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Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in England 2024/2025

Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in England. Below you will find 24 of the best tour operators and travel agencies in England offering in total 224 tours and holidays through-out England. Combined they have received 438 customer reviews and an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The top tour activities offered in England are: Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history, Adventure and sport & Wildlife, landscapes and nature.

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24 Tour Operators in England with 438 Reviews

Brendan Vacations

• Address Brendan Vacations 801 E. Katella Avenue Anaheim, California 92805, California, USA
• Response Rate 90%
• Response Time 3 hours

Walkers' Britain

• Address 1B Osiers Road, London, England
• Response Rate 83%

• Best-in-Class Top 5% of companies
• Excellent Service Top 10% of companies
• Superior Service Top 15% of companies

• Address 109 Power Road, Chiswick, London, England
• Response Rate 81%
• Response Time 1 hour

• Address Picquet House, St Peter Port, Guernsey, London, England
• Response Time 2 hours

Mckenzie Mountaineering

• Address Hillcrest Braes , Ullapool, Scotland
• Response Rate 100%

Expat Explore

• Address 10 Merryweather Place, London, England

• Address Nelson House, 55-59 Victoria Rd, Farnborough, England
• Response Rate 96%

Collette Tours

• Address 162 Middle Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA
• Response Rate 86%

• Address 33 Kern Road, Toronto, Canada
• Response Rate 88%

Luxury Gold

• Response Rate 60%

• Address 38-51 Bedford Way, London, England

The London Bicycle Tour Company

• Address 74 Kennington Road, London, England

Indus Travels

• Address 233, 11951 Hammersmith Way, Richmond, Canada
• Response Rate 97%

Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours

• Address 15/56 Pitt St, Sydney, Australia
• Response Rate 74%

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10 Best England Tour Operators 2023 [Unbiased & With Reviews]

10 best england tour operators 2023.

Are you planning to visit England, but unsure which tour provider to select? Now, you no longer have to waste time searching the internet and filling out dozens of contact forms. Simply fill out ONE form, we’ll send it off to multiple tour providers and they’ll contact YOU! You’ll be able to compare rates and find the lowest cost tour for the most affordable trip abroad.

Get Free Quotes From 10 Best England Tour Operators

Are you planning on taking a vacation in England? Do you know how to find the best England tour? Would you like to know the highest rated and most professional England tour operator to plan your journey?

England is enchanting and fascinating, offering various natural marvels, lush National Parks, and countryside scenic landscapes. With over 600 miles of coastline, the country is divided into nine regions, with unique cultures, history, traditions, and personalities. As one of the most popular vacation destinations globally, England offers hundreds of historical sites, medieval castles, and prehistoric megaliths. Besides, the country is easy to get around since it has well connected automated transport infrastructure.

While vacationing in England is an extraordinary experience, it often gets problematic when you start looking for a reliable agency to design an all-inclusive vacation for you. When you search online for tour operators in England, thousands of results will show on your screen from different tour providers, all claiming to have the best offers. Many, however, cannot be trusted. So how do you know which one to select? Picking the wrong tour company in England could have terrible results.

But TravellersQuest is here to help. We would hate for you to choose the wrong tour operator in England and possibly ruin your vacation experience. To save you time and money, we spent thousands of hours finding and analyzing and found the most affordable and best tour companies England.

In this article, you’ll find an unbiased selection of the 10 best tour companies for England.

Keep reading to see the best travel packages with 10 of the most highly-rated tour companies England.

Table update Oct 22, 2021

Silent Disco Walking Tours

Company’s location and type: London, Local Tour Operator Awards, Certification: Ranked #1 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2020 Reviews: 682 Reviews on Trip Advisor 99% rated great and exceptional

About Company

Silent Disco Walking Tours is on our top list as a highly rated and trusted best tour company in England. Based in London, the company specialized in customized, bespoke, and themed music tours on special silent disco headsets. Founded by music fanatics, Silent Disco Walking Tours is internationally recognized for its funky dancing tours, experienced tour guides, and outstanding disco experiences.

Silent Disco Walking Tours primarily focuses on providing immersive and fun tours, and they have various England tour packages you can get involved in and enjoy.

Take the fully customized Private Party Booking and select your music and recorded messages to be played throughout the tour and shared with your loved ones who cannot attend. Take on an experience with Silent Disco Drag Brunch for a three-hour music medley, then hop off the tube into an unforgettable brunch experience fully dressed up. Experience the Magic of London’s Theatreland in the West End while singing and dancing to the best tunes having lots of fun.

Silent Disco Walking Tours is one of the most highly rated tour companies in England. With nearly 700 positive reviews on Trip Advisor , music enthusiasts have praised its customer service and unique fun experiences. Besides, the company is ranked #1 out of 1,596 tours in London with a 5-star rating. You can read a lovely review below.

“Fabulous funny afternoon singing & dancing around soho. Hannah Mantana & the staff were excellent. We all thoroughly enjoyed it.” – KJS: Aug 2021

Look Up London Tours

Company’s location and type: London, Local Tour Operator Awards, Certification: Ranked #4 Trip Advisor Travelers Choice 2021 Reviews: 745 Reviews on Trip Advisor

Founded in 2016 by Katie, a blogger and art graduate, Look Up London Tours is an award-winning England tour operator specializing in walking tours around London. With a team of professional guides, the company is passionate about unearthing the city’s layers of incredible monuments and history while enjoying safe and fun excursions. Based in London, Look Up London Tours’ core values, and objectives are to be passionate, authentic, and professional with every tourist.

Look Up London has exciting England vacation tour packages that can be personalized or customized to fit your needs.

No trip is complete in London without the Museum and Gallery Tours . On this tour, you will visit multiple museums, including the British Museum, National Gallery, and Tate Modern. The Look Up London Walks is designed with local Londoners in mind to help you discover every part of the city and seeing fantastic details, including historical sites. Join in on the Private London Tour for stunning sights and learn all about their attractive and grand history with a small group.

Look Up London is one of the best tour companies in England with many raving and glowing reviews. The feedback shows that the client satisfaction rate is outstanding. Of the total of 756 reviews made on Trip Advisor , 99% of the customers rated the operator as outstanding and excellent. See the positive review below:

“Quirky Bloomsbury walking tour with Katie was exactly what it said on the label! How can I, as a nearly local, go by this area so many times and not “see” what Katie pointed out to us! Insightful and so well presented. Thanks, Katie.” – Hilary P: Aug 2021

BrakeAway Bike Tours

Company’s location and type: London, Local Tour Operator Awards, Certification: Ranked #2 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2013-2020 Reviews: 2,917 Reviews on Trip Advisor

BrakeAway Bike Tours is a London-based leading and one of the top tour companies in England. The company was founded by a professional team of young local guides passionate about biking and sharing the city’s hidden gems. As a fully licensed and registered tour agency with the England Tourism Board, BrakeAway Bike Tours offers top-notch biking tours. In addition, they received the Certificate of Excellence Award by TripAdvisor for more than five years in a row.

BrakeAway Bike Tours offers safe and highly rated new England bicycle tour options to choose from that will leave you with fulfilling memories.

If you want to hear quirky tales of London, join the Grand London Tour , designed to show you all the City’s great monuments and hidden nooks just like a local. London is a safe city for riding. The Private Family Bike Tours accommodate families with young children as it is designed with accessible routes to follow along with the parks and cobbled streets. If you are going to London as a group, the Private Group Bike Tour offers the ideal opportunity to ride around the city with a professional guide whilst stopping to learn about the stunning sights.

BrakeAway Bike Tours is one of the top tour companies in England with an excellent track record of delivering safe and highly rated bike tours in England. The company has a five-star rating on Trip Advisor with nearly 3,000 reviews and ranked #2 out of 446 outdoor companies. You can read a positive review below:

“Wonderful day on a tour of London, enjoyed learning and our guide was v keen to educate with humour.” – Martina: Aug 2021

Strawberry Tours

Company’s location and type: London, Local Tour Operator Awards, Certification: Ranked #2 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2015-2019 Reviews: 22,638 Reviews on Trip Advisor

Strawberry Tours is a highly rated and multiple award-winning tour company in England based in London. The company is passionate about quality tourism, integrity, and outstanding customer service. With years of experience, they have curated carefully designed tours covering the most exciting areas of the city, to give you the best possible understanding as well as the entertainment. Strawberry Tour is on our top list with over 22,000 reviews and over seven awards for excellence from Trip advisor.

Strawberry Tours offers many different new England tour packages for all types of travelers. They will design a tour that fits your needs and budget.

Private Walking Tours are the best option if you are touring as a family or a group.  Discover the Royal family by taking the Free London Landmarks Tour , which allows you to learn about Henry the VIII or Guy Fawkes while exploring the Palaces, including the Buckingham Palace. Join the Free James Bond & The History of Espionage , the world’s most famous spy, while discovering the Westminster for the iconic locations of the James Bond films.

Strawberry Tours has garnered over 22,000 excellent and raving positive reviews on Trip Advisor from both international and local tourists who took their England tour for their excellent customer service. In addition, over 98% of past tourists have attested to the company’s professionalism and affordable packages.  Read this positive review below:

“Tour guide Mark very enthusiastic and easy to listen to. Made the walk interesting by giving an insight into life in the East End.” – Sharon Parsons: Aug 2021

Free Tours By Foot

Company’s location and type: London, Local Tour Operator Awards, Certification: Ranked #2 Trip Advisor Reviews: 4,791 Reviews on Trip Advisor

Founded over 15 years ago, Free Tours by Foot is a leading, fully accredited, and government-licensed tour operator new England. The company is proud of its well-trained, highly experienced, and passionate guides committed to delivering the best escapades in a hassle-free manner. For your convenience, the trips cover neighborhoods such as Westminster, London, and Greenwich. Free Tours by Foot does not require an upfront cost. You will decide the worth of your tour upon completion.

Free Tours by Foot specializes in offering the best tours packages, and you can join in on any fun new England tour.              

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting boat cruise, Hop-On-Hop-Off Thames River Cruises . This tour allows you the freedom to explore at your own pace. Whether you are a group of friends, a family, or a couple, the Private London Tours are customized depending on your requirements or budget. The East London Food Tours are very popular because the district is home to several immigrants, so there is a wide variety of cuisines and drinks that you can sample.

As one of our top tour companies in England, Free Tours by Foot is an excellent choice for fun, safe and affordable walking tours. The company has earned the rank of #2 of 420 food tours in London with a 5-star rating and 4,700 raving reviews on Trip Advisor . You can read this review left by a traveler recently:

“A very enjoyable and informative way to spend a couple of hours getting fit and learning stuff. Canice is extremely knowledgeable and delivers the information in a very entertaining way.” – Simon P: Aug 2021

Go Cotswolds

Company’s location and type: Cotswold, Local Tour Operator Year of establishment: 2014 Awards, Certification: Ranked #2 Trip Advisor Reviews: 843 Reviews on Trip Advisor 99% rated great and exceptional

Founded by Tom and Lisa Benjamin, Go Cotswolds is an independent, award-winning family-run business delivering fun and safe tours in North Cotswolds. Since its inception in 2014, this tour company in England focuses on guided tours that ensure that tourists have time for self-exploration between each location for a memorable and life-changing trip. Join Go Cotswolds Tours for adventurous day tours in the Cotswolds countryside and villages with one of the best new England tour companies.

