Best of South England in 13 Days Tour

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was an awesome tour. We loved our tour guide Helen and the other members of our group were so much fun. The tour was very well put together, every detail was taken care of, and we enjoyed every minute.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Everything we toured was amazing. Some highlights were seeing the centuries-old bones in the Mary Rose exhibit, and feeling the energy at Stonehenge. Canterbury Cathedral, Tintagel, Port Isaac, Cornwall - it was all fantastic. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Wonderful sites, castles, weather. Our tour guide (Helen) was outstanding! She was informative, fun and always available.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The White Cliffs of Dover and Stonehenge were my favorites. We had outstanding weather as our backdrop both days. I also enjoyed our small village cream tea - the cutest tea room and the nice owners prepared delicious scones, tea and spreads for us."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Cornwall "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Very enjoyable trip- knowledgeable and personable guide and great travel companions!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hard to pick just one- I’d say Salisbury Cathedral."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was excellent! We had heard of several of the places we visited, but never knew there were so many more beautiful sights and such fascinating history in southern England, Our guide, Sharon, was very personable, knowledgeable and funny. We had plenty of free time to wander and many opportunities to enjoy local/regional food and drink. The stops to see filming locations for several of our favorite British TV shows were also a treat.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Billing Gap and the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs were amazing in the bright sunlight and Dover Castle was marvelous. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I enjoyed all of the history of the various places we visited.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I really enjoyed visiting the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and all of the ramifications of how that battle unfolded and the long term impact on the British Isles."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was a great trip - went to many locations that we would not have seen on our own . Average age of tour members were all similar / and many on their first RS tour ! High excitement amongst all members - and a small group of 22 was awesome

Favorite "WOW" moment

"So many !! Doc Martin / Port Isaac - Battle Abby (audio guide felt like we were there ) Stained glass restoration demo at Canterbury cathedral - Stonehenge "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Coastline of Cornwall"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Fun tour exploring southern England and Cornwall.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"St. Michael's Mount ... such an iconic place, beautiful weather, lovely views"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Our guide Steven was enthusiatic, informative and organized. I loved the itinerary and enjoyed all our activities

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Many wow moments seeing places I had only read about. I really enjoyed seeing the Seven Sister chalk cliffs and the view of Salisbury Cathedral from the Water Meadow. But I truly felt every day had its wow moments. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Steven as our guide was excellent in every way. The guide makes a difference in the “feel” of the tour. South England is beautiful. This tour lets you see so many varying landscapes and terrain of England, without a car! From the awesome Canterbury Cathedral, to walking the moors, the chalk white cliffs, the gorgeous Atlantic, the sheep grazing and meandering the roads, the rugged coast of Tintagel Castle, St Michael’s Mount with the exuberant sea surrounding it……a beautiful tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Loved the moors. For me, there is a spiritual feeling when one knows an ancient civilization was there, as known by the placement of the rocks, and yet, we know so little about them. Being in that environment, the wind and the beautiful terrain….the best. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Loved our tour guide, Steven! He was so kind, friendly, knowledgeable and just overall wonderful. Couldn't have asked for a better guide!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I really enjoyed Stonehenge and the White Cliffs of Dover. Both had been on my bucket list for some time."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was a great tour and our tour guide, Steven was outstanding

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Tintagel"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"My. St. Michael"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our fist Rick Steves' Tour and we were so pleased! Fantastic guide, full of enthusiasm, energy, passion and extraordinary knowledge. Excellent itinerary, with an abundance of gorgeous cathedrals, abbeys and castles, as well as plenty of beautiful and scenic drives through the countryside and views of the coasts. Also, our coach driver was just lovely (and a great driver!) which added to the positive experience.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The phenomenal, beautiful countryside -- green, verdant and picturesque. And I'll never forget the views from the top of Dover Castle."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Lisa our guide was excellent! Great group to travel with. Great itinerary. Group meals were fabulous and a lot of them! Accommodations were great. We even had great weather! Very seanic

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Sounds silly, but I loved our room at Wingrove. I felt like I was staying in my own little English cottage. Loved looking out the window and seeing the beautiful church and cemetery. So many other wows, gal talking about stained glass, fun facts about Canterbury Cathedral, seeing the leaning steeple on our garden walk with the sheep in the foreground, seeing France, Mr. Whippy icecream cone, seeing wild horses run by our bus, Port Isaac, Bryher's Boys, pasty making, traveling small narrow roads "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour had a variety of experiences, from castles and cathedrals to tiny port towns. We had a very congenial group and a lovely tour guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The woman who is leading the restoration of Canterbury Cathedral's stained glass windows gave a fabulous presentation. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Wonder-filled. The guide was super, the fellow travels were very congenial, and the sights and experiences were most memorable.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The compilation of British history that I had not known about."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Tour guide Lisa was excellent. Knowledgeable & witty, we enjoyed her bus ride commentary, laughed aloud at her humor, appreciated her insights regarding local activities as she moved us seamlessly from one event to the next. Bus driver Charlotte did an amazing job under the circumstances. Great group of RS travelers. Appreciated that the group meals offered variety & options. Good blend of organized tours & free time. Fascinating local guides added to the tour experience.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Merivale stones. Thought Stonehenge was going to be my favorite "wow" moment until we got to walk among the Merivale stones unrestricted. Still intrigued by the how & why of construction."

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

Very good to Outstanding with two exceptions: 1) Getting locked out of the precinct while staying in the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge. Only after walking the entire circumference and getting help from locals did we learn the location of the little hole in the wall with the button to call security to let us in. 2) Refusal of the staff at Henrietta House to assist in shipping my small items accidently left behind.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The visit tot the stained glass restoration work shop at the Canterbury Cathedral."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour of southern England was very enjoyable. There was great variety of the activities. Food was excellent. Our guide, Lisa Smith's knowledge of every part of the trip was amazing.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were many wow moments, so it is hard to pick one. I loved seeing the Mary Rose ship in Portsmouth. It is amazing that it is being restored. "

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

The tour allowed us to see many interesting sites in southern England and ran very efficiently. We were surprised that at age 63 we were the youngest on the tour with most members being in their 70s and 80s. The group itself was mostly old mobility challenged folks. This impacted the pace and overall enjoyment of the tour for us.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Being first in the morning to enter the Stonehenge site thanks to excellent planning by our guide Lisa. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

An outstanding tour is not only about the places you go, but also the people you go with and the people you meet. This outstanding tour encapsulated the beauty and the rich history of Southern England. Our tour guide Lisa was not only knowledgeable, but also kind and calm when faced with obstacles. Our bus driver Charlotte was professional and an amazing driver especially down those narrow hedge lined lanes. The people I met on the tour were great, making the tour a wonderful experience.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The cliffs, shoreline and beaches of Cornwall were stunning. I had many wow moments involving these. Also, the white cliffs of Dover were beautiful, and I wish we could have spent a little more time there. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Unfortunately, my tour partner was sick from the beginning and I eventually succumbed to the awful cough. Our tour guide handled this very well. We sat at the back of the bus most days and wore masks on the bus. But for their own impulse of self preservation, the rest of the tour members tended to avoid us which was completely understandable. I would have done the same, wanted to do the same with my own travel partner till I got sick.This colored my experience too much to give fair report.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Portsmouth! Touring the Victory and seeing the Mary Rose! "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Incredible historical sites that I'll never forget! Amazing scenery every single day! Wonderful people in our tour group! I really didn't know what to expect on this tour, and it exceeded my expectations!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Cari & I really loved the Bedruthan Hotel with its stunning view of the cliffs, beach and sea of Mawgan Porth. After all of the hustle and bustle of the of the days before, we got to truly relax and enjoy this place!"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Great learning about history, culture, and geography of southern England.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking at the base of the Cliffs of Dover"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The South England tour was excellent and enjoy it all... Roy our guide is best and needs a huge raise..

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I cannot any one thing I loved the visits and the back road travel. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

A well run tour, as has been my experience with all of Ricks tours

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Taking a construction elevator up the outside of Canterbury Cathedral to view how repairs to the exterior are done."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

In comparison to our six prior RS tours, this was very good but not one of our favorite few.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We greatly enjoyed the stone mason tour on top of Canterbury Cathedral. We learned a lot about that skill from centuries long ago. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Great variety of experiences; great venues; guide and guests were always great to be around.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Singing along with the Cornish folk “Boys” Singers. Walking along the SW trail. Experiencing first hand the milk vending machine. Competing first hand in making the best Cornish pasties. Walking along the Cliffs of Dover. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

It was a great group of people on the tour and the guide was just fantastic.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing the dead rat at the church that ate a dead man's brain that had poison. And seeing where William the Conqueror did battle that made him King."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Impressed by significance of historic sites we visited which are so important to understanding Britain and in turn the USA. Reading about consequential places provides background, but seeing them firsthand allows one to visualize major events where they occurred. Walking through Dover Castle, the Hastings battlefield, on HMS Victory and in Canterbury Cathedral were especially poignant.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Audio tour of HMS Victory with descriptions of the Battle of Trafalgar as it unfolded. Even song at Salisbury Cathedral performed by an angelic voiced choir. Visiting Mary Rose Ship Museum in Portsmouth. Observing natural wonders of Dartmoor moors & beautiful, lush green rolling hills of the English countryside. Spectacular scenery at Beechy Head, Jurassic Coast. Tintagel Castle & St Micheal's Mount. Convivial group dinner enlivened by the talented & fun-loving Cornish Folk Singing Group. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Having taken all the other RS UK tours with the exception of Ireland, I was really looking forward to experiencing the southern portion of England. Was not disappointed. This was the slowest pace of all the UK tours I've taken, but I'd say that goes with the nature of this particular tour. Our guide, Helen, was an absolute joy!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I've read a lot of stories placed in Cornwall, so I really enjoyed seeing the area and leaning about its history, culture, and most importantly, its people."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

My husband and I greatly enjoyed our tour as our fellow travelers were quite like-minded as we were. The guide was informative and engaging but not dominating every minute. This tour's stops were varied from historical sites to making Cornish pasties making each day interesting. Cities and shorelines, Cathedrals and moors. Just wonderful.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I enjoy a good sea-side vista and there were many of these. Nearly each day we visited another cliff or shore. The Cliffs of Dover and Tintagel were jaw-dropping. So I believe I had an almost daily WOW moment. Nice."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The experience was so good because of three main things....1. the itinerary, 2. the guide (Helen), and 3. the positiveness of the fellow travelers.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Listening and watching Dave working with the stained glass at Canterbury cathedral. The way the bus driver was able to expertly navigate the narrow roads. And on a humorous note, Helen stepping in a cow pie in Dartmoor."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

We went to lots of interesting places and made some extra stops along the way. We could have decreased time spent in Mawgan Porth and had more time in Bath.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Tony- Seeing Stonehenge followed closely by Salisbury and Canterbury Cathedrals RoxAnn- Canterbury Cathedral and the stained glass workshop."

