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.

Day 1: Arrival and The Imperial War Museum: a nation at war - Assemble at London hotel for a sandwich lunch and introductory talk by our expert historian. In the afternoon we visit the remarkable Imperial War Museum founded while war was still raging as the nation’s premier exhibition of the country at war. Here we learn about ordinary people’s experiences of warfare set amongst a stunning array of artefacts including tanks, artillery, aircraft, weapons, uniforms, documents, letters and paintings. Hotel in London - 2 nights. (L, D)

Day 2: War on sea and land – By boat we travel downstream on the River Thames enjoying the impressive cityscape of the capital and the view of the frigate HMS Belfast, which played a key role in the fight against German sea power in World War Two. We alight at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, to explore a trove of objects tracing the role of Britain as a leading maritime power. Here we explore the pivotal place the navy has held through history and her most decisive naval victories. We return to the National Army Museum, Chelsea, to continue the theme of Britain’s military heritage and those who have served in her land forces from the 1600s through to the present day. (B, D)

Day 3: Britain: a maritime nation - We travel by coach to Portsmouth, the oldest continuously operating naval base in the world, where we visit the excellent Historic Dockyard. This huge collection contains some of the most important ships in British history. On this afternoon and the whole of day 4 we will be guided through centuries of British naval history visiting: HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), the world’s oldest naval vessel still in Commission, and still flagship of the First Sea Lord; the Mary Rose, a warship in Henry VIII’s navy which sank in 1545 but recovered in 1982; HMS Warrior (1860), the world's first iron-hulled warship; and HMS M33 (1915) one of only three surviving Royal Navy warships of the First World War and the only surviving Allied ship that took part in the Gallipoli Campaign. Hotel Portsmouth - 2 nights. (B, D)

Day 4: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - A continuation of our guided tour of the Historic Dockyard and its museums. (B, D)

Day 5: Let’s finish with a bang! Tankfest and departure - The culmination to the tour is a full day at Tankfest at Bovington, a superb event featuring moving armour, live arena demonstrations, rare guest vehicles, expert talks, and immersive living‑history camps. At the end of the day our coach will transfer us to Bournemouth station which has direct trains back to London (or you may want to extend your stay). (B)