London and the Countryside

Settle into your hotel, then venture into your surroundings. Red, double-decker buses groan along the "wrong" side of the road, escorted by innumerable black taxicabs with engines that sound like sewing machines.

A visit to Windsor Castle includes the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls' House (a palace-within-a-palace with functioning lights, running water and Lilliputian-size books written by famous authors of the 1920s) and St. George's Chapel, one of the country's finest churches in the typically English style known as Perpendicular Gothic.

Visit Canterbury Cathedral, site of the martyrdom of St. Thomas à Becket and the final destination of pilgrimages from Chaucer's day to the present. Canterbury Cathedral is also one of the artistic and architectural masterpieces of the English Gothic style. Its stained glass rivals that of any other medieval cathedral, both in quality and in abundance.

Your travels take you to the town of Battle, a town located in Sussex, a few miles from the Channel port of Hastings.

Relive one of the most momentous days in England's history by visiting the village of Battle. There, in 1066, the Norman William the Conqueror came over from France to fight Harold, the other pretender to the English throne, and won. Get a deeper understanding of their famous encounter, which became known as the Battle of Hastings, on a visit to Battle Abbey, built on the site of the battlefield. Visitors enjoy the theme park, the audio-visual presentation that re-creates the sounds of the battle and a variety of interactive displays, such as Discovery Centre, filled with hands-on exhibits.

Lighter fare as you arrive in the seaside resort of Brighton-by-the-Sea. For over two centuries fashionable crowds have been lured to this spot, first by the medicinal properties of seawater, then by the extravagances of a Prince of Wales and, more recently, by the amenities of a pleasant resort. In the 1840s, Brighton featured the very first pier to be constructed in Great Britain. Today's Brighton Pier is the heir of a Belle-Epoque landmark called Palace Pier, which has been renovated into a 21st-century entertainment venue with thrilling rides, amusement arcades and food kiosks.

Make your way to the Steine district to wander through the Lanes, a lovely pedestrian-only maze of narrow streets lined with quaint shops.

Your guide will explain the soaring Gothic arches, the precious stained-glass windows, and the world's oldest working clock, built in 1386.

In the Chapter House, you will have a look at the best-preserved of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta Libertatum, the Great Charter of the Liberties of England, drafted in 1215. The interactive Magna Carta Exhibition takes visitors through the document's history and its legacy.

Depart Salisbury heading north to Stonehenge in Wiltshire.

Learn about the origins of this colossal structure erected between 2,000 BC and 1,500 BC. Hear how the immense blocks of stone were transported to this site and speculate about the religious customs of these prehistoric builders, who possessed a sophisticated understanding of arithmetic and astronomy.

Continue an elegant city known for its Georgian architecture, in particular the beautiful rows of honey-colored stone houses, arranged in graceful curves, of the Royal Crescent and the Circus.

Images of ornate Gothic spires and professors on bicycles will etch your memory and camera film. A visit is included to one of the colleges, such as Christ Church, where visitors can see the stained-glass window depicting Alice in Wonderland, the charming creation of one of Christ Church's most famous professors, Lewis Carroll.

A short drive down the motorway produces first the far-flung suburbs, then the metropolis of London.

Take a walk down Oxford Street, London's well-known shopping street, renowned for its fashion boutiques and large department stores, such as Selfridges and John Lewis. The flagship store of the Marks and Spencer chain is situated nearby.