Luxury Literary Tour of England 14 Day Itinerary
Updated: Sep 2
From the Jane Austen’s Regency life to J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter, England has been romanticised in poems and novels for centuries. While the thatched cottages, stately homes, and imposing castles depicted in such novels seem too charming to be true, they do exist and are feel just as romantic in real life.
On a luxury literary tour of England, not only can you discover the places that inspired England’s great authors, but you can even visit their homes and walk in their footsteps. Visiting London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, and finally the Peak District, this luxury literary tour allows you to delve into the lives of authors including Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Mary Shelley, George Orwell, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and many more — all while enjoying the best of England’s luxury hotels and restaurants.
Read on to find out what literary worlds you can get lost in on a day-to-day basis on this luxury literary tour of England 14-day itinerary.
Luxury Literary Tour of England Days 1-4: London
Your luxury literary tour of England and Scotland begins in a city that, although often described as grey and dreary, has inspired some literary greats from Charles Dickens to William Keats. In fact, London’s literary influence is so legendary, that you could spend two weeks alone delving into the secret worlds of its writers and poets but four days exploring the highlights makes for a great synopsis.
During your luxury stay, you’ll visit the British Library to feast your eyes on priceless manuscripts, first editions, and other literary treasures including manuscripts of Jane Eyre, the preface to Dickens’s Oliver Twist, and an early draft of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Afterward, see the world through the curious eyes of Sherlock Holmes as you wander through Marylebone to 221B Baker Street and revel in the genius of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
The next day, you’ll be taken on a private city tour stopping at all of the iconic landmarks including the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey’s famous Poet’s Corner where you can identify over 100 memorial stones of writers and poets including Charles Dickens, C.S.Lewis, and Rudyard Kipling.
Day three of your luxury literary tour of London is dedicated to the world’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare. Head to Southwark for a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe where his plays were originally held before heading into the theatre to see one for yourself. Complete the day with a drink at The George Inn where William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens were known to drink in their lifetimes.
On your final day in London, call in at 48 Doughty Street in King’s Cross to visit the home of Charles Dickens which has been restored to reflect what his 1830s home would have looked like and even displays his personal belongings. Finally, stop for a long lunch at the Fitzroy Tavern which writers like George Orwell were known to frequent before travelling to your next destination.
Luxury Literary Tour of England Days 5-7: Oxford
As the home of one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, it’s no surprise that Oxford holds a big place in England’s literary history. Among its most famous residents are Oscar Wilde, J.R.R. Tolkien, Agatha Christia, and C.S.Lewis who were all either students, teachers, or both, of Oxford University. Today, you can delve into their lives, minds, and local inspiration as you explore this reputed city.
Start with a private literary tour with a local historian who will take you on a walk around the city and Oxford University through the lens of its former literary residents. Not only will it give you the chance to see Oxford’s most talked-about landmarks including the Bridge of Sighs, Radcliffe Camera, and Christ Church, but you’ll also get to see the places literary legends lived, wrote, and drew inspiration from. Finish the day at 17th-century The Eagle and Child pub which Tolkien and Lewis once frequented.
Next, spend a morning at the Bodleian Library which, like the British Museum, holds some of the world’s rarest and most valuable pieces of literature including manuscripts from Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, and Franz Kafka, as well as items like the Magna Carta. In the afternoon, head to the panoramic rooftop restaurant at the Ashmolean Library for a luxurious and leisurely afternoon tea before admiring its extraordinary art collection.
On your third day in Oxford, leave the muggle world behind as you enter the magical world of Harry Potter, much of which was filmed in this studious city. Start by taking a Harry Potter tour of Oxford University to see its filming locations and listen to exciting anecdotes about the process. Afterward, head to the Warmer Bros Studios where you can walk among the original film sets, see real props and costumes, and much more.
Luxury Literary Tour of England Days 8-10: Stratford-upon-Avon
From Oxford, you’ll be driven through England’s charming Cotswolds countryside to Stratford-upon-Avon, the medieval market town where the one and only William Shakespeare spent his formative and latter years.
Start your three-day luxury stay in Stratford-upon-Avon with a visit to Shakespeare’s birthplace, a whimsical timber-frame townhouse that’s been frozen in time to resemble how it looked when Shakespeare was born there in 1564. Whilst there, get a feel for traditional family life in medieval England, as well as personal stories about the playwright’s childhood.
From there, call in at his wife Anne Hathaway’s cottage, which stayed in her family for 13 generations, to relive the real Shakespearean love story as you wander through the historically furnished house and sculpture garden. After seeing where Shakespeare came from, see how far his genius has brought him as you take a seat at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and watch one of your favourite Shakespeare plays.
Although Shakespeare might have brought you to Stratford-upon-Avon, you’ll discover many more reasons to fall in love with this delightful town during your stay. Start with punting along the River Avon which leads towards the quiet and quaint Midlands countryside in a matter of minutes. Return for lunch along the river and an afternoon spent browsing the local boutiques full of artisanal crafts. In the evenings, take your pick of five-star restaurants followed by a pint at a centuries-old English pub.
Luxury Literary Tour of England Days 11-14: Peak District
Spend your final few days in the Peak District living your Regency England dreams by frolicking around the countryside like the Bronte sisters. The Peak District is a national park situated between Manchester and Sheffield known for its undulating hills and peaks. Between them lies quaint English market towns, thatched-roof villages, and historic estates that make England so, well, English. After a week of city-hopping, the countryside offers a welcome change of pace to your trip and allows you to explore the rural side of England whilst staying in a gorgeous Victorian countryside estate.
Allow the peak District to introduce itself on The Jane Eyre Trail, a 5.5-mile circular trail near the home of the Bronte sisters where Charlotte Bronte was known to walk and gather inspiration for her historic novel Jane Eyre. Not only does the trail feature places mentioned in this novel, but also Pride and Prejudice filming locations, and Little John’s grave from English folklore legend Robin Hood.
Continue the Bronte sisters theme with a visit to their former home in Haworth, a charming traditional village 50 miles north of the Peaks, which is now a museum dedicated to the sisters’ life and works. Spend the rest of your day wandering around one of the Peak District’s scenic little villages where you’re bound to find everything from top-notch restaurants to traditional English pubs.
On your final day in the Peak District, spend the morning strolling around the lush landscaped gardens of Chatsworth House, a beautiful Baroque stately home that’s better known to Pride and Prejudice lovers as ‘Pemberley’. Unfortunately, Mr Darcy isn’t roaming around the grounds in a white shirt but as one of England’s best estates, it’s worth visiting regardless. Complete your stay in the Peak District with an afternoon in Bakewell, one of the most scenic market towns in England, best known for its sweet treat, the Bakewell tart.
Secure your Luxury Literary Tour of England
To experience England through the romanticised eye of its literary greats, talk to Lore’s luxury travel agents to secure your trip for 2025. Whether you want to live this exact itinerary or merge it with your own ideas, the travel experts will listen and create your ideal bespoke itinerary for a luxury literary tour of England. Get in touch by messaging us here.