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

I've been on 12 RS tours and this one was a bit different in that the guide was more reserved than usual and didn't really engage with the group on the bus or at meals. The tour group was great and the guide did get us to all the required stops. Our side trip to Abbotsbury for a cream tea was planned well since we encountered a lot of rain on this tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I do give the tour guide extra points as he did get us to Stonehenge as the first group and it made all the difference to see this mystical, fascinating site. To be able to revel in the site before all the people showed up made this a "wow" moment for me."

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

I am amazed at how much we saw: Canterbury, Dover Castle, Salisbury, Hastings, Stonehenge. We had enough time to take everything in with excellent guides. However, the tour fell short on the White Cliffs of Dover/ Beachy Head. We had about 15-20 minutes in each place, to walk to the top of the cliff, take a photo or two and then walk back to the bus! The RS tour description (with photo) said that we would "discover" and "explore" this major, iconic site of South England, but sadly we did not.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Tintagel Castle was extraordinary. We had plenty of time to explore, take in the beautiful Cornish coast, and appreciate the magical connection of the Arthurian legend. Grand!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The overall tour experience definitely exceeded my expectations. It was a healthy mix of structured vs. unstructured activities, which gave us plenty of time to pursue special interests. We were blessed with great weather most days, although rain and high winds significantly hampered our day to St. Michael's Mount. Our tour guide did an excellent job of getting to know the interests of all tour members and tailored the 'optional' events accordingly. I will be scheduling another tour soon.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I find it difficult to pick just one "wow" moment from the tour. However, the breathtaking scenery, legend and lore, and overall experience while exploring Tintagel Castle definitely exceeded my expectations. Exploring the Cornish coast was also a favorite. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was very well organized, with experiences chosen to suit just about every taste. There was adequate time to pursue personal interests outside the scheduled tour activities. Our fellow tour participants were outgoing and inquisitive, and we all got along wonderfully. Our RS guide was very well prepared, and made an effort to educate and relate to everyone.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"This is hard. While I was impressed with the natural wonders, and the cathedrals, and quaint towns, and the ancient man-made structures, but I was EXPECTING to be impressed, so these were not surprising to me. The one thing that I was unexpectedly “wowed” by was our tour of Prideaux Place in Cornwall. It was special because a member of the Prideaux family (Henrietta) gave such interesting insights on the tour. Had it been given by any other guide I wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much out of it. "

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

What a great group of fellow-travelers! I am amazed that we saw so much but the relentless pace was problematic. Strict adherence to a packed schedule highlighted important historical sites but equated them time-wise with what was arbitrary or unnecessary. Thus, the White Cliffs/Beachy Head visits were too rushed, and the Prideaux Place and Eastbourne stops were not needed. The ample time in Canterbury and Salisbury was appreciated, but Bath's half day was inadequate. The Tour was a mixed bag.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The visit to Tintagel, without question. The perfect sky, the sea cliffs, and the mythic significance of the ruins all came together for a very powerful experience."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

A wonderful group of people to travel with, our guide, John, was exceptional and had a great amount of information and stories to share on the areas we visited, as well as other nearby regions we may wish to visit on our own at a later time. The little extra, non planned visits were much appreciated. Must also mention our wonderful driver, David. His driving skills on the many narrow roads, many barley wide enough for two small cars, never mind a large coach, were exceptional.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"This is always a difficult question to answer, as there is so many wow moments. But Canterbury Cathedral, Dartmoor National Park and Tintagel Castle."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This is our fifth RS tour and each one has been exceptional. Our guide, John, was outstanding; informative, flexible, gracious, and good-natured. Our bus driver was a street and road magician guiding that behemoth coach into and through impossible paths with the greatest of ease. All the sites were interesting but learning more about them from cultural, historical, political and environmental aspects as well as customs and idiosyncrasies thanks to John were enlightening.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hard to choose but I think getting to see Port Isaac was serendipitous as it wasn't on the tour itinerary."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I loved the group and the guide was always advocating for the group out the trip. John was an excellent gide and had a great deal of knowledge places and things. We had really good discussions on our coach.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The beauty of England and its cathedrals and landscape"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Great education. Enjoyed seeing things off the beaten track.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing Sir Edward Heath’s home in Salbury."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Amazing, more than I could ever have hoped for! Between the actual tour stops, the social aspect of our group and leaders, and the overall experience, everything exceeded my expectations.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Favorite moment was being high on the stone mason's scaffolding on Canterbury Cathedral having a private tour with the Stone Mason/Restorationists! Fantastic!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Once again, a tour thru RS exceeds expectations! Having been to London and nearby locations, I just thought this trip would just fill in the spaces. Happily, I was wrong. Everything we did was fun, educational and interesting. Weather was perfect and group was congenial. Guides were terrific and knowledgeable. Some of the best experiences were the ones chosen by our guide and not filled with other tourists. That is what makes RS tours special.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hard to choose. Donning a hard hat and going up to the top of the scaffolding to see some of the restorations being done at Canterbury Cathedral was certainly one. Experiencing the gorgeous Cornwall coast and making our own pasties for lunch was another. A visit to Prideaux Place with a guided tour by Henrietta, the great, great (14 greats) granddaughter of William the Conquerer, taking the history of England from 1066 at Battle of Hastings full circle to the present at Prideaux Place. Perfect"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our 9th RS Tour and it exceeded expectations. We visited London ourselves for four days then started the southern England tour. There is such interesting world history from early man to present day. We really enjoyed the museums, art galleries, castles, cathedrals, the coastline, and the people (and the pubs!). The hotels were consistently very nice. We also enjoyed all the free time to explore each locale.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"So many, and for different reasons: Stonehenge, WWII War Tunnels at Dover, the hikes overlooking the white chalk cliffs were breathtaking, walking the Battle of Hastings site, and all of the RS special events including the Canterbury Cathedral stonemason conservators. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our 4th RS tour, and there is a reason we keep coming back -- quality of the tour, guide, driver etc. Plenty of free time and jam-packed touring and information. Often it's the little things that make a huge difference! We lucked out with great weather too!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"For me, the Battle of Hastings battlefield and Battle Abbey was a highlight. My wife Jeanne was most taken by Beachy Head and the landscape of the moors. We both agree our "plowman's" lunch stop at Warren House Inn was an exceptional experience...one of the "little things" that sets RS tours apart!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

John was an experienced guide. For instance, if the weather was predicted to be bad, he would switch events around to another day to give us the best possible experience. I appreciated that!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"It was a very rainy day and we spent all morning in Cornwall making pasties, all of us! The woman was so fun and interesting! We all participated and had an outstanding common experience."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

it was a great overview of southern England. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the area. We had plenty of our own explore time, along with plenty of meals on our own. The tour was only 24 guests which is great for socializing. Timing on the trip is so important to get ahead of large crowds of tourists. we were so very pleased with the vacation, we will be traveling again with the Rick Steves Tours.

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

First trip to England. Truely an immersive experience. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There was no single WOW moment in my mind. The whole experience blended into a very positive impression in my mind"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

John was a great guide, the group was charming and personable, there was a ton of interesting history and beautiful scenery. And cream teas. What's not to like??

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Quietly taking in the view of the lovely ocean beach from the breakfast room of our Cornwall hotel."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We saw such a variety ... beautiful Cathedrals, Dover cliffs, English cream tea, ponies in Cornwall, Stonehenge, King Henry VIII's ship Mary Rose and Nelson's ship Victory. We had rain at moments, but we brought our raincoats. The hotels ranged from luxurious to way more than basic ...

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We had a positive and delightful tour group. Wow moments beyond the sights on the trip were engaging conversations with fellow travelers."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

After each Rick Steves Tours, I always say this is the best Tour yet. No exception this time. Outstanding organization and execution from the beginning to the conclusion of the tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Every day of the tour was a "wow" moment but the War Tunnels along with the accompanying history was a major reflection moment of how harsh World War 11 was for millions of people."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Helen was a fun, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable guide who gave out all sorts of treats and surprises. She worked hard to find our lost phone. Thanks Helen! Our tour mates were a friendly group and David was an excellent, jovial driver. All the sites were interesting and places I never would have been able to visit independently. The hotels were well-located and my vegetarian food very good. A+ tour that I highly recommend.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking along the cliffs on the beautiful Southwest Coastal path in Cornwall was my favorite "wow" moment. Going up on the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral to see masonry repairs was an unusual experience. The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth with Henry VIII's ship. Visiting Port Isaac (Portwenn in Doc Martin). Having Sticky Toffee Pudding in two restaurants!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Lots of old stuff and narrow roads!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Dartmoor National Park"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We had a great group, thanks to clear RS expectations about group behavior and most excellent tour guide. Locations selected provided variety of scenery and interests. I will recommend this tour to everyone.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Bryley Boys singing Cornish songs. The most absolute fun hour--I was smiling the whole time. They presented Cornish history and culture in the form of excellent a capela harmony, with humor added in for fun."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Outstanding guide (Helen), skilled coach driver, very congenial tour members, many learning opportunities, hotels generally very good, weather co-operated most of the time, and minimal language difficulties.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Visit with the stone masons at Canterbury Cathedral including the trip up the scaffolding to view ongoing work. Also was very amazed by the story told by Marion about her journey as a baker and entrepreneur. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Our tour manager, Helen, is remarkable. She imparted so much knowledge about present day Great Britain, its history, and Information on the sites we were visiting. She has the perfect personality. She is so personable, engaging, organized, entertaining in the best way, professional, and truly interested in her tour members. Both my husband and I hope we can do a other tour with Helen. We have enjoyed all our Rick Stevens tours and tour managers, but this one tips the list.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Visiting the World War II Tunnels and learning more about how the British planned the Dunkirk evacuation."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Great group of people including tour guide and bus driver.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The men's choir singing in Cornwall."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I had a great time. We had a wide range of experiences, a very organized and friendly guide, and lovely people to chat on our tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Wading in the sea and hearing the Cornish barbershop chorus. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

