by country

Southern England

 

DAY 1

London
Arrival at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.

 

DAY 2

London
View Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s official London residence, then take a ride on the London Eye situated on the banks of the Thames River,  This is one of the world’s largest observation wheels that will afford you a superlative view of London.  Continue to the Houses of Parliament with its most recognized feature “Big Ben” and on to Piccadilly Circus.  Then see the impressive Tower of London which is the original Royal fortress.  Visit the world famous waxwork Museum, Madame Tussaud’s, depicting wax effigies of historical and royal figures as well as film and sports stars and infamous murderers.

 

DAY 3

London – Windsor Castle - London
The tour starts with a visit to Westminster Abbey, a living church, a royal peculiar, home to the unique pageant of British history. Continue to Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister’s residence at Downing Street. Visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, a lasting monument to the glory of God and a symbol of the hope, resilience and strength of the city of London and the United Kingdom. Enjoy the ceremonial Changing of the Guard, if held. Drive to Windsor Castle to see the Queen's favourite weekend home. Relax and admire the view while cruising on the River Thames.

 

DAY 4

London – Hampton Court – Oxford(100km./1h.) – Bladon - Stratford-upon-Avon (90km./1h.)
Visit the spectacular Hampton Court Palace and have a walk through the famous ornamental gardens. Relax in over 60 acres of the beautiful Hampton Court Palace gardens that run down to the River Thames, featuring sparkling fountains, glorious displays of over 200,000 flowering bulbs and 750 acres of tranquil royal parkland. Travel through Runnymede, a famous historical site which witnessed King John's sealing of the Magna Carta. Arrive in Oxford to see  Britain’s elite colleges. Continue to Bladon and St. Martin’s church which is Sir Winston Churchill’s burial place. Travel to Stratford-upon-Avon, the hometown of England’s famous William Shakespeare and visit Ann Hathaway’s cottage.

 

DAY 5

Stratford-upon-Avon – Broadway – Tintern (100km./1h.30min.) - Cardiff (60km./1h.) – Bath (90km./1h.)
Travel to the Elizabethan village of Broadway. Driving past Cheltenham and Gloucester to Wales through picturesque scenery. Continue to Tintern  to explore one of the most spectacular ruins in the country and William Wordsworth’s inspiration. Travel to Cardiff. Explore  Cardiff Castle with, the Norman fort in the centre, the Welsh regimental museum and excavated Roman ruins. Arrive in the famous Spa town of Bath where you will wander around the various rooms that made up the baths including the large “Great Bath” which is open air.  Take pleasure in viewing the Roman, Medieval and Georgian architecture while learning more about the Spa’s history.

 

DAY 6

Bath – Stonehenge (60km./1h.) – Salisbury – Arundel (100km./1h.) - Brighton
Travel to Stonehenge with its circle of mysterious prehistoric circle of upright stones. Then on to Salisbury to see the particularly beautiful Cathedral which has lovely lawns that are surrounded by historic graceful buildings.  Enjoy the splendid view from the top of the cathedral.. Travel to Arundel, the seat of The Dukes of Norfolk, one of the great treasure houses of England. Tour the Royal Pavilion, remarkable for its exotic oriental appearance both inside and out. This magnificent royal pleasure palace was revered by fashionable Regency society and is still a distinctive landmark. Departure to the Regency seaside resort of Brighton.

 

DAY 7

Brighton – Tunbridge Wells(50km./1h.) –Maidstone – London (60km./1h.)
Enjoy a picturesque drive to Tunbridge Wells. Queen Victoria regularly travelled down from London to "take the waters", and in 1909 King Edward VII officially granted the town its "Royal" prefix. Continue to the spectacular Leeds Castle, called “the loveliest castle in the world.” Admire the combination of  900 years of history and 500 acres of beautiful parkland. Return to London.

 

DAY 8

Transfer to the airport.