England UNESCO World Heritage Tour

Explore 16 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in just 13 days, as you tour the wonders of England. You’ll journey back in time discovering everything from Jurassic remains to Neolithic mystique, from Cistercian abbeys to the innovation of the industrial revolution. Intimately explore London's World Heritage sites with closed-door access to some of its attractions, including the Tower of London and the Palace of Westminster. Marvel at the medieval grandeur of ancient England, personified by Canterbury Cathedral, Blenheim Palace and the spa city of Bath. From start to finish this tour offer non-stop postcard worthy destinations.

ITINERARY

(Day 1): London – The Tower of London
(Day 2): London – Palace of Westminster and Kew Gardens
(Day 3): London – Space and Time at Maritime Greenwich
(Day 4): London – Day Trip to Ancient Canterbury
(Day 5): Blenheim to The Cotswolds – England's Finest Stately Residence
(Day 6): Stonehenge to Bath – Neolithic Wonder to Roman Spas
(Day 7): Devon – From Jurassic Remains to Redolent Copper Mines
(Day 8): Durham – Immersed in the Gothic Beauty of Yesteryear
(Day 9): Durham – Hadrian's Wall and Frontiers of the Roman Empire
(Day 10): North Yorkshire Moors – Cistercian Abbeys and Memoirs to Vikings
(Day 11): Saltaire to Liverpool – Tracing the Power of the Industrial Revolution
(Day 12): Liverpool – The Remarkable 13th-Century Military Architecture of Edward I
(Day 13): Liverpool to Manchester – Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: London – Starting with the Tower of London

Upon your arrival, you'll be picked up from the airport by your guide and transferred to a five-star hotel in Central London. Throughout the tour, all transfers are by private chauffeur with your accredited driver guide, with most of the day's timing decided by you. Take time to freshen up and eat lunch before the afternoon tour of the Tower of London and your early-evening closed-door access to the Jewels.

Day 2: London – Palace of Westminster and Kew Gardens

Spend the morning wandering along the Thames riverside, starting with the magnificence of Westminster Abbey, coronation site of British monarchs since 1066. The Palace of Westminster is equally majestic, stretching far along the river and continuing its role as the seat of Parliament. You'll have an invitational lunch in the palace, in the same restaurant used by members of parliament. There are few finer buildings anywhere in Europe.

In the afternoon you travel to the sensual tones of the Kew Gardens, the world's first large-scale botanical gardens. After 250 years, these gardens are still evolving and are a masterpiece of floral geometry and exotic flora.

Day 3: London – Maritime Greenwich

Today you’ll arrive by car in Greenwich - where world clocks and world time zones were defined. The Royal Observatory here revealed the astronomy and navigation that generated the town’s world influence. Stand on the meridian in Grenwich and take-in the splendor of the 17th and 18th centuries as every building an ode to Greenwich's world-defining role. Next, explore the Royal Naval College with its vast stone corridors and views of London from across the Thames. Return to the city on a Thames river cruise, an opportunity to relax and admire the iconic architecture rolling by. Enjoy the evening at your leisure.

Day 4: London – Day Trip to Ancient Canterbury

As you travel southeast, beautiful English landscapes fill the windows at every angle. Your destination is the ancient city of Canterbury. Three of the spires that dominate the horizon are entered onto the World Heritage list. England's oldest church from Anglo-Saxon times, St. Martin's, is small and ethereal, remaining remarkably untouched. Nearby Augustine's Abbey is equally surreal and dominating the old city is Canterbury Cathedral. The old city with its charming cobblestone streets can keep you entertained through the afternoon, with every corner bringing traditional tea rooms and bespoke boutiques.

Day 5: Blenheim to The Cotswolds – England's Finest Stately Residence

Welcome to England's finest stately home, Blenheim Palace. in addition to being a World Heritage Site, this is also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. From Blenheim, it's a short drive into the Cotswolds, a rural landscape that's also epitomized by romantic tones. You'll spend the night in a small village that seems unchanged since Shakespeare's time, complete with stocks on the cobbled village square.

Day 6: Stonehenge to Bath – Neolithic Wonder to Roman Spas

You'll journey to Stonehenge early in the morning – a place that defies description. Then onwards to Bath, a city that's on the World Heritage list in its entirety. After a short tour of the most iconic sights, from Roman spas to beautiful Georgian townhouses, the afternoon is free for you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and discover what lies behind each street corner. You'll spend the night in Bath, in an 18th-century townhouse synonymous with the city's style.

Day 7: Devon – From Jurassic Remains to Redolent Copper Mines

You’ll experience two very different World Heritage sites today, with a beautiful scenic drive through remote southern England in between. Along the Dorset and East Devon coastline, rugged cliffs tumble into the water, each unveiling clues to previous life on Earth. This Jurassic coast is liberally crowded with fossils and a walk along the beach will excavate another reminder of life on land and sea from 185 million years ago.

