The incredible story of the Grand Tour, the ultimate 18th-century gap year

An awfully big adventure

The Grand Tour was the original gap year. Primarily undertaken by young British aristocrats, it offered an extensive exploration of Europe’s finest cities, ancient landmarks and archaeological sites. Reaching its peak in the late 18th century, the phenomenon transformed the cultural landscape of Georgian Britain and, ultimately, the travel industry as we know it today.

Read on to discover the people and places behind the Grand Tour, as well as its influence on artists, architects and authors through the years...

Making men out of boys

The trend that became known as the Grand Tour began in the late 16th century, when affluent graduates with boundless means and little responsibility would travel across Europe as a way of concluding their education. It became something of a rite of passage for wealthy men coming of age at around 21. The journey was intended to prepare them for life among the elite by rounding out their classical studies, honing their social skills and providing enlightenment. For some, it was also an excuse to be wild and reckless for one last time.

The early Grand Tourists

One of the first documented Grand Tourists was Inigo Jones (pictured), an architect who embarked on an Italian odyssey from 1613 to 1614. Travelling with his patron Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel, he visited cities such as Parma, Venice, Rome and Naples. Two years after his return to the UK, Jones was commissioned to design the Queen’s House in Greenwich, southeast London (pictured). Clearly influenced by its creator’s time in Italy, the royal residence was the first classical building to be constructed in England.

What a time to be alive

The Grand Tour era, which continued until the 19th century, began in earnest after the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660. Despite Anglo-French wars in 1689-97 and 1702-13, the period coincided with a spell of relative peace and stability rare for Europe at this time. Travel on the continent was easier than it had been before, and news of a well-beaten tourist trail encompassing Paris and Rome started to spread. By the middle of the 18th century, the Grand Tour had hit the height of its popularity.

Coining the term

The expression 'Grand Tour' first appeared in the writings of 17th-century travel author, Catholic priest and five-time Grand Tourist Richard Lassels. He used the phrase in his book The Voyage Of Italy: Or A Compleat Journey Through Italy, published in 1670, to describe young lords venturing overseas to study classical art, culture and history. It’s thought that the book contributed to a surge in European tourism as it encouraged eager English travellers to seek out the delights of the continent for themselves.

A privileged pursuit

Though the demographics of Grand Tourists did evolve over the decades, the trip was typically reserved for England’s aristocratic youth. You needed to be rich in both money and time to take part in the Grand Tour, as European travel between the 16th and 19th centuries was costly, time-consuming and onerous. Relying mainly on coaches for transport, the journey could take two to eight years in its entirety. You also had to have the bank onside – in lieu of cash (highway robbers were a danger), letters of credit were often used for purchases while travelling.

Not just a (British) man’s world

While Brits accounted for the majority of travellers on the Grand Tour, it was completed by intrepid types from other countries too. Russian tsar Peter the Great, German philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and King Gustav III of Sweden all made the trip – and it wasn’t just men, either. After the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years' War in 1763, making Europe safer, more women sought the thrill of adventure (albeit with a chaperone). This included famous feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, socialite Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and Lady Frederica Murray (pictured), the future Countess of Mansfield.

Family affairs

The Grand Tour wasn’t always an individual endeavour. Wealthy couples and families could also spend months crossing the continent, rubbing shoulders with Europe’s upper crust and admiring its palaces. Some, like Sir Charles Monck of Belsay and his wife Louisa on their two-year Greek honeymoon, relished the opportunity for quality time, while others treated the tour as an escape from scandal, bankruptcy or marital woes at home. For Sir Godfrey and Lady Elizabeth Webster, a stay in Naples ended in divorce when Elizabeth eloped with another man.

Ready, set, go

Before they could leave England, the parents of young Grand Tourists would usually hire an educated guide – also known as a cicerone or bear-leader – to tutor and chaperone their sons and daughters during their trip. The cicerone, often a classical scholar or sometimes a clergyman, was tasked with keeping their charges in line and teaching them about the sights they saw. Ahead of departure, some travellers would also prepare letters of introduction and reference to help them communicate with people in the countries they passed through.

An expedition in itself

With their trunks loaded, the typical British Grand Tourist would board a horse-drawn coach and set out for Dover on England’s southeast coast – a journey that on its own involved uncomfortable travel days and overnight stays. Upon arrival at Dover, they would then wait for a window of good weather (potentially several more days) before sailing across the English Channel to France or Belgium. The crossing to either Calais, Le Havre or Ostend could be perilously choppy, threatening sea-sickness at best and shipwreck at worst.

