Itinerary

December 2025 ITINERARY (tentative) – you will receive a more extensive, detailed itinerary at our “get to know you” meeting in late September or early October.

Friday, 5 December

Overnight direct flight (roughly 7-8 hours) from Detroit to London.

Saturday, 6 December

Arrive London Heathrow around 7am. Because of our early arrival we won’t be allowed into our hotel rooms until almost noon. Weather permitting, we will make a stop at Portobello Road Antique Market for a couple of hours to stretch our legs (or an alternative if weather is uncooperative). Afterwards we check into the hotel and relax for a bit. Later in the afternoon a short walkabout the area of the hotel to get our bearings followed by a private guided walking tour of Literary Bloomsbury where we will see the inspiration for stories, walk past the homes, and see several historical plaques commemorating brilliant writers like John Maynard Keynes, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and James Barrie.  In the evening, if you’re still awake, a possible night (and lights) walk along the Thames, with a visit to the Southbank Centre Winter Market along the way.

Sunday, 7 December

English Breakfast in the morning (and included every morning) then we board the motorcoach for a half-day guided tour of London. This will give you a chance to see some of the sights and decide whether to re-visit them later in the week. Upon our return, time for a quick bite for lunch, then a private guided Sherlock Holmes walk.  After that, the rest of the day is yours until this evening, where we will take a short walk to where we will have dinner as a group.

Monday, 8 December

A walk to the Dickens House Museum for a private tour.  From there, we will go to a special location for lunch.  Afterwards, a private Charles Dickens Christmas walk has been arranged.  Follow in his footsteps as we examine the life of Dickens through visiting places that shaped his life and influenced and inspired his writings.  At its conclusion the rest of the day is yours to do as you wish.

Tuesday, 9 December

A bus ride to the area of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Here, we will cross the Millenium Bridge and take a private tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.  Afterwards, we will have lunch close by and then a private guided walk of William Shakespeare’s London.  When that concludes, the rest of the day is yours to visit sites such as the Tate Modern or just a short walk back over the bridge you can tour St. Paul’s. This evening, we see the longest running play in the West End (over 70 years); Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap.

Wednesday, 10 December

Full Day trip out of the city – to the city of Bath.  A private walking tour of Bath has been arranged as well as a visit to the Jane Austen Exhibition Centre, which pays homage to the life and work of the world-renowned writer.  Afterwards, you can visit the Roman Baths collection which contains thousands of archaeological finds from pre-Roman and Roman Britain; Bath Abbey was a former monastery and one of this city’s most magnificent monuments; shopping in Bath is always a treat.

Don’t plan any night events such as theatre or walking tours as our arrival back to the hotel may be later than expected.

Thursday, 11 December

You are Free to plan your own activities.

Friday, 12 December

Again, you are Free to plan your own activities.

Saturday, 13 December

An early departure from the hotel to get us to London Heathrow, so after breakfast we will transfer to the airport. Our flight leaves late-morning and arrives (7-8 hours later) in Detroit in the mid-afternoon.

Please note that this itinerary is subject to change as we fine-tune your experience with possible adjustments or additions.