An excellent tour with compatible people combining history with locations and scenery throughout the known world.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The demonstration of stonemasonry at Canterbury Cathedral seemed like a "made for Rick Steves" exclusive. Who knew those many and huge stones needed constant attention? Climbing the scaffolding gave a hands-on feel to the task in addition to great views of the town."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This tour was greatly anticipated, and was even better than I had dreamed it! The itinerary was well-balanced and pleasantly paced. Our guide, Helen, is truly one of a kind! She captured the mantra of “travel as a temporary local” perfectly for our fortunate group. And this group, wow, what an inspiring and fun collection of humans! Thanks for making this tour extra special! The hotels and food were all to our satisfaction.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Lifetime dream wow moment: Stonehenge Unexpected wow moment: St. Michael’s Mound gardens "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Learning that the water table under Salisbury Cathedral I critical for support of the structure"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was very well organized and the schedule each day was great. The tour guides and tour members were all wonderful people.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge! Dover Castle! Tintagel Castle! St. Michael's Mount! I can't pick one."

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

This was our 5th Rick Steves tour and found this tour could use a little "tweaking" compared to our previous tours. For Example, we had too much time in Padstow and not enough time at St Michels Mount and 3 days in Cornwall was too long - more time could be given to the final city in Bath. Our 2 guides were both excellent and Craig our bus driver was fabulous going above and beyond his driving duties!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"visiting Birling Gap and seeing the spectacular cliffs"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was even better than I expected. I loved the big events (castles, churches, etc) as well as time for the small, unplanned moments (a walk in the sunshine, etc.)

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking on the beautiful green hills at Birling Gap near Beachy Head for photo ops and people watching, and then climbing down to the pebbly beach and watching the surf in the sunshine."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

This tour had 2 great guides and excellent meals, but the trip itinerary needs work - this was the least favorite tour of 5 Rick Steves tours that we have done. The trip started great, but as we moved into Cornwall some stops felt like they were filling time.Too much time in Cornwall with 3 hours in Padstow as the least interesting stop ever, with only 1.5 hours at St. Michael's Mount and too little time in Bath. One less day in Cornwall and condense activities there with one more day in Bath.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking on the white cliffs at Birling Gap towards Beachy Head"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Overall, I'd have to say that it was a great tour... some individual things could have been changed/altered to have made it "outstanding". But it's a beautiful part of the world with lots of history from throughout the ages.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"2 things stand out for me. The discussion with the Masons that are working on the renovations of the Canterbury Cathedral and the subsequent trip up 12 floors of scaffolding to examine the area that was being worked on. The Masons are true artisans and are doing a fantastic job... as far as I could tell. The other moment was to stand before Stonehenge with wonder and awe. What was its purpose, how was it really constructed and where did the stone come from? Questions for the ages."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Right up there with my favorite Rick Steve's tours. My husband picked this trip and I am so glad. Southern England is lovely and the tour was memorable.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The mason tour of the Canterbury Cathedral, including up on the scafolding, getting to Stonehenge in time to catch the 1st bus onto the site, the stopover in Portsmouth, especially the Mary Rose Museum, Tintagel Castle, the 3 night stay in Mawgan Porth with the ocean view, St. Michael's Mount, the flowers, the lovely walks in the hills with rock circles. Just everything on this tour."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Learned a lot, revisited some sites, great tour mates and good food.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hearing from and visiting with the stone masons at Canterbury Cathedral…also making and eating pastys with Marion."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Well organized with a great leader and local guides.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stone masons at Canterbury."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Great guide, great history, great beauty, yet very chill.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Canterbury stone mason demonstration and visit to the restoration site on the scafolding was very special. The stone mason's were friendly, informative, and passionate about their work. It was a very special experience."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The overall tour was excellent & included many sites that we had not seen during previous trips to England. Robert Halkett is an excellent guide/tour director. We enjoyed the range of locations that we saw including, cathedrals, castles, cities, villages, World War II tunnels, battle fields, fishing harbors, vintage ships in Portsmouth, & moors. Stonehenge & White Cliffs were bucket list items. Right size group w/ congenial travel companions. Fish & Chips!! Learning British trains/ London tubes.

Favorite "WOW" moment

""Wow" moments on the trip were the opportunity to see the stone masons and the restoration of the Canterbury Cathedral (Seeing how the masons used templates and cut stones to replace the deteriorated stones was amazing while staying at the lodge and exploring the grounds), the mechanical clock in the Salisbury Cathedral, making pasties with Marion for an enjoyable lunch (ate at her Chough bakery in Padstow the previous day!) & St. Michael's Mount, including the magnificent gardens . "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was the most active Rick Steves' tour we have taken, and we were tired at the end of each day. But, that was a good thing, and we saw so, so much! Robert was very knowledgeable and helpful. Our fellow travelers were a great bunch of smart, interesting, and fun people. We enjoyed the tour very much.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were so many beautiful vistas.. The gardens at St Michael's Mount and the stunning views from the Tintagel Castle cliffs were two of my favorites. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Guide was wonderful, experiences were great

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Making pasties in Cornwall"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The Southern England tour was a nice mix of activities that included cathedrals, historic sites, ancient ruins, and fabulous vistas. Our tour guide, Robert, was great and his commentary added context to all that we saw. I came home with a better understanding of the UK and an appreciation of the small towns and beauty of Southern England.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Meeting the masons and going up on the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Robert did an amazing job of keeping us organized to make the most of our trip

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Meeting Maid Marion"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The accommodations were good, the company was excellent and the itinerary hit many of the sights that I wanted to see. And the weather was perfect!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I thought Stonehenge was going to be my Wow moment, but it was actually the Cornish coastline that truly took my breath away."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Wonderful experience-went places that many people miss. Learned a lot, ate a lot, the weather was perfect, and the group got along very well. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and our driver terrific! The "extras" made the tour special- Learning about stained glass preservation was amazing, making "patsys" was great fun, learning about beer and spirits brewing was very interesting, the punt trip gave us a new view of Canterbury

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I loved all of Cornwall. I especially enjoyed the historical portions of the tour. Stonehenge was something I looked forward to seeing as well as Tintagel. The Mary Rose Museum was pleasant surprise."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was lovely from start to finish! Wonderful, knowledgeable guide, friendly people, beautiful places to visit.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hard to pick….I think the stop on the Dartmoor Moors where we saw the remains of Iron Age round houses "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

well organized, great people, interesting sights, good food & accomodations

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Spire tour of Salisbury Cathedral, getting to stay on the grounds of Cantebury Cathedral, "

Our group of interesting individuals quickly got to know each other and it was a pleasure to share our time time with them! Our guide, Yorick, had so much knowledge to share. It made our stops more enjoyable.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I absolutely loved the pasty making experience at the Cornwall bakery. Listening to Marion's personal story was fascinating and the pasties we each made for our lunch tasted wonderful!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Overall a great tour. Our fellow travelers were a highlight of the tour. I enjoyed the free time and the little extras. I appreciated our guide Yorick's knowledge of history, geology and culture. Exceeded my expectations.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"So many "wow" moments. Walking along the cliffs in Cornwall, making pasties and the stain glass restoration workshop in Canterbury."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I thought I'd enjoy the itinerary, but the overall experience was so much MORE than I could have imagined. Our group was very friendly, and 13 days together really lets you bond. Steven was the perfect tour guide. He worked hard to make sure everyone was having a great experience. He really took good care of us!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Tintagel Castle. I'd never even heard of it - and it was an amazing place. The hike around the area was great - it helped that the weather cooperated. I also like St Michael's Mount. And I loved cruising along the roads, enjoying the landscape and the sheep!"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Had a good time on 13 day Southern England tour. Our group leader Steven made it interesting with his knowledge about the each area that we visited. Our driver Ian kept us safe maneuvering though sometimes what appear to be single lane country roads.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"My wow moment was Tintagel Castle, with outstanding views. "

The tour visited beautiful and interesting locations at a leisurely pace under the direction of an engaging guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Getting to Stonehenge a few minutes before the masses of tourists."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was one of our best group tour experiences. We enjoyed the tour guide, the locations/itinerary, the group of people we traveled with, and the hotels/meals. The pacing of the trip's stops was excellent, as was the balance of structured and free time.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We had the opportunity to learn about the stonemasonry craft from a lead stonemason at Canterbury Cathedral, and go up on the scaffold elevator to view the stones and repairs ongoing on the Cathedral exterior. We understood this experience isn't always offered for various reasons, we were thrilled to be able to experience this and learn from a 21st century stonemason!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Entertaining, well paced, comfortable, great dining, beautiful scenery, interesting history.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge lived up to the hype. The white cliffs of Dover were equally impressive. The Stonemason's tour of Canterbury was scary but fun."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Great itinerary, outstanding tour leader, amazing coach driver, great group.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were many, but to mention a few: View of Canterbury Cathedral from hotel room; Taking elevator up to scaffolding with stonemasons; Touring HMS Victory in Portsmouth; Tintagel Castle; Taking scenic walk back to Bedruthan Hotel after Cream Tea; Spending a couple of hours in Port Isaac (I am a big Doc Martin fan!), eating pasties."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was very engaging, educational, fun, and very exhausting but in a good way

