Jurassic Coast tour: guided fossil hunt & Etches museum visit
Discover the many stories of England's dramatic Jurassic Coast, a geological wonder that for centuries has inspired fossil hunters, authors, artists, film makers and adventurers.
Highlights
2-night guided small group tour of the Jurassic Coast, England’s only natural UNESCO world heritage site.
Explore Dorset’s key landmarks of Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove and your expert guide will explain the fascinating geology of these impressive landforms and rock formations.
Visit the Etches Collection in Kimmeridge to see the newly-displayed fossilised giant pliosaur skull, and hear the story of its very local discovery, and its national importance.
Learn about the Victorian pioneering fossil-hunter, Mary Anning, and her achievements.
Stay two nights at the charming Mortons Manor Hotel in the centre of Corfe village and enjoy visit to the Castle as part of the tour.
Durdle Door, Jurassic Coast
Overview
The UNESCO-designated Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site, more popularly known as the Jurassic Coast, displays world-famous rocks, fossils and coastal landforms and provides a unique and spectacular glimpse into a period spanning 185 million years. Over the course of this two-night and two day tour, our expert local guide will help you find fossils and tell you the story of this intriguing coastline, sharing key insights behind its fascinating landscapes, history and geology.
The insider knowledge is provided by our expert guide Jonathan Evans, a geologist who lives locally and is a Trustee of Lyme Regis Museum.
How did the dramatic coast and landscapes evolve? The tour unravels the early history from arid desert landscapes when the dinosaurs appeared (around 240 million years ago) through to shallow tropical seas which saw the rise of titanic marine reptiles, the peak of the dinosaur period and the evolution of ammonites. Dorset remained under warm sub-tropical seas while chalk was produced, and finally the tour reveals the changes and erosion of 10,000 years, following the last ice age.
An exclusive Lyme Regis walk will highlight Mary Anning (1799-1847), whose fossil finds intrigued the Establishment scientists and formed the basis for our understanding of dinosaur evolution.
In addition, you will have a chance to go fossil hunting at a location selected by our expert, where you can be the first to release fossils from millions of years of burial! This tour also includes a visit to the Etches Collection museum, to see its newly-displayed giant pliosaur skull, which featured on a BBC David Attenborough documentary.
Above all, this is a landscape that leaves a lasting impression.
- Start / finish: The tour begins and ends at Mortons Manor, Corfe Castle village, Dorset, England.
- Activity level: Leisurely, suitable for occasional walkers (view our activity level definitions). The tour involves walks of up to 3 km (1.5 miles) and takes in coastal sections with rocky foreshores, and often many steps to reach the beach.
- Transport: Participants will travel by small coach which has air conditioning, suitable for the number in the group.
- Weather: Spring and Autumn weather on the Jurassic Coast is mild; Summer can be warm. Rain is always possible, and guests should be prepared with waterproof clothing.
- Accommodation: We will stay at Mortons Manor, a Grade II listed Elizabethan Manor House in the centre of Corfe Castle village that is now a very comfortable hotel.
Where you will visit…
Guests arrive at their leisure this afternoon to check in and have a chance to relax and enjoy Mortons Manor, Corfe Village. Late afternoon welcome drink in the hotel and introduction to the itinerary from your guide, Jonathan Evans.
- Check-in to Mortons Manor, Corfe Castle village, for two nights
- Free evening, with options to dine at the hotel or choose one the pubs in the village
The group departs Mortons Manor after breakfast in a comfortable vehicle suitable for the group size (maximum 12). Today includes an exclusive morning fossil hunt on the beach with Jonathan Evans, geologist and Trustee of Lyme Regis Museum, and discussion with your expert guide on the life of Mary Anning, the extraordinary Victorian fossil collector.
Free time in Lyme Regis for lunch.
Meet up again early afternoon for a guided walk, along the coast to see Mary Anning’s statue and to include the Cobb, the Lyme Regis Harbour Wall and famous setting of the film, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, with Meryl Streep and, more recently, in the Netflix film, Persuasion. Option to visit Lyme Regis museum.
- Hotel: Mortons Manor, Corfe Castle village
- Free evening
Check out of Mortons Manor and take a private guided walk around Corfe Castle and the village with our local expert. Built by William the Conqueror, it was one of the first castles in England to be built from stone. It is positioned to defend one of the only gaps in the steep-sided Purbeck ridge which extends across Dorset.
Next stop is a short journey to visit Kingston Church, nicknamed ‘the Cathedral of Purbeck’, which according to John Betjeman ‘gleams with Purbeck marble’, followed by lunch at an ultra-traditional local pub (pub lunch included) .
After lunch, travel to Lulworth Cove. This wonderful geological masterpiece and striking horseshoe-shaped cove has been carved out of the cliffs. Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch, made of rocks some 140 million years old. Stair Hole is where the rock layers are folded into a remarkable structure called the ‘Lulworth Crumple’. This feature, and many more in the area, is a northern outpost, recording a continental collision of Africa with Europe that formed the Alpine Mountains around 50 million years ago.
We’ll finish off with a visit to the Etches Collection museum, which houses the spectacular fossil skull of a pliosaur, carefully extracted from the cliffs above Kimmeridge Bay in 2023.
The tour ends late afternoon, returning participants to their choice of Mortons Manor or Wareham railway station, by arrangement.
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternative accommodation of equal or higher quality or adapt the itinerary if required.
Double room for single occupancy is £236
This tour begins and finishes at Mortons Manor Hotel in Corfe village
The activity level is rated as LEISURELY, suitable for occasional walkers (view our activity level definitions).
This tour involves short walks of up to 3 km (1.5 miles) and takes in coastal sections with rocky foreshores, and often steps to reach the beach. However, no activity is compulsory, (e.g. fossil-hunting). Sturdy waterproof footwear is essential. The weather is variable, so a waterproof jacket should be packed
Transport each day is provided by small comfortable coach, suitable for the number in the group (maximum 12).
