Depart on your international overnight flight.

Arrive in London and begin your journey north to Birmingham. On the way, stop at the site of Wynyard School. Here, Jack (C.S. Lewis) and his brother, Warren, attended a miserable boarding school. Check into your hotel for your overnight stay. (D)

Much of J. R. R. Tolkien’s childhood was spent in Birmingham. Start at Sarehole Mill, near where Tolkien explored and was inspired for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books. Stop in Rednal at Fern Cottage. Now a private residence, it was here Tolkien lived with the postman after his mother’s death as he attended school. Pass by King Edward’s School, where Tolkien attended, on your way to a visit at Francis Asbury’s Home. Sent to America by Wesley, Asbury became the first elected bishop of the American Methodist Church. Head south to Warwick, where Edith Mary Bratt married Tolkien at St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church. Finish the day in Oxford and enjoy dinner at the Trout Inn after checking into your hotel. (B, D)

This morning, you will enjoy a walking tour of Oxford. Start with a walking tour of Merton College, where twice J. R. R. Tolkien was a professor. From here, take just a few steps to visit Magdalen (pronounced “Maudlin”) College, where C. S. Lewis was a fellow for most of his academic career. Here, Jack worked through his beliefs from Atheism to Theism to Christianity, as well as became the prolific writer and apologist known today. Stop at University College, the oldest college in Oxford (1249). Jack received a scholarship to attend here in 1916 and, after entering the Officers Training Corps, was later sent to France in World War I. Stop at Exeter College, where Tolkien studied before he also traveled to serve in World War I. Continue to Christ Church College and visit the dining hall where John Wesley and other alumni are honored on the walls. Walk around the exteriors of Pembroke College, where Tolkien first served as a professor after the Great War. Walk through the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Here, the Oxford Martyrs were tried for heresy, and John Wesley preached until his views were rejected. Walk through the Sheldonian Theater, where scholars have graduated or been granted honorary degrees since 1669. John and Charles Wesley and C. S. Lewis were among the many famous people to have celebrated their degrees here. Included in the tour is a visit to the Bodleian Library, the main research library for Oxford, with 12 million items. Spend the afternoon in the Ashmolean Museum, the world’s first university museum. The museum contains a vast and unique collection, ranging from pieces by Da Vinci and Picasso to a Stradivarius violin and Cromwell’s death mask. Return to your hotel for your overnight stay. (B)

Travel up to Lady Margaret Hall and St. Hugh’s College. Here, Tolkien taught women (he was allowed since he was already married). Stop outside 20 Northmoor Drive, where Tolkien lived while writing The Hobbit and the first two Lord of the Rings books. You’ll visit Holy Trinity Church, the church Jack and Warren attended in life and are buried in the graveyard here. The Narnia window in the church is of special interest. From here, travel to The Kilns, Lewis’s home. Built in 1922, the Lewis brothers moved into the home in 1930. This would remain Jack’s home until his death in 1963. Stop at the Eagle and Child Pub, where C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and other writers met on occasion as part of the “Inklings” club. This afternoon, depart Oxford in time for afternoon tea in a village in the Cotswolds, home to thatched roofed cottages and shops. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

The city of Gloucester boasts a small church that changed the world! You’ll learn about George Whitefield, who grew up in the congregation of St. Mary de Crypt. He was at Oxford with the Wesley brothers and became an ardent member of their Holy Club. Known as the greatest orator of his day, George Whitefield’s talents led him to minister in America. St. Mary de Crypt also produced Robert Raikes, founder of the Sunday School movement. Both Whitefield and Raikes had a profound influence on Wesley. He also embraced Raike’s Sunday School movement. The first Women’s Society was founded at St. Mary de Crypt. After lunch on your own, continue to London for a driving tour. See Trafalgar Square, Parliament and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and other historic sights. Time permitting, attend Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the masterpiece of architect Christopher Wren, built after the Great Fire of 1666. John Wesley often worshiped here. On the day of his conversion, Wesley came here for an afternoon service and was deeply moved by the choir’s anthem, “Out of the Deep Have I Called Unto Thee, O Lord.” (B)

Take a day trip to English L’Abri, the evangelical center & community created by Francis & Edith Schaeffer. The Schaeffers often opened their alpine home in Switzerland in the late '60s and early '70s as a landing place for curious travelers to have open forum discussions regarding Art, Culture, and Faith. Today, we will visit the grounds of the English chapter of L’Abri, which opened in 1971. Venture into Schaeffer’s library and enjoy an open forum discussion and lunch together. Afterward, head back to London for dinner and overnight. (L’Abri visit subject to availability; in the event L’Abri tour not possible, take a day trip to Canterbury to see the cathedral and learn the history of this pilgrimage site and seat of the Anglican Church). (B, D)

This morning, walk through the Churchill War Rooms, learning about how this nerve center led British efforts in World War II. From here, you will stop at the BBC Studios. C. S. Lewis was asked to broadcast during the war, and his series of talks were later edited to become the book Mere Christianity. This afternoon, make your way to the Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Charles Spurgeon preached for more than 30 years. It currently stands as an active Reformed Baptist Church. Make your way back to your hotel for a free afternoon/evening, dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Return home with memories of the legacies of Tolkien, Lewis, Schaeffer, and Spurgeon, including their impact at the intersection of Art, Culture, and Faith!