During our first trip to London, I convinced Ke that we should also take a day trip outside of the city. We didn’t want to rent a car for this trip so after much research I decided to book a Viator tour to Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, and the Dover Cliffs. On the day of the tour, we met the tour group at Victoria Bus Station around 8:30am and returned to London around 6pm.
Leeds Castle
Our first stop of the day was Leeds Castle, aka the Ladies’ Castle. On the drive up our tour guide went through the history of Leeds Castle and it’s many owners throughout the years. The final owner was Lady Olive Baillie, an American heiress who purchased the castle and is responsible for much of its current day interior. After her death, she donated the castle to a trust to give everyday citizens and tourists a chance to tour the castle.
We were able to go inside and tour most of the rooms. After exploring the castle, we also explored the grounds a bit.
Canterbury Cathedral and Town
Our second stop was Canterbury!! I must admit I hated being forced to read the Canterbury Tales in highschool but that didn’t stop me from nerding out and being in complete awe of the cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral is filled with so much history and is just marvelous.
After touring the cathedral, we grabbed an amazing lunch at The Goods Shed, a local farmer’s market, and explored the old part of Canterbury that surrounds the cathedral. Canterbury is an adorable city to visit and I would highly recommend my friends spending more time here if possible.
Dover Cliffs
The final destination of the day was a quick stop in Dover to see the white cliffs. This part of the tour was a quick photo op so we didn’t have time to explore the nearby castle. There are also secret wartime tunnels in the cliffs built in the 1940’s during World War II that are now open to the public.
Despite the quick stop, this was a great ending to the tour and I look forward to visiting again to spend more time checking out the castle and touring the tunnels.
Day Tours
Ke and I are both not the biggest fans of organized tours but sometimes they are just what you need when you want to be efficient and squeeze in some sightseeing. Overall, the tour we chose was fantastic. We had enough time to enjoy each stop and can now recommend others to spend more time in Canterbury as well as take the time to drive to the Seven Sisters.
The next time around, we plan on renting a car to explore more parts of England. I can’t wait to visit again!
