Day 1: U.S.
Depart on your overnight flight to London.
Day 2: London
Once you arrive at the London airport, you will be greeted by your private motor coach & tour guide. This first day will be an introduction to the beautiful city of London, the capital of the United Kingdom. You will visit landmarks like London’s Houses of Parliament & the infamous Big Ben. You’ll also get a peek into royal life as you see Westminster Abbey, a historic church which is also still the site of coronations, royal weddings & national ceremonies as well as Buckingham Palace, the London home of the royal family.
Day 3: London
Today you will see even more of the city, as you follow the lives of the brothers John & Charles Wesley while in London. You will visit the Charterhouse, John Wesley’s former school. After a trip to the Wesley’s London home, you will continue on to see the sites of their spiritual influence. Off of City Road, Wesley Chapel is now the home to Methodism. Built by the father of Methodism, John Wesley himself, the Chapel opened in 1778 as a replacement to an earlier church, The Foundery. The Chapel shares its location with the resting place of John Wesley as well as the Museum of Methodism, a memorial to the story & spread of the Methodist mission. You will then continue onto Aldersgate Street, where the “Aldersgate Flame” commemorates John Wesley’s conversion in 1738. That afternoon, you will see Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle, a Reformed Baptist church which was heavily influenced by the leadership of Charles Spurgeon. Then to the Tyndale Statue, a tribute to William Tyndale, a leader in the Protest Reformation as well as work for translating the Bible to English. Later in the afternoon, you will have the chance to tour the inside of Westminster Abbey.
Day 4: London - Bedford - Olney - Leicester
Get a smaller town experience as you travel north from London to Bedford. Begin with a guided tour of the John Bunyan Museum, dedicated to John Bunyan’s life & work as a writer & preacher. Bunyan is perhaps most well-known for The Pilgrim’s Progress, his allegorical commentary on the Christian faith & literary adaptation of Protestant theology. As you continue further into the English countryside, en route to Olney, you will stop at the Cowper & Newton Museum, a museum of William Cowper’s poems & works as well as documenting the life of Cowper’s collaborator & Parish priest, John Newton. John Newton is most famous for authoring the hymn Amazing Grace.
Day 5: Leicester - Nottingham - Lincolnshire
After breakfast, you will visit the William Carey Museum celebrating the legacy of William Carey, the “father of modern missions.” Following the museum you will have the chance to roam Nottingham, perhaps most popularly known for its association with the legacy of Robin Hood with Sherwood Forest & Nottingham Castle. Then, off to the William Booth Birthplace Museum, commemorating the Nottingham-native, Methodist preacher & founder of The Salvation Army, William Booth. Finally, the evening will conclude with a dinner & overnight in Lincolnshire where you will learn of the origins of The Pilgrim Fathers who would eventually leave for Plymouth, MA in search of religious freedom.
Day 6: Epworth - Cotswolds
Following breakfast, you will travel to Epworth where you will revisit the lives of the Wesley’s. Epworth is the birthplace of John & Charles Wesley as well as the home to some important Wesley family sites. Among the attractions in Epworth is Vinegarth, the resting place of Samuel Wesley and sermon site for John Wesley, the Red Lion Inn, a frequent stop for Wesley on return trips & the Old Rectory, what remains of the former Wesley home. You will then travel on to the Cotswolds, the scenic rolling hills of southwest & west-central England, where you will have dinner & your overnight.
Day 7: Cotswolds - Oxford
Still following the Wesleys, you will travel to Oxford where both John Charles both attended Christ College at Oxford University. It is at Oxford University in the University Church that John Wesley have his famous sermon “Scriptural Christianity.” You will be spending your evening in Oxford, where you can enjoy dinner & some of Oxford’s other attractions like the Modern Art Museum, Museum of History & Science, & Oxford Botanic Garden, among others.
Day 8: Cotswolds - London
The day begins with you exploring the rolling hills of the Cotswalds. This hilly range were once traversed by John Wesley himself as he travelled by horseback or carriage to share his message of Methodism. You will then take in beautiful scenery as you marvel at the intricate & artful botanical designs of the Hidcote Manor Garden, an Arts & Crafts garden situated in the Cotswalds. You will then travel back to London for dinner & the evening’s overnight.
Day 9: London
You have the day to explore London as you choose today. Revisit Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, or some of your favorite sites from earlier in the trip. You may also choose to explore some of London’s other wonderful attractions. Visit one of London’s many museum such as British Museum or take a ride on the London Eye. You can cross the Millenium Bridge to see William Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, his original playhouse. Just be sure to make it back to the hotel in time to enjoy your farewell dinner.
Day 10: London - U.S.
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
