DMC GROUP TOURS www.tours-international.com TO THE UK AND EUROPE

FILM & TV LOCATIONS HISTORY, HERITAGE & ROYALTY CHRISTIANITY GARDEN & CASTLE MILITARY LITERARY LUXURY EXPERIENCES SPORTS HOSPITALITY FASHION & SHOPPING ABOUT TOURS INTERNATIONAL GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND Tours International is a DMC for groups, specialising in group tours to Great Britain, Ireland and Europe. Established in 1987, we are a family-run business based ATTRACTIONS in Royal Tunbridge Wells in England, just outside London. 1.5 Canterbury Cathedral We pride ourselves on our professional yet very personal 2.5 Leeds Castle service and our range of special interest tours, which we 3. 5Blenheim Palace are constantly reviewing and updating. We are proud to say 4.5 Dumfries House Isle of 5 Battle of Hastings, Abbey & Battlefield Skye that travel agents worldwide and private group organisers 5. Inverness 6.5 Dover Castle Tintagel Castle are returning to Tours International year after year. 7.5 Alnwick Castle © English Heritage 8.5 Stonehenge 9.5 Tintagel Aberdeen 10.5 Chatsworth House Isle of OUR SERVICES AND OUR TOURS Mull 11.5 Highgrove SCOTLAND 12.5 Whitby Abbey We offer a comprehensive ground service for group travel 13.5 Hadrian’s Wall to Great Britain, Ireland and Europe, with an exciting 14.5 Lindisfarne Priory Perth and wide-ranging collection of specialist tour itineraries. Our clients are assured of quality accommodation and EDINBURGH Lindisfarne Priory transportation, experienced guides, the best attractions Glasgow © English Heritage and restaurants and excellent local and subject knowledge. 4 Each tour is bespoke, designed and researched specifically NORTHERN 14 to meet a client’s brief - customised with one-off speakers, IRELAND 7 private visits, surprising destinations and must-do activities BELFAST 13 Newcastle – thereby guaranteeing a truly unique experience. As group Gretna Big Ben © Shutterstock.com/Luciano Mortola Green travel specialists with over 30 years’ experience in the Durham travel and tourism industry, we are confident that our team Galway 12 can deliver the unforgettable tours you are looking for and Highgrove a complete group travel service which is second to none. IRELAND

Limerick NEW! For improved tours with our guides, Tours DUBLIN York International can provide headsets. Hull Liverpool

Included here are a collection of our most popular tours Kilarney 10 and themes, but we welcome the opportunity to discuss Alnwick Castle any themes you don’t see here. For a wider list of our tours, ENGLAND ©VisitBritain/Pawel Libera please visit www.tours-international.com. WALES Stratford-upon-Avon CONTACT US Buckingham Palace © Andrew Holt Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014 3 Oxford WE GUARANTEE A RESPONSE WITHIN 24 HOURS! CARDIFF Cambridge Gloucester 11 E: [email protected] Bristol T: +44 (0) 1892 515825 Bath W: www.tours-international.com LONDON 9 Plymouth 8 Ebbsfleet Canterbury Portsmouth 1 Dover Brighton 2 6 5 Folkestone TRANSPORT LINKS Isle of Wight Zeebrugge CONTENTS Calais Ferry Routes PAGE Eurostar Routes Map of Great Britain & Ireland 3 Eurotunnel Route Cherbourg Film & TV Locations 4-5 FRANCE History, Heritage & Royalty 6-8 Caen Scotland, Wales & Ireland 9 PARIS Christianity 10-11 Gardens & Castles 12-13 Literary 14-15 Military 16-17 Sports Hospitality & Luxury Experiences 18

Fashion & Shopping 19 Sissinghurst Castle ©National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra P&O Ferries Eurostar

