Details
Day One – Road Trip to the Cotswolds
After the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, the Cotswolds is the UK’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and home to golden villages, rolling rural landscape and fascinating history. Wherever you’re travelling from, we’ll provide tailormade directions to get you to your base in Chipping Campden with a minimum of fuss.
Your Accommodation in Chipping Campden
Hidden down an ancient passageway just off the village high street, your accommodation in Chipping Campden is a very special six-room guest house. Owned and run by a friendly and welcoming family, you’ll quickly understand why the place has been bestowed with many awards for the quality of its service and accommodation. While evidence of the townhouse’s 17th-century roots is everywhere, each of the rooms is luxuriously appointed, featuring highest-quality beds and linens, and top-spec en-suite bathrooms. Breakfast here is quite an event, focusing on fresh, local and home-made, while the owners’ Mediterranean restaurant, housed in the same building, has an enviable reputation for the quality of its evening dining.
Day Two – A Guided Tour of the Cotswolds
Enjoy the excellent breakfast, before setting off on the 15-minute drive to Moreton-In-Marsh railway station to meet your guide for the day. Travelling as part of a small group, you’ll spend the day discovering Cotswold highlights in the company of a friendly local, visiting evocative riverside villages, taking in glorious countryside views and more thatch than you ever thought possible. You’ll be back at Moreton by 4pm, giving you the late-afternoon and evening to explore at leisure.
Day Three – South to Beautiful Bath
A good day for taking your time on the road today, perhaps wending the long way via some more Cotswold beauty spots or calling in to Blenheim Palace, as you make your way south in to Somerset and the historic city of Bath.
Your Accommodation in Bath
In a quiet corner of the city, just across the way from a peaceful park and only moments’ walk from the city centre, your accommodation is an impressive guest house formed from a pair of substantial Victorian residences. With a distinct luxury-hotel feel throughout, each of the en-suite rooms has been treated to recent refurb to ensure guests’ complete comfort. Breakfast is perfectly prepared to set you up for the day, while afternoon tea in the licensed bar is quite a treat.
Day Four – Uncover the Mysteries of Stonehenge
After breakfast, you’ll be met by a terrific local guide and whisked away as part of a small group to one of the world’s most famous landmarks. Just under an hour south-east of Bath, you’ll enjoy an unhurried half-day tour with a local expert, giving you the opportunity to experience the stones and their story in a unique and immersive way.
You’ll be dropped back near your accommodation giving the afternoon to explore Bath at leisure.
Day Five – A Day to Discover More of Bath
A relaxing day of discovery today, spent in one of our favourite cities. We’ll provide all the information you need to make the most of your time as you stroll the elegant Georgian terraces, explore the Abbey and Roman Baths, or head up the hill to Holloway for its independent shopping and galleries, and breath-taking panoramic views.
Day Six – On Your way to Cornwall
A great road-trip today as you spear south-west through Somerset and onwards to Cornwall. Our favourite route takes you through Shepton Mallet, across the Blackdown Hills, rounding Exeter and eerie Dartmoor on the way to your base near the village of Camelford.
Your Accommodation in North Cornwall
In the most peaceful rural location away from the crowds, your accommodation near Camelford is a warm and welcoming family owned guest house. Despite its rural location, you’re just 15 minutes’ drive from the coast and some of its most famous locations, including Port Isaac, Boscastle, Tintagel, Rock and Padstow.
Day Seven – Exploring Port Isaac and the North Cornwall Coast
Take the short drive to Port Isaac after breakfast, where you’ll meet a friendly and characterful local guide for an hour or so’s walking tour as part of a small group. There’s much more to this lively and historic fishing village than TV’s Doc Martin. You’ll have the rest of the day to yourself, perhaps meandering to Rock and taking the foot ferry for the short crossing to Padstow, or clambering the cliffs of Tintagel castle and taking the newly installed bridge across the 58-meter drop.
Day Eight – All the Way South-West to Penzance
On the road again today to the south-western corner of England. It’s only 90 minutes direct, so you’ll have plenty of time to saunter, maybe along the north coast to take in Perranporth, St Agnes and Portreath on the way to the historic port of Penzance.
Your Accommodation in Penzance
Set on the hill overlooking the harbour, your accommodation in Penzance is an historic Georgian house in which the owners have created a quite wonderful place to stay. Everywhere you look there’s something to see, from the carefully chosen art, to quirky architectural features both original and modern, and a richly appealing selection of mid-century modern furniture. Each of the rooms is individually styled, with feature bathrooms making your routine something of an event. A drink from the bar in one of the elegant drawing rooms or on the sea-facing terrace is a relaxing way to unwind after a day out.
Day Nine – A Guided Stroll Around Penzance
Enjoy breakfast in the kitchen, prepared just the way you like it, before heading out to meet a friendly local guide for a private walk taking in highlights of fascinating Penzance. Hear stories across the centuries of pirates, smuggling and seafaring derring-do, while taking in the unique architecture of the ancient centre and harbourside.
Later, perhaps stroll out across the causeway – or take a small boat if the tide is in – to magnificent St Michael’s Mount.
Day 10 – A Day to Explore
One of our favourite things to do is take the 15-minute drive to Carbis Bay and board the train for the one-minute, one-stop train-ride to St Ives. Here, you won’t want to miss the Tate Gallery, its golden beaches and narrow cobbled streets, or the chance to have a pint of scrumpy in a 16th-century smugglers inn.
Alternatively, meander along the coast to Mousehole, or to the cliffside Minack Theatre and Lands End itself. We’ll make sure you have all the information you need to make the most of your time.
Day 11 – Heading Home
Wherever you’re making your way to, we’ll create a tailormade route to get you home with the minimum of fuss. And if you wish to take in the impressive biomes of the Eden Project en route, do let us know as we can assist with advance tickets.
