Best of England

11 days, 10 nights

 

 

See the very best of England, starting in its capital city of London before traveling on to its historic cities and towns, including Liverpool with its musical beat, Bath with its Roman ruins, Stratford-upon-Avon with its literary past and Windsor with its historic castle and modern royal weddings!

 

Highlights

• Enjoy two nights in the center of London, the capital city of England with so much to see and do.
• Visit historic York with its minster and Viking tales.
• Discover Liverpool, one of England’s northern cities, and savor its maritime and musical history.
• Walk in the footsteps of the great British bard, Shakespeare.

 

Overnight Stops

10 nights total

London (2) – York (2) – Liverpool (2) -Stratford-upon-Avon (1) – Bath (2) – Windsor (1)

Why not spend a night or two in Dublin or Edinburgh at the beginning or end of your trip?

 

Itinerary

 

Day 1: Arrive in England – London

Welcome! London is calling! After your transfer into the city, drop your luggage and hit the streets of the London metropolis to start your discovery. Be a Londoner for the day and walk the famous streets. Ramble in the parks or grab a ticket for the tube and explore further afield.

Highlights (included): 48-our hop-on/hop-off bus ticket, Westminster Abbey, Madame Tussauds
Highlights (optional): Bustronome London, St Paul’s Cathedral, The View from The Shard

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

 

Day 2: London

British food has come a long way in the past decade or so, so spend today sampling traditional British fare. Alongside more traditional dishes, you will now find world-class restaurants backed up by incredible local producers. Of course, you need to try the infamous fish and chips, sausage rolls, bacon and egg baps along with samples from street food vendors. Wash it all down with a cup of tea, gin, beer or cider… you have endless beverage choices!

Highlights (included): London Eye with Fast Track and champagne
Highlights (optional): London food tour, Tower of London, Kensington Palace

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

 

Day 3: London to York

Travel northeast today, making a short stop in the prestigious university city of Cambridge. Keep in mind that you have a 4-hour drive today, so an early start would be good! Walk the hallowed campuses of the colleges where luminaries such as Charles Darwin, Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking studied. Visit the historic Eagle Pub where Francis Crick and James Watson celebrated their discovery of DNA – the ceiling of the pub is still covered with graffiti from WWII servicemen. Then it’s onto the A1 motorway to York.

Highlights (included): York Minster, York’s Chocolate Story
Highlights (optional): Cambridge American Cemetery, Duxford American Air Museum

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

 

Day 4: York

Today you will marvel at York Minster, the second-largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. The building began in the year 1230 and was completed in 1472. Said to be a vision of heaven and earth in glass and stone, this site is a must-see. Take the short walk to the Shambles, one of the oldest streets in the city, which dates back to the 14th century. It’s also the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. Make sure to leave some time to visit Bettys Tea Room, an institution in Yorkshire!

Highlights (included): JORVIK Viking Centre
Highlights (optional): Harry Potter Walking Tour of York, York Ghost Walk, Castle Howard

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

 

Day 5: York to Liverpool

Travel west today to the maritime city of Liverpool, the home of the Beatles and so much more! Although you may see references to the Titanic in the city, the ship never actually visited Liverpool. White Star Line, the Titanic’s managing company, had its head office in the city, and many of the crew were from here. Walking along the now-regenerated Royal Albert Dock area, you will see how ships carrying brandy, cotton, tea, silk and tobacco came into the city and unloaded into warehouses.

Highlights (included): Liverpool Cathedral, Mersey Cruise, Royal Liver Building 360 experience
Highlights (optional): Anfield Football Stadium

Overnight in Liverpool
Tenon Recommends: Malmaison Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 6: Liverpool

Take a “Ticket to Ride” today and learn about the Beatles and British music. See John Lennon’s piano in the Beatles Story Museum, along with other memorabilia from the era. Visit Strawberry Fields, immortalized in the song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which is open to the public to visit. For the full history of British popular music visit the British Music Experience.

Highlights (included): The Beatles Story, British Music Experience
Highlights (optional): Cavern Bar, Magical Mystery Bus Tour

Overnight in Liverpool
Tenon Recommends: Malmaison Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 7: Liverpool to Stratford-upon-Avon

Following Liverpool, you will head to another location associated with words and language – this time, the written word. Shakespeare will forever be synonymous with the city of Stratford-upon-Avon in England’s West Midlands. Walk in his footsteps, see the timbered home where he was born and explore his wife Anne Hathaway’s cottage where he courted her. Pay your respects at his final resting place in the Holy Trinity Church.

Highlights (included): Shakespeare’s birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Overnight in Stratford-upon-Avon
Tenon Recommends: Arden Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 8: Stratford-upon-Avon to Bath

Relax like the Romans when you visit the city of Bath, which was made famous by the Romans after they discovered hot springs here. Many of the Roman ruins remain around the city, and you can follow a visit to the original baths to a more modern version. While walking around, pop into a local cafe and buy a Bath Bun, a local delicacy. Said to be one of Jane Austen’s favorite things to eat, the Bath Bun is made from milk-based yeast dough with crushed sugar sprinkled on it.

Highlights (included): Chedworth Roman Villa, Roman baths, Thermae Bath Spa Twilight Experience
Highlights (optional): Bath food tour

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

 

Day 9: Bath

Explore beyond Bath today with a short trip to the Cotswolds. This area is famous for its quintessential English market towns and villages built from a honey-colored stone. Designated an area of outstanding natural beauty, these buildings are a sight to behold! Lacock, probably the most beautifully preserved of all the villages, is just a short drive away.

Highlights (included): Bath food tour
Highlights (optional): Bath bike tour, Hidden Cotswold Villages Tour (6-hour tour from Moreton in Marsh), Blenheim Palace

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

Day 10: Bath to Windsor

Discover the monument of Stonehenge, the most architecturally advanced prehistoric stone circle in the world. Consisting of a ring of standing stones, each around 13-feet high and 7-feet wide, the monument is believed to have been constructed sometime between 3000 BC and 2000 BC.
Highlights (included): Windsor Castle, Stonehenge
Highlights (optional): Bombay Sapphire Distillery

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

 

Day 11: 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 $2,557 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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