Go Cotswolds offers many attractive new England tour packages to choose from.

On the company’s award-winning Cotswolds in a Day Tour , you’ll visit popular and gorgeous Cotswold villages for incredible scenery and hidden gems such as Dover Hill and Bibury.  The Private Tours of the Cotswolds are enjoyable and an affordable way for small groups to explore the Cotswolds and beyond. If you are looking for walking opportunities in the countryside, you can sign up for the Cotswolds Trails and Villages Tour to see amazing scenic landscapes and explore the picturesque rivers and stone bridges.

Go Cotswolds is ranked #2 out of 29 tours in Stratford-upon-Avon for its unique packages and excellent customer service. With over 843 reviews on Trip Advisor , the company is also rated with a 5-star ranking. When you book a New England tour with them, be confident that they will execute it competently. See what past tourists had to say:

“We managed to visit the beautiful parts of the Cotswold, and Tom was very kind and helpful. The minibus was very clean. We truly enjoyed this lovely trip! Thank you so much 😊 .” – Uyeng Ng: Aug 2021

Cambridge Tour Guides

Company’s location and type: Cambridge, Local Tour Operator Year of establishment: 2011 Awards, Certification: Ranked #2 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2020 Reviews: 801 Reviews on Trip Advisor 99% rated great and exceptional

Cambridge Tour Guides is an award-winning and one of the best tour companies England operated by Chris Skilton and Tony Rodgers. Established in 2011, the company is a registered Cambridge Green Badge Guides, passionate about curating fun and informative new England tour itinerary. All the Green Badge Guides have intensive training and are accredited to take tourists inside the Cambridge colleges. Besides, Cambridge Tour Guides are multilingual and can deliver tours in many languages, including Spanish, German, French, and Italian.

Cambridge Tour Guides has a long list of unique new England tour packages that are fun and enjoyable to join.

Cambridge is a city with many medieval buildings, it is no surprise to the many ghost stories floating around. On the Cambridge Ghost Tour , the guides will show you places where unexplained and mysterious occurrences are known to have taken place. The Cambridge Places and People Tour includes famous colleges, such as King’s, Trinity, the Old Cavendish Laboratory, and Eagle Pub. No one believes in ghosts.  However,  A Shared Ghost Tour will make you change your mind with medieval artwork and mysterious occurrences.

This tour operator’s New England reviews show that Cambridge Tour Guides’ client satisfaction rate is outstanding and excellent. With nearly 801 reviews made on Trip Advisor , 99% of the company’s past guests rated the operator as very good and exceptional. See the positive review below:

“Tony gave us an excellent tour and was happy to answer any questions. He is very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend.” – Bennett S: Aug 29

The London Bicycle Tour Company

Company’s location and type: London, Local Tour Operator Year of establishment: 1991 Awards, Certification: Ranked #6 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2020 Reviews: 2,347 Reviews on Trip Advisor 99% rated great and exceptional

The London Bicycle Tour Company is the original bike tour England established in 1991. With over 20 years of experience, the company’s tours are safe and suitable for all travelers, including families, couples, and individuals. They specialize in London’s historically rich quarter bike tours, night tours, and day trips in multiple languages, including English, German, and Spanish. For the best experience in England, book a vacation with the London Bicycle Tour Company and find all the hidden gems while learning centuries of history.

With years of experience, the London Bicycle Tour Company offers multiple New England biking tours that are fun and diverse.

The Classic Gold Tour is the company’s premium ride to central London through to Buckingham Palace in the morning to see the Changing of the Guard. After a busy day, wind down with a Private Sunset Tour , perfect for London newcomers and the ultimate sightseeing experience. You can also join the London City Walking Tour covering iconic and historical sites such as Gherkin and the Tower Bridge.

London Bicycle Tour Company is ranked #7 of 446 tour companies in England and with 2,348 amazing reviews on Trip Advisor . This award-winning company has also been given a 5-star rating for its exemplary service.

“Jordi gave my family a 4-hour extensive bike tour of London. He even did it all in French. Very entertaining. We highly recommend The London Bicycle Tour Company.” – Muriel: Aug 2021

Cambridge Alumni Tours

Company’s location and type: Cambridge, Local Tour Operator Awards, Certification: Ranked #5 Trip Advisor Reviews: 1,463 Reviews on Trip Advisor

Cambridge Alumni Tours is a student-guided independent England tour company based in King’s Parade and Oxford. The company offers private or shared walking tours around the Cambridge University Colleges suitable for prospective students, school groups, corporate groups, and tourists. The trips are conducted by Cambridge alumnus, local professional guides, or current students who will help you explore the authentic insights of the student community at the University of Cambridge.

By joining Cambridge Alumni Tours, you will experience the best England vacation tour packages that are affordable and fun.

If you are a group of prospective students, join in the Bespoke Group Tours to Oxbridge for application workshops and inspirational talks. The exclusive Private Cambridge Punting Tour is perfect for family, prospective students, or even hen parties. On this tour, you will cruise the eight most famous colleges and the nine iconic bridges. This Private Walking Tour of Oxford is great for prospective students looking to understand the application process and with questions about student life.

Cambridge Alumni Tours has many outstanding great reviews from past tourists because of their unique England tour.  The company is ranked #5 of 38 outdoor activities in Cambridge, with almost 1,500 positive Trip Advisor feedback. Below read what a past tourist had to say about the services of this tour company in England:

Very good. Well organized. The guide (joseph) was nice and responded to any questions. Highly recommended. Best way to spend your day at Cambridge. – Rania Z: Aug 2021

The English Bus

Company’s location and type: Cambridge, Local Tour Operator Awards, Certification: Ranked #13 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2019 Reviews: 2,678 Reviews on Trip Advisor

The English Bus is a highly rated and professional small family-run business based in London specializing in transportation services on the off-beaten track following scenic routes that the big buses can’s access. With years of experience, this award-winning and one of the top tour companies in England has raving reviews as a travel expert with unique adventures.  The company’s tour guides are incredibly passionate, articulate, and knowledgeable, with expertise to craft excellent tailor-made excursions.  

In England, The English Bus offers a healthy mix of tours of New England.

The Oxford Tour takes you to the home of the world’s most famous university dating back over 900 years. If you want to see the quintessential English countryside, join the Cotswold Tour and enjoy stone cottages and the babbling brooks with green landscapes. Make learning exciting by enrolling in a School Group Tour with a professional guide who will also be your motivational speaker.

The English Bus offers professionally guided private and group tours around England. For this, they have been highly rated by past clients for excellent customer service and outstanding tour packages. On Trip Advisor , this tour operator New England, is ranked #13 out of 1,597 tours in London with nearly 2,678 reviews. Read this a lovely review by a former tourist:

“Andrew is a very engaging, entertaining, and knowledgeable tour guide. There was never a dull moment while on the tour. He even gave us great tips and advice on where to go and what to do on our UK holiday! We even had a treat on the bus!” – Ellenbmd: Mar 2020

This article has clearly analyzed the top 10 tour operators in England. If you are planning on taking a trip to England, then you should think about using this exemplary and contact the companies that you feel best like will suit all your interest and budget.

We would love to hear about your tour to England, or if you have already been to England with one of these tour providers, please get in touch and tell us about your experience!

Honorable Mentions

• Liquid History Tours , Trip Advisor – 2775 Reviews
• London Walks , Trip Advisor – 2490 Reviews
• Shoreditch Street Art Tours , Trip Advisor – 2129 reviews
•   Tigers Thames , Trip Advisor – 425 Reviews
• Tour for Muggles , Trip advisor – 3700 Reviews
• Fun London Tours , Trip Advisor – 2129 reviews
• Brit Movie Tours , Trip Advisor – 1575 Reviews
• Evan Evans Tours , Trip Advisor – 9078 reviews
• Premium Tours – London Tours , Trip Advisor – 6456 Reviews
• Expat Explore Travel , Trip Advisor – 315 Reviews

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Best UK Tours 2023/4 – Reviews & Itinerary Guide

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: June 13, 2023

Taking one of the many UK tours on offer can be a great way to explore the United Kingdom if this is one of your first trips in the UK. There are several advantages to taking a guided or self-guided tour for part (or all) of your time visiting the UK. 

Guided tours of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland allow you to minimise the travel hassle as you’ll have a company to do most of the planning for you, and many of the United Kingdom tour package options we’ve included here allow you to see far more of the UK in a shorter period of time than it would be possible to do on your own. 

Guided tours of UK can also offer good value for money, and there are some great UK trip packages on offer. Unfortunately, choosing which UK tour to take is not so easy – as the choice of tours in UK can be really overwhelming. There are just so many, so where to start looking? 

In this guide I’ll walk you through some of my favourite UK tour itineraries and how to choose the best UK tour that’s right for you. Whether you’re looking for England tours, cheap UK tours, all-inclusive England vacation packages, or the best coach holidays UK has, you’ll find plenty of options in this blog. I’ve also included some of my recommended cycling and walking holidays UK has for those looking for an active break. 

Let’s get started with the best Great Britain tours 2023/4 options on offer! 

Best Tours of Great Britain – Comparison Chart

When is the best time to go on your uk trip , mode of transport, pace of travel, elegance of great britain – insight vacations – 11 days, castles & kilts – trafalgar tours – 10 days, great britain 7 days, uk by train – great rail journeys uk – 12 days.

• The Lake District & Scotland – Rabbie's – 9 Days

Highlights of Scotland – G Adventures – 7 Days

Country roads of scotland – insight vacations – 9 days.

• Best of Scotland 

8 Day Isle of Skye, Orkney & North Coast

Britain and ireland, essential britain & ireland – globus – 10 days, britain & ireland explorer – insight vacations – 13 days, walk hadrian’s wall, g adventures, globus journeys , great rail journeys, insight vacations, intrepid travel, indus travels , trafalgar travel, rabbie’s tours, extending your british tour with extra days in london.

If you want to compare even more of the best coach trips the UK has or other styles of tour, I recommend TourRadar as a great place to compare tours and read more UK tour reviews. 

When planning for your trip to England or the rest of the UK, it’s important to take seasonality into consideration. I go over all the details of the weather and the seasons in the UK here in this article . 

When comparing tour operator UK options and which trip to take, be aware that UK tours tend to run with reduced frequency during the winter months, with many of the best UK tour packages running more frequently in spring and summer (April – August).

While some British coach holidays run year-round, speciality outdoor trips such as cycling holidays UK options may only run during summer months. 