www.tours-international.com www.tours-international.com 2 3 see the Town Hall which appears as Causton Town Hall; OUTLANDER - SCOTLAND Stonor House, one of the oldest manor houses in England FILM & TV LOCATIONS and Mapledurham House and Watermill for a traditional Follow Claire’s extraordinary journey back to the Jacobite cream tea. The tour also includes Henley on Thames, a rebellions. Visit stunning Doune Castle, the real Castle popular tourist destination; Greys Court, a 16th century Leoch, home to the fictional MacKenzie clan; the Highland mansion which has doubled as a monastery and a priory Folk Museum, used for the MacKenzie village; Culross, the DOWNTON ABBEY SHERLOCK and Warborough, whose houses, green and pub have all location for Cranesmuir; Aberdour Castle, which doubles appeared in the opening credits. Visit the sets where the world-famous TV series was filmed Follow in the footsteps of London’s most famous detective! as the French Castle Jamie flees to; the stately home which and enjoy exclusive access and a guided tour of stunning Visit 221B Baker Street – now the Sherlock Holmes appears as the Duke of Sandringham’s house; a vintage Highclere Castle, location of Downton Abbey itself. Visit museum, showcasing a recreation of his study and Dr WOLF HALL railway station which represents wartime London; famous Bampton, which doubles as the village of Downton, to Watson’s bedroom. See the location which features Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, see the church, post office and Churchgate House, the as Sherlock’s home in the TV series Sherlock. Enjoy This popular drama used some of the finest medieval and used when Jamie is imprisoned; the bustling harbour Crawleys’ home; Basildon Park, which features as the refreshments in the actual Speedy’s Café or The Sherlock Tudor buildings in Britain to depict Henry VIII’s court and town of Troon, where Claire and Jamie board a ship to Granthams’ London residence and the location used for Holmes pub, which appeared in The Noble Bachelors and the homes of Thomas More, Wolseley and Cromwell. Visit France; Falkland, which substitutes for 1940s Inverness Yew Tree Farm. Enjoy a traditional English afternoon tea houses memorabilia including Dr Watson’s old service Lacock Abbey, the exterior of Wolf Hall, the Seymour family and stunning Tulloch Ghru, which features in several key and a ride on the London Eye with champagne. revolver. Visit the British Museum, frequently used by seat, which also appears in the Harry Potter films and outdoor scenes as well as the opening credits. Holmes for his research and enjoy dinner in one of his The Other Boleyn Girl. Montacute House, the location for favourite restaurants. Panoramic tours will include other Greenwich Palace, Henry VIII’s primary London seat and key London locations which feature in the series. the site of Anne Boleyn’s arrest, as well as the backdrop to spectacular jousting scenes. Barrington Court, which appears as the interior of Wolf Hall; the house used as MR SELFRIDGE Cardinal Wolsey’s home and Chastleton House, another interior location for Wolf Hall and where Cromwell’s In 1909 Harry Selfridge opened his dream store, Selfridges miserable childhood scenes were filmed. Other important & Co, to great fanfare. Today the store is the crown jewel locations include stunning Penshurst Place and Gardens of Oxford Street and the inspiration for an exciting period and Dover Castle. drama. Step back into Edwardian London and the life of Mr Selfridge. Enjoy a ride around London in the actual vintage cars which appear in the TV series. Visit the Linlithgow Palace © Crown Copyright Reproduced Courtesy of Historic flagship store on Oxford Street for the ultimate shopping Scotland experience, see the original features as it was in Mr Selfridge’s time and enjoy a ‘Mr Selfridge’s Afternoon POLDARK Highclere Castle Tea’. Visit the main location used for filming the exterior of Selfridges, Mr Selfridge’s London residences in Berkeley This thrilling historical drama, a heady mix of 18th Century WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON – Square and Park Lane, his private clubs and the theatres mining, smuggling and romance, was filmed in locations THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER he patronised. across beautiful Cornwall and the South-West. See Charlestown, a picturesque harbour town, which doubles Step on to authentic sets, discover the magic behind for Truro in Poldark and Church Cove Gunwallow, the spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the- location for night-time ship wrecking scenes; beautiful scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Tread the Porthgwarra, a traditional fishing cove and rugged Bodmin original stone floor of the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall, Moor, the location for the exterior of Ross Poldark’s encounter animatronic creatures and wander down cottage, Nampara as well as several scenes featuring the Diagon Alley. Located at the Studios where all 8 films were cast on horseback. We go underground into the genuine produced, the Studio Tour showcases the incredible British Cornish mines which appeared as the mines in the series talent, imagination and artistry that went into making the and see the sandy beach which appears as Nampara Cove. impossible a reality on screen. Visitors will relive the magic Admire the engine houses on a cliff edge, which represent through the eyes of the filmmakers who brought the Harry Nampara Valley, part of the Poldark family estate and Potter film series to life. Chevenage House, Charles Poldark’s home.

Greys Court

MIDSOMER MURDERS

Characterized by its great country houses, traditional pubs and village greens, the apparently idyllic villages of Midsomer are also the scenes of some of the most evil, ingenious murders screened on TV. Meet an extra who has appeared in over 60 episodes. Visit Wallingford, the original ‘Causton’; Dorchester-on-Thames, whose medieval

Weasleys’ kitchen © TM & © 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. abbey church, coaching inns and post office have all been Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. locations; Thame, often used as a general backdrop, to Lacock Abbey ©National Trust Images/James Dobson Levant Mine, Cornwall ©National Trust Images/John Garrett

