History tours

Everything from the graffitied streets of Pompeii to Crusader castles, monastic houses, great abbeys, large estates and imperial palaces. 

None at all. These tours suit everyone from the merely curious to scholars and academics, and everyone in between. All that's needed is an interest in the past. The specialists travelling with you build up a picture during the holiday, and their role is to really help you understand the story of the past.

Historians and specialist lecturers, and on some tours an author or academic who has written on the subject. Walking a great house with someone who can explain who built it, what it cost them and what they were trying to prove is a different experience from following the room guide. 

History is so much more than the roll call of kings, queens and battles. It's found in the everyday lives of ordinary people and in the objects, landscapes and buildings they left behind. Our tours look beyond the famous names and dates to explore the social, cultural and domestic fabric of the past: the craftsmanship, the architectural layout, the evolution of a garden, or the quiet resilience of a rural settlement. 

The difference is who's leading you. Our experts are practising archaeologists, historians and heritage specialists who bring genuine expertise, and often first-hand research, to every castle, abbey or historic garden you visit. That means real depth: context, debate, and insight you won't get from a standard sightseeing tour, alongside access to places and perspectives that only come from working within the field. 

Historic houses and castles involve stairs without lifts, cobbles, gravel and uneven ground, and some castles were built somewhere deliberately difficult to reach. Each itinerary carries an activity level of light, moderate or active so you know what to expect before you book. 

Very much so, and many guests travel solo. Shared interest naturally leads to easy conversation, and friendships formed on tour often outlast it. 

Spring through autumn suits most itineraries, when houses and estates are open, and their gardens are worth the extra hour. Some city tours travel deliberately out of season, when the major sites and museums are quieter.