10 epic trips for book lovers

Richard Madden explores some guided tours inspired by the big names in literature, from William Shakespeare to Stieg Larsson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that book lovers following in the footsteps of their literary heroes must be in want of a good guide.

With apologies to both Jane Austen and Bridget Jones, this will be self-evident to anyone who has ever tried to explore James Joyce's Dublin, Ernest Hemingway's Paris or Stieg Larsson's Stockholm while clutching a street map and a Kindle with a dodgy battery.

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This year especially, the literati are on the march, inspired by some notable anniversaries which include Jane Austen (died 1817), the poet Edward Thomas (died 1917), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (125th anniversary of the first Sherlock Holmes mystery), Alfred, Lord Tennyson (125th anniversary of his death) and Gabriel García Márquez (50th anniversary of One Hundred Years of Solitude).

Meanwhile, last year's Shakespeare celebrations (he died in 1616) and our fascination with the World War 1 poets continue unabated.

Few experiences inspire the imagination or provide more insights than first-hand knowledge of the locations and landscapes behind the world's most famous literary creations.

It might be visiting Rudyard Kipling's birthplace in Mumbai and exploring the national parks that inspired The Jungle Book; walking the mountain paths of northern Japan in the footsteps of the 17th-century haiku poet Matsuo Basho (author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North), or visiting the indigenous tribes of Tayrona National Park in Colombia (the inspiration for García Márquez's "magical realism").

This list of literary tours will enhance your imaginary world and provide a unique shared experience, in the company of expert guides and fellow enthusiasts of the written word.

GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ TOUR, Colombia

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), this 10-night literary pilgrimage to García Márquez's homeland visits the spots most associated with his life and works.

These include Bogotá (a city tour and visit to his former school and university), Barranquilla (he was a member of the legendary Barranquilla Group), Tayrona National Park, his birthplace of Aracataca, colonial Mompós and Cartagena (for a full-day themed tour).

• From £3,245 (about R57,000), including four- and five-star accommodation, some meals, private transfers and domestic flights. International flights not included. See amakuna.com.    

SHAKESPEARE AND HIS WORLD, Plays, sites & exhibitions in London & Stratford, UK

An inspirational mix of live performances, visits to related sites, talks and discussions, this six-day tour is led by Shakespeare expert Dr Charles Nicholl.

Site visits include Middle Temple Hall in London (Twelfth Night, 1602), villages around Stratford and Holy Trinity church, where the Bard is buried. You will see The Tempest (Barbican), Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet (The Globe), Antony and Cleopatra and Titus Andronicus (RSC, Stratford).

• From £2,180 (about R38,000), including theatre tickets, accommodation, most meals with wine, private coach, lecturer and tour manager. Departs July 7. See martinrandall.com.   

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STIEG LARSSON'S STOCKHOLM, Sweden

More than 80 million people have read Swedish crime-writer Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, starting with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

This two-hour tour follows in the footsteps of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, the two main characters, beginning at Blomkvist's home and visiting his local café, Salander's tattoo parlour, and Millennium magazine's offices among many other memorable locations.

The two-hour guided tours in English take place every Saturday (11.30am) and Thursday (6pm) between July and September.

• Tickets are 120 Swedish krona (R180) and can be purchased at the Stockholm City Museum.

JANE AUSTEN 200TH ANNIVERSARY, UK

Special events to mark the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death (1817) are taking place all over her home county of Hampshire.

Born at Steventon in 1775, she was living at her house in Chawton (which is now a museum) when she wrote or revised her six great novels, including Pride and Prejudice.

This summer, the writer of this piece (journalist and travel writer Richard Madden) will be leading day tours combining an Austen-themed walk around Chawton and the surrounding countryside with a visit to the Jane Austen House Museum (available May-September).

• Day tour £45 (about R790), including museum admission. Maximum group size 10. See richardmadden.co.uk.    

BASHO WALKING TOUR, Japan

The 17th-century haiku poet Matsuo Basho was the author of the legendary travelogue The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

This nine-day tour visits the most famous sites associated with Basho's journey, on walks of between 8 and 24km per day along country lanes, forest trails and mountain footpaths linked together by Japan's super-efficient train system.

Highlights include visits to Matsushima, with its bay of 260 pine-covered islands; Mount Haguro, one of the country's most sacred shrines; and the ancient city of Kanazawa.

From ¥454,000 (about R54,000) per person, including accommodation in traditional country inns, most meals, and an English-speaking guide, but excluding international flights. See walkjapan.com.    

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RUDYARD KIPLING'S INDIA

The landscapes of central India provided the inspiration for the stories of Mowgli, Shere Khan, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and Toomai of the Elephants.

Follow in the footsteps of Rudyard Kipling on this 12-day Jungle Book tour visiting his birthplace in Mumbai, exploring national parks, searching out the elusive Bengal tiger during game drives in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, and enjoying a night under the stars in the Satpura National Park.

• From €3,114 (R55,000), including accommodation in four-star hotels and safari lodges, all meals, guides, games drives and all domestic travel, but excluding international flights. Departures between March 2017 and October 2018. See wildfrontierstravel.com.    

BLOOMSDAY, Dublin

Bloomsday (June 16 1904) is the day chronicled in James Joyce's modernist novel Ulysses and named after Leopold Bloom, the central character.

The novel follows the life and thoughts of Bloom and a rich cast of characters, both real and fictional, from 8am through to the early hours of the next morning.

On June 16 this year, a series of hearty breakfasts - accompanied by performances and dramatic readings from the pages of Ulysses - will be followed by one-hour walking tours visiting the main locations in the book.

• Tours start at the James Joyce Centre, every hour between 9am and 1pm. Breakfast costs £30, the walk £13 (about R230). See bloomsdayfestival.ie.       

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POETS ON THE WESTERN FRONT

The poets and artists of World War 1 created some of the most powerful expressions of the human realities of conflict.

Led by Simon Jones, who has taught the literature and art of the Great War at university level, this four-day tour visits the battlefield that inspired Wilfred Owen to write his Spring Offensive; the trench where Henri Barbusse was a stretcher bearer; and the Somme crucifix where Ivor Gurney composed one of his finest songs.

• From £1,195 (about R21,000), including travel by Eurostar from London to Brussels, four-star hotels, buffet breakfast, a three-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Departs July 25. See theculturalexperience.com.    

THREE MEN IN A BOAT River journey, UK

Jerome K Jerome, author of the humorous tale Three Men in a Boat, died 90 years ago this year.

Guests at the Dog & Badger, a luxury Thames-side restaurant-with-rooms in the Chilterns village of Medmenham (where Jerome once lived), can now enjoy a section of the journey on a four-hour boat trip upriver to Henley in a classic Pegiva motor launch.

• The one-night package for four guests in two rooms costs £850 (about R15,000) including breakfast, dinner, champagne, skippered boat trip and picnic lunch. Shorter tours also available. See thedogandbadger.com.    

TOUR OF HEMINGWAY'S PARIS

Among the artists and writers who moved to Paris in the '20s was Ernest Hemingway.

This three-hour walking tour with a Hemingway expert begins on the Rue du Cardinal-Lemoine - where the writer set up home - and explores the districts of St Germain and Montparnasse on the Left Bank.

You will also visit Hemingway's haunts, while learning about other writers who knew him, including James Joyce, F Scott Fitzgerald and Ezra Pound.

• Walk €80 (about R1,186); maximum group size six. Regular departures. See contexttravel.com. - The Sunday Telegraph