English Countryside Tour

When you take a bespoke tour with Discover England Tours we offer you:

• Beautiful English Countryside Tours of Southern England exclusively for your own group of up to 4 people

• Flexible start and finish dates

• Choose your own tour destinations - or use our ready made itinerary

• English Countryside tours at your own pace with time to stop and take a picture or two

• Lunch in a country pub to try the local brew or a cream tea

On your countryside tour of England you’ll delve into the treasures of England. We will drive you through the winding lanes while you enjoy the beautiful, ever-changing English landscape that has evolved over the centuries. See the patchwork of green fields, the tree-lined hedges and the quaint market towns and villages. We will help you find the local treasures and regional cultures of the countryside as you tour at a gentle pace through Southern England.

Our Best English Countryside Tour - sample itinerary

A four day English Countryside Tour designed to showcase the best of our English Countryside. Based in the historic town of Shaftesbury - choose either the Grosvenor Hotel or Fleur de Lys. This itinerary can be modified to suit your individual preferences but its a great starting point for your English Countryside Tour.

Day 1 Start the day with a journey back into pre-history as we travel across Salisbury Plain to visit the mysterious World Heritage stone circle at Stonehenge. Then, along the lush valley of the river Avon to Old Sarum, the original site of Salisbury Cathedral. We’ll spend the afternoon at the magnificent Landscape Gardens at Stourhead created in the 18th century. Stroll along the meandering paths, enjoy the beautiful trees reflected in the lake and visit the garden ‘follies’ - built in the style of classical buildings to enhance the views and vistas. You can also tour the mansion if desired.

Day 2 Travelling south to visit the Dorset Jurassic Coast our first stop is the romantic ruin of Corfe Castle. Built in a commanding position over 1000 years ago, the castle was ruined in the English Civil War. Surrounded by a pretty stone-built village which has a restored steam railway connecting to the coast. Lunch in one of the village pubs or buy a picnic in the bakery. In the afternoon you can choose either a coastal walk to Old Harry Rock or a visit to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door for a shorter walk.

Day 3 - We drive you through unspoiled countryside to the quintessentially English seaside resort of Lyme Regis made famous by Jane Austen and the setting for the film version of The French Lieutenant’s Woman. For those interested in fossil hunting,  Lyme Regis is the place to visit. If a hunt along the beach is not successful, there are plenty of fossils shops to entice you. Stroll along the beachfront, walk the harbour wall and maybe try fish and chips for lunch! In the afternoon, we head into the county of Somerset for a visit to Forde Abbey House and Garden. Forde Abbey House founded in 1146 as a Cistercian monastery, is surrounded by extensive, award-winning gardens.The house is open to visitors giving you unrivalled access to a house built centuries ago.

Day 4 Spend a day discovering the unique historic towns and quaint villages of the Southern Cotswolds. Next we travel to Castle Combe, a lovely village that has been used for many films including Dr Dolittle and Warhorse. Time for lunch in a country pub followed by a stop in Lacock to walk around the village and visit the Abbey founded in the early 13th C. A final stop to explore the old mill town of Bradford on Avon with the river running through the centre of the town before we head back to your hotel.

Cost is GBP2400 for up to four guests - this is not a per person cost but for your whole group. Includes four tour days each of eight hours duration, the services of your driver guide, the car and all costs associated with the car. Food, accommodation and entrance fees are not included. Not all locations are open every day so exact daily allocation may change depending on your travel dates. This itinerary can be tailored to suit your individual requirements.

Beautiful English Scenery - Countryside and Coast

We have some of the most beautiful scenary in England here in the county of Dorset, from rolling green hills to spectacular World Heritage coastline and most of it easily asccessible along small leafy lanes and an extensive network of public footpaths. On our English Countryside Tours we travel around Dorset on the small country roads that the big buses just can’t get along, so you get chance to see the really special places that only the locals know about.

Travel at Your Own Pace

We travel at a pace that suits you and stop along the way to take plenty of pictures or just to stand and stare. For lunch we find a pub or cafe where you can relax and enjoy a glass of the local brew and chat with the friendly natives. Or we have some lovely bakeries where you can buy a pasty for a tasty picnic.

Explore on Foot

For those wanting to explore on foot, Dorset has an extensive network of public footpaths, that in days gone by were the main highways between villages. These footpaths are now well mapped and available to the public for walking across fields, tracks and coastline and offer the chance to access quiet locations in the heart of the countryside.

Customised Itinerary to Select the Perfect Destinations

You can take our English Contryside Tours as a stand alone tour or combine it with our regular Heritage, Garden and Special Interest Tours. Wherever you go you'll be travelling through the beautiful English countryside, always with the opportunity to stop and take in the view.

How Does it Work?

Choose your accommodation from our recommended list and make a booking. Reserve your tour days with us. We will agree your itinerary with you as part of the booking process and help arrange your transfers to and from your hotel. We will meet you every morning at your hotel to travel out and visit your chosen locations.