Luxury Deep South and Florida

After making the most of your complimentary airport lounge access, fly out to Charleston. On arrival, you'll pick up your hire car to make the short journey to your luxury hotel. It's the perfect introduction to the city's antebellum charms, with rooms dressed with Italian Carrara marble and classic, custom-made furnishings. You'll even be able to look out right over the city's downtown from the hotel's rooftop pool and bubbling Jacuzzi. Then, perhaps cap it all off with a dinner at the hotel's superb restaurant, where AAA Four Diamond dishes are served up to live jazz, with mellow notes bouncing softly off wood-panelled walls.

You'll have two days to fully explore the charms of Charleston, with a pair of included excursions to point you in the right direction. On the first, you'll be met by a local expert at your hotel for a private walking tour of the city. Stopping at 19th-century churches – including the white columns of the Circular Congregational Church – you'll familiarise yourself with the trademark Southern hospitality of one of America’s best preserved historic cities. Then, on the third day, your Charlestonian guide will talk you through the city’s antebellum mansions, private houses and gardens. It's all capped with an included Southern lunch spread with tea service.

Meals: Lunch included day 3

Start your drive south, making the short journey through the region's riverine deltas before arriving at Bluffton. Here, you'll stay in a traditional South Carolinian cottage, enjoying idyllic views of tranquil forests and the picture-perfect waterfront. It's the chance to relax, perhaps with a treatment at the spa or a round on the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course.

The next day, you'll enjoy a 90-minute eco cruise, going in search of the pods of dolphins which feed on schools of fish and shrimp. Watch as they herd their prey onto the sandbanks and mudflats, then launch themselves out of the water to catch a bite to eat. Other optional activities include everything from marsh boat rides to cooking demonstrations, where you’ll learn how to prepare Southern favourites. There's even kayaking, horse rides and a croquet lawn.

Driving on through farmlands and woodlands, you'll hop over the border and into Georgia with Savannah. A true Southern belle, it's a lesson in draping wisterias, Georgian squares and English Regency villas. Our pick is the spectacular Owes-Thomas House. After some time for exploration, continue down the coast to Sea Island, a beautifully green jut that's capped in pretty beaches. You'll be staying in the delightful Cloister – a low-country gem complete with vaulted ceilings and cosy fireplaces. You'll also explore your wild setting on an optional sea-turtle tour, visiting their nests and watching as hatchlings thrive on the island's beaches. Perhaps also book onto a sailing tour to spot the local alligators and birdlife.

Stay: The Cloister at Sea Island (Deluxe)

This morning, perhaps explore Sea Island further with an optional kayak expedition in the company of the resident naturalist. Then, setting off, you'll drive south along the beach-fringed coast before dipping inland to arrive at quiet, tree-lined Orlando. You'll be staying off the city's outskirts in a luxury resort. Think fine-dining restaurants, elegant rooms and expansive pools. You'll also be within touching distance of those famed theme parks, from Walt Disney World to Universal Studios.

Stay: Waldorf Astoria, Orlando (Deluxe)

This morning, you might want to explore the nearby Kennedy Space Center, where you can visit the launch pads and shuttle landing facility. You'll then return to the coast for the drive down to Miami, where you'll find your luxury hotel right on the city's iconic white sands. Built in the 1930s, it's an Art-Deco icon, replete with its very own private beach. It's the perfect preamble for tomorrow's included private tour of Miami's Art Deco treats. An architectural expert, along with a car and driver, will meet you at your hotel to bring you out along historic South Beach. Highlights include the famed façades and restored hotels of Ocean Drive, along with the historic post office and residential neighbourhoods of Espanola Way. In just one square mile, there are over 1,200 historic buildings. In between, be sure to find the time to sample the city's rooftop bars, Cuban dining and fascinating arts scene.

After checking out of your hotel, drop off your car at the airport in time for your overnight flight back to the UK.