www.tours-international.com www.tours-international.com 4 5 HENRY VIII & TUDOR ENGLAND KING ARTHUR – WALES, ENGLAND & FRANCE HISTORY, HERITAGE & ROYALTY Henry VIII is known for his six wives and for setting himself The legends of King Arthur have long been shrouded in up as Head of the Church of England. Tudor England mystery and tales of the Knights of the Round Table, the was a fascinating place and Henry was everything a king wizard Merlin and tragic lovers Guinevere and Lancelot 21ST CENTURY ROYALS ROYAL PALACES OF LONDON should be – handsome, richly dressed and a strapping have charmed people for centuries. Did Camelot really figure excelling at hunting and jousting. This tour visits exist, who was the Lady in the Lake and did Arthur really A new generation of royals are dominating the front A collection of the most beautiful royal castles and some of Henry’s most impressive houses, including pull Excalibur from the stone? Follow in the footsteps pages and social media. Visit London and eat at one of palaces in the world. The Tower of London, an amazing Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle and Leeds Castle, of Arthur and his Knights, visiting Chester, reputedly Kate and William’s favourite restaurants. Kensington fortress built by William the Conqueror, site of many a as well as touching on the darker side of his reign, such Arthur’s chief city; Wales, home to many Arthurian Palace, home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and royal beheading and home to the stunning Crown Jewels. as the Tower of London, where he had so many people legends including the lake where Arthur reportedly threw Prince Harry. St James’ Palace, residence of Princesses Visit Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s official London executed, the homes of his ill-fated wives and the remains Excalibur; Cornwall, to see Tintagel Castle, Merlin’s Cave Beatrice and Eugenie and where Prince George was residence, to see special exhibitions, the State Rooms of a priory he razed to the ground during the Dissolution and St Michael’s Mount; Glastonbury Abbey, believed christened; Clarence House, official residence of the Duke and Royal Mews or the gardens of nearby Clarence House, of the Monasteries. The tour also includes a not-to-be- to be Avalon, where Arthur and Guinevere were buried; and Duchess of Cornwall; St Mary’s Hospital, birthplace the official home of Prince Charles. See Hampton Court missed medieval banquet, hosted by Henry himself in Winchester, home to the famous Round Table and of Prince George and Princess Charlotte; Westminster Palace, Henry VIII’s impressive waterside palace with traditional Tudor surroundings! Stonehenge, still the focus of Druidic activity today. We Abbey where William and Kate were married and St its Great Hall, Kitchens, Royal Bedchambers and royal also offer the option of a tour extension into France. Paul’s Cathedral where the Prince and Princess of Wales gossip tours. Or Kensington Palace, home to the Duke got married. See the hotel where Kate stayed before her and Duchess of Cambridge where visitors can see the wedding, the fashion retailer where she used to work and Kings and Queens State Apartments. Windsor Castle, the the restaurants and clubs popular with the young royals. Queen’s home just outside of London and home to St Shop where Kate shops in Knightsbridge or at designer George’s Chapel, where 10 sovereigns are buried. shopping outlet, Bicester Village and see the designer who made her wedding dress. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Warrant Holders. Visit Madame Tussauds and the waxwork models of the young royals. Windsor Castle, where the Earl and Countess of Wessex got married. See Royal Lodge, home of the Duke of York, the Registry Office where the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall got married and Eton, where Princes William and Harry studied. On to Jousting at Hampton Court Palace © Historic Royal Palaces rural Norfolk and Sandringham, the country retreat of the King Arthur’s Round Table, Winchester Great Hall Queen. Visit the church where the royals attend Christmas service and where Princess Charlotte was christened. Nearby Anmer village, where the Cambridges live; see REGENCY ENGLAND one of William’s favourite pubs, his local bakery and the The Regency period - one of the most flamboyant and quaint boutiques and antique shops in historic Holt where romanticised eras in British history, made famous by the Kate has been seen shopping. novels of Jane Austen and the colourful deeds of royals and wartime heroes. Retrace the scandalous steps of the Prince Regent and his cronies through London, Brighton and Bath, visit the extravagant palaces, the Assembly Rooms where dances were held and the notorious gambling clubs. Ride in the fashionable Parks, enjoy Georgian-style afternoon teas, discover the haunts of highwaymen and take part in a fencing, dance or etiquette King’s Bedchamber, Windsor Castle © Mark Fiennes Royal Collection lesson. This tour guarantees an exciting and genuine Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014 insight into the life and unadulterated pleasures of the nobility in Regency England during the early 19th Century.

EXCLUSIVE VISITS & PRIVATE TOURS OF THE Sandringham © By gracious permission of H.M. The Queen ROYAL PALACES

• Tower of London: Opening Ceremony; Yeoman Warder Meet & Greet; evening tours; Private Viewing of the Crown Jewels; Secrets of the Tower. • Hampton Court Palace: Courtyard & Cloister tours; Ghost tours; Rooftop tours. • Kensington Palace: Victorian Breakfast & exclusive tour; Eerie Evenings. *Please contact us for details of more exclusive experiences. Holt in North Norfolk Henry VIII’s Great Hall, Hampton Court Palace © Historic Royal Palaces Royal Pavilion, Brighton © VisitBritain/Rod Edwards

