EXCURSION: Private
EXCURSION TYPE: Cultural, Scenic, Shopping
FOOD/BEVERAGE: Snacks, Bottled Water Included
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Easy
Get ready for a fully guided day trip from Dover to London, with visits to Canterbury and Leeds Castle and ending with drop offs at Central London and Heathrow hotels or the Heathrow airport.
Once everyone is on board, you will set out through the Garden of England, passing through the orchards, hop fields, and vineyards of the county of Kent. Your day includes a visit to historic Canterbury and beautiful Leeds Castle. Before departing Dover, drive up and above the famous white cliffs that have been welcoming sailors home for hundreds of years.
Driving on to Canterbury, your guide will discuss the history of this area from Celtic settlers, through Roman invaders to the Saxon migration and the Norman conquest. All of these visitors have left footprints on this land, through Iron Age hill forts, Roman towns, Saxon churches, and Norman castles.
Upon arrival, you can see some influence from its time as a Roman town during the Roman occupation of the 1st to 4th centuries. In 597 AD, while it was the Saxon capital of the Kingdom of Kent, Pope Gregory’s representative and envoy St Augustine baptized King Ethelbert, beginning the historic heart of England’s Christian heritage. Your guide will lead you on a guided walk through the narrow historic streets.
For those guests who are interested, an optional visit will be made to the cathedral on your own. The Cathedral is very much a part of the local community and is used regularly for services and events. The cathedral, largely rebuilt in the 11th century contains the tombs of Thomas Becket, King Henry IV, Edward the Black Prince and others. You will hear of the 1170 AD death of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. His ‘murder in the cathedral’ is known around the world and the involvement of Henry II is still open to debate today. Free time will be taken so you can grab a quick lunch on your own.
After the break, make your way to Leeds Castle, often called ‘the loveliest castle in the world’. Enjoy admission to the castle, which dates back to 880 AD and sits on two islands. It has been the home to six of England’s medieval Queens as well as a palace for Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. You will have time to explore the historic interior and beautiful landscaped grounds. The gardens are a main feature of the grounds, as is the stunning lake and the famous maze.
Departing from Leeds Castle, it is approximately 70 minutes driving to Central London, where hotel drop offs will begin. The coach will continue on to the west side of London, where drop offs at all the major Heathrow hotels will begin. Guests departing from Gatwick, Stansted or Luton Airports can choose to be dropped at Victoria Rail or Victoria Coach Station, where there are frequent trains and airport buses to each airport.
• Welcome with fresh flower garlands.
• Meeting and assistance by our representative.
• Entrance fees to the monuments.
• Private guide throughout your journey.
• Covering all main / major monuments and tourist attractions in each city.
• All Transfers, Sightseeing and Overland drive as per the itinerary by private air-conditioned Transport.
• All taxes.
• Domestic and International Flights.
• Personal Expenses.
• Camera / Video Camera Fees.
• Medical Aid.
• Tips.
• Travel Insurance.
• A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
• Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
• In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
• Sometimes, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
• While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
• Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
