Scheduled Tours by Historical Period

In this section we have organised our scheduled tours by historical period to help you easily view those which hold your interest; simply scroll down through our tours or alternatively you can filter by historical period.

Early Periods Tours

The Pale Horseman Starts 27th June 2019 (4 days) Guide - Ryan Lavelle
Travelling through and walking in some of the finest English landscapes, we will try to understand how Anglo-Saxon kingship worked during this crucial period in English history as the most famous of the sons of Wessex, Alfred the Great, fought for survival against his Viking enemies. find out more and book
The Wars of the Roses: The Northern Battles Starts 7th July 2019 (6 days) Guide - Dr John Sadler
Over six days we enjoy an eclectic mix of battlefields, museums and castles as we travel through some of England’s most beautiful countryside and visit some iconic towns and cities including two of The North’s greatest cities. find out more and book
The Lost Legions Starts 10th July 2019 (6 days) Guide - Tony Wilmott
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was nothing short of a massacre of three Roman legions, resulting in the retreat of the Roman Empire across the Rhine, a border they would never successful conquer again. find out more and book
The Archaeology of Western and Central Bulgaria Starts 12th August 2019 (9 days) Guide - Andrew Poulter
In the company of archaeologist Professor Andrew Poulter, a Roman scholar and veteran of Bulgarian archaeology, we navigate the finest of this country’s incredible inventory of historical sites. find out more and book
In The Footsteps Of Alexander The Great Starts 6th September 2019 (10 days) Guide - Dr Andy Fear
This ten-day tour to Turkey follows Alexander’s campaign against King Darius III and his Persian army during the years of 334 – 333 BC. After his initial victory at Granicus, Alexander went on to liberate the Greek cities in Asia Minor from Persian control. find out more and book
The Golden Journey to Samarkand Starts 27th September 2019 (12 days) Guide - Katie Campbell
Uzbekistan, intriguing and historically rich, is a cradle of culture from where a mesmerising collection of sapphire and gold buildings, monuments and magnificent cities have arisen reflecting the influence of the diverse cultures that have passed along the ‘Silk Road’. find out more and book
The Archaeology of the Bay of Naples Starts 22nd October 2019 (7 days) Guide - Amanda Pavlick
Our programme covers the best archaelogical sites surrounding The Bay of Naples in Southern Italy - Not only the impressive remains of the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum but also those that are less well-known, including Oplontis, Stabiae, Cumae, Baiae and Pozzuoli. find out more and book
Fortress Malta Starts 16th November 2019 (6 days) Guide - Major General Ashley Truluck CB CBE BA
This is a wonderfully varied and scenic tour of Malta – a tiny island with a warm welcome and proud military heritage including probably the greatest concentration of military fortifications in Europe. find out more and book
The Archaeology of the Bay of Naples Starts 30th March 2020 (7 days) Guide - Dr Andy Fear
Our programme covers the best archaelogical sites surrounding The Bay of Naples in Southern Italy - Not only the impressive remains of the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum but also those that are less well-known, including Oplontis, Stabiae, Cumae, Baiae and Pozzuoli. find out more and book
Enigmatic Georgia April 2020 (13 days) Guide - Ian Colvin
Georgia is one of the great undiscovered tourist destinations of this century. See the fabulous monasteries and cathedrals that characterise the landscape, history and society of this mountainous country, from the recently finished Sameba Cathedral to the ancient David Gareji Monastery carved into the cliffs. find out more and book
The Roman Empire's Western Extremity Starts 6th April 2020 (8 days) Guide - Dr Andy Fear
The wealth and peace brought to the former province of Lusitania by the Romans are reflected in the magnificent monuments left for us to admire across the province and their variety allows us to see not just the richness of city life, but also the source of the riches and infrastructure which allowed that life to flourish. find out more and book
Hadrian's Wall July 2020 (6 days) Guide - Dr Andy Fear
Recognising that the Roman Empire could not expand indefinitely, Emperor Hadrian determined to consolidate his frontiers and the resultant wall reflects that change of policy. find out more and book

17th & 18th Century Tours

The English Civil War in The North Starts 1st July 2019 (6 days) Guide - Col Nick Lipscombe
By the end of 1643 there had been no decisive achievement by either side, but an alliance towards the end of that year by the Parliamentarians with the battle-hardened army of the Scottish Covenanters considerably altered the dynamics in the north of the country. find out more and book
The French and Indian War of 1754-1763 Starts 13th July 2019 (14 days) Lead Guide - Fred Hawthorne
When King George II granted tracts of land to the Ohio Company in 1749 it brought the British in to direct conflict with the French who were intent on maintaining their hegemony in the Ohio Valley. find out more and book
Marlborough - The First Churchill Starts 21st July 2019 (7 days) Guide - Dr John Sadler
It is no secret that Winston Churchill drew huge inspiration from his ancestor John Churchill, later the Duke of Marlborough, who is generally regarded as England’s finest commander and one of history’s great captains. find out more and book
Frederick The Great Starts 17th September 2019 (8 days) Guide - Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG
The final part of our Fredrick the Great trilogy is based in Germany and explores the battlefields of some of the famous leader’s victories. We’ll staying in the historic town of Dresden whose centre was meticulously rebuilt to its baroque and rococo grandeur after the Second World War. find out more and book
The American War of Independence Starts 3rd June 2020 (11 days) Guide - Edward G. Lengel
Opposition to London’s insensitive colonial policies on taxation and governance was provoked into outright rebellion when British soldiers attempted to disarm Massachusetts patriots in April 1775. find out more and book

Napoleonic Tours

The Hundred Days Starts 17th June 2019 (8 days) Guide - Major General Ashley Truluck CB CBE BA
Shortly after his first abdication, in an emotional farewell to his Old Guard at Fontainebleau on 20 April 1814, Napoleon departed for exile on Elba. But less than a year later, in what became known as ‘The Hundred Days’ he was back in Paris. find out more and book
Wellington in Spain Starts 4th September 2019 (8 days) Guide - Col Nick Lipscombe
Often referred to as the 'classic' Peninsular War tour, this eight-day battlefield tour visits some of Wellington's most notable battles and sieges during the period 1809 – 1812. find out more and book
Wellington Over The Pyrenees Starts 23rd September 2019 (9 days) Guide - Col Nick Lipscombe
This tour, a natural progression from our popular ‘Wellington in Spain’ and ‘Sharpe’s Peninsula’ tours, is led by Nick Lipscombe. Our route roughly follows the Great North Road from Madrid towards the great French border fortress of Bayonne and thence eastwards to Toulouse. find out more and book
Walking Waterloo Starts 28th September 2019 (4 days) Guide - Major General Ashley Truluck CB CBE BA
Waterloo is a fascinating but complex battlefield and the key to understanding it is ‘reading’ the ground from a soldier’s perspective. find out more and book
Napoleon in Germany Starts 14th October 2019 (8 days) Guide - Alan Rooney
After his disastrous campaign in Russia, Napoleon abandoned his army before Vilna on 5 December 1812 and returned to Paris to raise a new army. In less than 5 months he was back in Germany at the head of a new, but inexperienced army of some 200,000 men. find out more and book
Retreat to Corunna May 2020 (6 days) Guide - Col Nick Lipscombe
This tour encompasses all the major actions fought by Sir John Moore’s army: Sahagún, Benavente; Astorga, Cacabelos, Lugo and the last battle: that at Corunna. find out more and book
Wellington in Portugal Starts 5th June 2020 (8 days) Guide - Col Nick Lipscombe
During the years 1808 – 1811, the forces commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley successfully repulsed three French invasions of Portugal. find out more and book
A Near Run Thing June 2020 (4 days) Guide - Major General Ashley Truluck CB CBE BA
Our ever popular Classic Waterloo Anniversary tour covers the battles of Ligny, Quatre Bras and especially Waterloo itself – and takes place over the annual anniversary weekend when there will likely be reenactors dressed in period uniform on the battlefields. find out more and book
Napoleon in Russia Tour Starts 5th September 2020 (10 days) Guide - Alan Rooney
This tour provides a rare opportunity to explore traditional Russia. From its smaller provincial towns and vast countryside landscape to its mighty capital you can discover the diversities of this enigmatic country. find out more and book
Wellington in India November 2020 (10 days) Guide - Major Gordon Corrigan MBE
The 28 year old Colonel Arthur Wellesley left England in command of the 33rd Foot and arrived in India in 1797. He swiftly established his innate ability and campaigned in the Mysore and Mahratta Wars, returning to England as a major general eight years late. find out more and book
Austerlitz: Napoleon's Masterpiece November 2020 (4 days) Guide - Alan Rooney
We spend a fascinating long weekend exploring the whole battlefield, which has changed little over the years, and intermingling with the numerous participants preparing for the spectacular anniversary re-enactment that will be taking place near the actual battlefield. find out more and book

Victorian Era Tours

The Austro-Prussian War 1866 Starts 28th June 2019 (8 days) Guide - Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG
Over the course of a week in the high summer of 1866 the Prussian Army decisively defeated the Austrian-led German Confederation in a series of five preliminary clashes and the climactic battle of Kőniggrätz in Bohemia. find out more and book
The American Civil War: Eastern Theater Tour Starts 20th September 2019 (14 days) Guide - Fred Hawthorne
Our 14-day tour is set amidst picturesque American countryside which, at this time of year, will be resplendent in early autumn colours: the scenic Shenandoah Valley, the stunning Skyline Drive along the Blue Ridge Mountains, the mighty James River and a wealth of National Parks. find out more and book
The Anglo-Boer Wars Starts 28th October 2019 (10 days) Guide - Ian Knight
This tour sees us study the two conflicts between the Afrikaners seeking independence and the freedom to maintain their unique way of life, and the imperial Forces of the British Empire during the height of the scramble for Africa. find out more and book
The Indian Mutiny Starts 2nd November 2019 (12 days) Guide - Major Gordon Corrigan MBE
For a time British power in India – the jewel in the British Empire crown - hung by a thread. With so much at stake on both sides, it was a near run thing, with bravery and treachery in equal measure, and larger-than-life characters on each side. find out more and book
The Zulu War Starts 4th March 2020 (14 days) Guide - Ian Knight
This fascinating study of the Anglo-Zulu War takes us to ground that has hardly changed since the memorable events of the period, all set amongst spectacular scenery still populated by Zulu tribes and an abundance of wildlife. find out more and book
The First Sikh War 1845-46 and Indian Hill Stations Starts 13th March 2020 (13 days) Guide - Patrick Mercer OBE
In 1842 the disastrous and humiliating campaign in which the British “were thrashed out of Afghanistan” ended, but it had severely damaged their reputation for invincibility in India and beyond. find out more and book
The American Civil War: Western Theater Starts 9th May 2020 (13 days) Guide - Fred Hawthorne
Whilst the American Civil War seemed to ebb and flow in the east during the years 1862 – 1864, in the west it took the form of a gradual, systematic Federal march southwards. find out more and book
Custer and the Indian Wars Starts 20th June 2020 (10 days) Guide - Col Bob Kershaw
The years following the end of the Civil War up to the end of the century saw a resumption of the ’white man’s’ expansion into the American West. find out more and book
The Franco-Prussian War 1870 July 2020 (6 days) Guide - Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG
The Franco-Prussian War was the largest and most important war in Europe since Waterloo, changing the face of the continent for the next fifty years. find out more and book

World War 1 Tours

The War Poets Starts 26th July 2019 (4 days) Guide - Simon Jones
The War Poets created some of the most powerful expressions of the human realities of the Great War which were instrumental in leading to a fundamental re-appraisal of the utility of war after the armistice and have moved generations of readers ever since. find out more and book
The First World War in Poland 1914-1915 Starts 4th August 2019 (7 days) Guide - Alan Wakefield
In Britain and Western Europe, the campaign on the Eastern Front is somewhat forgotten and overlooked. This seven day tour will endeavour to put that right. Travelling across northern Poland you will see the key battlefields, forts & POW camps. find out more and book
First & Last Shots Starts 20th August 2019 (4 days) Guide - Simon Jones
By a poignant quirk of fate, British forces fired their first and last shots of the Great War in the Belgian city of Mons. Today, the first and last British casualties from 1914 and 1918 lie buried, together with their former German foes, in the remarkable St. Symphorien Cemetery. find out more and book
Discovering the Western Front Starts 4th October 2019 (5 days) Guide - Dr Bruce Cherry
Visits to battlefields such as Mons, Ypres, the Somme and Arras will put the whole war into perspective geographically, chronologically, strategically, tactically and technologically. find out more and book
Lawrence of Arabia Starts 29th March 2020 (9 days) Guide - Neil Faulkner
This tour has it all! It has a fascinating subject in the shape of Thomas Edward Lawrence - a 26 year-old Oxford archaeologist, sent to Arabia in late 1916, where he became a liaison officer to Prince Feisal - and the rest, as they say, is history. find out more and book
Salonika Starts 26th April 2020 (6 days) Guide - Alan Wakefield
This tour visits the battlefields of one of the least visited and much overlooked campaigns of the First World War. Based in the quiet and untouched area of northern Greece and just over the border in Macedonia, the early spring will make for a pleasant, rustic and fascinating tour. find out more and book
The Gallipoli Campaign May 2020 (6 days) Guide - Dr Bruce Cherry
Gallipoli was the scene of one of the great Allied failures of the First World War. In attempting to take Turkey out of the war, the assault on the Dardanelles ended in disastrous failure following a campaign that lasted from April 1915 to January 1916. find out more and book
Walking The Somme May 2020 (4 days) Guide - Simon Jones
With Guide Simon Jones we walk the countryside of The Somme, combining eyewitness accounts with scholarly insights to gain a deeper understanding of this five-month battle and its impacts. find out more and book
Tunnellers on the Western Front June 2020 (4 days) Guide - Simon Jones
Simon Jones, acclaimed author of ‘Underground Warfare 1914-18’, has conducted painstaking research into this little-known aspect of the Great War to create this tour especially for TCE. find out more and book
Medics and Padres July 2020 (4 days) Guide - Simon Jones
Because of its industrial nature, the number of casualties in the First World War was on a scale never seen before. However, if you were wounded in the Great War your chances of survival were high, that is if you could be evacuated into the casualty system quickly. find out more and book
Italy During The First World War Starts 16th September 2020 (6 days) Guide - Major Gordon Corrigan MBE
Whilst the Italians prevaricated over whether to join the Entente powers in their struggle against the Central powers, the Austro-Hungarians set about fortifying their Alpine borders. find out more and book
The Doughboys Turn the Tide September 2020 (5 days) Guide - Dr Bruce Cherry
The involvement of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), more affectionately known as Doughboys, is much overlooked and forgotten (especially in Britain) but during this tour we will explore the ground and hear the stories of their crucial and sometimes heroic contribution to the final victory. find out more and book
Advance to Victory 1918 October 2020 (5 days) Guide - Dr Bruce Cherry
1918 was a busy year on the Western Front. The first half of the year saw both British and French Armies on the back foot, close to collapse and reeling from what were to be the last German offensives before the entry of the USA into the war. find out more and book
Lawrence of Arabia Starts 22nd November 2020 (9 days) Guide - Neil Faulkner
This tour has it all! It has a fascinating subject in the shape of Thomas Edward Lawrence - a 26 year-old Oxford archaeologist, sent to Arabia in late 1916, where he became a liaison officer to Prince Feisal - and the rest, as they say, is history. find out more and book

World War 2 Tours

The End in Italy Starts 29th May 2019 (7 days) Guide - Patrick Mercer OBE
Now’s your chance to visit the neglected battlefields which made up Kesselring’s last line of defence. If you have a grasp of Sicily, Salerno, Cassino and Anzio - or perhaps you’ve already visited them - this tour makes the perfect epilogue to study those who dodged D-Day! find out more and book
Finland 1939 Starts 6th July 2019 (8 days) Guide - Col Bob Kershaw
When Stalin signed the Soviet non-Aggression Pact with Hitler's Nazi Germany in August 1939, Eastern Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania were annexed within the Soviet sphere of influence. find out more and book
D-Day: Operation Overlord Starts 29th July 2019 (5 days) Guide - Dr Simon Trew
On the morning of Tuesday 6th June the largest amphibious invasion in history breached the defences of the Atlantic Wall, opening the way for the Second Front and contributing to the final defeat of Hitler's Third Reich. find out more and book
Battling through the Norman Bocage Starts 2nd August 2019 (6 days) Guide - Dr Simon Trew
This tour focuses on some of the most bitter and costly fighting of the entire north-west European campaign. It follows the routes taken by American forces as they smashed through the German coastal defences at Omaha Beach and thrust inland towards the key communications centre of St-Lô. find out more and book
Arnhem and Operation Market Garden Starts 8th August 2019 (4 days) Guide - Col Bob Kershaw
This tour follows the Market Garden Corridor through the eyes of soldiers, we will learn precisely why this campaign became a 'Bridge too Far'. find out more and book
The Holocaust Starts 4th September 2019 (7 days) Guide - Tim Cole
Some six million Poles died during the Second World War, half of whom were Jews murdered in the forests in the east of the country or the death camps set up after the German occupation. find out more and book
The Rise & Fall of Nazi Germany Starts 12th September 2019 (7 days) Guide - Nigel Jones
This tour tells the whole story of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich chronologically from its birth in 1919 Munich, to its bloody end in Berlin in 1945. find out more and book
Dictator: Mussolini & Italian Fascism Starts 7th October 2019 (8 days) Guide - Nigel Jones
Taking place in the centenary year of Fascism’s foundation in 1919. This tour tells the complete story of Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism from its violent beginnings to its inglorious end. find out more and book
The Holocaust Starts 16th October 2019 (7 days) Guide - Dr Waitman Beorn
Some six million Poles died during the Second World War, half of whom were Jews murdered in the forests in the east of the country or the death camps set up after the German occupation. find out more and book
The Burma Campaign 1942-1945 Starts 6th March 2020 (13 days) Guide - Col Mike Bradley
Combining the beauty, mysticism and wonder of Myanmar with the dramatic history of the Burma campaign against the Japanese from 1942-45. find out more and book
The Holocaust Starts 1st April 2020 (7 days) Guide - Dr Isabel Wollaston
Some six million Poles died during the Second World War, half of whom were Jews murdered in the forests in the east of the country or the death camps set up after the German occupation. find out more and book
The Battle for Berlin Spring 2020 (6 days) Guide - Major Nigel Dunkley MBE
The Battle for Berlin was the decisive action that eventually bought an end to the war in Europe. The tour will focus on the fierce and bitter action from the point when the Red Army crossed the Oder River into Germany to the eventual fall of Berlin. find out more and book
The Eastern Front Starts 4th May 2020 (11 days) Guide - Dr Matthias Strohn
The defence of Moscow, the siege of Stalingrad and the battle of Kursk - three of the most pivotal events of the Second World War. find out more and book
Holocaust Landscapes Starts 16th September 2020 (7 days) Guide - Tim Cole
The tour takes in some of the countries occupied by Nazi Germany: Austria annexed into the Reich in 1938; Czechoslovakia occupied in 1939; and Hungary which was not overrun until the spring of 1944. find out more and book
Operation Mercury October 2020 (7 days) Guide - Col Bob Kershaw
Operation Mercury is the fascinating story of a high risk operation fought across a stunning Mediterranean landscape. We follow these hard fought actions along the dramatic coast lines of Crete. find out more and book
The Battle Of The Bulge December 2020 (5 days) Guide - Dr Peter Schrijvers
In the summer of 1944, the Allied momentum appeared unstoppable as troops broke out of Normandy, captured Paris, and raced through Belgium. In early autumn, however, the advance lost steam when logistical lines snapped and Operation Market Garden failed. find out more and book

Cross-Periods / Modern Tours

Natasha's Dance Starts 12th September 2019 (10 days) Guide - Orlando Figes
This tour takes us on a wondrous journey through Russia’s rich cultural history, visiting the homes, palaces, estates and museums of the country’s greatest writers, poets and artists. The title of the tour comes from the eponymous book written by your guide, Orlando Figes. find out more and book
Nepal and the Gurkhas Starts 16th November 2019 (13 days) Guide - Major Gordon Corrigan MBE
This unique and insightful tour explores the culture and geography of Nepal with an emphasis on the British Gurkha connection and is led by retired Gurkha officer Maj Gordon Corrigan. find out more and book
The Vietnam War Starts 6th January 2020 (14 days) Guide - Dr Gregory Daddis
This tour visits some of the most notable battlefields and key locations of the French and American wars in Vietnam, offering sometimes harrowing insights into how both sides fought and lived in the hostile jungle environment. find out more and book
The Vietnam War Starts 8th January 2020 (14 days) Guide - Pierre Asselin
This tour visits some of the most notable battlefields and key locations of the French and American wars in Vietnam, offering sometimes harrowing insights into how both sides fought and lived in the hostile jungle environment. find out more and book
Kaliningrad: Russia’s forgotten exclave August 2020 (7 days) Guide - Alan Rooney
Königsberg, the former capital of Prussia, home to the Teutonic Knights and the great philosopher Immanuel Kant, is today known by its Russian name, Kaliningrad. find out more and book
The Spanish Civil War Starts 21st October 2020 (6 days) Guide - Col Ray Wilkinson
The Spanish Civil War was a particularly bloody conflict that led to the deaths of half a million people, and over 30 years of fascist dictatorship under General Franco. find out more and book
The Korean War Starts 16th April 2021 (13 days) Guide - Lieutenant-General Jonathon Riley
When the Japanese army in Korea surrendered at the end of WW2, the Allies agreed that those surrendering north of 38th Parallel would do so the USSR and those below it to the USA. find out more and book

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