England's South Coast
Tour England's UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic coast with a personal driver-guide. See lesser known castles, gardens and enjoy cliff tops walks.
8 night driver-guided tour
Private driver-guided tour
Customisable itinerary
Luxury Sedan or Vans (Mercedes, Lexus, Jaguars)
England's South Coast
A private driver guided tour of England's South Coast places a polished chauffeur behind the wheel while you move through one of the country's most scenic regions in complete comfort. The route opens at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, home to Nelson's flagship HMS Victory, before tracing the fossil rich cliffs of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site stretching through Dorset and East Devon. Along the way you'll pass through the bohemian energy of Brighton, the Norman battlements of Arundel Castle, the rolling South Downs National Park, and the wild ponies of the New Forest, with a private ferry crossing to the Isle of Wight adding a maritime edge to the journey.
Your driver guide handles the roads, the parking, and the timing, so you're free to spend your hours well: browsing the antique shops of Brighton's Lanes, walking a clifftop trail above the Channel, tasting English sparkling wine at a Sussex vineyard, or wandering the landscaped grounds at Stourhead Gardens and the ancient stone circle at Avebury on the journey home. Because the tour is entirely private, the pace and the stops adjust to you, whether that means an extra night on the Isle of Wight, a detour to a fishing village like Mousehole, or a stop for cider tasting or a round of golf at Bovey Castle. Each night ends at a hand picked country house hotel, spa retreat, or castle property suited to the day's route.
Further west, the route continues through Dartmoor National Park, the Tudor gardens of Cotehele, the biomes of the Eden Project, the artists' harbour town of St Ives, the tidal causeway of St Michael's Mount, and the Arthurian ruins of Tintagel Castle on Cornwall's rugged north coast. This is a tour built around substance as much as scenery: a guide who can explain how the Jurassic Coast's cliffs shift in colour from town to town, point you to the best fish and chips in Brighton, and time the Isle of Wight ferry so there's no wait at all. Whether your interest is naval history at Portsmouth, coastal walking on the cliffs above Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, or an evening among the gardens at Stourhead, the itinerary flexes entirely around your interests. It's the kind of trip that turns a list of place names into a single, well paced story, private, unhurried, and shaped from start to finish around the way you actually want to travel.
Brighton, London by the sea - Fancy dipping into a lively, exotic and eccentric metropolitan lifestyle? Theatres, cinemas, galleries, and festivals all on the doorstep in Brighton as well as fantastic pubs and restaurants. Brighton is a cocktail of the old and new and compliments a dynamic tour of the South of England.
Enjoy exploring the petite shopping streets known as 'The Lanes'. The narrow and odd street pattern was a legacy of the past when the area was the hub of a fishing village. Independent shops are the dominant force in the Lanes and include diamond merchants, bakers, antique dealers, and fashion stores – all with a Brightonian flavour.
Tour the Royal Pavilion, acclaimed as one of Europe's most exotic royal residences. The domes of the building represent the style of Islamic temple architecture. The interior, on the other hand, is more 'Chinoiserie', which is the name given to a South-East Asian decorating style in the 19th century. It is a palace designed for evening pleasure, soft lighting, music, and food, and lots of it. The Brighton Pavilion is genuinely unique, and you will be very much surprised, pleasantly we hope.
Overnight: Sussex - Recommended Hotel: South Lodge Hotel and Spa.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
See the quaint village of Amberley with thatched cottages and ancient castle, set in the beautiful Sussex Downs National Park, entirely off the tourist trail. On the edge of the town stands the mighty ramparts of Amberley Castle, once a summer palace for the Bishops of Chichester, now a fabulous hotel.
Alternatively to stopping at Amberley, visit a winery instead and experience English Sparkling Wine Tasting, Southern England's new luxury export.
Arundel Castle dominates the small riverside town below, this vast, stone, hill-top castle, surrounded by medieval crenellated walls, was first built by the Norman conquerors. Your guide will show you around this private family home, featuring an excellent collection of paintings, furniture and the amazing Baron’s Hall. Hear the tales of the infamous Dukes of Norfolk of the past and tour the State Apartments. See the lavish furnishings that add to the character of each room, the Westminster Abbey inspired chapel, and our guides favourite place the gothic styled carved Honduras mahogany library.
