Individual Guided Tours of London and the UK by Private Car Driven by Blue Badge Guides

Tours from London

Touring Suggestions - in London
Touring Suggestions - By Region

If you are staying in or near London, there are many wonderful places to visit within easy reach. We'll tailor a private tour to the King's home at Windsor Castle, Henry VIII's palace at Hampton Court, the dreaming spires of Oxford, the rolling hills and quaint villages of The Cotswolds.

See below for more tour information and ideas.

Please go to the Tour Prices page for information about current prices.

Half Day Tours

Windsor Castle
Up to 5 hours

Offial residence of King Charles III. It has been the home of English kings and queens since the 11th century. Inside the sumptuous State Apartments are Old Master paintings, furniture, tapestries and armour. Queen Mary's Dollxs House, one twelfth normal size, has furniture, books, and paintings by contemporary artists. Visit 15th century St. George's Chapel housing tombs of Kings and Queens, ancient stained glass and carved oak choir stalls adorned with banners of the Knights of the Order of the Garter. Windsor town has excellent shopping and cross the bridge, over the river Thames, is the village of Eton with its famous college.

Hampton Court Palace
Up to 5 hours

One of Henry VIII's 4 favourite palaces (he had 64 houses). Walk through the centuries admiring Tudor and Classical architectural styles and you may sense the ghost of Queen Katharine Howard. Visit the magnificent chapel, still in daily use, wonder at the 16th century astronomical clock, or wander through gardens full of flowers and get lost in the Maze. Imagine preparing food for hundreds of people twice daily in the most complete Tudor kitchens ever.

Full Day Tours

Windsor and Hampton Court
Up to 9 hours

Windsor is the oldest continually inhabited Royal Castle and is one of the King's official residences. St George’s Chapel dates to the 15th century and 10 British Monarchs are buried here. The State Apartments feature stunning interiors including Queen Mary’s Doll House, a one twelfth replica of a Royal Palace.

Hampton Court is a majestic Tudor Palace. Marvel at the enormous Tudor kitchens that supplied dinner for hundreds then step inside the exquisite Chapel Royal. At the back is the Baroque Palace that was started for William and Mary, but never finished. The gardens are beautifully laid out and feature a famous Maze.

Chartwell and Hever Castle
Up to 9 hours

Chartwell was the home of Sir Winston Churchill who designed the gently rolling gardens edging onto the beautiful Kent countryside. Inside, rooms are kept as he would have known them with his many paintings and memorabilia of his life. Nearby is moated Hever Castle, where Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn. Cross the drawbridge to see interiors restored by William Waldorf Astor, who also laid out Tudor and Italianate gardens. Lose yourself in the hedge maze or dodge about in the water maze.

Kent and Sussex Gardens
Up to 9 hours

Almost spoilt for choice, start with Vita Sackville-West's Sissinghurst garden built on Tudor castle foundations and divided into "rooms". Continue through rolling Kent countryside to Great Dixter medieval house and garden, the lifetime's work of garden designer Christopher Lloyd. Chartwell or Hever Castle make excellent substitutes.

Oxford and Blenheim Palace
Up to 10 hours

"That sweet city with her dreaming spires" - Oxford is dominated by its historic university buildings, bustling with today's students, inextricably linked with the great men and women who were educated here and have influenced all walks of life. You can visit Christ Church, Oxford's largest College founded by Henry VIII, which incorporates the Cathedral, or one of the other Colleges.
Nearby is Blenheim, home of the Dukes of Marlborough. This splendid palace was given to the first Duke by a grateful nation after a resounding victory at Blenheim in 1704. Designed by John Vanburgh under the watchful eye of the first duchess, friend of Queen Anne, it is set in imposing grounds. It was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and he is buried at nearby Bladon.

Brighton and Arundel Castle
Up to 10 hours

Prince Regent, later George IV, changed Brighton for ever from a small fishing village to a fashionable seaside resort with his onion domed Pavilion, sumptuously furnished in Chinoiserie and Indian styles. Browse among The Lanes, once the haunt of thieves, now a maze of antique shops, cafes and restaurants. A few miles away is Arundel Castle, home of the Dukes of Norfolk. Reassuringly solid, its mediaeval turreted walls protect a lavishly refurbished interior. Souvenirs of Mary Queen of Scots are side by side with Van Dycks and other Old Master paintings. Arundel town has excellent antique shops.

Cambridge and Ely
Up to 10 hours

Cambridge, one of England's most prestigious universities, dates from the 13th century. Walk along the Backs, next to the river Cam for one of the best views of Mediaeval to modern architecture of the colleges, or meander through mediaeval streets, browse in shops and bars like world-renowned scholars have done for centuries and cutting edge scientists do today. A short drive through picturesque countryside to Ely and its Mediaeval Cathedral. The interior is lit by an octagonal lantern tower and the Lady Chapel has the widest Mediaeval vault in England.

Canterbury with Leeds Castle or Chartwell
Up to 9 hours

Canterbury Cathedral has been the Cradle of Christianity in England for 900 years and housed the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket. There are stunning 14th-20th century stained glass windows and a range of architectural styles.
Leeds Castle surrounded by a moat, originally a fortress 800 years ago, has chic early 20th century decorated interiors. Visit the Dog Collar Museum, aviary, maze and Culpepper's garden.

Canterbury and Dover
Up to 10 hours

Dover Castle is perched on top of the white cliffs of Dover, a 13th century stronghold against invaders. Its secret Mediaeval tunnels were extended during World War II for use as a hospital and for the plannimg and execution of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk. And later during the Cold War as the nerve centre against nuclear attack.

The Cotswolds
Up to 10 hours

Countryside of unbelievable beauty. With sleepy villages, such as Bibury or Lower Slaughter, charming little market towns, like Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Camden, splendid churches and graceful manor houses, built and embellished by mediaeval cloth traders. This is quintessential England, which the modern world passed by. The area has many fine antique shops.

Cotswolds and Stratford or Warwick
Up to 10 hours

Travel through the countryside taking in some of the places described above, but also go to Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Claimed to be the greatest playwright in the English language, see the house where he was born, the church where he was buried and many other places associated with his family. The prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company performs regularly at the theatre.
Then on to fantastic Warwick Castle with its battlements, instruments of torture, ghosts, towers and turrets. It has excellent exhibitions, which show how life within its walls would have been, for the nobility and for the servants.

Stonehenge and Bath
Up to 12 hours

For over 5000 years there has been evidence of man's activity around Stonehenge in this remote part of Wiltshire How? Why? This stone Circle fascinates and mystifies. Let us take you there and explain the whys and wherefores of this World Heritage Site.
Continue to Bath, and visit the 2000-year-old Roman Baths, still filled by gushing hot springs, at a constant 46.5 degrees centigrade (115 degrees Fahrenheit). Admire the fifteenth century abbey, and glorious Georgian crescents built in the eighteenth century of mellow stone, sample a Bath bun and the hot water in the Pump Room.