The longest-establishedtravel company on earth.
We have been arranging journeys since a year when the Seven Years' War was still being fought — for pioneers, poets and prime ministers. Two hundred and sixty-five years on, we are trying to recreate one particular feeling: the one you had as a child, when the world was enormous and every part of it was worth asking about.
We have never been the traveller. We've been the name in the margin of everyone else's journey.
Churchill's. Mallory's. Gandhi's. We didn't climb the mountain — we got the climber his boots. For over two hundred and sixty-five years this company has been the quiet hand that made somebody else's passage possible, and there is no prouder job in travel than that one.
Which is why we've been part of family albums, farewell hugs and airport tears. Change is constant; the soul of travel is worth preserving.
Remember chasing a butterfly as a child — free, curious, and completely in the moment? Our purpose is to recreate that feeling, for you and yours.
260+
Years in travel
100+
Destinations
7
Continents
1758
Established
Our history
Two hundred and sixty-five years
Scroll to travel the line — from a regimental agent's ledger in 1758 to the company we are rebuilding today.
1758
The beginning
Richard Cox founds the firm
In 1758, Richard Cox founded what became Cox & Kings, a trusted travel and logistics partner to the British Armed Forces and aristocracy. Over the centuries, a legacy was built — one defined by discretion, reliability, and global reach.
1878
Royal appointment
Official travel agents to the Royal Family
Appointed as official travel agents for the British Royal Family — a distinction that reflected the brand's impeccable standards and enduring trust.
1887
Firsts on record
First women typists, and a first summit
Henry S. King & Co., later merged with Cox & Co., was the first bank to hire women typists. In the same year, Henry Seymour King became the first to summit Kingspitze.
1900s
In good company
Winston Churchill banks with us
Winston Churchill held a personal bank account with Cox & Kings, reflecting the brand's longstanding association with historical figures of influence.
1914–1918
Wartime service
Supporting soldiers through the Great War
Cox & Kings played a crucial role during the First World War, supporting soldiers and facilitating war-time financial and logistical services.
1921
The mountain
Outfitting Mallory's Everest expedition
We supported pioneering exploration by arranging transport for George Mallory's historic expedition to Mount Everest.
1922
In print & business
Sherlock Holmes, and a new acquisition
Cox & Kings broke into popular culture, featuring in Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. That same year, Henry S. King acquired Smith, Elder & Co.
1931
A passage to Europe
Mahatma Gandhi travels with us
Facilitated Mahatma Gandhi's journey to Europe for the Round Table Conference — overseeing his safe and seamless travel during a pivotal moment in India's freedom movement.
1935
Group travel begins
First group tours to Germany
Introduced the first group tours to Germany, setting a new benchmark in organised international travel.
1947
A new India
Serving India's independence transition
Assisted in official travel arrangements during India's post-independence transition, continuing its legacy of serving governments and dignitaries.
Post-war Era
Diversification
Into corporate and leisure travel
Cox & Kings diversified into corporate and leisure travel, setting industry standards for curated, high-end experiences.
1970s
Growing reach
Expanding across leisure tourism
Expanded its footprint in leisure tourism and international travel, marking a new era of global reach.
1976
New markets
A new chapter of luxury travel
C&K entered a new chapter, expanding into emerging markets and redefining the contours of luxury travel.
2000s
Industry leaders
India's top outbound travel brand
Cox & Kings became a global leader in bespoke travel and, in 2008, proudly emerged as India's top outbound travel brand, surpassing all competition.
Post 2024
The next chapter
Rebuilt under Wilson & Hughes
Under Wilson & Hughes, the brand undergoes a transformation, embracing innovation, sustainability, and personalisation for a new generation of travellers.
Acquired by Wilson & Hughes.
In 2024, the Cox & Kings brand and its India travel business were acquired by Wilson & Hughes Pte Ltd — a Singapore private equity firm with a strong legacy in manufacturing and operations, through a transparent, court-supervised NCLT process.
The new entity carries none of the previous management's liabilities. Since resuming operations in 2025, Cox & Kings has already served over 10,000 travellers under a rebuilt team and a deliberately smaller, more considered programme.
- OwnerWilson & Hughes Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Since2024 — acquired via a court-supervised NCLT process
- Also holdsAlliance World (soap manufacturing, 90+ years) · Duraton Cement
- MandateIts first venture into travel — rebuilding Cox & Kings for the next hundred years
The character of the firm has not changed.
In 1758 we were trusted with the wages, supplies and passages of the British Armed Forces and the aristocracy. The work was built on discretion, reliability and global reach. It still is.
Discretion
We have arranged travel for pioneers, poets and prime ministers since 1758. What we know about our travellers stays with us.
Reliability
Over two and a half centuries of getting people there and back. A real person answers the phone, and stays with your file end to end.
Global reach
Over 100 destinations across all seven continents, and ground relationships in each of them that took decades to build.
Curiosity
We are trying to recreate the feeling you had as a child — when the world was enormous and everything in it was worth asking about.
How we look after you on the road.
Pace, stated honestly
Every itinerary tells you how much walking there is, how many early starts, and how many stairs. Nobody should discover that on day three.
Food that actually suits you
Indian, Jain and other dietary meals arranged in advance — not requested at the table. Say it once, on the booking form.
Travelling with parents
Lifts over stairs, longer transfer times, rooms near the lobby, and a tour manager who has been asked all of this before.
Someone awake while you sleep
A WhatsApp line to a real person for the whole trip — in your timezone, and in ours. Visa support included, with a 90% success rate.
Talk to us
Speak to a travel specialist, share your ideas, ask your questions, or simply tell us what you're looking for. We'll help you plan the rest.
Travel experts available 9am–9pm IST, every day