Isle of Wight customer favourite
Tuesday 29 August 2023 to Sunday 03 September 2023
£725pp
- Destination
- Itinerary
- Full inclusions
- Hotel
- Booking request
This popular tour is now fully booked but let us know you're interested in 2024 and we'll send the details as soon as they're available. You might like our stay by the sea in Torquay this September.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert fell in love with the Isle of Wight so much that they built their very own palatial holiday home here. Today’s visitors love the island for its timeless charm, picture postcard views and quintessentially English thatched cottages. More than half the island is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it’s a wildlife haven for many species, including the elusive red squirrel.
Stay on the island’s southern coast with wonderful sea views from this sheltered bay. The long stretch of golden sand won ‘Beach of the Year’ in the 2019 BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards and its traditional pier adds to the charm. Visit the Isle of Wight's official tourism website for things to do in Sandown, Ryde and Godshill.
You're due to be in the capable hands of Alan for this tour, he looks forward to welcoming you on board.
Tour code: A3408
Tuesday
Sail across The Solent from Southampton to Cowes.
Wednesday
Spend the afternoon at Queen Victoria’s lavish ‘holiday home’, Osborne House, where the sumptuous furnishings and immaculate gardens give a glimpse into the Royal Family’s extravagant lifestyle. Gain a sense of colonial history in the State Rooms, imagine family time on the private beach and enjoy a riot of colour in the Italianate gardens (renovated in 2017 when plants as old as the building itself were uncovered!).
Thursday
Take a morning break at IOW Pearl, where beautiful jewellery has been crafted for over 30 years. This cliff-top attraction has wonderful sea views, especially from the panoramic café. Next, to Calbourne to see one of the oldest working water mills in the country, dating back to the Domesday Book! You’ll also find a selection of small museums, a café and great island views from the hilltop. Finish at the ancient port of Yarmouth, where you’ll find a 16th century castle and a restored Victorian pier.
Friday
Enjoy free time on the island.
Saturday
Spend a while at the classic seaside resort of Ryde before experiencing the golden age of travel on the IOW Steam Railway. Pass through unspoilt countryside and ancient woodland in beautifully restored Victorian and Edwardian carriages. Round off the day in the quintessentially English village of Godshill.
Sunday
Time to sail home.
- 5 nights' dinner, bed and breakfast
- Entry to Osborne House (EH)
- Visit to IOW Pearl
- Entry to Calbourne Water Mill
- Ride on the IOW Steam Railway
- Free time in Sandown, Yarmouth, Ryde and Godshill
- Entertainment most evenings
- Return ferry crossing from Southampton to Cowes
- Tea/coffee after dinner each evening
- Door2Door travel (save £10pp by meeting the coach)
- Free travel insurance
- BCH-ABTOT Financial Protection
- Executive touring coach featuring a refreshment station, reclining seats, reading lights, curtains, foot and arm rests, toilet, safety belts, air suspension and individual air-flow controls
- An experienced, friendly, highly-rated and professional tour driver
- Friendly booking team on hand to answer any questions you might have in the run up to your holiday
- £5 discount for English Heritage Members
- Book with just a £40pp deposit (balance due 8 weeks prior to departure)
- LOYALTY DISCOUNT! Book 3 holidays (in any calendar year) and save £15pp, book 4+ and save £20pp, just let us know in special requests that you'd like to redeem your discount
Trouville Hotel, Sandown, Isle of Wight 
- Centrally located on Sandown's seafront
- Sweeping views of the golden sands and the sea
- Winners of a 2023 Travellers’ Choice Award from Tripadvisor
- Rated 4.3/5 by Shaws customers in 2023
- Ensuite rooms featuring TV, radio, phone, hairdryer, WiFi and complimentary tea/coffee tray
- All twin and double rooms have a sea view
- Restaurant and lounge bar, both with sea views
- Short mat bowls, table tennis and pool table
- Lift
ACCESS: Five steps at the entrance (ramp at the side), walk-in showers on request only
Ask us about side sea view single rooms which may be available at a supplement (standard singles are non sea view)
