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PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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This private tour of The Cotswolds gives you a tour of the most romantic Cotswold villages combined with visits to Bath, Stonehenge, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace. This private-guided journey departs from London and ends in London. You'll enjoy the spires of Oxford, the honey-colored stone cottages and villages of the Cotswolds, the beautiful gardens and interiors of Blenheim Palace, the buildings of elegant Bath, a visit to Stonehenge, and so much more on this private tour.

 

Day 1) Depart London for Stratford-upon-Avon

Today, depart London for Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, one of the most influential poets andplaywrights to ever live. Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace and enjoy a private-guided walking tour of sites 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 2) Cotswolds & Luxury Afternoon 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.

 

Day 3) 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 toat least one college. This afternoon, arrive in Shrewton for two-night stay at a beautiful historic manor house near Stonehenge, where dinner is included tonight.

 

Day 4) 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. If you want something extra special, please ask about our sunset/sunrise experiences where you walk between the stones on a private tour. This afternoon, visit the Cathedral City of Salisbury where you will 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 5) Bath

Today take a whole-day excursion to Bath where you will enjoy a private guided tour taking in all the main sights including the many the places associated with Jane Austen’s time and life in this fine city. You will see Bath from the best viewpoint, tour the Georgian town and visit the well-preserved thermae of the Roma Baths, constructed in 70 AD. Enjoy afternoon tea in the elegant interiors of the Pump Room, built between 1789-1799, and setting of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

 

Day 6) London Heathrow Airport

Depart Shrewton for London Heathrow Airport for your return flight.

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