From windswept moors and wild coastlines to historic cities and picture-perfect fishing villages, the county of Cornwall is filled with evocative sights and fascinating stories. Join us as we seek out the maritime heritage, rural beauty and culinary pride of this unique corner of South West England on a scenic eight-day tour.

Next up, venture from Great British culture to Gallic charm on a trip from London to Paris, immersing yourself in the Channel Islands' natural beauty and fascinating history along the way. Hear about Guernsey's wartime occupation, uncover Western Europe's best-preserved Neolithic sites in Jersey, enter a bygone world on Sark and admire Saint-Malo's exquisite coastal landscapes.

Your Guided Holiday Package Includes:

• $1000 flight credit
• 8 day Corners of Cornwall guided holiday with BackRoads, London return
• Includes 7 nights accommodation, 11 meals, select activities including a visit to the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral plus more
• 12 day London to Paris via the Channel Islands guided holiday with BackRoads, London to Paris
• Includes 11 nights accommodation, 16 meals, select activities including exploring the enchanting island village of Mont Saint-Michel plus more

Pricing is per person twin share and based on travel 03 – 21 September 2022

**Single traveller pricing available. Please speak to one of our travel consultants for more details

Corners of Cornwall

Tour Highlights:

• Discover the enchanting medieval church and castle of St Michael's Mount
• Enjoy the charm of historic port towns Falmouth and Port Isaac
• Soak up the wild, jaw-dropping vistas of the Jurassic Coast
• Visit the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1 - London

After meeting the group in London, we’ll come together for a welcome dinner. Here’s to the start of an incredible adventure!

Accommodation: Wellington by Blue Orchid (or similar)

Meals: Dinner

Day 2 - London – Wells – Dartmoor National Park

After breakfast, our first stop will be the tiny market city of Wells – known for its Gothic cathedral and peaceful Vicars’ Close. After we’ve spent some time wandering the cobbled streets and medieval buildings with our Tour Leader, we’ll have the opportunity to explore the magnificent Wells Cathedral at our leisure. Later, our path will take us from the quaint country lanes of Somerset to the heather and gorse-clad tors of Dartmoor National Park. Tonight, we’ll enjoy another delicious dinner together.

Accommodation: Two Bridges Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3 - Dartmoor National Park – Port Isaac – Padstow – Falmouth

Today we'll leave Dartmoor National Park for Cornwall's northern coast - starting with a stroll around Port Isaac, the fishing village made famous by the Doc Martin television series. Next, we'll enjoy a delicious lunch at The Seafood Restaurant, Rick Stein's flagship restaurant in Padstow. Here, you can take your pick from a menu of fresh-off-the-boat Cornish seafood and international favourites. Then: we'll take it easy as we travel further west to Falmouth.

Accommodation: Penmere Manor Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 4 - Falmouth – St Michael's Mount – St Ives – Falmouth

After a hearty breakfast, we'll pay a visit to the iconic cliffside Minack Theatre before setting our sights on St Ives - one of England's prettiest towns. Take some time to meander the cluster of cobblestoned streets, quaint seaside cottages and picture-perfect bays. Then, it's back on the mini-coach for a visit to St Michael's Mount, a tidal island just off the coast of Penzance. Here, we'll explore the village and the medieval castle and gardens - which are full of treasures and stories from the past. Back in Falmouth, we'll enjoy an evening spent at our leisure. Please note: St Michael's Mount is closed on Saturdays. In the event day 4 of our tour falls on a Saturday, we will visit St Michael's Mount on day 5.

Accommodation: Penmere Manor Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 - Falmouth – St Austell Bay

There’s a treat in store for the green-fingered today: we’re off to explore Tregothnan Estate, one of Cornwall’s largest estate and home to the first tea plantation in Britain. A member of the gardening team will give us a private tour of the grounds and the tea plantation, where we’ll learn all about the only tea grown in England – with a chance to sample some of it for ourselves. Afterwards, we’ll make our way to St Austell Bay area where we’ll have the evening to spend at our leisure. Please note: Tregothnan Estate is closed to the public on weekends. In the event day 5 of our tour falls on a Saturday, we will visit Lower Lanner Farm instead – where we’ll enjoy a cream tea and plantation tour.

Accommodation: Carlyon Bay Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 - St Austell Bay

We have no set plans today, leaving you free to explore the sandy beaches and boutique shops of the St Austell Bay area at your leisure. You could visit the world-famous biomes of the Eden Project or uncover the world’s largest private collection of maritime paraphernalia at the Charleston Shipwreck Museum – you certainly won’t be short on things to do here!

Accommodation: Carlyon Bay Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 - St Austell Bay – Devon – Dorset – Salisbury

Today we’ll make our way south along the coast, before our road takes us through picturesque Devon and Dorset. We’ll have some free time to follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen’s heroines and take in sweeping views of the Jurassic Coast. Enjoy some free time hunting for fossils along Lyme Regis’s sandy beaches before we move on to Salisbury – where a farewell dinner awaits.

Accommodation: Milford Hall Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 8 - Salisbury – London

After one last breakfast together, we’ll have the opportunity to explore the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral. Our journey will conclude upon returning to London.

Meals: Breakfast

London to Paris via the Channel Islands

Tour Highlights:

• Spend a day on beautiful Sark, the iconic 'Dark Sky Island'
• Explore the only part of the British Isles to be occupied during WWII
• Wander the enchanting island village of Mont Saint-Michel

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1 - London

An epicenter of rich history and innovation, London is where we’ll meet for the start of our incredible journey. Tonight, we’ll get to know one another over a delicious welcome dinner.