The weather is variable, average temperatures in the south of England range from 9° to 18°C (48°F to 64°) so a jacket should be packed just in case.
The tour includes:
- The services of your tour leader, who will be with the group each day
- Transportation costs from the start to the end of the tour
- All accommodation costs for the two nights, assuming double occupancy rooms. There is a supplement for single occupancy of a double room
- Two breakfasts
- Lunch on second day
- Entry fee to Corfe Castle and The Etches Collection, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour
- Service charges for accommodation and any meals included in the tour price
The tour excludes:
- Participants should provide their own travel insurance
- Single supplement for solo travellers (see ‘Need to Know’ section for price)
- Extra or optional activities not described in the tour
- Dinners not included. Guests can choose from the hotel restaurant or pubs in the village
- Lunch in Lyme Regis is not included
- Personal expenditures, and extras at the hotel
- Transportation to the start venue or from the end venue of the tour. However, (at extra cost) we are very happy to arrange transport and pick-up from nearby mainline railway stations or transport from Southampton or London airports. Please contact us for details
- Passport and visa fees
Nights 1 and 2: Mortons Manor, Corfe Castle village, Dorset
Mortons Manor is a Grade II listed Elizabethan manor house dating back to 1590 located in the centre of Corfe Castle village. It is now a very comfortable hotel with a sunny terrace and a choice of guest lounges. There is a restaurant serving dinner every evening.
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternative accommodation of equal or higher quality.
Deposit: A deposit of 10% of the tour price is due upon registration for a tour.
Final payment: Full payment is due 60 days before a tour begins, or upon registration if within the 60-day window.
Cancellation by participant: A participant may cancel a registration after securing a confirmed place on a tour for any reason. The following refund terms will apply:
- Greater than 60 days before tour begins: Any monies paid plus half of the deposit will be refunded
- 30 to 59 days before tour begins: 35% of tour price will be refunded
- 15 to 29 days before tour begins: 25% of tour price will be refunded
- Within 14 days of tour or during the tour: No monies will be refunded
Cancellation by GeoCultura: GeoCultura reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrolment, inability to run the tour or concerns about the safety, health or welfare of participants. If a tour is cancelled before it begins, all monies paid will be refunded (including any deposit).
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for additional details.
Your tour leader
Jonathan Evans
Jonathan Evans
Jonathan Evans currently resides in Dorset, England, close to Corfe Castle. He has guided many groups along the Dorset and Devon coasts, both for geoscientists and individuals from other backgrounds.
Jonathan has spent his career in the petroleum industry, initially in technical roles and then in management roles in India, Pakistan and Oman and, finally, global leadership roles from the UK. More recently, Jonathan elected to retire from industry to pursue other interests.
He was involved in supporting the application for the Jurassic Coast to be recognized with UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Jonathan’s interests include sailing, beekeeping and organic vegetable gardening.
Corfe Castle from Corfe Castle Village, Dorset, England.
Looking for fossils at Lyme Regis, Dorset, England.
Reading the rocks at West Bay, along Dorset's Jurassic Coast.
Durdle Door in Dorset, England.
Idyllic Lulworth Cove, Dorset, England.
Testimonials
My 12 year old son and I had the most amazing 3 days on the Jurassic Coastline. Staying at Morton’s Manor in Corfe was a wonderful experience – friendly staff, amazing food and views of the stunning Corfe Castle! We then got to visit Lyme Regis with our friendly and experienced guide, Jonathan, and learnt so much about the area and history, with the bonus of finding fossils millions of years old! One happy son indeed!
We had a wonderful walk and finished with visiting the must-see museum in Lyme Regis. We also got to see Lulworth Cove which was fascinating and absolutely worth a visit. I can highly recommend GeoCultura Tours who have given us a wonderful and informative insight into geology.
Fossil Treasures of England’s Jurassic Coast | Katherine M, July 2023
My GeoCultura tour was amazing. I have been on dozens of tours, but never one so geared to my love of geology. And this was one of the few that promised much and actually delivered on those promises. Not only did I have a great time exploring the geology of the Jurassic Coast, but I learned so much about the history of this fascinating area as well.
Jonathan, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the geology of the Jurassic Coast region, but more importantly made it accessible to me, who’s only had one class in geology. And the fossil hunting on the beach was like the best Easter Egg Hunt I’ve ever been on! I found three pyrite ammonites! Added to this fun was great tours of the historical sites nearby because as they say, the geology of an area is and wonderful meals of locally sourced food. A truly wonderful three-day sustainable tour that taught me how geology shapes history.
Fossil Treasures of England’s Jurassic Coast | Jenny S, March 2023
I thought the week was excellent; very interesting and with good variation in the days activities and not overdosing on any one activity. I liked the flexibility shown by taking in Kingston Lacey which nicely completed the Corfe Castle and Lady Bankes story. The information and guiding was excellent – at a good level for everyone with supplemental detail where requested – by lunchtime of the first day it felt like an outing of friends and that’s pretty special!
Fossil Treasures of England’s Jurassic Coast | David M, March 2023
What a great way to explore the Jurassic Coastline and meet like-minded people in the process. The guide’s knowledge was so interesting and I found out so much. I’ll be recommending this to my friends and I’ll be coming back to do another trip.
Fossil Treasures of England’s Jurassic Coast | Denise W, July 2022
What a wonderful experience! The guides were wonderfully informed and responded enthusiastically to all of my many questions. I must book a return trip with my Grandsons!
Fossil Treasures of England’s Jurassic Coast | Steve W, July 2022
UPCOMING TOURS
Prices from GBP From £850 pp
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