Discover the British Isles by Sea
About the Trip
September 10–26, 2025 | 17 Days
Explore the extraordinary British Isles, filled with history, culture and royal significance. Your adventures start with a three-night stay in charming Oxford, where you’ll tour the idyllic Cotswolds and visit the Swan Inn (previously owned by one of the famous Mitford sisters and used as a setting in Downton Abbey). You’ll also explore the Chedworth Roman Villa with its famed preserved antiques and wander around Highgrove House and Gardens, the country residence of King Charles III. Then, after a tour of iconic Stonehenge, you’ll board the Queen Mary 2 for a 12-night cruise around the British Isles. Stops at Edinburgh, Inverness, Oban, Liverpool and Cork allow you to soak up the breathtaking scenery.
Member Exclusive Benefits
We reward all our CAA Members on our Extraordinary Explorations® tours/cruises.
- $25 CAD Beverage card†
- 2 bathrobes‡
- $100 USD Shipboard Credit‡
- 50 CAA Dollars®^
- 25% savings on CAA Travel Insurance◊
Extraordinary Experience
CAA has curated an exceptional experience unique to your tour. Details of this experience are listed below:
Champagne Afternoon Tea at Highgrove Manor
As an elegant ending to your garden tour at Highgrove Manor, your Extraordinary Experience will be a delicious Champagne afternoon tea in the elegant surroundings of the Orchard Room. Presented on a traditional tiered stand, your refreshments include a selection of sandwiches, sweet treats and freshly baked scones, along with a glass of Highgrove Champagne and tea or coffee. Enjoy this celebrated British tradition surrounded by the Orchard Room’s fascinating paintings of His Majesty the King and his family.
Package Includes:
- Return airfare from Toronto or Winnipeg to London
- Pre-cruise tour:
- 3-night stay in first-class accommodation in Oxford
- 3 breakfasts, 2 dinners and 1 afternoon tea
- Sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
- Local English-speaking guides
- 12-night British Isles cruise on-board the Queen Mary 2
- Onboard meals and entertainment as per cruise itinerary
- Destination transfers
Around the British Isles by Sea: England and Beyond
Activity Level: Moderate. Explore the wonders and history of the British Isles, with visits to London to Edinburgh, Inverness, Oban, Cork and more on this 12-night cruise.
Day 1
Depart on your overnight flight to London from Toronto or Winnipeg.
Day 2
Oxford – Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel in Oxford and check in for a three-night stay. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening. (D)
Day 3
Oxford – Take a morning tour through the Cotswolds and walk in Windrush Valley. Visit the hamlet of Fulbrook and the deserted medieval village of Widforth. See The Swan Inn, which was featured on the television series Downton Abbey. Continue to Asthall, where you’ll pass the gates of the Jacobean Manor House with its unusual modern sculptured posts. (B/D)
Day 4
Oxford – Take a guided tour of Chedworth Roman Villa to see Roman antiquities. Walk to Chedworth village for lunch then take a guided private garden tour of Highgrove House, the country residence of HRH King Charles III. After your tour, indulge in a Champagne afternoon tea in the elegant Orchard Room. (B/A)
Day 5
Southampton – After breakfast you’ll depart to Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plains. Take your time to explore this breathtaking 5,000-year-old stone formation. Continue to Southampton and board the Queen Mary 2 for a 12-night British Isles cruise. (B)
Day 6
At sea
Day 7
Cork, Ireland (Cobh)
Day 8
At sea
Day 9
Liverpool, England
Day 10
Liverpool, England
Day 11
Isle of Mull, United Kingdom (cruise-by)
Day 12
Oban, Scotland
Day 13
At sea
Day 14
Inverness, Scotland (Invergordon)
Day 15
Edinburgh, Scotland (South Queensferry)
Day 16
At sea
Day 17
Southampton – Disembark ship and transfer to the London Heathrow Airport for your return flight to Toronto or Winnipeg.
B - Breakfast | D - Dinner | A - Afternoon Tea
Terms & Conditions
*$8,479 is a balcony (sheltered) cabin based on Cat. BU, $9,129 is a balcony cabin based on Cat. BC. **$8,619 is a balcony (sheltered) cabin based on Cat. BU, $9,269 is a balcony cabin based on Cat. BC. Ship’s Registry: Bermuda. All CAA Member prices are per person, based on double occupancy, in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated and are subject to change without prior notice until final payment is paid. All prices are correct at press time and apply to new bookings only, based on availability at time of booking. To receive CAA Member-exclusive benefits, there must be one valid CAA Member travelling per booking. Non-members booking Extraordinary Explorations will not receive Member-exclusive benefits.
†Beverage card is one per person, in Canadian funds and has no cash value.
^CAA Dollars awarded per adult Member. To earn and redeem CAA Dollars, you must be a current CAA Member in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). CAA Dollars will be credited at time of departure. For more information on CAA Dollars, please visit www.caasco.com/caadollars.
