London Excursions

One of the benefits of studying abroad is the ability to venture outside your host city and explore the surrounding area. Excursions are offered for all semester, year, and summer programs. Semester students are typically offered two to three excursions and summer students are typically offered one to two excursions. You will receive a calendar of the specific CEA excursions offered for your program during orientation. To give you an idea of the possibilities, we have collected typical experiences from some of the day trips and weekend tours offered to our students in the past.

Stonehenge and Bath

Travel by coach from London to Salisbury Plain, site of the mysterious Stonehenge. The first stones are believed to have been placed here as long as 5000 years ago with the third and final phase being completed around 1,500 BC. Wonder at how prehistoric man managed to transport these stones weighing up to 5 tons each across many miles before the invention of the wheel. Continue on to Bath famous for its hot springs and the 2000 year old Roman Baths after which it is named. The tour includes a visit to the Roman Baths where you can walk in the footsteps of the Romans and even taste the Spring waters. Later join the guide on a walking tour of this World Heritage city to admire its Regency architecture including the Royal Crescent.

Brighton

Known as "London by the Sea," Brighton is as cosmopolitan as its larger counterpart with the advantage of an idyllic setting on the English Channel just at the edge of the South Downs. A typical English seaside resort with its historic waterfront, Brighton is also home to a diverse array of quirky shops, pubs and bars as well as excellent high street shopping. The excursion begins with a walking tour of the historic town center taking in 'The Lanes', a series of cobbled streets lined with shops, followed by a walk along the seafront, taking in the Palace Pier, one of the last seaside piers to be constructed in England, now a monument to the contemporary pleasures of roller coasters, arcades and souvenir shops. After lunch, students visit The Royal Pavilion formerly a farmhouse, rented by the then Prince of Wales (the future George IV) to take advantage of the benefits of Brighton’s therapeutic seaside location.

Oxford

Oxford is famous the world over for its University which, with its thirty-eight colleges, is truly the home of academia. Although Oxford has been an established town since the 9th century and is known to have been residence of both royalty and scholars for over 800 years, people have lived in the area for thousands of years. Today, the city is a bustling cosmopolitan town. The excursion to Oxford begins with a walking tour during which students will take in the delights of Carfax Tower, The Bodelian Library and the Ashmolean Museum. The tour will also include a visit to Christ Church, one of Oxford's largest colleges, originally founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1524. In recent times the college gained fame through being featured in several scenes of the popular Harry Potter films. After this tour, there will be free time to explore other colleges, shop in the covered market or perhaps try your hand at a traditional Oxford past-time - punting on the river which, similar to a Venetian gondolier, tests one’s skills of strength and navigation.

Windsor and Eton

The official home of England’s royal family for 900 years, Windsor claims to be the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. While touring the castle students will see immense grounds, lavish staterooms, a crowd-pleasing dollhouse, an art gallery, and the chapel. The state apartments range from the intimate chambers of Charles II to the enormous Waterloo Chamber, built to commemorate the victory over Napoleon in 1815. All are exquisitely furnished with important works of art from the Royal Collection. After the tour of the castle, there will be time for lunch before heading across the bridge from the castle toward the college of Eton, a “public” (our “private”) school that has educated some eighteen former British prime ministers and members of the royal family. Eton was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI to provide free education for poor scholars who would go on to study at King’s College, Cambridge.

Warwick Castle and Stratford

The opportunity to see jousting and archery competitions (seasonal) in the gardens of this medieval castle are just one of the many attractions of Warwick Castle. Climb up to the ramparts and admire the view over the surrounding countryside or visit the beautifully restored state apartments. Also in the grounds you will find a replica of the largest siege machine, the trebuchet, or visit the Victorian Rose Garden or the Peacock Garden. Continue on to Stratford-upon-Avon whose literary history will intrigue you as you visit William Shakespeare's childhood home and the church where he is buried.

Cambridge

The beautiful city of Cambridge is famed for its academia, architecture and majestic college buildings such as Kings College or Great St Mary’s church. Enjoy a guided tour of the colleges and learn about the history of the University and some of the pranks its students get up to. Take a punt down the river Cam in your free time, or jump on a bicycle and see the city the way the locals do.

A Weekend in Wales

We will visit Roman ruins of an amphitheatre and soldier’s barracks, a centuries old castle, go 300 feet underground at a coal mine, visit a historic Welsh town and finally see a majestic abbey dating from the twelfth century. Students will also have free time to spend an evening in either capital city of Cardiff or Wales’ second city, Swansea.

A Weekend in York

York is renowned for its Roman, Viking and Medieval heritage, and the famous Bronte sisters. This trip will include a number of attractions including visits to York Minster, the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, Fountains Abbey, Bronte Parsonage Museum and Haworth village.

Castle Visits

The UK is home to hundreds of castles. The different types include Square Keep, and Concentric, and they can appear as in ruins in a field, or imposing in a town center. Some well known castles that we can visit include:

• Leeds Castle - Leeds Castle is not in Leeds at all; it is in the country of Kent, just 40 miles from the center of London. The Medieval castle is beautifully preserved sitting on 500 acres of land and its own lake, and dates back to 1119.
• Windsor Castle - As the world’s largest and oldest occupied residence it is no surprise that Windsor Castle is the official residence of the Queen of England. Situated in the town of Windsor you will be able to explore this wonderful piece of history that has a long association with the English monarchy.
• Caerphilly Castle - As part of the Wales Weekend excursion we take a trip back in time to the small town of Caerphilly with its not so small castle. This castle is the second largest in the UK (after Windsor) and was the first concentric castle to be built, in around the 13th century. Surrounding this fort is a moat which was an important weapon to protect its inhabitants in times of war. Although much of this castle is crumbling you are still able to climb up to the top of the turrets and get a great view of the beautiful Welsh countryside.