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Going up scaffolding in an elevator at Canterbury Cathedral to see stone mason at work."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I had an especially good group with an extremely knowledgeable guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Being able to use the scaffolding on Canterbury Cathedral to get up close to the clock tower and having one of the stone mason specialists tell us about the ongoing outer wall maintenance."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Wonderful tour with very small group and excellent tour guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Sunset from hotel in Mawgan Porth, looking out to sea."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I had a very pleasant relaxing tour that left me refreshed. This was my 14th tour and 2nd time on this tour. I enjoyed the changed itinerary from 2019 especially seeing Tintagel and walking below the ‘white cliffs’. The only downside was the 4 day bank holiday which caused major traffic congestion, so bus rides were sometimes longer. We saw and experienced a lot in the two weeks - cathedrals, battle sites, Dover about Dunkirk, cliffs, changing geology, fabulous walks. Loved it.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"WOW – only 13 people on this tour with a full-sized bus!!! Lots of wildflowers, especially in Cornwall. Beautiful walks on the coast. Uplifting evensong at Canterbury and Salisbury. Learned interesting history at the site – Dover, Battle, and Portsmouth. Fun watching the twisting road when I sat at the front of the bus. Great tour. Averaged 10000 steps a day - and I enjoyed all the walking."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Very interesting points of interest and the very best tour guide I have ever had. I have taken 4 Rick Steves tours and tours from other companies, but Robert is, by far, the best guide of any previous!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The hike along the Cornish Coast from the place where we had the Cornish Cream Tea to the Hotel in Mawgan Porth."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It exceeded my expectations.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Salisbury Cathedral"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was such a pleasant, relaxing tour, with beautiful old towns, quiet little villages, lush green landscapes, stunning wildflowers, lovely coastal walks, fascinating immersive history, terrific food, and wonderful music. Robert was a great guide, and the tour was enhanced by his wealth of knowledge and insight into England's past and present. To top it off, we had a tiny group, which made it easy to bond with travel companions.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Honestly there wasn't a big "WOW" moment for me, and that's OK!!! It was a steady diet of pleasant experiences that added up to a deeply relaxing trip that was a "wow" as a whole. Just some examples: evensong at Canterbury and Salisbury gave me chills, the lush green countryside and carpets of wildflowers settled my soul, Stonehenge and other ancient sites in Dartmoor stirred my imagination, and so many sights (Portsmouth, Dover, Battle) brought history alive in ways a book could never do. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

What a great group to go with. This was my wife’s and my first Tour and first overseas trip in 6 years. It was great to get out. Tour Guide, Helen, was fun and was able to answer interesting questions off the cuff and found the answers if not. Bus driver Ian was highly skilled and fun to chat with.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I found out that I am a sticky floor pub guy vs a Poss Pubber. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We generally "always" have a lovely adventure and terrific experience with a RS Tour. This batch of travelers were particularly like-minded and loads of fun. Add this with our tour guide, Helen, we have many TA-DA moments and great smiles across our faces.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Any of the coastline delights along the southern edges of England, were beyond breathtaking. And, I loved the Mary Rose exhibit in Portsmouth, to be sure. As a history/education major, I felt this was very well done. I doubt I would have gone to Portsmouth on my own, but was thrilled to be there. This is a huge plus taking a RS Tour......"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

As always with a Rick Steves tour, we saw and experienced so many things. Our tour group was the best and I can’t say enough good things about our guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The south coast countryside and views from the cliff walks. Stunning. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

The mixture of group activities and individual activities worked for me. I'm used to more activity in my daily routine but I still enjoyed myself.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"All of the natural beauty of the countryside. We also fell into a choir festival in Salsibury which was fantastic! The chanty singers in the pub were also great. Music touches my soul."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Helen made the tour a great time. Sites visited were exciting, surprising in their content, sparked further interest. It was a very active tour if participated in to the maximum.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking along the Beachy Head cliffs to the lighthouse off to the left of the Seven Sisters from the visitors parking lot. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was packed with great experiences, history, and the natural scenery of southern England. Our guide Helen had nonstop energy and was able to make everything positive. Our driver Ian was the most amazing driver you could imagine and got us through some unbelievably tight places, never losing his cool. Both promoted a spirit of positivity that made our group cohesive. We are still processing the feelings while looking at human stone work much older than the pyramids. We loved it.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The perfect spring day at the garden at Pencarrew. It seemed that every flower, bush and tree was in full luxurious bloom. I have never experienced a more perfect day. Only in England can I even imagine a family preserving this garden for hundreds of years and then sharing it- knowing how incredibly special it is. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The Best of South England tour far exceeded expectations. Our guide, Helen, coach driver, Ian, fellow travelers, the sights we visited and the scenery all were amazing. This is definitely an itinerary we could not have experienced so much or enjoyed near as much had we been traveling on our own.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"This itinerary had so many "wow" moments. My "WOW" was the climb to see King Arthur at Tintagel Castle, even in drenching rain, the views were amazing. Walking the SW Coastal Path in Cornwall with our guide and group, what views, and our cream tea experience in Abbotsbury were a close second."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Helen was outstanding tour leader. The group jelled fairly quickly and by the end we were all close friends. Perfect balance of scheduled things to do and see and free time to explore on our own.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The stone mason's tour of Canterbury Cathedral was amazing."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I loved the entire trip. We had a great group and Helen managed to keep us all in line, entertained, and all returned in good spirits. The tour offered a great variety of things to see and do. Many new experiences for all. Not many people get to go up the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral or enjoy making pasties in Cornwall. This is my 4th Rick Steves’ Tour and I’m already reading the guides to find another!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hard to pick. I believe the beautiful day we had at Mount St.i Michael would be hard to beat. Perfect weather, a boat ride out; lovely castle with equally lovely gardens to explore. Also enjoyed the day at Pencarrow House and gardens. Must not forget the tour of Canterbury Cathedral and seeing how repairs are made and going up the scaffolding with John; who made us all want to become stonemasons to conserve the cathedral! All great!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Enjoyable and informative with a great group and excellent guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Canterbury Cathedral but hard to choose along so many..."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

IT was wonderful and interesting. We had plenty of wonderful things to do and see but plenty of down time also to check out the areas

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Everyday,I cannot think of just one."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was a terrific tour. We had a great guide, Steven, a very congenial group of fellow travelers and a wonderful bus driver, Charlotte.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"So much of this tour included ‘bucket list’ things for me. I love history and amazing cathedrals so Battle of Hastings, HMS Victory, Canterbury, Salisbury and Bath cathedrals and Abbey were truly everything I hoped for. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Steven was phenomenal. His preparation, attention to detail and care for our entire group was exemplary. I especially enjoyed his knowledge about all of the places that we visited including historical context.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Salisbury cathedral"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was completely enjoyable. I went to places I never would have gotten to on my own. It was so easy and reassuring to have someone else focusing on the logistics so I could enjoy the moment

Favorite "WOW" moment

"How beautiful South England is! Cornwall was especially impressive"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The weather was cold with the wind a constant but the scenery and sites we visited were wonderful! So much beauty in the landscape, it was breath taking. So even the time spent in the couch was wonderful! I learned a lot about the history and the wars that impacted England. Our tour guide was brilliant and very informative ! Loved the stain glass artists who in Canterbury cathedral educated us about the restoration which I found to be a real highlight .

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Portsmouth museums were a great experience!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Experiences were excellent. Hotels good. Good excellent. Most outstanding tour guide Steve. Great group of people. Great bus driver Dave. Terrific locations.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Everything was a wow moment for me. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This tour was very relaxed and easy going. Our Tour Guide, Steven, was very knowledgeable and attentive to the tour group. I enjoyed seeing "out of time" English villages that hadn't change much in a hundred years.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Simply riding down the narrow English lanes in our Tour Coach. Such beautiful countryside and buildings that could be 50 years old or 500. Oh, and watching our Coachman David make near impossible road maneuvers look like child's play."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was an incredible vacation. Starting with the tour leader Steven. He was very knowledgeable and kept the tour going even when the weather didn't always cooperate. The other guests were all fun and interesting travel companions.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Dover castle and the WW11 tunnels were very interesting. The Canterbury cathedral was also very interesting with all that history."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Nice size group. 20 people is the maximum for a great time. I liked the activity level. The group was in good physical shape, and could handle lots of walking. Good mix of planned activities, and enough free time to explore on our own. The hotels were varied, and very enjoyable.. It was nice to have some meals provided, but to also have the opportunity to have meals on our own. Didn’t feel like I was glued to the group. Having all breakfasts provided was great. Overall a wonderful time.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Too many to just pick one. I guess Stonehenge and being on the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral. The HMS Victory and the Mary Rose at Portsmouth. Cornwall was great."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Greatly enjoyed our tour to Southern England. Gave me a real focus on the history, landscape, people and places that make up the area.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Talking with the stone masons aon the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Overall this was a wonderful tour. We were blessed with 2 "awesome" guides in Liz and Paul and we also had wonderful weather for 90% of the tour. Liz really made me aware of many similarities and differences between Americans and Brits that I had not realized before the tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were many Wow moments but here are a few. The tour of Salisbury Cathedral with Mike was the absolute best cathedral/church tour I have ever experienced. He was such a great story teller who captivated our entire group. Hiking up the hill to get the full view of the harbor and village of Port Isaac. The half day roaming the castle ruins and cliffs of Tintagel was also a highlight. I also really enjoyed the performance from the Bryher's Boys at the fish n' chips dinner."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We’ve been to parts of southern England before but there’s always a better experience with RS tours.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hard to choose just one but I guess Tintagel would rank right up there. The Cornish coast is beautiful. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I loved my tour overall. The guides were wonderful, I was able to visit many towns and experiences that I would not have had on my own.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Many wows! I loved the tour of Salisbury cathedral( mainly thanks to the local guide Mike, or Micheal). Seeing Stonehenge, visiting towns in Cornwall,Tintagel castle, on and on…"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We had a wonderful tour experience. The tour locations and activities were fantastic, the group was great, and our 2 guides were both amazing.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"My favorite wow moment was the Tintagel Castle. The views and the experience were amazing with beautiful scenery everywhere you looked. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Excellent!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were several wow moments for us. Staying on the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral was a high point and the time at Stonehenge. The stops and staying in small towns that have not changed in years. The many stops along the water including the pier at Eastbourne. The fact that we were blessed with wonderful weather."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Tour was well run. Lots of fun and exploring. Weather was uncommonly good.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Gong aboard the HMS Victory "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Tour guides and were wonderful. Great bus driven. Tour stops were interesting. Good accommodations and food. Good choices for free time.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Visiting Port Isaac where Doc Martin was filmed."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

