King Arthur Tour - Britain and France
The legends of King Arthur have long been shrouded in mystery and tales of the Knights of the Round Table, the wizard Merlin and tragic lovers Guinevere and Lancelot have charmed people for centuries. Did Camelot really exist, who was the Lady in the Lake and did Arthur really pull Excalibur from the stone?
Highlights
- Chester, reputedly Arthur's chief city, the Roman amphitheatre and harbour, the City Walls, Cathedral, Water Tower and Minevra Shrine.
- Wales, home to many Arthurian legends including the lake where Arthur threw Excalibur and Snowdonia National Park, where his Knights lie sleeping, site of an underground pool full of dragons.
- Caernarfon, with its thirteenth-century castle.
- King Arthur's Labyrinth where visitors walk through caverns showcasing the tales of King Arthur in stunning tableaux and see a recreation of a Celtic village from 50AD.
- Cornwall with its many myths, Merlin's Cave, the lost kingdom of Lyonesse and St Michael's Mount.
- King Arthur's Great Halls in Tintagel and the 72 stained-glass window display depicting the deeds of the Knights of the Round Table and the ruins of Tintagel Castle.
- Glastonbury Abbey, rumoured to be the Isle of Avalon, to see the graves of Arthur and Guinevere, the Chalice Well and take part in the Glastonbury Tour.
- Winchester, which has long been identified with Camelot, to see the famous Round Table.
- Stonehenge, still the focus of much Druidic activity today.
- Cadbury Castle, a possible 'Camelot'.
- Option to travel into France, to visit Mont-St-Michel, where Arthur killed the Giant, the magical forest of Brocéliande, Comper Castle - birthplace of the Fairy Viviane -, the Ironworks Village, and Vale of No Return, home of the evil Fairy Morgane.
Photo credits:
Slideshow: Glastonbury Abbey; underground crypt at Winchester Cathedral © VisitBritain/Andrew Pickett; St Michael's Mount.
Photo to the right of the tour: Stonehenge © English Heritage