In the castle grounds is the parish church of St Nicholas. This small Fitzalan chapel built to house the tombs of the Fitzalan family, the Earls of Arundel. It is a rare example of a church with stereo worshipping areas, Catholic and Anglican. By the way, the chapel has its delightful white garden.
In recent years the Collector Earl’s Garden has been recreated. This investment in the construction of the garden has been a great success. The area was a kitchen garden and used as a car park until the 1970s. The garden pays homage to the 14th Earl of Arundel, an art collector. There are waterworks, vinery, classical architecture, fruit gardens and large seasonal displays.
Overnight: Hampshire - Recommended Luxury Country House Hotel: Chewton Glen Hotel.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
The Jurassic Coast is a natural World Heritage Site strewn with fossils and rocks millions of years old. Exploring the coast is a walk-through time. With its relics in the cliffs, you uncover the story of the Earth. The sea has carved the different stones along the Jurassic Coast into bays, beaches, cliffs, stacks, arches and landslides. This marvellous variety in the landscape helps create the natural beauty of the area and makes the Jurassic Coast an inspirational place.
Option to visit Corfe Castle; For those that love history and a castle that has seen serious action, stop at Corfe Castle, Dorset. The dramatic ruins stand proud on a hilltop overlooking the well-preserved village below.
The NEW Forest is a large tract of unenclosed rustic fields and heathland; people have created a living from this unique landscape for a long time. Rights of common pasture over a thousand years old are still recognised today. There are around 5,000 wild New Forest Ponies that inhabit the area, and they have done for over 2000 years. The ‘New Foresters’ have gentle temperaments, have immense strength for their size; but they do prefer you to keep a short distance.
Overnight: Devon - Recommended Classic Castle Hotel: Bovey Castle Hotel.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
Tour the Dartmoor National Park; the ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ country. Dartmoor is now the least inhabited part of England. See wild Dartmoor Ponies, wooded valleys with quaint thatched cottages and heather-clad moors which glow purple and maroon in the evening sun. Also dotting the landscape are scores of prehistoric remains which have survived due to the durability of granite. Many establishments offer cream teas and warm fires for weary walkers.
Visit Cotehele, a magical Tudor house in the Tamar valley. The beautiful gardens draw people from around the World. Magnificent woodland and lush river scenery make Cotehele one of the most delightful spots on the River Tamar. Far from civilization, tucked into its wooded fold in the Cornish countryside, Cotehele has slumbered for 500 years. The romance of the house is enhanced by colourful terraced gardens to the east, leading via a tunnel into a richly planted valley garden.
Other afternoon options include; hiking, fly fishing, zip wires, horses riding, boating, and wild swimming. Activities at Bovey Castle, include cider making, 4X4 car driving, golf, and spa treatments. If you are a Golf lover you will adore Bovey Castle, and you also may enjoy these Golf Courses.
Overnight: Devon - Recommended Classic Castle Hotel: Bovey Castle Hotel.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
Visit the Eden Project - One of the enormous greenhouse ‘biomes’ at the Eden Project is home to the world’s largest jungle in captivity. The other houses flora from temperate regions of the world, including the Mediterranean and South Africa. The Eden Project seeks to educate by telling the story of plants, people and places.
G7 leaders marvelled at the vast eco attraction and enjoyed a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson inside one of the biomes in June 2021.
Spend the afternoon on the beach; there is an endless number of water sports to enjoy Cornwall’s coastline, some are better for surfing, others kitesurfing or paddle-boarding, the choice is yours.
We can arrange a hikes to the harder to get to beaches and most spectacular on the south coast.
Overnight: Cornwall - Recommended Yacht Club Style Hotel: Hotel Tresanton.
Overnight: Cornwall - Recommended Coastal Villa Style Hotel: The Idle Rocks.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
Drive the coastal road to the Cornish seaside port of St Ives with a beautiful harbour and bustling atmosphere. St Ives is a fishing village busy with artists studios and art lovers exploring a labyrinth of cobbled pathways to find that piece of work perfect for the bare wall at home. Relax and enjoy browsing the galleries and craft shops. Enjoy lunch by the harbour, the town has super restaurants. We will make all the arrangement if required.
