking architectural marvels as well as little-known places. We hope to create a truly immersive experience of the city.
The trip will be led by Cat Manson who lived and worked in New York, and Tom Parsons, who has regularly visited the city. 2026 is also the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, so it is an ideal moment to explore the best of America’s history and culture, in the city that was the first capital and remains an unforgettable, vibrant centre.
Itinerary
Wednesday 6th May
We will meet in the early evening to explore the NOMAD/Midtown neighbourhood near our hotel. The location is on the border of the Design district and Little Korea. It is the perfect place to orientate ourselves over a good local coffee and emergency deli for any jet-lagged early morning travellers. Dinner will be early and local.
Thursday 7th May
We will start early after breakfast and spend our first morning exploring the historic core of Lower Manhattan, where the city was founded. We will travel to Wall Street, Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel before heading to the architectural splendours of the old Cunard Building and the Bank of New York, all of which paint a picture of New York’s rise and ongoing importance. After stopping for a coffee (unlike Italy, you can literally have any coffee you want at any time, plus Matcha is very “in”), we will then visit the 9/11 memorial.
After lunch downtown in a quaint pocket near the Financial District, we will head uptown to visit the great migrant neighbourhoods of China Town and Little Italy, and have a private tour of the little-known Museum at Eldridge Street. Along the way, we may sample some food of the areas include pot-stickers in China Town and a famous Jewish knishery on the Lower East Side. Dinner will be local to the hotel due to anticipated jet-lag.
Friday 8th May
We will explore mid-town and discuss the famous 42nd Street. We will pass by the New York Public Library, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece, before stepping into the historic grandeur of Grand Central Terminal to enjoy lunch at the Oyster Bar, a favourite among locals since 1913.
After lunch, we will head up to view New York from on high, then take a scenic walk past the Chrysler Building and other architectural marvels. We will end the afternoon by joining a guided tour of the United Nations, learning about its activities and admiring the iconic architecture. We will have a relaxed supper at a beloved burger joint, a true New York staple.
Saturday 9th May
We will start the day at MOMA and discuss the rise of American art and collecting, (fantastic works by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Jackson Pollock are particular highlights here). We will then head to the Rockefeller Center, home to iconic landmarks like Radio City Music Hall, with a focus on the public art installations throughout the renowned complex. Afterwards, we will enjoy lunch at a classic Midtown grill located within the centre.
After Lunch there will be free time for those that want to shop, relax or visit sites our itinerary does not cover. We will meet for dinner at a great place for sushi, celebrating the city’s global food scene.
Sunday 10th May
Taking the subway uptown, we will have a private tour of the historic Park Avenue Armory, a historic location for the U.S. Army National Guard designed in the Gothic Revival style. Afterwards, we will visit the Frick Collection which has recently re-opened in the Beaux-Arts mansion home of Henry Clay Frick. Here there are masterpieces by Piero della Francesca, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Whistler.
We will walk into Central Park to take lunch at the historic Boathouse restaurant. Our afternoon will be a leisurely walk around Central Park and taking in view of the Upper West Side. We will discuss the Dakota Building and finish our walk by Lincoln Centre. We will end our day with a slice of New York-style pizza, a must-have in the city.
Monday 11th May
We will start our morning with a stroll along the High Line, a beautifully transformed rail bridge now blooming with gardens, followed by a visit to the Whitney Museum. We will soak up the energy of Chelsea and discuss the contemporary art market in New York.
After a delicious local lunch, we will take a special boat tour with an architectural historian to help guide us and circumnavigate the entire island, gliding past landmarks from a fresh perspective. Our last night will begin with rooftop cocktails and then a delicious New York steak night, indulging in one of the city’s most celebrated culinary traditions.
Tuesday 12th May
On our last morning, we will top our week off with a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the landmark exhibition ‘Raphael: Sublime Poetry’. The show will trace the painter’s roots in Urbino through to the heights of the Renaissance with a selection of over 200 works. Rarely loaned paintings from private collections across the globe will join iconic pieces from the British Museum and National Gallery in London, Louvre, Galleria Borghese, Vatican Museums, Uffizi, Prado, Albertina in Vienna and the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. It will be one of those exhibitions not to be missed. We will then take you around a few of the outstanding highlights of the galleries permanent collection.
We will follow this with one last lunch before heading off to the airport for our flight home.
Further Details
Tuition – Car Manson and Tom Parsons will lead the trip. Cat Manson lived and worked in New York, and Tom Parsons has regularly visited the city. Both are two of our most experienced tutors and have led courses for Artemisia for many years.
Hotels – We will be staying in The Evelyn Hotel in the Nomad area, which has just been named as one of the three best hotels in New York, as reported by Time Out. The hotel’s design showcases the Art Nouveau style of the early 1900’s while reflecting the neighbourhood’s music and art heritage that dates back over a century. There is also a great café, bar and restaurant within the hotel.
Nomad is also known as Madison Square North. The term has been in use since 1999 (North of Mad). Famous residents have included Leonard and Clara Jerome, grandparents of Winston Churchill who lived at 41 East 26th Street. Their home, now demolished, became the Manhattan Club where the cocktail was created and was a famous congregating place of the Democrats including Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is also the home of Tin Pan Alley, named after the collection of music publishers and songwriters who dominated the American music scene in the early 20th century. It is centrally placed so that we can get uptown and downtown easily, but is also a vibrant, lesser-known neighbourhood with a thriving food and cultural scene.
Flights – We do not book the flights thus allowing you to travel to suit your budget, use airmiles, travel between different airports or on different dates. However, we will provide transport for the following flights with British Airways:
Wednesday 6th May London Heathrow 11:10 – 13:55 Newark BA185
Tuesday 12th May JFK, New York 18:30 – 06:30+1 London Heathrow BA112
We have chosen to fly into Newark and out of JFK due to Newark having a much better immigration process for entering the US but JFK is better to fly out of due to its amenities.
Please let Charlie know as soon as possible if you would like to arrive a day early to recover from jetlag and she will book you into the hotel.
Transport – We will be taking public transport most days, mainly the subway as it is the easiest way to get around. This involves stairs as well as escalators. Please note this trip will include a lot of walking, it is the best way to get a feel of the city.
Ability – Please note this trip will include a lot of walking, it is the best way to get a feel of the city. This will be a very busy trip, so you do need to be fit and well. As is the case for all our courses, there is a lot of standing while we discuss the works we are looking at.
Lunches and Dinners – Lunches are a set menu of two courses to include drinks. Dinner is by no means compulsory, but we book a table for the group each night at different restaurants and divide the bill equally between everyone. Sometimes these may also need to be a set menu but we try our best to avoid this. We will adjust the bill for those not drinking alcohol. New York unfortunately, has become an expensive city so dinners each evening may be in the region of $100 a head plus a 20% tip.
Cost – The fees are £3950 which includes accommodation and breakfast, all lunches, transfers for the recommended flight, transport when connected with teaching, entrance fees, private visits, boat trip, tuition, all tips, reading lists and local advice. The single occupancy supplement is £290. Not included are the flights, all suppers, travel insurance. The group will not exceed 16 people and we will divide in to two smaller groups wherever possible.
To register – Please complete the online registration form, having read our terms and conditions and pay a deposit of £600 via bank transfer. Your place is not confirmed until we have received the deposit.
If you have any queries, please email [email protected] or call 01379 871800 (302)
NB you must buy your own flights.
