Tailor-made itineraries

All our tours are tailor made to suit your wishes and requirements, whether they be sightseeing tours or special-interest tours, such as golf holidays or family heritage visits. If you already know where you want to go and what you want to see and do, all well and good. If you are not yet decided, we will happily help you with advice and suggestions. Many years of living and travelling in the UK make us a veritable mine of useful information. Our tours will take you anywhere you want to go in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

To give you an idea, we have detailed below examples of a few sightseeing tours and special-interest tours. These are, however, just examples - there are an infinite number of alternative possibilities and even the tours shown here can be adapted according to your wishes.

Tours can be shorter or longer than these examples, as you wish, and we will happily do particularly short trips, for example 2-3 days, for those making just a brief stop in the UK.

10-day tour of England & Scotland
This tour takes you around the most famous sights of London and includes a lunch cruise on the River Thames, then visits a number of historic monuments, castles, buildings and towns on the way through some of the most beautiful regions of England to Scotland and its capital Edinburgh. After exploring Edinburgh itself, there is a day spent touring some of the superb scenery of the Scottish countryside.

Day 1
Walking tour of London sights + River Thames lunch cruise
Including Trafalgar Square, Horseguards, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, followed by a cruise down the Thames to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

Day 2
More London sightseeing + time for some retail therapy
St. Paul's Cathedral in the morning, then the remainder of the day free to explore London on your own, with time for some shopping (Oxford Street or Harrods, perhaps) if you wish.

Day 3
Hampton Court Palace & Windsor Castle
King Henry VIII's 16th-century palace on the banks of the River Thames and Windsor Castle, one of Queen Elizabeth II's official residences, the largest occupied castle in the world and in use for the past 900 years.

Day 4
Salisbury Cathedral, Wilton House & Stonehenge
Situated in the pretty market town of Salisbury is the cathedral described by US travel writer Bill Bryson as "the single most beautiful structure in England and the close around it the most beautiful space" ('Notes from a Small Island'). Just outside Salisbury is Wilton House stately home and an extremely pleasant drive from there along the River Avon brings us to Stonehenge, the most outstanding pre-historic megalithic monument in the British Isles and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 5
Cotswold countryside & villages, Stratford upon Avon & Warwick Castle
The Cotswolds region is known for its green pastures, winding lanes and quaint villages, with their stone and thatched cottages. Stratford-upon-Avon is the very pretty birthplace of William Shakespeare, where you can visit houses associated with his life and family and could see a play performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, while the medieval castle at Warwick is arguably the best in the country.

Day 6
Lake District
A wonderful region of green hills, winding roads and pretty villages, where you can take a pleasure cruise on one of the lakes.

Day 7
A scenic drive to Scotland, with some time to spend in Edinburgh

Day 8
Explore the sights of Edinburgh
These include Edinburgh Castle, perched atop an extinct volcano overlooking Scotland's capital city, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and St. Giles' Cathedral, all on the Royal Mile. Other major attractions in and around Edinburgh include a visit to a whisky distillery, the de-commissioned Royal Yacht Britannia and an equally de-commissioned Concorde supersonic airliner.

Day 9
Tour of Scottish countryside & Stirling Castle
Stunning scenery of lochs, glens and wooded hills, as well as a visit to Stirling Castle.

Day 10
At leisure, before drive to airport for flight home

Tour cost: GB£2950.00 (for the tour, not per person) + GB£25 per person for the lunch cruise.

14-day tour of England & Scotland
As an extension to the 10-day tour above, from Scotland we head south, back into England, passing through the wild and beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire Moors (setting for Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights') and the more serene, yet just as lovely, scenery of the Peak District National Park. There are further sights of historical interest en route, finishing in the university city of Oxford.

Days 1 - 9 as for 10-day tour above.

Day 10
Drive back south into England, with some time to spend in York

Day 11
Explore the sights of York
A small city with a strong Viking heritage, where you can wander down the oldest intact medieval street in Europe. You can also take a ride through Viking history at the Jorvik Centre and visit the magnificent Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, as well as the superb montages of times gone by at the Castle Museum. York's National Railway Museum is the largest of its kind in the world.

Day 12
Peak District National Park & Chatsworth House
The Peak District is another area of rolling hills, winding lanes and pretty villages, wherein is to be found Chatsworth House, the 16th-century stately home and estate of the 12th Duke of Devonshire.

