ITINERARY

DAY 1 | MONDAY 9 MARCH 2026

1ST OF 7 NIGHTS AT CASA BRERA MILAN

ARRIVE MILAN (D):

Arrive at our 5-star hotel, Casa Brera Milan, a luxury hotel perfectly located in the centre of Milan and a 5-minute walk from Teatro alla Scala. Hotel check-in is at 3:00pm and we recommend arriving at the hotel at this time.

In the early evening, we meet our Tour Leader, Dr David Kram AM, who will introduce the tour. Together we enjoy pre-dinner drinks followed by a delicious dinner.

DAY 2 | TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2026

2ND OF 7 NIGHTS AT CASA BRERA MILAN

PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK, GUIDED TOUR OF TEATRO ALLA SCALA & WAGNER’S DAS RHEINGOLD (B):

This morning begins with a talk by Wagner expert, Dr David Kram AM, introducing Richard Wagner’s brilliant and extraordinary epic music drama Der Ring des Nibelungen, and focusing on the first work, Das Rheingold, which we will hear this evening.

Following the talk, the afternoon is free. You might decide to rest before the evening’s performance, or you might enjoy a walk to the spectacular Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the world, spectacular with its blue glass vaulted ceilings, mosaic flooring and a towering central dome. It also offers elegant bars and cafés and it is only 5 minutes away from our hotel.

We come together in the early evening for a private guided tour of the legendary Teatro alla Scala. With an expert guide, we stroll through the foyer of the theatre, and visit the beautifully designed 18th-century auditorium. We have the opportunity of seeing the stage, chandelier and pit orchestra. This is a unique opportunity to discover the secrets of a theatre that is more than 240 years old.

After our guided tour we have a welcome toast in Teatro alla Scala’s Toscanini Foyer. We then attend our first performance of the Ring, Das Rheingold.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – TEATRO ALLA SCALA, 8:00pm
Wagner Das Rheingold

Simone Young conductor
David McVicar staging
David McVicar and Hannah Postlethwaite sets
Emma Kingsbury costumes
Michael Volle Wotan

DAY 3 | WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2026

3RD OF 7 NIGHTS AT CASA BRERA MILAN

PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK, WALKING TOUR & WAGNER’S DIE WALKÜRE (B, D):

We start our morning with a private talk by our Wagner expert, Dr David Kram AM, about the second opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Die Walküre, which we will hear this evening.

Following our morning talk, we enjoy a relaxed walking tour of the beautiful and historic Brera District, home to palaces, churches, gardens and shopping arcades. Known as the artist’s quarter because of its many galleries and studios, Brera is a great place to find unique and handmade souvenirs. Our walk will also take in the Piazza della Scala, home to the world-famous Teatro alla Scala of course, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the incredible 19th-century shopping arcade.

The afternoon is then free. You might choose to rest before this evening’s performance, however, if you feel like exploring something intimately connected to the city’s history you might like to visit the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, a 20-minute walk from the hotel. Founded in the 4th-century by Saint Ambrose, the city’s patron saint, the basilica has been rebuilt, extended and restored since then. The present church is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, built in the 12th-century around the choir of the 9th-century church.

In the evening we attend Die Walküre at 6:00pm, and have the pleasure of enjoying dinner at Teatro alla Scala’s Il Foyer restaurant during the intervals of the performance.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – TEATRO ALLA SCALA, 6:00pm
Wagner Die Walküre

Simone Young conductor
David McVicar staging
David McVicar and Hannah Postlethwaite sets
Emma Kingsbury costumes
Klaus Florian Vogt Siegmund
Michael Volle Wotan
Camilla Nylund Brünnhilde

DAY 4 | THURSDAY 12 MARCH 2026

4TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT CASA BRERA MILAN

GUIDED TOUR OF PINACOTECA DI BRERA (B, Canapés):

This morning we have a private guided tour of the Pinacoteca di Brera, the main public art gallery in Milan, founded in 1809 by Napoleon. Its original collection was that of Milan’s Academy of Fine Arts, however, its most important works were acquired later. It contains one of the most important and largest collections of Italian paintings with works from the 13th to the 20th-century, including those by such great masters such as Caravaggio and Raphael. The gallery is housed in the Palazzo Brera, an 18th-century Neoclassical structure, originally built as a Jesuit college.