Best United Kingdom Tours – Choosing the Best Tour for you

When searching for the best UK travel packages and tours, there are many factors to consider. Here are some of the top things I recommend taking a few minutes to think about before deciding on the best tour of Britain for you: 

Many of the most popular UK guided tour options are small group tours. UK small group tours vary widely in size with what is deemed to be a ‘small’ group – with some having up to 50 in a group while others keep it to 12 or under. 

Coach tours UK options are a convenient way to travel around with the rest of your group and often allow more to be fitted into an itinerary than independently travelling by train.

These range in style and you can find plenty of luxury coach holidays UK options as well as budget bus tours UK.

If you want to take the train but also like the idea of a guided tour, you could consider one of the train holidays UK options listed below. 

This is the one most of us forget to consider! In order to fit as much in as possible, some of the popular coach holidays in England and the rest of the UK move very fast, taking in multiple cities and sights in a day and usually spending only 1 night in a place. 

This can get tiring, so if you prefer to spend at least a couple of nights in each place, check for itineraries that allow you more time or you could consider choosing one of the self-drive holidays UK options available. 

Also, see our tips at the end of this article for extending your stay in the UK by spending extra days in London, Edinburgh, or any of the other common UK tour starting and endpoints. 

England vacation packages and tours have different inclusions depending on the style of trip and company.

Most include transport, guide, accommodation and some meals, but check the small print so you know what you are and aren’t getting included on tours to England.

The entrance fees to many sights are often not included in tour pricing. 

Best Great Britain Tours (England, Scotland, Wales)

Below you’ll find our favourite United Kingdom trip tour packages that take in England, Scotland and in some cases Wales, too. For tours that also include Ireland, see the next section. 

Best for seeing England & Scotland at a more leisurely pace

Starting in Edinburgh and finishing in London, this 11-day journey through some of England and Scotland’s finest sights is a great option for those wanting to travel in comfort or who are looking for the best UK tours for seniors. 

This is one of our favourite England and Scotland tour packages if you prefer a tour that spends 1-2 nights in each place and allows you to relax more in the places that you visit.

Staying at 4* accommodations throughout the trip, this itinerary starts in Edinburgh and takes in Gretna Green, the stunning Lake District , historic York, Stratford-upon-Avon, the Cotswolds and Bath before finishing up in London.

Travel is by private coach. 

As trips to England and Scotland go, this Insight Vacations UK trip is one for those who want to see the best of the UK’s history, natural beauty and culture in comfort and style. If you have additional time, we highly recommend adding on extra days in London or Edinburgh (or both!). 

Click here for more info and pricing

Best for fitting lots of England in at a great price

Starting in London and finishing in Edinburgh, this 10 day London – Scotland tour by Trafalgar Tours England is a great option for those who want to see as much as possible during their trip and don’t mind travelling at a faster pace. 

One of the popular tours of England and Scotland, this itinerary spends 3 days taking in the sights of London at the start of the tour, so you don’t need to worry about booking additional time at the start of the tour (unless you want to).

From London, head north to Oxford and Bath before crossing the Welsh borders and exploring some fine Welsh castles . You’ll also visit Chester, Lancaster and Hadrian’s wall before finishing in Edinburgh. 

If you want to include a trip to Wales in your UK tour itinerary then this is a great tour to go for, and history lovers will enjoy every stop of this trip that showcases the UK’s history from the Wars of the Roses to Roman Bath – you even get to stay at Ruthin Castle in Wales – a 13th century castle with its original moat!

Best for seeing it all in seven days

If you only have seven days to spend in the UK, this whistle-stop tour will whisk you up and down the length and breadth of Britain to introduce you to the highlights. Included on the itinerary are a list of destinations for day trips outside London – and beyond. 

The cities of Bath, Cambridge and York in England, plus the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, are included. Stratford-upon-Avon is also visited as the home of the UK’s most revered playwright. Experiences to savour include seeing Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis in Scotland, and enjoying a traditional roast dinner in historic, compact York. 

In addition to Georgian Bath and the capital London, this seven day tour takes you to some other fascinating UK locations too. There’s sculptor Antony Gormley’s famous Angel of the North artwork, a Scottish border town, Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile, and the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness.

Once you head down the west coast, the musical and sporting city of Liverpool awaits. You’ll also venture into Wales to see the city of Cardiff and a ​​mediaeval Welsh castle. After touring Bath, the last stop en route back to London is Stonehenge. This ancient site is shrouded in mystery – and a must on the itinerary of every visitor to the UK.

Best for train travel and rail holidays UK

There’s arguably nothing more quintessentially British than train travel – and if life on the rails in Britain is what you’ve been romanticising about, then this is one of the train tours UK for you.

This UK rail itinerary takes in the best of Scotland and England, with the chance to ride on one of the best-known steam train trips UK has to offer on the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig.

You’ll travel on the West Highland Line, North East Main Line that links Edinburgh and York, and the West Coast Mainline south from Glasgow.

Travel is at a more leisurely pace with 2 nights spent in most cities, staying in mostly 4* hotels. You’ll also get to see Bath and Stonehenge before finishing in London. 

If you’re looking for guided tours of England and Scotland by train, this is a great itinerary to go for. You’ll get to experience many of the UK’s best-known railways and take in the country’s top historic and cultural sights along the way. Travel is by train and private coach. 

The Lake District & Scotland – Rabbie’s – 9 Days

Best for taking in the beautiful scenery of the Lake District & Scottish Highlands

Rabbie’s tours of the UK offer great value for money, and if you want to be immersed in some of the UK’s finest landscapes and are interested in guided walking holidays UK options, this is a great way to dip your toes in. 

Starting in Manchester, this itinerary is a ‘rail and trail’ combination of 2 Rabbie’s trips , meaning you’ll change minibus and guide half way through.

First you’ll explore the stunning Lake District in the beautiful north west of England, enjoying Windermere and Ullswater before taking the train up to Edinburgh for your Highlands adventure that visits some of the most scenic spots on Scotland’s west coast: Uban, Mull and Skye before heading back to the mainland to visit the iconic Eilean Donan castle. 

If you’re looking for the best adventure tours UK has, then we recommend Rabbie’s who deliver great tours at a budget-friendly price point for those who love the outdoors.

Best for Scottish Highlands exploring and Solo Trips UK. 

If you’re looking to focus your UK trip on Scotland , then this 7 day Scotland tour from Edinburgh by G Adventures is well worth a look.

G Adventures also offer very reasonable single supplements if you’re looking for the best solo holidays uk options – or you can choose to share a room with another traveller of the same sex. Either way, G Adventures UK is popular with solo travellers. 

Starting in Edinburgh and finishing in Glasgow, this Scotland tour takes in Inverness and the famous Loch Ness, Culloden Moor (famous for the Jacobite rising of 1745), the beautiful Isle of Skye and Fort William, with a chance to snap the famous Jacobite Steam Train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct (a must for Harry Potter fans) en route.

Accommodation is on a twin-share basis in 3* hotels and travel is by private minibus. 

If you want the highlights of the highlands of Scotland, this is a good tour to go for, with the option to add on extra days at the start or end of your tour – you could easily spend more time in Edinburgh, or head down to London. 

Off the beaten-path Highlands of Scotland

One of our favourite Great Britain vacation packages for getting a little off the beaten path is this wonderful northern Scotland adventure by Insight Vacations. Perfect for those wanting to see more of the Scottish Highlands or try something different when it comes to the many UK holiday packages. 

Starting in Edinburgh, on this upscale tour you’ll take in Inverness and Loch Ness, the beautiful and remote Orkney Islands at the northern tip of Scotland – a part that few visitors see – before heading south down the west coast of Scotland to take in the Isle of Skye, the stunning Glencoe pass and Loch Lomond before finishing up in Glasgow.

Accommodation is in 4* hotels and travel is by private coach. 

This is certainly one of the best UK coach holidays 2021 has to offer if the Scottish Highlands have been calling to you. You’ll love this one if you want to see the full diversity of landscapes and richness of community and culture that Scotland has. 

Best of Scotland  

Best for uncovering all four corners of Scotland  

If you want to find the best luxury coach tours in the UK that cover much of what lies north of the border, then the Best of Scotland tour from Trafalgar is a popular option for summer. The adventure begins in the capital of Edinburgh on day one. You’ll then be transported around Bonnie Scotland for seven days before ending up in Glasgow. 

This vibrant city lies to the west of Edinburgh. It’s the biggest in Scotland in terms of both population and square mileage. The metropolis is renowned for its magnificent architecture and as a cultural hub for fans of music, museums and more.

After arrival and on the second day of the tour, you’ll delve deeper under the surface of the historic and breathtakingly beautiful Scottish capital. Key sights including Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and Palace of Holyroodhouse are visited during your guided tour, and you’ll also enjoy free time to spend as you wish. 

Between leaving Edinburgh and arriving in Glasgow – both of which are in southern Scotland – you’ll head north. The first stop is St. Andrews, where Prince William met Kate Middleton, before overnighting at a hotel in the Cairngorms National Park. During day four, you’ll visit the site of the famous Jacobite uprising, see Eilean Donan Castle, look out for the Loch Ness Monster and head over to the Isle of Skye. 

The fifth day of the tour includes Ben Nevis and Glencoe en route to Glasgow. After staying overnight there, you’ll take a city tour before calling at Clydeside whisky distillery and Stirling Castle on day six. Day seven is departure day, unless you decide to stay on in Glasgow for longer. 

Best for touring unspoiled Scotland

If what appeals to you most about the British Isles is the chance to spend time in Bonnie Scotland, this tour to far northern Scotland might be the one for you. It’s what Great Britain vacations are made of for many – beguiling cities, beautiful coastline and of course a dazzlingly rich and varied history. 

Day one transports you from Edinburgh to Inverness, via the famous Forth Bridge, picture-perfect Perthshire, the peaceful village of Dunkeld, the fascinating Highland Folk Museum, the Cairngorms National Park, bloody Culloden Battlefield and the standing stones at Clava Cairns. 

Next up on the second day is the spectacular North Coast 500 trail, via French-style Dunrobin Castle, en route to the island of Orkney. Puffin territory and an astonishingly well-preserved Neolithic settlement await after overnighting on Orkney. 

Both the better-known and lesser seen sights of Scotland make up much of the tour’s second half. These include Smoo Cave in Sutherland, the harbour village of Ullapool, Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Skye, the Jacobite Steam Train from Mallaig to Fort William and Glencoe.

During the last day, you can also choose to take an optional side trip to one of the Western Isles – namely Iona, Kerrera, Mull or Staffa. Alternatively, climb up Battery Hill in Oban or call into the 

 local Whisky Distillery. Finally, before heading back to Edinburgh, visit the Kelpies and Stirling Castle. 

