Depart on your international overnight flight.

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

Much of J. R. R. Tolkien’s childhood was spent in Birmingham. Start at Sarehole Mill, near where Tolkien explored and was inspired by 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 J. R. R. Tolkien was a professor twice. From here, 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, and became a prolific writer and well-known apologist. 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, Charles Wesley, and C. S. Lewis were among the many famous people who celebrated their degrees here. The tour includes 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, from Da Vinci and Picasso pieces to a Stradivarius violin and Cromwell’s death mask. Return to your hotel overnight. (B)

Travel up to Lady Margaret Hall and St. Hugh’s College, where Tolkien taught women. He was allowed to do so as 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, where Jack and Warren attended in life and where they are now buried. 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 he died in 1963. Stop at the Eagle and Child Pub, where C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and other writers occasionally met as part of the “Inklings” club. This afternoon, depart Oxford in time for afternoon tea in a village in the Cotswolds, home to thatched-roof cottages and shops. Finish your day in Bristol 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 St. Mary de Crypt congregation. He was at Oxford with the Wesley brothers and became an ardent member of their Holy Club. Whitefield was known as the greatest orator of his day, and his 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, and he also embraced Raikes’ Sunday School movement. At St. Mary de Crypt, the first Women’s Society was founded. After lunch on your own, continue to London for a lecture at City Road Chapel, the site of Wesley’s home and grave. Susanna Wesley is buried across the street in Bunhill Fields Cemetery along with other famous personages such as John Bunyan and Daniel Defoe. Walk on to Aldersgate Street, where on May 24, 1738, John Wesley had his “Warming of the Heart” experience. You will walk past the entrance of “Little Britain,” where Charles Wesley had his conversion experience just three days earlier. (B)

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, you will explore the Tower of London. Learn about the many prisoners who suffered for their beliefs amidst its 900+ year history. (B)

John and Charles Wesley left their marks on the town of London. This morning, tour Westminster Abbey, begun by King Edward the Confessor in the 11th century. It is the traditional coronation place for British monarchs, and the royalty and famous of England are buried or memorialized here. Across the street from the cathedral is the Methodist Central Hall. Still a church, it was an early site of the initial meetings of the United Nations. In the afternoon, visit 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.” Attend Evensong at St. Paul’s (time permitting). (B)

Return home with memories of the Legacies of John Wesley and C. S. Lewis, or stay on for a Northern Ireland Extension or an extended stay in London.