Canterbury + Leeds Castle to Heathrow & London from Dover

The journey, in full

Step aboard our luxury coach with our friendly driver and knowledgeable guide for a tour of the Garden of England, visiting historic Canterbury and beautiful Leeds Castle and a tour of the orchards, hop fields and vineyards of the county of Kent. But first of all, would-be invaders and peacetime travelers came face to face with the white cliffs of Dover and the mighty Dover Castle, the key to England. This fortress dates back to Roman times and boasts a 2,000-year-old lighthouse or Pharos. Within the huge defensive walls is the 12th-century church of St Mary-le-Castro and one of the largest, most impressive Castle keeps in Britain. Hidden underneath in the soft chalk are miles and miles of tunnels built during the Napoleonic Wars and extended through World War II and again during the Cold War. This great fortress stands guard over the English Channel and is the first line of defense from invasion by sea. We depart Dover and drive up and above the famous white cliffs, continuing through this chalk landscape, our guide will illustrate a history of this country from Celtic settlers and Roman invaders to the Saxon migration and the Norman conquest. All of these visitors have weighed ashore in Kent before moving further afield, leaving their footprints on this land, through Iron Age hill forts, Roman towns, Saxon churches and Norman castles. Our first stop is the magnificent city of Canterbury with its world famous cathedral. Formerly the Roman town of Durovernum Canticorum there is an excellent museum in the city dedicated to the Roman occupation of the 1st to 4th centuries. As the Saxon capital of the Kingdom of Kent, it was here on Whit Sunday in 597AD that the Pope Gregory's representative and envoy St Augustine baptized King Ethelbert thus creating the historic heart of England's Christian heritage. In the cathedral, largely rebuilt by the Normans in the 11th century, you can see the tomb of King Henry IV and rest place of the hero of Poitiers, The Black Prince. We also learn of the death in 1170 of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. This 'murder in the cathedral' is known around the globe and the true nature of the involvement of Henry II is still open to debate today. Join our guide as we present the discussions both for and against in this dark and brutal event. In Canterbury, we include a guided walk, entry to the Cathedral is extra. You will have time to walk the narrow historic streets before we meet up again to tour this unique part of the country. Known as the Garden of England, simply because it provided London and other regions with fresh fruit and vegetables, not forgetting hops to flavor traditional English ale. We pass Oast Houses and Hop fields, orchards, and vineyards as we make our way to Leeds Castle, described by Lord Conway as 'the loveliest castle in the world'. Entry is included to Leeds Castle and Gardens. Set on two islands and dating back to 880AD, Leeds has been the home to many English Queens from the end of the 12th century to Tudor times. Beautifully landscaped gardens are the main feature of the grounds as is the stunning lake. Explore the historic interior and admire the delightful rooms then get lost in the famous maze. Our departure mid-afternoon will take us straight to London to drop at your chosen hotel before our final drops at Heathrow airport by early evening. We drive into London through Royal Greenwich and then continue towards Tower Bridge with a view of the Tower of London, before starting our central London hotel drop offs.