Best England, Ireland, Scotland Tour packages

Some of these itinerary options include the best England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales tours for a comprehensive circuit of the British Isles, while others combine Ireland and Scotland to get a fuller taste of the Celtic lands. 

Best for a whistle-stop tour of the UK and Ireland

If seeing England and Scotland isn’t enough for you, then you might like to add on Ireland. This ten day trip is arguably the best way to see England, Scotland and Ireland in one hit. It lasts for ten days, and packs far more into that time than you could feasibly manage on a self-guided basis. 

First up after departing London is Shakespeare country and Stratford-upon-Avon, then it’s the Yorkshire cities of York and Bradford. The Yorkshire Dales, Lake Windermere, Gretna Green and Glasgow are then on the agenda for day three. 

There’s a day in Edinburgh for the fourth day, before heading to Ayrshire, Belfast, Dublin, Kilkenny and Waterford on day five and six. Cardiff, Bath and Windsor are the final stops before the tour winds up back in London. 

This tour offers incredible value for money, and really maximises each and every day when time in the UK is tight. 

Best for trips to England and Ireland that include the main highlights

If you’re looking at tours of England, Scotland and Ireland, then this 10 day trip by Globus may tick all the right boxes. 

Start and end in London on this tour that takes in the English highlights of Stonehenge and Bath before exploring Newport and Cardiff in Wales en route by ferry to Waterford and Dublin in Ireland.

Head north through Ireland towards the up-and-coming city of Belfast and crossing back into Scotland to take in the sights of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.

On the final leg you’ll head south through York and Stratford upon Avon to London to soak up the best of English history. Travel is by coach. 

This is one of the best tours of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland if you’re tight on time and don’t want to forgo any of the countries of the British Isles. The travel is at a fairly fast pace though – so you may wish to add on a few days to relax at the end of your trip. 

Best for combining Scottish Highlands & Ireland

One of the comprehensive UK tours from London options in this list, this itinerary works well if you want to start in London and have a few days before your trip starts to explore the UK’s capital – either through an extension booked through Insight or under your own steam. 

Leaving London, this ultimate UK tour takes in the historic English highlights of Stratford and York before heading past Hadrian’s Wall to Edinburgh and circling the Scottish Highlands.

Take in the legendary sights of Loch Ness, Glencoe and a boat trip on Loch Lomond before heading back south into England and Wales, and crossing over into Ireland.

Travel is by private coach and accommodation is at 4* hotels. 

On this grand UK tour, you’ll spend a total of 5 nights in Ireland and 7 in England & Scotland, making this the perfect UK tour packages from London when you just want to see it all! 

Best for English countryside and Roman history

Following the route of Hadrian’s Wall makes for one of the best road trips in the UK. Though the wall is quite justifiably famous, the route along it is far less touristy than other parts of the British Isles. The wall stretches from near Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the east to the compact city of Carlisle in the west. 

Hadrian’s Wall can be found within the more peaceful parts of England’s two most northerly counties. As this is a walking tour you’ll need a reasonable level of fitness, but this also means you’ll get up really close to the sights of Cumbria and Northumberland. And of course the unspoiled English countryside, with its dry stone walls and sheep-dotted emerald fields. 

To give you some idea of the distances, the first day’s walk is around eight miles, between Carlisle and Irthington. Other walks include the six mile trek between Lanercost Priory and Gilsland, the three-and-a-half Walltown Crags to Haltwhistle route and seven miles from Once Brewed to Brocolitia Fort. It’s also nine miles from Chollerford to East Wallhouses, and about five from East Wallhouses to Wylam. 

Highlights of this tour include the pretty Cumbrian village Crosby-on-Eden; Birdoswald, Housesteads, Brocolitia and Vindolanda Roman Forts, Walltown quarry, Sycamore Gap, the site of the victory of Oswald and the historic old Military Road. 

Best Tour Companies UK Reviews

Not sure which of the best travel agency UK options you should pick? Below you can find a short review of what to expect when travelling with any of the UK tour companies mentioned above. 

G Adventures tours are known for their good value and experience-rich approach. They attract travellers of all ages, both couples and solo travellers, thanks to their twin-share policy where single travellers can travel at no extra cost if they share with another traveller of the same sex.

Travel is in small groups (max 12) and includes a local tour guide “CEO”. Accommodation is in mid-range hotels and guest houses, and typically breakfasts and entry to some sights are included.

Travel in the UK is mostly by private mini-bus unless otherwise stated. 

Popular for coach tours in the UK and around the world, Globus Journeys offer guided coach tours in the UK and Ireland, either with smaller groups (max 24) or larger groups (up to 50) depending on the style of the trip.

Accommodation is typically in tourist class hotels (3* and 4*) with well known brands. Globus is popular among travellers aged in their 50’s, 60’s and up for the convenience of travel by coach and their tours have more meals and excursions included than some.

Expect itineraries that pack places in, so you’ll see a lot, and stays are typically 1 night. 

GRJ are the go-to for UK steam tours and railway journeys around the UK and beyond, so if travelling the UK by train is what you’re hoping to do, look no further.

Itineraries are designed to take in iconic lines and to provide the best steam train holidays UK has (or ‘regular’ trains). Journeys are escorted by a Tour Manager, and the majority of travellers are either solo travellers or couples aged between 45 – 80.

Accommodation is in 3* hotels or higher. The maximum group size on any trip is 50, or you can opt for a tailor made travel experience. 

Insight Vacations are an upscale tour company offering luxury UK coach tours with up to 40 people per group.

Travellers are typically 45 and up, and itineraries are a little more relaxed than many other tour companies, including 2 night stays at many destinations and “relaxed starts” in the morning spread out through the trip allowing time to catch up on rest if you need it.

Accommodation is in 4* hotels and trips are accompanied by a tour manager. 

Famous for great value adventures around the world, in the UK Intrepid offer a range of shorter ‘retreat’ style trips – so if you’re after hiking trips UK or a guided walking and cycling holiday, look no further.

Accommodation is in local guest houses and you’ll be accompanied by your own Intrepid Travel guide for the duration of the trip.

Maximum group size is 12, and rooms are on a twin share basis with the same sex if you’re a solo traveller, or you can pay a supplement to have your own room. 

Offering a mix of small group tours, independent adventures, cruises and self-drive vacations, Indus Travels allows you to set your own pace of travel with flexible itineraries when you choose one of their ‘unbundled tours’ or self-drive trips.

Self-drive trips are just you, your car rental, itinerary and accommodation, whereas group tours have up to 22 travellers, English-speaking local guides, deluxe accommodation and air conditioned coaches included.

Indus is popular with younger and older travellers alike, with many travellers in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. 

Well known and popular Trafalgar Tours England have been offering coach travel around the UK for many years and have many happy customers behind them.

Group tours have a maximum of 50 people, travelling by coach to the most popular destinations. They are popular for England tours for seniors (and younger people), and on any of their England tour packages you’re guaranteed to have a lot packed into your itinerary. That’s one thing to bear in mind – this is definitely not slow travel – but it’s a good way to get an overview of the British Isles.

All tours are accompanied by a guide and accommodation is tourist class 3* or 4* international standard hotels. 

Rabbie’s tours have some great England travel deals (and beyond). They’re a small group tours company providing great value breaks that help you get off the beaten track in the UK and Europe.

Rabbie’s aim to support local communities and promote responsible travel, by keeping tour groups small (10 people). They also work differently to other tour companies in that accommodation is not included in the tour price – once you book your tour you can choose your accommodation from a selection offered by Rabbie’s to suit your budget and preferences.

The name Rabbie’s comes from the nickname for famous Scot, Robert Burns! 

If you have a day, two, or more aside from your tour, we highly recommend taking advantage of those to explore London, or another city if your tour is starting from elsewhere – Edinburgh is another popular starting point for the UK tours mentioned in this guide. 

While some tours include sightseeing in London (or another departure city), not all do – or they include a very shortened version – and trust us that 1 day is definitely not enough to see London in, especially if you’re jetlagged. 

If you can, arrive a few days before your tour begins to enjoy the top London sights and get onto UK time if you’re flying in from far away. You can find our complete London travel guide here to get you started.

If you have specific questions about a destination in the UK why not join my UK and London Travel Planning Group on Facebook where you can chat with others planning their trip.

• London Walks
• Museums and Galleries
• Day Tours From London
• Overnight Tours

Stonehenge Tours

• Military Tours
• Rambling Tours
• Virtual Tours of Britain
• Paris Day Tours
• Day Tours from Paris
• Overnight Tours of France
• Normandy Tours
• Airport Transfers
• Rome Day Tours
• Day Tours from Rome
• Overnight Tours of Italy
• Special Interest Tours

Stonehenge at Dusk or Dawn

"We arrived at at dawn and were allowed to go into the circle. It was a very moving and unforgettable experience".

Private London Tours

See London by car with your own expert driver-guide. "We saw more of London in a day than most people see in a week!".

Stately Homes, Castles & Gardens

Visit some of Britain's most beautiful Stately Homes, Castles & Gardens on a day tour or overnight tour from London

Downton Abbey

See the real sights from the award winning historical TV drama

Private views of the Crown Jewels, The British Museum, Kensington Palace etc ...

Ghost Tours

Spectral Sightings and London's Haunted History

The City of London Walk

The original site of London 2000 years ago, the City is one of the most interesting and unique areas of London.

Ancestry Research

Let our experts research your Family Tree in Britain

The Thames Path Walks

The Thames is a Medieval river, a Victorian river, a Royal river, an Industrial and Commercial river and a river for leisure, pleasure and residential living. Discover the river with your expert guide.

A Walk through the City of London

Victorian market places, medieval churches and Roman remains.

The British Museum

Over 8 million treasures from around the world. See some of the highlights on a private two hour tour or on a flexible full day London tour.

Spitfire Flights

From The Blog: Take to the skies in the legendary Spitfire from a Battle of Britain airfield

Overnight Castles

Visit Hever Castle, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace and spend the night at luxurious Amberley Castle.

Normandy D-Day Tours

Omaha Beach, St Mere Eglise, Arromanches and many more. By car, train or private plane from London or Paris.

WELCOME TO BRITISH TOURS LTD.

Britain's longest- established private tour operator since 1958.

If you are looking for private London tours, and flexible tours of England, Scotland & Wales with excellent tour guides - you have come to the right place.

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Private london tour.

Flexible tours of London by private car, minibus or public transport with expert guides. British Tours since 1958.

Stonehenge Inner Circle Tour

Inner circle Stonehenge Tour at Dawn or Dusk. Your guide will collect you by private car from your London hotel.

Westminster Abbey

Visit the royal church with over 1000 years of history, setting of coronations and resting place of the Kings and Queens of England with your expert tour guide.

Tower of London

Unlock the fascinating history of the Tower of London, a place of drama and intrigue for nearly 1000 years, with your expert tour guide!

London Tours & Surroundings

London tours.

