The Carter Company

There is glorious cycling right beside the sea, castles and medieval towns to explore and a rich maritime history of old ports, shipwrecks and smuggling to discover.

You will ride through the many orchards that define this area as 'The Garden of England'. And then there's 'ye olde' Canterbury, full of pilgrim history, packed with museums, famous tales and vibrant with its maze of intriguing side streets.

But on this tour you will discover it offers so much more. From the chalk downs to the coast, medieval towns to trendy seaside spots, vineyards to art galleries and castles to gardens your route leads you through all the wonderful variety of this unhurried region and includes a stay in stunning Leeds Castle.

Cycling along valleys, beside the sea, atop the downs and across ancient marshland, there's bundles to explore with characterful overnight stops brimming with local colour. We are great fans of this locale and so we can't recommend it enough!

London needs little introduction, except that we hope with our suggestions for exploring the city you will find authentic London and discover what makes this great city tick.

The Cotswolds are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with mellow wolds or hills intersected by gurgling rivers. This gives a tapestry of picture postcard villages, honey coloured stone cottages and sheep clad slopes dusted with beech woods. Cycling the leafy back lanes and staying in characterful Chipping Campden and Burford, you will experience rural England at its very best. And with your final night in historic Oxford at the gateway to the Cotswolds, what more could you ask of England? This tour is quintessential by name and nature.

Our carefully tailored route gives you fabulous views on foot at Stow on Wold and Broadway Tower and gentle pedalling takes you along the gorgeous Windrush valley and to the honey-coloured stone villages at Burford and Bourton-on-water (or Lower Slaughter for the luxury tour) and Chipping Campden, where you stay for two nights.

In addition to these well known gems, you will discover many of our other favourite spots such as Minster Lovell Hall and Snowshill Manor. From delicious farm shop stops to ancient church wall paintings, lavender fields and cosy pub stops you will experience the full array of treasures the Cotswolds have to offer.

As if that were not enough, the ride embraces a rich history. From Cirencester and Bath's Roman heritage, to Oxford's historic university - which dates back to 1167; from the 13th Century village of Lacock, to the grandiose Blenheim Palace and two rural canals - which are extraordinary feats of Victorian engineering. There's also lovely Tetbury and delightful Bradford on Avon to explore. All this is topped off by a really wonderful selection of rather unique hotels and inns you'll be staying in along the way.

Smell the sea air, taste the cream teas, see the green hills, touch the gentle way of life and almost hear the sound of trains as you ride along the disused railway tracks. Both days on this 2 night break allow as little or as much cycling as you fancy - perfect for any age and any ability.

From its quiet source in the Cotswold Hills to the Thames Barrier at Greenwich where river and sea meet, this river of mystery holds many secrets for you to discover and enjoy.

The tranquil river path and the hidden lanes you will ride thread their way through sleepy rural villages and historic towns. Pretty landscapes beckon and royal life abounds as you ride by Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace and monarch's gardens. Enjoy the water meadows, old inns, wildlife and the traffic free ride through the heart of London. The Thames source to sea journey is a real classic trodden by many adventurers - come and see what all the fuss is about.

To these we have added the gardens we love and know others find inspirational. Collectively they show a wide range of styles and we are sure you will leave horticulturally touched.

We have designed the tour with very short cycling distances so that you will have plenty of time to enjoy the gardens and landscapes not to mention the wonderful Cotswold villages where you are staying. With very few slopes and a thoroughly leisurely itinerary, there's plenty of time for dreaming...

And you will be beguiled too as you pedal our Captivating Cornwall tour around the coast from St Ives and Padstow on the north coast to the Lizard peninsula and Eden Project on the south.

The terrain, particularly on the coast, is very steep but our inclusion of E bikes makes this cycling holiday one we are so delighted to offer, enabling you all to enjoy this captivating blend of history, panorama and greenery. Coast by eye watering seafood, over deep estuaries by ferry and along disused railway tracks to a pottery or two. Freewheel past basking seals and sheltered sands to descend into a tin mine, drift through lost and glorious gardens and the film sets of Pilcher, Poldark and Doc Martin, breeze across wild moorland and up twisting village lanes and sail by ancient ports into wonderful vineyards and fascinating art galleries before sinking into a cosy inn at the end of a fabulous day. With stays in 6 coastal retreats from art mecca to fishing harbour and from cliff top to cool foodie hub and stylish waterfront, its not surprising we call it Captivating Cornwall!

Much of the route follows the ancient Saxon shoreline and merchant voyages so it contains old ports, smuggling, maritime history, castles, beaches and oysters all feature. So do the churches and settlements established by the early settlers and pilgrims. Add to those a sunny and sheltered landscape whose bountiful fruit and vegetable farms earn it the description of 'The Garden of England' and your adventure to the outskirts of London will be a fascinating one. The finale of the tour leads you right into the heart of London along the traffic free banks of the River Thames, past the old warehouses and docks and the trendy new city developments.