SAVE UP TO $1,000 PER PERSON: Book Your 2027 Expedition Cruise

A lovely balance of planned sights, highlights, secret spots, and unique lodgings are the heart of this Essential England tour. In London, enjoy tea while on a classic double-decker bus.  We’ve also arranged a special food tour where you'll sample some classic British favorites, as well as an illuminating London by night experience. Pick up your rental car and head to Southampton, stopping at Stonehenge on the way. 

People have lived in Plymouth since the Bronze Age, and it is the ideal place from which to explore the bucolic Devon countryside of grazing ponies—sample Devon cream! Your next stay is Bath, an elegant village where Roman ruins sit comfortably with Georgian shops. Immerse yourself in the thermae springs and visit Mary Shelley's House of Frankenstein. Sheer bliss. From Bath, you’re in Stratford-upon-Avon, home of Shakespeare, and doorstep of the Cotswolds. Your lodging is in the Lake District, waterside. Cruise stunning Lake Windermere, largest lake in England!

Magnificent York is enchanting. Take a steam train through the wild moors. Discover the city’s cobbled lanes, gothic buildings, and the Shambles. There are astounding stories around every corner. Spend your last night in Windsor, summer home of the Queen. The castle is filled with timeless treasures and the grounds are sumptuous. This vacation is England at its finest. 

PLAN AND BOOK

Included Unique Activities

Shakespeare - The Full Story Admission

Shakespeare - The Full Story Admission

24-Hour Cruise Pass on Windermere Lake

24-Hour Cruise Pass on Windermere Lake

Steam Trains, Whitby, and the North York Moors

Steam Trains, Whitby, and the North York Moors

Windsor Castle Admission

Windsor Castle Admission

Black Cab Meet & Greet Transfer Heathrow Airport to Hotel

Black Cab Meet & Greet Transfer Heathrow Airport to Hotel

See London by Night Tour

See London by Night Tour

London Bridge Food Tour

London Bridge Food Tour

The Roman Baths Admission

The Roman Baths Admission

Accommodations

3 Nights

Heart of the City Beautiful Hotel

1 Night

4-Star Countryside Spa Hotel

2 Nights

Boringdon Hall Hotel

2 Nights

The Queensberry Hotel

1 Night

Luxury Heart of Stratford Hotel

2 Nights

Briery Wood Country House Hotel

2 Nights

5-Star Historic Spa Inn

1 Night

4-Star Stylish Hotel

Transportation and Guides

  • Authentic London Black Cab Meet & Greet Transfer on Arrival
  • Automatic Rental Car

Meals Included

  • Full English Breakfast Each Morning

Points of Interest

  • Spend Three Nights in Central London
  • Visit Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, and the Tower of London
  • Shop on Famous Oxford Street and Wander through Regents Park
  • Discover Rich Maritime Heritage in the Waterfront City of Plymouth
  • Explore Beautiful Bath Architecture & the Ancient Roman Baths
  • Gaze upon the Beautiful Black & White Tudor Buildings of Stratford
  • Visit the Birthplace of the World's Most Famous Playwright - Shakespeare
  • Take in Jaw-Dropping Scenery in Windermere at The Heart of The Lake District
  • Stroll the Charming Streets of the 2,000-Year Old Walled City of York
  • Visit the Maze of Twisting, Narrow Alleyways in York's 'The Shambles'
  • Be Enthralled by Stunning Warwick & Conisbrough Castles
  • Experience the Evocative Expanse of North York Moors National Park

Oxford Street, Greater London

British Museum, Greater London

Piccadilly Circus, Greater London

The Tower of London, Greater London

Tower Bridge, Greater London

Trafalgar Square, Greater London

Westminster Abbey, Greater London

Big Ben, Greater London

UNESCO World Heritage sites

The Tower of London

The Tower of London

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

Stonehenge

Stonehenge

Jurassic Coast

Jurassic Coast

Bath

Bath

The Lake District

The Lake District

Included Unique Experiences

  • Afternoon Tea on the Iconic London Red Bus
  • See London by Night Experience
  • London Bridge Food Tour
  • Entrance to the Historic Roman Baths 
  • Mary Shelley's House of Frankenstein
  • Shakespeare – The full Story, entrance to all 5 properties
  • 24-Hour Cruise Pass on Windemere Lake
  • Day Trip to Whitby and the North York Moors with Historic Steam train Ride (Seasonal March to October)
  • Entrance to the 11th Century Royal Residence; Windsor Castle
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2026 MID SEASON

Available Dates

Nov, Dec

From $5,981 per person

2026 HIGH SEASON

Available Dates

Sep, Oct

From $6,177 per person

2027 LOW SEASON

Available Dates

Jan, Feb, Mar

From $6,350 per person

2027 MID SEASON

Available Dates

Apr, May, Nov, Dec

From $6,579 per person

2027 HIGH SEASON

Available Dates

Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

From $6,795 per person

Your Price Includes

ACCOMMODATION

  • 14 Nights Authentic Accommodations

TRANSPORTATION

  • Authentic London Black Cab Meet & Greet Transfer on Arrival
  • Automatic Rental Car

DINING OPTIONS INCLUDED

  • Delectable Full Breakfast Included Each Morning

INCLUDED UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

  • Afternoon Tea on the Iconic London Red Bus
  • See London by Night Experience
  • London Bridge Food Tour
  • Entrance to the Historic Roman Baths
  • Mary Shelley's House of Frankenstein Museum
  • Shakespeare – The full Story, entrance to all 5 properties
  • 24-Hour Cruise Pass on Windemere Lake
  • Day Trip to Whitby and the North York Moors with Historic Steam train Ride (Seasonal March to October)
  • Entrance to the 11th Century Royal Residence; Windsor Castle