Day 13
Explore the sights of Oxford
The 'City of Dreaming Spires' is home to one of the world's top universities and we visit one of the colleges, incorporating Oxford's cathedral. There are many other sights to see, or you can hire a boat or enjoy a pleasure cruise on the River Thames, which runs through the city.

Day 14
At leisure, before drive to airport for flight home

Tour cost: GB£3950.00 (for the tour, not per person) + GB£25 per person for the lunch cruise.

A choice of day tours in Scotland is available in conjunction with tours featuring Edinburgh.

We can also include Wales and Ireland in our tours.

London - 1-day tour on foot and boat
Beginning and ending in Trafalgar Square, this tour gives you a close-up look at many of the most famous of London's sights and includes a cruise along the River Thames.
The walk takes in Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, the Horseguards at Horseguards Arch, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. There follows a lunch cruise down the River Thames to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Returning back up the river to Westminster, we walk up Whitehall to finish the tour back in Trafalgar Square.
If you have a head for heights, there is also the opportunity during the tour to ride the London Eye, the giant observation wheel towering 450ft / 135m above the south bank of the Thames.

Tour cost: GB£175 (for the tour, not per person) + GB£25 per person for the lunch cruise.

Stones & bones tour - 1 day
This is the tour for pagans, or those who just like things extremely old - 5500 years old, for example.
The tour begins in the pretty market town of Salisbury, about a 1hour 20 minute train ride from London, where we will meet you and take you directly to the most modern of the day's sights at a mere 750 years old. Built between 1220-1258 and sporting the tallest spire in Britain (a later addition), the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral has on display in its marvellous Chapter House one of only four remaining original texts of the Magna Carta, signed by King John in 1215. The cathedral also houses Europe's oldest working clock, a bizarre arrangement dating back to 1386.

From the cathedral we drive to the outskirts of town and climb up to the ruins of the Iron Age hillfort at Old Sarum. A Neolithic community originally settled on the site around 3000 BC and the fort itself was built about 500 BC. The bishop decided in 1219 to build a new cathedral at the bottom of the hill, which was the beginning of the move down to where present-day Salisbury now lies. The elevated site of the fort gives far-reaching views over the city of Salisbury below and the surrounding countryside.

Leaving Salisbury behind, we drive through the delightful Woodford Valley, where we can stop for a snack/lunch at a pub alongside the River Avon, and then on to the world-famous Stonehenge. The most outstanding pre-historic megalithic monument in the British Isles, shrouded in myth, mystery and legend, the first stones here were erected about 2550 BC and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From Stonehenge we move on to one of Europe's largest pre-historic stone circles at Avebury, dating back to about 2600 BC and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can enjoy a walk around this ancient site and perhaps also explore the charming village of Avebury itself, with its thatched cottages and village church - and pub, boasting an inside well with its own story.

Just a short drive from Avebury is our next stop, West Kennet Long Barrow. This is the furthest back in time we go today, the barrow having been constructed around 3500 BC. It remained in use as a burial chamber until about 2200 BC. It is used by present-day pagans and occultists and a visit here can be a very atmospheric experience.

From the barrow there are fine views of Silbury Hill, begun in 2400 BC and the largest man-made mound in Europe. Both the barrow and the hill are encompassed within the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As we meander through the countryside of rolling hills and picturesque villages of thatched cottages during the course of the day, you will also see one of the famous white horses carved into the chalk hillside. This is also an area where crop circles mysteriously appear and you may see one or more of these, depending on the season and whether or not whoever cuts them has paid a recent visit. At the end of the tour we will return you to the present day in Salisbury.

Tour cost: GB£145 (for the tour, not per person). Excludes travel to/from Salisbury before beginning/after end of tour, meals & drinks and entrance to Salisbury Cathedral, Old Sarum and Stonehenge.

Special-interest tours
In addition to sightseeing tours such as those above, we are also able to put together special-interest tours. These can take many forms, depending on what your interest is - art, literature, history, religion, music, transport, sport, castles, royalty, stately homes, genealogy, or something completely different. You tell us what you want, we will devise a tour to suit you.
Below are a couple of examples of such tours. As usual, these can be adjusted to suit your individual wishes.

The Royal Tour - Regal England & Scotland - 5 days
This is the opportunity for those who follow the lives of the British Royal Family to visit the most fascinating of their castles and palaces and see at close quarters where and how they live, to experience some of the pageantry surrounding them and to explore the world of their forebears.