London for first timers and seasoned visitors. Special interests include Residential London, Legal London, Architecture, Kids London, Maritime Greenwich, VIP London and more

Museums & Galleries

We have expert guides for all London's Museums & Galleries including The British Museum, The National Gallery, Sir John Soane's Museum, The National Portrait Gallery and the V & A. For any others just ask!

Private London Walks

Notting Hill, The City of London, Borough and the South Bank, Political London, Rock and Roll London ... we have an expert guide for all special interests and for all languages

Visit Stonehenge with the Avebury Stone Circle, King Arthur sites, Bath, Windsor, Oxford, Salisbury or Winchester. Or visit Stonehenge on an Inner Circle Tour at Sunrise or Sunset

England Tours & Britain

Tour some of England's most historic Castles - Leeds, Hever & Windsor Castle. Also visit Hampton Court Palace, Churchill's home at Chartwell and stay the night at Luxury Amberley Castle

Gems of the South

For centuries the wealthy and aristocratic have built their great manor houses and castles South of London in Kent & Sussex, beautiful regions of orchards, copses & hop fields, splendid gardens, delightful villages and towns

Overnight Stratford Tour

The highlight of this tour is Stratford-Upon-Avon, a small Tudor market town situated along the tree fringed river Avon immortalised by William Shakespeare

Wales Tours

Visit this enchanted country of remote mountains, sparkling lakes, windswept cliffs - beautiful Snowdonia, the majestic castles of Beaumaris, Harlech & Caernarfon, lovely Bodnant Gardens and more

Paris Tours & Surroundings

London to paris day tours.

Take the high speed Eurostar from London to the Heart of Paris where you will be met by your expert, private guide for your flexible tour of Paris

Private France Tours

Overnight normandy.

Visit Mont-St-Michel, Bayeux and the Normandy D-Day sights on this two day tour

Who is your Guide?

Our guides are personable educated men and women, chosen for their knowledge, special interests, backgrounds and personality. They will collect you by car from any central London location and guide you inside places of historic importance

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10 of the best tour operators

Plan your next tour holiday with the expert advice of our travel doctor.

H undreds of UK travel companies sell package holidays, but you have to find the right one to turn your next escape into the trip of a lifetime. Here are ten tour operators whose expertise, advice and support you can rely on. Each has features that make them stand out, catering to different travel styles, budgets, and preferences, whether you crave a classic two-week beach break in the Med or a meticulously planned tour of Central America in search of the black-mandibled toucan.

Main photo: domes of the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where Jules Verne travels (Getty Images)

1. Jet2holidays

Jet2holidays is now the UK’s largest tour operator and has won awards for its excellent service at reasonable prices. It refunded customers quickly during the pandemic, has promised not to apply surcharges this year and, unlike many fly-and-flop merchants, includes hold luggage in its headline prices. It has beach holidays in two to five-star hotels in 65 destinations across the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and other corners of Europe, from ten UK airports, as well as city breaks.

Try this: Seven nights’ all inclusive at the four-star Landmar Costa Los Gigantes in Tenerife on June 19 starts at £994pp, based on two adults sharing, including baggage allowance, flights and transfers.

2. Inntravel

Inntravel was pioneering slow travel long before it became mainstream. It specialises in self-guided walking, cycling and cross-country snowshoeing holidays, which come with minutely detailed trip dossiers and work with a network of small, locally owned hotels and guesthouses. Many of its holidays are also designed with rail travel from London.

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Try this: Journey by Rail Along the Camino de Santiago in Spain . Perfect for those who don’t have the fitness or 30 days spare to do this section of the journey on foot, it includes stays in five cities en route including Burgos, where you’ll find El Cid’s tomb, and Monforte de Lemos, built around a fortress, which now houses a stunning parador where Inntravel customers stay. Nine nights’ B&B and rail travel start from £1,105pp, based on two sharing.

inntravel.co.uk

3. Jules Verne

Jules Verne runs escorted tours and cruises worldwide, from Croatia to Cuba , and is great for solo travellers who aren’t necessarily looking for trips especially for singles, but do want holidays that don’t involve paying a swingeing supplement if they don’t want to share a room. The group size on each tour is typically about 15 and nearly 40 per cent are travelling solo. More than half of its escorted tours have departures where no single supplement applies.

Try this: The Golden Road to Samarkand escorted tour of Uzbekistan has no single supplements on selected dates as well as solo departures. Eleven nights’ half board and flights starts at £2,495pp.

Owned and managed by the same family for more than 50 years, this is your go-to for lesser-known/undiscovered Greece and its islands ( Cyprus , Portugal and the Azores , Scandinavia and Latin America are also in its portfolio). Forget glitzy and soulless all-inclusives, it specialises in value-for-money small hotels and resorts as well as villas with pools and its holidays are brilliant for getting under the skin of a destination.

Try this: New for 2023 are the two-bedroom Anthilia Cottages in Sivota on Greece’s Epirus coast. They’re a ten-minute walk from the village and beaches and seven nights’ self-catering costs from £709pp, including flights and transfers.

sunvil.co.uk

5. InsideJapan

A trip to Japan is top of many people’s wishlist but to make the most of it you need a specialist tour operator with impeccable attention to detail. InsideJapan has this in spades, offering group tours and self-guided trips that come with an indispensable, personalised “bible” of tips and advice. All of its team have have had years of experience living, working and travelling in Japan, and know all the best spots, whether you want to see cherry blossom or hunt down the best manga stores in Tokyo .

Try this: The 14-night Gastronomic Adventure is a whistle-stop tour of all the best food and culture hotspots across Japan and starts at £3,060pp, based on two travelling and excluding flights.

insidejapantours.com

6. Trailfinders

Trailfinders has specialised in round-the-world tickets and multi-city flights for more than 50 years and now provides everything from tropical fly-and-flops to city breaks and escorted tours; while it has an online presence, you have to ring to book and will always get a bespoke deal. It really came into its own during the pandemic because of its finance model: it ring-fences customers’ money in a separate account, so could refund quickly.

Try this: The Worldwide Explorer around-the-world package includes flights and five nights’ accommodation (room only) on a route from London that includes Singapore , Sydney and San Francisco and starts at £1,379pp, based on two travelling.

trailfinders.com

7. Pura Aventura

If you’re keen to go green, Pura Aventura, a Brighton-based tour operator, is certified B Corp and tailor-makes holidays away from the crowds to Latin America, Spain and Portugal. It donates one per cent of its revenue to fund a rural reforestation development project in Nicaragua and carbon balances every holiday by 160 per cent (a mile for every kilometre travelled) so that customers can travel “positive”.

Try this: Classic Costa Rica Away From the Crowds swaps the tourist trail for lesser-known routes in Costa Rica and starts at £4,900pp, based on two sharing, including 17 nights’ B&B, some meals, transfers and activities.

pura-aventura.com

8. Abercrombie & Kent

If insider access is your thing, A&K, which specialises in top-notch hyper-bespoke holidays, operates on the “it’s not what you know but who you know” principle and has a bulging little black book. In business for more than 60 years, it’s particularly strong on Africa, whether you want a super luxe small-boat Nile cruise or a private safari — but with 55 offices in 30 countries, its reach is worldwide.

Try this: A&K’s Cultural Treasures: Around the World by Private Jet departs on May 6 and includes everywhere from the Taj Mahal and Abu Dhabi ’s modern wonders to a Sicilian wedding party and the Bhutan’s tshechu festival. It costs £120,800pp.

abercrombiekent.co.uk

A key marker of Kuoni’s reliability is that honeymoons and special occasions make up a quarter of its business; it’s also strong on family holidays. All of its trips are tailor-made and it was one of the best travel companies for refunds during the pandemic. It sells holidays worldwide, including a strong European programme ranging from Malta to Montenegro , and while it’s premium, it’s not all top end — there’s now a broader range of resorts in the Maldives , for example. It’s hot on sustainability, fair employment rights and animal welfare (elephant rides have been removed entirely from its tours), and a big plus for those who’d rather chat in depth about their trip face-to-face is that it has 30 stores across the UK.

Try this: Kandolhu is a tiny idyll in the Maldives that’s exclusive to Kuoni. Seven nights’ all-inclusive, plus flights and transfers, starts at £3,899pp.

kuoni.co.uk

10. Audley Travel

An expert in highly personalised, tailor-made private tours, Audley offers trips to more than 80 destinations. Its USP is a team of specialists who’ve all travelled extensively in their regions, returning each year, so they can curate trips that are out of the ordinary. You can expect the best local guides and stays in interesting hotels, homestays and lodges.

Try this: An eight-night Highlights of Canada ’s west self-drive trip, with bear, moose and elk spotting in Banff and Jasper National Parks, starts at £2,645pp, including flights, stays in hotels and B&Bs, and car hire.

audleytravel.com

• Best tours for families • Best group tours for solo travellers • Best tours for couples

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The Inbound Report

Covering the Inbound Tourism Industry Since 1996

The New Top 25 UK Tour Operators

January 21, 2020 by Tom Berrigan

UK Operators in the Post-Thomas Cook Era: In its latest report on the matter, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had settled more than 95 percent of all the claims it had received to date following the Sept. 23, 2019 collapse of Thomas Cook , once the oldest tour operator in the UK. This equates to 320,000 claims settled at a value of over £310 million ($404 million) in ATOL* (Air Travel Organizers License) payments. This is the largest amount ever paid out by the program since its creation in 1973.

In addition to the 320,000 claims already settled, there were approximately 10,000 claims remaining and these were being processed as a matter of urgency. In most cases, these claims had taken longer to process because the details entered online did not exactly match Thomas Cook’s booking records, in some cases due to Thomas Cook’s incomplete or inaccurate data, making it more difficult for the claims team to identify bookings as quickly as CAA would like. 

One factor that apparently threw a wrench into the mix was that the failure of Thomas Cook came just before the end of the period in which tour operators seek (and, for the most part, receive) renewal of their ATOL, along with the number of passengers it anticipates carrying in a rolling 12-month period. CAA usually stops accepting renewal requests at the beginning of April and at the beginning of October. But with the Cook collapse coming just a week before the close of renewal requests, the deadline was moved back to late October.

What INBOUND has done below is compare the Top 25 operators based on the number of passengers they are authorized to carry. One finds that, among the top ten operators, some larger players ( British Airways , easyJet , Jet2holidays , Travel Bravo and Travel Republic ) increased their allotment from last April, while TUI and Expedia decreased theirs.

As of a couple of weeks ago, the Civil Aviation Authority said 1,182 of the 1,283 ATOLs that expired on September 30 had been granted. Of the remaining 101, 51 did not reapply and 50 had not yet been renewed. In the tables below, you will see how the rank of tour operators has changed—the largest change, of course, being the disappearance from the list of Thomas Cook.