Nearby are a handful of tin and copper mines, excavated in the 18th century and responsible for two-thirds of the world's copper production. A specialized closed-door tour takes you into a maze of tunnels to brilliantly showcase this bygone era. You'll spend the night along the coast, sleeping with views of the cliffs in a traditional Cornish cottage

Day 8: Durham – Immersed in the Gothic Beauty of Yesteryear

You'll fly from Cornwall to Newcastle, where you're greeted by the second of your expert guides. Drive to nearby Durham and Durham Cathedral immediately impresses, still towering above the wild landscapes after nine centuries. Both the Cathedral and Durham Castle are World Heritage sites. The city itself continues a plethora of old-world charm, providing an immersive afternoon into the style of northern England. Enigmatic and endearing.

Day 9: Durham – Hadrian's Wall and Frontiers of the Roman Empire

Today takes you on a journey to remote World Heritage sites but also into a very untouched and unchanged part of England, so far removed from the cultivated green of the Cotswolds. Northumberland is wild and untamed, an expanse of country beyond the horizon. Grass grows high, sheep meander in loose flocks, and it's rare that the panorama is interrupted by man's creation. Drive along the country lanes to discover Hadrian's Wall, built to guard the wild north-west frontier of the Roman Empire. Other Roman sites litter the landscape too, testament that this land that has never really been tamed. Return to Durham, where you spend another evening in the quaint old city.

Day 10: North Yorkshire Moors – Cistercian Abbeys and Memoirs to Vikings

Driving south today, the landscape is broken up by 12th-century remains from Abbies and monasteries that were destroyed at the order of Henry VIII. Fountains Abbey has been left in its unnerving state of ruin, its walls slowly crumbling and its roof missing. Next, is the City of York , offering a trace of Roman history, central streets of medieval allure and memoirs to the Vikings. After an afternoon in the city, you continue further into the North Yorkshire Moors countryside for a night in a rural village cottage.

Day 11: Saltaire to Liverpool – Tracing the Power of the Industrial Revolution

Today you’ll retrace part of England's past during the industrial revolution. The Leeds to Liverpool canal was integral to the revolution, connecting a dozen mill towns and once-powerful cities. Saltaire is perhaps the most prominent site, a model village centered on the vast Salts Mil. The mill towers far above the city.Until the last two decades, the mills along the canal were the world's largest industrial buildings. You'll then drive across the Pennines towards Liverpool, once the world's largest port. Spend the late afternoon and evening around Albert Dock, admiring the architecture funded by the port's wealth and exploring the rich history of another unmissable city.

Day 12: Liverpool – The Remarkable 13th-Century Military Architecture of Edward I

On your final day, you explore a World Heritage Site that is rarely known outside North Wales. Less than an hour's drive from Liverpool is Gwynedd, where a series of castles are protected by circular towers and moats. These castles are the pinnacle of military architecture, unbowed, impenetrable, with walls that are three meters thick. You'll visit Caernarfon and Conwy castles with the option to also explore Beaumaris and Harlech castles. Return to Liverpool and be surrounded by the World Heritage buildings of the maritime city for your final night in England.

Day 13: Liverpool to Manchester – Departure

It's a short transfer to Manchester Airport, where you say farewell to your guide and depart mighty England. You'll feel the influence of the sites you've visited for years to come.

Hotels listed below are given as suggestions only to illustrate the standard of hotels used. 

London
5 Star Deluxe – The Langham London

When the Prince of Wales opened the Langham on Regent Street in 1865, it was London’s first grand hotel. Through its doors have passed such literary greats as Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde. The hotel has preserved its distinguished reputation, aided by a renovation in 2010 that included the addition of the new Regent Suite with expansive views of Regent’s Park, and a luxury health and wellness center, the Chuan Spa. The traditional meal served in the Palm Court, on the ground floor, consists of delicate finger sandwiches, miniature pastries and thirty blends of tea. The glamorous cocktail bar, Artesian offers martinis made by a mixologist.

 

4 Star Luxury - The Montague on The Gardens

This beautiful Georgian townhouse hotel in the heart of literary Bloomsbury, is steps from The British Museum and minutes from London's theatreland. Enjoy the ambience of a fine country hotel located on a London side street. Proud of its AA Four-Star Deluxe status, the Montague Hotel London offers an unbeatable combination of superb value, excellent Central London location, and the fabled Red Carnation attention to the all-important details that transform a good hotel into a great one.

 

Cotswolds
5 Star Deluxe – Ellenborough Park

Ellenborough Park boasts lavish bedrooms, a serene spa, small fitness suite, relaxed pub and bar, fine dining restaurant and truly bespoke service; everything you could possibly need for a relaxing getaway in the Cotswolds. Caught between the Cotswolds’ highest point and the lush green gallops of Cheltenham’s world-famous racecourse, Elleborough Park is steeped in history. This indulgent 15th century country estate with the perfect fusion of tradition and modernity.