Day 1
Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Tower of London/Crown Jewels, Changing of the Guard
Your walking tour this morning begins at Trafalgar Square, moving on to Downing Street, past the mounted Horseguards at Horseguards' Arch, across Horseguards' Parade and down The Mall to Clarence House, formerly the home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and now the official residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and home of Princes William and Harry.
At the end of the Mall we come to the Queen Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace. The State Rooms and gardens at the Palace are only open to visitors in August and September. You can however visit the Queen's Gallery all year round, displaying items from the Royal Collection of art and treasures, and the Royal Mews, with a display of horse-drawn carriages, including the magnificent Gold State Coach used for coronations and carriages used for Royal and State occasions.
Whilst at Buckingham Palace, you will be able to experience the ceremonial pageantry that is the Changing of the Guard.
The next part of today's stroll brings us to Westminster Abbey, over 900 years old and the setting for every royal coronation since that of William the Conqueror in 1066. Nearby are the Houses of Parliament, otherwise known as the Palace of Westminster and seat of the UK Government, and Big Ben, probably the most widely-recognised image of London around the world.
From Westminster we take a lunch cruise down the River Thames to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge (probably the second most widely-recognised image of London.) The Tower has served many purposes since its founding in 1066-67 by William the Conqueror and today you can see the magnificent Crown Jewels, guarded by the richly-attired Beefeaters.
Finally we return up-river to Westminster and walk up Whitehall to finish the day back in Trafalgar Square.

Day 2
Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle
This morning we drive out to King Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace, the centre of court life, politics and traditional history for almost 200 years. A tour takes you through the Georgian Rooms, the private apartments of King George II and Queen Caroline, as well as Henry VIII's State Apartments and the Tudor Kitchens.
In the afternoon we visit Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of Queen Elizabeth II. In continual use for over 900 years, it is the largest occupied castle in the world. A tour includes the State Apartments and St George's Chapel, burial place of 10 former monarchs and the scene of many a royal wedding.

Day 3
York
Today we head north for Scotland, stopping en route to spend some time in the medieval city of York. With a strong Viking heritage, you can take a ride through a reconstruction of a Viking village, or perhaps visit the magnificent Minster, constructed between 1220 and 1472 and the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. Or maybe just stretch your legs walking the city walls or strolling around the narrow, cobbled streets, one of which is the oldest intact medieval street in Europe, and browsing in the shops.

Day 4
Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh
Continuing the drive to Scotland today, we will visit the Royal Yacht Britannia this afternoon at its berth on the Firth of Forth. Queen Elizabeth II travelled the world aboard this floating palace for official visits. The yacht hosted receptions for foreign dignitaries and also a number of Royal honeymoons.
From the yacht it is only a short drive to finish the day in Edinburgh.

Day 5
Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Palace of Holyroodhouse
Extolled as the 'Jewel in Scotland's crown', Edinburgh Castle sits atop an extinct volcano, overlooking Scotland's capital city. It was the birthplace of King James VI, only child of Mary Queen of Scots, and played an important role in the lives of many Scottish monarchs. Today you can see the Honours of Scotland, which are the nation's crown jewels, as well as the Stone of Destiny, the coronation seat of ancient Scottish kings. One of the most impressive buildings is the Great Hall, built in 1511, and you can also see the royal palace, where King Charles I slept the night before his Scottish coronation. From the ramparts there are magnificent views over Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth beyond.
A stroll down the Royal Mile brings us to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, originally founded in 1128 as a monastery. It later became the main royal residence in Edinburgh, taking over this role from the castle. Today it is Queen Elizabeth II's official residence in Scotland and is used regularly for state ceremonies and official entertaining. Members of the Royal Family often stay at the palace when carrying out official engagements in Scotland. Visitors can tour the State Apartments and the Great Gallery, where Jacob de Wet's portraits of real and legendary monarchs of Scotland are on display. Mary Queen of Scots lived here from 1561-67 and her chambers form part of the tour.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse also houses the Queen's Gallery. Opened in 2002 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee celebrations, the gallery presents an exhibition of the most delicate works of art from the Royal Collection.

Tour cost: GB£1350 (for the tour, not per person) + GB£25 per person for the River Thames lunch cruise.