www.tours-international.com www.tours-international.com 6 7 WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR – FRANCE & ENGLAND CHARLES II: FUGITIVE KING & MERRY MONARCH 1066 signalled a major crux in the Middles Ages, when Driven into exile on the Continent after the execution of SCOTLAND, WALES & IRELAND Anglo-Saxon England was conquered by the illegitimate his father at the end of the English Civil War, Charles II is son of a Norman Duke. William of Normandy, boasting a romantic figure, famed for his hedonistic court. After a very tenuous claim to the throne, landed on the south losing the Battle of Worcester to Oliver Cromwell, he was SCOTLAND: THE HIGHLANDS, THE ISLANDS, STUNNING WALES coast and overthrew King Harold’s army at the famous on the run and forced to hide several times as he made his CASTLES & WHISKEY DISTILLERIES Battle of Hastings. Follow William’s story from France, way to the south coast. Eventually restored to the throne A country of contrasts with a vivid history. Explore ancient taking in key medieval and royal sites, to Bayeux with after nine years, Charles’ rule was tarnished by the Great Scotland is the ultimate cultural fusion of dynamic cities, castles, including Pembroke, Powis and Caernarfon; its world-famous Tapestry depicting his triumph and Plague, Great Fire of London, religious strife and doubt beautiful castles and breath-taking scenery. Glasgow discover the legends of King Arthur and Caerleon; travel Battle, Pevensey Bay, Hastings and Dover in the south of over the succession. This tour traces his escape route is a must-see destination for shopping and nightlife. through the beautiful National Parks of Snowdonia or England, before finishing with his great Tower of London. through England, his triumphant return to power and his Visit Edinburgh to see magnificent Edinburgh Castle Brecon Beacons, home to stunning landscapes, villages flamboyant reign. and picturesque Holyroodhouse Palace, home of Mary, and heritage sites. Visit the capital city of Cardiff, Queen of Scots. Explore Stirling Castle, where Mary was which promises fantastic shopping, museums and STONEHENGE & BATH born; Scone Palace, the site of the coronation of the entertainment, as well as the impressive Millennium Kings of Scotland; Balmoral Castle, the Scottish home of Stadium, Cardiff Castle and the National History Museum Stonehenge, one of the wonders of the world and the the reigning monarch and the ruins of Urquhart Castle of St Fagans. On to the lovely Isle of Anglesey, boasting most well-known prehistoric monument in Europe. on Loch Ness, supposed home of the famous Loch Ness unspoilt coastlines, vast stretches of sandy beaches, An impressive circle of symbolic stones, which people Monster! Away from it all in the spectacular Highlands or picturesque towns and villages and charming Beaumaris originally believed were an ancient Roman temple or remote Isle of Skye, visitors discover an inspiring region of Castle. See the Cistercian abbey of Tintern, one of Wales’ built by the Druids for their worship. See the new visitor extraordinary landscapes, mountains, glens and dramatic greatest monastic ruins; St David’s Cathedral, the largest centre, housing hundreds of prehistoric objects from coastlines. Finally, a trip to Scotland would be incomplete cathedral in Wales and the pretty tourist village of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. On to the beautiful without a visit to one of the country’s fantastic whiskey Portmeirion. city of Bath, the most fashionable resort in 18th Century distilleries. England. See the stunning architecture and famous IRELAND Crescent streets, the Roman Baths, the Jane Austen Centre, Pump Room and Assembly Rooms. The Emerald Isle…home of St Patrick and leprechauns! Visit Dublin, Ireland’s lively capital, with a wealth of Battle of Hastings Annual Event © English Heritage culture and something happening on every corner. See St. Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1191; Temple Bar, a riverside nightlife hotspot and bustling Grafton Street, an MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS – SCOTLAND & ENGLAND essential stop for fantastic shopping. Explore the roots of Celtic Christianity and the famous saints of St Patrick, St A romantic yet tragic figure, famed for her beauty and Kevin and St Ciaran. Visit the fascinating monastic sites related to several European royal dynasties, Mary seemed of Glendalough and Clonmacnoise, the burial chamber destined for glory. Crowned Queen of Scotland at only 5 at Bru Na Boinne dating back to 3200BC and the Knock days old, she became Queen of France as a teenager and Shrine where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1879. The was hailed by many Catholics as England’s true Queen, Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness, Scotland ©VisitBritain/Britain on View country offers outstanding beauty and magnificent yet she died a lonely figure, exiled from her country and scenery, such as the famous Ring of Kerry in the south the son she last saw as a baby. Implication in a series of and the awe-inspiring Giant Causeway in the north. ill-fated plots resulted in life imprisonment and execution LIVE LIKE A KING IN A SCOTTISH CASTLE Unmissable attractions include the world’s largest Titanic by her cousin Elizabeth I. Visit the Scottish royal palaces visitor attraction in Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast; of her childhood and the scenes of scandal, passion and Scotland has an abundance of luxurious castles in stunning Malahide Castle; the medieval Book of Kells in tragedy which marked her later life, as well as the English stunning scenery which are available for private hire and the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin and Old Bushmills castles where she was incarcerated for over half her life. exclusive use. Please ask us for more information. Distillery – Ireland’s oldest working distillery.

Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh © VisitScotland/ Scottish Viewpoint/ P.Tomkins Stonehenge Cardiff Castle, Wales © VisitBritain/Simon Winnall Causeway Coast, Ireland © Arthur Ward

