Plan your arrival to Lyme Regis to start the UK Jurassic Journey tomorrow morning.

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Accommodations: Royal Lion Hotel, Lyme Regis

The first day of your Jurassic journey, you'll be walking in the footsteps of Mary Anning in Lyme Regis today. In 1811, Mary's brother Joseph found a strange looking skull embedded in the cliffs along the beach. Mary later discovered the skeleton that went with this skull. After being studied, scientists eventually realized this was a 200 million-year-old heretofore unknown species of seagoing reptile that they called an “Ichthyosaurus” or “fish lizard.”

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In honor of Mary, you'll head to the statue called Mary Anning Rocks. As a patron for MAR, Dr. Lomax was instrumental in helping this statue come into existence. Here, you'll be met by a personal friend of Dr. Lomax who will guide you on a fossil hunting walk in the literal footsteps of Mary Anning, starting at the Blue Lias cliffs at Lyme Regis, beachcombing and searching the cliffs for Early Jurassic fossils including ammonites, belemnites, ichthyosaur and plesiosaur bones. The 2-hour leisurely beach-stroll leaves us enough time to keep an eye out for fossilized treasures. Who knows what discoveries you’ll make!

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The walk takes us along the Charmouth Mudstone cliffs before heading to the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. Here you'll be joined by another of Dr. Lomax's friends, Alison Ferris of the Heritage Centre who will guide us through the fossil collection and learn more about the area’s rich paleontological past and some recent exceptional discoveries.

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• There is no special experience needed for fossil hunting, but regardless of your age, you should be able and willing to walk for a few miles on uneven ground. 

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After a transfer back to Lyme Regis, you'll head to the Lyme Regis Museum which stands on the site of Mary Anning’s home and fossil shop. At the museum, we'll be met by Dr. Lomax's colleague, Dr. Paul Davis, the geology curator of the Lyme Regis Museum for a guided tour. You’ll learn the incredible story of how the pioneering Mary Anning was instrumental in the advancement of paleontology in the British Isles—a field that at the time, was not traditionally open to women. At the museum, Dr. Davis will share the museum's history and take you on a journey into Mary’s revolutionary role in sculpting the science of paleontology.​​​

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NOTE: The Jurassic Coast is a sandy and rocky beach. Sturdy shoes will be useful for climbing over small boulders and walking through the sand. 

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Meals: Breakfast

Lunch and dinner are on your own

Accommodations: Royal Lion Hotel, Lyme Regis

Today you'll board a luxury coach and leave Lyme Regis behind to head to Kimmeridge where Jurassic monsters of the deep lived. You'll join a museum and behind-the-scenes collections tour at the eponymous Etches Collection which includes ancient fish, sea urchins, turtles, long-necked reptiles and Ichtyosaurs. We'll hear how Dr. Etches excavated the world-record breaking "Sea-Rex" Pliosaur immortalized in the BBC documentary ‘Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster.’ The skull of this "monster" is 95% complete—a find so unique, it's in the Guinness Book of World Records.

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After an afternoon immersed in ancient sea creatures, we'll head to Oxford to meet up with Dr. Lomax, as he guides your visit through the historic Oxford University Museum of Natural History. He'll discuss some of the incredible British dinosaur fossils housed here, including Megalosaurus, the world’s first official dinosaur. Taking details from his book, Dinosaurs of the British Isles, and his TV show, Dinosaur Britain, Dr. Lomax will discuss the rich dinosaur displays and the amazing 200-year history of the first dinosaur. Your day continues with a special behind-the-scenes collections tour. You'll be guided by Dr. Emily Swaby and Dr. Lomax for the chance to see something most visitors can only dream of: a tour of the museum’s extensive fossil collections, including the ORIGINAL MEGALOSAURUS jaw and fossils found by Mary Anning!​

After this fact-filled and fun day together, the group will head to dinner together with Dr. Lomax!

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Meals: Breakfast and Dinner with Dean Lomax

Lunch is on your own

Accommodations: Mercure Eastgate Hotel, Oxford

​This morning, you'll again board your luxury coach for a head out to enjoy a guided visit to the newly discovered "Dinosaur Highway" trackway site in Oxfordshire. Scientists have found nearly 200 dinosaur footprints, that were formed over 166 million years ago by a herd of sauropods and predatory theropods. You'll hear what species formed the prints and how scientists have interpreted this large trackway, along with plans for ongoing research and excavation.

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Then, off to a secret location for an exclusive look at the incredible ‘Rutland Sea Dragon." Unearthed in 2021 in Rutland, in the East Midlands, this 10m-long ichthyosaur specimen is being cleaned and readied for research and eventual display. Only a few dozen people worldwide have seen this fossil being prepared, so this is a truly exclusive visit to see this specimen and meet some of the team behind the discovery and the cleaning. Dr. Lomax is leading on the science of this ‘sea dragon’ and will provide an insight to the discovery, excavation and ongoing work. Here, we meet Dr. Lomax’s good friend and fellow paleontologist, Nigel Larkin, who is leading the conservation of this skeleton.