Day 6 - optional
Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, Trossachs National Park
This optional, additional day tour from Edinburgh, combining as it does the impressive Stirling Castle, the tranquility of Loch Lomond and the wild glens of the Trossachs National Park, makes for a fascinating and relaxing day out.
Beloved in particular by Stewart kings and queens, Stirling Castle was an impressive and sumptuous residence. The magnificent Great Hall is the largest ever built in Scotland and was created to hold spectacular banquets and celebrations. You can visit the lovely Chapel Royal, where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in 1543 and her son James was baptised in 1566, and also see some of Britain's best weavers recreating the Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries.

Cost of additional day tour: GB£300 (for the tour, not per person)

Golf / sightseeing tour through England, Wales & Scotland
The following is an example of a tour designed for the golf enthusiast who would like a combination holiday of golf and sightseeing. Beginning with a couple of days seeing the most famous sights of London, it gives you eight half-days of golf during a journey through some of the most scenic regions of England, Wales and Scotland, with time to visit some of the more interesting sights along the way.
As with all our tours, this one can be tailored to your individual requirements. You could, for instance, shorten or lengthen it, omit one or more of the courses included or incorporate one or more courses we have not included. For the ardent golfer, for whom sightseeing would be an unwelcome distraction, we can go straight from one course to the next.
For further details on the golf clubs and courses, just click on the links and the magic of modern technology will take you straight to the clubs' websites.

Day 1
Walking tour of London sights + River Thames lunch cruise (see London 1-day tour above.)

Day 2
More London sightseeing + free time to explore further on your own, or do some shopping (see 10-day tour of England & Scotland above.)

Day 3
This morning we head west out of London, visiting Hampton Court Palace en route to the Wentworth Golf Club for an afternoon's play.
www.wentworthclub.com

Day 4
A visit to Windsor Castle this morning is followed by another afternoon's golf at Sunningdale Golf Club, which played host to the European Open in 1992 and the Women's British Open in 1997, 2001 and 2004. Sunningdale also hosted the final international qualifying for the 2007 European Open.
www.sunningdale-golfclub.co.uk

Day 5
This morning we head out further west and into Wales. The afternoon is spent playing one of the three championship courses at Celtic Manor, home of the Wales Open and venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup. In addition to the courses, Celtic manor boasts a health club, spa, restaurants and Ian Woosnam Golf Academy.
www.celtic-manor.com

Day 6
Wales has some beautiful countryside of hills and valleys and today we meander north through the entire length of the country and on to Chester, over the border in England. The remainder of the day is spent exploring this medieval city.

Day 7
We begin today with a short drive to the Royal Liverpool Golf Club for a morning's play. This links course has hosted 10 Open Championships in its history, culminating in the 2006 Open, won by Tiger Woods.
In the afternoon we drive through the Mersey Tunnel, under the river, through Liverpool and on to one of the most scenic areas of the UK - the Lake District.
www.royal-liverpool-golf.com

Day 8
After continuing on through the Lake District this morning, we cross the border into Scotland and head for Turnberry, on the west coast with views across the Firth of Clyde to the mountains of the Isle of Arran. Of the two courses at the Turnberry Resort, where you will spend the afternoon playing golf, Ailsa is considered one of the top three in Britain and among the top twenty in the world. Turnberry has hosted a number of Opens in the past and in 2009 will do so again. The Colin Montgomery Links Academy is also to be found here.
Turnberry is in the county of Ayrshire, Robert Burns country, and you spend tonight in the town of Ayr itself, closely associated with Scotland's most famous poet and not far from Alloway, the town of his birth.
www.turnberry.co.uk

Day 9
A short drive north of Ayr, still on the coast and within sight of the Isle of Arran, is Troon, home of the Royal Troon Golf Club, where you will enjoy a morning's play. The club has hosted eight Opens in its history, the latest being in 2004. There are two 18-hole courses, with the back nine on the Old Course known as one of the toughest on the Open circuit.
This afternoon we drive to the historic town of Stirling, where you can soak up the atmosphere of the old town and pay a visit to the splendid Stirling Castle.
www.royaltroon.co.uk