A nice tour of the British country life. Not a city tour at all. The weather was amazingly good too!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The visit to the Battle of Britain Memorial. It wasn't on the itinerary so it was a complete surprise. My wife got to see her father's cousin's name on the wall. It was very touching."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It surpassed our expectations!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were of course many moments, but I especially liked the peaceful walk around Battle Abbey, exploring the ruins and learning more about the Battle of Hastings."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Another well-put-together tour from Rick Steves. The Cathedrals were impressive. We, here in the States, lack the historical perspective that seeing these truly ancient buildings provide. "Anything built since 1700 isn't considered old"! Wow! Old castles too. Stonehenge too! Glad we went and had a chance to experience these things first-hand. Pictures and videos can' do them justice.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"HMS Victory at Portsmouth. This opportunity to see Nelson's ship was the "tipping point" for me to go on this tour."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

I enjoyed all stops/sites. There was a bit of everything (views, local lore, history, cathedrals, ruins/castles, monuments, cemeteries, food/drink experiences) and, therefore, something for everyone. I saw and experienced those sites that were uppermost in my original tour objective and thoroughly enjoyed others that were unexpected.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"It is difficult to say which "wow" moment was my favourite, but the stone mason's tour at Canterbury Cathedral and seeing the work close up from the scaffolding gets high scores. I call it a "wow" moment because I gained insight and understanding into what I was looking at. Another "wow" moment was an unexpected stop at the Battle of Britain Memorial near Folkestone, which was spectacular."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Wonderful tour, great guide, great group of people.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Learning about the cathedral restoration at the Canterbury Cathedral."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was a fabulous tour. The first hotel at Canterbury cathedral was one of the best locations and facilities we have experienced on a Rick Steves tour. The chance to hear a stone mason talk and then go up on scaffolding was an experience I never thought I would have. We loved the Dover castle grounds and history. We got there early in the morning and got right into the 2 tunnel tours. Punting was a first for me and very enjoyable. Beer tasting evening was fun, he buys hops from WA state.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I'm a dahlia grower and when we went to Stonehenge they were having a dahlia show that was done regularly in the past. However after a break this was the first time they had repeated the display since 1844. That was a wow moment for me on Sunday when we visited there on the last of a 3 day exhibit. We were the first bus to arrive that morning thanks to Helen and we visited the stones almost alone. Big Smile. I have a lot of pictures."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

My overall tour experience was excellent. The itinerary has a nice mix of activities and more than one wow moment!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The "wow" moment of my trip was walking a portion of the South West Coast Path, England's longest signed footpath. I meandered through low-lying shrubs to find striking views of Cornish cliffs in both directions. Small coves, tucked away yet turbulent with waves, were once home to pirates smuggling goods. The combination of salty blue-green sea, tall rocky cliffs, and sheep-dotted Cornish farmland made for an unforgettable walk along England's southwest tip."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Far exceeded my expectations. We were originally signed up before Covid, so 3 years later we were a little vague as to why we picked this particular tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"In the first couple of days we toured Dover Castle. There I discovered the English Heritage docents. They were so valuable in explaining the meaning or significance of various items... like paintings, or the color of bedding, or how deep a 400 foot well really is. And I found them at numerous locations on the tour."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I enjoyed the Best of Southern England tour. I was stationed in England 40+ years ago and did not travel to this area (my mistake). Totally different experience than my earlier 14 day tour earlier this year. Helen our tour guide was very knowledgeable of each location and travel route visited. Kept us engaged with fun facts.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"My “WOW” moment was a toss up between the Mary Rose tour and the Canterbury Cathedral rehab/repair tour by the Forman in charge. Especially the lift ride to see close up of the work being done and view of the city at that height. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We had the BEST time on our tour of Southern England. We saw and did so much every day, yet we were never rushed; Helen had each day well paced.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"It's hard to pick one moment from three weeks of "Wow" moments, but Canterbury Cathedral and Stonehenge have to be up there."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Very well run. Plenty of free time and included some really excellent experiences you couldn't get otherwise.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Being able to go into the stained glass restoration workshop at Canterbury Cathedral and get a lesson on medieval glass restoration from a world authority. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Our fourth RS tour and I found it very mellow in comparison to the others. Not better or worse, just different.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There was no wow moment, but I thoroughly enjoyed Dartmoor and Cornwall."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Our tour guide, John, was outstanding. Very knowledgeable and friendly. He did a great job providing an alternate activity if a planned excursion was cancelled. For example, high winds prevented our trip to Mount St. Michael. John & our excellent bus driver, Keith, took us to the Botallack mining area. In fact, that was more interesting to me than another stately home & garden. When Dover Castle was closed, we visited the British Airmen Memorial, a great tie-in with the war tunnels.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The time spent with the stained glass artist in Canterbury."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The brewery in Canterbury, Portsmouth shipyard (Victory), Hastings battlefield"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We loved Tintagel. The walk over the bridge and exploring the ruins was amazing. Also Dartmoor with the stone circles was extraordinary."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I went to South England to see the sights and came away not only seeing many sights, but getting a history lesson as well. I have a much better understanding of English history and its people now. This is our first Rick's tour in several years due to Covid. It was much as we remembered. Not just the major sights. Rick's guide was very friendly and welcoming. As well as very knowledgeable. The coach was comfortable and the driver was very accomplished, as well as friendly.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I don't think I had a real wow moment. Everything was very good. Some moments were a little better than the others. I really enjoyed exploring the Dover castle and war tunnels. And the white cliffs were unbelievable up close. Cornwall was very interesting. I enjoyed going into the moors and walking on them, I had read about them and it was really neat to now feel them. he men's singing group was a lot of fun. Salisbury cathedral was just beautiful. Chagford was a real treat. Cute village."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

The tour was good and we saw a lot of interesting things. Great guide who knew his stuff. The bus was the least spacious and most uncomfortable that we've had. Some of the included meals seemed to be on the thrifty side (compared to other tours). After 7 other Rick Steves' tours this ranked as our least favorite.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Learning about the reconstruction process on the Canterbury Cathedral was great. The stone masons were very informative. Going up onto the scaffolding was a real Rick type extra. that we've come to love. The guide doing the introduction to the Battle Abbey was also outstanding."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Unexpected stop at the Battle of Britain memorial. Most days had a wow moment."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I was completely new to Southern England and this was an excellent introduction that leaves me feeling like I now know something of the area and its history. I was impressed with how varied this large area and its people are from Canterbury to the tin mines in Cornwall and through Dortmoor to Stonehenge, not to mention the military history from 1066 in Hastings to Portsmouth.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing the brilliantly white Seven Sisters as the sun emerged from behind the clouds on what had been a cloudy afternoon."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was a wonderful tour with so much to see and learn. Our guide, Steven, was so knowledgeable.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"When the sun shone on the cliffs of the Seven Sisters, it was spectacular! There was a brilliance to the moment. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Tour was everything I hoped it would be-great guide, interesting sights and friendly tour members.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge-majestic. It must have been so imposing in ancient times rising out of the mists. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour exceeded our expectations. Steven was an outstanding guide. The variety of activities, the amount we saw, learned and experienced every day, and the accommodations were wonderful.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Two - the Cornish pasty make and bake with Marion and the stone mason activity at Canterbury Cathedral. Actually, every day had at least one “wow” moment. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

This was our first trip to England and it was wonderful! We met wonderful people and our guide and coach driver were friendly and informative!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"All the cathedrals were amazing! I liked making Pasties with Marion and then eating them by the beach, while watching a surfing competition! Who knew!?"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was great, cannot even begin to guess what part I enjoyed the most. The places we visited were the ones I wanted to see and experience above all that there is to see in Southern England.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I have been trying to think what I thought was the very best of this tour, and I cannot say. Seeing the 'Magna Carta' was something I never imagined I would ever have the honor to view, but did. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Our guide Roy was great and very knowledgeable and Charlotte our bus driver was delightful. The itineraries were well thought out and the hotels were all very nice, even the older ones!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There was no single "wow" movement, but enjoyed the Cornwall part of the trip the most. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Good…but not as good as the 4 previous Rick Steves tours we’ve been in. Too much war and war related emphasis.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"When I bit into my handmade pasty"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Great group. GreatGuide. Well organized.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Gave me a real feel for England, it’s history, people, music, food and gorgeous countryside.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I loved the small villages, countryside and ocean side towns. Also, learning the history of all ares we visited or drove by.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Ruins of an ancient people in Dartmoor National Park."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Great overall experience

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Dartmoor National Park. Stunning in its natural beauty. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Great sights, a history lesson with so many sights, genial tour group (an extra bonus), affable bus driver, GREAT guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Loved hiking up Tintagel; the sight itself was underwhelming but the setting and views were inspiring. Cornwall took my breath away with its beautiful coves and green hillsides"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Great tour (my tenth RS tour). Beautiful country, varied sights and a great guide.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Touring the HMS Victory at Portsmouth Harbor. Great audioguide through every part of the ship to describe each one's function. Also took one through the battle of Trafalgar, moment by moment. Gave a great feel for the action and horrors of being on such a ship."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Great tour guide and bus driver

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Tom is not good. He is MAGNIFICENT!! He made the tour. Erudite, witty, inventive, he could give a tour in a plowed field and make it interesting. Ian also did an excellent job moving that big coach down narrow lanes while verbally jousting with Tom. They made an excellent combo.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were many. But I especially enjoyed being at Doc Martin's surgery in Port "Wenn"."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The tour was exceptional. Our tour guide, Tom, was very knowledgeable and, in addition, hilarious. He really brought the tour together and everyone spent a lot of time laughing. He and the bus driver worked really hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. All the sights were wonderful and varied. Since most of us were Doc Martin fans, he even took us to Port Isaac (called Port Wenn in the show).

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing the WWII secret wartime tunnels where the evacuation from Dunkirk was planned was very emotional. Also Stonehenge and Dartmoor were very beautiful and mysterious."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Good itinerary and excellent tour leader. Mostly visited relevant and interesting locations. Tour guide, Tom Hooper, was knowledgeable, personable, and extremely organized. He provided interesting and useful stories throughout the tour. Would very much like to accompany him on another tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Dartmoor and Prideaux Place."

