London 2024

August 29, Thursday – Arrival at London Heathrow and the Crown Plaza Heathrow T4 Hotel

August 30, Friday – Grays Antique Market, Sir John Soane’s Museum

August 31, Saturday – Kensington Palace, Leadenhall Market, Old Spitalfields Market

September 1, Sunday – British Museum, Camden Passage and Hackney Flea Market

September 2, Monday – Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey

September 3, Tuesday – Tower of London, Thames Clipper, Greenwich Market, Mayflower Pub

September 4, Wednesday – Ardingly Antique Fair

September 5, Thursday – Depart or continue travels

Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader strives to operate according to our published itinerary. However, in the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or opportunities that would enhance the itinerary, adjustments may be necessary.

Day 1, Thursday, August 29: ARRIVAL

Tour members check in to the Crown Plaza London Heathrow T4 Hotel, where a reservation has been made for them.

 We will gather for a welcome dinner this evening (included in tour price).

Day 2, Friday, August 30: GRAYS ANTIQUE MARKET, SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM

Our London adventure begins at Grays Antique Market, home to one of the world's largest and most diverse collections of fine antiques and spectacular jewelry. You’ll discover everything from Chinese porcelain, ceramics, silver, fine art, to militaria and fine lace linen. World renowned for its collection of antique jewelry, including pieces from Georgian, Edwardian, Victorian and Art Deco eras, there are more than 100 dealers’ stands to explore across two floors.

In the afternoon we delve into the unusual and the unique at Sir John Soane’s Museum, without a doubt, the city’s most atmospheric museum. The architect and collector’s home on Lincoln’s Inn Fields is packed floor to ceiling with hundreds of interesting and impressive artworks and artifacts. Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was one of the foremost architects of the Regency era, a Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy, and a dedicated collector of paintings, sculpture, architectural fragments and models, books, drawings, and furniture. All are showcased in this eclectic collection.

Day 3, Saturday, August 31: KENSINGTON PALACE, LEADENHALL MARKET, OLD SPITALFIELDS MARKET

We begin our day at wondrous Kensington Palace. Famously the birthplace of Queen Victoria in 1819, Kensington Palace has been a royal residence for more than 300 years. You’ll walk in the footsteps of kings and queens through the lavish rooms of the magnificent King’s State Apartments—each grander than the last—and explore the private Queen’s State Apartments, where Queen Mary II once took her meals, relaxed, and entertained. Outside the palace, we’ll enjoy the Sunken Garden, created in 1908 at the instigation of King Edward VII. During her time at Kensington Palace Diana, Princess of Wales fell in love with the garden. To mark the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017, the palace’s gardeners transformed space there in her memory.

If our next stop, Leadenhall Market, with its ornate 19th-century painted roof and cobbled floors, looks familiar, it’s undoubtedly because it played a starring role in the Harry Potter films. Located in the historic center of London’s financial district, Leadenhall Market is a rather magical place to do a bit of shopping. This covered Victorian market is one of the oldest in London, selling meat and fish from as far back as the 14th century. The current green and red roof, however, was constructed in 1881 and makes Leadenhall Market a popular London attraction. It’s sure to put a spell on you.

A trip to East London requires a stroll through the shops and stalls of Old Spitalfields Market. Soak up the characters and creative spirit of East London under the Victorian market hall roof. (Perfect on a rainy day!). The market is home to traders, artists, and designers, selling everything from handcrafted products to fashion, homewares, art, and lifestyle pieces. The antiques and flea market has a lot to offer, with plenty of 20th-century design, shabby chic, taxonomy, theatrical pieces, toys, jewelry, vintage clothing, and accessories.

Day 4, Sunday, September 1: BRITISH MUSEUM, CAMDEN PASSAGE, HACKNEY FLEA MARKET

Our first stop of the day is the renowned British Museum. Opened in 1759, the museum is both an architectural wonder and home to some of the world's most noted antiquities. From the Rosetta Stone to the Parthenon Sculptures to Mesopotamian objects, it’s easy to see why many consider the British Museum the best museum in all of London. After exploring a fraction of the British Museum’s extraordinary collection of eight million objects, we’re sure you’ll agree. 

After experiencing the world at the British Museum, we shift to the more intimate found at Camden Passage. Tucked away down a traffic-free, cobbled back street, Camden Passage ranks as one of London’s leading antique locations. You’ll discover world-famous specialist antiques, silver ware, vintage clothing and retro shops which provide the backdrop for market stalls selling affordable collectibles, ephemera, vintage clothes and objets d’art that find their way into antique shops and homes all over the world. 

Later, it’s off to the Hackney Flea Market, a vibrant hub on Church Street in Stoke Newington. The market embodies Hackney’s cool spirit, offering a range of vintage and quirky items. It’s a place for unique treasures and haggling, reflecting the vibrant and diverse nature of the borough. Launched in 2013, the market is particularly known for its selection of vintage furniture and home decor. 