It wasn’t all glamour

Even once you'd completed the crossing unscathed, there was no guarantee your tour would be smooth sailing. The roads through Europe were often peppered with potholes, so overlanding by coach wasn’t exactly luxury. Most carriages could only cover around 12 miles (20km) a day, and at times were so unsuited to the terrain that their passengers had to get out and walk. There were illnesses to contend with, such as food poisoning and smallpox, as well as security and logistical issues.

Je suis arrivee

After acquiring a coach for the journey south (or hopping on a riverboat), the first major stop for most travellers on the continent would be Paris. While the Grand Tour had no fixed itinerary or route, the French capital was a standard spot for young gentlemen to base themselves for a few weeks or months, thanks to its easy connections and impressive attractions. While in the city, they might take lessons in fencing, riding or dancing, and use their flair for languages (most young nobles spoke French) to connect with their international peers.

Traversing the Alps

From Paris, Grand Tourists would traditionally sally forth to Italy, which was usually achieved in one of two ways. Either they could continue via Lyon to Marseille and sail to the Mediterranean ports of Livorno or Genoa, or they could brave the Alps. Choosing the latter option meant disassembling and carrying their coaches, with wealthier travellers employing servants to handle their luggage. Some hired the 'chair men of Mont Cenis' to convey them over the mountains in a sedan chair. Milan or Turin would usually be the first Italian destinations for those arriving this way, where they were welcomed by the British consulate.

Learning on the road

With an educational background centred on the classics, the average young aristocrat was already versed in Latin and Greek literature and philosophy before setting off. But the Grand Tour broadened their horizons further, allowing them to immerse themselves in art, architecture and antiquities unlike any found in Britain. As many male participants in the Grand Tour belonged to England’s ruling class, they were expected to improve their knowledge of geography, culture, politics and economics, as well as rub shoulders with the foreign elite.

Falling for Florence

One of the most popular stops on the Italian leg of the Grand Tour was Florence. Italy’s capital between 1865 and 1871, it was a cultural hub filled with theatres, reading rooms and Renaissance art. Travellers often requested admission to the city’s private collections, which contained masterpieces by the likes of Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and more. The Uffizi Gallery and its Medici-owned sculptures, opened to the public at the Grand Tour’s peak in 1769, were of particular interest, as were the gardens and villas of the surrounding Tuscan countryside.

A different kind of education

Alongside its scholarly benefits, the Grand Tour was a chance for young noblemen to enjoy their independence before settling into their formal duties as husbands, lords and landowners. There was no better place to indulge than Venice, which had become synonymous with parties – especially during carnival season. There they developed roguish appetites for hedonism, frequenting balls, gambling dens, watering holes and pleasure houses. Venice was known as 'the city of masks' – where the shackles of social norms could be more easily cast off.

Rome-ing around

The pinnacle of the Grand Tour experience was Rome, where the mix of ancient monuments and then-modern Baroque embellishments, as well as the first Vatican and Capitoline museums (opened in the 18th century), were notable draws. It was around this time that archaeology became more mainstream, and many Grand Tourists saw Rome as the best destination to learn more. Some even helped subsidise excavation work at sites like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Visits were often timed to coincide with the city’s Holy Week festivities.

Acquainting with ancient history

Rome was initially where the Grand Tour ended. But when archaeological excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii (pictured) began in 1738 and 1748 respectively, travellers would continue on to Naples to explore the ancient Roman towns buried by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The volcano itself was also an attraction – it was quite active around this time, so visitors were enthralled by its lava displays. The British envoy in Naples, Sir William Hamilton, was also renowned for throwing elaborate parties.

Where next?

Later in the Grand Tour era, trips might continue across the Strait of Messina to Sicily or over the Ionian Sea to Greece, where many more ancient ruins awaited. Alternatively, travellers might also have visited Spain. To mix things up on the journey home, young men might then take the eastern route back through bookish cities and Alpine resorts, stopping in destinations like Vienna (pictured), Innsbruck, Prague, Geneva, Munich, Dresden and Berlin. Ahead of their return Channel crossing, they might set aside some time in Holland (now the Netherlands) and Flanders (present-day Belgium).

Journeys of self-discovery

Aside from being educational and, at times, extremely indulgent, the Grand Tour was a more personal quest for some of those that undertook it. For Richard Aldworth Neville (pictured), 2nd Baron Braybrooke, it was an opportunity to connect with his heritage. In 1750, just a few days after he was born, Neville’s mother, who was originally from Switzerland, passed away. Some 20 years later, he departed England with his father and sister to meet his maternal relatives in Geneva for the first time. As well as the taste for languages and art that he developed during his further travels in Italy, Neville gained a new extended family.

