Garden of England

Luxury Accommodations

Day 1: Arrive at Leeds Castle
Day 2: Leeds Castle and Canterbury, 3 mi. (5 km)
Day 3: Canterbury - Faversham, 11 mi. (18 km)
Day 4: Faversham - Whitstable, 10 mi. (16 km)
Day 5: Whitstable - Reculver, 8 mi. (13 km)
Day 6: Upstreet - Sandwich, 8.5 mi. (14 km)
Day 7: Sandwich - Deal -  Walmer - Sandwich, 7.6. mi. (12 km)
Day 8: Departure

Day 1: Arrive at Leeds Castle
This walking tour has an impressive start with an authentic castle experience at Leeds Castle. Arrive here on Sunday at your leisure to discover this magnificent 900-year-old moated castle. It is especially pleasant to wander the grounds in the evening when only those staying at the castle remain out and about. You stay the night in the stable courtyard and dinner is available too.

     Preferred accommodation: Leeds Castle

Day 2: Leeds Castle and Canterbury, 3 mi. (5 km)
After enjoying a knight's breakfast you can spend the morning discovering more about the life of the six queens who lived at Leeds. Punt on the moat and stroll around the beautiful gardens and lakes of this 500-acre estate if you like.  After lunch, you will be transferred to historic Canterbury where there is much to explore. A city center walking tour leads you to the Norman castle, the famous cathedral, and a host of other quite remarkable ancient buildings. Your host will meet you early in the evening to brief you on your upcoming days.

     Preferred accommodation: Abode Canterbury

Day 3: Canterbury - Faversham, 11 mi. (18 km)
This glorious first day of walking takes you up into the rural and gently rolling Kent downs, which are rounded and grass-covered hills composed of chalk. This unique landscape encourages distinctive biodiversity, providing a home to many plants and wildlife, some unique to this area. Because some of the plants and wildlife are scarce, many of the nature conservation sites in the area are protected and managed.  Enjoy marvelous views, apple orchards, and extensive ancient woodlands. Although you pass a few hamlets we suggest you take a picnic lunch with you today. As you trek this unique landscape, the route leads you to your overnight stay in the market town of Faversham with its colorful creek, medieval and historic buildings, and notable brewery.

     Preferred accommodation: Reads

Day 4: Faversham - Whitstable, 10 mi. (16 km)
In complete contrast to yesterday, today you follow the old Saxon shoreline from the wonderful creek in Faversham, lined with old boats and quirky shops in former fishing sheds, through remote marshes and on to the beach and marram grass backed dunes of Seasalter. Here you can pause for a great lunch at a renowned inn before heading on along the pebble and groyne beach into trendy Whitstable where you stay the night. Oysters are big here, poke around the working harbor, and enjoy artsy and offbeat shops.

     Preferred accommodation: Marine Hotel

Day 5: Whitstable - Reculver - Whitstable, 8 mi. (13 km)
Today's walk is literally adjacent to the beach and waves as you follow the sea wall for much of the time, there to protect the low cliffs along the coast. Take in big views, beach huts, cafes, and working harbors, dog walkers, and clifftop hide-outs until you reach the Roman fort at Reculver, standing proud and weather eroded. Here you will be met and transferred back to Whitstable for a second night there. If you prefer, you can opt not to walk and to enjoy the town and the sea.

*Please note that if you book the Classic Accommodation itinerary, you will overnight in Upstreet. See below for itinerary.

     Preferred accommodation: Marine Hotel 

Day 6: Upstreet - Sandwich, 8.5 mi. (14 km)
After breakfast, you are transferred to Upstreet, a buzzy little place on the river. From here you walk inland, this once marshy and now reclaimed landscape being a hive of farming activity, with numerous orchards and often large fields. You amble along the Great Stour river bank first and then weave through rural hamlets with the occasional inn and cafe. The castle of the day is at Richborough - a fort built by the Romans with vast walls and an amphitheater that although ruined, is worth a visit. Nor far beyond lies the gem of Sandwich, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Britain. It's a Cinque port, that's no longer on the sea but on a river. You stay overnight here for the last two nights of the tour.

     Preferred accommodation: The Bell

Day 7: Sandwich - Deal -  Walmer - Sandwich, 7.6. mi. (12 km)
Head off to the sea, a couple of miles away, to wander idyllic paths along the coast which has long sandy beaches most of the way. As if this wasn't enough for a walk, there are two remarkable castles en route both built by Henry VIII and both Cinque ports. First up is Deal, one of the finest Tudor castles in Britain. The town is also a favorite of ours with an authentic high street, a pier, and a pebble beach. Continuing along the coast, you reach Walmer Castle which also has superb gardens and evolved into a stately home, lived in by no less than the Queen Mother, amongst others. It's a majestic finale to a wonderful tour of Kent's coast and castles. We meet you at Walmer and transfer you back to Sandwich for your final overnight stay.

     Preferred accommodation: The Bell, superior room

Day 8: Departure
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before departing. Sandwich is on the rail network for onward connections to Dover, Canterbury, Ashford for Eurostar or London.

Classic Accommodations

The standard Itinerary is almost exactly the same as the luxury itinerary except on Day 5 you overnight in Upstreet. See below. We can provide a sample hotel list on request. Please note that the final hotel list will be based on availability.

Day 1: Arrive to Leeds Castle
     Preferred accommodation: Leeds Castle

Day 2: Leeds Castle and Canterbury, 3 mi. (5 km)
     Preferred accommodation: House of Agnes

Day 3: Canterbury - Faversham, 11 mi. (18 km)
     Preferred accommodation: Sun Inn 

Day 4: Faversham - Whitstable, 10 mi. (16 km)

Day 5: Whitstable - Upstreet, 8 or 13 mi. (13 or 21 km)
Today's walk is literally adjacent to the beach and waves as you follow the sea wall for much of the time, there to protect the low cliffs along the coast. Take in big views, beach huts, cafes, and working harbors, dog walkers, and clifftop hide-outs until you reach the Roman fort at Reculver, standing proud and weather eroded. You are met here (unless you want to do the longer distance) and transferred to Upstreet where you stay the night in the riverside inn. It's a buzzy little place with boats galore vying for moorings on the narrow River Stour.
Overnight: The Grove Ferry Inn

Day 6: Upstreet - Sandwich, 8.5 mi. (14 km)
     Preferred accommodation: The Bell 

Day 7: Sandwich - Deal - Walmer - Sandwich, 7.6. mi. (12 km)
     Preferred accommodation: The Bell

Day 8: Departure

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This tour is offered with two levels of accommodations, Luxury or Classic. You decide.
Luxury: You will be accommodated in a 4 star hotel, a 3-star hotel, a boutique hotel, a restaurant with rooms, and a stay within Leeds Castle grounds.
Classic: You will stay in 3 small hotels, two inns and within Leeds Castle grounds
On the day to day details, you will find the name of the preferred hotels for the luxury accommodations. Classic accommodations are based on availability but we will provide the preferred hotel list on request as a sample. Please note, that the final hotel list is based on availability and is subject to change!