The series of visits to New York City’s outer boroughs led by arts journalist Richard Selden continues with a two-day tour to the northernmost one, the Bronx—the perfect destination for a late spring getaway.

The fragrance of spring flowers greets you as you step into the glorious urban oasis of Wave Hill in the borough’s Riverdale section, featuring 28 acres of gardens overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades. A guided visit focuses on seasonal highlights and the extensive collection of rare and unusual plants, plus a history of the picturesque property. At the New York Botanical Garden, revel in the beauty of the flowers that inspired a Dutch master’s iconic paintings with a guided tour of the special summer exhibition, “Van Gogh: Painting with Flowers.” Immerse yourself in botanical displays and large-scale art as you wander through a lawn of monumental sunflowers and see van Gogh masterpieces bloom in re-creations made of living flowers. 

A Sunday morning walking tour with your study leader explores the 84-year-old Arthur Avenue Retail Market in the Belmont neighborhood, the center of the Bronx’s Little Italy, and stops in at a few nearby food shops and bakeries. See the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, the early 19th-century farmhouse where the writer spent the last years of his life with his ailing wife, Virginia.

A visit to any of New York’s boroughs calls for eating at favorite local spots: Savor Albanian and Kosovan cuisine at a dinner at Cka Ka Qellu (a New York Times Critic’s Pick) and dig into lunch at the venerable City Island seafood eatery Sammy’s Fish Box.

Know Before You Go

• Cost includes bus transportation, lodging, all activities, admissions, fees, gratuities, and the following meals: 2 lunches, 1 dinner, and 1 breakfast
• Tour departs by bus from the Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Ave. and DeSales St., NW, with a pickup stop at the I-495 Exit 27 carpool parking lot at approximately 7:55 a.m.
• Single-room supplement $90 (factored into the Single Room Member and Single Room Nonmember pricing).
• Singles registering at the double-room rate are paired (on a nonsmoking basis) if possible, but must pay the single-room supplement otherwise.
• Detailed information is emailed to registrants about four weeks prior to departure.
• Participants are advised to purchase travel insurance for overnight and multi-day tours from a provider of your choice. Travel insurance provides additional coverage against unforeseen incidents that require last-minute cancellations.

General Information

• The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
• Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
• As we aim to move away from single use water bottles, guests are strongly encouraged to get in the habit of bringing their own reusable water bottle on tour.
• For additional tour information:
• Study Tour Policies
• Refund/Cancellation Policy