The Best Live Music Experience You Can Have With Culture Trip

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Gethin Morgan

Content Editor

Authentic live musical performances can be an incredible insight into a destination, as you witness first hand how a culture has decided to express itself over the centuries. Join one of these immersive small-group Culture Trips and get ready for a live music experience like no other.

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Close up of the guitar of a man playing traditional Portuguese music called fado

Complete Portugal by Train

To come to Portugal and not experience some live music would be a touristic crime. Trendy jazz bars and epic Euro nightclubs aren’t hard to find in Porto and Lisbon, the country’s two major cities and the slices of bread that make up this eight-day Portuguese sandwich itinerary. We’ll embrace a more traditional form of music, though, on our first night in the capital, Lisbon. After arriving into the city via a scenic train ride and having an afternoon free to explore, we’ll reconvene for an evening of live fado music. This soulful form of folk music has been used to tell stories in Portugal for at least 200 hundred years. It’s a tradition specific to this country, and can still be seen performed in bars all over the major cities. It usually consists of up to four string instruments, but the music is characterised mostly by the tragedy, melancholy and mournful nature of the lyrics, performed soulfully by an expressive vocalist, either male or female. It’s a really special form of music to witness live, and a perfect introduction – drink in hand – to the magical city of Lisbon.

From US$1644.3

Next available from 7th Sep 2024

Secure your spot with a low deposit

Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Porto, Portugal

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ENDS AT

Lisbon, Portugal

DURATION

8

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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Summer Sale
Group of Taiko drummers drumming on Japanese Drums together.

Japan by Train: The Grand Tour

Every experience we’ve spoken about so far involves you watching, and generally sitting. How relaxing, right? Well, let’s step it up a notch and get involved! That’s the plan towards the end of this epic Rail Trip in Japan, as we explore the many wonders of neon-lit Tokyo. Among the unique experiences you’ll have here is a Taiko drumming class. This percussion style was used as far back as the sixth century and, as you’ll be able to tell from the sound, it was largely used in military action and as a part of religious ceremonies. They still feature regularly in many cultural events in Japan, as well as providing the soundtrack for social justice movements. The booming sound and the pulsating rhythm really gets the blood pumping, so being at the hand of the sonic wheel for this one is quite the thrilling experience. We’ll follow that up with an evening of more modern, and perhaps less impressive, musical performance as we hit one of the best karaoke bars in Tokyo!

From US$3919.2

Next available from 2nd Sep 2024

Secure your spot with a low deposit

Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Osaka, Japan

arrow pointing to the right

ENDS AT

Tokyo, Japan

DURATION

12

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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Culture Trip Summer Sale

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