Norman Allen Group Travel—Inbound
Religious Groups and Faith Based Tourism
Throughout the world 50,000 churches and religious organisations host travel programmes, many of which involve travel to Europe. Norman Allen Group Travel has extensive tour planning experience with religious groups and we provide a professional, personalised service. This enables us to arrange very detailed and often complicated tours that meet your group's specialist requirements. We assist religious groups with several styles of faith touring including:
Pilgrimage Tours
Travel to specific sites of religious importance, such as Lourdes, Knock or Walsingham.
Spiritual Tours
For groups attending a Christian conference or specific anniversary or event.
Fellowship Tours
For groups who like to tour the UK and Europe with like-minded travellers.
Below are some of the destinations we include in our faith-based tours. This list is not exhaustive, so if you have an idea you would like to share with us, we will work together to produce something unique and personalised for your group. All private group tours we arrange are done so on an exclusive basis, so you will not find your tour offered to any other tour operator, travel agent or group travel organiser.
Pre Christian
Pre Christian sites typically begin with Stonehenge, where out of hours private tours can be arranged. In addition to Stonehenge a number of smaller nearby sites of importance can be visited, including Silbury Hill, Avebury and Woodhenge. Lesser known stone circles and rows can also be found in Scotland. Sites include Callanish on the Isle of Lewis and Neolithic villages and tombs can be explored on the Orkney and Shetland Isles, all amidst stunning remote landscapes. Other pre Christian sites include Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, Maiden Castle in Dorset, Arbor Low in Derbyshire, the Druidic Isle of Anglesey in Wales and the stunning Newgrange in Ireland.
Early Christianity
We arrange several tours each year to some of the early Christian sites in Britain. The main destinations are Iona Abbey in Scotland and Lindisfarne Priory on the northeast coast of England. Both of these sites are located on beautiful islands and with enough notice groups can be lucky enough to stay on the islands.
Methodism, Primitive Methodism and the Wesley Family
Stoke-on-Trent, Epworth, Oxford and London are closely associated with Methodism and we operate many tours, often in conjunction with a festival or specific anniversary. Wesley's Chapel on the very edge of the City of London is stunning and the nearby Dissenters' Burial Ground of Bunhill Fields is fascinating with its additional links to Bunyan, Defoe, Blake and Susannah Wesley. Epworth needs no introduction and nor do Mow Cop and Lincoln College in Oxford.
Quakers and the Origin of the Pilgrim Fathers and the Jamestown Settlers
We are very pleased to have been associated with recent anniversaries linked with the Jamestown settlers, especially helping groups trace their family trees. The Pilgrim Fathers came from similar areas of Britain and we have operated several tours that feature Kent, East Anglia and Lincolnshire and of course Plymouth.
Cathedrals, Churches and Chapels
Did you know that one in ten of Britain's attractions are places of worship? This refers primarily to the major sites such as York Minster, Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral. Many of our groups visit these places but several groups prefer the peaceful churches and chapels that still have strong connections to local life. Stunning stained glass, concerts in awe inspiring settings and marvellous feats of architectural brilliance are all things that our groups enjoy. Most of our booked visits include a donation as we feel this is an extremely important way of protecting and safeguarding our heritage.
Origins of Hymns and Hymn Writers
Many of the world's greatest hymns and hymn writers have their origins in Britain. These include 'Land of My Fathers' which was composed by Evan and James James, 'Amazing Grace' written by Reverend Newton and 'Rock of Ages' by Reverend Toplady. Visits can be made to the places that inspired these works.
Jewish Communities of London and Manchester
Golders Green and Bevis Marks in London and Cheetham Hill and Didsbury in Manchester and Salford are places that we can arrange tours to. Visits to museums, synagogues and even finding out about the Battle of Cable Street appeal to our groups.
John Knox
Exploring the life and times of John Knox, with a focus in particular on Edinburgh and the Covenanters, is a popular theme for our groups.
Continental Europe
Highlights include tours that feature Oberammergau and Luther and the Reformation. For information on the next staging of the great Passion Play see our Oberammergau 2010 details. We can also amend our Continental Europe tours to feature Oberammergau and can organise tours with or without Passion Play arrangements as required. Sites associated with The Reformation and Luther include the various World Heritage Site Lutherstadts such as Eisleben, Erfurt and Wittenberg. In Switzerland there are strong links to Calvin in Geneva and Zwingli in Zurich. In Italy, Rome is one of our most popular destinations as is Assisi in rural Umbria, where St Francis and St Clare were born at the end of the 12th Century. In Spain we tour Galicia, an area with strong Celtic culture. The Pilgrim Routes to Santiago de Compostela are paths of significant world heritage and end at the tomb of the Apostle St James, in Santiago Cathedral. Our tours include a journey along both the inland and coastal routes. In France, Lourdes, at the foot of the Pyrenees, is the most important international centre of modern Christian pilgrimage. Further afield our religious groups are exploring the delights of Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Krakow and Bucharest.
Quotations are provided without any obligation. For a quotation you can either click on the link above or call us to discuss your tour requirements on +44 (0)1432 277666.
