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PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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Enjoy this wonderful tour of The Cotswolds with visits to Highclere, Bath, Stonehenge, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon. This beautifully 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 Highclere, made famous by the series Downton Abbey, and so much more. Discover the Cotswolds on this private tour!​

 

Day 1) Arrive in the Cotswolds  

Arrive at London Heathrow Airport where you will be met by your chauffeur guide. First, you’ll visit Windsor Castle, the Queen’s former favorite residence, to explore the interiors and grounds of this famous palace. Continue to the beautiful rolling countryside of the Cotswolds for a two-night stay at the Seagrave Arms in the village of Weston Subedge or Stow Lodge in Stow-on-the-Wold. Enjoy dinner tonight at the Seagrave Arms or Stow Lodge.

 

Day 2) Stratford-Upon-Avon

Today, depart for nearby Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, one of the most influential poets and playwrights to ever live.  You’ll visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace, enjoy a private-guided walking tour of sights associated with Shakespeare’s life and time in Stratford, and visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a twelve-roomed farmhouse where Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare lived as a child. Return to your accommodation Gourmet dinner is included tonight.

 

Day 3) Sudeley Castle & Chastleton House

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 village of Winchcombe, with its numerous cafés and pubs for lunch. This 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. Choose form luxury afternoon tea at an idyllic Cotswold location or gourmet dinner.

 

Day 4) Hidcote Manor, Chipping Campden & Sezincote

This morning, depart for a scenic tour through a few Cotswold villages. Visit Hidcote Manor & Gardens, the greatest of all gardens, created by the talented American horticulturist, Major Lawrence Johnston. Continue to the pretty honey-colored stone village of Chipping Campden with its covered Jacobean market and a good selection of pubs for lunch. This afternoon, visit Sezincote House, featuring a renaissance-style garden beautifully set in the rolling Cotswold countryside. Optional hike through meadows from Broadway Tower to the pretty village of Broadway. Gourmet dinner is included tonight.

 

Day 5) Bath

Today, depart for Bath. In the morning, tour the incredibly preserved Roman Baths with an excellent self-guided audio tour (guides are not allowed in the Baths). After your visit to the Baths, head to the Pump Room, built between 1789-99, where you will have afternoon tea in its elegant interiors, the setting of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Afterwards, you’ll enjoy a private-guided walking tour visiting the splendid Georgian surroundings of the Royal Crescent and Circus, and the places which inspired Jane Austen’s famous novels. Late afternoon, continue to Rollestone Manor, Shrewton, a beautiful historic house located two miles from Stonehenge, for a two-night stay. Tonight, gourmet dinner is included at Rollestone Manor.

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Day 6) Stonehenge & Highclere

After breakfast, depart for 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 Highclere Castle, also known as Downton Abbey, where the much-loved TV series will become instantly recognizable. The first written records of the estate date back to 749 when an Anglo-Saxon King granted the estate to the Bishops of Winchester. Bishop William of Wykeham built a beautiful medieval palace and gardens in the park. Later, in 1679, the palace was rebuilt as Highclere Place House when it was purchased by Sir Robert Sawyer, the direct ancestor of the current Earl of Carnarvon. There are between 250 and 300 rooms in the Castle which you will explore along with the main state rooms so familiar from Downton Abbey. You will see some of the bedrooms after which you will follow the stairs down to the cellars and old staff quarters where you will find the Egyptian Exhibition, celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon's discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Stroll in the castle’s gardens and browse around the lovely gift shop. Your second gourmet dinner is included at Rollestone Manor tonight.

 

Day 7) Oxford & Blenheim Palace

Today, depart for Blenheim Palace and the famous university town of Oxford. In the morning, visit 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 birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. On departure, stop in Bladon, the resting place of Winston Churchill, alongside other members of the Churchill family, at St Martin’s Parish Church, just outside Blenheim Palace grounds. This afternoon, enjoy a private-guided walking tour of Oxford, known as the “City of Dreaming Spires” and home to England’s oldest university. Walk through the impressive campus buildings that are still home to the university’s main ceremonial and educational functions, admiring the impressive architecture. Arrive at the Randolph Hotel in the heart of Oxford for an overnight stay. This grand historic five-star Victorian hotel has long been Oxford’s landmark hotel in the heart of the town.

 

Day 8) London Heathrow Airport

Depart Oxford for London Heathrow Airport for your return flight. If time permits, visit Windsor Castle. 

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