Travel Dates: March 4-13, 2027
Double occupancy: $6,150 per person
Single occupancy: $6,650 per person
Airfare is not included.
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You are cordially invited to this special early spring edition of London on Stage.
Travel Dates: March 4-13, 2027
First time going over? Welcome home! Because, as author Ben Aaronovitch wrote, “Being a Londoner has nothing to do with where you're born. There are people who get off a jet at Heathrow and become a Londoner.” Fiftieth time? Welcome back! For, as poet Thomas Moore noted, “Go where we may, rest where we will, /Eternal London haunts us still.” We couldn’t agree more! That’s why we’re working diligently to give you an itinerary of theatre, art, culture, and delicious meals calculated to astonish, enlighten, and delight. Right now, the trip is a work in progress, but we’re happy to share with you what we’ve arranged so far. We’ll be even happier to share it all with you in London!
To qualify for this trip, you must be able to walk 4-6 miles (approximately 10,000 steps) and negotiate up to 100 stairs per day. We use public transportation (included in the price of the trip)—buses and the Tube—to get around London. You must be able to board these independently, though we will always lead the way in group activities.
London on Stage is considered a Level Two out of three physical ability levels on the Go Learn scale.
To learn gives the liveliest pleasure."
— Aristotle, Poetics
The above quote from Aristotle’s Poetics is the motto of our London on Stage trips. Learning a little about each play, art exhibition, cultural experience, and/or historical site beforehand makes experiencing them all the more pleasurable. And it is sheer joy to discuss them together afterwards. We’ll accomplish both in scheduled chats on most days—accompanied by tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etc.
Attending plays is the essential ingredient of London on Stage. We’re selecting six tantalizing productions that will offer rich emotional and intellectual rewards while demonstrating the amazing variety of this fantastic theatre mecca. To acquire the best seats (our signature), you have to start purchasing now. And that’s just what Jane (our trip leader) has been doing. Here’s a sneak peek at our first three plays:
It can’t be all theatre, can it? Our spiritual and physical palates hunger for more! We’re happy to let you in on what we’ve planned so far:
Please see the (partial) Daily Itinerary for more on these scintillating events and keep an eye on this web page as we conintue to roll out the rest of our March 2027 adventures!
Please note: this itinerary is a work in progress. More plays, events, and meals will be added as they are confirmed.
We've arranged your transportation from Heathrow Airport (on whatever day you arrive) to The Rockwell, our home-away-from-home hotel in South Kensington, where complimentary breakfast is served every morning. After you're settled in, we'll go on a walk in our ‘hood, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where various Windsors are our neighbors over at Kensington Palace—capped by a delicious welcome dinner at fabulous Zaika of Kensington. Early to bed will help us to beat jetlag.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Dinner
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
The first master we’re honoring today is playwright William Shakespeare, by visiting—and by special arrangement, dining in—Middle Temple Hall, where his 1602 masterpiece (get it) Twelfth Night premiered. The second master is Fifteenth Century Netherlandish painting pioneer Jan van Eyck, the father of oil painting, by experiencing a special exhibition of his nine precious surviving portraits, brought together for the first time in history. Play or concert tonight.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Professional “observationist” Stephanie Sadler wrote of Portobello Road Market, “it’s a place I’m continuously drawn back to over and over again for its vibrancy and eccentricity.” Indeed. PRM is the classiest estate/rummage/vintage clothing/old silver/old books/bric-a-brac sale on the planet. And after the rigors of shopping, the perfect sequel is the cheese (and other seasonal delectables) tasting we’re going to next. It’s a private affair: just us and a know-it-all cheese monger from world-renowned Neal’s Yard Dairy. Perhaps a play to top off the day.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Today we serve our souls in two ways. First, we’ll attend a Choral Matins service at the breathtaking Seventeenth Century (Christopher) Wren Chapel. What a choir! What an organ! The chapel is on the grounds where the Chelsea Pensioners (retired British Army soldiers) live. Don’t be surprised if they parade before us prior to the service. Next, we’ll take the tube to the earthly paradise that is the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, a World Heritage Site which features trees that pre-date the American Revolution, the largest greenhouse on earth, and more oxygen pouring out of stomata than in any other 300 acres anywhere. Breathe deeply.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Someone had to be first, and it’s no exaggeration to assert that without Claude Monet there would have been no Impressionism. His propensity to paint the same subject at different hours of the day to capture his impressions of the changing light lends this special exhibition at the Tate Modern, its name, Monet: Painting Time. Prepare to be enraptured. Tonight we head to the West End to see Tracy Letts’s remarkable impression of Oklahoma family life, August: Osage County, the play for which he won his first Pulitzer Prize for Drama and first Best Play Tony Award. Prepare to laugh and cry.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
In 1666 a great fire ravaged London, burning (luckily, with remarkably little loss of life) much of it down. The architect responsible for rebuilding much of it, Christopher Wren, designed and erected a fire monument to remind and warn the town not to let this catastrophe happen again. We’ll gaze at all 202 feet of it and then turn our attention to the serious business of lunch at foodie-heaven Borough Market. Tonight, we’ll witness an emotional fire in the candlelit Wanamaker Theatre: the story of burning hearts in Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece, The Seagull.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
There is an Eighteenth-Century palace on the edge of Green Park. Designed by James “Athenian” Stuart, it is the ancestral home of the Spencer family (of Princess Diana Spencer fame). Now fully restored, it is magnificent—the finest example of Neo-classical design of any stately home in England. Today we call there for a private guided visit to pick up some noblesse oblige. A dinner and play to follow.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
The stars in question here are Simon Russell Beale (The Death of Stalin, Operation Mincemeat) and Rupert Everett (Napoleon, The Happy Prince). The play is Harold Pinter’s work of absurdist genius, No Man’s Land, completely sold out at the Donmar Warehouse—but not before Jane procured us absurdly good seats. Something culturally thrilling during the day, of course.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Today we board our private coach to make the short journey to Cambridge, home of the university that keeps beating Oxford at the annual Boat Race. What a day this is going to be! We start at the Fitzwilliam Museum to see an exhibition of ravishing paintings and decorative arts, A Call to Art: William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites. After a toothsome lunch, we’ll walk across the Backs (leafy paths connecting colleges along the River Cam) to Trinity College. There we’ll pick up our own private scholar to show us manuscripts ancient and modern at the Wren Library. At sunset we’ll attend an Evensong service at, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful ecclesiastical space ever built: King’s College Chapel.
