May 3 – May 13, 2026

London: Millennium Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Parliament, and the Imperial War Museum

Oxford: Bodleian Library

York: Tour of Pembroke College, St. Anthony of Padua Church, and Wolvercote Cemetery.

Alnwick: “Pasture walk”, Alnwick Castle

Cambridge: Walking tour

Edinburgh: Walking tour of Royal Mike and hike of Arthur’s Seat

TENTATIVE ITINERARY*

*meals printed in italics within daily descriptions are covered by student program fee

Sunday, May 3: Depart from Minneapolis International Airport via  ?? Airlines at TBD

Monday, May 4: Arrive in London Heathrow in late morning.   Take bus into the city and then tube to hotel and drop off bags. Have entire group meet in hotel lobby at 2:30 p.m.  Take tube to Piccadilly Circus.  Walk to Leicester Square for late lunch at Bella Italia.  Walk to Trafalgar Square and across Millennium Bridge to London Eye, then the Parliament, Big Ben and on to Buckingham Palace.  Take tube back to Piccadilly and group free in the p.m. from there (Norfolk Towers Paddington 1 night)

Tuesday, May 5: Breakfast at hotel, then depart with group for Imperial War Museum in the late a.m.  Return to hotel for baggage, then catch train from Paddington Station for Oxford.  Check bags at Student Accommodation, then catch early dinner at the Turf Tavern. Do walking tour of Oxford city centre.  (Rewley House University of Oxford, 3 nights)

Wednesday, May 6:  Breakfast at hotel, then lecture at Rewley House with Tolkien Scholar John Garth, followed by lunch at Pizza Express.  Tour at the Bodleian Library, followed by dinner at the Head of the River hosted by Roger and Elaine Haydock.  Free in the p.m.  

Thursday, May 7: Breakfast at hotel.  Student presentations in the a.m.  Bus tour starting at 1:30 p.m.  to see 20 Northmoor Road, Oxford and 76 Sandfield Rd, Headington where Tolkien lived, and St. Anthony of Padua Church where he worshiped.  Finally a stop at Wolvercote Cemetery to view JRR and Edith Tolkien’s grave site.  Back to Oxford and free at the p.m. 

Friday, May 8: Breakfast at YHA, then depart for York.  Check in to York YHA, then do evening walk of the Shambles, town walls and York Minster, followed by evening meal at Ye Olde Starr Inn.  Stay at YHA York (1 night)

Saturday, May 9: Breakfast at hotel.  Class from 9-11 a.m.  for final student presentations.  Leave at 11:30 a.m.  Stop in Durham.  Do a town walk and view Durham Cathedral.  Lunch on your own.  Depart for the north around 4 p.m.  Arrive in Alnwick at approximately 5:30 p.m.  Check in to castle.  Welcome dinner at the Market Tavern at 7:30 p.m.  Town walk afterwards.  Free in the p.m.  Stay at Alnwick Castle (3 nights)

Sunday, May 10: Breakfast at Greggs.  Do the “pasture walk”, then tour Alnwick Castle at 10 a.m.  Depart for day at Bamburgh at 2 p.m.  Early dinner at the Copper Kettle at 4 p.m.  Stop at Barter Books at 6 p.m. and then attend early evening lecture, Lion Tower Classroom, Alnwick Castle.  Free in the p.m.

Monday, May 11:Breakfast at Greggs.  Depart for Edinburgh.  Arrive at 10 a.m. and do early lunch at Vittoria Italian Restaurant with Tolkien Scholar Dimitra Fimi.  Do a walking tour of Royal Mile afterwards followed by  free time for a couple of hours, then meet up at the World’s End to do a hike of Arthur’s Seat.  Depart at 5 p.m., and return to Alnwick.  Late Farewell Meal at The Dirty Bottles at 8 p.m.  

Tuesday, May 12 : Breakfast at Costa Coffee.  Depart for Cambridge.  Stop for rest and lunch along the way.  Arrive in Cambridge approximately 3 p.m. and do a walking tour of Cambridge and meal at The Eagle Pub.  Leave at 6:30 p.m. and arrive at Heathrow Hotel at 8 p.m.  (Stay at ibis Styles London Heathrow Hotel 1 night).

Wednesday, May 13: Breakfast at hotel.  Depart for Heathrow via shuttle.  Fly home via ?? Airlines at TBD  Arrive in Minneapolis at TBD

* itinerary subject to change at any time

$3,100-$3,700* – Course fee covers all housing and some in-country meals, most activities and in-country transportation.

Cost of airfare, passport, U.K. Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), and some meals are not included in the course fee and are the responsibility of the student.

*Cost will vary based on student enrollment.

Students will stay in hotels/hostels, as well as Alnwick Castle.

Eligibility is based on a minimum GPA of 2.0 (2.5 preferred); Sophomore status or above; a review of applicants behavior record at Saint Mary’s; and faculty recommendations.

Students must apply by December 5, 2025. Once accepted, students will be enrolled in PH 388 for the spring semester. Accepted students will have until 4:00pm on January 6, 2026 to withdraw or the full course fee will be non-refundable.

England Full Application (Print single sided)

While the United Kingdom is slightly smaller than Oregon, England’s size is about 50,363 square miles (130,357 square kilometers), or about the size of the state of New York.

England is one of three nations that make up the island of Great Britain. The other two are Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom is composed of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Low mountains and rugged hills to the north are set against level and rolling plains in the south and southeast. Nearly half of the land is covered with meadows or pastures, while 29 percent is used for farming.

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. It has an estimated population of 7.5 million and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million.

Climate

The climate is temperate, but skies are overcast more than half the time. Winds often blow from the southwest. The weather in the north is wetter and slightly cooler than in the south. Although winter temperatures rarely drop below 25°F (-4°C) and summer temperatures rarely exceed 75°F (24°C), humidity levels ranging from medium to high can make it seem colder or warmer than the temperature indicates. In the United Kingdom, temperature is measured in Celsius. F=(C*1.8)+32.  Ex: 21°C = 70°F.

Time

When Central Standard Time is in effect in the United States, London is six hours ahead. Daylight Savings Time is also observed in the United Kingdom.

Currency

British currency (sterling) consists of pounds (£) and pence (p), sometimes referred to as “quid” and “p”. 100p = £1. Notes are issued for £5, £10, £20, and £50 and coins for 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2.

More Information

• BBC News
• British Council United States
• Embassy of the US – London
• XE currency converter
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• London Travel

Joseph Tadie, Ph.D.
Faculty Leader
Associate Professor Theology and Philosophy
Saint Mary’s Hall, SM 328
Campus Box: #1504
jtadie@smumn.edu
507-457-6652

Vicki McDonald, M.A.
Coordinator of Study Abroad
International Center
The Heights 103
Campus Box #51
vmcdonal@smumn.edu
507-457-6996

England Pre-departure Orientation PP 2024