[ Print This Page ]
12-Nights Country Roads of Wales, Devon & Cornwall - Classic Group from $6,250
Insight Vacations
OFFER ID 1517260
Country Roads Of Wales, Devon & Cornwall - Classic Group
Take the country roads across England and Wales on an exploration of Dorset’s quaint seaside vistas, Cardiff’s Welsh Rugby heritage and Bath’s ancient Roman history. After taking in the grandeur of Cornwall’s manor houses, indulge in the most quintessentially English experience: learning to play croquet on a country lawn, with tips from a professional instructor. Witness the millennia-old Stonehenge and tour the stunning 8th-century ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. The rich honey color hues of the stone houses will delight in The Cotswolds, the literary legacy of Jane Austen will bring Pride and Prejudice to life in Bath, and the luxury accommodations in Dartmoor’s Bovey Castle will give you a regal taste of the high life.
Dining Summary
- 12 Breakfast (B)
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Brecon Beacons: Visit a local kitchen garden for a peek into the freshest seasonal aromatics from the Brecon Beacons.
- Brecon Beacons: Explore the stunning flora of the Brecon Beacons, forage for edible and medicinal plants with a Local Expert.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- Bath: After a day exploring the Roman town of Bath, indulge in a traditional roast dinner.
- Puddletown: Experience Devonshire tea with a delicious selection of scones, sandwiches and tea at Athelhampton House and Gardens.
- Dorchester: Toast to your travels at a delicious dinner at your hotel.
- Brecon Beacons: Visit a local kitchen garden for a peek into the freshest seasonal aromatics from the Brecon Beacons.
- Brecon Beacons: Explore the stunning flora of the Brecon Beacons, forage for edible and medicinal plants with a Local Expert.
- Puddletown: Visit the Manor House of Athelhampton and join an Estate Manager Owen on a guided tour to discover the beautiful Tudor architecture and Elizabethan-style gardens.
- Bath: Visit the incredibly well-preserved Roman Baths. Discover 2,000 years of history and learn how this hub of culture is pioneering new educational investments to benefit the community. Its school educational program actively supports local schools and students to learn about the cultural heritage of the region. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.
- Brecon Beacons: Indulge on a hearty Farm-to-Table pub lunch, where a delicious seasonal menu with local ingredients will be available. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
- Oxford: See the spires and colleges of this world-famous university town.
- Cotswolds: This breathtaking area is about as quintessentially British as it gets. Honey-colored stone houses line the winding streets of the area’s most beautiful towns and villages, while rapeseed fields decorate this colorful part of the UK in splashes of gold. See the pretty market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, before heading to the historic city of Bath, with its Roman and Georgian architecture.
- Bath: During an orientation you will see the Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge and Bath Abbey.
- Cardiff: During an orientation with your Travel Director, see the castle and Principality Stadium.
- Glastonbury: Visit the historic Glastonbury Abbey. Founded in the 7th century, its ruins are now registered as a Grade I listed building.
- Plymouth: During an orientation tour with your Travel Director, see Plymouth Hoe and the Citadel before continuing to the Barbican and Mayflower Steps. Afterward, explore a quaint Cornish fishing village.
- Looe: Journey to this quaint coastal town. A holiday hotspot in the Victorian era, explore its stores and winding streets at leisure.
- Stonehenge: Walk around the strange and awe-inspiring megaliths that have reputedly stood for 5,000 years.
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
12 nights from $6,250 per person
Insight Vacations: Country Roads of Wales, Devon & Cornwall - Classic Group
Day 1 - Welcome to London
Welcome to London. After checking into your hotel, enjoy the afternoon at your leisure.
Accommodations: The Clermont Victoria, London
Day 2 - Oxford, the Cotswolds and Bath
From lush green rolling hills to old-world villages, this pretty country surprises and delights at every corner. Make your your way along the scenic Great West Way to Oxford. A city built to be discovered, Oxford is a wholesome image of leather-bound books, libraries, storybook buildings and picnics. Continue your journey to the Cotswolds. Just as charming as Oxford, this breathtaking area is about as quintessentially British as it gets. Honey-colored stone houses line the winding streets of the area’s most beautiful towns and villages, while rapeseed fields decorate this colorful part of the UK in splashes of gold. See the pretty market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, before heading to the historic city of Bath, with its Roman and Georgian architecture. Head on an orientation of the city before checking in to your accommodation for the night, the luxury Apex Hotel. End your day in the most British of manners with a Sunday roast dinner.
Accommodations: Apex, Bath
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - Bath through the years Relaxed Start
After a relaxed start to enjoy the amenities at your hotel, begin your exploration of Bath. Having attained UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987, this unique city is famous for its Georgian and Victorian architecture and of course its Roman-built baths. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you visit the incredibly well-preserved Roman Baths, also an important hub of culture and education for the area. During free time perhaps learn more about the life of the esteemed author Jane Austen, who made Bath her home?
