VISA London UK Art Tour, April 19-26, 2027
THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT
If you would like to be put on the cancellation list, please email the office: info@vancouverislandschoolart.com
The VISA London Art Tour focuses on the contemporary and historical art in London. You will experience the major art museums and galleries as well as some lesser known art venues. The tour also includes a visit to a local artist’s studio. There is no other tour that offers an itinerary of this kind.
The tour is a great way to get to see London while learning about many kind of contemporary and historical art. The tour is also a fundraising initiative with a tax-deductible donation of $300 per person being included in the cost. The school receives no government funding and relies almost entirely on tuition revenue and donations. We are grateful to get donations from people who understand the important role VISA has played in the Victoria and surrounding community for the last 22 years.
Please note: this tour involves a fair amount of walking (at least 1-5 miles per day) so if you are not able to walk more than a very short distance, this tour will not be suited for you. We do take public transit to get to many locations but London is such a fun city to get to know by walking that we like to include walking to some destinations as part of the tour. No walk is longer than 45 minutes to one hour.
While hotel costs have increased from last year, we have made an effort to keep the cost in line with the previous tour while also making the following additions included in the tour fee: one more night in the hotel (seven nights instead of six), an architecture tour, and a wrap-up dinner on the last night in a lovely Italian restaurant close to the hotel.
This tour includes:
• 7 nights (April 19-25, 2027) at a 4 star hotel in the Bloomsbury district: Radisson Blu, London Tottenham Court Rd (beside the British Museum and is in a great location)
• 7 breakfasts (full buffet as well as a choice of ordering à la carte from a menu)
• Museum and special exhibition admission and other fees including a lecture and guided tours
Some of the museums and galleries we will visit:
Tate Modern*, Tate Britain, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Wallace Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, the V & A East Storehouse, V & E East Museum, Courtauld, The Serpentine Galleries, The Saatchi Gallery, The Whitechapel Gallery, The White Cube and more.
Note: while many of the public galleries (not all) in the UK offer free admission, there is always a charge for “special exhibitions” and this will be included in the tour fee. Some public and private galleries charge a fee (all included in tour)
*A major highlight of the 2027 tour will be the exhibition Monet: Painting Time at the Tate Modern
Tate’s first ever exhibition focusing exclusively on Claude Monet brings together breath-taking paintings from lenders across the globe, including rarely seen works from private collection
• Curated tours of the commercial galleries in the Mayfair area of London
• London Artist Studio Visit (TBA)
• London Archtiecture Tour
• Watercolour pencil sketching lesson in Kensington Park (optional)
• Wrap-up Dinner at a local restaurant (included in cost of tour)
• Two art educator/artist tour guides: Wendy Welch and Xane St Phillip
• Tour Assistant (Brenda Leo) to help people with details such as where to go for dinner and alternative daily travel arrangements (eg public transit instead of walking) and other considerations to make sure everyone is feeling comfortable on the tour
• $300 tax-deductible donation to VISA
• NOT included: flights to and from London
COST
$3,495 (double occupancy -Standard Twin Room)
Please note this cost is PER PERSON. If you are sharing a room with a partner, you each need to pay this amount and each person needs to fill in a booking form.
$4,695 (single occupancy- Standard Double Room)
The single supplement option is a room with a double bed for one person.
Summary of costs: includes hotel room and breakfasts, museum and gallery admissions, guided tours, Tate Boat, wrap-up dinner, two experienced art educators and tour assistant, administrative fees for organizing and curating the tour in advance, and $300 donation to VISA.
A non-refundable deposit of $380 per person is required prior to June 10, 2026 to confirm booking. Your space is not reserved until deposit is received.
Additional notes:
There will be a Meet & Greet via Zoom prior in March so you can meet your fellow travellers and roommate if you have been assigned one.
You will leave Victoria on April 18 to arrive in London on April 19.
Please note that London UK is eight hours ahead of Victoria, BC.
April 26 is the day of departure.
Please book flights accordingly.
If you wish to stay longer you can make separate arrangements with the hotel in advance. Name of hotel contact person will be provided.
Note about insurance:
Extended medical insurance is mandatory and you will be required to provide name of insurer and policy number at time of final payment (January 6, 2027).
Also as the the tour is non-refundable once paid, trip cancellation/interruption insurance is also highly recommended to cover you in the event of any unforeseen emergencies.
VISA London UK Art Tour 