DETAILS
Our unforgettable tour explores the architectural grandeur and superb collections of some of Britain’s finest estates, some still family homes to this day. From the world famous Highclere Castle, the ‘real Downton Abbey’, to Winston Churchill’s birthplace of Blenheim Palace and beyond, we discover several historic treasures and their society stories. We juxtapose these fine manor houses with the dramatic landscapes of the north, providing us with the perfect opportunity to explore Britain’s rich heritage and diverse countryside.
- Pricing from
- $6,950
No Single Supplement. Limited space!
- Trip Type
- Individual Travel Tour, International Land & Rail Tours
- Departure Dates
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Jul 11, 2026 - Jul 21, 2026
Night One – Macdonald Windsor Hotel, Windsor
Nights Two, Three and Eight – Stapleford Park Country House Hotel, near Melton Mowbray
Stapleford Park Country House Hotel is a beautiful country house hotel and golf course surrounded by 500 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown grounds. The mansion bears the imprint of architectural styles, from Tudor to Victorian with all of the 21st-century amenities you would expect in a luxury hotel. Each room is individually decorated and many have been designed by famous names.
Nights Four and Five – Wood Hall Hotel & Spa, Wetherby
Originally built as a country escape in 1790, the Wood Hall Hotel is a tranquil country house hotel perched high on a hill amidst 100 acres of rolling Yorkshire countryside. The hotel offers an elegant drawing room, Georgian restaurant and a small health club and spa with a swimming pool, spa pool, steam room and gym while the bedrooms blend contemporary comforts with traditional country house charms.
Nights Six and Seven – Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle
The stylish Jesmond Dene House is a Grade II listed Arts and Crafts building located in a picturesque parkland setting, just a five-minute drive from the vibrant city of Newcastle. There are lovely little touches in the elegantly-designed bedrooms, from slippers and bathrobes to Molton Brown toiletries and under-floor heating in the en-suite bathroom. The hotel also offers an award-winning restaurant with an outdoor terrace and a relaxing bar and lounge area. Guests can use an exclusive day pass at the first-rate David Lloyd gym, a 10-minute walk away.
Night Nine – Hartwell House & Spa, near Aylesbury
This Grade I listed, National Trust owned property is one of England’s finest stately homes and makes for a wonderful hotel and spa. Sitting within an Area of Natural Beauty; just on the edge of the Chilterns, it boasts almost 100 acres of gardens and parkland, landscaped by the famous ‘Capability’ Brown. Inside, the hotel offers individually designed bedrooms, complete with fine paintings, antiques and a superb ‘country house’ style of interiors. There is also a wonderful restaurant and relaxing spa.
PLEASE NOTE: Although Tourist visas are not required for US citizens visiting the UK however a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will now be required. (Please see below).
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Important UK Entry requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure you have a full passport and we recommend that it is valid for 6 months after the return date of your trip. Tourist visas are not required for US citizens visiting the UK however a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will now be required.
Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA) are being introduced for visitors to the UK who currently do not require a visa for short stays, they are digitally linked to a traveller’s passport and ensure more robust security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK, helping prevent abuse of immigration systems.
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- US and other Non-European citizens now requiring an ETA can apply in advance from 27 November 2024. An ETA will be required for travel from 08 January 2025.
- European visitors now requiring an ETA can apply from 05 March 2025. An ETA will be required for travel from 02 April 2025.
- An ETA costs £10 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to 6 months at a time and is valid for 2 years or until the holders passport expires – whichever is sooner.
- An ETA does not permit entry to the UK – it authorises an individual to travel to the UK.
- British & Irish citizens do not need an ETA.
Apply for an ETA
Applications can done via a smartphone app – UK ETA app or online at Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This is a simple process, and decisions are usually communicated within 3 days.
It remains your responsibility to ensure you have the correct travel documentation for your trip.
VACATION CANCELLATION BY YOU: If you want to cancel your booking after we have confirmed it with you either verbally, over the telephone or by email, you can do so over the phone or in writing. The following cancellation charges will apply:
More than 91 days prior to departure $1000
90 days or less before departure 100% of the program cost is non-refundable
If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are notified no less than two weeks before departure.
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY
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day 1 & 2
Depart your home city and arrive the next day in London/Arrive
On arrival at Heathrow Airport, a private transfer will take you to our overnight hotel, Hartwell House & Spa, one of the National Trust’s Historic House Hotels. In the evening, join the group for a welcome drink, followed by dinner.
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day 3
Blenheim Palace
We head to Blenheim Palace, designed on an awe-inspiring scale by Vanbrugh and set in beautiful parkland landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. As the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough, the palace is synonymous with the Churchill family and is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. A permanent exhibition commemorates the life of this famous wartime Prime Minister, whilst the magnificent State Rooms reveal a superb collection of tapestries, paintings, porcelain and furniture. We learn more on our guided tour, followed by lunch.
From here we travel to Eastwood Hall, where we stay overnight.
