Thames River Standard Tours &amp; Trips

Self-Guided / Independent Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Flexible schedule

Visits

London, Oxford

Highlights

Want to stay longer? You can extend this trip up to a total of 8 days!
Original London Sightseeing Tour (24-hour Hop-on/Hop-off)
Oxford City Sightseeing Hop-on/Hop-off Bus Tour (24 Hours)

Themes

Hiking & Walking, Local Immersion & Homestays, Relaxing Retreats

What travelers are saying

"Great Value did an amazing job with the basic outline for the itinerary and the hotel choices were excellent."

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

7 days From$1,854

More

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

Devon & Cornwall: A Magical Land of Legends

By Great Value Vacations

preferred

4.1/5 Great

Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Moderate

Trip pace

Flexible schedule

Visits

London

Highlights

Enjoy all the perks of a guided vacation but in a small group with added freedom.
During your free time in London, treat yourself to a ride on the London Eye, the world's largest Ferris wheel!
Visit the beautiful 7th century Abbey in historic Glastonbury.
Explore the romantic clifftop ruins of Tintagel Castle, birthplace of King Arthur.
Pick up the perfect souvenir at one of England's iconic markets, from the famous Portobello Road to Camden Stables.

Themes

Local Immersion & Homestays, Relaxing Retreats

What travelers are saying

"Great Value did an amazing job with the basic outline for the itinerary and the hotel choices were excellent."

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

7 days From$1,868

More

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

Walking the Thames Path

preferred

4.4/5 Great

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Moderate

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

London, Windsor Great Park

Highlights

Walk the Thames Path from the home of the Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames to Hambleden Mill, one of the most photographed landmarks on the river.
Enjoy a river boat excursion from Westminster to the Thames Barrier and Greenwich.
Walk through Windsor Great Park and explore Windsor Castle and Runnymede, home to the Magna Carta Memorial and John F. Kennedy Memorial.

Themes

50 plus, Cultural, Education / Learning, Hiking & Walking

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

13 days From$4,297

More

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

Independent London: Roman Walls and Historic Royal Palaces

preferred

4.4/5 Great

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Moderate

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, London

Highlights

Learn what daily life was like in London when it was a wealthy Roman provincial capital as an expert leads you on a walk revealing the walls, streets and archaeological sites of this period.
Delve into the lives of the Tudors and examine the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.
Most afternoons are yours to explore London’s cultural, historic and architectural treasures on your own.

Themes

50 plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

9 days From$1,999

More

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

Walking the English Countryside: the Cotswolds and Cornwall

preferred

4.4/5 Great

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Moderate

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

London

Highlights

On expert-led walks, discover quaint Cotswold villages and wildlife-rich sandy bays and the dramatic coastline of Cornwall.
Learn about the Cotswolds’ designation as an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” from a Countryside Ranger.
Meet a local Cornwall expert to hear about the spectacular coastline and its wildlife.

Themes

50 plus, Cultural, Education / Learning, Hiking & Walking

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

15 days From$4,699

More

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

London's Cultural Heritage

preferred

4.4/5 Great

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

British Museum, Kensington Palace, London

Highlights

Expertly led scholarly field trips to the sites of London's major historical events and eras, from the medieval city to the Victorian "Albertopolis" to Princess Diana's Kensington Palace.
Delve into the history of legal London at Lincoln's Inn Fields and survey some of England's greatest treasures at the British Museum.
Take an evening tour of Sherlock Holmes' London including a visit to a local pub.

Themes

50 plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

10 days From$2,850

More

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

Great British Cities

By CIE Tours

none

4.5/5 Excellent

Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

Edinburgh, London

Highlights

Explore three Great Cities – Edinburgh, York & London
Enjoy awesome Scottish Evening
Two or Three Night Stays in Each Location
Visits and admissions to Edinburgh Castle, St Andrews Cathedral, St Andrews Castle, York Minster, Castle Howard, Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Tower of London
Admire the scenery when you board the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s vintage locomotive

Themes

50 plus, Cultural, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"I waited 20 years for my dream trip to Scotland and Ireland and splurged $7000 on this tour. The second half of touring Ireland was great, the first portion in Scotland was horrendous. The tour guide for Scotland made sexual advances and inappropriate comments to me and I had to cautiously avoid him and stay with the group to not have any interaction with him. I also sustained an injury on the bus, caused by the driver, which I had to report to CIE myself. I filed a complaint with a CIE customer service manager when I returned and learned that another woman also filed a complaint regarding the tour guide (2 women from the same tour!) CIE has not responded from the initial report over a month ago and have DONE NOTHING!!! This sexual predator is still working as a tour guide for them which is a screaming indicator regarding the sexual harassment investigations and policy enforcement for this company. Beware if you are a single woman and are looking to book with CIE, there are better options and I strongly recommend you avoid this company!!"

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

9 days From$1,852

More

Save this trip to your favorites or other list

British & Irish Landmarks

By CIE Tours

none

4.5/5 Excellent

Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

Belfast, Derry, Dublin, Edinburgh, Galway, Loch Ness, London

Highlights

Enjoy the awesome Scottish & Irish Dinner/Shows
Great Scenery & Coastal Views
Enjoy watching Sheepdog trials on Ring of Kerry
Visits and admissions to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, York Minster, Edinburgh Castle
Opportunity to Loch Ness Cruise

Themes

50 plus, Cultural, Hiking & Walking, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I waited 20 years for my dream trip to Scotland and Ireland and splurged $7000 on this tour. The second half of touring Ireland was great, the first portion in Scotland was horrendous. The tour guide for Scotland made sexual advances and inappropriate comments to me and I had to cautiously avoid him and stay with the group to not have any interaction with him. I also sustained an injury on the bus, caused by the driver, which I had to report to CIE myself. I filed a complaint with a CIE customer service manager when I returned and learned that another woman also filed a complaint regarding the tour guide (2 women from the same tour!) CIE has not responded from the initial report over a month ago and have DONE NOTHING!!! This sexual predator is still working as a tour guide for them which is a screaming indicator regarding the sexual harassment investigations and policy enforcement for this company. Beware if you are a single woman and are looking to book with CIE, there are better options and I strongly recommend you avoid this company!!"