Piedmont Opera has a long history of providing travel experiences that allow our patrons to experience art and culture outside of the Greater Triad. As always, our patrons travel together with two staff members. Our trips are turn-key. We include lodging, transportation, guided excursions, many meals and, when possible, special meet and greet opportunities. We also offer payment plans!

 

We are in the process of planning our 2024-2025 trips. Below are a few of the destinations we are scouting. We have not finished pricing these trips and the dates are not finalized. If you might be interested in one or more of these trips, please email Mariedith (mappanaitis@piedmontopera.org) and let her know. There is no obligation at this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asheville: The Chihuly Experience- - This is an overnight bus trip to downtown Asheville to see the Chihuly exhibit at Biltmore Estate. (August 27- 28).

Hold your spot on this trip here.

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Travel with Piedmont Opera to Asheville! Nestled in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville exudes quirky charm and character. This thriving mountain city features a funky and eclectic downtown, over 30 art galleries, a burgeoning culinary scene, and a flourishing live music scene. But what makes Asheville truly enchanting is its awe-inspiring scenery of the Appalachian Mountains.

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We depart for the two-hour bus ride to Asheville. We will take a self-guided tour of The Basilica of St. Lawrence in downtown Asheville upon arrival. The church was designed and built in 1905 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino along with his fellow architect R. S. Smith and the Roman Catholic community of Asheville. Guastavino made a name for himself as an innovator who pioneered a form of grand tile work that did not require iron beam construction. His fine works caught the attention of George Vanderbilt's head architect, Richard Morris Hunt, who contracted Guastavino to bring his talent for tile work to Biltmore Estate.

 

We will check in at the Kimpton Hotel Arras, in the heart of downtown. The Kimpton Hotel Arras offers boutique style and heartfelt service. 

After a rest and maybe a cocktail, we will walk across the street to Curate. Cúrate is a traditional tapas restaurant located on Biltmore Avenue. This popular eatery serves up everything from croquetas de pollo to patatas bravas and brings the essence of Spain to downtown Asheville. With a name that means “cure yourself” in Spanish, Curate in Asheville is a wonderful place to share plates with family and friends. 

 

After a peaceful sleep and a healthy breakfast at our hotel, we will motor to the Biltmore Estate to see the Chihuly exhibit. Chihuly returns to Biltmore for a new exhibit presented in the galleries of Amhurst Deerpark. After the exhibit, we will explore the gardens at the Stable Café before lunch.

 

We will return to Winston-Salem after lunch and shopping at the estate.

 

This fully escorted bus trip includes hotel, bus, breakfast, dinner, tour of Basilica, admission to the Biltmore Estate gardens, Chihuly exhibit and lunch. $650 per person based on two people per room. There is a $250 additional single supplement.

 

A $100 deposit is required to hold your space. We will need 20 people in order for the trip to happen. If the trip is cancelled by Piedmont Opera due to low participation, we will refund your $100 deposit. Call 336.726.7101 to make your deposit or click here.

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New Orleans: Jazz & Opera Collide (November 7-11, 2024) take a long weekend to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. It's also home to the first opera company in the US to offer a full opera season! We will stay in the French Quarter, see a show at New Orleans Opera, enjoy live jazz and a lot of delicious food. Voodoo, ghosts and vampires are optional!

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Thursday, November 7th

We will arrive in New Orleans and check into the French Quarter's most celebrated Hotel Monteleone. This hotel, located in the heart of the French Quarter, has provided luxury and historic accommodations for travelers to New Orleans since 1886! Have a drink at the hotel's Carousel Bar, New Orleans' first and only rotating bar. Its carousel theme and unique design are a treat you won't find anywhere else, offering guests a pleasant, subtle rotation around a world-class cocktail bar every 15 minutes. Dinner is on your own tonight. Many excellent restaurants are within walking distance.

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Friday, November 8th

We will take a short, six-minute walk to The Court of Two Sisters for a Jazz Brunch. Enjoy luscious Creole and Cajun cuisine. Walk through the Charm Gates, the royal entrance, which was wrought in Spain, especially for The Court of Two Sisters. Legend says that Queen Isabella of Spain blessed them so that their charm would pass on to anyone who touched them. Make a wish in the Devi's Wishing Well. Legend says that the true name of the wishing well in the courtyard is the Devil's Wishing Well, based on the supposition that since Marie Laveau lived only a few blocks away, she most certainly must have practiced her voodoo rites in the torchlit confines of the city's largest courtyard.

The day is free to discover New Orleans. Dinner is on your own.

Tonight, we will take an eight-minute walk to Preservation Hall for the 8:45 PM set. This venue presents intimate, acoustic New Orleans Jazz concerts 360 nights a year, featuring ensembles from a current collective of 50+ local master practitioners. On any given night, audiences bear joyful witness to the evolution of this venerable and living tradition.

 

Saturday, November 9th

This morning, we will take a four-minute walk to have Breakfast at Brennans . For nearly seven decades, Brennan's has charmed the palates and hearts of patrons with its splendid ambiance, impeccable service, and authentic Creole cuisine. Masterful dishes like Bananas Foster and Eggs Hussarde are Brennan's originals imitated across the globe.

Free day to have beignets at Café Du Monde, explore Bourbon Street. Dinner on your own.

We take an optional evening tour: Adults-only Ghost, Crime Voodoo, and Vampires walking tour tonight. New Orleans is infamous for its spooky past, filled with tales of voodoo, vampires, ghosts, and witches. During this walking tour, save time with a guide who knows the quickest routes around the Big Easy and brings the folklore and history of the city to life, all during the creepiest time of day—the night

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Sunday, November 10th

New Orleans is known for jazz, but did you know it's also known for opera? Verdi, Rossini and Bellini all had their American premiers in New Orleans!

We will be transported to the New Orleans Opera for a matinee performance of Sampson and Delilah.

 

Following, we will have a group dinner (location TBA).

 

Monday, November 11th

Depart from New Orleans.

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Included:

Hotel

Transportation to and from the airport

Opera tickets

Jazz tickets

Two jazz brunches

and one dinner.

 

(We will add airfare and fly as a group once we get 12 people!)

$1900 per person/double occupancy (Single supplement is $650).

We will need a $250, non-refundable deposit. If Piedmont Opera cancels the trip due to low participation, Piedmont Opera will refund your deposit.

This trip does require light walking to and from the hotel to downtown locations.

If you need handicapped accommodations, please let us know.

The trip is fully escorted with two staff member from Piedmont Opera.

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The Magic of Seattle: Travel with us to see Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' and the Chihuly Gardens. (February 19-24, 2025)

 

Italy in Grand Style: Piedmont Opera's board chairman Barbara Raffaldini will host our first overseas tour. Travel to Italy to see great opera, visit the sights and experience great wine and food!

(Summer 2025)