When Netflix dropped the final four episodes of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 on 26 February 2026, it generated 28 million views in its first week, matching the debut viewership of Season 3, Part 2, and helping Season 4 reclaim the No. 1 spot. It also reignited a global obsession with Regency-era England. In South Africa, the season carried particular resonance, with local actress Masali Baduza among the cast, giving local viewers an even more personal stake in the story.
But did you know that the world Benedict and Sophie inhabit isn’t a fantasy? It actually exists. You can walk through it, stay in it, and enjoy afternoon tea in it. The UK has long been one of Flight Centre’s top international destinations – ranking number three in 2025 – so we asked one of their Regional Managers, Shirley-Ann Henry, how to make it a trip worthy of the ton.
Where the story actually happened
Bridgerton’s Regency London is, in reality, a carefully curated collection of English estates, Georgian streets, and National Trust properties, and most of them open to visitors (in some cases, seasonally) and achingly beautiful in person.
Bath remains the show’s spiritual home. Royal Crescent (where the Featherington residence stands in all its Georgian grandeur) is one of Britain’s most iconic streets, and visiting it feels like stepping directly onto set. Abbey Green, just a 15-minute stroll away, doubles as a Regency shopping street in the show and is equally lovely in real life.
Hampton Court Palace features as Queen Charlotte’s opulent residence in Season 4 – Henry VIII’s former home, with 500 years of history layered into every corridor and garden. Nearby Ham House and Garden hosted the Season 4 Cavender estate party and is one of the best-preserved 17th-century houses in Europe, its formal gardens alone worth the visit.
Loseley Park in Surrey served as Benedict’s countryside retreat, a Tudor manor surrounded by walled gardens and rolling parkland that captures everything the show romanticises about English country life.
The Bridgerton experience
The filming locations are only the beginning. The deeper appeal of a Bridgerton-inspired UK trip is the experience that awaits. One that existed long before Netflix discovered it and will endure long after the series ends.
For instance, the stately home experience is one England does better than anywhere else on earth. Many of the country’s most extraordinary estates, like Chatsworth in Derbyshire and Highclere Castle in Hampshire (better known as Downton Abbey), open their doors to visitors, offering guided tours and, in many cases, afternoon tea served in surroundings that would make Lady Danbury feel entirely at home.
“You might think that afternoon tea is a tourist gimmick in England, but it’s a genuine institution, and experiencing it properly is one of the great pleasures of a UK trip,” Turner comments.
The Pump Room in Bath, which overlooks the Roman Baths and sits at the heart of Regency Bath, serves one of the most atmospheric teas in the country. The Lanesborough in London, Bettys in Yorkshire, and the tea rooms at countless National Trust properties offer their own versions of the ritual, each one a small, civilised act of presence in a world that rarely slows down enough to allow it.
Then there’s the English countryside, which particularly in June and July, is at its absolute best. The Cotswolds offer honey-stone villages and meadows that look like they’ve been painted. Yorkshire and the North York Moors, which Wuthering Heights has made newly fashionable alongside Bridgerton, offer dramatic, windswept landscapes of an entirely different character. Says Henry:
“I always tell clients who’ve only been to London that they haven’t really seen England yet. The moment you get on a train or hire a car and head into the countryside, whether that’s the Cotswolds or all the way up to Scotland and the Isle of Skye, the country reveals itself completely differently. It’s slower, more beautiful, and often far more affordable than the city.”
Booking smart: What you need to know
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both operate direct flights between Johannesburg/Cape Town and London. Unfortunately, because of the current geopolitical climate, demand on direct routes is strong – driving fares up as travellers compete for seats. The message? Book early, and an English summer is still on the cards.
Worth noting: British Airways has confirmed plans to introduce a third daily service between London Heathrow and Cape Town from December 2026 – over our summer – a significant vote of confidence in one of South Africa’s busiest international corridors.
Henry’s practical advice for a UK trip in 2026 includes:
- Booking now. Airfares are under pressure across the board – fuel surcharges have been added by most major carriers because of significant fuel price increases, and capacity on direct routes to London is filling quickly. Direct route fares have climbed sharply in recent weeks as demand outpaces available capacity, a trend that shows no signs of reversing in the short term. The earlier you lock in a fare, the better positioned you are. This is not a market that rewards patience.
- Staying flexible. This cannot be overstated in the current environment. Henry insists on ensuring the fare you’re purchasing is changeable and refundable. “Don’t opt for a non-refundable ticket right now. You need manoeuvrability – on dates, on changes, on cancellations if the situation shifts.”
- Understanding your insurance. Standard travel insurance policies typically include war exclusions, which means disruptions caused directly by conflict may not be covered. This makes the flexibility of your fare your primary safety net. Read your policy carefully and ask your travel agent exactly what you are and aren’t covered for before you book.
- Factoring in the visa. South African passport holders require a UK Standard Visitor Visa, and processing times can extend to four weeks or more during peak periods, so keep this in mind when locking in your dates.
- Considering a multi-destination itinerary. The UK’s rail network is one of the finest in the world and makes combining London with Bath, the Cotswolds, Yorkshire, or Edinburgh genuinely straightforward. A self-drive through the countryside is equally rewarding.
The estates are open. The tea is poured. The only question is when you’re going.