 

4 Star Luxury - Dormy House

Perched high above the village of Broadway with fabulous views across the Cotswolds, Dormy House is the perfect rural retreat. Think cosy corners, log fires and sumptuous interiors. They have stunning Cotswold bedrooms for every mood. Whether you want to go traditional in the main farmhouse, private and secluded, super stylish, or rustic in Rose Cottage, there’s a room waiting for you.

 

Bath
5 Star Deluxe – Royal Crescent Hotel

The world's finest crescent is one of the great set piece masterpieces of European architecture, the most breathtaking feature in one of the world's most elegant and enchanting cities. It's hard to imagine a more splendid setting for an elegant hotel that harks back to a time of extravagant luxury and exemplary refinement. The Royal Crescent Hotel occupies the two central buildings in the entire crescent. Both are Grade I listed, and were built by John Wood the Younger himself. The stunning setting and magnificent architecture have remained unchanged since the 18th century. The Hotel is far more than a remarkable collection of buildings. It gives you an opportunity to experience a style of gracious living from the age when Bath was the very centre of the civilised world.

 

4 Star Luxury – The Abbey Hotel

Named as one of Bath's best loved boutique hotels, Abbey Hotel is formed of three Georgian townhouses on the west end of John Wood's North Parade - a wide promenade in Bath's older quarters which overlooks Parade Gardens and is a stone's throw from the spectacular Pulteney Bridge. The hotel is the ideal choice for visitors and residents alike with many of Bath's top attractions right on the doorstep.

 

Devon
5 Star Deluxe - Summer Lodge Country House

Set within Hardy’s enchanting village of Evershot and surrounded by rolling hills, this five-star country house hotel is the ultimate in timeless style.

Their genuine service and innovative menus rival the best in the world. With miles of beautiful countryside, a magnificent spa and a stunning indoor pool, Summer Lodge offers you a quintessentially idyllic luxury escape.

 

4 Star Luxury – Clavell Tower

The location of Clavell Tower makes this an extraordinary place to stay. High up on the cliff at Kimmeridge Bay the tower enables you to witness the changing light, weather and sea .This four storey circular tower stands high on the cliff overlooking one of the most striking bays on the Dorset coast. Built in 1830, its location has captivated many writers including Hardy and PD James.

 

Durham
5 Star Deluxe – Seaham Hall

Seaham Hall is one of the most luxurious spa hotels in County Durham. Situated amidst 37 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens in a striking cliff top location, this immaculately restored Georgian country house fuses contemporary luxury with classical elegance to create a truly unforgettable five star experience.

 

4 Star Luxury - Lumley Castle

Dating back to 1389 Lumley Castle holds stories of betrayal, war and the visits of monarchs abound. But it’s your story we’d love to expand upon. Any visit to this castle will arm you with stories to be retold time and time again of amazing dining, the genuine warmth of their people, newly discovered tastes and events ranging from the most raucous Elizabethan Banquets to the most fairytale of castle weddings.

 

Yorkshire Moors
5 Star Deluxe – Grand Hotel & Spa York

Set in the former headquarters of the North Eastern Railway Company in York, The Grand Hotel & Spa York is an excellent accommodation option for the leisure or business traveller. All guest rooms are equipped with workspaces, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, tea/coffee making facilities and TVs, while suites feature separate living areas and Nespresso machines. The hotel features two restaurants, The Rise Restaurant, Terrace and Bar, and Hudsons by Craig Atchinson, as well as a Whiskey Bar. Guests to The Grand Hotel & Spa can make use of the amenities such as the fitness centre, swimming pool, or the spa offering an array of beauty treatments. The surrounding area offers attractions and activities to suit all visitors’ interests such as visiting the National Railway Museum, exploring Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, or taking a Yorkboat tour along the River Ouse.

 

4 Star Luxury – Devonshire Arms Hotel

The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa sits in 33,000 acres of prime Yorkshire Dales countryside and is arranged around a formal Italian garden. The hotel stands in landscaped grounds and has two wings – a stone-brick main house, built in 1610 as a coaching inn, and a second, rectangular block built in 1982. The personal touch of Her Grace the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire is evident throughout the hotel, with one of the finest private art collections in Europe

 

Liverpool
5 Star Deluxe – Titanic

Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock Liverpool is history in the making. Set within a UNESCO World Heritage Site Titanic Hotel is all about the restoration of one of the city’s most historic and iconic building - once a busy warehouse now a hotel full of character and original features. You know this is not just somewhere special to stay but an attraction in itself.

 

4 Star Luxury - Aloft Liverpool

Set just 7-minutes from Liverpool’s beautiful Waterfront in the heart of North John Street, Aloft is an urbane hotel with ultra-modern touches throughout. Set in the stunning former Royal Insurance building, the 116 rooms preserve features from its Edwardian working spaces, yet pull its aesthetic right into the 21st Century. Guests are greeted with airy room, complimentary coffee and water, modern docking stations and walk-in showers with Bliss Spa toiletries. The fantastic breakfast each morning runs a global gastronomical gamut.