With so many powerhouse art exhibitions coming to cultural capitals around the globe in 2026, have you thought about building a trip around one? Exciting shows range from Metamorphoses at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (February 6 – May 25) and the Galleria Borghese in Rome (June 22 – September 20) to Rememory, the 25th Biennale of Sydney (March 14 – June 14). New museums are also set to open, from London’s V&A East Museum (on April 18) to KANAL-Centre Pompidou in Brussels (on November 28) and, hopefully, the long-anticipated, Frank-Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Long-awaited reopenings include the Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris (set to reopen on Valentine’s Day) and Mexico City’s Museo Dolores Olmedo, home to the world’s largest collection of works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Smart travelers already know about skip-the-line tickets to new exhibitions—WOW List experts procure these all the time—but are you aware of the array of special experiences of art that can be had in museums, palaces, castles, and artists’ studios around the world?
Above, you see a scavenger hunt that was arranged for my family at the Centre Pompidou in Paris (before it closed for a five-year renovation): We followed an art historian’s clues and ended up inside Jean Dubuffet’s The Winter Garden. Below, you see a private tour that my family had of the Ceaușescu mansion in Bucharest, Romania: In every room, we were the only visitors allowed.
My family’s private tour of Casa Ceausescu in Bucharest, Romania
Read on for more examples of art access, shared by travelers who booked their trips the WOW way. For me, what’s been most breathtaking is gaining entry to locked palace rooms, and even museum warehouses and private studios, that hold treasures yet are off-limits to the public.
Imagine having a world-class museum, castle, or ancient ruin almost entirely to yourself, before it opens in the morning or after it closes at night! Such entrée, with the curator as your guide, is one of the biggest travel thrills I know. Not only does it feel like magic, but it can give you a window into the culture that you don’t get any other way. I’ve had the privilege of seeing a number of iconic museums this way, and many’s the time that lens has transformed my understanding of a country’s history.
Wondering about the best such experiences for your own specific interests? We’re happy to advise via the black button below.
JAPAN: Hard-to-get art experiences, a museum-hotel stay, meeting with a famous manga artist…
WOW trip traveler Claudia Sender with her husband and nephew on Japan’s Naoshima art island
“This was a special trip with my 19-year-old nephew, and we wanted it to be memorable for him—and fun for myself and my husband as well. So Andrea proposed an itinerary that mixed a rich immersion in Japanese culture, including a tea ceremony, hard-to-get sumo championship tickets, a hike to Mount Fuji, a visit to the Art Islands—with a very-hard-to-get hotel stay at the Benesse House—and activities that a 19-year-old loves, even a manga artist from a very famous manga that my nephew loves!
Andrea also understood how important it was for us to get tickets to Super Nintendo World, which was insane, given the Expo that was going on in Osaka, but he got them anyway. And, on the day that we faced pouring rain in Kyoto, our guide Sae adjusted the itinerary to take us to more secluded temples, and once she learned that I love moss, she adjusted it once more to take us to a temple with an ancient and precious moss garden.
We had the time of our lives, thanks to Andrea and all of the amazing guides. We felt that in a moment when Japan is going through this explosion of tourism, having their advice and guidance was priceless.” —Claudia Sender
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
TUSCANY, ITALY: Workshops with artists, studio visits, immersion in marble sculpture…
A sculptor working on a marble statue in Carrara, Italy. Photo: Kay Maeritz / Alamy
“We wanted to be immersed in art, particularly in sculpture, and to see the marble quarries in Carrara. Alberto and Martina listened intently to our hopes for visiting with artists in their studios who might be willing to share their work process with us. They were able to arrange for three different workshops which gave us entirely unique perspectives. Combining the visit to the marble quarries and learning how the stone makes its way around the world with visits to the studios completed our understanding.
We stayed two nights in Pietrasanta, an arts community near Carrara. It was a magical place that we had read about but exceeded our expectations. Modern sculptures dot the plaza and surrounding streets, murals by Botero in the churches and cafes, boutiques, and restaurants are all within a short walk. All in all, an exceptional experience.” —Andrea Pollinger
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
LITHUANIA, LATVIA, AND ESTONIA: Curator-led private museum tours, palaces, synagogues…
WOW trip travelers JoEllen Schuleman and her husband in Pylimo Choral Synagogue in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“Our two-week Baltics vacation planned by Greg and Leigh was filled with private tours, amazing guides, delicious food, and well-located hotels. Our trip started in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the Hotel Pacai. We had a large room in a renovated palace—great location, walking distance to everywhere. Some of our favorite highlights were a private guided tour of the Holocaust Museum by an Austrian volunteer, and our food tour with a guide who grew up in Soviet-occupied Lithuania and shared how the food and culture were shaped and what it was like during the transition to independence.
Next, we drove to Riga, Latvia, via the Hill of Crosses and Rundāle Palace. We had a docent-guided tour of the palace, first commissioned by the Duchy of Courland, which the Russian Empire annexed, and the palace became one of the residences of the Russian tsars.
