Britain: Cornwall, Wales & the Cotswolds

Arrive in London, where you are met and escorted to your city-center boutique hotel. Tonight, meet your Resident Tour Director and fellow guests for a welcome dinner.

This morning, enjoy a panoramic tour of London. See Buckingham Palace, where the Queen has been known to deliver her signature wave; the Houses of Parliament with their beaming clock tower, Big Ben; the great Trafalgar Square; iconic Tower Bridge over the River Thames; and lively Piccadilly Circus in the city’s West End. You also take a guided tour at the sprawling, storied British Museum. The remainder of the day is yours to spend at leisure.

Drive to prehistoric, ever-mysterious Stonehenge. In Salisbury, visit its beautiful cathedral, topped by the tallest spire in the United Kingdom. After lunch at leisure, continue to your grand hotel in the Devonshire countryside, inside Dartmoor National Park. The next morning, visit Plymouth’s historic Barbican and the Hoe for breathtaking views of the harbor. See the Mayflower Steps where the Pilgrims set off for America in 1620. Later, enjoy a ferry ride to picturesque Cornwall and a traditional lunch before a drive through the scenic countryside back to Bovey Castle.

Continue your explorations of Cornwall as you drive to the rugged northwest coast of the county. Visit Port Isaac and have lunch at leisure in this traditional fishing village. This afternoon, lose yourself in the mists of time as you view the ruins of Tintagel, long reputed to be the location of King Arthur’s legendary Camelot. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure on the estate.

Drive north to Bath this morning, stopping en route at Glastonbury Abbey, said to be the final resting place of King Arthur. Take time to appreciate the beautiful Georgian architecture and tour the Roman Baths museum, where well-preserved ruins and interpretive guides reveal what life was like in Roman times.

Set out for nearby Bradford-on-Avon, where you embark upon the Kennet & Avon Canal. Relax and watch the countryside slide by as you cruise on a traditional canal boat, pausing for a picnic lunch as you float gently to Bath. Later, you are invited to tour and enjoy afternoon tea at Badminton House, the private country estate of the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort. On your return to Bath, enjoy an evening at leisure.

Cross the Severn River this morning as you enter Wales. The coal mines of the South Wales valleys at one time powered the industry of the entire world. Learn more at the Big Pit National Museum. Today, more artisanal products abound, and you enjoy a tasting and lunch at a local vineyard. Drive along the beautiful Wye River valley, pausing en route at the ruins of Tintern Abbey, which inspired countless artists and poets across generations, and then return to Bath. Tonight, partake in a traditional pub meal.

After a leisurely morning, proceed to Windsor. Enjoy lunch by the River Thames, then visit Windsor Castle, an official residence of Her Majesty the Queen. Check in to your hotel opposite the castle gates with some time at leisure. Tonight, gather with your fellow guests for a special farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.