This private tour starts in London and ends at the Dover cruise port, about 75 miles (121km) away, combining a full day of London sightseeing with your transfer to the ship.
After meeting your guide at your London hotel, you begin a driving tour with photo stops at the city's top sites: Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the Tower of London, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. The exact sites and order depend on your interests and traffic that day.
Big Ben is technically the name of the bell, not the tower. The tower itself was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, though most Londoners still call the whole structure Big Ben out of habit. The Great Bell inside was cast in 1858 and has rung over Westminster for more than 160 years.
Buckingham Palace has a longer history than its grand facade suggests. The original house on the site was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, and it wasn't until George III bought it in 1761 as a private family retreat that it became linked to the monarchy. It took another king, George IV, and his architect John Nash, to remodel it into a palace in the 1820s, and Queen Victoria became the first monarch to actually live there in 1837.
A stop for lunch is included (meal not included). A traditional pub for fish and chips with an English ale is a popular choice, and London's many Indian restaurants are another option. If timing allows, a stop for high tea, usually served between 3 and 6 PM, can also be arranged.
After the London portion of the day, your guide drives you to the Dover cruise port for embarkation.