The Grand Kempinski in Riga, Latvia, was our favorite hotel. We were upgraded to a suite and had a warm welcome. Riga had several memorable moments, but two surprise curator tours—the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, and the Latvian National Museum of Art—were a true highlight. The Biķernieki Memorial in Riga is not to be missed. It was moving and emblematic of how the Jewish community was slaughtered during the Occupation.
Next stop was Tallinn, Estonia, and the Nunne Boutique Hotel. Well located at the entrance to the Old Town, this too is a historic hotel. All in all, we learned more about a dark period in history and the resilience of the people. It was a great vacation, and we are grateful to Greg and Leigh, and all of our guides and drivers, for sharing their expertise and cities with us.” —JoEllen Schuleman
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
COPENHAGEN: Museum entry before public hours, “Hamlet’s Castle”…
WOW trip traveler Sonja Haggert was captivated by Hamlet’s castle, seeming to rise from the fog.
“Brian and I visited Copenhagen before, but never like this. What this city offers in history and beauty can only be topped by its fantastic museums and commitment to environmental conservation. Our tour with William, at Mads’ suggestion, was a wonderful opportunity to see some of what the average tourist would overlook. And then there were the hot dogs, but I digress.
Our first day was serious walking and tasting. I mentioned those hot dogs—so many varieties and so little time. But we also tasted real Danish pastry, which William had bought before the tour so that we wouldn’t have to wait in line. Our stop at Torvehallerne, the farmers’ market and food hall, included cheese, some wonderful chocolate, and fish meatballs. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried fish meatballs!
The next day can only be described as out of this world. William took us along the beautiful coastline to Elsinore and the castle that Shakespeare used for Hamlet. The castle sits on a cliff surrounded by a moat. It was foggy, and the castle seemed to rise out of the fog. The Baltic Sea and the North Sea surround the property.
On our way home, we stopped at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which is as dramatic outside as inside. We could have spent most of the day there. If I said the previous day was out of this world, our last day was about to overshadow that: We began at the Copenhagen Contemporary, where we were greeted by our personal guide before the museum officially opened. The museum is located in an area called Reffen, which was formerly a shipbuilding facility. Due to the high ceilings, the museum can accommodate large pieces, and it doesn’t disappoint.” —Sonja Haggert
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
PUGLIA, ITALY: Hands-on experiences making art—in a sculptor’s atelier, in a jewelry designer’s home…
Jeff Weiss learned from a renowned sculptor in his home atelier in Puglia. Photo: Traveler Paula Kramer
“Antonello and Valeria leveraged their substantial network to create a bespoke itinerary that included experiences that we would not have known to ask for and that wound up elevating our trip beyond our wildest dreams.
Every single day of this trip had a WOW factor, whether it was visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum, our cave-turned-hotel in Matera (Sextantio), or our stays at delightful masserias in Salento. But beyond that, having the chance to sample the delights of a renowned cheesemaker, learn from the third-generation owners of a family-owned flour mill, get expert insights into the complexities of olive oil, or sample gelato with a young woman who is combining innovation with tradition as she expands the gelato business started by her grandfather—these are culinary experiences we could only encounter thanks to Antonello’s deep understanding of and connection with the hidden gems of Puglia. Trust me, you are not going to find these on your own.
If all this wasn’t enough, we spent an afternoon in the home/atelier of a renowned sculptor and another afternoon with a couple that makes jewelry. I confess that, when I first read our itinerary, I thought these sounded weird: Neither my husband nor I would become the next Michelangelo or make jewelry anytime in the near future, so why take time to do this? I could not have been more wrong!
These artists were so genuinely interested in sharing their craft, their food, and their kindness. We were besotted by these one-of-a-kind experiences, making friends and actual art along the way. We even got to visit the private home of a potter who showed us the ancient and Byzantine relics and the Byzantine chapel that he discovered on his property during renovation.” —Paula Kramer
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
GREECE: Private tours with archaeologists, a private pottery workshop…
Traveler Jonathan Scharfstein receives private instruction from a master potter.
“Jacoline got to know what we were interested in and planned a fantastic trip full of all kinds of unique and special moments. We spent two nights in Athens and three nights each on the islands of Sifnos, Naxos, and Santorini. Jacoline was incredibly helpful in guiding us on which islands to visit and organizing a trip to three offering very different landscapes and experiences.
There were so many highlights to this trip, including a private guided tour of the Acropolis, a fantastic private RIB boat ride on the Aegean with a visit to an uninhabited island (except for goats), a private tour with an archaeologist in Santorini, and a private hands-on pottery workshop.
In addition to all these experiences, we had a WOW Moment in Naxos! This was a fantastic private tour of a family-owned olive farm with a delicious olive oil tasting and meal in an olive garden, while being serenaded by a highly accomplished family guitarist.” —Jonathan Scharfstein
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
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