Art and History Through England

15 days, 14 nights

 

 

Spend two weeks traveling through England, and wander around sites dating from prehistoric times to grand mansions and current-day royal castles. Walk in the steps of the pilgrims who left England for a new life in the United States. Experience modern history through the music born in Liverpool and taste the amazing English fares and libations, including its gins and wines which are gaining popularity worldwide.

 

Highlights

• Experience two nights in London, one of the greatest cities in the world!
• Discover some of the U.S. connections to England, including the WWII American Cemetery in Cambridge, and Plymouth, where many pilgrims left in 1620 to start a new life in the United States.
• Sample what it’s like to live in the traditional villages of the Cotswolds and see where Downton Abbey was filmed.
• Experience the Roman history of England with a visit to Bath and Exeter, another Roman walled town.

 

Overnight Stops

14 nights total

London (2) – Cambridge (1) – York (2) – Liverpool (1) – Cotswolds (2) – Bath (2) – Exeter (1) – Plymouth (2) – Windsor (1)

Why not start or end your trip through England with a night or two in Dublin?

 

Sample Itinerary

 

Day 1: Arrive in England – London

Welcome to London, where your 14-night itinerary of England begins! Your driver will be there waiting for you in the arrivals hall to transfer you swiftly into the city center. After checking in to your hotel, it’s time to get your walking shoes on so you can start to explore this amazing city.

Highlights (included): Hop-on/hop-off bus ticket, Westminster Abbey
Highlights (optional): London Eye, Harry Potter-themed Wizards London Walk

Overnight in London
Tenon Recommendations: Melia White House Hotel

 

Day 2: London
Learn about the characters of London today – there are many! On the gruesome side, step back in time and act like a Victorian CSI hunting for Jack the Ripper. On the quizzical side, get your hat and a magnifying glass to sleuth around Sherlock Holmes’ London with a trip to Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Highlights (included): Madame Tussauds
Highlights (optional): Sherlock Holmes Museum, The View from The Shard

Overnight in London
Tenon Recommends: Melia White House Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 3: London to Cambridge

Discover the U.S. connections to Cambridge. Thousands of U.S. servicemen arrived here 75 years ago to take part in the raids on Nazi-occupied Europe. The American Cemetery in Cambridge is a peaceful resting place to the more than 3,000 men who lost their lives during these missions. Toast to their memory in the Eagle Pub, where you will see memorabilia from the era and messages from the airmen.

Highlights (included): Duxford American Air Museum, punting on the River Cam
Highlights (optional): American Cemetery Cambridge

Overnight in Cambridge
Tenon Recommends: Hotel Du Vin
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 4: Cambridge to York

Enjoy a gargoyle’s view of York today with an energetic 275-step hike to the top of the Central Tower at York Minster, one of the largest cathedrals of its kind in Europe.
Catch your breath and take in the gargoyle’s-eye view of Yorkshire spread out below, just as breathless visitors have done for the last 600 years.

Highlights (included): 2-hour private walking tour of the city with admission to York Minster
Highlights (optional): Afternoon tea at Bettys Tea Room

Overnight in York
Tenon Recommends: Grand Hotel York
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 5: York

Stroll down to the area known as “The Shambles” and see one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in all of Europe. The area is so old that it is featured in the Doomsday Book. Overhanging timber-framed houses still survive today; some still retain the exterior wooden shelves, where cuts of meat were served from open windows. Today, the buildings are beautiful cafes and boutiques and the smells are altogether more pleasing with scents of chocolate, fudge and soaps.

Highlights (optional): Castle Howard, JORVIK Viking Centre
Tenon Recommends: Grand Hotel York
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 6: York to Liverpool

Get on a different beat today as you move from ancient history to a city with more modern and musical history! Wander in the footsteps of the four likely Liverpudlians who became arguably the biggest band in the world, The Beatles. See where they played their early gigs as they embarked on their road to stardom. Take a walk down to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Royal Albert Dock and see some of the city’s maritime history.

Highlights (included): The Beatles Story, British Music Experience, Royal Liver Building 360 experience
Highlights (optional): Mersey Cruise
Tenon Recommends: Malmaison Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 7: Liverpool to Cotswolds

Marvel at the myriad of beautiful little chocolate box villages, with some of the most unspoiled towns in all of England. The honey-colored stone buildings are something that you will not find anywhere else in the world. It’s no wonder that Downton Abbey chose this area to film some of the iconic series. With towns and villages of the series like Bampton, Cogges, Shilton and Swinbrook to be discovered, your two days here will leave you wanting to come back again and again!