Accommodations: Apex, Bath
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 - Brecon Beacons National Park
After a relaxed start you’ll move cities, and countries, as you make your way to Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Along the way you’ll visit the Brecon Beacons. A mountain range in South Wales, it is little surprise this striking location is a chosen destination for so many hikers and nature enthusiasts. Its old red sandstone cliffs hold a variety of plant life, including roseroot, green spleenwort and rue-leaved saxifrages, while its range of fauna includes otters, herons, kingfishers and the soaring red kite, which is the national bird of Wales. Visit the Brecon Beacons with Insight Choice. Choose to join your Local Expert for a foraging walk in the stunning surroundings of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Under her tuition she will show you how to reconnect with nature, and forage for edible and medicinal plants. Alternatively, visit a local kitchen garden for a peak into the freshest seasonal aromatics from the Brecon Beacons. After a morning in the great outdoors, rectify your lethargic bliss with a hearty Farm-to-Table pub lunch, where a delicious seasonal menu with local ingredients will be available. In the afternoon, you’ll arrive in Cardiff, Wales’ cultural hub.
Accommodations: Clayton, Cardiff
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 - Cardiff Relaxed Start
Enjoy a relaxed start this morning. Join your Travel Director for an orientation of this vibrant city. See Principality Stadium, home of Welsh Rugby, and Cardiff Castle. The rest of your day is at leisure.
Accommodations: Clayton, Cardiff
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 - Glastonbury Abbey and Plymouth
Begin your day at the historic ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, an 8th-century monastery steeped in legend and now registered as a Grade I listed building. Continue to the port city of Plymouth in Devon, famous for its cobbled streets, gin distilleries and the Mayflower that transported the first English Puritans to the New World.
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza, Plymouth
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 - Exploring the Southwest
Journey to the quaint coastal town of Looe, a holiday hotspot of the Victorian era. Admire Looe’s turquoise waters and sandy beach before continuing to St. Ives, where art galleries, surf shops and fashion boutiques line the quaint streets. Continue to Penzance, made famous by the comic opera "The Pirates of Penzance," which recounts the adventures of pirates who arrived at the city's shores in the late 18th century.
Accommodations: The Royal and Fortescue, Barnstaple
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 - Legends of Cornwall
Admire the unspoiled maritime scenery of Cornwall as you begin your day in Tintagel, featured in the legendary tale of King Arthur and where, according to local lore, Arthur was born. Travel to Port Isaac, a pretty fishing village and popular filming location for British television programmes. Have your camera ready to capture stonework façades and coastline views during an orientation around the village. For lunch, visit Padstow and perhaps try traditional fish and chips before returning to Barnstaple.
Accommodations: The Royal and Fortescue, Barnstaple
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Breathtaking National Parks Relaxed Start
Stop in the town of Lynmouth before journeying to Somerset's Exmoor National Park, a unique landscape of moorland, woodland and dramatic coastline. A protected Area of Outstanding Beauty, this stunning park is a mass of verdant open land, livestock and flora. Stop in Exmoor for lunch at your leisure. Your day ends at Bovey Castle. Nestled in the rolling valleys of Dartmoor National Park, this five-star accommodation stands amid 275 acres of picturesque countryside and offers an award-winning 18-hole golf course, two refurbished restaurants and individually-designed rooms. Unwind in this natural sanctuary as you enjoy the comforts of Bovey Castle. Tonight, catch up with your fellow travelers over dinner at the hotel.
Accommodations: Bovey Castle, Dartmoor
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - Country houses of Dorset Relaxed Start
Stop at Athelhampton, a 500-year-old Tudor Manor House in the heart of Dorset. Join Estate Manager Owen for a walk through one of the world’s greatest estates, and enjoy time at leisure to explore the tranquil Elizabethan gardens. Delight in a quintessential Devonshire high tea with freshly baked scones and sandwiches.
Accommodations: Summer Lodge Country House, Dorset
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 - Jurassic Coast and Weymouth
Admire England's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast, during a visit to Lulworth Cove. Stroll with an ice cream on the pebbled beach or learn about the unique geology at the Visitor Center. Travel to seaside Weymouth and enjoy time at leisure to explore the town while snacking on traditional 'seaside rock'. Perhaps join an optional visit to historic Nothe Fort with its ghost tunnel and rampart views. In the evening, join your fellow travelers for a dinner of delicious local cuisine and wine.
Accommodations: Summer Lodge Country House, Dorset
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 - Salisbury and Stonehenge
This morning, journey to iconic Stonehenge to appreciate the history, and mystery, of this prehistoric monument. The ring of standing stones is believed to have been constructed between 3000 BC and 2000 BC. It was made a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1882 and, as one of Britain’s most celebrated sites, draws visitors from around the world. Continue to Salisbury and visit the 13th-century cathedral. Witness Britain's tallest spire and see the world's best-preserved original copy of the Magna Carta. End your day in London at the hotel.
Accommodations: The Clermont Victoria, London
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13 - Homeward Bound
Bid farewell to England and Wales as your journey ends this morning.
Meals: Breakfast
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
Reference this number when contacting our agency so we may better serve you. Also keeping this number handy will allow you to locate this document again quickly.
Allara Travel
(415) 252-8303
(888) 283-9970