Suggested Itinerary
Day 1 – Blenheim Palace
Board our private executive coach at your preferred pick up points – stop at a convenient property en route such as Blenheim Palace, the home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and set in beautiful parkland of 2,100 acres landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760’s – continue to the 4* Oxford Belfry Hotel.
Day 2 – Oxford & The Ashmolean Museum
Guided tour of the City of Dreaming Spires taking in the architecture and traditions of Oxford’s university and other famous buildings and institutions – The Ashmolean Museum was Britain’s first public museum founded in 1683 and is home to the University of Oxford’s world class collections of art and archaeology.
Day 3 – Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s Birthplace & Shakespeare's New Place
After a scenic drive through the Cotswolds, visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage which was still owned by her descendants until the late 19th century and contains the Hathaway bed and many other items of furniture owned by the family – guided tour of Stratford upon Avon taking in Shakespeare’s Birthplace, where rooms are furnished to recreate the interiors as they might have been in the 1570s and Shakespeare's New Place, the site that was his family home for 19 years where we uncover the fascinating story of why the house is no longer there and discover beautiful gardens and specially commissioned artworks.
Day 4 – Charlecote Park & Compton Verney
The National Trust’s Charlecote Park has been home to the Lucy Family for over 700 years and its mellow brickwork and great chimneys seem to sum up the very essence of Tudor England – the award winning art gallery at Compton Verney is located in the setting of a Grade I listed Robert Adam mansion and our guided tour examines its outstanding collection of British, Neapolitan, Germanic and Chinese paintings.
Day 5 – Christ Church Picture Gallery
The Picture Gallery at Christ Church in Oxford is one of the most important private collections of Old Master drawings in the country including works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Dürer Raphael and Rubens – return to our original departure points with comfort stops en route.
Tour Features
4* hotel
Half board accommodation
All excursions & guided tours included
Blue Badge guide Days 2 to 4
Executive coach throughout
One free place per 10 paying passengers
Blenheim Palace
Introductory tour of Oxford
The Ashmolean Museum
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
Guided tour of Stratford upon Avon
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
Shakespeare's New Place
Charlecote Park
Compton Verney Art Gallery
Christ Church Picture Gallery
Hotel
Four nights on half board basis at the 4* Oxford Belfry Hotel. Located in a countryside setting thirteen miles from the famous university city of Oxford, facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, indoor swimming pool and sauna. All rooms are en suite.
Tailor-make this tour
Your tailor made tour
Here are some more suggested places of interest you might like to include:
- Bodleian Library - one of the oldest libraries in Europe includes the 17th century Convocation House where parliament was held during the Civil War and Duke Humfrey’s medieval library whose former readers have included writers such as Oscar Wilde, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien
- Radcliffe Camera - the first rotunda library built in Britain and the interior of the architectural icon of Oxford
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre - a behind the scenes tour exploring both the public and private areas of the Theatre, the origins of the RSC and the theatre making process
Tour Reviews
Reviews for Oxfordshire & Shakespeare’s Stratford upon Avon
Date of tour: September 2017
Just to let you know that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the tour to Stratford. The hotel was excellent. The food was very good and the staff were very helpful. The bedrooms were very comfortable and, being only on two floors, very accessible. The programme worked well each day and the timing was spot on with not too early a start and getting back by 5.30 at the latest each day. The theatre tour was terrific and the 3 guides were really excellent. The guide on the river trip was also great fun. Finally a big thank you to you and Damian for all your help in organising the holiday and we are looking forward to next year being just as successful.
MW, Raynes Park
Date of tour: June 2010
The holiday to Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Bath was another success. All my members were very happy with the itinerary. The hotel, the driver, the guide and last not but not least the weather. So my thanks to Damian for setting things up, Sandy for organising the holiday and to Mike and John for having built up a successful travel business with customer satisfaction as its prime goal.
TC, Italy
Call us on
020 7064 4970
to tailor this tour
for your group
Tailor make your group tour
Remember this itinerary is just our suggestion. Tailor make this tour exclusively for your group to suit your members’ budget or preferences. You could:
- stay at a 3* hotel
- for more (or fewer) days
- include different excursions – see ‘Tailor-make this tour’ tab for suggestions
- bring a specialist lecturer
- include all entrance fees & gratuities
Call us on
020 7064 4970
to tailor make the perfect tour
for your group
