Itinerary

Day 1: Our adventure in England will start in the early afternoon with a leisurely walk through the Borough of Chelsea and Kensington and the Kensington Gardens, before a narrated, double-decker bus tour of London. You will get oriented in the city and get a preview of sights that we'll explore in depth on the following days: the Buckingham Palace, the Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament with the Big Ben, the City, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, the London Eye, St. Paul's Cathedral and more. When we tire of the sights, we'll end the day with the welcome dinner at an elegant restaurant. You'll have a chance to get to know other travelers and enjoy an informal discussion about the light side of London.
Meals: D

Day 2: On our first full day in England, we'll go back in time to the Middle Ages and see London through the eyes of medieval pilgrims and travelers. We'll start with a cruise on the Thames for the river approach to the Tower of London. After an in-depth exploration of this amazing medieval complex, we'll take in the Tower Bridge, then stop for lunch at a traditional English pub. In the afternoon, we'll get the unsurpassed panoramic view of the city from London Eye, the world's largest, and slowest, Ferris Wheel.
Meals: B, L

Day 3: Today, we'll start with the best museums of England, and end with the best entertainment. In the morning, we'll tour the British Museum, and focus on Egyptian and ancient art, then we'll continue to Trafalgar Square for an individual exploration of the National Gallery, with some of the world's most celebrated art, then a visit to the National Portrait Gallery to put faces on historical figures that you've been hearing about. We'll have dinner in a contemporary restaurant with the best view of London skyline, and in the evening we'll enjoy one of the highlights of visiting London: a modern play at a West End theatre.
Meals: B, D

Day 4: After the excitement of London, today we'll explore another quintessential English passion: gardens and cultivated open spaces. We'll travel to the magical Kew Gardens, full of countless displays of exotic botanicals. We'll tour the gardens with a botanist guide, then take a leisurely lunch at the Orangery. In the afternoon, we'll cruise down the Thames River, past some of London's landmark sights and through the "fairytale come alive" English countryside. After arriving back in Westminster, we'll stop at Westminster Abbey, England's coronation church, to admire its architecture and to listen to its choir perform the evensong.
Meals: B, L

Day 5: After the quiet of gardens and cathedrals, today we'll continue our exploration of London 's modern pleasures. In the morning, we'll visit Buckingham Palace and Gardens, Her Majesty the Queen's London residence. The visit will allow for a rare peak into both the royal art collection and the royal spaces. For lunch, we'll enjoy a formal afternoon tea, and we'll spend the rest of the afternoon shopping at Harrod's or pursuing other individual interests in London.
Meals: B, L

Day 6: We'll leave London in the morning to search for more architectural and historical gems scattered throughout the English countryside. Our first stop will be the Windsor Castle, the largest, continuously occupied castle in the world, which encapsulates the 900 years of British history. In the afternoon, we'll visit the university town of Oxford where we'll take a literary walking tour with a Blue Badge guide. We'll arrive in Minster Lovell and the Old Swan, a country house turned sophisticated hotel, and our home in the Cotswolds for the next 3 nights, and enjoy a leisurely, traditional English dinner.
Meals: B, D

Day 7: Today, we'll set out to explore one of the most beloved regions of England, the charismatic Cotswolds. We'll start with an easy hike through the "Middle Earth" villages of Lower and Upper Slaughter, then relax in charming Bourton-on-the-Water, before continuing to the picture perfect village of Bibury for another short walk and to the honey-colored market town of Stow-on-the-Wold. In the evening, we'll dine on English specialties at a traditional Gloucestershire pub, and we'll toast our adventures with real English ales.
Meals: B, L

Day 8: After a hearty English breakfast, we'll travel south. Our first stop will be the prehistoric Stonehenge, considered the most important prehistoric monument in the world. Afterwards, we'll head to the Roman-built city of Bath. The Regency style Bath, a World Heritage City will enchant you with its doll-house design, its history and its literary associations. We'll tour the Roman Baths, have some free time for afternoon tea at the Pump Room, then we'll take a walking tour, following in the steps of Jane Austen. We'll return to our hotel in the evening, and enjoy the farewell dinner at the Old Swan Restaurant.
Meals: B, L, D

Day 9: This is our last day in England. We'll say good-bye to London and the English Countryside, and take with us memories to last a lifetime. We'll be leaving Old Swan after breakfast to arrive in Heathrow at 10AM, so please schedule your return flight no earlier than 12 noon, and if you're extending your stay in England, the tour leader will assist you with planning your time.
Meals: B

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