Private Small Group Tour to Oxford, the Cotswolds & Stratford

Fully refundable and amendable up until 14 days before travel

Hit three of England’s must-see attractions in one day on this private small-group tour to Oxford, the Cotswolds, and Stratford-upon-Avon. Visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare, discover Cotswold villages including Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold, and stroll among the secluded cloisters of Oxford. Travel in a small group with your private driver/guide for a more personal experience, and reach parts of the pretty countryside the larger coaches can’t pass. This tour gives you the flexibility to explore at your own pace, with the added benefit of expert guidance when planning your trip.

Highlights

Visit Oxford, the Cotswolds, and Stratford-upon-Avon in comfort from London
Stroll beneath the dreaming spires of Oxford, where famous actors, authors, poets, and politicians have mastered their craft
Admire the timber-framed Tudor buildings of Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace
Take the road less-travelled through the Cotswolds to Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold
Choose the level of driver and guide service to match your preferences
Private, small-group tour gives you the freedom to explore your way
Tour includes round-trip travel from all Central (Zone 1 &2) London and Heathrow addresses

Service Options

We have three services, tailored to cater to a range of budgets and preferences.

Driver only
An experienced driver who is familiar with our touring routes, but does not guide or offer commentary. Should you book this service, you will visit Stratford upon Avon, the Cotswolds and Oxford independently.

Driver/guide
With this service level, your experienced driver will guide and offer commentary from the vehicle.

Driver with guide
This is one of our most popular options. You’ll have an experienced driver and a separate professional guide on your tour, who can guide from the vehicle and lead you on walking tours in Stratford-upon-Avon, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Oxford.

When booking this service, you’ll need to allow a seat for the guide. For example, booking this service for 8-16 people will allow seats for a party of 15 passengers plus the guide.

The services above do not include entries or meals, but we are of course very happy to help with this. Should you wish to include entry tickets or meal bookings, please see our FAQs tab.

Booking procedure

Once we have received your booking, our expert staff will finalise your itinerary based on your locations and pick up address. They will then secure the best driver and where applicable, guides for your tour.

We may make suggestions and amendments to ensure you maximise your time spent touring. Occasionally additional fees may be applicable in order to accommodate all of your requests e.g where itineraries will require unusually early or late starts or finishes, or if additional pick ups and drop offs are required. If you do have any special requests we recommend you contact us before booking.

Your Day

Your private day trip from London begins with collection from your London or Heathrow address. We can collect from your hotel lobby, air bnb, airport arrival terminal, train station, guest house or private address. The first stop on your day trip is Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Here, there will be some time to explore the town, home to a remarkable array of timber framed Tudor buildings that survive from Shakespeare's lifetime, including his church, school and birthplace. There will also be a chance to stop for a photo outside of his wife's childhood home, Anne Hathaway's cottage in Shottery.

Your chauffeur will then use the narrow country lanes to visit off the beaten track places, including idyllic Burford, vibrant and charming Bourton on the Water, sleepy Taynton and the picturesque twins of Great and Little Rissington, your journey featuring plenty of meandering streams and sleepy hamlets. The next stop is the delightful town of Stow-on-the-Wold with its village green and historic market square. The town boasts some fine historic pubs and traditional tea rooms, in which you can stop for lunch.

The final stop on your private tour is the ancient university city of Oxford. Stroll around the city and discover ancient college buildings, quadrangles and narrow back streets. Subject to opening times, you may wish to enter the University's oldest classroom, the beautiful and historic 15th Century Divinity School. Walk the same cobbled streets that famous writers, artists, inventors and statesmen have walked over centuries past.

Recommended Timings

	Time	Schedule
Departs	08:00am	London
Arrives	10:15am	Stratford Upon Avon
Departs	11:45am	Stratford Upon Avon
Arrives	12:30pm	Cotswolds
Departs	1:30pm	Cotswolds
Arrives	3:00pm	Oxford
Departs	4:30pm	Oxford
Arrives	6:30pm	London

Please note that all timings above are estimated and assuming normal traffic conditions. Due to the changeable nature of road conditions, we cannot guarantee a precise time when you will arrive back in London.

Attraction Entries

We strongly recommend you pre-book your entries to any attractions that you know you wish to enter. Please refer to the timings above to book the correct times for your entries.

Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford Upon Avon can be booked here

There are many things to see and do in Oxford. Some of the popular places to visit include:

Bodlian library can be booked here
St Marys Tower can be booked here
Ashmolean Museum can be booked here

Are entries to the attractions and meals included?

Attraction entries and meals are not included in the prices for private tours. We can of course make recommendations and assist with this if needed.

We strongly recommend you pre-book your entries to any attractions that you know you wish to enter. Please refer to the timings under the "Your Day" tab to book the correct times for your entries.

Please be aware that some attractions do not allow guiding inside the premises. If you have booked a guide to accompany you for the day they will assist you with your entry and give guiding commentary between attractions, but will have to adhere to the attractions guiding policy once inside.

Is this service only available from London or Heathrow?

The advertised prices are based on pick up and drop off from Central London (Zone 1 & 2) or Heathrow. But we can also offer this service from selected locations outside Central London on request. Please email your enquiry to [email protected] for further details.

How much luggage can I bring?

When booking private tours where you will have luggage (e.g. starting or ending at a cruise terminal or airport), please ensure you check the below for information regarding vehicle luggage capacity.

Booking 1-3 people, the vehicle will accommodate up to 2 large cases and 2 small (carry on) bags
Booking 1-6 people, the vehicle will accommodate up to 6 large cases and 6 small (carry on) bags
Booking 7-16 people, the vehicle will accommodate up to 12 large cases and 12 small (carry on) bags

Large cases must have a maximum weight of 23kg per case, small cases a maximum 10kg per case.

Should you wish to bring any mobility aids (wheelchairs or walkers) you MUST contact us in advance to let us know. We will require full dimensions and weight. These items must be able to be folded and stored in the luggage hold. Wheelchairs must be counted as 1 item of your hold luggage.

Are there any time limitations?

All private tour prices are based on a maximum of 11 hours for driver safety. Our office staff are experts in being able to help you plan your route in advance to help you get the most out of your day. On the day of your tour our experienced team of drivers and guides will also be able to help and advise you if they need to make time or route alterations depending on prevailing traffic conditions.

All British professional driver working hours are regulated by law in the interests of your safety. Our standard scheduled itineraries are compliant with the current regulations. If you feel you would like to arrange a more bespoke itinerary this will require detailed planning and preparation. In this situation we recommend you email us at [email protected] or call us on on 01843 609699 so we can discuss and help plan your perfect day out.