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PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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Stately Homes & Gardens of England — see the best of England's East Anglia with your very own private guide! This beautifully guided journey begins and ends in London. Visit East Anglia's 

must-see historical homes and gardens, charming villages and seaside towns. Enjoy visits to the university city of Cambridge, the Queen's rural retreat at Sandringham, some of the best gardens and landscapes in England, the ancient Anglo-Saxon burial site of Sutton Hoo, and witness the majestic countryside scenes painted by John Constable.

 

Day 1: Depart London and arrive in Lavenham

Depart London from your hotel, or London Heathrow Airport, for Audley End House, a decadent Jacobean country mansion with fine gardens. Visit nearby Saffron Walden, an attractive market town of half-timbered buildings. Continue to the historic wool village of Lavenham of small shops, tea rooms, restaurants and delightful market square, for a two-night stay.

 

Day 2: Lavenham & Dedham Vale

Guided tour Suffolk's most sought-after and picturesque Tudor village steeped with history from the 15th and 16th centuries. Visit the half-timbered Guidhall, built 1529, and Wool Hall. In the afternoon explore the scenes immortalized by the renowned painter John Constable, including Flatford, in the beautiful Dedham Vale.

 

Day 3: Layer Marney, Sutton Hoo & Aldeburgh

Depart Lavenham for Layer Marney, a Tudor palace dating from 1520, with a fine Tudor gatehouse, the tallest example in England. Continue to the ancient Anglo-Saxon burial site of Sutton Hoo, and then to the delightful Suffolk seaside town of Aldeburgh for an overnight stay.

 

Day 4: Norwich, Blickling Hall & Norfolk Broads

Leave Aldeburgh for a guided tour of Norwich, rich in medieval buildings and huge in Anglo-Saxon, Roman, Viking and Norman history. This afternoon visit Blickling Hall, a lavishly decorated 17th-century stately home with beautifully painted ceilings and notable ornamental gardens. Arrive in the picturesque Norfolk Broads, for a two-night stay.

 

Day 5: Norfolk Coast & Felbrigg Hall

Explore the north Norfolk coast boasting wide open beaches, attractive villages, art galleries, and historic homes. Visit Felbrigg Hall, dating from the 15th century, with lavish interiors, and set in a vast estate of fine gardens, woodland and lakes.

 

Day 6: Oxburgh Hall & Sandringham

Leave Blickling for Oxburgh Hall with its picturesque moat complete with swans. Enjoy an introductory talk about the house and gardens and discover the secret priest’s hole as well as the intricate embroidery crafted by Mary Queen of Scots. Afternoon at Sandringham, the country retreat of Her Majesty the Queen. Visit the house, gardens and museum. Continue to Cambridge for a two-night stay.

 

Day 7: Cambridge

Whole-day in Cambridge beginning with a private guided walking tour of the prestigious university town of Cambridge, including the Wren Library, Trinity College, King's College Chapel, Emmanuel College (where Harvard studied before leaving for America) and a chauffeured punt tour through the backs of the colleges. The rest of the day is free for you to absorb the charms of Cambridge on your own or visit the Fitzwilliam Museum of Fine Art.

 

Day 8: Hatfield House & London

Return to London where the tour ends. If time permits with your schedule visit Hatfield House, where the palace was the childhood home and favorite residence of Queen Elizabeth I.

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