◊CAA Travel Insurance, an Orion Travel Insurance product, is underwritten by Echelon Insurance. Twenty-five percent (25%) Member savings is made up of a ten percent (10%) Member savings as well as a promotional fifteen percent (15%) savings when you purchase an Extraordinary Explorations tour through CAA Travel, applies to CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba Members in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). This promotional offer is valid until December 31, 2025. Ten percent (10%) Member savings applies to Members in good standing of all other CAA clubs. Savings apply to the total premium excluding applicable taxes. Minimum premium applies. Visitors to Canada Insurance is limited to promotional savings. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. A Medical Questionnaire may be required to purchase travel insurance.
Extraordinary Explorations vacations are organized and booked by CAA Travel (South Central Ontario) Inc. and CAA Manitoba (“CAA Travel”) on behalf of CAA Club Group (o/a CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba). In the event of an increase in any of the cost factors, CAA Travel reserves the right to increase the price whereby the provisions of the Travel Industry Act shall prevail. CAA Extraordinary Explorations packages are 100% non-refundable at final payment. CAA Travel service fee for cancellation prior to final payment varies by program. For full payment terms and conditions, please ask your CAA Travel Consultant. CAA Travel reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any tour departure in accordance with operating requirements (minimum number of participants) or circumstances beyond its control. Additional fees for checked luggage or other incidentals may be incurred and vary according to itinerary and airline. Air schedules with some tours are not available at press time and may include several connections or forced overnight at passenger’s expense. CAA Travel strongly recommends the purchase of trip cancellation and emergency travel and emergency medical insurance at the time of booking.
Please note: Participants must be able to embark and disembark cruise ships and coaches without assistance as well as have a good level of mobility for walking tours in destinations where stairs and traditional cobblestone streets can be challenging. International transportation vehicles and facilities may not meet accessibility standards.
Flight
IncludedTour Itinerary
Day 1
Depart on your overnight flight to London from Toronto or Winnipeg.
Day 2
Oxford
Upon your arrival at London Heathrow International Airport, transfer to your hotel in Oxford and check in for a three-night stay. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening. (D)
Day 3
Oxford
Embark on a morning tour through the Cotswolds and walk in Windrush Valley. This walk starts in Burford, a small market town that was once an important crossing point for the medieval wool trade. Before heading out of town, take a short detour to look inside St. John’s Church, home to striking memorials paid for by the wealth of the wool trade, and see Sir Lawrence Tanfield’s memorial. Crossing the river, you’ll then head towards the hamlet of Fulbrook to view a Norman church and perhaps spot a Cotswold Lion, the local breed of sheep. Visit the site of the deserted medieval village of Widford, where the only thing remaining is St. Oswald’s church which was built on the site of a Roman Villa. Next you’ll journey to The Swan Inn, which was owned by Deborah the late Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest of the famous Mitford sisters. You may also recognize The Swan Inn from Downton Abbey as the inn where Lady Sybil stayed with Branson when they eloped. Continue on to Asthall, where you’ll pass the gates of the Jacobean Manor House with its unusual modern sculptured posts. This building was once the home of the Mitford sisters (Nancy based her Alconleigh on this house in her novel Pursuit of Love), but now hosts a biennial exhibition of sculpture on its grounds. (B/D)
Day 4
Oxford
Visit Chedworth Roman Villa, where an expert-guided tour will reveal some of the most elaborate Roman antiquities in Britain. The site is preserved in the style of a Victorian archeological dig, and you’ll see impressive Roman mosaics, bathhouse rooms, remnants of the steam heating system and the Nymphaeum, which is still fed by water that filters through ancient Cotswold limestone. Walk to Chedworth village and The Seven Tuns pub for lunch. Later in the afternoon, head off on a guided private tour of Highgrove House and Gardens, the country residence of HRH King Charles III, who is an ardent supporter of wildlife conservation and rural landscapes in Britain. The gardens, which have been more than 35 years in the making, reflect great diversity, from the genteel setting of the Sundial Garden to the unstructured beauty of the Wildflower Meadow. After your garden tour, indulge in a delicious Champagne afternoon tea in the elegant surroundings of the Orchard Room. Presented on a traditional, tiered stand, refreshments include a selection of sandwiches, sweet treats, and freshly baked scones as well as Highgrove Champagne and tea or coffee. (B/A)
Day 5
Southampton
After breakfast, depart to visit the mysterious Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plains. As you approach the breathtaking formation of towering stones, you’ll be filled with reverence and wonder with the knowledge that they’ve stood in this spot for around 5,000 years. Take your time to explore and listen to expert theories of their provenance featured on a supplied audio guide. Continue to Southampton and board the Queen Mary 2 for a 12-night British Isles cruise. (B)
Day 6
At sea
Day 7
Cork, Ireland (Ringaskiddy)
Day 8
At sea
Day 9
Liverpool, England
Day 10
Liverpool, England
Day 11
Isle of Mull, United Kingdom (cruise-by)
Day 12
Oban, Scotland
Day 13
At sea
Day 14
Inverness, Scotland (Invergordon)
Day 15
Edinburgh, Scotland (South Queensferry)
Day 16
At sea
Day 17
Southampton
Disembark ship and transfer to the London Heathrow Airport for your return flight to Toronto or Winnipeg.
B - Breakfast | D - Dinner | A - Afternoon Tea