York Minster, watercolour by Gordon Home, publ. 1935.
Cultural tours in the United Kingdom
Every self-respecting flâneur finds time for champagne at the Savoy and that is precisely what we do on our one-day tour of the backstreets of London, just one of our small-group cultural itineraries of the United Kingdom that offer fresh perspectives on familiar places and faces.
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Featured cultural tours in the United Kingdom
Exploring the United Kingdom on a cultural tour
The capital features prominently as we follow traces of Shakespeare, admire the legacies of Hawksmoor and John Nash, explore the treasures of the great museums and delve into the history of the London Underground. We also examine the industrial history of Yorkshire and Lancashire, follow the Venerable Bede between Durham and Lindisfarne, visit the historic houses of the Welsh Borders, walk Cornwall’s ancient landscapes and go on a poetic pilgrimage in the Lake District.
Our expert lecturers - including Dr Hugh Doherty, Anthony Lambert and Janet Sinclair - are of the highest calibre and we enjoy privileged access to many sites, such as St Paul’s Cathedral, as well as offering unusual accommodation and meal venues. It may be home but not quite as you have known it.
Cultural tours in England
Expert lecturers and privileged access create an unrivalled sense of depth and perspicacity. Whether we’re exploring Chatsworth in the Peak District, celebrating the life and work of JMW Turner or enjoying a private choral recital in a Cotswolds church.
Cultural tours in Scotland
Our experts and their fresh perspectives allow insight into this country’s unrivalled cultural and natural richness. Names rich in history—Culloden, Balmoral, and Eilean Donan— all feature.
Why travel with us?
Leading expertise
For 36 years we have been the most influential organisation in the field of cultural travel, offering an unequalled range of tours and events. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration.
Privileged access
Special arrangements are a feature of our tours – for admission to places not generally open to travellers, for access outside public hours, for private concerts and extraordinary events. In innumerable ways, we lift our clients’ experience far above standards which are regarded as normal for tourists.
First-rate speakers
Expert speakers are a key ingredient in our tours. Academics, curators, writers, broadcasters and researchers, they are selected not only for their knowledge but also for their ability to communicate clearly and engagingly to a lay audience. Their brief is to enlighten and stimulate, not merely to inform.
Holiday protection
We provide full financial protection for our package holidays which include international flights, by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL); and for those that do not include a flight, by way of a bond held by ABTOT – The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited.
Personal service
We aim for faultless administration from your first encounter with us to the end of the holiday, and beyond. We want you to come back again and again – as most of our clients do. We can provide options without international travel if you prefer to make your own arrangements.
Award-winning
Five consecutive years as Best Special Interest Holiday Company at the British Travel Awards (2015–19) reflects our commitment to excellence. With a remarkable 99% satisfaction rating from more than 1,100 independent reviews, our attention to detail and client care is unmatched.
Most of our tours run with between 10 and 20 participants. Our travellers are self-selected by common interests and an endorsement of our ethos. You are highly likely to find yourself among like-minded companions, whether travelling solo (as 50% of our clients do) or with a travel partner.
Value for money
The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, transport and the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips, drinks with meals, and airport taxes. The price published is the price you pay.