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

Very pleasant experience. Enjoyed the area and environment.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The ruins inDartmoor"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"(1) Climbing the scaffold on the outside of Canterbury Cathedral (2) Visiting Salisbury and the Magna Carta (3) Walking the beaches of Mawgan Porth (4) EvenSong at Canterbury and Salisbury Cathedrals (5) Stonehenge (6) Portsmouth and the Mary Rose "

Our tour was extremely well organized, and we enjoyed our guide Robert, bus driver Keith and the many places we visited. Robert had an easy way of providing interesting cultural and historical information. Keith was fearless driving the narrow and curvy roads in southern Britain. I loved that the bus rides were short and broken up with short stops in fascinating tiny villages specifically, Alfriston and Milton Abbey. we were both entertained and educated by the Cornish singers and our baker.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Entire tour was wows but starting out in Canterbury and staying within the old cathedral walls really a dive into the histrionics and culture of Southern England. We took a separate tour of Bath Abbey and were spell bound walking up to the bell tower and gazing around the town from the Abbey's roof. More magic by visiting Doc Martin's Port Wenn, Poldark's Cornwall and the cliffs from Broadchurch. This was our first Rich Steve's tour and we look forward to many more."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Rick Steve's Tours are always consistently well planned and executed. I enjoy the camaraderie of my fellow adventurers. The only reason why I did not rate this tour as outstanding is due to the fact that we did not have many local guides and instead were dropped off and then toured with audio guides, or on our own. For example; at the Battle Abbey the audio guides were not functioning well. I would have liked to have a guide for the tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Two wow moments. The first was my first sight of the resurrected Henry VIII ship the Mary Rose. This was an outstanding museum. The second was the absolutely clear and beautiful Cornwall Coast outside of Mawgan Porth. Breathtaking. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

As with all RS tours, it was outstanding & I didn’t want it to end!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were several but Tintagel Castle really stands out as the best wow moment!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was a great tour for experiencing England outside of London. The historic sites were very interesting and the scenery was breathtaking. Our guide took excellent care of us and enhanced our trip wherever possible, and our driver was superb.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing the views from Tintagel - simply breathtaking! Also, seeing the Mary Rose in Portsmouth- such an incredible piece of history. I was impressed with the number of artifacts that were recovered and on display, and by what good shape they were in. Amazing!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

There was a good balance between history, natural features present day description of life, and personal free time.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hearing the Canterbury bell practice unexpectedly."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

This was my 3rd tour with Rick Steves. The first 8 days were great and lived up to my expectations. While days 9, 10 and 11 had some positive highlights, my overall feeling was of disappointment. I was disappointed to have such a feeling at the end of my trip, and it caused me to question if I would follow up with a 4th Rick Steves tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Canterbury Cathedral and all the history of the stain glass windows."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

My first solo trip. Accommodations were good. Group was friendly. Very well organized

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Mary rose at Portsmouth"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

We enjoyed the tour overall, especially our fellow travelers on the tour and the many activities we engaged in.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Lanhydrock- unexpectedly added to our tour- was fabulous! "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This tour offered a variety of experiences, and both small city and quaint village stays. Many of the hotels were historic and quite interesting. The tour group was relatively small (18) and a very friendly group.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The dramatic coastline scenery and the beautiful summertime flowers. Not one particular moment."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Well planned; flexible when appropriate; terrific guide (John); incredibly skilled coach driver; delightful, small village/town destinations; wonderful and friendly fellow travelers.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge; Bryher Boys entertainment"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Unfortunately I had a positive Covid test after day 2 and we did not continue

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I started traveling in Europe about forty years ago using several early editions of Europe Through the Back Door as my travel bible. Over the past several decades I have also loved being a traveler on Rick Steves tours. The tour to southern England was my eleventh tour and it was great. Although I have visited parts of southern England during independent travel, I was exposed to several new places and had a marvelous time. Having Roy as a guide again after 27 years was delightful.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I don't have one particular "wow" moment. I enjoyed all aspects of the tour. The English countryside never disappoints. It is so beautiful. I have always wanted to visit Dartmoor and St. Michael's Mount. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Tour was a fine blend of history, culture and scenery served up by our excellent guide, Roy. Cities and towns visited are all small enough to experience the unique character of each one. All the above shared with a great group of fellow pilgrims.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Going up with the stonemasons onto the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We had an excellent guide in Roy Nichols (and a bonus with Lisa Smith). Roy was exceptionally knowledgeable about all our itinerary stops and English history and customs, and he clearly made the trip memorable. The tour was well structured and paced and provided a wonderful experience throughout south England. We had a delightful group and thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie over the entire 13 day trip. This was our first Rick Steves’ tour. We’ll definitely be back.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I think the rugged Cornish coastline was the most impressive – particularly at Tintagel as well as the spectacular coast walk back to the hotel after our cream tea experience near Mawgan Porth. I was also impressed by the Canterbury and Salisbury Cathedrals, but it was quite special to meet the stonemasons working on the restoration of Canterbury and be able to ascend to the roof to see the work being done – your average tour experience would not have included something like this."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

The tour stuck to the published itinerary so there were no surprises. We were blessed with good weather which provided for a relaxed and thorough enjoyment of the tour sites and activities. The tour guide and driver very professional.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"It was not so much of a wow moment as it was grasping the impressive timescale of settlement of England and its significant historical events. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This tour has a lovely pace with smaller quaint areas of England. I enjoyed the itinerary that took us to locations that are harder to reach independently. From learning about the war time tunnels in Dover to making a pasty in Cornwall this tour was a perfect combination of educating us on the culture, history, and fun of the region.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"My favorite thing about a RS tour is that every day there is a WOW. One stand out moment was the stonemason tour that took us to the top of the Canterbury scaffolding, and WOW they let us walk around up there! But my personal favorite wow, was a walk along the beach cliff edge in Cornwall. Both a bit nerve wracking and thrilling for me since I have a healthy respect for heights!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Overall, the tour was terrific. Our guide, Deborah Heyburn, was very knowledgeable, always helpful, and so delightful. Her description of how to play cricket had us all laughing. This was my 5th RS tour and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the friendship and genuine camaraderie of this tour group.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The first "wow" was donning a hard hat and riding an external construction elevator to the top of the Canterbury Cathedral with the stone mason to see the repairs being made. The second "wow" was learning how to make my very own pasty and then getting to eat my creation. The third "wow" was seeing the White Cliffs of Dover. Our coach driver, Keith, was amazing, driving the narrow roads with ease. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our 7th RS tour. We have come to expect a rewarding experience and we were not disappointed. On this tour we were impressed with the assistance provided by other tour guides and museum staff.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Making pasties"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The itinerary was great and our Tour Director, Deborah, was excellent. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and extremely helpful to our individual needs.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The tour of the Canterbury Cathedral including the opportunity to ride the construction elevator to the high scaffolding alongside the repair work of the 1000 year structure."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Being newly blind, I didn't know what to expect, but I had great experiences and wonderful memories of the tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Making pasties with Marion (sp?). She had an incredible story and had a wonderful personality."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Thoroughly enjoyed this tour (our fifth Rick Steves). There was a good mix of sights, stories and activities. We enjoyed the company of our fellow tour members. Our guide, Deborah, was knowledgeable, relatable and entertained us with stories about her long and varied career in tourism and other pursuits. Our coach driver, Keith, deftly transported us to our destinations - often through impossibly narrow roads.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Can't pick just one... Stonehenge: I'm fascinated with ancient civilizations, so this was a must-see. The goose bumps were not just from the chilly rain that day. Pasty-making: Looked forward to this even before the tour began. Hearing the bakery owner's inspirational back story and seeing her work with our blind tour member to ensure she also enjoyed this activity made this event extra special. Port Isaac: As a "Doc Martin" fan, seeing various filming locations around town was definitely "wow"."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our first trip to Europe and our first Rick Steve's tour. Our guide, the hotels, and the things we saw were just great. The description of the trip on the website was what we actually experienced.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Canterbury cathedral - tour with an excellent docent, and a trip up the manlift on the scaffold to see up close the restoration work being done on the cathedral, and the interaction with the young stone mason about his work."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

We had a very nice group of travelers who all got along well. Our tour guide, Deborah was a joy. She was very knowledge on all things British - cultural, historical, etc. She was able to set up an extra dinner at one hotel which made it more convenient for all. She also made sure my buddy who was blind had the opportunity to have her very best experience on the tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Making pasties with Marion and visiting The Battle of Hastings site. I also enjoyed walking on the Cornish Coastline with Deborah and some of our tourmates."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

My husband and I had never been on a Rick Steves tour before and found this tour to be a fun and informative experience. We saw so many sites we might never have visited. Our fellow travelers were fun and easy to be with. We enjoyed our guide’s knowledge and guidance. Our bus was comfortable and always felt safe. Our driver was wonderful. I will do another Rick Steves tour again in the future.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We experienced several “wow” moments: going up the man-lift to learn how the stone mason repairs the stones, Dartmoor’s moors and stones, Mawgan Porth, chalk cliffs, Roman baths, the museum for the Mary Rose ship, the Bedruthan Steps Hotel, the Canterbury and Salisbury cathedrals, and the chalk cliffs. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

We saw everything we wanted to as presented in the tour - everybody was good to get along with and tour director was great!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Realizing that the Salisbury Cathedral was floating on a shallow water table with a dipstick in the cathedral!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was my first tour so I didn't know what to expect. The tour far exceeded what I had imagined the trip to be. Enough group time, enough personal time to do what we wanted to do (like talking to the local people), fabulous lodgings and darling villages.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The beautiful coastline of Cornwall."

