Embroidery tours where friendships begin
Where people come together around the things they love
Some of the best friendships begin around a table with a needle in hand. For nearly 20 years, Needlework Tours has taken small groups of embroidery lovers to beautiful places around the world, and when people who share a passion travel together, strangers become friends almost instantly.
What makes our tours special
- Small, welcoming groups. Usually around 15, so there’s time to chat, laugh and be looked after.
- Tutors who love what they do. Skilled, patient teachers who suit every level, from your first stitch to your thousandth.
- Someone with you the whole way. A member of our team travels with the group from start to finish.
- Places chosen with a stitcher’s eye. Beautiful hotels, good food and visits to museums and landmarks with a textile story to tell.
What a tour feels like
On stitching days, you’ll start with a leisurely breakfast, then settle in for a class with a local tutor, learning a project in a beautiful setting. Over lunch and afternoon tea, stories are swapped and people help each other along. There’s a particular buzz in a room full of people learning something new.
On other days, you’ll explore, always fully guided, with time along the way to shop and soak up the history and culture.
The tutors
Our tutors are the heart of it all. They come from around the world, and many have taught with us for years. They’re patient, generous and endlessly curious, and many keep learning by joining each other’s classes as students. Some bring a deep knowledge of the history of embroidery. That love of the craft is contagious, and it’s why guests so often tell us they learned more than they expected.
A community, not just a tour group
Many of our guests travel on their own, some looking for the courage to explore somewhere new, and some for company. They find both. As one guest told us, “I had a fabulous time and met some lovely like-minded people.” Another wrote, “If you love to stitch and love to learn something new, this trip is something you have to do.”
Meet Nik & Noelle
We’re Nik and Noelle, and we look after Needlework Tours. We both grew up around small family businesses, and we’ve spent our careers in travel, operations and technology. What matters most to us is keeping the warmth and care that has always made these tours special.
Travel runs in our family. Nik’s grandfather opened Qantas offices around the world, we’ve lived in Australia, the UK, the US and Korea, and we’ve been taking our children on adventures since they were two months old. We believe travel opens the mind and builds understanding, and we’re here to protect what makes these tours so special, and help it grow.
Travel with confidence
Your peace of mind matters to us. From the first enquiry to the day you’re home, you’ll always be able to reach a real person.
What’s next
We’re keeping what makes these tours special: small groups, embroidery at the heart, and tutors who love what they do. We’re also adding new destinations, new cultures and new techniques. By popular request, cruises are coming back, and following the success of our Adelaide retreat, we’re planning more retreats. In time, you’ll see other crafts too, because what matters most is people connecting as they make and learn.