Day 1: Begins with a short drive to Hampton Court Palace, where we'll take an interesting walking tour of the park and gardens, hear the history of the palace, and admire some fine architecture. A short coffee stop, then a motorway drive to Salisbury. After an interesting tour of the famous C13th Cathedral, including the Chapter House and Magna Carta, we enjoy a good pub lunch. The experience may come as a pleasant surprise to any of you who remember the bad old days when all a pub ever offered by way of food was a ploughman's lunch or a cheese or ham roll; you'll discover that standards have risen considerably! Salisbury is also an ideal place to give the shoppers in the group an opportunity to pick up a souvenir or two. Leaving Salisbury, we head North, and make a short journey to Stonehenge, examine the structure and hear the theories, before we visit a less well-known series of equally impressive megalithic structures around Avebury. It's now late afternoon and time to head for our destination for tonight. We stay in or close to one of Wiltshire's charming little towns, like Marlborough, Devizes, or Frome. |
Day 2: A good breakfast will revive those who got too carried away on last night's pub-crawl, and we'll be on our way by 9 am if possible, as there's lots more to see today. The day begins with a brief look at one of the famous White Horses of the area before traveling into the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds region. Here, we'll explore a village or two before taking a good lunch at a historic old tavern. Woodstock is our next destination, where we enjoy a bracing and picturesque walking tour of Blenheim Park. Sir Winston Churchill was born here at the Palace, and you'll hear all about the history of the Spencer-Churchills and the Dukes of Marlborough. Our final port of call is Oxford town and its' world-famous University. We tour a college, hear about some of the famous (and infamous!) characters who have passed through these doors, then take a final afternoon tea in the town. A motorway journey of a little over an hour will take us to London, arriving early evening. A verdict often heard at the conclusion of this fantastic value trip is 'we did more in two days with you, than we could have done in four or five on our own!' Perhaps that best explains its' popular appeal. |
Tour cost is £900, which covers the cost of your A/C Minivan carrying up to 8 persons, with full driver-guide's service, parking, fuel and all miles driven. Complimentary drinks and occasional snacks are provided along the way. The cost includes your driver-guide's hotel/subsistence expenses. We can arrange guest house/inn/hotel accommodations from £70 per twin or double room, £90 a family room per night including breakfast, or you can go on-line and choose your own with our help. Please note that meals, entry fees to the sites visited and gratuities (discretionary) are not included. Total luggage handling throughout. IMPORTANT! Before trying to book an AWAY tour with me please first check availability with my online diary, then email me to have your tour dates/details/prices confirmed. |
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April 18, 2010