London and the English Countryside Tour/Vacation
For individuals this is a perfect tour for exploring London and the English countryside on a budget or it can be upgraded to a luxury hotel and a private driver. You independently make you way around London on the underground and then join set departure tours when visiting the English countryside, with an experienced tour guide and driver. The detailed day by day itinerary takes the stress out navigating your way around London allowing you more time to visit the attractions.
Sample Inclusions - London and the English Countryside
The tour has been combined with the beautiful English countryside by joining set departure tours from London, making the tour affordable.
You can either stay in a bed and breakfast or upgrade to a luxury hotel in London.
Tickets for the London underground will be included so that you can easily make your way around London.
It includes London's major sights and therefore a perfect tour for the first time visitor.
Tickets for the theatre can be arranged to ensure that you have seats secured for the performance of your choice.
The itinerary is a suggestion only and can be tailored around your budget.
Sample Itinerary - London and the English Countryside Tour
Day One - Board your flight to London.
Day Two - Arrive into either London Gatwick or Heathrow Airport and take the express train into London. Check-in at your centrally located bed and breakfast, your base for the next 7 nights followed by the rest of the day at leisure to rest and relax after your long journey or the opportunity for some independent sightseeing.
Day Three - Opportunity to explore some of London's famous markets to include Camden Lock (clothes, food, artwork, antiques and music), Covent Garden (crafts and jewellery) and Petticoat Lane (clothes, toys and electronic goods). This will be followed by an afternoon River Tour of London.
Day Four - After breakfast take the London underground for the journey to the Tower of London for a visit to one of the most famous fortified buildings in the world and begun in 1078 by William the Conqueror, the Tower has been a palace, prison, treasury, arsenal and even a zoo! Today the Tower houses the priceless Crown Jewels. Also on view are the Medieval Palace, the infamous Bloody Tower and over 90 inscriptions made by prisoners in the Beauchamp Tower. On then to the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre for a backstage theatre tour, offering a fascinating introduction to the world-famous Globe Theatre and life in Shakespeare's London. Discover Elizabethan Bankside - the city of London's playground, see a sword-fighting display, find out how actors are dressed in handmade costumes and take a tour of today's working theatre - brought vividly to life by one of the story-teller guides. Finally enjoy a ride on the London Eye, the world's largest observation wheel offering a spectacular way to take in over 55 of London's most famous landmarks.
Day Five - Today make your way to the departure point for a fascinating set departure tour to three of our national treasures to include Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Georgian Bath with the services of a luxury motor coach and professional blue-badge guide. Your coach returns you to London for overnight.
Windsor Castle
Built high above the River Thames, Windsor Castle has been home to the
Royal Family for 900 years and is still an Official Residence of the
Queen. We visit the magnificent State Apartments, still used for State
occasions and Royal receptions. Take some time to explore the castle
grounds and the fourteenth-century St. George's Chapel, one of the most
beautiful examples of medieval church architecture in England and a burial
place of Kings and Queens, including Henry VIII and his third wife Jane
Seymour.
Stonehenge
Clouded in mystery, the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge is an amazing
feat of engineering and the most important prehistoric site in England, but beyond its archaeological significance and possible astronomical
role, Stonehenge is also a place of spiritual importance. Early legends
link it with Merlin and King Arthur, but over the last hundred years
the midsummer sunrise has attracted pagan groups and followers of the
Ancient Order of Druids.
Bath
Also visit the beautiful Georgian City of Bath and take you on a panoramic
tour of some of the finest architectural sights in Europe, including
Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent, the Circus, Assembly Rooms and the famous
Pulteney Bridge. Explore the Roman Baths, built around thermal springs,
which have been supplying water for over 2,000 years. In Roman times
a great Temple was built next to the sacred spring - the waters were
believed to have healing properties and attracted visitors from across
the Roman Empire.
Day Six - Take the London underground for a morning visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum containing ceramics, furniture, fashion, glass, jewellery, metalwork, photographs, sculpture, textiles and paintings, and home to 3000 years' worth of amazing artefacts from many of the world's richest cultures. Highlights include the breathtaking Cast Courts, the national collection of paintings by Constable, the largest collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture outside Italy and the stunning British Galleries, illustrating the history of Britain through the country's art and design. On then for an afternoon visit to Westminster Abbey, one of Britain's finest Gothic buildings founded by Edward the Confessor in the eleventh century. Coronations, marriages and funerals of British monarchs have taken place there ever since, including the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. Visitors can see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, Royal Tombs, the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor, the Coronation Chair, the Lady Chapel and Poets' Corner as well as the Royal Chapels.
Day Seven - Today make your way to the departure point for another
set departure tour to the Cotswolds, a land that is forever England
with rolling landscapes and charming thatched-cottage villages, steeped
in history. A delicious afternoon tea will be served
in a traditional Cotswold village and it will include the services of
a luxury motor coach and a professional blue-badge guide. Your
coach returns you to London for overnight.
Great Tew
When we think of a typical Cotswold village Great Tew must be it. One
of the most picturesque villages in the area, the charming collection
of thatched cottages, the traditional post office and the local pub and
post office give the village an atmosphere of times gone by.
Moreton in Marsh
Located at the head of the beautiful Evenlode Valley Moreton is a thriving
market town, dating back 1,000 years to the Saxon era.
Bourton on the Water
Often described as the ' Venice of the Cotswolds' because of the bridges
spanning the River Windrush in the centre of the village. Bourton on
the Water is regularly voted the prettiest village in England and has
more than its share of quaint Cotswold houses and villages.
Burford
The wide high street is fronted by fine houses dating back to the 17th
and 18th century and slopes down to the River Windrush, making this one
of the most charming of Cotswolds towns. Here we will enjoy a splendid
traditional afternoon tea before taking a leisurely drive back to London.
Day Eight - Today take the train for the journey to Hampton Court Palace for a morning visit. Cardinal Worsley transformed the palace into a lavish Royal residence during the 16th century. Favoured home to Henry VIII, George II and William III, the Palace was refashioned by Christopher Wren in 1689, creating the beautiful Baroque style east front. The State Apartments of Henry VIII feature some of the most magnificent rooms in the Palace, including the Chapel Royal and the Great Hall and it is set in 60 acres of riverside gardens. Return to London by train in time for some last minute shopping.
Day Nine - Take either the Heathrow or Gatwick Express to the Airport for your return flight home.
Tours of Excellence
16 Lockwood View
Preston Brook
Cheshire
WA7 3NB
ENGLAND
Telephone -
0151 339 0640
Email - paula@toursofexcellence.com
Web address - www.toursofexcellence.com
