Day 1: Following your home taxi collection we join our luxury tour coach and make our way to Oxfordshire and our hotel for the next 4 nights, the 4 star Doubletree by Hilton Belfry on a dinner bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2: After breakfast we set off on a wonderful scenic drive into the beautiful Cotswolds Countryside. Our first stop is Stow-on-the-Wold, a quintessential English town with mellow Cotswold stone buildings, a fine selection of shops, chic bistros, Cotswold inns and cosy tea shops. Our afternoon stop is Burford, with a broad main High Street lined with old houses, cottages and shop fronts which appear to have changed little for hundreds of years. Take time to explore the side streets and snatch glimpses of hidden treasures through intriguing alleyways and courtyards between the 17th and 18th century buildings. We return to our hotel via the rolling scenery of the Cotswolds hills.
Day 3: Today we make the short trip into Oxford where you will have a full day to explore. We are used to seeing Oxford on our screens with Morse, Lewis and many other TV shows and films, and more recently Harry Potter. However, like many historic cities, full of little gems and hidden passages, the best way to the heart of Oxford is by foot. Known as the ‘City of Spires,’ this iconic city was founded in Saxon times and has been home to scholars for the last 800 years. Some even dub Oxford the “Brains of a nation” – though Cambridge academics may disagree! As you wander the streets, you will see some of the oldest colleges, wander beneath the Bridge of Sighs, discover its green spaces, and soak in the atmosphere. You could climb Carfax Tower, visit the Ashmolean Museum or walk in the footsteps of Tolkien, Lewis Carrol and 38 former Prime Ministers. You’re simply strolling amongst history at every turn, and so, even enjoying a drink in a historic inn, or exploring the covered market, dating back to 1774, feels like you’re stepping back in time.
Day 4: This morning we head to the Cotswolds second largest town Tetbury. Set in an area of outstanding beauty, it is where the private home of King Charles III and Camilla Queen Consort of the United Kingdom is located. Tetbury was an important market for Cotswold wool and yarn during the Middle Ages. Today, it is better associated with boutique shops, great food, and of course its Royal Connections. This afternoon we visit Westonbirt Arboretum which has over 18,000 trees from all over the world. The arboretum is in 2 areas with 17 miles of way-marked trails. There is the formal arboretum which contains many fine specimens including most of the rhododendrons and magnolias. The acers look great in Spring with their mellow tints whilst the older and more mature trees are coloured with emerald green.
Day 5: Sadly this morning we depart our hotel and make our way to Blenheim Palace. Set in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace is considered to be one of the finest baroque houses in the country. It was a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his famous victory over the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Inside the Palace you will find a superb collection of tapestries, paintings, porcelain and furniture in the magnificent State Rooms. Sir Winston Churchill was born in the Palace in 1874 and a permanent exhibition about him is located next to his birth room - both are included in the Palace tour. A state-of-the-art visitor experience is open in the heart of the Palace called 'Blenheim Palace: the Untold Story'. Dramatic moments from the last 300 years of history at Blenheim Palace are brought to life through animatronic figures and innovative film and projection technology, seen through the eyes of the servants. Surrounding the Palace are over 2,000 acres of beautiful 'Capability Brown' parkland, lakes, fountains and formal gardens. A miniature train connects the Palace to the Pleasure Gardens. An impressive lake crossed by a bridge leads up to Blenheim Palace giving what must be one of the most picturesque and photographed scenes in the UK.
After our visit we continue for Norfolk, where our door to door service will be waiting to return you home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast (Dinner will be a 3 course seated menu)
Price: £635pp
Single Supplement: £nil (Limited Availability)
Additional Singles Beyond Allocation From: £140 (Will be allocated a small double room for sole occupancy)
Insurance: TBC (Insurance not currently available for 2025)
Tour Reference: AWE4993
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 8 weeks prior to departure