The afternoon is free. An excursion that might be of interest this afternoon would be a visit to the Cimitero Monumentale which is a 10-minute taxi journey from our hotel. The Cimitero was founded in the 19th-century to unify several small, unsanitary cemeteries distributed throughout Milan, and although it might seem like a grim place to visit, it is a genuine open-air museum, with many tombs being outstanding examples of Art Nouveau, known in Italy as Stile Liberty. Behind a flamboyant marble portico, are monuments marking the tombs of the city’s rich and famous from the late 19th to the mid-20th century.

This evening we gather for an early evening drinks and canapés reception to discuss the Ring Cycle performances we have enjoyed so far, and to chat with our Tour Leader and fellow guests about the production.

DAY 5 | FRIDAY 13 MARCH 2026

5TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT CASA BRERA MILAN

PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK & WAGNER’S SIEGFRIED (B, D):

We start our morning with a private talk by our Wagner expert, David Kram, about the third opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Siegfried, which we will hear this evening.

The afternoon is free. You might choose to rest, or you may like to take a 10-minute walk to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, a leading European art museum, part of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana and housed in Ambrosiana Palace. Founded in 1618 when Cardinal Federico Borromeo donated his collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures to the library. The Pinacoteca contains some of the world’s most famous masterpieces from the 14th to the 20th-century, including works by the likes of Caravaggio, Botticelli, Titian, and Leonardo da Vinci. Its 25 rooms are beautifully laid out in chronological order, making it easy to navigate the truly exceptional artworks on display. A rather bizarre exhibit is a lock of blonde hair that belonged to Lucrezia Borgia. Possibly the most popular attraction, however, is the ‘Codex Atlanticus’ (aka da Vinci Codex) exhibition, a collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific drawings and writings.

In the evening we attend Siegfried at 6:00pm, and enjoy dinner at Teatro alla Scala’s Il Foyer restaurant during the intervals of the performance.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – TEATRO ALLA SCALA, 6:00pm
Wagner Siegfried

Simone Young conductor
David McVicar staging
David McVicar and Hannah Postlethwaite sets
Emma Kingsbury costumes
Klaus Florian Vogt Siegfried
Camilla Nylund Brünnhilde

DAY 6 | SATURDAY 14 MARCH 2026

6TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT CASA BRERA MILAN

MILAN DUOMO & RENAISSANCE ART WALKING TOUR (B):

This morning, we have a private guided tour of Milan's Duomo with an art historian. This Gothic masterpiece took nearly six centuries to complete, with construction beginning in 1386, and the final details being completed in 1965. It is the largest church in the Italian Republic and one of the largest in the world. It has 135 spires and 3200 statues adorning its roof. As part of our tour, we take an elevator to the rooftop for a close-up view, and to enjoy magnificent views of the city below.

When our tour finishes you will be in the Piazza del Duomo, where time is allowed for an independent lunch.

This afternoon, we meet to continue our exploration of the wonderful art and architecture of Milan with a private guided tour of Renaissance art, led by an art historian. Our journey begins at Chiesa di Santa Maria presso San Satiro, renowned for its ingenious false apse, an early and masterful example of trompe-l'œil, attributed to Donato Bramante and continues on to San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, originally attached to the most important female convent of the Benedictines in the city, and entirely painted with strikingly beautiful 16th-century frescoes from the school of Leonardo da Vinci.

The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.

Following our walking tour, you might like to visit the nearby Castello Sforzesco, originally a fortress, then enlarged into a princely residence, and now the home of several museums. One of these is the Museo d’Arte Antica, which features the Pietà Rondanini, Michelangelo’s final masterpiece.

