Experience historic Boston and the beautiful Berkshires on this unique program, complemented by private meetings with museum staff and special events. In Boston, you’ll walk along the famous “Freedom Trail” and enjoy a private tour of the intimate Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a Venetian villa renowned for its collections of Western European and American art. Travel through the rolling hills of western Massachusetts to the extraordinary beauty and cultural attractions of the Berkshires, including historic homes, a spectacular botanic garden, and world-class art at both the Clark Art Institute in picturesque Williamstown and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. Time at leisure allows for independent exploration of Boston and Williamstown.    

• Join a special tour and presentation at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown.
• Soak up the visual garden displays during an exclusive tour of the Berkshire Botanical Gardens and watch painter Linda Novick capture the garden’s colors and beauty on her canvas during a painting demonstration.
• Enjoy an exclusive lecture at the remarkable Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge presented by museum expert Tom Daly, who recounts the career of this hometown hero. 

Day 1: Boston, Massachusetts

Day 2: Boston
Outside Boston, stop at the historic sites of Lexington and Concord. Visit the Minute Man National Historical Park, which commemorates the opening battles of America's War for Independence. Then learn about the region's important literary role in the 19th century through a visit to "The Old Manse." Many important literary figures spent time in this house, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both of whom lived here at different times. Take a short walk to the Old North Bridge, known for the famous "shot heard round the world." This afternoon, travel to the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. This area is known for its scenic beauty and cultural significance. Upon arrival in Williamstown, your home for the next four nights, enjoy time at leisure to explore this charming college town. (B, D)

Day 3: Boston - Williamstown
Outside Boston, stop at the historic sites of Lexington and Concord. Visit the Minute Man National Historical Park, which commemorates the opening battles of America's War for Independence. Then learn about the region's important literary role in the 19th century through a visit to "The Old Manse." Many important literary figures spent time in this house, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both of whom lived here at different times. Take a short walk to the Old North Bridge, known for the famous "shot heard round the world." This afternoon, travel to the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. This area is known for its scenic beauty and cultural significance. Upon arrival in Williamstown, your home for the next four nights, enjoy time at leisure to explore this charming college town. (B, D)

Day 4: Williamstown - Stockbridge
The Berkshire Botanical Gardens offers stunning display gardens showcasing 3,000 varieties of plants that thrive in the Berkshire area. Enjoy a tour of this natural paradise, then attend an art demonstration as a local artist captures the beauty of the gardens in a landscape of watercolors (weather permitting). Continue to Naumkeag, the 26-room gabled mansion designed by Stanford White in 1885 as the summer home of Joseph Hodges Choate. The grounds and period rooms serve as a brilliant reflection of the Gilded Age. View the family's impressive collection of decorative arts from America, Europe, and the Far East, and walk through the terraced gardens, designed in part by landscape architect Fletcher Steele, which are among the loveliest in the area. (B)

Day 5: Williamstown - Hancock
Enjoy a special welcome at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, both an esteemed art museum and research center. The Clark is renowned for its American and European fine arts, especially an exceptional collection of French Impressionist paintings. In the afternoon, travel to the Hancock Shaker Village. Take a tour of this outdoor museum, which comprises 20 buildings and gardens that preserve three centuries of Shaker life in America. After your tour there will be ample time to explore the grounds at leisure. Enjoy a special candle-lit dinner served in the Believers dining room, which dates to 1830. During dinner, there will be a short performance to introduce the singing and dance movements that were used in a traditional Shaker worship service. (B, D)

Day 6: Williamstown - Stockbridge
For 25 years, Stockbridge was the home of Norman Rockwell, an artist who is fondly remembered for his "vivid and affectionate portraits of our country." Today the town is the central repository of his legacy to the American spirit. Attend a special lecture by a staff member of the Norman Rockwell Museum, who offers special insight into this truly American artist. Then take a tour of the largest collection of Rockwell's original work, as well as a visit to his final studio. This evening, gather for a farewell dinner in an historic inn. (B, D)

Day 7: Williamstown - Boston - Tour Ends
(B)


Stay a little longer...with a 1 night pre-tour Boston, starting at $100 per person, double.