Britain Express / British Connection Tours
Murder Mystery Tours

In association with British Connection, we offer three varieties of Murder Mystery experiences. Select from our Murder Mystery Dinner Evening, the Murder Mystery Literary Tour, or the Murder Mystery Event 8 day tour (this page). UK residents can join this tour for reduced rates - please contact British Connection for details.

The Murder Mystery Event Tour
Hands on Murder mystery tours with a chance to actually take place in an EVENT. Dress up in period costume. Be a real sleuth, question, collect clues, or just sit back and watch the fun!

Get involved in the action

TOUR OUTLINE
Visit London and Oxford. Visit places associated with Murder Mystery writers and their characters, the scenes of related events. Travel into the countryside to explore mysterious places. Enjoy an insiders view of these places with your expert guide. The tour uses quality smaller hotels and bed and breakfasts with the weekend at a historic or special hotel in the towns indicated.

The Event
Join a group of would-be detectives at the week end murder mystery event in a special location. The Event takes place from Friday to Sunday. Here, The Murder Mystery unfolds, to be resolved before guests depart after lunch on Sunday. Guests can just relax and enjoy the event or play a role and be fully involved in checking clues, and solving the mystery. Week end locations are listed in the dates section.

Go in search of clues

Before the tour, participants will be sent background information on the plot they are to experience, during the week end event, including information on their role. You will be advised how to dress for the weekend - maybe a feather boa or a tail coat or something more sinister. Dressing up is optional but part of the fun.

The weekend event itself will unfold from Friday evening, continuing Saturday morning and Saturday evening over dinner (or dinner and dancing) leaving you free to explore the surrounding area on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning it starts again, with some final clues emerging, and you are asked to write down your solution to the mystery. Finally the characters reappear for the denouement and all is revealed as you sit down for a well deserved lunch.

Optional early arrival and or late departure.
Option to arrive early before the tour starts and/or depart after the group tour ends.

ITINERARY - for the Eight Day Murder Mystery Tour
Six nights in England - UK residents can join this tour for reduced rates at the London hotel we use as a first night base. Please contact British Connection for details.

Day One
Monday - Depart home destination by plane and overnight in the plane

Day Two
Tuesday - Arrival and London. Arrive in London early, transfer to hotel. Visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Baker Street, go to the site of Tyburn (where many notorious hangings took place), take a Jack the Ripper tour in London, visit legal London (the Inns of Court and the law courts), spend some time in the Sherlock Holmes pub in London, or simply shop or relax and include a theater visit to see Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap - London's longest running play. Overnight in London.

Day Three
Wednesday - Oxford Travel to Oxford, where you and your guide will tour Oxford, Blenheim Palace, and Woodstock. Trace the footsteps of Inspector Morse and visit the Sheldonian Theater which was carefully researched by Colin Dexter before he deposited a fictional corpse there. An evening ghost tour of Oxford is offered for those who dare. The optional evening tour In the evening travel northwards to visit the Rollright Stones, a Bronze Age stone circle. In Chipping Norton visit St. Mary's Church haunted by the vicar who was hung from his own church tower 450 years ago. Later, head into the spooky Forest of Wychwood and visit a number of village pubs which boast spirits of various kinds. End the evening at Minster Lovell Hall, haunted by its former owner who remained undiscovered in a hidden chamber for over 200 years. Overnight in Oxford.

Day Four
Thursday - a full day touring to Stonehenge, Salisbury and Avebury. or spend the day in Oxford - its cafes, book shops and colleges - or a half day in Oxford and a half day in the Cotswolds touring Overnight in Oxford

Day Five
Friday - Travel to the weekend event location and arrive in time for tea. Travel by train and view rural England from the train windows.. For the hotel location, see the weekend location information in the dates section. Have dinner at the hotel where you will join a group of fellow mystery buffs. Overnight at the Murder Mystery Weekend location. (optional self drive car hire available for the week end - ask for details. It is also possible to pick a custom sports car for this section of the tour)

Day Six
Saturday - The mystery unfolds in the morning. After lunch there will be time to explore the surrounding area. A pre-booked guide can be made available to show you around, but independent exploration will yield many interesting things to do. You will be sent information on how to plan this part of your tour. This evening you dine with the group as the mystery continues. Overnight at the Murder Mystery Weekend location.

Day Seven
Sunday - This morning there may be more clues to find or suspects to chase plus a little free time. After Sunday lunch at the hotel all will be revealed. Depart for London and spend the evening there. Overnight in London.

Day Eight
Monday - Overseas participants transfer to the airport for return to your home destination.

Tour hotels
The tour uses quality smaller hotels and bed and breakfasts with a weekend at a special hotel, in the towns indicated.

The Murder Mystery unfolds over the weekend to be resolved before guests depart after lunch on Sunday. Participants have the opportunity to explore the local areas and many nearby places of interests on their own.

Tour briefing
Before the tour, participants will be sent background information on the plot they are to experience, including information on their role for the special weekend event. You will be advised how to dress for the weekend - maybe a feather boa or a tail coat or something more sinister.

