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Dover to London: Canterbury & Leeds Castle Post-Cruise Tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/11

Duration10h

GroupUp to 35

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

What if you could see two centuries of English history between your ship and your hotel?

You travel from Dover port to London by executive coach, stopping in Canterbury for two hours to explore the medieval town and cathedral, then spending three hours at Leeds Castle with a guided tour of the interior and grounds. Entry to the castle and transport are included; luggage allowance is two checked bags per person. Drop-off happens at your chosen London or Heathrow hotel in the late afternoon or early evening.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Drive above White Cliffs to Kent
Travel 45 minutes to Canterbury
Listen to guide's Canterbury history stories
Free time to explore Canterbury town
Visit Canterbury Cathedral (own expense)
Travel over Weald of Kent to Leeds Castle
Guided 3-hour tour of Leeds Castle
Explore castle interior, grounds, and gardens
Walk maze and enjoy grotto and water features
Optional lunch at castle cafés (own expense)
Coach drop off in central London and Heathrow

The Experience

Your cruise ends at Dover, but London is still hours away — so why not stop twice? This post-cruise tour picks you up straight from the port and takes you inland through Kent on an executive coach, with a 45-minute drive through the White Cliffs country to Canterbury first. The town sits where English Christianity took root in 597 AD, and your guide walks you through the medieval streets, pointing out the cathedral and the stories that Geoffrey Chaucer and Christopher Marlowe wrote about this place. You get two hours to wander on your own, grab a coffee, or pay separately to step inside the cathedral itself if it's open that day.

After Canterbury, the coach climbs over the Weald of Kent and drops down to Leeds Castle, which sits on two islands in a lake and was built in the 9th century as a palace for English queens. Your guide takes you through the interior — the library, the banquet hall, a museum of ornate dog collars that's genuinely strange — and then you have three hours to explore the grounds, walk the maze, and sit by the water features. If you're hungry, the cafés overlook the gardens and you can eat there at your own cost. The whole stop is guided, so you're not just wandering; someone is telling you which queen lived where and what happened to her.

The coach then drives you to your London hotel — either in central London (drop-off starts at 4:30pm) or Heathrow (from 6pm). If your hotel is too narrow for a large bus, you'll be left as close as the driver can get, which might mean a short walk with your luggage. Each person can bring two checked bags of 23kg each and one carry-on of 10kg; anything more won't fit and you'd have to arrange separate transport back to the ship. The service runs whenever Princess, Carnival, or Holland America ships are in Dover, so check your cruise line before booking.

What’s included

Port pickup from Dover and hotel drop-off in central London or Heathrow.
one-way transport by executive coach.
entry to Leeds Castle and gardens.
guided tour of Leeds Castle interior and grounds.
two hours free time in Canterbury.
two checked bags of 23kg each and one carry-on of 10kg per person.
Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee.

Good to know

Moderate physical level

Operated by International Friends

Is this one for you?Book this if you're flying out of London after your cruise and want to fill the gap between Dover and your hotel with something more than a transfer — the stops at Canterbury and Leeds Castle turn a long coach ride into a day of English history, and the fixed schedule means you don't have to arrange entry fees or timing yourself.