Textile tours, courses, and holidays to visit
the places the yarns, fabrics and textiles originate, view textile arts and discover the history of vintage and antique fabric.
Finding the right textile tour
This category lists general textile holidays, tours that may include fabrics, weaving, spinning, knitwear, crochet, felt, lace, and any and all fabric and textile related disciplines.
A lot of these holidays and tours will be focused on looking rather than doing, perhaps visiting textile designers, places producing textiles or relevant exhibitions – although some may also include workshops and hands-on experience too.
If you have a specific interest we strongly advise that you check out the full textiles index and look at specific disciplines where you will find more targeted tours listed.
Video showing fabric dyeing using contemporary designs created using traditional hand techniques (by esprittravel.com).
Meet at Osaka Kansai International Airport for a trip to discover the vibrant world of Japanese textiles. From its base in Kyoto, the trip will offer meetings with craftsmen and artists, opportunities to study old dye techniques, weave, visit contemporary fiber works and explore markets, galleries and shops. This tour is guided by Nancy Craft the Conde Nast Japan travel expert.
In addition to the textiles there will be visits to temples, gardens and hidden corners, plus plenty of opportunities to enjoy the variety of Japanese cuisine. Dates, price and full details ...
The Textile Triangle project brings together the rich textile heritage and connections of the English North-West counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire.
The Visitor Guide website provides information that will allow you to put together a textile holiday at any time of year. They provide listings of museums and galleries, contemporary exhibitions, guided mill tours and hands-on workshops. Also historic walks, factory shops, fabric sales and craft markets. Plus visits to the local stately homes that were built on the profits from the industry.
Further information is on the site together with details of how to get there and local accommodation options: Textile Triangle Visitor Guide
TOP TEXTILE HOLIDAY TIPS
Tips for your tour
• Don't miss out on a good trip by restricting yourself just to companies from your home country. Many packages don't include an international flight and it's often possible to join a group tour at the destination airport or the start point of a tour.
• Leave room in your luggage for fabric and textile purchases, remembering that some textiles are heavy. Make a note of your baggage allowances before you leave.
• If you're planning on buying textiles to fit specific places in your home then remember to take measurements with you, also colour swatches, samples to match to and/or photos where appropriate. A tape measure could be useful too!
• Support local artisans and try to buy directly from the maker where possible, failing that look for 'fair trade' goods.
• If you're a textile artist or crafter yourself then taking some small samples of your own work can be good. These can make gifts for hosts and can be used as talking points when meeting local crafts people.
Textiles tours – a four day tour of textiles and scenery offering a unique insight into the textiles heritage and skills of Shetland. Covering knitwear, knitting and spinning, weaving and visiting textile collections.
| textile tours | knitting | weaving | Scotland |
Esprit Travel & Tours
based: Nevada, USA & Kyoto, Japan video:view video
Japan tours specialist offering a range of escorted Japanese cultural group tours that includes a Japanese textiles trip. Independent customised trips are also available.
Italian rural tours for textile enthusiasts to explore ancient textile crafts. Staying on a working alpaca farm, the tour investigates weaving, natural dyeing, lace making and embroidery, and visits studios, farms, markets and factories in the surrounding small villages in Tuscany and Umbria.
Japanese textile tours attending the longest running quilt festival in Japan, textile and kimono museums, workshops and dyers studios, as well as sights, temples and gardens in Kyoto.
Slow Fiber Studios provide field study programs for textile artists, scholars, and educators offering hands-on experience in diverse, textile rich areas of the world such as India, Mexico, Japan, France and Italy. Learn about textile making from local artisanal masters.
The Textile Triangle project brings together the rich textile heritage and connections of the English North-West counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire.
Globalyell – Centre for Creative Industries in Shetland
Esprit Travel & Tours
