Village Life – Cotswolds

Depart the U.S.

Depart for London, England. Please check your bags from your gateway city to your arrival city. Be sure to attach the provided luggage tags for each piece of luggage, including carry-ons. Your claim checks should have the following airport code: LHR.

London/Cotswolds

Arrive at Heathrow International Airport in London. Proceed through the immigration checkpoint to the baggage claim area and retrieve your luggage. After completing a customs screening, meet a  representative.

Transfer to Cheltenham, the Cotswolds and check in to the first-class Queens Hotel Cheltenham. Unpack and settle in this afternoon. Make your own plans for lunch, and start exploring the area, if you wish. The Gohagan Travel Hospitality Desk stands ready with dining and itinerary suggestions.

Welcome Reception: Join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception at the hotel this evening. Then make your own plans for dinner.

Whittington Farm/Cotswold Villages

Begin each day at the hotel with a scrumptious breakfast buffet.

Whittington Farm. Start your Cotswolds journey at this award-winning conservation farm, celebrated for its wildlife and regenerative farming. Owners Stephanie and Andrew will give you a warm welcome, after which you can enjoy tea and cake while chatting about sustainability and farm life. Venture into the pastures to explore the orchards and observe local wildlife, including muntjac deer, woodpeckers, red kites, and the farm’s cattle herd. Return to the farmhouse for a homemade lunch made from fresh ingredients. You’ll also have the chance to buy local farm products. After saying farewell to your new friends, continue your exploration with visits to charming Cotswolds villages.

Cotswold Villages. This afternoon, visit the market square of Stow-on-the-Wold, a historic wool town. At 800 feet above sea level, Stow-on-the-Wold has the highest elevation of the Cotswold villages. Don’t miss St. Edwards Church and its famous North Door — flanked by two ancient yew trees, this unique portal is said to have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Doors of Durin in “The Lord of the Rings.” Next stop: Moreton-in-Marsh, a charming market town with a beautiful High Street, lined with elegant 17th- and 18th-century buildings. You may catch the weekly open-air market, the largest in the Cotswolds.

Free Time: Tonight, make your own plans for dinner at a local restaurant.

Blenheim Palace/Oxford

After a tasty breakfast at the hotel, depart for this morning’s excursion, which begins with a private before-hours tour of historic and fascinating Blenheim Palace.

Blenheim Palace. Built between 1705 and 1724, this palace is part of a 2,100-acre estate and was a gift from the English Parliament to John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough, to thank him for his war service. Sir Winston Churchill was born here, and the estate remains in the Churchill family. Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. On a private guided tour, explore the Palace State Rooms and the Churchill Exhibition. Enjoy a delicious lunch in a private room in the palace, followed by a lecture by our Featured Guest Speaker.

Lecture: Enjoy a captivating talk by Mark Cummings, a multiple award-winning radio presenter, journalist and writer who has been broadcasting for over 40 years. His book “Glorious Gloucestershire” is “a love letter to the county I adore.”

Oxford University. On this illustrious campus, tour Christ Church Cathedral, which reflects the university’s monastic origins. Explore Christ Church College, initially founded in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey. It is the largest of the Oxford Colleges and claims 13 prime ministers as alumni. Traverse the Tudor-era Tom Quad to arrive at Tom Tower, which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built in 1681 to house a bell (aptly named Great Tom). Step into the dark-paneled, portrait-lined dining hall with its vaulted ceilings, which may remind you of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Pass by the Bodleian Library & Radcliffe Camera. The original library at Oxford, which began as the Duke Humfrey’s library, dates to 1488. Generations of scholars — from Sir Walter Raleigh to Hugh Grant — have studied here. Alumni include monarchs, Nobel Prize winners, British prime ministers, an American president, and writers such as W.H. Auden, T.S. Eliot, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. (Can you guess the president? It was Bill Clinton.) Finally, learn about “Christ Church time,” which is five minutes later than Greenwich Mean Time.

Free Time: Tonight make your own plans for dinner. Your travel director is happy to help with dining suggestions.

Chavenage House

pend this morning at leisure, taking advantage of the hotel amenities or exploring the town.

Village Life Forum: Hear from local residents about their history and lifestyle in the Cotswolds. Feel free to ask questions during this interesting discussion!

Afterward, lunch on your own in a nearby eatery before departing for an afternoon excursion.

Chavenage House. Chavenage House is over 400 years old and was built in an Elizabethan architectural style. It has been visited by many British notables over the years, including Oliver Cromwell, King Charles and Princes William and Harry. It has also been used as a filming location for myriad productions, including the PBS series ÒPoldarkÓ and ÒWolf Hall.Ó The Lowsley-Williams family have owned and lived at Chavenage since 1891. A family member will give you a fascinating private tour of the house and grounds, then host you for afternoon tea.

Free Time: This evening, enjoy dinner on your own.

Cheltenham/Hidcote Garden

Cheltenham Walking Tour. Setting off from your very own QueenÕs Hotel (which is itself a Regency building dating from 1837) stroll along this charming townÕs streets and learn about its Regency history. After mineral springs were discovered here in 1716, Cheltenham became a spa town, drawing a holiday crowd. During your tour, you may see the Pump Room, an integral part of the spa, several interesting sculptures, and composer Gustav Holst’s birthplace.

Make your own plans for lunch today.

Hidcote Garden Tour. Hidcote is a world-famous Arts and Crafts-inspired garden covering over 10 acres near the village of Chipping Camden. The genius behind the garden was avid gardener and landscape designer Major Lawrence Johnston, who created Hidcote in phases between 1907 and 1938. The garden combines smaller, more formal rooms and larger-scale landscapes. Enjoy a guided tour through this lovely greenspace.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon. Explore the life of Shakespeare during a tour of this lovely medieval riverside market town. Tour Shakespeare’s birthplace and visit his grave at the Holy Trinity Church. During the tour, pass Hall’s Croft, where the playwright’s daughter lived, to gain insights into life during the Tudor era.

Free Time: Enjoy lunch on your own in Stratford, then spend some time this afternoon at leisure. Stroll the riverfront, discover Magic Alley, browse the shops or take a boat ride on the Avon River.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Visit the childhood home of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway. It was built in 1463 and lived in by 13 generations of her family. Anne was born in the cottage in 1556; William would have visited her there while courting her. Note the lovely, manicured gardens around the cottage.

Return to the hotel and make your own plans for dinner.

Sudeley Castle

Sudeley Castle Tour. Over a thousand years old and regally situated on 1,200 acres, Sudeley Castle is an eye-popping estate. And it has an impressive pedigree; the castleÕs royal connections have played an important role in British history throughout time. Queen Catherine Parr, the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII, lived and died in the castle, and was buried here. (Sudeley is England’s only privately held castle to have a queen buried on the grounds.) Over the centuries, the castle was a place of refuge for Charles I and Richard III, and it was visited by Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I, among others.

During a guided tour, marvel at the rooms and their artifacts and treasures, and stroll the grounds, which hold ten separate gardens. Take in the fascinating exhibits featuring replicas of gowns worn by Henry VIIIÕs six wives and copies of books published by Catherine Parr Ñthe first queen to have her work published.

Free Time: Make your own plans for lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure.

Farewell Dinner: Tonight, travel to the Falcon Pub in the village of Painswick (known as the ÒQueen of the CotswoldsÓ) to enjoy a traditional pub dinner in a beautiful Georgian townhouse. A local folk duo will join us to talk about the history of folk music in the Cotswolds and to perform.

Cotswolds/London/Return to Home City

Following breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to Heathrow International Airport for your return flight home. Arrive in your home city and go through immigration and customs.