Day 5, Monday, September 2: BUCKINGHAM PALACE, WESTMINSTER ABBEY

We start the day with the royals at Buckingham Palace, one of the few working royal palaces on earth. As one of the world’s most iconic and impressive buildings, Buckingham Palace offers visitors the best of British history and culture. Buckingham Palace became the official London residence of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. Following major structural additions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the King's Gallery built on the site of the destroyed palace chapel during the Second World War, it is now a grand palace with 775 lavishly decorated rooms and the largest private garden in London. While filled with history, perhaps the most well-known bit of pomp and circumstance is the famed Changing the Guard outside Buckingham Palace. The formal ceremony at the Palace’s forecourt has been around for centuries. 

Next, we’ll visit an architectural masterpiece, Westminster Abbey, which offers a unique pageant of British history—the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, the tombs of kings and queens, and countless memorials to the famous and the great. One of the most important churches in the world, Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066 and for numerous other royal occasions, including 16 royal weddings—including the 2011 marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, as well as the wedding of William’s parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. You’ll marvel at Westminster Abbey’s gothic design, including its fan-vaulted ceilings and the magnificent pipe organ, installed for the coronation of King George VI in 1937. In addition to royalty, Westminster Abbey is the eternal home of famous people such as Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. 

Day 6, Tuesday, September 3: TOWER OF LONDON, THAMES CLIPPER, GREENWICH MARKET, MAYFLOWER PUB

No trip to London is complete without a visit to the legendary Tower of London, an incomparable medieval fortress complex home to a castle, a prison and several other buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. Of course, the most famous resident of Tower of London is the Crown Jewels, which have been stored and displayed at the Tower of London since 1661, continuing a long tradition of storing precious objects here. This magnificent world-famous collection of 23,578 gemstones is part of the Royal Collection and boasts items that are still used in royal ceremonies today. 

Next, we embark on a Thames Clipper to tour the River Thames, famous for landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the London Eye and Shakespeare’s Globe. Our relaxing river adventure offers the chance to see London's most iconic landmarks from a unique vantage point. 

Back on shore, it’s off to Greenwich Market, an indoor market that dates to 1737 and is the only one in London located within a World Heritage site. Cute, colorful and artsy, Greenwich Market offers a small-town feel you don’t get from other markets in London. Slip through the entrance and you’ll be greeted with closely packed stalls selling handmade jewelry, vintage clothes, artwork and collectables. Vinyl records and books are piled high for you to peruse, and there’s also a tempting assortment of foods to sample. If your sweet tooth beckons, you’ll have your pick of specialty baked goods, Brazilian churros and sweet crepes. Don’t worry, at Greenwich Market, we count delicious experiences, not calories. 

To top off the day, we will dine at Mayflower Pub, the oldest London pub on the River Thames. The Mayflower Pub is a traditional English pub surrounded by cobbled streets, the outside decked jetty and cozy candlelit restaurant have stunning river views. You can spot the original 1620 mooring point of the Pilgrim Father’s Mayflower ship, warm yourself by the open fire and imagine who may have been sitting in your seat 400 years ago! The pub serves delicious, classic British dishes using local and fresh ingredients and is complemented by a great range of well-kept traditional ales, craft beers, local gins and fine wines. 

Day 7, Wednesday, September 4: ARDINGLY ANTIQUE FAIR

On our last day together, we’ll experience the largest antiques fair in the South of England at Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair. With up to 1,700 stalls housing thousands of goods from fine antique furniture to delicate ceramics, Ardingly offers an extraordinary selection of antique and vintage items. Combining both indoor and outdoor stands, Ardingly provides the perfect escapade for antique enthusiasts and vintage shoppers. We’ll embark on an exciting antique hunt, indulge in vintage shopping and explore a world of flea market findings, all to help ensure lifetime memories of a fantastic London adventure. 

Day 8, Thursday, September 5: DEPARTURE

Our time together has ended, but collectors and history aficionados always find relics to study and appreciate wherever they are. Tour members can choose to return home or carry on the adventure.

$6,685 (USD) per person, double occupancy 

$7,980 (USD) per person, single occupancy 

 Tour price includes: 

• All 4-star hotel accommodations 
• All breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 4 dinners, including tips 
• Admission to all group-attended travel destinations
• Comfortable coach transport 
• Friendly & knowledgeable local tour guide 
• Antiques expertise and knowledge of Kovels Antique Trader Editors Paul Kennedy and Kele Johnson. 

 Tour price excludes: 

• Airfare. Each tour member books their own flight to arrive at Heathrow Airport in London, by 3 pm local time on 8/29/24 and depart from the same airport on or after 9/5/24. 
• Travel Insurance (required) 
• 3 dinners, 4 lunches, and all drinks, including water, and snacks 
• Tips to coach driver & tour coordinator 

Payment Schedule: 

A $1,000.00 (USD) deposit is due when you book your tour. 

Final payment, in full, is due on July 29, 2024. 

After July 29, please contact us to confirm that there are still spots available on this tour. If we are able to accommodate your reservation, full payment, reservation form and proof of insurance will be due immediately. 

NOTE: Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader offers thoughtfully arranged collectibles tours. Each tour is guaranteed to proceed as soon as the minimum of 15 reservations has been met. If our reservation minimum is not met, Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader reserves the right to cancel the tour. Deposits/payments will be refunded in full if the tour is canceled. 

If you need to cancel your reservation, the deposit and final payment are fully refundable until June 30. After June 30, we are not able to refund the deposit. After July 29, no refunds for deposit or final payment will be issued. 

Please DO NOT make your airline reservations until Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader has guaranteed (by email) that the tour will proceed. 

4-Star Lodging & Comfortable Coach Travel 

Hotel Accommodations:

After a day filled with antique discoveries and historical insights, we will retire to the comfort of 4-star accommodations. 

August 29 – Crown Plaza Heathrow T4 Hotel 

August 30-September 3 – RIU Plaza London Victoria 

September 4 – Hilton Heathrow T4 

Coach Travel:

Daily transportation will be provided by a modern, comfortable coach operated by an experienced driver.

Responsibilities: 

As the hosting organization, Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader provides reservation services and has chosen Garden Tours, a professional tour operator, as its designated tour operator. As the designated tour operator, Garden Tours arranges for the actual tour of the museums and collectibles sites. Garden Tours also acts as an agent for services connected with specific tours hosted by Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader, such as ground transportation, lodging, accommodations, and meals. Each service provider is solely responsible to the participant for providing their respective services. 

By making a reservation for a tour hosted by Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader, the participant certifies that she/he does not have any mental, physical, or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other participants. Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader and Garden Tours reserve the right in their sole discretion to accept, decline to accept, or remove any participant on a tour hosted by Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader. 

Price: 

The tour prices in this agreement are based upon current exchange rates, tariffs, and taxes. Fluctuations in these rates could result in a price adjustment without prior notice until the tour is paid in full. Once the price for the tour is paid in full, the fee will not be adjusted due to any later change in exchange rates, tariffs or taxes. 

Liabilities & Booking Conditions: 

Garden Tours is established in the Netherlands, and rights and responsibilities for all tours operated by Garden Tours will be governed by Dutch and EU laws only. Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader and Garden Tours will have responsibility only for the proven negligent acts and omissions of its employees or agents and suppliers, subcontractors, servants, and/or agents of the same while acting within the scope of or in the course of their employment in respect of claims arising as a result of death, bodily injury, or illness caused to the signatory to the contract and/or any other named persons on the booking form. 

Smoking: 

All participants in tours hosted by Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader agree to comply with a non-smoking policy on all coaches, in restaurants, and in all lodging places. 

Liability: 

Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader and Garden Tours have no responsibility or liability to any person for loss of baggage, money, or other property whatsoever. Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader and Garden Tours have no responsibility or liability for any loss or additional expenses caused by delay or interruption to travel services through weather conditions (such as rain, wind, or fog), civil disturbance, riot, illegal acts of third parties, strikes, wars, floods, sickness or any circumstances amounting to Force Majeure. 

Complaints: 

In the unlikely event that you have a complaint, you must promptly notify the Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader host or the Garden Tours tour coordinator directly, so he/she can take remedial action on the spot. If the matter cannot be solved directly, any complaints must be submitted in writing to Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader within 20 days after the date of your return. 

Your tour canceled by us: 

Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader aims to provide your tour as booked. We reserve the right to cancel your tour under any circumstances, but if we cancel your tour, except where this is because you have not paid, you will receive a full refund. 

Changes in itinerary details: 

Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader and Garden Tours strive to operate according to the published itinerary. However, in the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or opportunities that would enhance the itinerary, adjustments may be necessary or appropriate. Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader and Garden Tours reserve the right, without penalty, to make changes in the agreed-upon itinerary whenever, in their judgment, conditions warrant or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of participants. Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader will let you know about any significant changes as soon as possible if there is time before your departure. Otherwise, we will announce changes on the tour. 

Cancellations: 

If you should need to withdraw from the tour for whatever reason, you must notify Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader in writing. Cancellation becomes effective when written notice is received. Deposits and final payments will be refunded for cancellations made before the deposit deadline (June 30, 2024). Deposits are non-refundable for cancellations made between June 30 and the final payment deadline, July 29, 2024. There will be no refunds from Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader on or after the final payment deadline. 

Insurance: 

Travel insurance is required in case you need to cancel your trip after the final payment deadline, you have health emergencies while on the tour, or other unforeseen issues arise.  Squaremouth  and  Insure My Trip  are two travel insurance search sites. If you are under 70 years old, World Nomads  is usually an economical travel insurance choice. You will be required to provide your travel insurance declarations page to Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader by July 29, 2024. 

Health & Safety: 

Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader follows COVID-19 safety updates from the CDC and our destination countries. 

Photography notice: 

Antique Adventures with Kovels Antique Trader will be taking photos and videos of the tour destinations for future editorial and promotional use. Tour participants may occasionally appear in these images.