www.tours-international.com www.tours-international.com 8 9 PILGRIM FATHERS ST AUGUSTINE CHRISTIANITY The Mayflower Pilgrims sailed from England to the New Sent by Pope Gregory to re-establish Christianity in World in 1620, hoping for new beginnings and religious England after the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, Augustine tolerance. Explore the origins of their remarkable story – founded the Christian Church in southern England and CELTIC CHRISTIANITY – IRELAND, SCOTLAND & Nottinghamshire, where Separatist philosophy took hold was first Archbishop of Canterbury. Follow his route, ENGLAND and inspired the first leaders of the Pilgrim Movement back then fraught with danger, along the south coast, and Plymouth, where they set sail. Visit churches across taking in Canterbury, a picturesque city of cobbled Start in Dublin, where St Patrick baptised his converts, England, monuments and museums of importance to streets dominated by the Gothic Cathedral on the site home to the magnificent Old Library at Trinity College. those early American settlers. of Augustine’s original Cathedral. St Augustine’s Abbey, Visit the monastery at Glendalough, the Hill of Tara and which he designed as the burial place for Kings and the ancient capital of Ulster. On to Whithorn, Scotland’s Archbishops of Kent and St Martin’s Church, where he earliest recorded Christian settlement, Iona in the met King Ethelbert. We also visit Rochester Cathedral, Hebrides and royal Edinburgh. In England we visit the the medieval churches of the Romney Marshes and pretty Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Durham where monks hid St Chilham, believed to be his final resting place. Cuthbert’s body from Vikings and we follow in the path of St Bede.

Rialto Bridge, Venice - Copyright Fototeca ENIT

LUTHER – GERMANY

Christian beliefs were fundamentally changed when Pilgrims Point, above the Mayflower Steps, Plymouth Martin Luther launched the Reformation in 16th © VisitEngland/Visit Plymouth/Andy Fox Century Wittenburg. Visit Berlin and key sites such as the Reichstag, Berlin Gate, Topography of Terror and JOHN WESLEY Potsdamer Platz. Luther’s home in Wittenburg, where he posted his 95 Theses, his Birth House, Death House and As spiritual leader of the 18th Century ‘Methodist revival’, church where he was baptized. Tour the 300 year-old Wesley touched the hearts and minds of the masses at ‘Francke Foundations’; see Erfurt, where Luther worked, the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Explore his life, Canterbury Cathedral Glendalough monastic site, Ireland © Chris Hill Photographic 2010 the Cathedral where he worked and the Castle where he including his formative years with the Holy Club in Oxford; lived in protective custody. his evangelical conversion on Aldersgate Street and his first THE EARLY ENGLISH PILGRIMAGE ITALIAN PILGRIMAGE experience of open-air preaching in the slave-trade city of Bristol. We also visit other important locations crucial to Explore the very roots of English Christianity, from St Italy offers unimaginable riches in terms of its churches the development of Christianity in Georgian England. Augustine and his converts and the various Abbey, Priory and culture. Visit the beautiful Vatican City and Vatican and Church communities, through to the great Kings of Museums, Sistine Chapel, the Pope’s official private England and the nobility. Visit London and Westminster chapel and the legendary Basilica of St Peter. Other Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral, the must-do visits include Ancient Rome and the Colosseum Chapel of St George and the English Martyrs and the and Catacombs of San Sabastiano. We visit Pisa and its official home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Aylesford iconic Leaning Tower and Field of Miracles; breathtaking Priory, a 13th Century religious house and the ruins Florence and a 15th century Palazzo, Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi of a priory destroyed by Henry VIII; Canterbury and courtyard and the art gallery, home to Italy’s greatest art its stunning Cathedral and the Abbey founded by St collection; Venice and the Basilica di San Marco and Assisi, Augustine and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, home of St Francis. commemorating the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to Wittenberg & Luther monuments, Germany the lady of the manor.

St Peters Basilica - Copyright Fototeca ENIT Potsdamer Platz & Berlin Wall, Germany John Wesley’s statue St Paul’s Cathedral, London

www.tours-international.com www.tours-international.comwww.tours-international.fr 10 11 GARDENS & CASTLES GARDEN & FLOWER SHOWS

GARDEN OF ENGLAND AND CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW - THE CASTLES AND GARDENS OF KENT RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW – MAY RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW – MAY JUNE/JULY The picturesque county of Kent, with its stunning gardens, Arguably the world’s greatest Flower Show, this iconic Join us on a springtime tour to one of the most charming story book castles and quirky oast houses. Begin in Royal event is the highlight of the UK gardening calendar and The world’s largest flower show and a high point in and beautiful corners of England. Visit Godinton House Tunbridge Wells, the spa town popular with royalty, with a truly unforgettable social occasion, attended by royals both the social and gardening year, held at Henry VIII’s Estate, a superb ancient estate with stunning formal its colonnaded Pantiles and collection of independent and celebrities alike. Enjoy show-stopping garden designs stunning waterside palace. This Show offers a mix of gardens; Great Dixter House and Garden, a cottage garden boutiques, antique shops, bookshops and cafes. On to and an explosion of art and colour in the most fashionable glorious show gardens, planting and country crafts, on a grand scale; Goodnestone Park, a private garden Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, comprising 10 beautiful part of London. fine dining with dazzling floral displays, live music with in parkland encircling a Palladian-style mansion and gardens and a moated Elizabethan manor house and fabulous shopping, fashion and food. A unique day out in Sissinghurst Castle, a romantic garden nurtured around tower. Visit Great Dixter House with its topiary, long a truly majestic setting. a slender castle tower. Picturesque Hever Castle, a fairy- border, orchard and wild flower meadow and beautiful tale moated castle with lake, fountains and magnificent 14th Century Hever Castle, before exploring nearby Roman and Italian statuary. Explore Canterbury with its Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill’s home. Exquisite Leeds Gothic Cathedral, pretty Rye and elegant Royal Tunbridge Castle, a favourite of Henry VIII, surrounded by a lake, Wells before proceeding to London and the world-famous parkland and water gardens and finally, the Kentish Chelsea Flower Show, showcasing magnificent floral Gardens with orchards, Oast House and Vintage Village. displays, show gardens and a host of unique garden structures and artefacts. We finish at stunning RHS Garden Wisley.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2015 © RHS/Neil Hepworth Great Pavilion at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 © RHS/Hannah McKay RHS WISLEY FLOWER SHOW – SEPTEMBER

