Travel in 2013: Holidays for culture vultures

New Zealand is the setting for the film The Hobbit, and will come back into focus in 2013

Film locations are always compelling destinations and New Zealand, the setting for The Hobbit will come back into focus in 2013.

Explore (0844 499 0901; explore.co.uk) has two tours taking in scenes from the film on the North and South islands, featuring Hobbiton, Tongariro National Park and the Franz Josef Glacier. The price of £4,561pp includes Air New Zealand flights from Heathrow into Auckland and out of Christchurch via Los Angeles, accommodation and transport.

All eyes will be on the National Mall, Washington DC on 28 August, the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jnr's “I have a dream” speech. A special tour to mark this key moment for the civil rights movement has been arranged by Archers Direct (0800 668 1892; archersdirect.co.uk). It visits the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where he was assassinated, the Martin Luther King Jnr National Historic Site in Atlanta and the White House. The trip costs £1,929pp, including United Airlines flights from Heathrow into Memphis and out of Washington DC, transport, room-only accommodation and guided sightseeing.

In Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum (00 31 20 674 7000; rijksmuseum.nl; €15) reopens on 13 April after a 10-year renovation, featuring a renewed building, refreshed displays and a new Asian Pavilion. EasyJet Holidays (0843 104 1000; holidays.easyjet.com) offers a three-night room-only trip from £170pp in Amsterdam, including flights from a range of UK airports.

Add this year's European Capitals of Culture, Kosice (kosice2013.sk) in Slovakia and Marseille (mp2013.fr) in France, to your must-sees for 2013.