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Discover the golden age of travel

Our rail and steam tours follow lines the Victorians laid as much for the spectacle as the schedule. The Jacobite steam train runs out of Fort William and over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, 1,250 feet of curving concrete above Loch Shiel that sceptics said would never stand when it went up in 1898. At Boat of Garten the Strathspey Line keeps the working nostalgia of steam alive in the Cairngorms. And beyond the railways there is water: the paddle steamer Waverley, the steamship Sir Walter Scott on Loch Katrine, and the Falkirk Wheel lifting boats between canals. 

You travel with expert Tour Managers who know these lines and the engineering behind them, love sharing what they know, and have the timetables, connections and best seats worked out before you arrive.

You don't just see a site like this — you learn to read it. Once you know where to look, every broken wall is still telling you something.

Dr. Eleanor Marsh, Archaeologist & Tour Leader

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Essential Pompeii

Essential Pompeii

Few moments in the ancient world are as vividly documented as the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.  We know, with a specificity that no other lost city can match, what Pompeii looked like on the day it was destroyed and it is this intimacy, a sense of a world interrupted rather than simply destroyed, that makes the sites of the Bay of Naples so extraordinary. Greek colonists, native Samnites, the Romans (of course), Bourbon excavators and World War bombers have all left their marks on these sites. This tour sets out to explore that world in depth and in context, providing expert guidance with a well-thought-out itinerary, which includes free afternoons for independent exploration and a hotel in the modern town of Pompei for easy access to sites.
6 days from £1,780 View Tour
Gardens of Marrakech

Gardens of Marrakech

Four nights at the Kenzi Rose Hotel (or similar) with breakfast Three dinners & one lunch Visits as outlined in the itinerary Private air-conditioned coach travel Services of an expert Tour Manager
5 days from £1,695 View Tour
Lazio Botanical Wonders - Rome, Ninfa & Vlterbo

Lazio Botanical Wonders - Rome, Ninfa & Vlterbo

From the timeless beauty of Rome to some of Italy's most extraordinary gardens, this carefully curated tour brings together Renaissance masterpieces, romantic landscapes and remarkable private visits. Wander through the enchanting Gardens of Ninfa, where roses, flowering trees and crystal-clear streams weave amongst medieval ruins, explore the magnificent Papal Gardens at Castel Gandolfo and admire the elegant fountains and terraces of UNESCO-listed Villa d'Este. Along the way, discover one of Europe's finest Renaissance gardens at Castello Ruspoli, the celebrated Villa Lante and the world's largest collection of tree and herbaceous peonies at the Centro Botanico Moutan, complemented by time to explore the atmospheric medieval city of Viterbo.
6 days from £2,395 View Tour
Gardens & Wildflowers of the Burren

Gardens & Wildflowers of the Burren

Join our resident Irish expert and much-loved tour manager, Trevor Edwards, as he discovers the scenic and rugged west coast of Ireland. Home to a diverse range of colourful wildflowers and impressive geological features, this tour promises to be an experience to remember. The Burren, from the Irish bhoireann – a stony place – lies in the northwestern corner of County Clare. Over 300 square kilometres in extent, it is the largest area of karstic limestone in western Europe. At first glance, it presents a bleak appearance, but closer examination reveals the beautiful diversity of flora for which the whole region has become justly famous. The colourful exuberance and profusion of the wild flowers is simply captivating and, subject to the prevailing conditions, we can expect to see many interesting, different species.
5 days from £1,295 View Tour
Gardens of Marrakech

Gardens of Marrakech

David has explored every continent except Antarctica, discovering plants and gardens on over 70 trips accompanying groups of gardeners. He has more than 20 years’ experience writing and editing garden magazines and websites, including as Deputy and Associate Editor of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.
5 days from £1,795 View Tour

Rail and Steam Tours: Your Questions Answered

No; the heritage lines are shorter sections rather than a complete network, so coach travel links the routes and takes you to the places between them. You get the journeys worth taking without having to build an itinerary around a timetable.

Expert Tour Managers who know these railways and the engineering behind them. Scotland's railway history is a genuine Victorian achievement, from the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879 to the Forth Bridge that answered it in 1890, and travelling with someone who can explain what you're crossing adds a good deal to the crossing.

Not at all; plenty of guests come for the engineering and the locomotives, and plenty come because these lines run through some of the finest landscape in Britain and a train is the most comfortable way to see it. Both get what they came for.

Yes. Time is built in at stations and viewpoints rather than assuming everyone is happy to watch through a window. Steam draws photographers, and the itineraries are planned by people who know that.

Stations, platforms and heritage sites involve steps and some uneven ground, and older rolling stock is not always easy to board. Each itinerary carries an activity level of light, moderate or active so you know what to expect before you book.

Very much so, and many guests travel solo. Shared interest naturally leads to easy conversation, and a group with a common enthusiasm for the line you're all riding tends to fall into conversation quickly.

Spring through autumn, when the heritage lines are running their fullest timetables and the landscape the routes were built to show off is at its best. Steam services are seasonal by nature, and each tour is timed around when the lines it uses are operating.

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