Sherlock Holmes Tour of the U.K.

You’ll be greeted at the London airport by your guide who will shepherd you and your group to the waiting transfer vehicle and your hotel. After a moment to settle in and catch your breath, it’s off to get acquainted with your group and familiarize yourself with the neighborhood. Then your guide will take you to a traditional London pub where you can enjoy dinner and discuss the upcoming adventure to study literature.

The game is afoot! Today you’ll head first to the infamous 221B Baker Street address and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. This Marleybone-area flat was the home base for the fictional detective, and the owners have taken great pains to keep the rooms in Victorian style as Holmes would have. Just down the street is a Sherlock Holmes statue, great for photo ops.

From here you’re just a short walk to the lovely Regent’s Park, home of Regent’s University and Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens. Then it’s off to Scotland Yard, and the famous sign outside the police headquarters on the banks of the Thames.

Finally, head over to the Millennium Bridge where numerous publicity shots for the BBC series were filmed. See if you can find the spot where Holmes’ body washed up on the shore or the place where Irene Adler’s scenes were shot. Then your guide will steer you toward a proper British pub for some fish and chips or a shepherd’s pie over a pint or two!

Day 3: The Old Bailey | St. Paul’s Cathedral 

Rise and shine and get ready to head to court, as you’re on your way to visit the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court and setting for many Holmes scenes both in the books and in film. It’s housed in a gorgeous Victorian building decked out with statues and marble more resembling a museum than a working court of law. If you get there early enough, it’s worthwhile to go into the gallery to observe the pomp and majesty of an actual court proceeding!

Next, you’ll stop by St. Paul’s Cathedral, the front steps of which were featured on film and considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world. After touring the inside, relax in the cathedral’s lovely gardens for a bit before heading up the road to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. This is the spot where Holmes fell from the roof, and also where Martin Freeman’s Watson ran into a bicyclist. Many visitors like to have their picture taken lying in the street where the accident occurred!

Day 4: Bloomsbury | Tower of London | Jack the Ripper Museum

Today you’ll start at the home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Bloomsbury neighborhood of London. This area is home to the University of London, and your knowledgeable guide will show you numerous sites of literary significance. Nearby is the British Museum, a must-see for any visitor to London, stocked with a world-class collection of antiquities including Egyptian mummies and Greek statuary.

After lunch, head over to Russell Square, the spot where Holmes first meets Watson, and home to a lovely park to boot. Next, walk along the Thames to the Tower of London, a former medieval castle that houses the crown jewels. The tour of the Tower and the grounds is a great experience, encapsulating 700 years of bloody history.

As evening falls, head over to the gruesomely wonderful Jack the Ripper Museum. Five floors in this Victorian house are dedicated to telling the story of the Ripper, highlighting his victims and showing off his medical instruments and other grisly details of his reign of terror.

Day 5: Dartmoor

Today you’re heading out of the city to the moors! You’re on your way to Dartmoor, the West country setting for Doyle’s “Hound of the Baskervilles.” You may or may not see a slavering, red-eyed hound, but what you will definitely find after your lovely 4-hour drive across the English countryside is a verdant, green parkland area perfect for hiking and simply detaching from the hustle and bustle of the city. The region is dotted with thatch-roofed cottages and pubs, and your guide will steer you toward some traditional country fare after you get checked into your hotel.

Start off the day with a visit to the Dartmoor Prison Museum, home to exhibits on prison life as it was lived dating back to 1809. After spending some time in prison, you’ll probably be ready for the great outdoors, with a hike to Wistman’s Wood in the heart of Dartmoor. This magical lichen-covered wood looks like something out of a Tolkien book! Alternatively, the White Tor is a hilltop summit with stone structures thought to date back to Neolithic times and offering tremendous views for miles around.

Your knowledgeable guide will also tell you all about how the region is protected and preserved, providing a natural getaway for harried city-dwellers, and preserving the legacy of England’s natural history.

After a strenuous day of hiking, end up at the Dartmoor Brewery for a pint of Jail Ale and some fish and chips. For the brave, a stroll after dark can really bring home the legend of Sherlock Holmes and the spooky silence of the moors!

Today it’s back to London to get ready for the flight home, but you’ll take wonderful memories with you of the time you spent with your new friends immersing yourself in all things Sherlock Holmes!