ART
in the CITY Retreats
Small groups, big art
Carefully curated art retreats in amazing cities for artists and art lovers, who want more than a standard holiday. Experience art in the city as part of a small group and looked after local experts. Artists and art and art history lovers from anywhere around the world are welcome to join.
Why do this? Be part of a shared art appreciation experience! We take care of accommodation, meals and amazing local experiences, so you don’t have to.
Focusing on exhibitions taking place in beautiful cities, we designed the type of art retreat holiday that we would like to go on, having been inspired by lonely solo art museum visits.
Our first art retreat is planned to take place from Sunday 11 - Thursday 15 October 2026 in the beautiful city of Oxford, where we are based. The inspiration is the local Ashmolean Museum’s exhibition - “Aphrodite: the Making of a Goddess”, opening to the general public on 8 October 2026.
Our Art in the City retreat in Oxford - “Female Beauty from Aphrodite to Pre-Raphaelite ‘Stunners’” includes single-room accommodation in a centrally located townhouse in Oxford. Breakfasts will be provided at the townhouse. We will have group lunches and dinners in fantastic local eateries and will visit the Ashmolean Aphrodite exhibition as a small closely knit group. Places are limited - only a maximum of 5 participants. The cost is for taking part in the retreat (accommodation, meals and exhibition entry included) is $999 per person or equivalent in euros or other currencies. What is not included: travel to Oxford, travel insurance and excessive alcohol consumption. Find out more below.
Register your interest by completing the form at the bottom of this page or emailing info@cityartretreats.com by Thursday 10 October 2026.
No payment required until we have 5 interested participants.
'Female Beauty - From Aphrodite to Pre-Raphaelite 'Stunners' Retreat
What is included?
- Accommodation: 4 nights of stay at a centrally located townhouse shared with 4 other participants.
- All Meals Included: Breakfast materials will be provided at the accommodation. Lunch and dinner will be fully covered throughout the retreat with no out-of-pocket dining costs. Dinners are planned to take place in Oxford's vibrant Jericho area.
- Reasonable alcohol consumption with lunches and dinners (two-three glasses of wine or equivalent) is also included.
- Exhibition Entry: Group entry to the Ashmolean Museum's flagship 'Aphrodite - The Making of a Goddess' exhibition (opening to the general public on 8 October 2026).
'Female Beauty - From Aphrodite to Pre-Raphaelite 'Stunners'' Retreat
What is the cost?
Price for participation - accommodation, all meals and exhibition entry included:
- Zero Financial Risk: No money changes hands until our minimum cohort is officially confirmed.
- We are currently gathering an Expressions of Interest (EOI) waitlist and aiming to close this on 10 September 2026.
- The retreat will only run if we have a minimum of 5 participants.
- It is only at this point that we would ask those who have expressed an interest if they would like to take part.
- A non-refundable deposit of $400 will then be requested only at this stage.The remaining amount needs to be paid by 1 October at the latest. This would be to contribute towards organisation and bookings should a participant decide not to participate. You do not have to pay anything now to register your interest.
'From Aphrodite to Pre-Raphaelite 'Stunners'' Retreat
What is not included?
- Travel to Oxford, travel insurance and excessive alcohol consumption.
- Oxford is very conveniently connected to London Heathrow and London Gatwick. Regular, comfortable and very reasonably priced 24/7 airline coach services run and will take you directly to the heart of the city. Find out more here: the Airline coach service from London Heathrow or London Gatwick to central Oxford
- We expect participants to travel to Oxford on their own before then being looked after us. Easiest airports to travel to are London Heathrow. Oxford is 90 mins from Heathrow using a very convenient, regular coach service that costs approx. $50 return.
'From Aphrodite to Pre-Raphaelite 'Stunners'' Retreat
Planned day-by-day itinerary
Sunday, 11 October
Arrival & Welcome
- Afternoon: Arrive and check in at the shared townhouse accommodation in central Oxford.
- Evening: Kick off the retreat with an intimate Welcome Dinner and meet the group.
Monday, 12 October
Aphrodite Exhibition Day
- Morning: Breakfast, then 9:30 AM meet the organiser in the lobby.
- Visit of the "Aphrodite: the Making of a Goddess" exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum.
- Lunch at the Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant.
- Afternoon: free time: drawing, sketching and/or further museum exploration.
- Evening: Group dinner in Oxford's vibrant area, Jericho. Find out more about Jericho
Tuesday, 13 October
Old Masters' Day
- Morning: Breakfast, then 9:30 AM meet the organiser in the lobby.
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Visit of the Ashmolean's Old Masters collection.
- Mid-day: Group walk to Oxford Covered Market for lunch.
- Afternoon: Wander back through Oxford's stationery, rare book, and indie shops.
- Evening: Group dinner in Oxford's vibrant area, Jericho. Find out more about Jericho
- Optional: Oxford City Life Drawing session, 6-8 PM.
Wednesday, 14 October
Pre-Raphaelites' Day
- Morning: Breakfast, then 9:30 AM meet the organiser in the lobby.
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Tour of Oxford and its Pre-Raphaelite art history.Read more about the Oxford-Pre-Raphaelites' connection here.
- Mid-day: Light lunch in the city centre.
- Afternoon: Free time to explore, sketch, or visit Oxford's indie shops or Westgate Shopping Centre. See Oxford's Indie Place Directory here.
- Evening: Final group dinner
Thursday 15 October
Departure
- Morning: A fond farewell breakfast together, followed by independent departures at your leisure.
- Participants can stay longer to see more of Oxford/Oxfordshire or head out to London.
NB: Programme may be subject to change depending on participant interests or factors outside our control.
FAQs
Why Aphrodite and Pre-Raphaelite Stunners?
+The Aphrodite exhibition and Oxford's Pre-Raphaelite artistic heritage presented an opportunity to explore this theme whilst also exploring Oxford itself.
Why these dates?
+The retreat dates were based on the opening of the Ashmolean exhibition - Aphrodite - the Making of a Goddess, which will open its doors to the general public on 8 October. We wanted to organise the retreat closely to this date.
How much does the retreat cost?
+Price for participation - accommodation, all meals and exhibition entry:
- Single room occupancy cost: $999 pp or equivalent in euro
Zero Financial Risk: No money changes hands until our minimum cohort is officially confirmed. We are currently gathering an Expressions of Interest (EOI) waitlist and aiming to close this on Thursday 10 September 2026.
The retreat will only run if we have a minimum of 5 participants. It is only at this point that we would ask those who have expressed an interest if they would like to take part.
A non-refundable deposit of $450 will then be requested from only those who wish to join this experience. This would be to contribute towards organisation and bookings should a participant decide not to participate. You do not have to pay anything now to register your interest.
Get in Touch if YOU MIGHT like to join the oxford retreat