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

Ideally, I loved the itinerary, but the duration, for me personally, was a little too long. The incredible sites we visited were so significant that I found our planned time was a bit too brief.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Almost every day had an element of "wow"; I found that in our guide, I was hopeful we would have been provided more in depth information on places such as Stonehenge. There was no audio about this remarkable site and no guides to speak about historical significance. The visitor center was small and extremely crowded."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

The South of England tour was another wonderful Rick Steves experience. The pace was comfortable and never rushed. Ample time was allowed to experience the many sites we visited. I personally love an active tour with lots of walking and this one had plenty of days that were as strenuous as you cared to make them. The hotels were charming, (very old) and the food, both included and found on our own was wonderful.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Climbing the spire of the Salisbury Cathedral was not actually part of the tour, but we looked into it and there was a guided tour that brought us over the nave and then up to a high outdoor balcony that offered spectacular, breathtaking views of the exterior stonework of the spire itself, but also of the town. The tour was interesting and informative and afforded a perspective of this magnificent building that most people don't get to see. Well worth the effort and 18 pound cost!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It was a very active tour and felt it rated a higher activity level than indicated on the website (not a complaint, just an observation). I enjoyed all the sites, and the special Rick Steves "extras", including walking the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral, making pasties and the Brhyer's Boys. Our guide Yorrick was extremely knowledgeable, educating us in the history of Britain, past and present. A special shoutout to our bus driver, Lukasz.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Observing Lukasz fearlessly navigate the narrow roads of the countryside was a once in a lifetime experience. Also amazing was walking the scaffolding at Canterbury Cathedral and driving through Cornwall the site of one of my favorite PBS Series, Poldark."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

This tour provided a good introduction to English history and culture, filled with many interesting areas of discovery. Our guide, Yorick, was a great source of information and he did a great job with arranging the tour logistics. Coach driver, Lukasz,was amazing. The tour would not even have been possible without his savvy maneuvering on the single track roads of Dartmoor and Cornwall.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The Stone Mason and "scaffolding" tour at Canterbury Cathedral gave me a whole new appreciation for the unbelievable human effort that goes into first building a cathedral, and then into maintaining it over the centuries. Hearing from the artisans who are tasked with assessing the integrity of the existing stonework, planning for restoration, carving replacement stones, and finessing the new masonry back into the building, forever changed the way that I will view these architectural wonders."

Overall rating: rating 1 of 5

I've done 6 Rick Steves tours and this one was so bad that I cancelled the other 3 tours that I signed up for this year. Awful hotel rooms, missed communication, disengaged guide, and we were not given enough time to see the sights while also competing with the hordes of other tourists for space. The final nail in the coffin was five people catching Covid at the farewell dinner because someone was obviously symptomatic, refused to take a test, but the guide still let them sit with the group.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Wow, I had no idea a hotel room could reach 95 degrees inside"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Our 1st RS Tour and it met all of our expectations. All of our fellow tour mates were awesome. Everyone was friendly, polite and very helpfully to each other. I really enjoyed traveling with tours members that have been on multiple RS Tours. Their recommendations and suggestions were valuable. I enjoyed the "buddy" system. My buddy Patty was a very positive influence! The accommodations rated from good to awesome. There was only 1, that while quaint and unique could have been a bit cleaner.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking across the stone path during low tide to St. Michael's Mount castle. Enjoyed Cream Tea in Dover with a few tour members. Best scones!"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Tour guide Yorick was engaging, knowledgeable & relaxingly amiable. Enjoyed spending time in historic locales the most where we had time to soak it all in (Canterbury, Salisbury). With stopovers like Eastbourne, Padstow, Port Isaac, Charmouth Beach, I was itching to get on to the next locale, though the Cornish coasts were scenic. Hotels were wonderfully quaint in the Rick Steves style - except for Bedruthan Hotel (too sterile & little to explore in the area). Tour still highly recommended.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"It's a toss-up between the grandness of Salisbury Cathedral (with the most entertaining local cathedral guide we ever had), the amazing Mary Rose museum in Portsmouth, and simply exploring Canterbury with its rich history, varied architecture, and small city charm (that only an English town of antiquity can provide). In the end, I'll give it to the Mary Rose -- not being that interested in nautical stuff, the museum turned out to be incredibly absorbing and way more than I expected. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We enjoyed all aspects of our tour! Our guide, as well as all of the local guides, were terrific. The sites and activities that were part of the tour were outstanding.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Perhaps the most unique experience that we would not have been able to do if we had been traveling on our own, was going up onto the scaffolding with the stone mason to examine the Canterbury Cathedral stone masonry renovation. Loved it!"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Perfect weather, good group of people.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The Canterbury and Salisbury cathedrals. Both were spectacular. The stained glass expert had so much knowledge and clearly was passionate about her work. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Overall, one of the most enjoyable I’ve been on. Points made were well defined, and little time was wasted.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"A personal moment was teaching a barista how to make cafe americano. Advertised was ‘Iced coffee’ while prepared was a latte. Described to her how to make a simple ‘iced coffee’. A tour moment was at Stonehenge where the idea was advanced that some of the largest stones may have been glacial erratics. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every day of this tour. The natural beauty on the coast and countryside was breathtaking. The history of each of the areas we toured was fascinating. The tour was well paced with each day full of new sites and historic information. John was a great guide. He took the extra time to orient us to each location, with suggestions for restaurants and activities. The food was excellent! This was my favorite Rick Steves tour so far.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"For me, the natural beauty of southern England were continual “wow” experiences. The cliffs of Dover and Beachy Head were stunning, as was the cliff walk back to our hotel in Mawgan Port. I was also “wowed” by the small and charming villages of Chagford and Alfriston and also Salisbury. They were, in my mind quintessential England and I was happy to experience them. Loved Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral and touring the cathedral grounds. Plougmans lunch and cream tea were amazing too."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Enjoyed comments by guide and level of conversation- not too much and not too little. Starting in Canterbury and ending in Bath was a great choice.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking around Tintagel Castle, the Cornwall Coastal walk and the Dartmoor National Park walk. All were very enjoyable."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Very enjoyable, well organized, provided a great balance of culture, history and current issues facing the country and it's people.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Most of the tour was the wow moment. Canterbury Cathedral and the Excellent stain glass demonstration, Canterbury Brewery, all the WW2 historical sites, Mary Rose Museum, Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Tintagel Castle, Port Isaac, Prideaux Palace, Portreach Bakery making pasty, St. Michael's Mount"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Southern England was beautiful and tour was well orchestrated by our very capable guide and bus driver. The history, culture and natural scenery combined with a great group of travelers made for a fun two weeks!!!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The entire trip was a wow! Personal favorites included: stained glass restoration presentation and Evensong in Canterbury, , Stonehenge, Mary Rose Museum, and pasty making with Marion. The palatial views from White Cliffs, Beachy Head Cliffs and Tintagel put a smile on my face!!!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I enjoyed the fast pace of the tour, every day was filled with the scheduled activities, as well as more spontaneous opportunities along the way.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Realizing that one of the officiants at the Canterbury Cathedral Evensong, who had been introduced simply as "Justin", was actually Justin Welby, the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was my fifth RS tour and it was amazing because of the people! Our guide was personable and very knowledgeable, the group was very convivial and fun, even our bus driver was a delight.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were so many…Canterbury Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, the Cornwall coast, but the most meaningful one for me was a tour of Prideaux Place led by a family member who lived there. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We had a great group and an outstanding itinerary. Both guide and bus driver were a pleasure to travel with.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Walking on the Cornwall coastal path was a bucket list item for me. We had a beautiful day and it lived up to expectations. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Fantastic learning experience

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were several : Henry II's tower, spot where Beckett was murdered"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was my first time traveling solo and I had a wonderful experience with both our guide, Helen, and my fellow tour members. The locations and number of places we visited was perfect. It offered a nice mix of history, cathedrals, gardens and stunning coastal scenery.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I went for a coastal Cornwall experience, and was not disappointed, but my favorite "wow" moment was spending my early morning walk among the ponies in the churchyard in the tiny village of Chagford. It was completely unexpected and amazing. Staying inside the close of Canterbury Cathedral runs a close second. "

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

The group was fantastic-we all got along, no complainers, Helen, the tour guide was friendly , approachable , and knowledgeable . I was able to connect historic events with the actual places. The weather was perfect!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Seeing the White Cliffs of Dover- the gateway to the United Kingdom"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Canterbury experiences"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

A delightful journey filled with bucket list experiences, shared with good humored companions and led by an enthusiastic and appealing guide. We were immersed in the landscape, history and culture of southern England. While London is a wonderful city, we so enjoyed getting away from it all for something entirely different!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"My husband’s “wow” moment was the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, the tour was full of wow moments for me, including our incredible guide, but I’ll pick Stone Henge as one I’ve wanted for so long to experience."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Just the right mix of learning and relaxing moments after being limited to travel for the last few years. Helen and Etelka who were our guides I found to be patient and kind in answering questions. They made our time together fun.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I had many moments but my "wow" came early in the trip when we visited Dover and had the opportunity to go into the tunnels that were operational during the Blitz and Operation Dynamo. If these walls could talk..."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Well-organized with attention to everyday logistics. Allowed the tourists to focus on enjoying the tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Touring the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our first tour. I was impressed by the number of areas visited, the unique experiences that were included and the knowledge, professionalism and sense of humour of our guide, Helen. Helen elevated the entire experience and I can’t imagine a better guide for this tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We were in a pub hotel in Chagford and in the churchyard across the street were about 10 ‘wild’ Dartmoor ponies one morning. Soooo Devon!! Where else would you wake up to wild horses grazing outside your old English hotel. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We loved both the Canterbury and Salisbury cathedral tours. Helen, our guide, made the tour click- so knowledgeable and fun. Bus driver was outstanding especially on the narrow, winding roads. Our fellow tour members were so friendly- they were a co- WOW moment.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We are not handy people. We never ever do construction work at home. Then why were we on top of the cathedral in Canterbury "helping" the stone masons work? The only possible answer is: a Rick Steves tour. WOW!!!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I love the variety of activities that we got to experience. The other tour members were wonderful and we all got along very well. Helen, was a great tour guide and provided lots of interesting facts about the sites we were visiting.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I have a couple of WOW moments. Stonehenge was amazing. It’s been on my bucket list for years. The second wow was riding the construction elevator to the roof of the Canterbury Cathedral to see the restoration work up close. It’s a good thing I had a hard hat on, since I banged my head on a flying buttress. Now that’s “up close!”"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

My first RS tour exceeding my expectations. The guide (Tom Hooper) was very experienced and lead the tour expertly. Other tour members interacted well with each other, and were a plus for this tour experience. The tour stops and activities were well chosen and paced. I liked having more free time near the end.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Manmade structures: Salisbury Cathedral Scenic beauty: North coast cliffs of Cornwall Interaction with local people: Making pasties in Cornwall"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This tour exceeded my already high expectations. The itinerary was fascinating and a little off the beaten track. As usual, the off-itinerary surprises were numerous and very fun. Tom was a fantastic guide, informative, fun and engaging. We had a smaller group of 16 that jelled quickly and added a lot to the quality. Good mix of history, culture, natural beauty and learning experiences.