Transportation
Tour groups will be transported by coach. bus/ tube in London and train and or optional self drive car or sports car in the country.

The Murder Mystery Event
The weekend event itself will unfold from Friday evening, continuing Saturday morning and Saturday evening over dinner (or dinner and dancing) leaving you free to explore the surrounding area on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning it starts again, with some final clues emerging, and you are asked to write down your solution to the mystery. Finally the characters reappear for the denouement and all is revealed as you sit down for a well deserved lunch.

Price information
Cost of the Eight day tour $2,200 per person or local currency equivilent
Single supplement $600.00

Included in the Eight Day Tour

• Six nights accommodation in quality hotels in London, Oxford, and the weekend location sharing a twin or double room: London two nights, Oxford two nights, Weekend location two nights.
• Breakfast each day.
• Educated, knowledgeable guides
• Selection of visits to places of special interest in the London and Oxford areas with the guides.
• A selection of evening activities - including Murder Mystery event in the country and one theater visit in London with a Murder Mystery theme
• Welcome reception on the Murder Mystery weekend.
• Two dinners at the weekend event.
• Saturday lunch at the weekend event.
• Full Murder Mystery program specially designed for the weekends with actors playing some of the parts.
• Airport transfers from selected flights.
• Entrances to places visited.

Not included Eight Day Tour

• Single supplement.
• Pre booked guide for free time exploration in the week end location
• Dinner, unless specifically included in the Itinerary.
• Taxi transport to private dining choices.
• Wine, beer, or spirits. · Items of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls.
• Any transportation not included and not part of the tour program.
• Any pre- or post-tour accommodations, meals, or transport. These can be arranged, but are not included.
• Insurance, which is highly recommended and is offered.
• Air travel which can be arranged
• Option to rent a self drive car or custom sports car for the week end portion of the tour. Guide is not included and this is subject to age and other restrictions. Supplement required.
• Option to arrive early before the tour starts and/or depart after the group tour ends.
• If requested, we will try to find a suitable share for a single traveler who wishes this, but this may not be possible.
• All tours are subject to availability at the time of reservation

Groups
The Murder Mystery programs have been used by Corporate groups for Corporate Training and we welcome requests from Businesses interested in this aspect of these tours and by Leisure groups for example a Family Reunion, a Women's club, Literary Book club. Leisure and Corporate participants are in separate groups. A selection of dates are available for the Corporate or Leisure group.

Independent participants
The tour dates shown for Tour A and B The Murder Mystery Event Tour are available for independent travelers booking as a single person, a couple, friends traveling together or a small group joining others.

Custom tours for groups and independent travelers
We can customize any of the tours shown here subject to availability. We can change the number of days in the tour,, the location of the Murder Mystery Event. We can include a Murder Mystery Dinner Evening or if you like to follow in the footsteps of your favorite mystery characters The Murder Mystery Literary Tour may be the answer. Ask for details. Britcon777@aol.com

Payment schedule
Tour A - London Oxford and Salisbury
Tour Dates: Depart USA Monday 28th October 2002
Return to USA on Monday 4th November 2002
Deposit: $ 250.00 on reservation
Final Balance due $1,950.00 on or before 28th July 2002
Single supplement $ 600.00 on or before 28th July 2002
(see note above under Payment Currency)

Tour B - London Oxford and Westonbirt in the Cotswolds
Tour Dates: Depart USA Monday 17th February 2003
Return to USA on Monday 24th February 2003
Deposit: $ 250.00 on reservation
Final Balance due $1,950.00 on or before 17th November 2003
Single supplement $ 600.00 on or before 17th November 2003
(see note above under Payment Currency)

2003 dates and Reservations
We will offer similar dates in 2003 and a date in April and in May 2003
Sign up now for these tours for 2003
Mail your deposit for 2003 with the reservation form, now to reserve your place for 2003
Complete but do not sign the reservation form

Your deposit for 2003 tours will be fully refundable up to 31st January 2003, when the tour deposit becomes non refundable. We will acknowledge receipt of your payment. During January 2003, we will get in touch with you to advise you of the exact dates and prices for 2003. At that time you can withdraw from the tour with full deposit refund or agree to be bound by the Tour conditions by signing the Reservation Form.

If you have any questions e-mail britcon777@aol.com or call 800 420 2569

Printable Reservation Form | Tour conditions and Responsibilities

Testimonials
Comments from Corporate Sleuths:

"What can I say, apart from thanks very much to you and all the actors for a most excellent evening last night. It was certainly thoroughly enjoyed by the whole team. I am still receiving positive feedback and thoughts about the 'Fotheringay Fortune'. It was great to witness the entire department absorbed by the plot and the roles of the actors - who were superb."
UK company spokesperson on a corporate event

"I just wanted to say how much my wife and I, along with all my colleagues, enjoyed 'The Fotheringay Fortune' murder mystery 1923 evening organized for our Board Christmas dinner. It was an extremely original theme for an alternative party event, brilliantly acted and orchestrated and made the evening really good fun."
UK company spokesperson on a corporate event