Day 10
Another short drive this morning brings us to Gleneagles, world famous for its hotel, as well as the golf. The two 18-hole championship courses include the PGA Centenary Course created by Jack Nicklaus. Gleneagles has hosted in the past the Dunhill Trophy, Scottish Open, PGA Cup and WPGA Championship of Europe and will be the venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
As for the hotel, this is a 5-star establishment set in 850 acres / 340ha, which has played host to many a famous event and personality, including the 2005 meeting of G8 world leaders.
Lying at the foot of the Scottish Highlands, Gleneagles is an excellent starting point for a tour through some of the magnificent scenery for which the country is justly famous. After a morning's golf, we set off in the afternoon for a tour through some of the surrounding countryside, taking in some picturesque villages, lochs and glens and maybe the odd castle (if anybody is interested, there is also the opportunity of calling in at the Famous Grouse Experience at the Glenturret Distillery.)
Later in the day, the drive will take us through Perth and on to St. Andrews for the night.
www.gleneagles.com

Day 11
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews beckons this morning, a links venue on the east coast of Scotland. The five 18-hole courses include the famous Old and New courses, the Old Course having first been laid out in 1895.
St. Andrews is the last of the clubs we visit and, in the afternoon, we will drive south, over the Forth Bridge and on into Edinburgh, Scotland's imposing capital city.
www.standrews.org.uk

The tour essentially ends here, unless you would like us to stay on and show you around Edinburgh, or you need us to take you to the airport for your flight home.

Tour cost: GB£2950.00 (for the tour, not per person + GB£25 per person for the River Thames lunch cruise and excluding fees levied by the clubs for membership/play)

An interesting extension to this tour can be incorporated near the beginning by travelling down to the Woodbury Park Hotel and Golf Club in the south-western county of Devon. This is owned by Nigel Mansell, the former Formula One World Champion racing driver. In addition to a USGA-specification, par 73 golf course, there is a 4-star hotel with luxury rooms and suites, swimming pool, tennis, squash, gym and holistic body & beauty treatments, as well as some of the cars Nigel Mansell raced and a cinema showing film of his racing career.
By including Woodbury Park in the itinerary, you would be able to visit Stonehenge and stop at the old spa town of Bath, where you can visit the Roman Baths.
www.woodburypark.co.uk

Cost for Woodbury Park extension (2 days): GB£550.00 (for the tour, not per person, excluding fees levied by the club for membership/play.)

Ireland
We can also take you on a similar golf/sightseeing tour of some of the best courses that Ireland has to offer, including some spectacular links courses on the Irish Sea and Atlantic coasts.

Genealogical tour
If you are interested in walking in the footsteps of your forebears and seeing at first hand the places they used to live, work and play, we can make it possible. We will meet you at your airport of arrival and take you to the locations where the unfolding of your family history actually happened. Having experienced your ancestral heritage in person, we will return you to the airport for your flight back to the world of your present generation.

Prices
Unfortunately, we have to take money off you for our tours. We do, however, try to extend the principle of flexibility into this aspect of your holiday as well.
Our prices are for the tour, not per person, and cover all costs associated with car and driver, including the driver's meals and accommodation. The price does not include your own meals, accommodation and entrance to local attractions and there are very good reasons for us adopting this system.

Firstly, you have the opportunity to choose your preferred type of accommodation, from motels, through bed & breakfast accommodation and guest houses, hotels of varying star-ratings and on up to luxury country house hotels. We will arrange accommodation of your choice for you and you can pay each establishment as you check out during the tour. Secondly, if you pay as you go during the tour, we will not require payment of accommodation charges in advance.

Similar advantages apply in the case of meals. You get to choose when, where and what you want to eat and drink as the tour progresses and you simply pay as you go.

Again, where local attractions are concerned, you are able to choose which of these you want to visit from day to day during the tour. We will, of course, pre-book those which require it in order for you to be assured of getting in on the day.
An additional point in this respect is that we prefer not to act as guide around local attractions. Our tours being tailor made, we find ourselves visiting such a multiplicity of places that we cannot possibly accumulate an in-depth knowledge of them all and we feel the specialist local guides will provide you with a more informative and enjoyable experience.

Our prices do not include travel to and from the point where your tour with us begins and ends.

Entertainment
We will book theatre tickets etc. for you, where pre-booking is necessary or advisable.

One-way tours
We do not insist on tours finishing where they began. If your tour begins in London and finishes in Scotland, for example, we will meet you at the London airport of arrival and take you at the end of the tour to a convenient airport for your return flight home - in the example of a tour ending in Scotland, probably Glasgow or Manchester airports.

Private tours
All our tours are private, with only one party on any one tour. You will not, therefore, find yourself sharing the car with strangers.