STUDENT TOURS & GROUP TRAVEL

Tour Details:

Welcome on a student tour to Portsmouth and Winchester (England's ancient capital city).

On this tour we will spend the morning in Portsmouth (10am to 1pm) around the Historic Dockyard (famous Royal Navy Ships) and Gunwharf Quays area for its shopping and entertainment such as the Spinnaker Tower attraction.

We then take a short journey to our next destination the city of Winchester. We start with a tour of the city from about 2pm to 3pm followed by free time for visiting any attractions such as the cathedral, city museum or Great Hall or the many fine shops. Departure will be late afternoon arriving back home early evening.

Student Top Attractions in Portsmouth & Winchester


Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a very old historic city on the south coast of England and has been the home of the Royal Navy for over 500 years. On arrival in Portsmouth your guide will show you some of the oldest parts of the city along with some of the newest. Your guide will take you into the old historic dockyard and tell you about some of the historic ships that you can see (entrance inside the ships is an extra charge).

After the dockyard you will see one of the newest structures in the city, the Spinnaker Tower, the tower is 550ft tall and you can access the viewing platform by lift (admission not included) to get wonderful views of the city and along the coast. Portsmouth also has some great shops and entertainment available in the Gunwharf Quays Shopping Centre. You will have a chance to visit the Portsmouth Museum and learn about Sherlock Holmes and its interesting history.

Winchester

Ancient English Capital. Winchester is a city and the county town of Hampshire. It has recently been voted the best place to live in the UK!

It was capital of the Kingdom of England in medieval days (about 1000 years ago) until London took over that position in the 12th Century.

The present form of the city dates to reconstruction in the late 9th century, when King Alfred the Great obliterated the Roman street plan in favour of a new structure to provide better defence against the Vikings.

Winchester is a charming and handsome city and one of the most desirable places to live in England. Popular for its quaint style and architecture. It is most well known for its 11th century Winchester Cathedral and for the Great Hall (Winchester Castle) which showcases the mysterious Round Table from the legend of the "Knights of the Round Table". It also has in an former unfinished palace now transformed into Military Museums. It also has the house and resting place of Jane Austen, one of Englands greatest writers.

Things to do and see:

Winchester Cathedral (Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity) is one of the longest and largest cathedrals in Europe and dominates a large area of Winchester with its Gothic formidable style. This building dates back to the year 1079 and is the final resting place to many ancient Kings of England and author Jane Austen who died in Winchester in 1817. It has also been witness to royal coronations and royal weddings such as Queen Mary of England with King Philip II of Spain (1554). Entrance: £4 for students (open to visitors till 5pm or Sundays 3pm)

The Great Hall and Round Table is part of Winchester Castle (mostly destroyed but this part was saved during the English Civil War from destruction) and it began in 1067 by William the Conqueror. Winchester was identified as Camelot due to its location and as it had the presense of the the Round Table, used by King Arthur and his Knights and the story tells of them receving visions of the Holy Grail and their determined search to find it begins. The Round Table is thought to be an imitation made in the 13th Century by King Edward as the original would have dated back to the 6th Century when King Arthur was believed to have lived. It was painted in colour for King Henry VIII about 500 years ago. On the table it displays King Arthur and the names of his Knights such as Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad. Entrance: FREE

City Museum located near Winchester Cathedral has many displays on the varied history of Winchester from the Roman times onwards and well worth a visit. Entrance: FREE (open till 5pm including Sundays)

Pennisula Barracks (military museums), In the 17th century, King Charles II planned to build King's House commissioning famous architect Sir Christopher Wren to design a royal palace to rival the Palace of Versailles. The project was abandoned by King James II. The buildings have been used by the British army until recently and even the American army used it in preperation for the D-Day landings in WWII. In 1994 all but 3 buildings were sold for use as private residences and the remaining 3 are used for military museums available to the public. Entrance: varied costs (some of the 5 museums are not open Sundays)

Westgate Museum showcases various items of weaponry. Entrance: FREE and open till 5pm Saturday and Sunday.

House of Jane Austen, private residence therefore no entry allowed, only photos outside. Jane is buried at Winchester Cathedral.

Winchester College. Oldest public school in Britain thats been in continous use dating back to the 14th Century. Entrance: (guided tour timeslot 3.30pm) £6 student price

The City Cross (also known as the Buttercross) has been dated to the 15th century, and features 12 statues of the Virgin Mary, saints and various historical figures. Several statues appear to have been added throughout the structure's history.

Shopping is available in the high street or its modern indoor shopping malls.

This information shows example itineraries to use as a guideline, please note that the order we visit various attractions may change depending on circumstances or time of year.

Please follow the advice of your tour manager and make sure that you are at the various pick up points and departures at the correct times.