Itinerary

Day 1 | Thu, May 29, 2025 | Depart USA

Depart the USA

Day 2 | Fri, May 30 | Welcome to London

Arrive at London Airport
Make your own way to the hotel for check in. *May not be possible before 15:00h.
This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant to meet fellow travelers, your tour leader and local guide.

Hotel: Bailey’s Hotel ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Dinner

Day 3 | Sat, May 31 | London

This morning, we drive outside London to visit Windsor Castle, the late Queen Elisabeth II’s favorite weekend home. Windsor has a rich mix of history, culture, heritage and fun. Visit Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, and admire the magnificent State Rooms, St George’s Chapel and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. Witness the colorful and very 'British’ spectacle of the guards marching through the streets of Windsor for the Changing the Guard ceremony within Windsor Castle's walls - it's a sight not to be missed!
Enjoy some free time in Windsor before returning to London. The evening is on your own to enjoy Lodnon. Perhaps catch a show!

Hotel: Bailey’s Hotel ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals Breakfast

Day 4 | Sun, June 1 | London to Devon

Depart London this morning and journey to Devon. En route, visit Stonehenge.
The Neolithic stone circle of Stonehenge in the Wiltshire countryside is one of the most famous wonders of the world. Dating back to approximately 3000 BC, the circle of huge upright and horizontal rectangular stones continues to fascinate academics, spiritualists and visitors. How and why did hundreds of people transport five tonne stones from all over the South of England and Wales to create a monument that has no obvious function? A multitude of theories regarding the origins and purpose of Stonehenge abound - some serious and some a little hard to believe but all have their supporters. Stonehenge could have been an elite burial mound, druid temple or ancient observatory and may have been put there by ordinary people, aliens or by Merlin the mythical wizard.
After, continue to our hotel in Devon and check in. Dinner is at Bovey Castle this evening.

Hotel: Bovey Castle ★★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5 | Mon, June 2 | Devon & Dartmoor National Park

This morning, enjoy a scenic drive through the vast moorland of Dartmoor National Park.
Visit the charming village of Clovelly for some free time to explore on your own before returning to the hotel. Enjoy dinner again today at Bovey Castle.

Hotel: Bovey Castle ★★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 | Tue, June 3 | Devon to Cheltenham: Bath & The Cotswolds

This morning, depart Devon and journey to Cheltenham. On arrival, we enjoy a guided walking tour of Bath.
The Roman Baths of the historical city of Bath are some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world, and it is even possible to wander around this vast leisure complex just as the Romans did over 2000 years ago. Built in AD70 over hot springs the Great Bath still receives over one million litres of hot water daily from the 12,000-year-old Kings Spring below. An interactive museum, costumed characters and award-winning audio guides narrated by witty travel writer Bill Bryson are also available to bring the history of the baths to life. There’s an opportunity to taste the spa water - a healthy drop containing 42 minerals and purported healing power if not a pleasant taste.
Next, make a stop in the Cotswolds village of Castle Combe.
Continue to our hotel in Cheltenham and check in. Overnight & dinner at Ellenborough Castle this evening.

Hotel: Ellenborough Castle ★★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 | Wed, June 4 | Cheltenham: Oxford

Journey to Oxford this morning and enjoy a walking tour of the city.
The city of Oxford grew up around the University of Oxford - one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious seats of learning. The importance and wealth of the university is projected through the scale and grandeur of the college buildings throughout the city. Pass some of the oldest colleges such as the 13th Exeter College, the impressive Bodleian Library and Baliol College, which is something of an assembly line for British Prime Ministers. Other Oxford highlights include the pretty Bridge of Sighs which connects two parts of Herford College, the Eagle and Child Pub where famous authors JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis would regularly meet and the sights and smells of the 18th century Oxford Covered Market. Oxford was also the perfect setting for the Harry Potter film series – a real Hogwartsian inspiration.
Visit Christ Church College (Please note that Christ Church is a working college. Therefore, closures at short notice are possible.) Christchurch College is the largest college in one of the most prestigious universities in the world. With over 500 years of history and an introduction into modern popular culture, Oxford University’s Christchurch College means different things to different people. For some it is indelibly linked to some of the great historical figures in the spheres of religion, philosophy and politics including John Wesley, Robert Peel, William Gladstone and no less than 13 British Prime Ministers. On the big screen Christchurch College appears in the blockbuster Harry Potter film series and the college’s Great Hall was replicated in the Warner Bros. studios as Hogwarts Hall. In literature, the often fairytale setting of the college and the children of the Dean inspired Lewis Carroll to create the much-loved novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Enjoy lunch in a local pub/restaurant.
This afternoon, visit nearby Blenheim Palace, Park and Gardens. A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, Blenheim Palace provides an awe-inspiring experience for visitors. Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and his family and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting a long and diverse history. Enter the Palace and explore the gilded State Rooms and priceless collections set against striking stonework and experience the beauty and magnificence of this Grade I listed building.
Return to your hotel. Enjoy dinner on your own.

