Escorted Coach Tours and Holidays in England
England rewards the traveller who slows down to explore. Our holidays explore the hidden gems and the very best experiences each area has to offer, with everything included where required, from entrance fees to evening meals.
Airedale has been running tours in England for four decades due to the mix of destinations to explore: RHS gardens, Lakeland farmhouses, Lincolnshire airfields, Bristol street art, York's markets in December.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our England Tours
For our Private Group bookings, the joining points are usually agreed with the group organiser, so a club can be collected close to home. Airedale can arrange collection for you and your group from any destination, and coach travel throughout the holiday is included on our coach tours; the coach stays with the group for all excursions.
Yes, all suggested excursions listed on each itinerary are included in the price and may cover entrance fees plus additional experiences such as guided tours or tastings. One thing to note: for National Trust properties, several tours state that entrance is included if you are a member. Where a tour reads this way, non-members may need to pay on the day, so check the specific tour page or ask us, and we will confirm for that departure.
Each tour varies, and as a group tour organiser, you can allow us to tailor itineraries to suit the capabilities of your group. A typical day could mean gravel or grass paths in gardens, or a guided walk in a city such as Chester, Cambridge or Bristol, and stairs in older houses. Pace and terrain vary between tours, so if you have a particular concern, tell us which tour interests you, and we will ensure we have sufficient information.
Many of our England tours cost in a number of single rooms at no supplement, often six, sometimes more. Once those are taken, a supplement applies, and the amount differs from tour to tour. Alternatively, we can choose not to cost in the single rooms, and charge a solo passenger the supplement.
Yes. Private Group travel has been our speciality for 40 years, working alongside gardening clubs, U3A branches, church groups, and many more. Every group can take one of our published England itineraries as it stands or use it as a starting point and change the visits, the base town or the time of year. Prices are quoted on a stated number of travelling passengers, so tell us roughly how many you expect, and we can build you a personalised quote.
Breakfast and evening meals are included on our coach holidays in England; most tours are dinner, bed and breakfast throughout. Lunches are generally left free so you can eat where you fancy, though a few tours include a specific meal, such as the two-course lunch in the Orchard Room on our Highgrove tour or afternoon tea in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. If you would like us to change the board of your tour, just let us know, and we can always accommodate.
Houses, gardens and estates
England's country houses are the backbone of a great many of our itineraries, and for good reason: they combine architecture, collections, gardens and a decent tearoom in one afternoon. Chatsworth appears on tours to Buxton and the Peak District. Blenheim Palace pairs with Waddesdon Manor on a short break based near Oxford. Castle Howard, Sudeley, Warwick, Charlecote and Raby all feature.
Gardeners are well served. Tours have taken in RHS Harlow Carr and the Himalayan Garden in Yorkshire, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Anglesey Abbey and the Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire, and the topiary at Levens Hall in Cumbria, clipped to broadly the same shapes since the 1690s. Highgrove opens for guided tours only, and our autumn visit includes lunch in the Orchard Room afterwards.
Where a property belongs to the National Trust, entrance is included for members on many tours; check the individual tour page.
Where our England tours are based
Our tours are based throughout the UK, often staying in a central destination for the itinerary to allow you to unwind at the end of your busy days.
Some of our favourite areas include:
- South West — Weston-super-Mare for Somerset's cheese and cider country, Cheddar Gorge, Bristol and Bath
- Cotswolds and Wiltshire — Chippenham and Oxford for Highgrove, Blenheim and Sudeley Castle
- Heart of England — Warwickshire for Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle
- Peak District — Buxton for Chatsworth, Bakewell and Lyme
- Yorkshire — Harrogate and York for gardens, Castle Howard and the St Nicholas Fair
- Lake District — Kendal for Hill Top, Wordsworth House and a Windermere cruise
- East of England — Huntingdon for Cambridge, its colleges, museums and botanic garden
- Lincolnshire and the North East — Grantham for Lincoln and the bomber airfields, County Durham for Raby and Auckland
What a day on tour looks like
Breakfast is unhurried; the coach usually leaves mid-morning, and you are back at the hotel in good time to change before dinner. Most days involve one substantial visit and one smaller one, with free time built in, an hour in Bakewell, an afternoon on Blackpool's promenade, a wander round Harrogate.
Your driver handles the coach, the routes and the parking, so you can sit back and relax on the journey. Excursions listed on the itinerary are included unless stated otherwise.
In the evening, you can enjoy your dinner with the group, and depending on your preferences we can find accomodation with evening entertainment.
Travelling as a group or on your own
Airedale Tours have specialised in private group travel since 1986, and work together with Group Tour Organisers throughout the UK, many of whom travel with us year after year.
Looking to travel independently, with a friend or as a couple? Browse our open tour itineraries, where like-minded individuals travel together on our escorted tours.