*A Note: ATOL was first introduced in 1973, as the popularity of overseas holidays grew, and after number of high-profile travel business failures left people stranded overseas while vacationing. The UK Government realized that consumers required protection when their travel providers fell into difficulties. ATOL currently protects around 20 million holidaymakers and travelers each year. ATOL is run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It is able to provide assistance by requiring ATOL holders to pay a fee of £2.50 ($3.25) for each traveler, which is held in a fund managed by the Air Travel Trust.

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• World's Best

The Top 15 Tour Operators in 2021

Scott Bay is a magazine editor specializing in travel, architecture, and gear. He was previously an assistant editor at Travel + Leisure . His work has also appeared in Wired , Architectural Digest , Wallpaper , Robb Report , Saveur , Daily Beast , and more.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

This year's World's Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world.

Linking up with the right tour operator can take an amazing trip and turn it into a trip of a lifetime . This might seem like magic, but their in-the-know expertise and long-standing relationships open the doors for the seemingly impossible — a private Jeep safari with a professional tracking team in the depths of Torres del Paine or one-on-one cooking classes from a chef that runs a Michelin-starred restaurant in the south of France. And if any group has traversed the world enough to discern the best tour operators out there, it's the readers of Travel + Leisure .

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

The companies that made the list have the skills and connections to create itineraries that reflect their clients' personal interests. No. 3 VBT Bicycling Vacations curates two-wheeled trips all over the globe . One reader said, "Their staff make all the difference." No. 2 Mountain Lodges of Peru puts together highly personalized trekking adventures to Machu Picchu. As another reader exclaimed, "This is the way to visit Machu Picchu!"

But at the top of the list is Quasar Expeditions. Though primarily known for its cruises (the company won the small-ship ocean cruises category this year), it also operates a roster of dynamic safari-style excursions in South America. Read on to find out what sets it apart and which other companies join it on this year's list of the best tour operators in the world.

1. Quasar Expeditions

Quasar Expeditions is for adventurers. The highly specialized itineraries are designed to make guests feel like they're James Cook or Charles Darwin. "Quasar Expeditions' guides are the ultimate, passionate gatekeepers to the Galápagos Islands," one reader said. "Their enthusiasm and love of the islands and the wildlife encourages you to share in their passion and desire to conserve the natural beauty and habitat of the area while still allowing low-impact tourism." Another raved, "Excellent isn't a high enough rating to describe our experience with Quasar Expeditions. Extraordinary in every way!" And while Quasar is best known for its Galápagos trips, it gets high marks for its Patagonia itineraries, which takes guests into the best parts of Chile's Torres del Paine and Argentina's Los Glaciares — two of South America's most spectacular national parks.

Score: 99.58 More information: quasarex.com

2. Mountain Lodges of Peru

Score: 98.93 More information: mountainlodgesofperu.com

3. VBT Bicycling Vacations

Score: 98.70 More information: vbt.com

4. Classic Journeys

Score: 98.60 More information: classicjourneys.com

5. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.55 More information: tcsworldtravel.com

6. Black Tomato

Score: 97.25 More information: blacktomato.com/us

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 96.84 More information: insidejapantours.com

Score: 96.72 More information: tauck.com

9. Wilderness Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: wildernesstravel.com

10. Trek Travel

Score: 95.71 More information: trektravel.com

11. Geographic Expeditions

Score: 95.70 More information: geoex.com

12. Thomson Family Adventures

Score: 94.89 More information: familyadventures.com

13. Greaves

Score: 94.74 More information: greavesindia.com

14. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

Score: 94.64 More information: duvine.com

15. Odysseys Unlimited

Score: 94.39 More information: odysseys-unlimited.com

See all of our readers' favorite hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2021 .

Best England Tour Companies

Search 113 England tour operators and travel companies, with 1,726 reviews.

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Britain and ireland highlights.

The highlights tour was wonderful! It gave us a great overview of a number of must-see sights and was enhanced by excellent side excursions. The tour director Gary ...

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It was an excellent tour to get an overview of these countries. The tour was perfectly paced to enjoy the trip even for the most physically challenged. The tour gu...

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The best UK tour holidays for 2024

Hassle free, well crafted and exclusive, tours are a brilliant way to discover a new destination in the UK

With well thought-out itineraries, UK escorted tours can also remove the stress of managing all the bookings and logistics, and give you an authentic overview of a new destination.

There are a few different ways to pick UK tour holidays. You can choose the perfect package by type, such as a history-focused trip or an astronomy break in Northumberland ; by celebrity expert ( hello Sarah Raven ); or by location, depending on where you have in mind to tick off your holiday bucket list.

We’ve rounded up the best escorted tours for 2024 by destination, so you can enjoy an area of the UK with a unique experience crafted by experts. Enjoy!

There’s nowhere quite like Norfolk for getting your nature fix. For starters, you get the beautiful waterways that make up the famous Broads, where historic windmills stand proudly among acres of unbridled countryside, and boats glide serenely up and down navigable networks of rivers, hopping between pretty little towns and riverside restaurants.

Then, by the coast, fresh-air days spent on expansive, weather-flicked beaches result in rosy cheeks and sandy toes, while ancient woodland and marshlands are the perfect place to capture views of fascinating wildlife. Its cultural credentials aren’t negligible, either, with museums, castles, a cathedral, and plenty of stately homes and halls to visit – like Sandringham, where the Royal Family stay, and Holkham with its glorious gardens and parkland.

We recommend… exploring scenery and Sandringham

Boats aren’t the only way to enjoy the Norfolk countryside. Enjoy the county’s heritage railways with this five-day escorted tour . It features three different rail journeys, a paddle steamer cruise, visits to pretty villages like Horning, and a tour of Sandringham with a talk by historian Lucy Worsley.

Lincolnshire

Historic architecture abounds in Lincolnshire, the second-largest county in England. From castles and forts, to manors, medieval farmhouses and the impressive Lincoln Cathedral, you won’t be short of heritage places to visit. Elsewhere, the seaside, woods and nature reserves call for you to dust off your bike or boots for a great outdoorsy break. There’s plenty of parkland and formal gardens to visit, too, as well as farms and wildlife parks for the kids.

We recommend… a garden-filled getaway

Combine history and horticulture with this four-day break which will take you around some of the loveliest gardens in England. You’ll get to experience Lincolnshire with a trip to Easton Walled Gardens, as well as the formal grounds of RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate, and the orchards of Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. Other highlights include a talk by gardener and writer Arthur Parkinson, and residence in a country manor hotel near Chesterfield.

Northumberland

Nothing quite compares to the wild beauty of Northumberland, where big adventures beckon and heart-tuggingly beautiful landscapes mingle with mighty castles, quaint fishing towns and, of course, those gloriously pristine skies. Owing to the low level of light pollution, Northumberland’s skies are some of the darkest in Britain, earning it Dark Sky Reserve status. People travel from far and wide to experience astrological activities here, from hotels that offer star-gazing experiences, to visitors packing a deckchair, gloves and flask, and having a good look at the Milky Way, sans equipment. You might even catch a frisson of the aurora.

We recommend… starry sojourns with an astronomer

In the company of an expert astronomer on this three-day astronomy tour , you’ll visit two observatories and attend talks, workshops, and demonstrations. Other highlights include trips to Hadrian's Wall and a local brewery.

Does anything much beat the experience of a flower-filled foray through a classic English garden on a warm summer’s day? Often referred to as the Garden of England itself, Kent is a botanical beauty, and home to some of the country’s loveliest – and most famous – gardens, from the rare plants of Great Comp Garden and the global collection at Lullingstone Castle, to the classic, romantic grounds of Scotney Castle. It owes its moniker not just to these renowned horticultural hotspots, but also to the county’s lush landscapes, vineyards, hop fields and fruit-filled orchards, which grow like a dream because of the temperate climate.

We recommend… a flowery foray to the Garden of England

You can discover these wonderful gardens and more with this exclusive four-day tour around Kent and Sussex . Along the way, garden designer, writer and broadcaster Sarah Raven will join you for a special talk, and you’ll enjoy private tours and out-of-hours access to some of the grounds.

Isles of Scilly

From the subtropical flora and fauna of Tresco to the white sands of St Martin’s, the five inhabited islands of this postcard-worthy archipelago each have their own distinct features, and they’re all spectacular.

Life hits differently here; days are spent kicking about on powdery soft sands, taking in the rugged, raw beauty of the coastlines by boat, tucking into the day’s catch in the pub, and spotting marine wildlife, like dolphins, whales, puffins and even seals. Despite being just 28 miles or so off the coast of Cornwall, these fabulous islands feel worlds apart from the rest of England, making for an idyllic UK break without the fuss of international travel.

We recommend… island-hopping off the south coast

Escorted group holidays give you a good introduction to the inhabited Isles of Scilly. This six-day tour offers the chance to explore all five of the islands. Highlights include a stay on St Mary’s, a visit to the world-famous gardens on Tresco, a wildlife cruise around St Agnes, a trip to St Martin's and its vineyard, and lunch on Bryer.

There’s also a five-day tour if you have a slightly smaller time frame and budget, with Bryer being the only island not included.

The Hebrides

Wanders around little port towns, picnics on beautiful white-sand beaches, smoked kippers for breakfast, whisky tastings in the afternoons – holidays to the Outer Hebrides are the stuff of dreams. There’s so much to see and do, it can be hard to know where to start. And each island has its own character, from the rugged landscapes of the Isle of Harris to the Borve Standing Stones on Barra. Luckily, it’s easy enough to hop around on ferries, providing a new perspective on how to see the Scottish archipelago, and maybe even spot some unusual marine wildlife along the way.

We recommend… enjoying scenic drives and Scottish castles

This six-day island-hopping tour around the Outer Hebrides is a great way to see the islands, with an itinerary that features a scenic drive along the Isle of Barra, a distillery tour on the Isle of Harris, sightseeing on Lewis, and a castle tour on Stornoway.

Scottish Highlands

Once you’ve experienced the wild, weathered beauty of the Scottish Highlands, you never forget it. Gazing out at the dramatic mountains of the north west, Jurassic-like formations of the glens, the stoic beauty of the lochs, and the Tolkienesque charm of The Trossachs feels like staring at a real-life postcard, and the only way to better the scenery is to make sure you’re traversing it the right way. Let it be said, that rail is one of the best ways to explore the Scottish Highlands – in fact the Jacobite steam train is said to take you on one of the world’s most spectacular train journeys, following the Road to the Isles.

We recommend… experiencing one of the best rail routes in the world

On our four-day tour of the Scottish Highlands , you can experience this Jacobite steam train journey for yourself, along with a cruise on Loch Katrine, and a paddle steamer voyage on the River Clyde. Scottish broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Wark will also be doing a special talk and Q&A one evening.

Looking for inspiration for your next holiday? Grab a cuppa and browse our brochure packed with unique escapes.

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Discover the best of England, Scotland and Wales with Nordic Visitor, a leading UK travel agency. Prepare to explore historic cities, age-old castles and idyllic countryside on a tour that your dedicated, UK-based travel consultant will arrange for you. With their insider knowledge and 24/7 support during your trip, you’ll have an unforgettable escape.

