The Modern Grand Tour: Where I’d Go After Architecture School

Graduation season always makes me think about the one thing architecture school can’t fully simulate: the experience of walking through a building or city and not just learning about it in history books. That’s why I keep coming back to the idea of the architect’s “Grand Tour” and the impact of travel. But what is the modern Grand Tour for architects?

In my last summer of architecture school, I spent time in Orvieto, Italy for a study abroad program—and it changed how I felt about the importance of travel. After weeks of exploring Italy and sketching, studio work back home looked different. The lessons we learn about proportion, space, light, and urban rhythm come alive walking them in person.  That experience is much more impactful than just learning in a classroom. 

On my study abroad summer, I also took side trips to Paris and Greece.  The following summer I took off on a month-long backpacking trip through Spain, Switzerland, Munich, and Prague.  Years later, I still needed more and went on a four-month solo travel sabbatical through Europe.  I’ve also squeezed in several shorter trips to Europe and across the United States.  After years of practicing architecture and traveling, I put together my list of the essential places for architects to travel after architecture school, as part of your continuing education. 

What the Grand Tour Was (and what has changed)

Historically, the “Grand Tour” was a capstone experience—often reserved for wealthy young men—meant to round out an architectural education by traveling through Europe to study the works of Classical Antiquity and the Renaissance in person.

In the 21^st century, travel is more accessible.  It is available to everyone, including women, and not just for the wealthy.  However, travel isn’t a formal requirement to becoming a licensed architect. While I don’t think you NEED to travel to be a good architect, it certainly creates a perspective and understanding of spaces beyond what you can learn in a classroom or on the job.  To truly understand scale, walking through spaces beyond what you can find in your hometown is essential. 

What studio didn’t teach me, but Travel Did

I don’t think I truly understood the emotions I could feel because of architecture, or how well-designed urban planning can truly impact the feeling of a place until I experienced it.  Architecture school taught me about light, space, proportion, and acoustics, but my understanding didn’t come full circle until I traveled. 

I felt emotional walking through the Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain.  I knew about the striped arches, but what I didn’t understand until walking through the Mosque-Cathedral was the scale.  It was far larger than I could have imagined, and it was overwhelming in the best way. 

The massive Gothic Cathedrals like Notre Dame in Paris and the Duomo in Milan brought up similar overwhelming feelings for me.  The grandness of scale of some of the buildings in Europe is just something we do not see in the United States. 

Experiencing cites with different eras of planning gives an understanding of organization that just can’t be realized on paper.  Walking through narrow winding streets of a medieval hilltop town in Italy, chaotic streets in Rome, or a manicured Boulevard in Paris provides a much deeper level of understanding of what design decisions feel like. 

And after all, in the end architects are designing for humans to experience a space, not just look at pretty pictures. 

Architecture History Beyond Europe

Most of my architecture school history education was focused on Europe and North America.  Years of travel after architecture school have opened up my eyes to architecture beyond and how much we can learn by traveling more.  I felt incredibly ignorant walking through temples in Thailand and realizing I knew almost nothing about the history and architecture of the incredibly detailed Buddhist temples. 

I’d eventually like to expand this to other places that architects must visit.  For the sake of this post, I am sticking mostly to Europe to give some realistic itineraries for post-graduation travel. 

A note on travel style (how not to burn out)

On a first big trip it’s tempting to sprint through the “must-sees” and feel like you don’t have enough time to see everything. I get it—and I love a greatest-hits itinerary too. What I’ve learned from years of travel is that intense pace can become exhausting, and without giving yourself time to rest and enjoy your trip, you will become burned out and unable to enjoy some incredible places.  I truly believe that to stay engaged and enjoy your trip, you must have some days that you can just be taken away to wine taste or just spend a day wandering a city without an agenda.

What actually makes a Grand Tour feel like it changed you is the unscheduled time: a small-town stop, a long lunch, a quiet museum morning, a day where your sketchbook is the only agenda. I’ve included a few of my favorite side trips or small towns as “optional,” but honestly they’re part of the point.  Spend a few days on the beach in Greece, go on a biking wine tasting tour, walk along the Seine with no agenda, get lost in Rome.  The downtime might become some of your favorite moments, and a way to truly understand the feeling of a place. 

What a modern Grand Tour could look like (with real-world time limits)

Below are a few sample routes based on how much time you have. For planning a post architecture school Grand Tour, these are the places that were the most impactful for me, as an architect. 

If I only had a month: The essentials (Athens →Rome →Florence →Paris)

If I were planning a Grand Tour today, these are the four anchors I’d build around—then I’d add a few side trips for rest and experience. 

Athens – Classical Greek Design at the Parthenon

I remember standing in front of the Parthenon and just staring.  The scale, the proportion.  After years of architecture history, this place felt like I couldn’t complete my education without standing on the Acropolis myself. 

Don’t skip the islands. A few days on a Greek island does something important for the trip: it slows you down so you can actually absorb what you’re seeing.  Not to mention tasting Greek tomatoes, olives, and local cheese.  Santorini and Mykonos are the headline acts, but they can be crowded and pricey. I went to Naxos back in 2008 and loved the lower-key pace.

