‘London is a jewel amongst our cities. It abounds with every article of luxury and all the necessities of life.’

So wrote an enthusiastic Italian visitor in the early sixteenth century. This rave review was well-deserved: the Tudor period saw London’s dramatic emergence as a major European capital. Henry VIII – with his lavish building programme – had put the city back on the map, transforming Hampton Court into a showpiece royal palace. His daughter Elizabeth I encouraged the seaborne exploration that made London a major trading centre. By the end of the sixteenth century the city’s population had tripled to over 200,000 people, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre had just been built, and the capital was bustling with commercial vitality and dynastic pride. Our Tudor London Tour accompanied by Dr Mike Jones will go behind the scenes and take a look at some of the famous and lesser known monuments of that remarkable era – reviving a taste of those extraordinary times.

ITINERARY
Day 1 (Friday): Meet at the Strand Palace Hotel, 14:00. An afternoon tour of the Globe Theatre and exhibition – the scene of some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays – followed by a visit to Blackheath and the site of the battle that nearly unseated the Tudor dynasty. Private evening tour and reception at Eltham Palace, where Henry VIII spent much of his childhood.
Day 2: A private viewing of Henry VIII’s armour at the Tower of London, and other Tudor artefacts, followed by a visit to the replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship, The Golden Hinde. In the afternoon we will enjoy a private tour of Hampton Court – Henry VIII’s sumptuous royal palace, and in the evening sample the fare of a Tudor banquet.
Day 3: A visit to Henry VII’s remarkable Renaissance chapel at Westminster Abbey, where the foundation of the Tudor Dynasty was commemorated, will be followed by a trip to the striking early Tudor gatehouse and tower at Layer Marney, where we will enjoy a private tour. After lunch we visit Elizabeth I’s delightful hunting lodge at High Beach, set in the beautiful surrounds of Epping Forest.