Embark the MS Island Sky this afternoon. Transfers will be provided from Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station at a fixed time, alternatively car parking will be available at the port. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we sail this evening.

We will have three and a half days to explore the Channel Islands beginning on the islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. On Alderney, visit the island’s only town, St Anne, which has all the old-world charm of a Normandy village with tiny squares and pastel shaded cottages and shops. Maybe join a short walk to see the German fortifications, a longer walk with our naturalists heading to the cliffs or see Nunnery Heritage Site where we find one of the best preserved Roman forts in Britain. On Guernsey, the ‘Island of Flowers’ there will be the option of a walking tour of St Peter Port including a visit to Castle Cornet, a 12th century battlement which guards the entrance to St Peter Port harbour. Alternatively, enjoy a panoramic drive during which we will see the beautiful coastline and beaches and visit the Little Chapel, built in 1914 as a miniature version of the famous basilica at Lourdes and covered in fragments of shattered china. We will sail the short distance to Herm, the smallest inhabited Channel Island and, at just one and a half miles long and half a mile wide, perfect for exploring on foot. Here, you will have free time to explore, perhaps take a stroll over to Shell or Belvoir Beach whilst our naturalists will be ashore on the lookout for wildflowers. We will use our Zodiacs to land on the peaceful traffic-free island of Sark. Horsedrawn carriages take us along the narrow lanes alive with the songs of chaffinches, skylarks and mistle thrush as we see the narrow isthmus which joins Little Sark and Big Sark and the enchanting gardens at La Seigneurie. Our last morning is on Jersey where you can choose an island drive including the fishing village of St Aubin, Noirmont headland, Corbiere Lighthouse, St Ouens Bay and the 800 year old Mont Orgueil in Gorey Harbour. Alternatively visit the Samares Manor Gardens. Built in 1920 by Sir James Knott these gardens include special areas for culinary and cosmetic plants as well as a “physic” garden of traditional medicinal plants along with a rose and lavender garden. We will also visit the Orchid Gardens, where orchid varieties are cultivated in a specialised greenhouse beautifully appointed with flowing streams and little rock gardens. Spend the afternoon at sea as we sail to the Isles of Scilly.

Arrive this morning in the Isles of Scilly for two and a half days of exploration. From our central anchorage, we will use our Zodiacs and local tenders to visit a number of the islands in the group. We will visit traffic-free Tresco, Due to the many small ports that we will be visiting during this voyage, we will be at anchor every day. The vessel’s Zodiacs will be utilised for transportation ashore in the Channel Islands and local boats will be used in the Isles of Scilly. There are no wet landings. walking its idyllic lanes from the beach to the famous subtropical Abbey Gardens. Defying the Atlantic weather, this miracle of a garden is home to more than 20,000 species of plants from over 80 countries. Enjoy time to wander at your own pace along the paths, maybe visit the Valhalla collection of ship figureheads from ships wrecked on the islands or relax in the café. On St Agnes we find the most south westerly community in the UK. Surrounded by rocks and reefs this delightful tiny island offers marvellous coastal walks. The small island of Gugh lies across a narrow sandbar and here we find a single stone monolith called the ‘Old Man of Gugh’ which dates back to the Bronze Age. We will tender ashore to Bryher, the smallest of the inhabited Isles of Scilly where you can wander along the tracks that cross the island amongst hedgerows and fields with wildflowers. Those feeling active may wish to climb Watch Hill, where in the past islanders would keep watch for ships in distress or alternatively take a stroll to one of the beautiful beaches. Visit the northernmost island of the group, St Martin’s, a small island community of just 120 residents. Enjoy time to explore independently, climb to one of the viewpoints for vistas over the islands and the offshore seal colonies or maybe visit the vineyard. On St Mary’s, the largest island in the archipelago (yet still only six square miles), you can enjoy some time in the shops in Hugh Town or walk the historic Garrison Walls.

Disembark this morning. Transfers will be provided to Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station at a fixed time.

Itineraries are subject to change.