On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private transfer will take you to The Royal Horseguards Hotel, where we stay for the first four nights of our tour. In the evening join the group for a welcome drink and canapés, followed by dinner.

Meals: Dinner

We start today with a guided tour of Royal London, by coach and on foot, which includes the unmistakable Tower of London, with its striking White Tower – the oldest building in London. Offering a peek into thousands of years of history, this former royal residence also served as a prison where many a noblemen met their gruesome death. We also explore one of London’s oldest areas where we find hidden traces of royal history.

Next, we take a guided tour of the unique Eltham Palace. Once a medieval palace, then highly popular for Christmas celebrations in Tudor times, it was leased from the Crown and transformed by millionaires into an Art Deco mansion in the 1930s. This mesh of architectural movements served as a playground for a young Henry VIII who spent much of his childhood here in the 16th century.

We continue to Queen’s House in Royal Greenwich, this borough of London was the birthplace of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Mary, and Henry VIII had two of his six weddings here. The House itself is filled with world-famous artworks, fascinating royal history and Inigo Jones’ architectural masterpiece - the first Classical building in the UK.

This evening we enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

No trip to London is complete without a visit to the famous Buckingham Palace, which has served as the official London residence of the United Kingdom's sovereigns since 1837 and provides the backdrop to the regular Changing of the Guard ceremony. We enjoy a guided tour of the stunning State Rooms; these are the public rooms where The Queen and other members of the Royal Family entertain their guests on ceremonial, State and official occasions. The magnificent Throne Room is just one of the highlights of our tour.

We then visit the nearby Clarence House for a guided tour. Once the home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother for almost five decades, this is now the official London residence of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. We discover more about how the house has been altered to reflect the changes in occupancy over nearly two centuries.

Meals: Breakfast

Today we visit a trio of historical London sites. We start with a guided tour of the Banqueting House in Whitehall with its epic Rubens’ ceiling; a masterpiece in the golden age of painting and in fact the only surviving in-situ ceiling painting by Flemish artist, Sir Peter Paul Rubens. We also tread in the footsteps of the condemned King Charles I and stand on the spot where he was executed. This imposing and elegant venue is the only surviving part of Henry VIII’s Whitehall Palace.

We then pay a visit to the gorgeous Kensington Palace, which has been all about the young royals for the last three centuries. We wander through Victoria’s re-imagined childhood rooms and also take in the majestic King’s State Apartments. The Palace – now the official residence of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children – boasts the impressively manicured Sunken Garden, perfect for photographs and a favorite of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Afterwards we get a chance to stretch our legs during a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Dating back to the early 18th century as a royal palace, Kew Gardens is now a globally renowned institution for plant-based research. Exploding with color and with no less than 50,000 plants, there are a range of different areas to explore including the Arboretum, the peaceful Japanese garden and the remarkable indoor rainforest climbing within the Palm House. Before we leave we enjoy a guided tour of Kew Palace, this hideaway was once home of George III and Queen Charlotte.

Meals: Breakfast

This morning we check out of the hotel and head to Hampton Court Palace for a dive into the fascinating world of the Tudor court during our private guided tour. We experience the private life (and very public dramas) of Henry VIII, while we explore one of Europe’s most sophisticated palaces. We see Henry’s Great Hall and the Tudor kitchens, with time for a stroll around the enchanting riverside gardens – blossoming with flowers and grand Yew tree avenues fit for a King.

We continue to our hotel for the next two nights, the University Arms in Cambridge. After checking in we enjoy a guided city tour to find out more about the exquisite architecture, ancient colleges and the pleasant river which winds its way around this classic university city.

After dinner back at the hotel, we enjoy a fascinating talk with a guest speaker.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner