Britain’s military history has left a rich legacy of artefacts which embellish the collections of the nation’s war museums. From the earliest examples of domestic strife, through conquest and occupation, civil war and involvement with colonial operations, world wars and international intervention, Britain’s heritage of conflict is superbly outlined through some of the greatest collections in the world. On this expert-led 5-day tour we engage with the objects - from ships, tanks, aircraft and guns - to uniforms, medals, coins, documents and personal stories of warfare to gain a deeper appreciation of Britain’s involvement in centuries of conflict.

Starting in London we visit the superb Imperial War Museum, National Maritime Museum and National Army Museum where we enjoy startling collections of expertly curated items. We then travel to Portsmouth, home of the Royal Navy, to visit the Historic Dockyard with its rich trove of naval heritage. Here we explore the remarkable Mary Rose Museum housing Henry VIII’s prized vessel which sank in 1545 and was raised from the seabed in 1982. The nearby HMS Victory, Admiral Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar (1805), is Britain’s best loved warship and an iconic symbol of the nation’s proud maritime heritage. We also have time to wander among the Dockyard’s other attractions including HMS Warrior (1960), HMS M.33 – one of Britain’s last surviving World War One ships – the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Victory Gallery.

The culmination of the tour is the spectacular Tankfest event at Bovington where, from grandstand seating, we enjoy a full day of thrilling re-enactments, tank displays and access to the Tank Museum’s unique collection.
As part of the tour we hope to secure behind-the-scenes visits: details of these will be added here when this information is available.