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• Read more about the Rutland Sea Dragon

• Watch Dean Lomax’s TED talk about the sensational discovery of the Rutland Sea Dragon

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Tonight-you'll overnight in Manchester before heading out tomorrow for fossil hunting in Whitby.​

Meals: Breakfast

Lunch and Dinner are on your own

Accommodations: Clayton Hotel Manchester Airport

Today, you're off to the final destination on the Jurassic Journey in Whitby. Renowned in British paleontology, since 1759, along the Whitby Coast, the "Skeleton of an Allegator (was found) in the Allom Rock near Whitby," thus establishing very early on that the north of England coastline as a potentially fossil-rich destination. During the 1800s and up until this day, major discoveries have been made along the Whitby coastline, including some of the world’s most extraordinary marine reptiles, such as the early pliosaur, Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni, but also many ichthyosaurs, crocs and even dinosaur footprints, among numerous mollusks.

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You'll spend the afternoon visiting the Whitby Museum which houses one of the finest collections of Jurassic fossils in Britain. This beautiful museum is from the Victorian era and gives a great insight into the amazing fossil heritage of the area.

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Take a sneak peek at the Whitby Museum Fossil Collection

Meals: Breakfast

Lunch and Dinner are on your own

Accommodations: Royal Whitby Hotel

Although it’s the last full day together, the adventure is far from over. You’ll cap off this amazing Jurassic Journey with a fossil hunt on the beach at Satwick Bay in Whitby, England. 

Dr. Lomax grew up in Yorkshire and honed his fossil hunting skills along the Whitby coastline. In fact, he wrote his first book called Fossils of the Whitby Coast (2011) about the amazing fossils from this area.

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The Whitby Coast has been a popular fossil hunting spot since the mid-1800s when Scientists came to study the great cliffs of Jurassic strata, and the plentiful fossils they contain. The fossils discovered here by scientists and beachcombers alike range from the small—crustaceans, and invertebrates like ammonites and belemnites—to large ferocious marine creatures such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, sharks and primitive crocodilians.

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After a walk through the historic Whitby town centre, stop for lunch and meet with Dr. Lomax’s friends at Yorkshire Fossils—Shae and Dr Aaron Smith! From there, it is off to Saltwick Bay where Dr. Lomax, Shae and Aaron will serve as your personal guides in your search for 180-million-year-old fossils. You’ll learn how to identify your finds and even take some home to keep. 

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After an exciting day of fossil hunting, we'll gather for a Celebratory Dinner to share and talk about what you've found.

Meals: Breakfast and Farewell Dinner

Lunch is on your own. 

Accommodations: Royal Whitby Hotel

This morning, it's time to bid Dr. Lomax and new friends farewell as you make your own way to future destinations.​​

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Would you like to extend your stay and see more of England? Contact us and we’d be happy to help create a bespoke itinerary for you.​

Dr Lomax is an internationally recognised, multi-award-winning paleontologist, author, and presenter. He travels the world excavating and researching dinosaurs, other ancient animals, and naming new species. Dr. Lomax regularly appears on TV, including co-hosting the TV series Dinosaur Britain. He is the author of multiple books and academic papers and is a leading authority on ichthyosaurs. Dr Lomax honored legendary paleontologist Mary Anning by naming a species of ichthyosaur in her honor, Ichthyosaurus anningae. In 2021, he led the excavation of the 'Rutland Sea Dragon', the most complete skeleton of a large prehistoric reptile ever found in the UK.

Includes:

• Luxury coach from Lyme Regis to Whitby

• A portion of the cost of this itinerary  support Dr. Lomax to fund fieldwork and research

• 6 nights hotel

• Breakfast each day

• Other meals as indicated

• Snacks and water provided on fossil hunting days

• Museum entries including Lyme Regis Museum, Charmouth Heritage Centre, Etches Museum, Natural History Museum Oxford, Whitby Museum.

Excludes:​

• International airfare

• Meals not listed

• Transportation to Lyme Regis and from Whitby

• Travel Insurance is mandatory  

• All other travel necessities /valid passports and visas, for travel from point of original departure through to the final destination are strictly the responsibility of the traveller.  ​

Deposits and Cancellations

• Deposit of £500 is due upon booking

• After booking: Loss of deposit

• 43-56 days prior: Lose 15%

• 30-42 days prior: Lose 25%

• 8 - 29 days prior: Lose 50%

• 7 days or less prior: Lose 100%