Hotel: Ellenborough Castle ★★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8 | Thu, June 5 | Cheltenham to Chester: Stratford-Upon-Avon

This morning, depart Cheltenham and journey to Chester.
Visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the beautiful 500-year-old cottage where Shakespeare courted his bride-to-be. See original furniture including the Hathaway bed and uncover five centuries of stories in this picturesque cottage and 13 generations of the family who lived there. Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a twelve-roomed farmhouse where Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, lived as a child in the village of Shottery, Warwickshire, England, about 1 mile west of Stratford-upon-Avon.
After, visit Shakespeare's Birthplace. In the charming town of Stratford-upon-Avon is a distinctive 16th century, half-timbered house where the great Bard William Shakespeare was born, grew up and lived with Anne Hathaway and his children for the first five years of their married life. Today the birthplace of William Shakespeare is a literary shrine to millions of pilgrims per year and gives visitors a glimpse into the life of Shakespeare through the artefacts and memorabilia of several exhibitions, one of which includes a copy of the only known portrait of the playwright.
Enjoy lunch in a local pub/restaurant.
After, visit Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried.
Continue to Chester and, time permitting, enjoy a brief walking tour of the city.
Check in at our hotel. Dinner is on your own.

Hotel: Indigo Hotel ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9 | Fri, June 6 | Chester: Chatsworth House & Biddulph Grange Garden

Chatsworth House is located in the middle of an expansive parkland and backed by wooded, rocky hills rising to heather moorland. Chatsworth House has been described as a "second Versailles". The house contains major collections of paintings, furniture, Old Master drawings, neoclassical sculptures, books and other artefacts.
Enjoy lunch in a local pub/restaurant.
Return to Chester via Biddulph Grange Garden. This amazing Victorian garden was created by James Bateman for his collection of plants from around the world. A visit takes you on a global journey from Italy to the pyramids of Egypt, a Victorian vision of China and a re-creation of a Himalayan glen. The garden features collections of rhododendrons, summer bedding displays, a stunning Dahlia Walk and the oldest surviving golden larch in Britain, brought from China in the 1850s.
Overnight, bed and breakfast at your hotel in Chester or area.

Hotel: Indigo Hotel ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10 | Sat, June 7 | Chester to the Lake District, via Liverpool

Depart Cheltenham this morning and journey to the Lake District via Liverpool.
Visit The Beatles Story. Be transported on an incredible immersive journey as we tell the story of how four young lads from Liverpool were propelled to the dizzy heights of fame and fortune from their humble childhood beginnings. Replicas of Mathew Street, Abbey Road Studios and The Cavern authentically capture the early '60s, allowing you to personally experience the very places that helped make The Beatles the greatest band in the world.
Continue to the Lake District. On arrival, enjoy a scenic half-lake Windermere Cruise with mountain views.
Check in at our hotel. Dinner is in the hotel this evening.