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Nordic Visitor provided a Scottish adventure with a good variety of stops at historical and culturally significant... read more

Nordic Visitor provided a Scottish adventure with a good variety of stops at historical and culturally significant locations. I enjoyed the scenery as we went along roads that the larger tour buses could not go. They also accurately worked in the timing to miss the large tours at the sites. I had several of the best meals that were included in the package. Save your time and effort and hire Nordic Visitor to plan your tour.

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Everything went so smoothly, from pick-up at the airport to getting the rental car to checking into the accommodation. Planning with Rebecca & the Edinburgh team was easy - questions were always answered quickly. We were also extremely grateful that we were able to check into our first hotel early. Thank you all!

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Since 2002, Nordic Visitor has been crafting unforgettable trips in Northern Europe. As experienced British tour operators, you can be sure that we have carefully chosen every accommodation, route and attraction. Plus, your personal UK-based expert will have plenty of local knowledge to share with you.

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Relax knowing there will always be a travel expert on call 24/7 to handle any unforeseen situations. Whether it’s an unexpected event or weather issue, you can contact our dedicated helpline. If needed, we’ll rework your itinerary and re-book any activities, while keeping you safe and informed.

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No matter whether you choose Comfort Plus or Superior accommodation, you’ll sleep well knowing that we’ve handpicked each place you’ll stay. Plus, every hotel, B&B and guesthouse has been selected for its location close to the city centre and attractions, with access to parking.

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Our travel experts have crafted these UK trips so you’ll get the most out of them. But you can also make adjustments to your itinerary. Why not extend your stay at stops along the route, upgrade your accommodation, and add optional activities? Personalise your tour online or speak to your travel consultant.

Your UK Tour Highlights

However you decide to travel, let the UK’s historic cities and rambling countryside capture your imagination. Discover England, Scotland and Wales on these expert-curated getaways and soon you could…

• Visit iconic London attractions including Buckingham Palace , Big Ben and Westminster Abbey
• Roam Oxford – known as “the city of dreaming spires” – and go punting on the River Cherwell
• Enjoy the view from York ’s medieval walls before checking out the city’s vibrant markets and cosy pubs
• Step back in time when you visit the world-famous monument of Stonehenge , dating from 2,500 BCE
• Stroll cobbled streets in Edinburgh ’s Old Town and admire dramatic scenes in the Scottish Highlands
• Cruise Lake Windermere and tour Beatrix Potter’s home in the gorgeous Lake District National Park
• Soak up Welsh heritage at Conwy Castle and spend time in the pretty seaside town of Llandudno
• Explore the UNESCO city of Bath , well-known for its elegant Georgian architecture and the Roman Baths
• Surround yourself with natural beauty in national parks, such as the Peak District and Snowdonia (Eryri)

Frequently Asked Questions About UK Tour Packages

You might have a few questions before booking your UK trip with Nordic Visitor. Read on for answers to these common queries.

It’s good to know that when you choose Nordic Visitor, you can Book With Confidence , safe in the knowledge that your payments are protected. If you want to learn more about our processes and payment details, don't miss our booking terms and FAQs .

1. What countries are in the United Kingdom?

The United Kingdom (UK) is made up of 4 countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain includes England, Scotland and Wales.

2. Is the UK safe to visit?

Much like other countries in Northern Europe, you’ll find the UK is a safe place to travel. Similar to many European and Nordic countries, the UK ranks among the 40 safest nations in the Global Peace Index . You’ll find there’s also a modern healthcare system in place.

3. What is the best time of year to go to the UK?

While there’s no bad time to explore the UK, we recommend visiting sometime between April and October. In the UK, this spans spring, summer and autumn, and it’s when attractions have their longest opening hours.

Plus, temperatures are at their warmest from April to October – all the better for soaking up the sights. But, like the rest of Northern Europe, it’s worth remembering the weather can be changeable no matter the season.

Summer – June, July and August – is the most popular time of year to visit the UK. Not only because you’ll get the most daylight hours, but also because this is the warmest season.

In the countryside, you’ll see lush woodland and hillsides carpeted in purple heather. Meanwhile, the cities are bustling with visitors from around the world. You’ll also be able to take your pick from countless festivals celebrating the arts, food and more.

If you’d prefer to experience the UK at a quieter time of year, we recommend travelling in spring or autumn. After the chill of winter, April and May bring the joy of blooming flowers and longer days.

Or, visit during the autumn months of September and October, to see the trees turn fiery shades of orange and red. And if it gets chilly, just head for one of the snug pubs or cafés the UK is renowned for.

Read more about what to expect as the seasons change in this blog on the best time to visit the UK .

4. How many days do I need for my trip?

The amount of time you should spend in the UK depends on what you’d like to see and do during your visit.

If you’d like to experience more than one country within the UK, we recommend allowing at least 7-10 days for your trip. This way, you’ll have time to discover some of the top attractions in England, Scotland and Wales. And you’ll get to stay in more than one place.

Meanwhile, if you prefer exploring at a leisurely pace, you’ll want to give yourself longer, around 2-3 weeks. By spending more days at each stop, you’ll be able to delve deeper into the UK’s history, culture and landscapes.

Travel with Nordic Visitor and you can pick the length of trip that suits you from these UK tour packages. Plus, you could extend your time in the UK by adding extra nights to your itinerary.

5. Where are the top places to visit in the UK?

The UK might seem small, given that it's just over a third of the size of Texas, and half that of Spain. But when it comes to culture, history and natural beauty, you’ll find that this group of British countries has so much to offer.

Plus, with distinct landscapes and different nations within easy reach of each other, you can experience a lot on one trip. To get you started, here are some of the UK’s must-visit spots:

England • London • Bath • Oxford • York • Stonehenge • Lake District National Park • Peak District National Park

Scotland • Edinburgh • Glen Coe • Glenfinnan • Isle of Skye • Loch Ness • Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Wales • Llandudno • Prestatyn • Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park

Find out more in this article about the best places to visit in the UK . If you’re interested in exploring Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as well, check out these 10 top spots on the Emerald Isle .

6. What are the top things to do?

With stunning scenery, lively cities and ancient historic sites, you’ll be spoiled for choice when deciding what to do in the UK. You could immerse yourself in postcard-perfect countryside, soak up local knowledge on guided city tours, and so much more.

Discover our local experts' top recommendations for things to do in the UK :

• • Visit museums and galleries that range from world-renowned attractions to hidden gems
• • Dive into the mysteries of the past as you explore prehistoric forts and Neolithic stone circles
• • Marvel at craggy peaks, glittering lakes and rambling forests in the UK’s national parks
• • Get a glimpse into the UK’s rich heritage when you visit fascinating Roman and Viking sites
• • Sample UK cuisine, whether it’s freshly caught fish and chips or a refined tasting menu
• • Take an invigorating walk by the coast and let the salty sea breeze blow the cobwebs away
• • Punctuate your days touring the UK with the much-loved British tradition of afternoon tea
• • See how kings and queens lived throughout the ages as you tour grand castles and palaces
• • Head into a relaxed pub at the end of the day to share stories over a glass of something local
• • Hunt for TV and movie filming locations from the likes of Harry Potter , Bridgerton and Outlander

7. What’s the best way to travel in Britain?

The best way for you to discover the UK depends on the kind of travel experience you’re looking for.

For instance, if you want the freedom to go at your own pace, then a self-drive tour of the UK is ideal. And although you’ll be taking the wheel yourself, you can relax knowing we are just a phone call away. If you need assistance during your trip, you can reach us anytime on our 24/7 helpline.

You’ll also have your own dedicated travel consultant to book your accommodation and arrange car hire with a tried-and-tested local partner. Plus, get a road map with recommended attractions and the suggested route for your trip drawn by hand.

This makes a self-drive tour the perfect way to see the UK’s must-see sights with opportunities to stop whenever you like along the way.

If you’d rather not drive, why not explore the UK in a guided group? Touring the UK with a knowledgeable guide leading the way, you and your fellow travellers will discover the UK together. And with a group size of up to just 15 guests, you’ll be able to travel in a comfortable minibus and get more time with your guide.

For the ultimate personalised travel experience, you could opt for a private tour of Scotland with your very own professional guide.

8. Who are Nordic Visitor’s UK travel experts?

Nordic Visitor’s travel experts are your eyes and ears on the ground. When you explore with us, you’ll get a dedicated travel consultant who’ll handle the details of your booking. This means you can relax and look forward to your trip while they organise your accommodation, local transport and excursions.

Not only that, but they have plenty of insider knowledge to share with you. Let your travel consultant know what your interests are and they’ll be happy to advise you on the experiences you won't want to miss.

For some insider information on your UK trip, read these  travel tips from a local expert .

9. What is included in a Nordic Visitor tour of Britain?

When you take a trip to the UK with Nordic Visitor, your travel package includes: • Accommodation • Daily breakfast • Local transport as detailed in your itinerary • Activities included in your tour package (with the chance to add optional excursions) • Personalised itinerary and printed guide with information about local attractions and practical travel tips • Access to our 24/7 helpline for on-trip support when you need it

Depending on the travel style you choose, your Nordic Visitor tour package will also come with:

• Self-drive tours
• • Car rental with a trusted supplier
• • Unlimited mileage
• • CDW insurance
• • Authorisation for 2 drivers
• Small group tours
• • A professional, English-speaking driver-guide
• • Transportation in a comfortable minibus
• • Some meals, as mentioned in your itinerary
• • Entrance fees to attractions specified in the itinerary

10. Does Nordic Visitor have a flexible booking policy?

Yes, Nordic Visitor offers optional cancellation insurance which protects your payment. If you need to cancel your trip before you arrive, you won’t lose any money you’ve already paid us. Depending on the terms and conditions, you’ll be given a partial refund along with travel credit you can use with us in the future.

What’s more, with our cancellation insurance we’ll rebook your entire tour once if you need to change dates, without additional fees. Learn more about this risk-free, flexible booking policy in our Book with Confidence terms .

If you don’t have cancellation insurance with us, check out our normal booking terms . And we always recommend taking out personal travel insurance to cover you on your trip.

11. Why use Nordic Visitor instead of booking everything myself?

At Nordic Visitor, we’ll save you time and effort by planning your getaway for you.

When you arrange a trip yourself, you have to carry out all the research and book each part of your tour separately. And if you need to change your itinerary, you’ll need to do the legwork yourself.

Plus, as we're a UK-based travel agency, England, Scotland and Wales are on our doorstep. In other words, when you book with us you can be sure you’re getting an authentic travel experience organised by local experts.

Our travel consultants have designed your itinerary to ensure you take the most convenient and scenic route between stops. They’ll also book you into high-quality accommodation, and share their insider tips with you. You can rely on them to feature the top sights and hidden gems that you wouldn’t otherwise know about.