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day 4
Castle Howard
We head to Castle Howard, home to the Howard family for over 300 years, where we enjoy a private guided tour and refreshments. Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, Castle Howard has twice appeared as Brideshead in movie and television adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel, as well as providing the backdrop for various scenes in the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton. This magnificent 18th-century residence, surmounted with its iconic gilded dome, offers world-renowned collections and stunning architecture, all set within 1,000 acres of breathtaking scenery.
Later, we check into Jesmond Dene House, our base for the next two nights.
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day 5
Alnwick Castle & Cragside
Still home to the Duke of Northumberland and his family, Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England and has featured in Downton Abbey and Harry Potter. Inside the medieval walls are lavish State Rooms filled with an eclectic array of furniture, ceramics and art collected by the Percy family over hundreds of years, which we discover on our guided State Rooms tour. There’s also time to take a peek at the stunning gardens, bursting with different colors and scents.
We then enjoy a scenic drive to Cragside, built into the rock high above the clear waters of Debdon Burn. Once the home of Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong, this imposing house is packed to the rafters with fascinating gadgets from the era. It was also the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity and in 2014, a fully-working Archimedes Screw was installed, once again producing enough energy to light the house.
After dinner at the hotel this evening, we enjoy a fascinating talk by our guest speaker, Tom Keating.
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day 6
Treasurer\'s House & Fairfax House
During our orientation tour of York today, we take in two of its historic gems, beginning with Treasurer’s House in the heart of the city. The house has a 2,000-year-old history and was the first house given complete with its contents to the National Trust in 1930. This is thanks to Frank Green, a wealthy industrialist who not only restored this magnificent house but also used it to stage his remarkable collection of antique furniture, art and textiles.
Next, we head to Fairfax House, a stunning Georgian town house that has been restored to its former glory, providing a perfect time capsule of life in Georgian times with a richly-decorated interior and a fine collection of English 18th-century furniture.
There is then some time at leisure in York before we enjoy an early three-course dinner at The Ivy.
Later, we check in to Middlethorpe Hall, another of the National Trust’s Historic House Hotels and our base for the next two nights.
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day 7
Fountains Abbey & Harrogate
This morning we visit the largest monastic ruin in Britain, Fountains Abbey, for a fascinating guided tour. Nestling in the Skell Valley, the ruin is surrounded by some 800 acres of gorgeous countryside, including the Georgian Studley Royal Water Garden with its wonderful views, cascades, follies and statues, plus a medieval deer park.
Our next stop is the elegant Victorian spa town of Harrogate, located in the heart of scenic Yorkshire. Notable sights include the Royal Pump Room and the Grade II listed Royal Hall, and don’t miss the attractive Montpellier Quarter with its pedestrianized streets lined with 19th-century buildings. The historic Betty’s Tea Rooms are worth a visit too!
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day 8
Chatsworth House
We start the day at Chatsworth House, where we’re treated to a house tour followed by lunch. This magnificent estate is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has witnessed sixteen generations of the powerful Cavendish family and boasts grandiose interiors, wonderful grounds and a superlative art collection. Chatsworth also appeared as Pemberley in the 2005 movie adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Later, we check into the Cley Hall Hotel in Spalding, where we spend the next two nights.
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day 9
Burghley House & Peckover House & Garden
Today begins with Burghley House, cited as England’s greatest Elizabethan house, surrounded by magnificent parkland. Home to William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, Burghley offers a unique glimpse into the way great houses have been lived in from the time of Elizabeth I to the present day. After a welcome talk, we have time to explore the breathtaking State Rooms and the house’s historic collection of paintings, ceramics and works of art, many of which still stand where they were first recorded in 1688.
We head to the Fenland town of Wisbech to visit Peckover House, home of the Peckovers for 150 years, a family of Quaker bankers, collectors and philanthropists. Facets from all aspects of their fascinating life can be seen throughout this elegant Georgian merchant’s town house, with many interesting artifacts and objects. Outside is a wonderful Victorian walled garden, created by the Peckovers and known for its varieties of roses and beautiful orangery.
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day 10
Highclere Castle
After breakfast, we make our way to the world-famous Highclere Castle, home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and the filming location for the much-loved Downton Abbey TV series and movies. Completed in 1842, this treasure boasts an impressive architectural design with its distinctive towers and turrets along with a colourful history, from its Anglo-Saxon roots to its hospital conversion during WWI. There is plenty to explore, including the Drawing and Dining Rooms plus the Egyptian Exhibition in the cellars of the castle, celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Take the chance to walk in the footsteps of your favourite Downton Abbey characters and look closer at the rooms and opulent interiors that formed the backdrop to this hugely popular series, such as the grand staircase and library. Outside, you can explore the beautiful gardens and 1,000 acres of spectacular parkland, designed for the 1st Earl of Carnarvon by the famous 18th-century landscape gardener Capability Brown.
From here, we travel to the Macdonald Windsor Hotel, where we enjoy a farewell dinner together.
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day 11
Departure
A private transfer will take you back to Heathrow airport for your return flight home
Everything you need to know about the tour
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Be prepared with the National Trust Travel Plan
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