London, the Cotswolds and Oxford Small Group Tour

Whether you’re arriving from the UK or an international location, there’s a wealth of options from which to choose, making London an easy city to access. We’ll be delighted to help with your travel plans.

Today you check in to your hotel just to the west of Marble Arch and the West End. Perhaps arrive early and make a day of it, discovering a little of the city under your own steam, including nearby Portobello Market, always a delightful hive of activity on a Sunday.

In the evening, meet your tour leader and fellow travellers at the hotel, then stroll to welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant, a chance to get to know one another before a fun week together.

Your Accommodation in London

In the heart of fashionable Notting Hill, your hotel is a breath of fresh air amidst the bustle of the city. Guests are invited to relax with a coffee or cocktail in the colourful bar, while the bedrooms are a peaceful haven, with triple-glazed, floor-to-ceiling windows and a host of thoughtful touches to make your stay a comfortable one.

An exciting day in store. Take an early breakfast – there’s no shortage of items on your hotel’s menu – before an easy two-minute stroll to the Tube station. Feel like a proper Londoner as you board the Central Line train for the 10-minute journey to the heart of the West End and make your way to the British Museum.

Home to the world’s largest permanent collection – comprising some eight-million items from across the globe – the British Museum brings the story of human culture to life. This morning you’ll enjoy a leisurely visit, with plenty of time to stroll the collection in the company of your guide and perhaps take refreshment and a snack at leisure in the jaw-dropping Great Court.

Back on the Tube for a two-stop ride to Embankment Station on the River Thames, boarding point for the Thames Clipper. Prior to boarding, enjoy a welcome drink – tea, coffee or your favourite tipple – the sun will certainly be over the yardarm.

Then it’s time for an evocative and gentle meander down the Thames. From this wonderful perspective you’ll see some of the city’s most famous sights, including the London Eye , Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

Disembarking at Greenwich, enjoy lunch at leisure at a nearby inn, before a visit to one of the most historically and culturally significant places in the world: Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Delivering a fascinating and entertaining visit back in time, here you’ll learn how time was standardized, how the first telescope was made and how science and astronomy has changed through the ages. You’ll also enjoy the fabulous, panoramic view of London.

Stroll back down the hill towards the river, then it’s time to make your way westwards via Docklands Light Railway and Tube to Notting Hill. Take this evening at leisure, perhaps with dinner in one of Notting Hill’s many restaurants or pubs.

A more relaxed day today, with a later start, making your way across the city by Tube to St Paul’s Cathedral. Surely one of the UK’s most recognisable structures, Christopher Wren’s 17th-century masterpiece is the second-largest cathedral in the world (after St Peter’s Basilica in Rome) and has borne witness to many historical milestones. Today, you’ll enjoy a private guided Triforium tour, including access to the Library aisle, the Library, the Trophy Room and Great Model, as well as a spectacular view down from the top of the iconic Geometric Staircase and another down the nave from above the Great West Doors.

You’ll have some time to wander and perhaps reflect at the Cathedral, before lunch at leisure.

After lunch, stroll through some of London’s oldest streets, perhaps taking in a mediaeval close or historic hidden garden on the way to Philpot Lane, location of Sky Garden. Travel in the high-speed elevators to floor 37, to the city’s highest public garden and enjoy stupendous panoramic views from this ‘indoor hill’ set across three floors.

Back on the ground, stroll to Liverpool Street station and take the swift Tube-ride back to Notting Hill, where you have the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure.

Pack your bags for today and set off by private vehicle to London Paddington station, boarding the Great Western Railway service to Moreton-in-Marsh. Here at this classic Cotswolds market town, you’ll be met by a vehicle for your luggage, allowing you to make the few minutes’ walk to your hotel unhindered.

Take lunch at leisure at your hotel, or any one of the many cafes and inns nearby.

After lunch, enjoy a guided walking tour of Moreton-In-Marsh. Get under the skin of the town’s wide High Street, lined with fine 17th- and 18th-century architecture, including an inn where Charles I took shelter during the Civil War.

Take the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure, ready for a full day out tomorrow.

Your Hotel in the Cotswolds

In a prominent position in the ever-prosperous market town of Moreton-in-Marsh, your accommodation is a refined independent hotel, with roots dating back to the 16th century. The honey-coloured sandstone exterior screams ‘Cotswolds’, while the recently upgraded and refurbished interior features a choice of dining, a relaxing bar and stylish, cossetting bedrooms. There’s also a fabulous garden where you’re invited to spend time as often as you wish.

A great day in the Cotswolds today, setting off from your hotel by private vehicle, your first stop the quite fabulous birthplace of Winston Churchill: Blenheim Palace. You’ll have the whole morning to explore the palace itself and its collection of art, tapestry and antiques, as well as the vast park and gardens, including 150 acres of formal garden designed by Capability Brown.

Enjoy lunch at leisure in the in-house pantry cafe before making the short trip to Bibury, for a walking tour of one of the world’s prettiest villages, followed by some time to yourself in this bucolic location.

You’ll return to your hotel in plenty of time for dinner and evening at leisure

Enjoy a lavish Cotswolds breakfast this morning, before making the few minutes’ stroll to Moreton-In-Marsh railway station to catch the train for the short ride to Oxford. You’ll enjoy an easy walking tour of this most historic – and walkable – of cities.

You’ll enjoy the unique opportunity to walk inside Oxford University, hearing stories of the interview process and the institution’s traditions and of course taking in its wonderful architecture.. See also the world-famous jewels of the Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera and the Bridge of Sighs, and some of the often-missed hidden corners of this unspeakably beautiful city.

Having worked up an appetite, perhaps take a relaxed lunch at the famous covered indoor market, where a vast range of local producers and retailers have been offering fresh treats and artisan food and crafts for some 250 years. Round off the day with a couple of hours to yourself perhaps to stroll the city, visit a world-class museum, or take refreshment at an ancient inn.

After the short train-ride back to Moreton-in-Marsh, meet your fellow travellers and tour leader for a farewell dinner at your hotel

After breakfast, your luggage will be transported to the railway stations as you follow on foot, arriving in plenty of time to catch the return train to London Paddington.