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The Cotswolds with Highclere, Bath, Oxford & Stonehenge

8 DAYS, 7 NIGHTS | Cotswolds, Highclere, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon & Stonehenge
PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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.

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. 

 Just a few tour highlights:

  • Highclere Castle

  • Cotswolds villages

  • Elegant Bath

  • Oxford and Blenheim Palace

  • Stratford-upon-Avon

  • Stonehenge

CHOOSE YOUR ACCOMMODATION:

Superior Boutique

In this category, we have hand-picked five-star guest houses or smaller luxury hotels. These lodgings are often family owned and offer a truly unique, authentic and welcome atmosphere where you are more likely to engage with local people than in a higher-end hotel. Some tours involve a mixture of both Superior and Luxury Boutique.

Luxury Boutique 

Through years of travel experience, we have hand-picked luxury boutique hotels which are not only very comfortable in the traditional sense, but as importantly offer gourmet food and an ambience of lasting memory. All our hotel choices are of unique character, range from 4-star to 5-star, and are either downtown or enjoy a spectacular rural or village setting. 

Our detailed offer to you will specify the hotels recommended.

  Included with this private tour:
  • Seven nights hotel accommodation
  • Seven breakfast

  • Five gourmet 3-course dinners 

  • Two luxury afternoon teas

  • Your very own professional

       driver-guide and luxury vehicle

  • Airport meet & greet

  • All entrance fees

  • Private guided walking tours

  • Flexible itinerary

2023 Guideline Prices  

Subject to availability, you may choose
your own dates.

 

    $4,290 per person (group of 6 people)

    $4,690 per person (group of 4 people)

    $5,890 per person (group of 2 people)​

All prices are in US dollars and for Superior Boutique Lodgings based on sharing a room for double occupancy, 

 

For a full itinerary with details of all lodgings, and everything included in the tour price, please enquire.

This tour can be customized to your wishes or offered with luxury accommodation. Simply call, or email us with your specifics and we'll plan a program that's right for you.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Scotland
We would like to thank you for organizing a great trip that gave us a good overview of the different parts of Scotland.  Thank you also for all your efforts as I researched some family history too.  We would definitely suggest to anyone your company and appreciate all the attention to details and great communications along the way. Hopefully we can get back sometime soon in the future. 
Brian Livingstone - Tennessee

Scotland & England

If we had all of the money in the world to purchase a vacation and had all of the time in the world to plan a vacation, we would not have traded it for the vacation that Hugh Barnes and his team at Wanderlust planned for us.  It was the absolute trip of a lifetime and one of the best parts of it is that since we were together for 2 weeks; Hugh and his team became like a part of the family.  The attention to details, the seamless transitions from place to place, the extra information, and the ability to make last minute changes as we went along are invaluable.  Hugh and his team took care of all the flights, all the meals, all the driving and coordination, and provided us with the leeway to tweak things as we went. All we had to do was to make sure that we had ourselves on a plane in Columbus, Ohio to start the trip and Hugh and his team took over from there.  We didn’t have to think or worry about anything; we just sat back and enjoyed our vacation. Perfectly seamless.  On top of Hugh’s knowledge of the areas and sites that we visited; his connections and network of folks that are part of his team are amazing.  Private tour guides in each of the major cites that we visited were all set up for us.  The specific guides that Hugh uses have boundless energy and information about specific cities in England, Scotland, and Ireland!!  The hotels that he chose for us were amazing. The restaurants that he chose for us were incredible.  We could not have scripted a better vacation and we cannot wait to book our next trip to the UK with Wanderlust!!  
The decision is easy; there is no other company that we would even consider using again.  Hugh Barnes and his team at Wanderlust makes future decisions very easy; just call Hugh!! 

Ryan Hatfield and the Hatfield family - Ohio and Georgia

Yorkshire, Lake District, Cotswolds & Oxford

This was a trip we had thought about for a long time but couldn't imagine how to manage it. You put together a wonderful itinerary and made everything easy. Thank you for your wonderful service! We will happily recommend you to our family and friends!"

Ellen and Kim P. - New York

More Customer Reviews 

2025 Prices

 

Dates are subject to availability, you may choose your own dates.

 

    $4,290 per person (group of 6 people)

    $4,690 per person (group of 4 people)

    $5,890 per person (group of 2 people)​

All prices are in US dollars and for Superior Boutique Lodgings based on sharing a room for double occupancy, 

 

For a full itinerary with details of all lodgings, and everything included in the tour price, please enquire.

Want a luxury private tour? This tour can be customized to your wishes or offered with 5 star Luxury Boutique. Simply call, or email us with your specifics and we'll plan a program that's right for you.

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