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
English composer Harriet Abrams sang that heart-wrenching question in an 1811 lament, and its echo still haunts. I suppose we must part, and we’ll miss you, but we hope it’s not for evermore—because you know you’re always welcome back!
Hotel: The Rockwell opens a new window
Meals: Breakfast
Activity Level: Moderate
Tim and Jane bring their expertise and enthusiasm to Go Learn from also directing the University of Utah's Beacons of Excellence Award-winning Theatre, Fine Arts and Humanities in London Learning Abroad student program—for fifteen years and still going strong.
Tim is a Professor in the Department of Theatre, where he teaches Playwriting, Dramatic Literature, Shakespeare, and Contemporary Drama. Tim is also a produced screenwriter, a published novelist, and an award-winning playwright with plays produced off-Broadway and in the US, Britain, and Canada.
Jane teaches Introduction to Theatre and Dramatic Literature in the Department of Theatre and administers London Learning Abroad programs for both the Theatre and English Departments. She attended the London School of Economics for post-graduate studies and, in addition to her many London and UK tours, has led travel programs in Bali and Japan.
If the logistics of a trip are right, travelers don't even notice them. That's my job.”
— Jane England
She does her job really, really well. Can we talk about the play now?”
— Tim Slover
March 4-13, 2027
Group Size is limited to 20 participants
Double occupancy: $6,150 per person.
Single occupancy: $6,650 per person.
Payment options are available upon request. Contact golearn@utah.edu for information.
Read the Terms and Conditions for payment and cancellation details.
Terms & ConditionsIt’s hard to fit what London is into one sentence, but let's give it a shot: London is the capital of the United Kingdom (and hence has all the Washington D.C.-type buildings), and it also has hundreds of historical sites from a Roman temple to Jimi Hendrix's apartment, and it's also the biggest city in the European Union (8.5 million) with the most diverse population (270 nationalities and 300 languages—imagine what that means for restaurants, yum), and it’s also one of the world’s premier financial and commercial hubs (um, shopping), and it has the most museums in the world (173, with 11 of them national museums, and unlike other European cities, they're mostly FREE); it also has the most restaurants in the world (37,450), 5,000 acres of parks (8 of them Royal) and 214 theatres to which 14.2 million people flock each year (including us); plus it has fourteen football clubs, including 6 Premier League teams, is home to the tallest building in the UK (the Shard) and has hosted the Olympic Summer Games 3 times. Whew! But it isn't all about bigness and most-ness. London is also home to quiet nooks and curious crannies—truly an adventure around every corner.
Like all Go Learn journeys, the adventure begins at home. We'll make sure you have all the information you need before you arrive in London—we'll answer questions about what to pack, how to get around, and our daily itinerary. We want you to arrive in London ready to learn!
A trip reunion about a month after returning will be the perfect conclusion to our journey. We’ll exchange pictures and stories while remembering the highlights of our tour. Go Learn expeditions are designed to be small, boutique experiences where one returns with a group of friends. Good food, drink, and company await us at this reunion.
The temperature range in March is 42º- 53ºF, and there is always a chance of rain. Bring a water-resistant jacket, warm clothing, and an umbrella to be ready for British weather. The best news: the spring bulbs will be out, and the city won’t be crowded with visitors.
This is an Activity Level 2 trip and is very walking-intensive. Learn More about our activity levels.
Activity LevelsIn order to fully explore the sights on our itinerary, we will be walking every day. Most city walking is flat on paved surfaces, but we may encounter cobblestone or uneven surfaces. When visiting gardens, museums and churches, we may be walking long distances or standing on our feet for prolonged times. Locals walk everywhere—be it to historical sites or just during everyday life—and we’ll do the same. Be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes!
Be prepared to wake up early with jetlag. We often start our days early and continue until sundown. You must also be able to board and exit the trains with your luggage so pack accordingly.