Rome – Walking through a real-life museum

My number one city that every architect must experience in person is Rome.  Walking through the city is like walking through an open-air museum.  There are ruins and classics everywhere.  The Vatican, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Piazza Navona—but my forever favorite is the Pantheon. No photo prepares you for the experience of just sitting inside, watching the light from the oculus slowly move across the coffered concrete dome.  I’ve been to Rome at least six times and I go to just sit still in the Pantheon every time. 

Optional detour: On your way to Florence, stop in Orvieto for a couple of nights (or at least a day trip from Rome). It sits right on the main train line and gives you a very different kind of architectural education: medieval streets, a town built on top of a volcanic cliff with surrounding views of vineyards, and a pace that makes you really enjoy Italian life. It’s also a perfect reset after Rome’s intensity and crowds.

Florence – Renaissance perfection

One of my favorite stories about Renaissance architecture is about the design and engineering of Brunelleschi’s Dome on top of the Duomo in Florence.  Book ahead to climb the Duomo—not just for the view, but for the experience of moving through the space between the shells of Brunelleschi’s dome.

Florence can be crowded, for good reason.  Make sure to check out the Uffizi Gallery, and cross the Arno River to walk up to the viewpoint at Piazzale Michelangelo. 

Day trip: For a break from city intensity, take a day trip to Siena or go wine tasting in Tuscany.

Paris – Urban Planning

Walking through Paris is a master class in Urban Planning.  Haussmann’s design with grand boulevards and a cohesive design can be seen throughout the city.  Plus, French parks are so manicured and perfect, it is such a contrast to landscape design elsewhere.  And yes, watching the Eiffel Tower glitter at night still feels absurdly magical.

Paris also has some of the best museums in the world. The Louvre is iconic—but it can be overwhelming. On my last visit, a friend booked a self-guided audio tour, and having headphones on helped me focus (and tune out the crowd) enough to actually enjoy it.  My personal favorite museums were the Musée d’Orsay and the Orangerie (I’m a Monet fan).

And a reminder to every new grad: you don’t need to see every museum. Save something for the next trip—Paris is excellent at giving you reasons to return.

Side trips: I loved a bike tour at Versailles, and I also did a day trip to Champagne to taste and learn. The Champagne day can be pricey on a post-grad budget, but if you can swing it, it’s a memorable way to trade galleries for landscape and wine tasting for a day.

If you can add two more weeks: Spain

You can’t see all of Spain in two weeks, but you can get an incredible architectural contrast: Barcelona for Gaudí (and modernism), then Andalusia for spaces shaped by Islamic architecture. After multiple trips to different regions, these were the most impactful stops for me.

Barcelona – Gaudi and Modernism

Barcelona is worth the trip for Gaudí alone—his style based on shapes in nature is so iconic and best appreciated in person. Then pivot to the Barcelona Pavilion to appreciate Mies van der Rohe and ponder about “less is more.” 

More time: Spend a few days in San Sebastián and take a day trip to Bilbao for the Guggenheim and Calatrava bridge. 

Andalusia – Moorish Architecture

I remember learning about the palaces in Andalusia in architecture school and experiencing them in person was incredible.  It is amazing how much more detail is revealed in person that you can see in a photo in history class.  I recommend staying in Seville and visiting the Real Alcázar de Sevilla.  Take a day trip (or overnight) to Córdoba for the Mezquita. And Granada is non-negotiable for the Alhambra.  I spent a few days in Granada and loved walking the city including the hilly neighborhood of Albaicín. 

More time (and budget): Scandinavian Design in Copenhagen, Helsinki, and more

The region is expensive, but if you are interested in Scandinavian design, a trip is well worth it.  I spent a month traveling through the region in 2018 and my number one places for architects to visit in Scandinavia would be Copenhagen for design, and Helsinki for Alvar Aalto fans.  If you want more, Oslo is filled with modern architecture, and of course Stockholm is amazing. 

Staying in North America: a mini Grand Tour

If you want a Grand Tour-style trip without leaving the U.S., I’d start with Chicago and New York City. 

Chicago

If you went through architecture school, you already know you need to visit  Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper.  Make sure to go on an architecture riverboat tour.  It is real life tour through the skyscrapers you learn about in school.  If you have more time, venture beyond to some of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the area, like the Robie House. 

New York City

In America, I consider NYC a must see for architects.  The museums are worth visiting just for the architecture like the Met, Guggenheim, MOMA, and the Whitney.  Not to mention the Highline is an incredible walk to experience adaptive reuse and gawk at modern buildings including one by Zaha Hadid.  Walking through Manhattan is an incredible experience seeing the changes in density and building height.  Not to mention, you can’t miss walking through Frederick Law Olmstead’s design of Central Park. 

Final thought: take the trip that makes you see differently

If you’re graduating (or just want an architecture inspired trip), I hope this gives you a starting point for your own Grand Tour. Pick a few anchors, leave breathing room, and bring a sketchbook for the moments that surprise you. If you’ve done a post-grad architecture trip, I’d love to hear what made the biggest impact: one building that lived up to the hype, one place that caught you off guard, and one stop you’d tell every architect to add.