Accommodation: Wellington by Blue Orchid (or similar)

Meals: Dinner

Day 2 - London – Winchester – Dorset

After breakfast, we'll travel to our first stop: the collegiate city of Winchester. Here, we'll take some time to tour the magnificent Gothic cathedral before exploring the city's old-worldly centre at our own pace. En route to our hotel, we'll visit the sublime Corfe Castle - a site with over 1,000 years of diverse history. Then, a delicious meal awaits us at our Dorset hotel.

Accommodation: Mortons Manor Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3 - Dorset – Guernsey

This morning it’s all aboard the ferry for the journey to Guernsey. Depending on our arrival time in St Peter Port, we may have the opportunity to tour the grand Sausmarez Manor and its charming gardens – before enjoying some free time to wander the cobbled streets, marina and stores at your leisure. Tonight, take the leisurely walk into town for dinner at a local restaurant or enjoy a relaxing evening at the hotel.

Accommodation: Duke of Richmond Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 - Guernsey – Sark – Guernsey

The famous ‘Dark Sky Island’, Sark, will be our next stop – and here the day will be yours to spend as you please. No cars are allowed on the island, giving it a unique ‘olde worlde’ charm. Enjoy a leisurely walk to the various viewpoints around the island including the Lighthouse and Pilcher Monument. Or enjoy the strikingly beautiful walk along La Coupée to Little Sark. There is even the option to admire the island’s captivating landscapes from aboard a horse-drawn carriage, if you’d prefer. After returning to Guernsey on the ferry, we’ll enjoy an included dinner together.

Accommodation: Duke of Richmond Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5 - Guernsey

First on the agenda today: a stop at the enchanting Little Chapel, a work of art built entirely from seashells. Afterwards, we'll visit the fascinating German Occupation Museum. Beginning as a schoolboy hobby, the museum has expanded into an extensive collection of Occupation memorabilia and rare artefacts. Returning to our accommodation in the afternoon, there will be some free time to explore Guernsey your own pace.

Accommodation: Duke of Richmond Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 - Guernsey – Jersey

Our morning in Guernsey will be a relaxed one as we ready ourselves to depart for our next stop: Jersey. Upon our arrival, we'll familiarise ourselves with the beautiful harbour village of St Aubin - exploring the Bulwarks, quaint streets and pubs at our leisure. Tonight, we will reconvene at the hotel and share stories of our day over an included dinner.

Accommodation: Hotel Pomme d'Or (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7 - Jersey

Today we’ll uncover one of Western Europe’s best-preserved Neolithic sites, La Hougue Bie. Here, you’ll be able to stand inside the chamber of the passage grave and feel the heart of this centuries-old place of worship before continuing our discovery at the geology and archaeology museum. Then, we’ll press on to the imposing Mont Orgueil Castle – a medieval fortress that has overlooked the beautiful fishing port of Gorey for more than 800 years. This afternoon you’ll be free to relax before we move on again. Saint-Malo is coming up tomorrow!

Accommodation: Hotel Pomme d'Or (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 - Jersey – Saint-Malo

Elizabeth Castle has played a huge role in Jersey’s history for more than 400 years. Choose to take the Castle Ferry or walk out along the causeway at low tide. Then, enjoy some free time to explore the grounds at your leisure – uncovering wartime bunkers, marvelling at the hermitage where St Helier is thought to have lived, and taking part in living history demonstrations. Later this afternoon, we’ll swap Britain for France as we sail into the dramatic port-town of St-Malo. Be tempted by an array of restaurants in the town centre and enjoy some down-time relaxing in the fresh coastal air.

Accommodation: Le Grand Hotel de Courtoisville (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 9 - Saint-Malo

Saint-Malo’s labyrinthine streets are best explored on foot and that’s how we’ll begin today – with an orientation tour led by our expert Tour Leader. Later, we’ll visit the impressive Château de Saint-Malo. Dating from 1424, marvel at the impressive views over the port and surrounding coastline from the site’s watchtowers. Then, the rest of the afternoon is yours to wander the medieval ramparts surrounding the town, visit the Cathedral or enjoy a walk in the sunshine along Plage de Bon-Secours beach. This is evening is yours to indulge in some classic French cuisine.

Accommodation: Grand Hotel de Courtoisville (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 10 - Saint-Malo – Mont Saint-Michel – Saint-Malo

Today we’ll wind our way along the coast of Normandy to the magical Mont Saint-Michel, a rocky islet topped with a medieval monastery. Here, we’ll have some free time to explore the Abbey and Logis Tiphaine Museum – before finding lunch in the island village. This afternoon, we’ll return to Saint-Malo for an evening of leisure.

Accommodation: Le Grand Hotel de Courtoisville (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Day 11 - Saint-Malo – Dinan – Fougères – Laval

After spending some time exploring the medieval ramparts, cobblestoned streets and half-timbered houses of Dinan this morning, we’ll move on to Fougères. Following a stop for lunch in the medieval Old Town, we’ll pay a visit to the Château de Fougères – before moving on to historic Laval. Tonight, we’ll regroup at the hotel and enjoy one final dinner together.

Accommodation: Hotel Perier du Bignon (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 12 - Laval – Chartres – Paris

We’ll end our tour with a trip to the Cathedral of Chartres – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and beautifully preserved example of Gothic architecture. Our final stop will be Paris, where we’ll say ‘au revoir’.

Meals: Breakfast