Hotel: Macdonald Leeming House ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 11 | Sun, June 8 | Lake District To Durham

This morning, depart Lake District and journey to Durham.
First, visit Wordsworth Grasmere. Dove Cottage is a house on the edge of Grasmere in the Lake District of England. It is best known as the home of the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy Wordsworth from December 1799 to May 1808, where they spent over eight years of 'plain living, but high thinking. During this period, William wrote much of the poetry for which he is remembered today, including his 'Ode: Intimations of Immortality', 'Ode to Duty', 'My Heart Leaps Up' and 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud', together with parts of his autobiographical epic, The Prelude.
After, continue to Durham and visit Durham Cathedral. Standing dramatically on a rocky promontory over-looking the medieval city of Durham is the beautiful Durham Cathedral. Built in the 11th century in a mix of Norman and Romanesque styles, this grand building has been a place of worship for almost a thousand years and is known throughout Europe as one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture. It also now stands as the only cathedral in England to Britain to retain almost all its original Norman craftsmanship. This UNESCO World Heritage attraction provides greater insight into its fascinating past with a new and interactive Open Treasure exhibit which opens previously hidden spaces and showcases the cathedral’s historical collections.
Check in at our hotel. Dinner at our hotel in Durham.

Meals: Derwent Manor Hotel ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12 | Mon, June 9 | Durham: Hadrian’s Wall & Alnwick Garden

Today, visit Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall.
Once home to a garrison of 800 men, Housesteads Roman Fort was one of the most important strongholds on Hadrian’s Wall with the job of protecting the frontiers of the Roman Empire. Today the fort remains just as important as its clifftop location has contributed to the site being the best-preserved Roman building in Britain. You can still wander around the barrack blocks, the hospital and four imposing gates as the Roman soldiers did from around AD122 until the 4th century. Furthermore, you can also marvel at the oldest toilet you will ever see! Learn more about the history, daily life and purpose of the site and its inhabitants in the interactive museum with an excellent collection of the belongings of Roman soldiers and a fascinating video experience.
Visit the Alnwick Garden. Built to be unconventional, The Alnwick Garden is a unique, contemporary garden in the heart of Northumberland. Lose yourself in the mysterious Bamboo Labyrinth, explore the perils of The Poison Garden or gaze upon the Grand Cascade.
Return to our hotel in the afternoon. Dinner at our hotel in Durham.

Meals: Derwent Manor Hotel ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13 | Tue, June 10 | Durham to York

This morning, depart Durham and journey to York.
En-route, make a stop in the seaside town of Whitby.
Next, visit Castle Howard. Set in the dramatic Howardian Hills outside of York, Castle Howard takes its place as one of Britain’s finest historic houses. The 300-year-old house is still home to the Howard family who are lucky enough to enjoy the contrasting opulent beauty of the Palladian and Baroque wings and the world-renowned art collection throughout the lavish interiors. Outside the house, 1,000 acres of dramatic parkland showcase beautifully manicured lawns, ornamental gardens, fountains, temples, statues and a huge arboretum.
Check in at our hotel. Dinner at your hotel in York.

Meals: The Principal York Hotel ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 14 | Wed, June 11 | York to Cambridge

This morning, depart York and journey to Cambridge.
Before departure, visit York Minster. York Minster is a medieval masterpiece of stone and glass at the heart of the historic city of York. Records of this much-loved cathedral date back to the baptism of King Edwin of Northumbria in a wooden church on this site in the year 640. After several unfortunate events befell the original wooden and then stone structures on this site, the current gothic incarnation came into being around 800 years ago and was added to over the following centuries. The Minster is now the seat of the Archbishop of York, the Head of the Northern Province of the Church of England and second only to the King.
Continue to Cambridge and enjoy walking tour of the city. The university city of Cambridge is an attractive collection of grand college buildings and vast green urban parks. The students at the prestigious university buzz around the streets on bikes whilst tourists may take to the picturesque River Cam on the local gondola-like punts. Highlights include the beautiful gothic chapel of Kings College, and the Bridge of Sighs and ornate 16th century Great Gate of St John’s College. During your tour of Cambridge, you will also hear all about the history of the university, famous former students like Darwin, Newton and Hawking, and the practical aspects of applying and studying there.
Check in at our hotel. Dinner at your hotel in Cambridge.

Meals: Clayton Hotel Cambridge ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 15 | Thu, June 12 | Cambridge

This morning, visit the Sandringham Estate. (Subject to availability. Opening dates and times for 2025 not yet published)
After, enjoy some free time in Kings Lynn.
Our final dinner together is at the hotel.

Meals: Clayton Hotel Cambridge ★★★★

Room: Standard

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 16 | Fri, June 13 | Depart London for USA

Transfer to London Airport this morning for your journey home.