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Blenheim Palace & Cotswolds Villages - Small Group Tour from London
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Blenheim Palace & Cotswolds Villages - Small Group Tour from London

Blenheim Palace & Cotswolds Villages - Small Group Tour from London Our Blenheim Palace and Cotswolds Villages tour from London takes you into the heart of the English countryside. This small group day trip with an expert tour guide includes lunch in a traditional
Every Saturday from £164 per Person
Includes a country pub lunch
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Cotswold Village
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BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 5, 2016: Old style city of Bourton on the Water in The Cotswolds know as Area Of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) in United Kingdom
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Our Blenheim Palace and Cotswolds Villages tour from London takes you into the heart of the English countryside. This small group day trip with an expert tour guide includes lunch in a traditional English pub. The tour visits the magnificent Blenheim Palace, set within 3000 acres of parkland with stunning gardens. Blenheim is one of the most spectacular palaces in England with a fabulous collection of art and furnishings and strong connections to the United States. Blenheim Palace is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Cotswolds is an area of outstanding natural beauty. A timeless scenery of medieval villages, gently rolling hills and pastures, winding country roads following ancient paths and across narrow streams.

The tour stops for lunch in a 14th century inn.

The tour operates with a maximum of 16 passengers and is available every Saturday from April to October. We pick up from three convenient locations in Central London.

The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is an area of outstanding natural beauty deep in the heart of the English countryside. It still retains an old-world charm of gently rolling hills, woodlands and sheep pastures. Our small group tour bus is able to follow some of the ancient winding roads not accessible to larger coaches as we pass through this exceptional scenery. Spend the morning visiting some of the medieval Cotswolds villages, including Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury & Bourton-on-the-Water. We will then head to the village of Burford to enjoy lunch in a traditional English pub. Your guide will explain the region’s history as he shows you around these villages. King Charles has owned a private house in the Cotswolds for many years where he can escape to the idyllic peace and beauty of the area.

Blenheim Palace

A State Room at Blenheim Palace

The afternoon begins with a relaxing drive along the narrow and windy country lanes to arrive at Blenheim Palace. Here, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of the magnificent state rooms, with free time to explore the gardens.

In 1704, the British army, led by General John Churchill, defeated King Louis XIV’s  French army in the Battle of Blenheim in present-day Germany. So significant a victory that Queen Anne awarded him the title Duke of Marlborough, gave him extensive lands and paid for the building of a grand palace called Blenheim Palace. Designed by the greatest architect of the day and with magnificent landscaped gardens, it continues to be one of the pre-eminent stately homes in England. The 9th Duke of Marlborough, due to a significant shortage of funds, went searching for a wealthy wife, and as was commonplace at the time, a marriage of convenience was forged with an American heiress, Consuelo Vanderbilt, who, following a marriage in New York in 1895, became the Duchess of Marlborough. Using her vast funds and a significant dowry valued at 88 million dollars in today’s currency, the house was restored to the standard you can see today, with magnificent entertaining rooms filled with fine art and priceless furniture and decorations. The younger son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough, Lord Randolph Churchill, also married an American heiress, Jenny Jerome. Their son, Winston, was born at Blenheim in 1874 and, after a spectacular military career, entered politics, becoming Britain’s heroic wartime Prime Minister. He is generally considered to be the greatest Englishman of all time.

Today there is a permanent exhibition at Blenheim honouring Sir Winston Churchill.

In 2018 President Trump was hosted to dinner in the state dining room by the British Prime Minister Theresa May.
As well as the magnificent Palace, visitors can enjoy the splendour of the landscaped grounds and stunning gardens, including what is popularly considered ‘the finest view in England’.
A visit to Blenheim is a must for all those interested in British heritage.

Itinerary:

  • 07:45: Depart from London.
  • 10:00: Our tour of the Cotswolds villages begins. Drive into the English countryside, along windy country lanes and through picture postcard villages like Witney, Minster Lovell, Asthall & Swinbrook
  • Visit Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds at nearly 800 ft. Enjoy a guided tour through the market square and along narrow cobbled streets.

    The Cotswolds Countryside

  • Take a spectacular journey through the Coln Valley, admiring the extraordinary landscape along the way. We’ll stop at the 13th Century stone church at Coln St Dennis before heading to Bourton-on-the-Water, nicknamed by locals “Little Venice.” Bourton is considered one of the prettiest villages in England, surrounded by fields and the River Windrush that runs through it.
  • Just a few minutes drive away is Bibury, a gorgeous little village where we’ll discover the ancient shops and houses, the three medieval bridges and impressive church
  • 12:30: Arrive at Burford where your guide will lead a tour of the market town. Here we’ll enjoy an English pub lunch in a traditional inn, and there’ll also be time to explore its 900-year-old church

    Bibury

  • 14:30-16:30: Following lunch, we spend the afternoon at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Explore the incredible interiors and landscaped gardens on a visit to the palace, with free time to explore one of the finest country houses in the UK. This includes seeing the Churchill Museum and enjoying the palace gardens. Your visit to Blenheim Palace includes an excellent audioguide.
  • Return to London Victoria Train Station, arriving at approximately 18:30.

more info:

Tour includes:

  • A small group tour with a maximum of 16 passengers
  • A luxury minibus that is optimized for sightseeing
  • A professional guide who is an expert in the Cotswolds region
  • Fully refundable and amendable up until 7 days before travel, with a flexible booking guarantee! You can view the booking conditions during the booking process, prior to confirmation of any booking

Lunch:

  • Enjoy a one-course meal in a traditional pub.
  • We normally eat in the Lamb’s Inn in Burford (occasionally we will eat in a different pub)
  • If you have any dietary requirements, you must let us know before the tour

Tour excludes:

  • Gratuities (optional)

Departure Information:

We offer 3 different pickup locations in London:

  • 07:15: Great Russell Street, outside the British Museum main entrance
  • 07:30: Outside the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch, London, close to Marble Arch Tube station.
  • 07:45 Outside Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, 97 Cromwell Road, Kensington (close to Gloucester Road Tube station), London

Tour Booking
TOUR OPTION
AVAILABILITY
Price
per/Person
CHOOSE
Adult
Every Saturday
£164
Child (3-15)
Every Saturday
£144
Still have a question? Please Contact Us

about the tour:

The Drive:

The Cotswolds is one of the prettiest places to visit in England. We use specially designed small minibuses that are able to go into the heart of the countryside and drive through winding, twisty narrow country lanes that are typical of the area. This will give you a true feel for the ‘authentic’ England. The minibuses that we use on this Cotswolds tour are custom made with extra large windows on all sides of the vehicle, which means that you won’t miss a thing! We’ll drive along narrow roads, passing lush green fields, farmers herding sheep, and cows grazing in meadows, giving you a real taste of the area!

The Towns/Villages:

We’ll visit some of the prettiest towns and villages in the region. Places like Burford, Bibury & Bourton-on-the-Water. These places all contain the typical features of a true Cotswolds village, including thatched-roofed cottages and local limestone buildings. Our expert tour guide will lead you around these villages and will explain the rich history and heritage of the area.

Blenheim Palace:

Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Britain’s most important country homes. It is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and is known for its stunning State Rooms and magnificent landscaped gardens. Blenheim Palace is also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, and his memory is honoured in the Churchill Exhibition and the Formal Gardens. Discover the history with an excellent audio guide. Visit Blenheim Palace on this small-group tour from London.

terms and conditions

Booking is subject to terms and conditions of the tour operator. All passengers are advised to arrange travel insurance.

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