6-Nights London and the Countryside: London, Stonehenge, Bath & More from $1,528

Once a busy port, the university and cathedral city of Exeter, England, on the River Exe in Devon, was once filled with ancient houses, winding streets, Roman artifacts and buildings dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Although bombing during World War II took a severe toll, enough remains to be worth investigating.

Stroll along the quay to see the Customs House, then visit the Tower Clock of St. Mary's Steps, the old Guildhall (a great museum), the cathedral (with a stone screen, wood carvings and an astronomical clock) and preserved Roman pavement (in the old Court House on Waterbeer Street). Those who aren't particularly claustrophobic should tour the 14th-century underground tunnel system.

If time permits, stay an extra day and visit nearby Dartmoor National Park, with its truly beautiful wild landscape—a 365-sq-mi/945-sq-km dome of granite covered with granite tors, heather and bracken. In addition, the park has hundreds of miles/kilometers of footpaths and one of the last castles built in England, Castle Drogo.

Exeter is 35 mi/55 km northeast of Plymouth.