A floral extravaganza featuring over 60 plant nurseries Hever Castle and trade stands, the National Dahlia Society Show, floral displays, expert advice and the chance to HIGHGROVE AND THE GARDENS OF THE COTSWOLDS enjoy stunning late summer colour throughout the breathtaking Wisley garden. Magnolias at RHS Garden Wisley Visit Highgrove, home of HRH The Prince of Wales. Since 1980 when Prince Charles first arrived at Highgrove, His BLENHEIM PALACE FLOWER SHOW – JUNE Royal Highness has transformed the gardens around the house into one of the most creatively inspired gardens of Featuring the UK’s favourite floral and gardening today. A series of interlinked areas, each with their own exhibitors, the Grand Floral Pavilion, Show Gardens, character, weave magically around the garden. The tour Country and Home Pavilion and Pleasure Gardens. Browse also passes through several pretty Cotswold villages and The Queen attends RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 large shopping areas, including a fantastic range of stylish includes other famous gardens. Choose from Abbey House © Royal Horticultural Society Media Image Collection outdoor furniture or wonderful food and drink stalls. Garden, Hidcote Manor Garden, Bourton House, Stone Choose from fine dining, the champagne bar or afternoon House Garden or Sudeley Castle, a beautiful castle once tea and enjoy floral art and lively entertainment. All in the home to Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife. grounds of beautiful Blenheim Palace.

Leeds Castle Hidcote Manor Garden © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 © Bethany Clarke/RHS Blenheim Palace Water Terrace

www.tours-international.com www.tours-international.com 12 13 THOMAS HARDY LITERARY Hardy’s poetry and novels celebrate all that is quintessentially English. This tour visits the locations which inspired Hardy’s fictional county of Wessex, such CHARLES DICKENS JANE AUSTEN as Dorchester which was the basis for Casterbridge; Sturminster Newton, which gave rise to Stourcastle ; Recurring themes including the plight of the poor and Against a nostalgic backdrop of stately homes and country Oxford, the original Christminster and Shaftesbury and vulnerability of women and children reflect Dickens’ dances, Jane Austen’s novels take her readers back to Salisbury which both influenced Jude the Obscure. Also concerns about divisions in Victorian society. This tour is an idyllic 19th Century England. Take a trip through toll see important places in Hardy’s own life, such as Hardy’s a journey through Charles Dickens’ England - London, gates and old coach roads to houses such as Haddon Cottage where he was born, Riverside Villa, the Dorset where so many of his great novels take place; the Dickens Hall, Chatsworth and Sudbury which inspired the grand County Museum with its Hardy memorabilia and the churchyard where his heart is buried. House Museum; the Kent countryside which inspired homes in her novels and key locations used in film and TV Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon him; Dickens World, a themed attraction which brings adaptations of her works, including picturesque Lacock. Dickensian England to life and historic Rochester, his Retracing Austen’s own steps we take in Steventon, her home town, where Dickensian characters give us a guided childhood home; Chawton, where she finalised her most THE BRONTËS OF HAWORTH tour. Along the way we stop at hotels and pubs frequented famous works; Winchester where she died and is buried by Dickens himself. and the beautiful city of Bath with its splendid Pump In a small Yorkshire village surrounded by windswept Room, Assembly Rooms and Jane Austen Centre. moors, three sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë produced some of the most widely read novels in the world. Visit Thornton, where they were born and the Brontë Parsonage, where they lived and their father was Vicar. Nearby St Michael and All Angels Church, where all the Brontës apart from Anne are buried in the family vault and the Brontë School Rooms where Charlotte taught. Discover picturesque Haworth with its cobbled streets and quirky vintage and gift shops and The Black Bull pub, Hardy’s tomb, Dorchester frequented by Bramwell Brontë. See the moorland farm of Top Withens, believed to be the site of Emily’s Wuthering Heights and Ponden Hall, inspiration for Thrushcross WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Grange. Follow in the sisters’ footsteps and walk on the Generally thought of as the greatest English writer of moors, then explore the houses which inspired the grand homes in their novels including Shibden Hall, the Red Jane Austen Festival, Bath © VisitEngland/Owen Benson all time, certainly the greatest playwright and poet, Dickens characters, Rochester Shakespeare brought theatre to the masses with House and Oakwell Hall. masterpieces such as Hamlet, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. Visit picturesque Stratford-upon-Avon to see Shakespeare’s Birthplace and the Shakespeare Centre, his schoolroom and the church where he was baptised and is buried. See Anne Hathaway’s pretty Cottage and Gardens; Hall’s Croft, his daughter’s house and New Place, his final home. In London, visit The Globe, on the site of Shakespeare’s first Globe theatre and reconstructed to resemble the original playhouse, for a backstage guided tour, exhibition on Shakespeare’s world and riverside tour on theatre in the time of the bard. Watch a performance of a Shakespeare play at either the RSC or the Swan Theatre in Stratford or The Globe. Top Withens, Haworth Moors © VisitEngland