So why not book with Nordic Visitor and let us take care of everything on your behalf? This way you can relax and look forward to your adventure. What’s more, during your trip you’ll have access to our 24/7 helpline. So you can contact us at any time if something unexpected crops up.

12. Do I need a visa to travel to the UK?

Whether or not you need a visa to visit the UK depends on the length of your stay and your nationality. For example, if you’re a citizen of the USA, Canada, Australia or an EU or EEA country, among others, you won’t require a visa. But it’s essential that you bring your valid passport for entry into the UK.

You can check if you need a visa on the UK government website.

13. What sort of accommodation will I stay in?

We understand that where you stay is important, after all, it’ll be your home away from home during your trip. This is why our travel experts use their local connections to ensure you stay at excellent places throughout your tour.

In the UK, this includes a mix of gorgeous historical properties and contemporary retreats. Expect a warm welcome and a location that’s right in the heart of things. Not to mention a tasty breakfast each morning.

We carefully select each hotel, guesthouse and B&B for its high standard of comfort and cleanliness. Plus, on self-drive tours, you’ll have access to parking. This will either be on-site or at a convenient location close to where you’ll be staying.

Exactly where you’ll be staying on your trip depends on the level of accommodation you pick and availability.

14. Can I choose the arrival date?

Of course! With Nordic Visitor’s UK self-drive tours , you can begin your trip anytime from April to October.

For guided small group trips in the UK , select the departure that works best for you from a list of start dates between August and September. If you want to travel at a specific time of year, book early in case your preferred departure is filled.

You can check each tour’s availability calendar online to see what dates are bookable.

15. Will Nordic Visitor book my flights to the UK?

Flights aren’t included in these UK tour packages. This gives you the flexibility to choose where you’d like to fly from, along with the flight times and prices that work best for you. If you have any questions about your journey to the UK, don’t hesitate to ask your local travel expert for advice.

Before booking your tour package, we highly recommend checking what flights are available. But please wait until after your trip is confirmed to make your travel arrangements.

Once you’ve received an email confirmation from your dedicated consultant, you can go ahead and purchase your preferred flights.

16. What should I pack for my trip?

No matter when you decide to visit, you can expect the weather in the UK to be changeable. So while the driest weather is between April and October, it’s worth being prepared for both rain and shine. Not to mention the fact that the temperature can vary a lot, depending on the season and where you are in the UK.

For instance, at the height of summer in London, you might experience temperatures over 30°C (86°F). Meanwhile, at the same time of year in the Scottish Highlands, the average temperature is around 15-17°C (59-63°F).

If you plan to spend time outdoors, pack these essential items and you’ll be covered from spring through to autumn:

• Comfortable hiking shoes or boots
• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Warm, insulated jacket
• Fleece or woollen jumper
• Cosy hat, scarf and gloves
• Light base layer tops
• Lightweight trousers or shorts
• Sunglasses, sun hat and sun cream
• Reusable water bottle
• UK plug adapter

You might also want to bring a couple of smart outfits for dining out in the evening.

About Nordic Visitor Tours

Nordic Visitor was established in 2002 and is now one of the leading tour operators in Europe. Since then, we’ve been creating memorable travel experiences for our guests in Northern Europe. We’re passionate in our belief that your trip should be memorable for all the right reasons.

With an office in Edinburgh, you can rely on our local knowledge as a top travel agency in the United Kingdom. Our UK tours include:

• Quality-checked accommodation: No matter where you’re staying, you can rest easy knowing that we have vetted each hotel, guesthouse and B&B to ensure it meets our high standards.
• Travel guide:  Our detailed travel guide is jam-packed with helpful information. Expect insider travel tips and practical advice for travelling in the UK. Not to mention a round-up of top attractions and hidden gems that you won’t want to miss.
• 24/7 helpline:  Every Nordic Visitor tour includes access to our 24/7 helpline. Enjoy peace of mind throughout your trip, knowing there’s always a travel consultant within reach.
• Flexible itineraries: Experience the best of the UK on tour packages that have been carefully crafted by our destination experts. You can tweak your trip by adding extra nights, optional activities and accommodation upgrades.

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Whether you’re ready to book your dream trip to the UK, or want to know more before going ahead, get in touch with us. Our Edinburgh-based travel experts will be happy to help.

Our British phone number is +44 (0)131 344 4630

How about a live chat with one of our local travel experts?

Read about the UK

Top 8 things to see & do in the uk, 10 cool facts about england, visiting the uk: travel tips from a local expert, best time to visit the uk: your complete guide.

Whether you have a single question or a special request, we're here for you.

APRIL SALE:   Book now and get   up to 60% off!

Coach / Bus Tours in UK and Great Britain 2024/2025

Take in the picturesque landscapes and remarkable sights on a guided Coach / Bus adventure of UK And Great Britain. There are 364 vacation packages to choose from, that range in length from 2 days up to 24 days. The most popular month for these tours is July.

250+ Coach / Bus trips around UK And Great Britain with 15,355 reviews

• In-depth Cultural
• Coach / Bus

Essential Britain & Ireland

Everything was planned and organised professionally. Absolutely hassle free travelling. Our guide was friendly, funny and incredibly knowledgeable.

Britain and Ireland Experience (12 Days)

Excellent service and planning to maximize our time to see everything

Britain and Ireland Delight (Summer, 8 Days)

I really enjoyed the trip

Best of UK & Ireland

We enjoyed the tour very much!! Ailenn and ashley did an excellent job keeping the tour group of 51 people informed of times and events. Everyday was packed full of things to see and do. We fill maybe there was to much down time in some areas to walk around-could have been alittle shorter so we could get to our housing for the night alittle sooner. We were alittle disappointed that they showed no highlights of the city of london. We saw them on our own

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Wonders of Britain and Ireland (12 Days)

First trip hard to compare. Suited us fine.

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Britain & Ireland Explorer (Classic, 13 Days)

We had a great holiday and highly recommend insight tours . We had lovely hotels and a fantastic tour guide who was very knowledgeable with places and the history.

• Sightseeing
• Christmas & New Year

United Kingdom and Ireland ( 10 days )

Britain and Ireland Panorama (16 Days)

Everything about the trip was good, including the weather, and Greg even influenced that, playing the Beatles "Here comes the sun" to start every morning. Full breakfast was good fuel for the day. Greg was enthusiastic, knowledgable, amusing, and patient with tardy guests. The coach drivers (Liam and Tommy) were superb. The porterage was a very nice touch.

Grand Tour of Britain & Ireland

We were impressed. Our guide (Kaeleigh) was extremely well informed and provided information and history. The whole process was well organised from booking until the last breakfast. We highly recommend.

The Best of Britain & Ireland

As far as Holiday Inn hotel is concerned there rooms are atrocious. 17 hour flight and no shower heads on fixed shower and held shower.Tried to get receipt for a massage £40 sorry we don't give them.Door lock on bathroom door falling of.Toilet would not stop running. For £170 a night i have seen bigger shoe boxes.

Leisurely United Kingdom ( 13 days )

Best of Ireland & Scotland (Classic, 14 Days)

This was an unforgetable experience. I have traveled extensively throughout Europe when I was younger. I never thought a tour could compare to those experiences. However this tour change my attitude on tours. It was well planed and executed. Our tour director (Greg) was beyond excellent. In fact I think he made the trip the success it was. I would recommend it to any one who likes to see alot, keep on the go, meet people and see sights.

Great Britain

Lee was excellent. He gave us history and details of the sites we explored along with his fun sense of humor. It was obvious his passion to share his stories with us.

Celtic Highlights

Excellent guides and wonderful sites to visit! They know where to go and what to see!

3 Day Loch Ness & Skye

Pick this tour!!!! Seeing the highlands was a dream come true, and Branka was the most incredible and hilarious guide. She made the trip so so special with her knowledge of the area and folklore and her talent for storytelling. Even when we got delayed due to a closed road we were having a great time and all the other tour busses looked *miserable*. So do yourself a favour and go on this tour - or better yet, the 5-day one like I should have! I'll be back 😊 P.s Branka drop a link when you start a podcast tysm

UK And Great Britain Coach / Bus Tour Reviews

Very nice itinerary ... jam packed days and evenings. I chose not to do any of the extra evening excursions that were offered so I was able to use the time to explore every overnight stop on my own. The tour guide was amazing... so full of knowledge about all the countries/areas we visited.

The driver, Billy, and tour director, Speedy, made the trip very interesting and informative. They were both very helpful. We were disappointed that some of the hotel didn’t really cater for the older tourist with rooms a fair distance from reception, climbing stairs and dragging our luggage.

Travel Styles

• 10 Best Coach & Bus Companies (with Reviews)
• One week in England and Scotland (for Seniors) 2024/2025

The best tour operators in the world: 2023 Readers' Choice Awards

By Condé Nast Traveller

It’s been a challenging few years for tour operators but the names below are in it for the long haul (as well as the short and medium), honing itineraries and managing expectations. So who prepared your travel documents this year? Red Savannah and Black Tomato scored highest for first-hand knowledge, and Exodus Adventure Travels and Abercrombie & Kent for on-the-ground support. But when it came to all-round endeavour, Scott Dunn and The Turquoise Holiday Company were leaders of the pack. Both report a surge of interest in Asia, as well as multi-generational travel, solo adventures to Namibia, Bhutan and Mexico, and authentic experiences such as outback stations in Australia and bear lodges in Canada.

These are the best tour operators in the world, according to the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards . The scores below are percentages representing overall average levels of satisfaction.

The best general tour operators in the world 2023

15. Cox & Kings. Score 88.00

14. Hayes & Jarvis. Score 89.44

13. Carrier. Score 90.73

12. Simpson Travel. Score 91.48

11. Kuoni. Score 92.82

10. Mr & Mrs Smith. Score 93.29

9. Kensington Tours. Score 94.14

8. Audley Travel. Score 94.77

7. Original Travel. Score 95.44

6. Cazenove + Loyd. Score 95.92

5. The Ultimate Travel Company. Score 96.75

4. Abercrombie & Kent. Score 97.12

3. Elegant Resorts. Score 97.39

2. Red Savannah. Score 97.96

• The Turquoise Holiday Company. Score 98.42

The best travel specialists in the world 2023

15. Wild Frontiers. Score 94.81

14. Martin Randall Travel. Score 95.17

13. Intrepid Travel. Score 95.40

12. Wilderness. Score 96.54.

11. Inntravel. Score 96.88

10. Oxford Ski Company. Score 97.15

9. Kirker Holidays. Score 97.47

8. andBeyond. Score 97.61

7. Ampersand Travel. Score 97.65.

6. InsideJapan Tours. Score 97.79

5. Steppes Travel. Score 97.88

4. Black Tomato. Score 98.03

3. Exodus Adventure Travels. Score 98.15

2. Healing Holidays. Score 98.35

• Scott Dunn. Score 98.70