Favorite "WOW" moment

""Wow" was not necessarily 1 experience, but more the artful growing integrated tapestry of the big story of the creation of the UK over the great span of 8000 years of history as experienced through the many historical sites we visited and Tom's superb weaving of the great tale. One serendipitous moment for me was a long, high level conversation I had with an archaeologist at Stonehenge that connected that culture with the simultaneous culture in distant Orkney, which I visited separately later."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We were lucky in that we had only 16 people on our tour (plus guide and driver). In that size group we all managed to get to know each other a bit instead of becoming sub-groups that didn’t interact much. We were incredibly lucky in the weather - after the first few days we had pretty glorious sunny days. The group was good at sharing the front seat of the bus and rotating around the bus on driving days. Everyone was always on time, which was lovely. And our guide, Tom Hooper, was the best!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Hard to pick a favorite. The stonemasons tour in Canterbury taught us a lot about restoration and craftsmanship, and being up high on the cathedral was awesome. Arriving at Stonehenge early and taking photos with no people in them. Making pasties in Cornwall - that was amazing too. Wandering around Tintagel - the views!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Favorite “wow” moment was spending time at the Canterbury Cathedral with the stone masons up on the roof level. It was so interesting and amazing!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I feel very fortunate to have been roomed with someone where we had similar interests. We both liked to walk a lot and we truly enjoyed each other’s company. There were only 16 of us on the tour and we all felt very fortunate for that. Everyone in the tour got along great and we all were on time for every scheduled trip. The tour guide was great. Not your typical guide which I thought made him extra interesting. It was great that the guide was from England and not from the US.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Going up on the scaffolding of the Canterbury cathedral as part of a tour with the stone masons. Another wow moment was walking along the cliffs of Cornwall."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

This is a very good tour that visits many historical sites and famous locations that are worth the trip. We had the unfortunate experience of our guide, Steven catching Covid and that somewhat upset the flow of the tour. The immediate replacement guide, Liz, was outstanding, but she was only with the group for two days. For the remainder of the tour, we had another replacement, Jim, who is an excellent guide, but was not that familiar with all the places we were visiting on this tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"This tour visits many epic locations that give some excellent wow moments. My favorite wow moment was at Canterbury Cathedral, talking with the stone masons on the scaffolding on the exterior of the building. The views from about 10 stories high on the Cathedral was amazing as well as the discussion of how they were repairing this very old building. This experience was something you just don't do everyday was one of those surprise Rick Steves moments!"

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

I loved the smaller towns and verdant landscapes on the tour. There were no really outstanding sites, but just an overall pleasant experience. We had three guides during the tour due to Covid, and the changing leadership negatively affected the tour. I think that the replacement guides could have done more to explain what we were seeing as we drove the countryside and provide more insight into English life, past and present.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Sunset over the Atlantic at Mawgan Porth."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

My first time in England. Every image I had formed from the English novels I read was confirmed—the incredible beauty of the countryside, the wildflowers, quaint villages, a pie and a pint in an old pub, chalk cliffs, lovely beaches, ancient ruins, monuments to England’s heroism in war. The bonus was 2 weeks of near perfect weather and a group of interesting and fun tourmates.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Donning a hardhat and taking a construction elevator to the scaffolding atop Canterbury Cathedral with the restoration crew! It was breathtaking to stand next to flying buttresses under repair by skilled craftsmen. The view of the surrounding countryside was gorgeous, so green and verdant against the blue sky. Of course, seeing Stonehenge was a wow, as was seeing the Mary Rose exhibit at Portsmouth and touring the tunnels used as HQ for the Dunkirk evacuation. And wow, perfect weather every day!"

Overall rating: rating 2 of 5

Our days with Steven and Liz were great. Our last guide who "had not been in the South of England in 35 years" was more a babysitter than a guide. If we wanted stores about the Queen, Charles and his Queen or Brexit, we can buy a newspaper.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Two guilds and a babysitter."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Excellent tour overall. Needed some additional time at a couple spots to fully appreciate that location.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Cornwall coast - very dramatic!!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

It was excellent. The sites we saw were incredible, food selections great, we loved our transfers with Keith (our driver)-Robert could not have facilitated and let us through a more perfect trip.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge and being in Salisbury cathedral to watch the coronation! "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Plenty of informative history by our outstanding guide + an excellent job manipulating very narrow roads with a big tour bus by our bus driver = outstanding

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I’m not a nautical history buff, but touring the Mary Rose and the Victory in Portsmouth was truly a pleasant surprise and wow moment. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I have been on several group tours both in the US and Europe. This was by far the best experience. Everything went extremely well. There were no long days on the bus, hotels were pleasant and quaint. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. It was especially nice when we visited the historical sights that we didn’t have long waits due to the pre-planning. Our tour guide was THE BEST! And the skills of our driver almost unbelievable. I highly recommend this tour.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"I never thought that I would ever get to see Stonehenge. When we were walking up to the site, I was overwhelmed with emotion. You see pictures, watch videos, read about it, but seeing it in person was beyond my expectations. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

A wonderful tour! All I could ask for! Great sites, lots of history, great group of people and the best tour guide I had the pleasure of knowing!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The Coronation of King Charles III which we watched at Salisbury Cathedral with hundreds of people!!"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

This was our first ever coach tour and we were unsure if we would enjoy it - but it exceeded all our expectations and we can't wait to do another Rick Steves' tour! Everything was very well organised, the guide was knowledgable and kind, accommodations were unique and lovely, and the sites we visited and experienced were amazing.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Honestly it is challenging to pick just one, as there was at least one "WOW" moment per day! From Roman ruins, medieval buildings and stunning cathedrals to spectacular white cliffs and beautiful rugged ocean coastlines and beaches. But if I must choose, it was a unique one: we had the opportunity to watch the King and Queen's Coronation in Salisbury Cathedral! We were so fortunate that our tour schedule accommodated this historic event and allowed us to participate if we wished. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

I took the Best of South England in 14 Days tour in May 2023, and it was wonderful! Our guide, Robert, was charming and had a wealth of stories to share as we drove through really delightful villages and moors and forests and seaside sights. The hotels were comfortable and pretty and historic and well positioned for independent exploring in our free time.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"There were several wow moments, including seeing the spectacular Canterbury cathedral from the window seat in our hotel on the church grounds, suddenly coming across wild ponies in the New Forest, trying to sing “There’ll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover” with fellow tourists when we arrive in Dover, emerging from our medieval inn in tiny Chagford on the misty moors and seeing wild horses and foals breakfasting on the long grass in the little churchyard across the street, etc., etc.!"

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

Nice tour but cold and rainy most days.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Magwan Porth views and beach. "

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

As always it lived up to the quality and excellence of the Rick Steves' Tours.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Pagan Porth, Bedruthan coastline."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Pace was comfortable, enjoyable tour and beautiful scenery.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"The Mary Rose Museum was our wow moment. One of Henry VIII battleships, sunk in the harbor, was restored and is now a museum."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

1st time rick steve's tour and had a fantastic time. We saw so much and did so many cool things

Favorite "WOW" moment

"So many wow moments , almost everyday there was one. Loved the Cornwall coast part of the tour, and I guess the Stonehenge day was a huge wow moment"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We had a two-week tour of English history beginning 5000 years ago through Margaret Thatcher’s service as prime minister.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Stonehenge"

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

We are so glad we took this tour right after our Rick Steves week in London tour. We enjoyed seeing a London packed with museums and sites, which we enjoy greatly, and then to see the English countryside with small towns and historic sites like Tintagel, plus the great English cathedrals like Canterbury and Salisbury was a real hit with me.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Our tour with a local guide, Michael, at Salisbury Cathedral turned what could have been an “ABC” (Another Bloody Cathedral) into a terrific experience. the depth of his knowledge of the architecture and history was impressive. We "

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

Favorite "WOW" moment

"Meeting with the lead mason at Canterbury Cathedral, making Cornish pasties with Marion, listening to the Cornish folk singers -Bryher’s Boys."

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

An outstanding itinerary with a fun and well-informed guide, this was my 9th RS tour, it was even better than what I imagined. Helen, John’s assistant, also from the Southern coast of England, provided a humorous counterpoint in her support of the Monarchy. John said he is a Republican. Their deep knowledge of the history and culture of England added color and texture. I vote for jam first then clotted cream on my scone, the Cornish way (Queen Elizabeth II’s choice)! New friends, too!

Favorite "WOW" moment

"So many to count: going high up to the clock tower of Canterbury Cathedral with the Senior Stonemason (he’s young!). I was gobsmacked to see how high up we were! The secret WWII tunnels under the cliffs of Dover, walking the entire battlefield of Hastings where William the Conqueror defeated King Harold in 1066, HMS Victory & the Mary Rose in Portsmouth, the astonishing Mary Rose Museum! So many charming villages, a warm friendly group of travelers and fun guides topped off a dream trip!"

Overall rating: rating 3 of 5

We had a pretty good time. We saw a bunch of cool things, the cathedrals at Canterbury and Salisbury, the Magna Carta, the white cliffs of Dover, Tintagel, and Bath.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"We got to tour the workshop of someone working on renovating the cathedral in Canterbury. He took us up on the scaffolding and showed us around his workshop."

Overall rating: rating 4 of 5

Overall rating: rating 5 of 5

Interesting locations, enjoyable dining experiences, reasonable time on bus, enjoyable activities, pleasant company.

Favorite "WOW" moment

"St Michael's Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral. Amazing bits of history. "