- Small group tour with maximum 16 people
- Expert, friendly guide
- Fully guided tours in Burford, Bibury, Bourton on the Water and Stow on the Wold
- Scenic countryside route to see over the hedgerows, where the big buses cannot go!
- Photo stop in Woodstock and entry to magnificent Blenheim Palace and gardens
- Two course lunch in one of England's oldest pubs
- Travel in executive, air conditioned minicoach
Detailed Tour description
Enjoy a fully guided day tour to England's delightful and beautiful Cotswolds villages, with a pub lunch and entry to Blenheim Palace & Gardens included. With our smaller vehicles we divert away from the crowds and hit the narrow country lanes visiting hidden villages like Minster Lovell & Bibury, while combining the tour with the well known larger Cotswold towns like Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold. Fully guided all the way!
Only an hour and a half's journey time from London and you enter a different world. Big city life dissolves away to wide open spaces, chuckling streams and honey-coloured stone cottages. We drive through the market town of Witney and follow the narrow lanes of the Windrush Valley to Minster Lovell, with it's ribbon of thatched cottages lining the main street. Meandering onwards through Asthall and Swinbrook we come across Burford, the elegant market town, that made its fortune centuries ago through the affluent wool trade, a trade that the Cotswolds was renowned for across all of Europe. Here we take a guided walk to the 900 year old church of St John the Baptist and see unique woolsack tombs and historic memorials.
After some free time we depart the River Windrush and continue down to the neighbouring Coln Valley. From here we drive over to Bibury, "the prettiest village in England", according to the art critic and writer William Morris. We can walk along the picturesque Arlington Row, one of the most photographed group of cottages in the country dating back to 1380, and enjoy the clear trout filled stream and village green.
A single track country lane will take us up further up the Coln Valley through Ablington and Coln Rogers and onto the 2,000 year old Roman Fosse Way. Hamlets of stone cottages huddle together on the hillsides while flocks of sheep graze on th
e roadside. Along this delightful secluded valley we make a stop at the ancient stone church at Coln St Dennis, then onwards to Bourton-on-the-Water, the Venice of the Cotswolds with its stream running through the centre of the village criss crossed with stone bridges. Picture postcard houses nestle either side of the River Windrush as we follow the narrow lanes up to Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds. This attractive market town was the centre of the wool trade in the area when up to 2,000 sheep would be bought and sold on a busy trading day! We can admire the wide town square and the views from the hilltop before our traditional lunch at one of the oldest inns in the country, with parts going back over 1,000 years.
We continue our guided tour after lunch down to Woodstock and the magnificent Blenheim Palace, the largest privately owned house in the country and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. This opulent stately home was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and built between 1704 and 1722 for Sir John Churchill as a reward for defeating the French in the Wars of Spanish Succession. Beautiful landscaped grounds designed by Lancelot Capability Brown surround the Palace. Explore the opulent interior, see the room where Sir Winston Churchill was born and marvel at the great dinning hall and library. A wonderful way to end the day before our return to London.
On the return to London your driver will drop you at Victoria Train Station in the city centre. This is one of the largest transport stations in London, with excellent connections to all parts of London and beyond.
Price Includes
- Fully guided lecture standard tour
- Guided tours in Burford, Bibury, Bourton-on-the-water, Upper & Lower Slaughter and Stow on the Wold
- Drive through the back-roads to see stunning hamlets and villages including Minster Lovell & Swinbrook
- Scenic countryside route to see over the hedgerows, where the big buses cannot go!
- Photo stop in Woodstock for Blenheim Palace
- Two course English pub lunch
- All travel in luxury, executive minibus
Why choose this tour?
On this tour you will be travelling with no more than 16 other people - guaranteed! Our purpose-built minibuses have large windows, good air circulation and clear PA systems so that your professional guide can escort you comfortably through our wonderful country. Our itineraries are carefully planned (with many years of experience) so that you discover as much as possible, without spending too much time on the road.
As we travel in smaller vehicles, we normally use the most scenic routes, where large coaches are prohibited from travelling. Additionally, as our group sizes are smaller we are able to spend more time out of the vehicle. We also employ only the very best driver/guides.
Friendly and Professional Guides - Small Groups - More Scenic Routes - More Time Sightseeing - No Time Wasted Travelling around London - Great Value for Money
Departure Information
07.45AM Outside Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, 97 Cromwell Road, Kensington (opposite Ashburn Hotel, short walk from Gloucester Road tube station) (MAP)
This tour normally ends by approx. 6.30pm
If you intend to travel to our central London meeting points by public transport, you can plan your journey in advance on the Transport for London website - click here
Make the most of your time with us
We prefer to spend your valuable time touring the places you have chosen to visit and we therefore offer a choice of 3 meeting points, which are easily accessible by public transport from all parts of London. Many tours spend over an hour driving around the busy congested roads of London.