Dickens World Chatsworth House Nash’s House & New Place Parlour at the Red House

www.tours-international.com www.tours-international.com 14 15 MILITARY

AIRSHOWS AND USAAF (UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE) AIRFIELDS (WORLD WAR 2)

In 1942 mainland Europe was under Nazi control and Britain was fighting desperately for survival. Help arrived with the United States’ entry into World War II and the Chartwell ©National Trust Images/Robert Morris deployment of USAAF into Britain. The farmlands of East Anglia were replaced by hundreds of airfields, housing WINSTON CHURCHILL the 60 heavy bomber groups who fought so heroically in the skies over Europe. Take a trip back to the old USAAF Pegasus Bridge Fifty years on from his death, we are still commemorating airfields and the nearby villages with their memorials, this extraordinary man. Prime Minister of Britain during control towers and private museums. Visit the Duxford ENGLAND IN WORLD WAR 2 World War II, Sir Winston’s ability as a leader rallied a nation Air Museum with its amazing aviation collections, world- during its darkest hour. Visit the important sites from Visit the Churchill War Rooms and underground bunker famous Airshow, American Air Museum, Normandy where Churchill led the war effort, including the Churchill under London, the warship HMS Belfast and the Imperial Experience, Battle of Britain Exhibition and Operations War Rooms under London, the Houses of Parliament and War Museum with its various WW2 exhibitions including Room. On to RAF Hendon with is impressive collection 10 Downing Street. We also explore his early career and Turning Points: 1934 – 1945 and The Holocaust Exhibition. of German aircraft and the US Military Cemetery at personal life, visiting stunning Blenheim Palace where Bletchley Park, where specialist Codebreakers worked Madingley where over 3500 are buried. he was born, his weekend retreat at Ditchley Park and night and day cracking the Nazi codes and ciphers. On Chartwell, his beloved home deep in the Kent countryside. to Beaulieu, a secret training establishment for agents American Air Museum at Duxford © VisitBritain/Rod Edwards BATTLE OF THE BULGE - BELGIUM (WORLD WAR 2) of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the D-Day Museum Portsmouth, showcasing all aspects of the D-Day WORLD WAR 1 - ENGLAND, FRANCE & BELGIUM In 1944 Hitler was facing defeat and made a desperate landings in Normandy. Blenheim Palace, where Winston attempt to regain the offensive, announcing a counter- Churchill was born and his Kent home of Chartwell with Start in London with the Imperial War Museum and attack to take place in the Ardennes forests of Belgium. its Churchill memorabilia. Dover Castle and Operation its famous WW1 Galleries and the Cenotaph. Over to In the early hours of 16th December 1944, the Battle Dynamo, conducted from secret underground tunnels. France and visit key battlefields, museums with battle of the Bulge began. The Nazi plan to split the Allied plans, photographs, military exhibits and personal line in half and capture Antwerp failed, but the Battle artefacts, war graves and monuments. See the famous (described by Winston Churchill as ‘an ever-famous Somme battlefields, the Bellicourt American Monument American victory’) was the single bloodiest that US forces and American Cemetery. See the sites of the Battles of experienced during WWII. Visit the key sites of the Battle, Argone, St Mihiel Salient, Verdun and the Meuse-Argonne the headquarters used by Generals Patton and Bradley, Offensive, the largest undertaking by the US Army during military cemeteries and monuments commemorating all WW1, with the Cemetery and Memorial, where rests US units who served in the Battle. the largest number of US military dead in Europe. Visit Ypres Salient and a preserved bunker complex used by the British Army as a medical dressing station, the Bayernwald German Trenches and three German bunkers in Tyne Cot cemetery. French Flanders, home of the poppy fields. Finally, see where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, signifying the end of the War. Bastogne Monument © OPT/Joseph Jeanmart Bletchley Park NORMANDY (WORLD WAR 2)

The Normandy Landings in June 1944 signified a major turning point in World War 2. D-Day (known as ‘Operation Overlord’) was an extremely large and complex undertaking. The successful coordination of American, British, Canadian and Free French troops, as well as the landing of infantry and armoured divisions, remains one of the greatest victories in history and the largest First World War Galleries, Imperial War Museum © IWM invasion of troops by sea. Tour highlights include Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches, Airborne drop zones and military cemeteries. Visit Saint-Mere Eglise, the 75th ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY: JUNE 2019 famous church with its Airborne stained glass window; the Contact us for information on our 2019 tours artificial harbour at Arromanches; ‘Pegasus Bridge’ and commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day! McAuliffe Square, Bastogne © OPT/JLFlemal Gondrée Café, the first building to be liberated. Telephone Exchange at Dover Castle © English Heritage

