Itinerary

Day 1 – Tuesday 1st September

Arriving by door-to-door car at the Crowne Plaza Gerrards Cross, you will be greeted by your Tour Managers who will be with you throughout the holiday. We will have pastries with tea or coffee, meet with fellow members of the group and then board the coach to our lunch stop located in Poole. Our afternoon excursion is at the recently refurbished Poole Museum and dives into local maritime history. Our coach later transfers us to the hotel, where your Tour Managers will assist with check-in including porterage, with free time to settle in before dinner.   

Day 2 – Wednesday 2nd September

Start the day at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, a remarkable Victorian clifftop mansion housing one of the south coast's finest art collections. Please be aware the entrance is on East Cliff Slope requiring a gently-paced walk to the venue. After lunch in the gallery, we meet our Blue Badge Guide for a 1hr coach tour of Bournemouth's historic highlights, taking in the town's most significant landmarks and stories. We arrive back at the hotel by mid-afternoon for leisure time before an earlier dinner. The evening belongs to the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre and the spectacular evening performance of:

Day 3 – Thursday 3rd September

The day begins at Poole Quay, boarding a one-hour harbour cruise to Swanage with live onboard commentary. Boarding accessibility varies with the tide; access is via a gangway and steps. The route passes Brownsea Island, Sandbanks and the iconic chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks along the UNESCO-designated Jurassic Coast. Disembarking at Swanage Pier, there is a flight of steps to reach the landing point. We have lunch nearby before boarding a restored heritage steam train on the Swanage Railway for a scenic journey through the Isle of Purbeck to Corfe Castle. The route passes through open countryside with views of the dramatic Norman castle ruins. At Corfe Castle station, you may wander the Swanage Railway Museum, browse the gift shop or relax in the café before our coach returns to the hotel.

Day 4 – Friday 4th September

Travel through the ancient woodland of the New Forest National Park to the remarkable Beaulieu Estate in Hampshire. Step inside the Palace House, the ancestral home of the Montagu family since 1538, where a costumed guided tour brings its Tudor and Victorian history to life. A short stroll leads to the 13th-century Cistercian abbey, founded by King John in 1204, alongside the Domus Exhibition exploring eight centuries of monastic life. After lunch on the estate, we return to Bournemouth via Christchurch Priory, a medieval church set beside a riverside. There will be free time to explore the nearby gardens, shops, or cafés at your leisure before heading back to the hotel.

Day 5 – Saturday 5th September

After breakfast, the Tour Managers will assist with hotel check-out including porterage, before the coach departs. En route, enjoy a two-course farewell lunch at Tylney Hall in Hook before continuing to our original meeting point at the Crowne Plaza Gerrards Cross. On arrival, your Tour Manager will assist with your luggage, followed by tea and cake, before you meet your chauffeur for the return journey home.