UK

The tour

Our plan is to travel for 10 months from March 2024 until January 2025. During that time, we'll be taking in parts of Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa and finally, back to Australia. Back home after more than ten years living in Hong Kong.

The difficulty in planning a trip like this is not where to go, it's how long to spend in each location. We know where we want to start, India and we know where we'll be ending; Sydney, January 2025.

Since we started planning, the itinerary has changed and will no doubt, keep changing; if there's one lesson everyone must learn on a travel adventure, it's to be flexible.

Highlights
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Visit Stonehenge
  • Thames River Canal Stay
  • Tour historic Bath
  • Meander through the Cotswolds
  • Tour the mountainous Lake District
  • Caledonian Sleeper from London to Inverness
  • Take the Harry Potter train
  • Conquer a Munro
  • Explore castles in Wales

Tour Plan

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London

London. Even before we arrive, I know there won't be enough time to see everything, we'll probably be lucky enough to visit half of the places on our to-go list. The temptation is to overdo museums and galleries, to overload on history and art but after many months of historical sites and monuments, the twins may be visited-out. Let's see...

Other than that, we'll definitely want to catch a West End show, roam the banks of the Thames and take in the magic of London's beautiful streets and bridges. Monuments will also be high on the agenda as well as some walking tours with the locals. Then there's the parks and the fountains, the squares and the markets. As I said, not nearly enough time.

Oxford

A day in Oxford is a must. While there's the obvious tour of the eponymous 12th century university there are plenty of other things to see and do as well. Walk in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, both of whom are buried in Oxford. And visit the birthplaces of William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill, as well as the oldest coffee shop in England.

A visit to Oxford isn't complete without a tour of the famous Bodleian Library, a tour made more palatable for the twins knowing that several parts of the Harry Potter films were shot there. Speaking of child-friendly, there's also a self-guided scavenger hunt in Oxford taking you on journey around different historical spots with lots of clues along the way. That will get us hungry for lunch at historic The Perch Inn, an 800 year old pub.

From Oxford, we'll also do day trips to a number of surrounding places including the Cotswolds, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Stonehenge, Blenheim Palace and Warwick Castle.

Bath

Another day, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bath is one of my favourite places in the UK and we're looking forward to another visit. There's a free daily walking tour which we'd be mad not to take. Unfortunately, we'll miss the Jane Austen Festival held there every September but we'll still immerse ourselves in the city she called home in the early 1800s. We'll visit the  buildings she talks about in her novels, 'Northanger Abbey' and 'Persuasion' and stroll the Georgian streets as if we too were one of the characters.

Cardiff

A visit to Cardiff is mainly about seeing friends but we'll also take in this opportunity to see the city's highlights including Cardiff Castle and cycle around Cardiff Bay. We might try our hand at learning some Welsh and if there's time, we'll also hike in the famous Snowdonia National Park and what locals call a rugged wonderland.

Lake District

England's Lake District has inspired many of her most famous writers including Beatrix Potter and poet, William Wordsworth. But our trip here is about recharging, breathing in nature and getting lost in the rolling hills, tranquil lakes and charming villages of one of the most beautiful and untouched parts of the UK.

Edinburgh & Scottish Highlands

From the Lake District, we then head north to Edinburgh. I love this city, its medieval streets and the way its castle looms over the rest of the landscape. But, with two children in tow, our first excursion will likely be the Harry Potter walking tour (because too much HP is never enough.) The summer festivals will be on at that time, so we'll definitely catch a Military Tattoo performance and as much as we can take in from the annual Fringe Festival, the world's biggest. To give you some idea how big, a few years ago, they had 3,548 shows and 55,000 performances across 317 venues.

Then it's on to the Scottish Highlands where we'll learn the history and hear the stories of the different clans and their contributions to the Scottish heritage. There'll be an obligatory search for Nessy in Loch Ness, a visit to Culloden battle field and a tour of the majestic Glencoe and Glenfinnan Viaduct. If there's time, we'll take the Harry Potter train before switching to the overnight sleeper and heading back to London.

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