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PREMIERSHIP FOOTBALL HOSPITALITY GOLF London is the ultimate shopping destination, perfect for • The V&A, an amazing museum of art and design, to see any budget. Enjoy the best of the highstreet on Oxford the various Fashion Collections and current Fashion Watch the game from the best seats, enjoying the Enjoy corporate hospitality at all the major golf Street. Groups get special discounts in stores on and Exhibitions. ultimate in VIP corporate hospitality. Meet a footballing tournaments including The Open. We also organise around Regent Street with the Regent Street Privilege • Fashion-themed afternoon teas or cocktails at luxury legend, tour the stadiums and enjoy the ultimate in corporate golf tours to some of the UK’s greatest golf Card. Visit famous department stores Selfridges, Harrods, London hotels. corporate hospitality at the home grounds of Manchester courses such as St. Andrews and Gleneagles. Harvey Nichols and Liberty of London; Saville Row, for United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool made-to-measure menswear and quality tailoring; Bond Premiership Football Clubs. ROYAL ASCOT Street, Mayfair and Knightsbridge for luxury brands and THE FASHION CAPITALS TOUR: LONDON AND PARIS upmarket designer labels or Westfield Shopping Centre Shop in two of the world’s fashion capitals! Cross the For centuries Royal Ascot has been a highlight of the with 265 luxury, premium and high street retailers. English Channel to Paris, the centre of all things couture British social calendar. Fine Dining at the Royal Meeting and arguably the city where fashion began. Highlights of offers an experience like no other. BICESTER VILLAGE the Paris Fashion Tour: • Shop like a chic Parisian accompanied by a Paris MOTOR RACING Just outside London, offering designer outlet shopping in a chic, upmarket setting. Enjoy exceptional savings of personal shopping guide. Armed with your Paris Combine the thrill of motor racing with the best race day up to 60% at over 130 of the world’s leading fashion and shopping list, discover “must see” fashion destinations, hospitality at events such as the Formula 1 British Grand lifestyle brands. designer boutiques and private sales and enjoy private Prix at Silverstone, a range of major events at Brands appointments. Hatch near London and Goodwood Revival or Festival of • The Museum of Fashion of the City of Paris, in the Palais Speed. We also organise corporate premium driving days Galiera, for fashion, couture and photographic exhibitions and track days. from the 18th Century through to the present day.

Gate at Anfield, Liverpool stadium • The Fashion & Textile Museum in the Louvre Palace, HIGH-END ENTERTAINMENT & CORPORATE showcasing over 81,000 costumes, fashion accessories HOSPITALITY IN LONDON and pieces of textile, as well as collections from RUGBY designers including Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Our corporate hospitality and luxury group travel Madeleine Vionnet and Paul Poiret. Enjoy corporate hospitality at either Twickenham or the experience can include any of the following but please Millennium Stadium. Packages include private suites, contact us for a bespoke quote and to discuss your corporate boxes and premiere seats with first-class dining specific requirements: and entertainment. • Accommodation at 5 star hotels • Dinner cruises on the Thames Bicester Village • Private capsules on the London Eye with champagne and canapes HIGH-END FASHION TOURS • World-class dining experiences at restaurants such as High-End Fashion Tours can include: The Shard or London Altitude, with stunning views over the city • Personal Shopping Appointments at luxury department • VIP private tours and exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ stores and designer boutiques. experiences at the London palaces • VIP Corporate Hospitality at London Fashion Week, to • Helicopter and hot air balloon rides view the new season’s collections as they appear on the Regent Street, London • James Bond ride in a speed boat on the Thames catwalk. • Luxury afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason or hotels such • London Fashion Weekend, the ultimate fashion treat, as Browns, Claridges or The Ritz with irresistible shopping at exclusive prices from over Millennium Stadium in Cardiff © VisitBritain/Britain on View • Private appointments at boutiques, antique shops, 150 brands and catwalk shows from London Fashion jewellers and the Royal Warrant stores Week designers. WIMBLEDON • Private hotel suites or penthouses for drinks receptions • Trend presentation by a luxury, glossy magazine. • Limousine cars and luxury motor coaches • A Royal Warrant Tour - shop how the Royals shop with Experience world class tennis with first class hospitality: • Spa days an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of Royal Warrant reserved seats at Centre Court or No 1 Court, exclusive holders including Penhaligon, Berry Bros & Rudd, private suites on Centre Court or hospitality with an • Upscale courses including cookery, perfumery and Garrard & Co., Fortnum & Mason and other prestigious exclusive club atmosphere. Enjoy the Wimbledon flower arranging retailers. View usually secret archive material, treasured traditions of afternoon tea, strawberries and cream, • A ride through London in vintage cars brand assets and heritage pieces and meet ‘By Royal Pimms, champagne and first class dining. Appointment’ craftsmen. Harrods, Knightsbridge © Visit London

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The Queen’s Guards at Windsor Castle

Red telephone box in front of the London Eye © Visitlondonimages/Britain on View

Shopping in London © London on View Bastogne Monument © OPT/Joseph Jeanmart photos: cover Front Pickett © VisitBritain/Andrew London Thames and Westminster, The River Blenheim Palace Palaces Royal © Historic of London at the Tower Warders Yeoman

Tours International PO Box 45, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9XY, United Kingdom. E: [email protected] T: +44 (0) 1892 515825 W: www.tours-international.com