DAY 7 | SUNDAY 15 MARCH 2026

7TH OF 7 NIGHTS AT CASA BRERA MILAN

PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK & WAGNER’S GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG (B, D):

We start our morning with a private talk by our Wagner expert, David Kram, about Götterdämmerung, the fourth opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, which we will hear this evening. The afternoon is then free.

In the evening we attend the final performance of the cycle, Götterdämmerung at 6:00pm, and once again have the opportunity of dining at Teatro alla Scala’s Il Foyer restaurant during the intervals of the performance.

OPERA PERFORMANCE – TEATRO ALLA SCALA, 6:00pm
Wagner Götterdämmerung

Simone Young conductor
David McVicar staging
David McVicar and Hannah Postlethwaite sets
Emma Kingsbury costumes
Camilla Nylund Brünnhilde

DAY 8 | MONDAY 16 MARCH 2026

TOUR ENDS (B):

Following our final breakfast at the hotel, the tour concludes.

INCLUSIONS

9–16 MARCH 2026 (8 DAYS)

AUD$16,950 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE

Single supplement: AUD$3,900
Deposit payment 1: Deposit AUD$5,000 per person (due at time of booking)
Deposit payment 2: Deposit AUD$1,500 per person (due on 10 November 2025)
Final payment due: 5 January 2026

INCLUSIONS:

• Performances: Platinum seats for the four operas of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at Teatro alla Scala. Our seats will be located in the front stalls, in rows A, B and C.

• Tour Leader and Talks: Tour Leadership and four exclusive background talks by Dr David Kram AM.

• Tour Manager: An experienced Tour Manager to accompany the group throughout the tour.

• Hotels: Seven nights' accommodation in the 5-star Casa Brera Milan in a Superior King Room.

• Travel: Land travel by private air-conditioned coach. Please note that short journeys will be by foot.

• Meals/Drinks: Breakfast each morning. Four lunches/dinners with wine, water and tea/coffee and a drinks and canapés reception.

• Entry Fees and Guided Tours: Entrance fees for museums, art galleries etc. as stated in your itinerary. Expert local guides will be used at some sites.

• Tips: Tips for drivers, local guides and meals included in your itinerary.

• Information Pack: Comprehensive pre-tour information pack.

EXCLUSIONS:

• International/Domestic Travel: Hayllar Music Tours can provide you with a quote. Phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com

• Airport Transfers: Transfers to/from airports and hotels at the beginning and end of the tour. These can be arranged at an additional cost.

• Special Taxes: Special taxes and airport levies that can only be paid in cash at the destination. We will endeavour to advise you of these charges (if any) before you depart.

• Visas: Costs associated with obtaining visas for countries visited on your tour.

• Travel Insurance: Please note that you are required to have comprehensive travel insurance to cover you for the duration of your tour. If you live in Australia, Hayllar Music Tours can organise your travel insurance for you. Please contact them at phone 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or email contact@hayllarmusictours.com

• Meals: Lunches and dinners not nominated in your itinerary.

• Personal Expenses: Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls and mini-bar.

• Activities in Free Time: Costs associated with any activities suggested for you in your free time.

SMALL GROUP SIZE

The tour will operate with 8 people. The maximum number on the tour will be 20 people.

FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED - LEVEL 1

All members of the group must feel comfortable walking for 1–2 hours, standing for long periods of time in museums, art galleries etc. and embarking/disembarking coaches.

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

Please note that booking terms and conditions apply. Click here for the booking terms and conditions.

WAGNER’S RING CYCLE AT TEATRO ALLA SCALA, MILAN

sold out | waitlist only

This tour is now sold out. To register your place on the waitlist, please fill out the form below, or contact us on 02 9669 9181 / +61 2 9669 9181 (Australia / International) or contact@hayllarmusictours.com