Private & After-Hours Visits with Martin Randall Travel

There you are, in a place that resonates with meaning – without the distraction of hundreds of other people, none of whom seem as captivated or inquisitive as you. Not only do you get the benefit of your guide’s expert commentary, there’s also time and space to soak up the sense of a place - and unleash your historical imagination.

So it’s no surprise that we have made such privileged access a key element of many of our exclusive tours. Great art and architectural marvels take centre stage throughout: private visits to the Sistine chapel on our ‘Essential Rome’ and ‘Connoisseur’s Rome’ tours showcase Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco and Raphael’s frescoes away from the crowds. In Venice, the splendour of Basilica di S. Marco’s Byzantine mosaics and sculpture are studied in private tranquility on ‘Art History of Venice’. In Florence, we gain entry to magnificent palazzi, otherwise bolted shut for other groups.

Private art and gallery tours offer opportunity to interpret the world’s most important works in contemplative tranquility. Out-of-hours access to Madrid’s Prado an hour before the museum opens to the public, means a vast collection including masterpieces by Goya, Velázquez, Rubens, Titian, Bosch and El Greco can be absorbed in full. On our connoisseur’s tour of New York, we enter the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) after-hours, allowing art historian Gijs van Hensbergen to bring one of the greatest collections of 20th-century art in the world to life.

On a Martin Randall tour, everything is organised and included in the price: entrance fees, special access permits, evening openings, private concerts in historic venues. Our experienced tour managers handle all logistics and entry arrangements.

Tours & cruises with special arrangements

What do others say about Martin Randall Travel?

Showing 1016 reviews
The gold standard for cultural tours
MRT is the gold standard for cultural tours. The inclusion of an expert lecturer automatically filters a group of like-minded albeit eclectic folk; it directly increases the conviviality and opportunity for socialising, if wanted. Perfect for those travelling solo.
*****
Emma - UK
19 May 2026
A more immersive approach
The outstanding feature of the itinerary was being guided through this significant exhibition by its curator, Tony Albert, and experiencing the more immersive approach he adopted. In dedicating individual spaces to the contemporary artists chosen for representation, we gained a greater appreciation ...
*****
Florine - Australia
13 May 2026
The expert lecturer adds huge value
This was my fifth Martin Randall Travel trip. They have all been good. The key difference with these tours is the fact that there is an expert lecturer (as well as a tour manager and a driver). The expert lecturer adds huge value. It's a cut above what you get even from a competent local guide ...
*****
Janet - USA
18 Apr 2026
You really get looked after
You really get looked after on a MRT tour. Everything is arranged to make the holiday so enjoyable: transport, entry to museums all sorted without fuss . We have travelled with Michael Douglas-Scott 4 times now and his knowledge and engaging style enthuses one to learn and appreciate the history of ...
*****
Diana - UK
17 Apr 2026
One of the very best for cultural and history tours
One of the very best for cultural and history tours. I have traveled multiple times with Martin Randall and am consistently extremely impressed by the quality of their tours both in content and itinerary as well as overall tour organization. Their expert lecturers are top notch and their tour manage...
*****
Eileen - USA
10 Feb 2026
Egypt for those wanting to know more
I recently was one of 22 people joining Martin Randall for its inaugural trip to Egypt. The lecturer, a UK-based educator and specialist in Near Eastern history and culture, was enthusiastic, articulate and always engaging. He led us on a journey that built up our knowledge of Pharaonic Egypt day by...
*****
TravelerNOW - USA
16 Jan 2026
A stimulating and meticulously planned exploration of the rich culture and exceptional cuisine of the Basque region of Spain.
We spent a week on a Martin Randall gastronomic tour of the Basque region under the superb care of guide and lecturer Gijs van Hensbergen, who is highly knowledgeable not only about the culture and food of this region but many additional regions of Spain including Andalucia, Catalunia, etc. Gijs is,...
*****
A perennial Martin Randall fan
14 Dec 2025
Blissful week of Handel's music in Malta
A week staying in good hotels in Valletta, Malta, on a music tour - Handel Festival, with daily talks on the musician and the work to to seen/ heard that day by experienced and lively musicologist. Varied settings for all concerts - cathedrals, palaces, historical houses, in and around the city. Ext...
*****
Grandedame
09 Dec 2025
A remarkable musical experience
Over three days we were treated to four substantial concerts of Renaissance music of the highest quality and with excellent programming. The information booklets and the explanations of the music by the performers added greatly to the experience.
*****
RJB
04 Dec 2025
Entertaining and Educational
I have done several tours of stately homes in England and Ireland with Martin Randall. All were well organized, informative and enjoyable. And there were always special events, such as dinner with a Duke, access to houses not usually open to the public or owner lead tours. The accommodation was firs...
*****
V
17 Nov 2025
Highly informative and well planned
Visiting Palladian villas based in Vicenza. Appreciated NOT having to change hotels on a nearly daily basis. Lecturer (ex-Courtauld in London) highly knowledgeable, tour manager on top of everything
*****
Jess
17 Nov 2025
An Italian art lover's dream
"Trecento Frescoes" is a fantastic study of the pioneering art of Giotto and his contemporaries, a must for anyone interested in pre-renaissance Italian art (even a non-academic like myself). Wonderful visits to key sites in Padua, Florence, and Assisi, with an excellent lecturer. As alway...
*****
Mo
16 Nov 2025

Why travel with us?

Leading expertise

Since 1988 we have been the most influential organisation in the field of cultural travel. Our expert speakers are a key ingredient in our tours. Academics, curators and researchers, they are selected not only for their knowledge but also for their ability to communicate clearly and engagingly to a lay audience.

Privileged access

Special arrangements are a feature of our tours – for admission to places not generally open to travellers, for access outside public hours, for private concerts and extraordinary events. In innumerable ways, we lift our clients’ experience far above standards which are regarded as normal for tourists.

Small groups

Most of our tours run with between 10 and 24 participants. Our travellers are self-selected by common interests and an endorsement of our ethos, and you are highly likely to find yourself among link-minded companions.

Value for money

The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips and drinks with meals. You can secure your booking today with a 15% deposit. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays. 

Joining a Martin Randall Cultural Tour

Between 10–22 participants can usually join our small group tours, though the upper limit can be lower dependent on the tour.

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