Bringing inspiration home

Having experienced the sights and sounds of Europe, England's young aristocrats were supposed to return well-rounded and ready to shoulder their responsibilities. While this may not have been successful for all, the Grand Tour is generally thought to have had a positive impact on Britain's cultural landscape. French-style 'macaroni' fashion dominated society, classical architecture enjoyed a revival and transformed many of England’s stately homes, and new creative institutions were opened. This included London’s Royal Academy of Arts (pictured), founded by painter Joshua Reynolds (also pictured) in 1768 after his time on the continent.

Shopping for souvenirs

In order to commemorate their adventures, Grand Tourists would often fill multiple crates with expensive artefacts, antiquities and other souvenirs from the continent. These items acted as status symbols, creating a material legacy to be envied by peers visiting their lavish estates. Books, oil paintings, etchings, coins, vases, glassware from Venice, marble statues from Rome and lumps of pumice stone or lava from Naples were among the mementos given pride of place in libraries, drawing rooms and purpose-built galleries.

Paintings were the 18th-century Instagram

Paintings and drawings were especially coveted by travellers, given that the Grand Tour hit its zenith before the advent of photography. The works of Italian artists Canaletto, Giovanni Paolo Panini and Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who created 'veduta' ('view') paintings of local cityscapes and landmarks, were particularly popular, as were Claude Joseph Vernet’s scenes of Naples. It was also common to commission a portrait of yourself to prove how well-travelled you were. Pompeo Batoni was one of the most prolific portrait artists of the Tour – around 175 people from Britain and Ireland were painted by him through the 18th century.

The birth of travel literature

Another way Grand Tourists documented their travels was by writing about them, leading to the publication of specialist guidebooks and travelogues focused on particular destinations. There was Richard Lassels' pioneering 17th-century account of his Italian escapades, followed by Tobias Smollett’s Travels Through France and Italy, first published in 1766. Innocents Abroad (pictured) by Mark Twain is one of the most famous travel accounts to come out of the Grand Tour, and became the American author’s best-selling work in his lifetime. Many female travellers shared their stories too, including Mary Shelley and Lady Sydney Morgan.

International impact

The Grand Tour was a cultural phenomenon that took its European destinations by storm, with hoards of rich British travellers descending on areas that sometimes lacked the infrastructure to support them. But although they brought crowds and chaos, they also brought plenty of money. In primary stopovers like Paris, Lyon and Genoa, Grand Tour spending funded hotels, restaurants and pensions (lodging houses), as well as providing patronage for Italian artists. However, the appetite for precious antiques also led to a rise in copies and forgeries.

The end of an era

The decline of the aristocratic Grand Tour started with the French Revolution (1789) and the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), though the practice still continued quietly, with Greece, the Ottoman Empire and even Egypt becoming favoured destinations. The original routes bounced back a little bit following the Battle of Waterloo, but it was the beginning of the end. The introduction of steam railways in the early 19th century meant that the middle classes could now afford to travel across Europe. And as Thomas Cook’s trailblazing package holidays further democratised travel from the 1870s onwards, the era of the conventional Grand Tour came to a close.

Lessons in life and travel

While the Grand Tour as it was in its heyday is now long gone, what it taught us about travel still remains. Unlike previous forms of travel, like the medieval pilgrimage, the Grand Tour was about having fun while getting under the skin of a destination at the same time. It showed how travel could be used as a tool for self-improvement and for breaking down barriers between cultures. It forged the idea – albeit in a limited form – that there is much to be gained from leaving one’s home behind, and that travel ultimately makes people better global citizens.

The Grand Tour’s modern influence

In essence, the Grand Tour paved the way for the tourism industry of today. Multi-destination, long-term travel is now more accessible than ever, whether through interrailing, cruising, house-sitting or homestays with local families. There remains a demand for immersive forms of travel that offer unique cultural experiences, such as working holidays and study-abroad programmes. The closest contemporary equivalent to a traditional Grand Tour is arguably a gap year, where students take time out before or after university to discover more about the world – and themselves – through formative overseas trips.

Memories and mementos

There are relics from the Grand Tour era displayed in museums, galleries and stately homes all over the world. The National Gallery in London holds several artworks by Batoni, Panini and Canaletto, all of whom were painting at the height of the Tour. Not only did aristocrats adorn their homes with souvenirs from their trips, but the estates themselves became love letters to the continent. At Wrest Park, in the English county of Bedfordshire, owner Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent’s travels inspired him to have his gardens redesigned in a classical Italianate style.

Now check out these amazing black-and-white photos of tourism in its earliest days