G7 leaders stayed at Carbis Bay, St Ives, in June 2021. The world’s press was blown away by the location, and it opened people eyes to the fact that Britain has stunning beach and coastal scenes.
St Michael’s Mount is a granite crag just offshore from the town of Marazion. Low tide reveals a human-made causeway which links the mainland to the mount.
The option can be to explore the mount and castle or visit the tiny fishing village of Mousehole. Another option is to have our driver-guide find you a quiet, secret beach to relax, paddle, eat ice cream with strawberries. We wouldn’t like to sway you either way, but this is our favourite option.
Overnight: Cornwall - Recommended Yacht Club Style Hotel: Hotel Tresanton.
Overnight: Cornwall - Recommended Coastal Villa Style Hotel: The Idle Rocks.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
Set high on the rugged North Cornwall Coast, visit King’s Arthur’s Castle at Tintagel. Learn about the myths and legends which are associated with King Arthur.
Head out to sea; Britain is home to the largest colonies of Grey Seals and vast numbers of migrating sea birds; you will get as close as you possibly can. There is a chance to see Dolphin, Basking Sharks (second largest shark in the world) and giant Sunfish. You may get airborne while riding on the high-speed rib along the wild Atlantic coast.
For those with extra time, we can offer the unusual activity of snorkelling with seals on the nearby Isles of Scilly. The islands are around 20 minutes of flying time from Cornwall, Newquay airport. Staying on the island makes the trip unrushed and more enjoyable, please ask for details.
Plunge into a rocky gorge-like valley (Rocky Valley) and follow a tumbling stream to the sea. The stream starts its journey 820 ft above sea level; it cuts its way through fields before tumbling dramatically through a series of falls. See the strange labyrinths patterns carved into the rock face, their origins are a mystery.
Overnight: Cornwall - Recommended Yacht Club Style Hotel: Hotel Tresanton.
Overnight: Cornwall - Recommended Coastal Villa Style Hotel: The Idle Rocks.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
Stop in rural Devon for a classic pub lunch before heading east to Somerset. Enjoy seeing unusual places with odd names, such as Velvet Bottom, Butts Batch, and Tinker’s Bubble, to name only a few. Some of the local ale with have funny names too - it makes travelling through this region so charming.
Stourhead Gardens is the most awe-inspiring and remarkable landscaped gardens in Europe. The garden was begun in the 1740s by Henry Hoare, who inherited the estate and transformed it into a breath-taking work of art. Your driver-guide will take you to the Temple of Apollo, overlooking the entire 18th Century garden. Tunnels lead to an artificial cave with a pool and a life-size statue of the guardian of the River Stour. Stop by and see the Grotto, made of volcanic rock with a lookout to the lake.
Stop briefly at Avebury Stone Circle, a Neolithic stone circle; thought to be dedicated to life, death and fertility.
We suggest you extended your trip and stay in the historic City of Bath.
Overnight: Buckinghamshire - Recommended Five Star Country House Hotel: Cliveden House Hotel.
Overnight: Buckinghamshire - Recommended Five Star Country Club Hotel: Stoke Park.
Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Townhouse and Boutique Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s
Your chauffeur will be with you 15 minutes before you need to depart. He or she will assist with luggage and listen for any final requests.
We have produced this suggested itinerary in PDF brochure format for your convenience, see link below to download.
The number of people, level of accommodation and event/entrance tickets that affect the cost of this driver-guided tour. Therefore, please complete all fields on our enquiry form carefully, and we will be able to send you a quotation based on the information you have provided.
England's South Coast gallery
Help us make your trip exceptional
Our UK office-based staff will listen to what you want to see and experience.
Whether you’re planning a coastal escape, combining the South Coast with another region, or seeking a fully bespoke itinerary, our team will design a personalised experience tailored to your preferences.
To begin planning, we’ll ask for your arrival and departure dates, your interests, and any specific places or activities you’d like to include.
We’ll then prepare a draft itinerary and email it to you for review. Once everything is confirmed, you’ll receive a Booking Confirmation along with your personalised itinerary and information pack — ensuring a smooth, stress‑free start to your luxury South Coast tour.
Contact information
From the UK: +44(0)20 8669 3666
FREE from Canada or the USA: 1-888-472-1799
Email: [email protected]