The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and her coronation took place on 2 June 1953. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002. The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897.


At high water, on the afternoon of Sunday 3 June 2012, up to a thousand boats will muster on the River Thames in preparation for Her Majesty The Queen who will lead the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It will be one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river. Join the throng of well wishers, and feel the electricity of this great city, as you stand beside The Thames to witness this once in a lifetime event. On June 5 become British for the day as you join the street's milling crowds to cheer their Sovereign as the Queen and other members of the Royal Family attend a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral.

London is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans. Since its settlement, London has been part of many important movements and phenomena throughout history, such as the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. London is one of the world's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts contribute to its status as a major global city. The city boasts four World Heritage Sites: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Meet your driver at Heathrow airport, and take a private transfer to your hotel.

A welcome package with your vouchers, a city map, train tickets (if relevant) and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.

Your English speaking guide will meet your group at the airport and accompany you to your hotel.

The London Underground, or ‘the tube’ as it is universally known to Londoners, is normally the quickest and easiest way of getting round London. Greater London is served by 12 tube lines, along with the independent (though linked) and privately owned DLR and an interconnected rail network. The first tube train operates at around 5:30am Monday to Saturday and around 7am Sunday; the last train leaves between 11:30pm and 12:30am depending on the day, the station and the line. Remember that any train heading from left to right on the map is designated as eastbound, and any train heading from top to bottom is southbound- no matter how many squiggles and turns it makes. If your two stations are not on the same line, you need to note the nearest station where the two lines intersect, and it is here that you must change trains. Step out into this fantastic city and explore with your travel card - the best way to see London!

Have all of London at your fingertips with a London Pass that includes a London Transport Travelcard for your choice of 1, 2,3 or 6 days (zones 1-6). You could consider this as your passport to the city as it gives you free access to over 50 attractions. Museums, the zoo, galleries, cinemas, royal palaces, ice skating, boat trips, walking tours, historic sites and much more. Once you have purchased your London Pass you gain fast track entry to over 50 of London's attractions. Some attractions that you can visit with your London Pass include; The Tower of London, The Tower Bridge Exhibition, Kensington Palace, Kenwood House, Kew Gardens, London Zoo, The British Museum to name just a few. Have fun exploring at your own pace!

One of the world's great cities, vibrant London manages to shine in the greyest weather and its diversity defies a simple definition. This sprawling city has drawn people for centuries, looking for something and finding the unexpected. It's one of the world's most international cities and its influences blend to create something uniquely wonderful. Let your Guide know your particular interests and he/she will help you discover the city in a new way. Learn how to take the "tube", explore the cobblestone streets, gardens, and markets, and be a Londoner for a day. Your Guide will meet you at your hotel. Please note that one should wear comfortable shoes and a hat; suitable for children. (No entrance fees included)

Across the river from the London Eye, this French chateau-style hotel is three blocks from the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, and within a half-mile of West End theaters. Royal Horseguards Hotel's 280 guestrooms are individually designed in classic English style and feature armchairs, desks, minibars, and high-speed Internet access. A pianist plays at a grand piano each evening as guests sip cocktails in the lounge or on the outdoor terrace, and the restaurant offers a modern European menu.

Overnight at Royal Horseguards (5*).

Enjoy an afternoon on The Thames. At high water in the afternoon of Sunday 3 June 2012, up to a thousand boats muster on the River Thames in preparation for Her Majesty The Queen to lead the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It will be one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river. Rowed boats and working boats and pleasure vessels of all shapes and sizes will be beautifully dressed with streamers and Union Jacks, their crews and passengers turned out in their finest rigs. The armed forces, fire, police, rescue and other services are all afloat and there are an exuberance of historic boats, wooden launches, steam vessels and other boats of note.

The flotilla is bolstered with passenger boats carrying up to thirty thousand flag-waving members of the public placed centre stage (or rather mid-river) in this floating celebration of Her Majesty's sixty year reign. The spectacle is further enhanced with music barges, boats spouting geysers and pyrotechnic barges spitting smoke and daytime fireworks. And there will be specially constructed elements like a floating belfry, its chiming bells answered by those from riverbank churches.

National Maritime Museum - Royal River: Power, Pageantry, & The Thames. Explore this historic Museum today and learn about the relationship between The Queen, the City of London and The River Thames

Overnight at Royal Horseguards (5*).

Located in the heart of St James's, Dukes is a discreet London hotel which has been welcoming guests for over 100 years. This much loved hotel has recently been given a touch of 21st century contemporary chic, creating a look that is fresh, calm and entirely English in spirit. Afternoon Tea is served in the elegant Drawing Room and Conservatory which overlook a peaceful courtyard garden. Enjoy a glass of Champagne, delicate finger sandwiches, assorted cakes and pastries, traditional fruit cake, warm fruit scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam, all served with your choice of tea.  

National Portrait Gallery- The Queen: Art & Image. Explore this exhibition of images of The Queen from the last 60 years.

Overnight at Royal Horseguards (5*).

