The Southwest of England Extended Tour (7 days)
This, our longest multi day tour, celebrates the four counties that make up England's most southwesterly peninsula, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
This seven day tour will give you a fabulous overview of this highly desirable part of England, where there is enough to see and experience to fill up several years of travel - as you probably don't have that long, we'll condense it into a week, and give you a wonderful tour that will leave you with memories that last for the rest of your lifetime.
Your time in Cornwall will be all about enjoying the landscape and heritage of this charismatic county. The coastline has so much to offer, from the tin mining remains to the charming fishing villages. Devon paves the way for relaxed days out, enjoying beautiful views, hearing about myths and legends, eating great food, and absorbing the gentle pace of life in this lovely county. A day in Somerset takes you to the town of Glastonbury, and the city of Wells, two contrasting and equally fascinating communities. Dorset offers the chance to explore the fabulous Jurassic Coast, the unique UNESCO World Heritage status stretch of coastline that is full of fascination and variety.
Day 1: The South Coast of Devon
This is a day that introduces you to Devon’s south coast, where beauty combines with history and tales of old to provide us with an intriguing day tour.
During this day we’ll explore the wonders of the South Devon coast, experiencing beautiful scenery, historical towns with Mayflower links, beautiful beaches, Berry Head with its interesting Napoleonic forts, small seaside communities with unexpected links to US World War II activity, and much more.
Day 2: Historic Sites of Somerset
Today we will take you to the county of Somerset, and head to the historic and interesting communities of Glastonbury and Wells, which offer contrasting experiences for the visitor.
Glastonbury, a quirky and intriguing town, combines a heady mix of history and culture with doses of mythology and magic. The ruined abbey makes for a fabulous visit, where the costumed guides bring the history to life. A walk up to the top of Glastonbury Tor offers one of the most incredible views in the southwest of England. Just exploring the streets and shops is fun, as this town really is a bit different. As a complete contrast, the city of Wells (England's smallest city) offers a very different flavour - more traditional, a magnificent cathedral, and some fabulous old buildings (including Vicars Close, the oldest purely residential street in Europe), it combines perfectly with a visit to Glastonbury.
Day 3: The Ultimate Dartmoor Experience
This is a wonderfully varied day out that encompasses so much of what Dartmoor is about, including myths and legends, bronze age settlements, beautiful views, country inns, desolate moorland and cream teas!
A private and exclusive guided tour of the museum associated with the history of quirky and world famous Dartmoor Prison will fascinate you, and I’m confident that you will remember the whole day for all the right reasons. As an alternative to this, we can go back out on to the beautiful Moors in the afternoon for a sheepdog experience, going out with a shepherd to see him and his magnificent dog in action – you hear all about what it’s like to live and work in such a harsh environment, and actually witness it first hand.
Day 4: The North Cornwall Coast
This day will be all about enjoying the enchanting communities of the North Cornwall coast, where history and heritage combine with charm, folklore and popular television series!
During the day we'll pay visits to Port Isaac and Tintagel, and if time allows, Boscastle.
Day 5: Culture of Cornwall
Today we'll visit three contrasting places in the South of Cornwall, all iconic for different reasons, and highly memorable places to visit too.
We'll start off with a visit to The Lost Gardens of Heligan, a renowned and beautiful estate where the gardens became overgrown and effectively lost during World War I, but were then re-discovered in 1990, and restored to what they are today. Following this, we'll head to Charlestown, a fascinating small town and harbour that has been used as a regular location in the Poldark series. The latter part of the day will see us head to the Eden Project, a place that has been dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World by some, and that should be of interest of everyone, simply because it's fantastic.
Day 6: The Slow Down in Devon Day
After an active and rewarding few days, it's time to let you slow down a bit, and to allow you to relax without asking too much of you - you're on holiday, after all!
This will be a slow and gentle day, without too much driving, and will include a visit to a haunted ruin that’s actually a house within a castle; a visit to a vineyard where we’ll have a wander amongst the vines and by the River Dart before enjoying a wine and cheese tasting. A journey on an authentic steam train through beautiful Devon countryside will help you slow down even more, and a visit to the small but perfectly formed old market town of Ashburton will give you a chance to visit some excellent independent shops, and to walk some of the antique trail that they have there. Of course, the opportunity to visit a quintessential tea room is on the cards too.
Day 7: The Drama of the Dorset Coast
The Dorset coastline should not be overlooked, as it's absolutely gorgeous, and fascinating too.
Today we'll visit beautiful places such as Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Weymouth, Chesil Beach (18 miles long!), Burton Bradstock, West Bay, Lyme Regis, Charmouth. Each place offers different points of interest, so we can pick and choose as to what you'd like to do on this day. Walking around beautiful Lulworth Cove and up to Durdle Door is truly inspiring; tracking down one of the great places to eat in Weymouth makes for a good lunch stop; visiting the Swannery at Abbotsbury is a unique and inspiring thing to do (seeing the 600 swans that live here is a spectacular sight); and fossil hunting at Charmouth, finding evidence of creatures from hundreds of millions of years ago, is absolutely remarkable.
Tour Information
| What's included: |
Alex's services as your award winning tour guide, transport in our vehicle, and any parking charges applicable to our vehicle. We also provide complimentary bottled water.
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| What's not included: | Entrance fees to Glastonbury Abbey, Wells Cathedral, the Prison Museum, Tintagel Castle, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, the Eden Project, and the Swannery, the wine and cheese tasting at Sharpham, the steam railway journey and the sheepdog experience. Any refreshments, meals, drinks and any other purchases you make during the tour. Any refreshments, meals, drinks and any other purchases you make during the tour. |
| Please bring: | Suitable clothing and footwear for the weather conditions during your tour. |
| Top tip: | As is typical of our tours, we are perfectly happy to be flexible with this itinerary, so please just let us know about the version that suits you best. Days from this multi day tour can also be taken and combined with other days from other multi day tours. |
| Price: |
1 - 2 guests: £450 per day for the group The tours of Cornwall can be made as day trips, or should you choose to stay in Cornwall for this part of the tour, accommodation costs for your guide will be added to the total cost. |