Highlights (included): Chedworth Roman Villa, Blenheim Palace
Highlights (optional): Three Choirs Vineyard Tour, Cogges Manor Farm

Overnight in Cotswolds
Tenon Recommends: Swan Hotel Cirencester
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 8: Cotswolds

On the agenda today is taking a guided tour with a local guide who will take you to see some of the lesser-known hidden villages. The villages chosen by the locals hosting the tour are carefully curated and will show perfectly what life was like in the 16th century. During the tour, you will have the unique opportunity to have a Cotswolds cream tea in a traditional thatched cottage. An unforgettable experience!

Highlights (included): Cotswolds Villages guided tour

Overnight in Cotswolds
Tenon Recommends: Swan Hotel Cirencester
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 9: Cotswolds to Bath

Appreciate the genius of the Romans who, in the first few decades of Roman Britain, constructed a temple on the site of the Thermae in the city of Bath. Bath became a famous destination for public bathing in the hot springs until the end of Roman rule and the baths became a ruin just a century later. The baths were later redeveloped in the Early Middle Ages. You can see the water today but not bathe in them. But fear not – there is a modern Thermae Bath Spa in the town that you can enjoy!

Highlights (included): Roman Baths, Thermae Bath Spa

Overnight in Bath
Tenon Recommends: Queensberry Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 10: Bath

Immerse yourself in a bygone era and wander back to the time of Jane Austen, Bath’s most famous resident. At the center dedicated to her, you can sample what it would have been like to live in Bath during the Regency period. Learn how the city also inspired her much-loved books, such as Persuasion. Take a food tour and experience some of Bath’s great food. Enjoy the battle of the buns – the Bath buns that is. Bath buns are a sweet delicacy particular to the city, and the Bath Bun and the Sally Lunn Bun have been a bone of contention for decades as to which is best. You decide!

Highlights (included): Bath artisanal food and drink tour
Highlights (optional): The Jane Austen Centre

Overnight in Bath
Tenon Recommends: Queensberry Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 11: Bath to Exeter

Make a stop in Bristol before moving further south today. Bristol is a fantastic foodie city with some paintings by the famous artist Banksy. Don’t miss the Brunel’s SS Great Britain, a fascinating visit! Then it’s on to bask in the beauty of East Devon, designated an area of outstanding natural beauty today. A must-do when in Devon is the famous cream tea, consisting usually of scones, local clotted cream and jam. There is much controversy on which should go first, the cream or the jam! In Devon, typically the cream is first.

Highlights (included): Exeter Underground Passages
Highlights (optional): Pebblebed Vineyard tour and tasting, Exeter Cathedral, Brunel’s SS Great Britain

Overnight in Exeter
Tenon Recommends: Jurys Inn Exeter
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 12: Exeter to Plymouth

Wander Britain’s Ocean City, which served as the departure and arrival point for thousands of people for more than a thousand years. One of the most famous departures from this area was the Mayflower, which carried pilgrims fleeing England for the New World and religious freedom in 1620. Following a grueling 10-week journey, they made landfall near Cape Cod in November of that year. Island House is where many of the pilgrims entertained before their departure, and it has a plaque with the names of all who departed on the Mayflower.

Highlights (included): Plymouth Harbour boat tour, Plymouth Gin Distillery
Highlights (optional): Buckland Abbey

Overnight in Plymouth
Tenon Recommends: Jurys Inn Plymouth
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 13: Plymouth

Be inspired by the myths and legends of Tintagel Castle today. High on Cornwall’s rugged North Atlantic Coast, this region is inextricably linked with the legend of King Arthur. Enjoy a day of discovery, history and scenic views.

Highlights (included): Tintagel Castle
Highlights (optional): Historic Mayflower walking tour

Overnight in Plymouth
Tenon Recommends: Jurys Inn Plymouth
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 14: Plymouth to Windsor

Marvel at the prehistoric story of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Stonehenge, one of the best-known prehistoric monuments in Europe. Discover how the builders worked at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre. Continuing on to Windsor for your last night in England, you will see the imposing Windsor Castle, which is still an occasional royal residence. Check if the flag is up – this is how you know whether the queen is in residence!

Highlights (included): Windsor Castle, Stonehenge

Overnight in Windsor
Tenon Recommends: MGallery Castle Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 15: Departure

Say goodbye to England today. Fly home with memories that will last a lifetime and a desire to return and see more of what the British Isles have to offer.
(Breakfast included)

 

Pricing

From $3,497 per person based on double occupancy
*Price shown is an example of what to expect for a self-drive vacation. Each itinerary is customized and can change depending on seasonality, availability, etc.

This trip can be booked as a self-drive tour or chauffeur tour.

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