AROUND THE WORLD · SHOW
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 palace shows worth the money, each with its price a head, its traveller verdict and the one thing to check before you pay.
Head to Ubud Palace for a 90-minute Legong Kraton performance, where young dancers tell a royal tale through precise gestures, swift movements, gold costumes, and gamelan music. Arrive 45 to 75 minutes early for the best chance of a good seat. The outdoor venue can become crowded.
“Great show, unique. Came late but got great seats on stage.”
Spend 2.5 hours at Benidorm Palace watching ELEMENTS, a fast-paced production about earth, water, fire, and air. An international cast brings the story to life through dance, magic, acrobatics, costumes, LED screens, and live music. Show-only tickets cost $42 per person, with food and drinks extra.
“Flipping brilliant, the show was very professional, all the acts were amazing. I was spell bound with some of the acts. Recommended to others in the hotel I stayed in.”
Watch a 55-minute flamenco performance at Palau Dalmases, a 12th-century palace in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. Choose from several evening times and three seating tiers, including VIP. Add tapas and drinks in the palace courtyard for a fuller night out.
“This was one of our favorite experiences in Barcelona. Highly recommend!! it was about an hour long.”
See tango in the historic General Guemes Gallery at Piazzolla Theater, with music by Piazzolla, Gardel, Pugliese, and others. Choose show-only, dinner, transfers, or a tango lesson. The performance is the main event, while dinner and pickup add convenience but may extend the evening well past midnight.
“The tour agent pick us up from hotel at 7:15PM and we actually reached the Piazzolla Tango around 8PM. The dinner is not attractive. The Tango show started at 10:00 PM and ended at 11:30PM. We waited 2 hours for the show. We would recommend just join the Tango show and forget about the dinner. You can have much better dinner in BA downtown.”
Spend one hour at Palacio Flamenco near Plaza Nueva, where singers, guitarists, and dancers perform without microphones in a historic palace. The weekly program may feature artists such as Raquel La Repompa, Sergio Aranda, La Moneta, Luis Mariano, Ana Pastrana, or Rafael Ramirez.
“We highly recommended this show. My teenage daughter was a bit skeptical, but in the end she had a really good time. All the artists are so talented, and showed great passion for what they do.”
At El Palacio Andaluz, you’ll watch a 90-minute flamenco performance with dancers, singers, guitarists, and clappers, including a 12-minute Carmen adaptation. Your ticket also covers the Flamenco Dress Museum, a glass of cava, and a chocolate truffle. From October 6, free panoramic bus service is included.
“Show was excellent, really showcased the complexity of Flamenco, the live singing, the dance, the rhythym and loved the castanet duet Took the tapas option ...food was lovely Would recommend as excellent way to enjoy the culture”
Spend 75 minutes at Pattaya’s Alcazar Cabaret, where talented transgender performers present polished dance, music, impersonations, comedy, Thai themes, and Broadway-style numbers. Choose a ticket with snacks, refreshments, or a photo session, and enjoy skip-the-line entry without hotel transport.
“Fantastic loved the show would go again no problem”
Watch the 90-minute Legong Kraton in Ubud Palace at 7:30 pm. Three dancers tell a royal East Javanese tale through fast hand movements, precise eyes, elaborate costumes, and live gamelan music. Arrive 45 to 60 minutes early, since seating is limited and the show can become crowded.
“The dance and performance were captivating. It was hard to look away once it started. Seating at the palace is extremely limited so I recommend getting there maybe an hour early to get a good seat.”
Meet at Opera metro station for a guided Royal Palace visit, then head to Torres Bermejas for a 7 pm flamenco show, tapas, and wine or water. English tours start at 12:30 pm, Spanish tours at 3:30 pm. Guides have included Benny and Amanda.
“The guide Benny was friendly, informative and funny to listen too. Very knowledgeable too”
Spend three hours exploring the Alhambra, Nasrid Palaces, Generalife, and Charles V Palace with a Spanish- or English-speaking guide. After a four-hour break, meet in Sacromonte for a 1.5-hour flamenco show and one drink inside Cueva los Tarantos. Hotel pickup applies to the Alhambra portion.
“Transport from hotel didn’t arrive so we had to call for you to arrange a taxi. The transport after that wasn’t explained so we had to find the meeting point and ask for transport back to our hotel. No transport arranged to the flamenco show or for the return. The meal was booked far too late over an hour after the flamenco show had finished so we didn’t even eat there we ate elsewhere. Much more frail needs to be added to the arrangements and made very clear what is included. Not very happy and would like some sort of compensation at least for the meal we don’t even have…..very…”
Spend one hour at Beijing's Qinle Palace watching aerial silk, hoop dances, plate spinning, giant wheels, globe motorcycles, and human pyramids. James or Jack James may help with ticket collection and English support. Show your passport at the second-floor ticket office.
“The show was fun and impressive! Our guide James, who sold us the tickets, was very attentive and thoughtful!”
You’ll visit Tiananmen Square, enter the Forbidden City with a private English-speaking guide, and climb Jingshan Hill for palace views. Hotel pickup, transport, tickets, and water are included. Add roast duck at Quanjude or an acrobatic performance, depending on your chosen option.
“We did the forbidden city tour, me, my husband and my mother. It was a very beautiful day and our guide William kuang was perfect. He knew a lot of information, he was a very pleasant company. He took us from the Tiananmen Square, throRead more”
Spend about seven hours exploring Knossos and Heraklion with a professional guide, then watch a 3D Minoan show with live dance, costumes, and traditional appetizers. Pickup is offered from selected hotels, with guides including Alex and Gabriele associated with past departures.
“We had a lovely day! In the Heraklion area there is so much to see. The driver Alex was kind and service-minded! Thank you for this beautiful excursion!”
Head to Alcazar Cabaret in Chonburi for a colorful evening of transgender performance, Korean fan dance, international-inspired acts, elaborate costumes, and polished stage design. Your $55 ticket includes a VIP seat on the first floor. Choose from 5:00, 6:30, or 8:00 PM shows.
Spend about four hours at Rafain Palace with hotel pickup from Foz do Iguaçu or selected Puerto Iguazu hotels. Enjoy a Brazilian barbecue buffet while performers present regional dances, samba, capoeira, chorinho, and Argentine tango. Guides speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
A named palace, a kind of ticket, or a whole country of them.
