​King Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval stories and romances, protected Britain against Saxon invaders between the late 5th and the early 6th centuries. The details of his story are mostly made up of folklore and literary invention. “The history of the Knights of the Round Table” begins a long time ago in a small village in Britain, in the forest of Brocéliande. In this place a young lady gave birth to a rather weird child, who was completely covered by hairs and whose language was by far too elaborated for its age. He was named Merlin and his story is closely linked to the one of the young Arthur. Merlin became a wizard and, resorting to a trick, he managed to entrust Arthur to an adoptive family, keeping him in the dark about his origins for ages. From there it was a short step to extract the Excalibur sword, thus the Reign of Arthur started with a very young king supported by a really powerful wizard. In spite of his young age, Arthur revealed to be wise and he was soon surrounded by a group of knights that swore their allegiance to him and took place around the round table created by Merlin, so as not to let anyone stand out from the others. At Arthur’s side appeared also the beautiful queen Guinevere and a young knight with no sword and no armor, but still really brave, Lancelot, who  fell deeply in love with the queen Guinevere.

Day 1: London
Arrival in London. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2: London - Salisbury - Stonehenge – Plymouth (Km. 360)
Breakfast and departure for Salisbury. This elegant town in Wiltshire is famous for the St. Mary’s Cathedral, dating back from the 13th century and built in a Early English Gothic style. The cathedral has the highest bell tower in Great Britain and the most ancient clock in the world; furthermore it has a large Close and one of the four original copies of Magna Carta existing in the world. Early in the afternoon proceed to the close prehistoric site of Stonehenge, constructed around 3000 BC, where it is assumed that took place rituals connected to the Sun, while other believe that this place served as an astronomic observatory. As ist name suggests, it’s about “hanging stones” fromt he words “henge” and “stone”. It’s still a mystery how these huge stones were brought in there, since they come from areas located many kilometres far away (a rather hard task for early humans). Departure for Plymouth, an old city in Devon with a significant maritime tradition. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers departed from Plymouth to America on the Mayflower. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3: St. Ives - Land’s End – Marazion - St.Michael’s Mount (Km. 295)
After breakfast day trip to some of the most fascinating places in Cornwall: St.Ives, a picturesque and renowned seaside town, became famous thanks to the sardine fishing, growing always more prosperous and making the city the destination of many artists searching for inspiration. Land’s End is the most westerly point of Cornwall and it’s the place where the earth was thought to end. At last we will visit Marazion, one of the most ancient towns of Cornwall, where you can enjoy a splendid view on the granitic islet on which shows up St. Michael’s Mount, once a famous Abbey given in 1047 by Edward the Confessor to the Benedict religious order and later transformed in the 15th century into a private house. During periods of low tide it is possible to walk from Marazion to St. Michael’s Mount, it’s just 800 metres, but be careful not to stay in the middle of the path when the tide is rising. When the tide is high, the island is reachable by boat. Return to the hotel in the evening, dinner and overnight.

Day4: Plymouth - Tintagel - Exeter – Bristol (Km. 315)
After breakfast departure for Tintagel, worldwide known for being the homeland of King Arthur, sovereign of the Kingdom of Camelot and unbeatable leader thanks to his Excalibur sword. According to one of the many legends surrounding Arthur, the legendary sovereign would be born in the castle in the late 5th century. The wizard Merlin would have waited for Arthur’s birth in a cave beneath the castle. Even today you can enjoy the ruins of the old fortresses and of the monastery operating between the 6th and the 9th centuries. In the afternoon we will reach Exeter, the county town of Devon that still preserves a great part of its historical heritage, in spite of the bombings during World War II: St. Peter’s Cathedral, Guildhall, Mol’s Coffee House. Departure for Bristol, mainly a university town. Quick walk in the centre, enjoying at a distance the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a huge bridge and symbol of the town, located on top of the hill where Bristol started developing and that allows to cross the Avon river. Brandon Hill is another city icon: the Cabot Tower gives you the opportunity to enjoy a breath-taking view of the city, after having climbed its 108 steps reaching the height of 100 feets (30 metres and a half). Dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Bristol - Wells - Bath -London (Km. 255)
Breakfast and departure for Wells. Orientation tour of this nice city in the Somerset district, which is also the smallest town of England and which hosts one of the cornerstones of the Early English architecture: the Cathedral, realized between 1180 and 1239. The city takes its name from some natural springs that can still be found today. Thanks to its magnificent look and its unique atmosphere the Cathedral was used as location for films, fictions and documentaries. Curiosity: the Wells Cathedral is commonly regarded as the centre of the manufacturing area of Cheddar, the most popular British cheese (coming from the Cheddar village, on the Mendip Hills). Proceed to Bath  and guided tour of this lovely thermal town that flourished in the 18th century. Bath was founded by the Romans as a thermal site, since here gushed the only natural warm springs in Britain. Thanks to its thermal baths, Bath also became a popular fashionable place that in the 18th century underwent significant building renovation, becoming a great example of Georgian architecture. For its historic relevance, the cultural heritage and the architectural value, Bath was inscribed in the UNESCO list as a World Heritage Site. Proceed of our trip and arrival in London. Dinner and overnight. 

Day 6: Return trip
Breakfast and return trip.