POINTS OF INTEREST

  • Spend Three Nights in Central London
  • Visit Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, and the Tower of London
  • Shop on Famous Oxford Street and Wander through Regents Park
  • Discover Rich Maritime Heritage in the Waterfront City of Plymouth
  • Explore Beautiful Bath Architecture & the Ancient Roman Baths
  • Gaze upon the Beautiful Black & White Tudor Buildings of Stratford
  • Visit the Birthplace of the World's Most Famous Playwright - Shakespeare
  • Take in Jaw-Dropping Scenery in Windermere at The Heart of The Lake District
  • Stroll the Charming Streets of the 2,000-Year Old Walled City of York
  • Visit the Maze of Twisting, Narrow Alleyways in York's 'The Shambles'
  • Be Enthralled by Stunning Warwick & Conisbrough Castles
  • Experience the Evocative Expanse of North York Moors National Park
  • Meander through the Royal Town of Windsor
Prices Based On
  • All Taxes & Fees Included
  • Prices are Per Person based on 2 people traveling together and sharing a room.
  • Traveling Alone? No Problem. Just Ask Us for a Single Supplement Price.

"2026 Family vacation to Italy"

Richard Sasson

Oakland

Amber at Authentic Vacations was absolutely wonderful. She helped put together a great trip for the family. The feedback from the family is below:


From Marta: With the exception of a tour that was delayed, everything scheduled commenced on time. Our drivers and tour guides were outstanding! Hotel Corallo was heavenly and couldn’t have been better located. Hotel Quirinale needs to provide more storage space! Though the rooms were spacious, the furniture was not suitable for storing our clothes!


From Joseph: Richard was excellent. So thorough in every possible way, even stuff I didn't think of when I typically travel, and he was responsive to a few things that came up during our trip. Will be using him for our next trip.

"Italy Trip"

John Ambrose

Colorado

Jen set up everything and the trip was amazing. The hotels and places we visited were all awesome. Jen did a great job of selecting and creating our daily venues.

"Holiday break in Ireland"

Rodney Bates

Chum Creek, Vic. Australia

The trip to Ireland met every expectation and more. Everything happened as planned, fabulous hotels and locations, seamless arrangements for airport transfers and car hire, and made good use of the inclusions and itinerary suggestions. Our second trip with these guys, thoroughly recommend them for your next journey

"Birthday"

Karen Sanchez

NY

The clients had an amazing time. They even texted in destination to tell me how wonderful everything was. Adina was super knowledgeable and her planning was flawless.

"Best Friends Trip"

Kristin Reyes

AZ

My clients had a absolute dream trip to Italy! They loved their activities and excursions, and sent me plenty of pictures during their trip showing them having a fantastic time. Highlights for them were the private golf cart tour in Rome and the pasta making class. My clients and I have been thrilled with Authentic Vacations, and I can't wait to plan more trips!

"Family Vacation"

Katharine Allman

Texas

Lauren Leandro did an exceptional job of creating a seamless itinerary for discerning travelers on a repeat visit to the UK--especially at the nth minute when the travelers pivoted to a fully chauffeured itinerary in remote regions. Kudos to you, Lauren, and the operations dept....everyone had an amazing time and the trip exceeded expectations!

"Family Vacation"

Alison Evenson

KY

My client's loved their trip to England and Scotland. They were pleased with everything we planned for them and everything went perfectly. Ellie and Authentic Vacations made me look like a rock star. Thank you!

"Revisit to hike the 5 villages"

Brent Shick

Cinque Terre, Italy

What a wonderful visit we had in Cinque Terre. The driver was waiting for us at Florence airport and got us to Cinque Terre quickly and safely. Driver was very nice and spoke English well. He had cold water bottles for us to drink and the Mercedes van was very comfortable transportation.


The Hotel was very nice and the people there took very good care of us. We brought more than one suitcase each, because we had 19 days of travel planned, and found that to be a mistake. We would do that differently if we do it again, we would store most of it and take only one to the hotel or ship the rest ahead to the cruise line. The villages have a lot of steps, but the hotel manager had help for us so we didn't have to do much. Very good to us.


The all-day hiking with Andrea was absolutely fantastic. He was very accommodating and a wonderful guide and a wonderful person. He talked us through what we wanted to hike and when we want to use a shuttle or the train so that we could do all 5 villages. He recommended a couple of places for lunch and the restaurant we ate at was fantastic.


The food, especially the seafood, was so delicious and fresh, we really enjoyed everything we ate. The anchovies were so fresh and tasty we had the sampler twice, which is 3 or 4 pieces of anchovies, cooked 4 or 5 different ways. I also got a focaccia sandwich with mozzarella and anchovies and sundried tomatoes. I couldn't believe how good that was to eat.


The driver was picked us up after check-out and drove us to the port in Ravenna. This was a 4 hour trip and he got us there on time and safe. Driver was very nice and spoke English well for us. He also had cold water bottles for us to drink and the Mercedes van was very comfortable transportation.


So except for the fact that we probably over did it, hiking 8 or 9 miles up and down hills, it was exceptional.


Thank you for calling me a few days before and talking me through all the things we needed to know and helping with the train tickets. ItalyBeyond also was very responsive, any time I asked them questions.


Thank you very much for putting this together for us, so that we could experience this wonderful vacation with such wonderful memories. We always enjoy the itineraries you prepare for us. Look forward to the next one.

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