Enjoy a unique opportunity to see the Crown Jewels outside normal visitor hours for your group exclusively, including the largest top quality cut diamond in the world, the Cullinan I, on top of the Sceptre, and the Imperial State Crown, worn each year by The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament. Sample some continental breakfast refreshments at the end of your time here.

On Tuesday June 5th, The Queen will enjoy a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral. Her majesty will enjoy the Service followed by a Formal Carriage Procession in the streets of London. Situate yourself close to the action to get the best views possible.

Overnight at Royal Horseguards (5*).

Enjoy a full day tour which takes in the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge and the university town of Oxford. Drive through Runnymede, the place where King John signed the Magna Carta, and continue to Stonehenge, the most famous prehistoric monument in the world; its origins date back nearly 5000 years. (entrance included) Lunch is taken in a 600-year-old coaching inn famous for its traditional cooking and classic ambience (food and drinks not included).

Fully sated, the next stop is Oxford -enjoy a walking tour of this famous university town. The City of Dreaming Spires, is famous to the world over for its University and place in history. For over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century an established town, although people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years. Nowadays, the city is a bustling cosmopolitan town, with its mix of ancient and modern, there is plenty to do.

Overnight at Royal Horseguards (5*).

Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle. The town is situated 21 miles (34 km) west of Charing Cross. It is immediately south of the River Thames, which forms its boundary with Eton. Windsor and the surrounding areas contain some of the most expensive and desirable housing in the UK. The village of Old Windsor, just over two miles to the south, predates what is now called Windsor by around 300 years; in the past Windsor was formally referred to as New Windsor to distinguish the two. Windsor is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years. The Castle covers an area of about 5 hectares (13 acres) and contains magnificent State Apartments furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection, St George's Chapel (one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in England and the burial place of 10 monarchs), and Queen Mary's Dolls House, a masterpiece in miniature.

Entrance ticket to Windsor Castle.

Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, is one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. The Castle's dramatic site encapsulates 900 years of British history. It covers an area of 26 acres and contains, as well as a royal palace, a magnificent chapel and the homes and workplaces of a large number of people. The magnificent State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest works of art from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto and Gainsborough.

In 1992 fire destroyed or damaged more than 100 rooms at the Castle. By good fortune the rooms worst affected were empty at the time, and as a result, few of the Castle's artistic treasures were destroyed. The highly acclaimed restoration work, completed in 1997, is a testament to the extraordinary skills of some of the finest craftsmen in Europe.

While at Windsor Castle, be sure to stop at this very special exhibit. Sixty photographs of The Queen, including the work of leading press photographers of the past six decades, will go on display at Windsor Castle to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. The exhibition presents a portrait of The Queen’s reign as captured in fleeting moments on both official occasions and at relaxed family gatherings.  With the advent of photography, the boundaries between the officially approved and the spontaneously captured image of the monarch were irreversibly blurred.  Today, through the reach of modern media, the image of Her Majesty is familiar to millions around the world.  Most of the exhibition The Queen: Sixty Photographs for Sixty Years has been selected from photographs submitted by the Royal Rota press organisations.

Within walking distance to your central London hotel, enjoy a fantastic meal out at one of the best restaurants in the West End. A few suggestions: J Sheekey, an incredibly smart seafood restaurant, Lindsay House, specializing in Irish cuisine, Mildred's, London's best veggie restaurant, Sketch, the trendiest place in London, specializing in some of the best french food you'll ever taste, or for those looking for something simple and cheerful, enjoy a nice meal out at Zipangu.

Overnight at Royal Horseguards (5*).

With your entrance ticket to the Tower of London, you'll get to see Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower), a castle and monument on the north bank of the River Thames. See five hundred years of spectacular royal armour, offering a fascinating insight into the personalities, power and physical size of England’s kings. The White Tower is one of the most important historic buildings in the world and an iconic symbol of London and Britain. It holds various exhibitions throughout the year.  Be dazzled by the 23,578 gems that make up the Crown Jewels, including the world’s most famous diamonds. You'll find this amazing collection in the Jewel House. For over 600 years, exotic animals were held captive at the Tower. Discover more about their extraordinary stories and what life was like for them in the Royal Menagerie. Join a Yeoman Warder tour (included in your admission ticket) and you'll be entertained by tales from the Tower; pain and passion, treachery and torture, all delivered with a swagger and a smile! There have been prisoners at the Tower almost since it was built. The interactive displays help children and adults explore their stories. The Medieval Palace contains fabulous interiors. Discover what life was like and experience the sounds and aromas of life in a surprisingly luxurious medieval household. Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the six ravens ever leave the Tower. The ravens have become one of the Tower's most famous sights.

Meet your guide at the British Museum for a guided tour of the artifacts. (3hrs) Please note that 3 hours will not be enough to cover the whole museum, so you can either choose to visit the highlight pieces or choose areas of particular interest to you. General admission to the museum is free of charge however you will need to pay (at the museum) if you wish to enter special exhibitions.

Overnight at Royal Horseguards (5*).

Meet your driver at your hotel and be taken to Heathrow Airport by a private transfer.

Depart from London Heathrow airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.