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PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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See the best highlights of London and the southwest of England on this 10-day private tour! This comprehensive private tour features London, the Cotswolds, Shakespeare’s Stratford, Jane Austen’s Bath, the university city of Oxford, Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral, famous for its rich lore, towering Gothic spire and includes one of four original copies of the Magna Carta. From Big Ben to Buckingham Palace, you’ll be guided through every visit in London by your very own local guide and see iconic London sites such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the British Museum,  and St. Paul’s Cathedral. You’ll venture outside of London to visit Windsor Castle and Hampton Court and the Cotswolds—a region that offers a delightful mix of period manor houses, beautiful gardens, picturesque honey-colored Cotswold stone villages, village charm and romantic valleys—the elegant Georgian town of Bath, Shakespeare’s Stratford, academic Oxford, and so much more! Experience the best highlights of England on your own private tour!

 

Day 1) London Heathrow Airport | Wimbledon

Arrive at London Heathrow Airport where you will be greeted by your driver/guide. Continue to Wimbledon. Choose between a guided tour of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum including Center Court or a visit to Kensington Palace. Next, arrive at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel in central London for a four-night stay. The Chesterfield, located in the heart of Mayfair, is quintessentially British and exudes classic charm with a unique personality. Your hotel is close to Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and St. James’s Park and within walking distance of great local restaurants.

 

Day 2) London, Westminster Abbey & St. Paul’s Cathedral 

Today, meet your local guide for a whole-day private guided tour of London, taking in great sights such as Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament Square and Piccadilly. You will visit Westminster Abbey, one of the United Kingdom’s most notable religious buildings where Kings and Queens have been crowned and buried since 1066. You will also see the Change of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This afternoon, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral. Destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666, the current building was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1710. Its iconic dome is one of the largest cathedral domes in the world.

 

Day 3) Windsor Castle & Hampton Court  

This morning, depart for a whole-day private guided tour of both Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. At Windsor Castle, explore the interiors of this famous palace, setting of some recent Royal weddings. Afterwards, enjoy lunch at The Mute Swan by the Thames before visiting Hampton Court where, through your private-guided tour, you’ll experience the public dramas and private lives of Henry VIII, his wives, and children in the world of the Tudor court. Also discover the spectacular baroque part of the palace built for William III and Mary II and explore Hampton Court Palace’s outdoor spaces and magnificent gardens. 

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Day 4) Thames Cruise, Tower of London & British Museum 

Today, depart with your local private guide to Westminster Pier where you’ll journey by ferry on the Thames. You will pass the Millennium Bridge, London Eye and disembark at Tower Bridge. Your guide will bring to life the history of the Tower of London, a historic castle and fortress along the Thames River and home to the dazzling Crown Jewels. In the afternoon, your guides will show you the British Museum’s most fascinating objects from around the world. You’ll see the Rosetta Stone, some of the wonderful treasures that have been unearthed in Britain such as the fabulous solid silver Roman Mildenhall Treasure, the strange and exotic artefacts from the Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo (as told in the recent movie The Dig) and the mysterious medieval 12th-century chessmen found on the Isle of Lewis. 

 

Day 5) Stratford-upon-Avon 

Today, depart London for Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, one of the most influential poets and playwrights to ever live. Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace and enjoy  a private-guided walking tour of sights associated with Shakespeare’s life and time in Stratford. Continue your journey to the pretty village of Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds for a two-night stay at an independent family-owned hotel in the center of the village. Stow is an attractive Cotswold village and includes a mixture of quaint shops, tea rooms, local pubs and restaurants, all set amongst period houses, and picturesque honey-colored Cotswold stone cottages. 

 

Day 6) Sudeley Castle, Chastleton House & High Tea

This morning, visit Sudeley Castle, a 15th-century country house where Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Elizabeth 1, amongst others, all have connections. The centerpiece is the Queens Garden, so named because four of England’s queens—Anne Boleyn, Katherine Parr, Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I—all admired the hundreds of varieties of roses found here. After visiting the castle, take some time to explore the pretty Cotswold town of Chipping Campden, with its numerous cafes and pubs for lunch. In the afternoon, visit Chastleton House, a fine unaltered Jacobean manor house with gardens laid out the same way for 400 years, also setting of the costume drama Wolf Hall. By the end of the afternoon, enjoy a full afternoon English tea at an award-winning restaurant with spectacular views across the peaceful Cotswold valleys and superb food. 

 

Day 7) Blenheim Palace & Oxford  

This morning, depart for Blenheim Palace, a magnificent estate set on 2,100 acres of beautiful parkland—landscaped by Lancelot “Capability” Brown—and home of the 12th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough as well as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. In the afternoon, visit the famous university town of Oxford where you’ll enjoy a private-guided walking tour, including a visit to at least one college. Continue to Shrewton for a three-night stay at Rollestone Manor, a beautiful historic house near Stonehenge, where dinner is included tonight.

 

Day 8) Bath

Today take a whole-day excursion to Bath. Depart with your local guide for a walking tour of Bath, taking in all the main sights including Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge (a covered bridge in the Palladian style), the Royal Crescent and many of the places associated with Jane Austen’s time and life in Bath. Enjoy afternoon tea at lunch time (includes savory selections) in the elegant interiors of the Pump Room, built between 1789-1799, and setting of Jane Austen’s Persuasionand Northanger Abbey. Afterwards, visit the Roman Baths, the well-preserved thermae constructed in 70 AD, and enjoy some free time for shopping.

 

Day 9) Stonehenge & Salisbury

This morning, depart for nearby Stonehenge—a World Heritage Site and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe—where you will walk in the footsteps of your Neolithic ancestors.  Explore the ancient landscape on foot and step inside the Neolithic Houses to discover the tools and objects of everyday Neolithic life. Visit the world-class exhibition and visitor center with 250 ancient objects and come face-to-face with a 5,500- year-old man. This afternoon, visit the Cathedral City of Salisbury for lunch and, afterwards, enjoy a private-guided tour of Salisbury’s mediaeval quarter, Cathedral Close, the Cathedral itself and more. The Cathedral is famous for its rich lore and towering Gothic spire and includes one of four original copies of the Magna Carta, the 1215 document that first established that everyone was subject to the law. 

 

Day 10) London Heathrow Airport

Depart Shrewton for London Heathrow Airport for your return flight.