Tour Provider | Back-Roads Touring Co |
Number of Days | 8 |
Price From | $3,879 |
Start Location | London, United Kingdom |
End Location | London, United Kingdom |
Age Range | Avg. 60+ |
Group Size | 4 to 18 |
Tour Style | Comfort |
Tour Themes | Virtuoso |
Physical Rating | Easy |
After meeting the group in London, we’ll come together for a welcome dinner. Here’s to the start of an incredible adventure! Accommodation: Wellington by Blue Orchid (or similar)
After breakfast, our first stop will be the tiny market city of Wells – known for its Gothic cathedral and peaceful Vicars’ Close. After we’ve spent some time wandering the cobbled streets and medieval buildings with our Tour Leader, we’ll have the opportunity to explore the magnificent Wells Cathedral at our leisure. Later, our path will take us from the quaint country lanes of Somerset to the heather and gorse-clad tors of Dartmoor National Park. Tonight, we’ll enjoy another delicious dinner together. Accommodation: Two Bridges Hotel (or similar)
Today we’ll leave Dartmoor National Park for Cornwall’s northern coast – starting with a stroll around Port Isaac, the fishing village made famous by the Doc Martin television series. Next, we’ll enjoy a delicious lunch at The Seafood Restaurant, Rick Stein’s flagship restaurant in Padstow. Here, you can take your pick from a menu of fresh-off-the-boat Cornish seafood and international favourites. Then: we’ll take it easy as we travel further west to Falmouth. Accommodation: The Royal Duchy Hotel (or similar)
After a hearty breakfast, we’ll pay a visit to the iconic cliffside Minack Theatre before setting our sights on St Ives – one of England’s prettiest towns. Take some time to meander the cluster of cobblestoned streets, quaint seaside cottages and picture-perfect bays. Then, it’s back on the mini-coach for a visit to St Michael’s Mount, a tidal island just off the coast of Penzance. Here, we’ll explore the village and the medieval castle and gardens – which are full of treasures and stories from the past. Back in Falmouth, we’ll enjoy an evening spent at our leisure. Please note: St Michael’s Mount is closed on Saturdays. In the event day 4 of our tour falls on a Saturday, we will visit St Michael’s Mount on day 5. Accommodation: The Royal Duchy Hotel (or similar)
There’s a treat in store for the green-fingered today: we’re off to explore Tregothnan Estate, one of Cornwall’s largest estate and home to the first tea plantation in Britain. A member of the gardening team will give us a private tour of the grounds and the tea plantation, where we’ll learn all about the only tea grown in England – with a chance to sample some of it for ourselves. Afterwards, we’ll make our way to St Austell Bay area where we’ll have the evening to spend at our leisure. Please note: Tregothnan Estate is closed to the public on weekends. In the event day 5 of our tour falls on a Saturday, we will visit Lower Lanner Farm instead – where we’ll enjoy a cream tea and plantation tour. Accommodation: Carlyon Bay Hotel (or similar)
We have no set plans today, leaving you free to explore the sandy beaches and boutique shops of the St Austell Bay area at your leisure. You could visit the world-famous biomes of the Eden Project or uncover the world’s largest private collection of maritime paraphernalia at the Charleston Shipwreck Museum – you certainly won’t be short on things to do here! Accommodation: Carlyon Bay Hotel (or similar)
Today we’ll make our way south along the coast, before our road takes us through picturesque Devon and Dorset. We’ll have some free time to follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen’s heroines and take in sweeping views of the Jurassic Coast. Enjoy some free time hunting for fossils along Lyme Regis’s sandy beaches before we move on to Salisbury – where a farewell dinner awaits. Accommodation: Milford Hall Hotel (or similar)
After one last breakfast together, we’ll have the opportunity to explore the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral. Our journey will conclude upon returning to London.