Highlights
- Experience Shakespeare like a Tudor with a performance at the Globe Theatre
- Check off the prettiest towns in the Cotswolds on a self-guided driving tour
- Cross the Welsh border to browse the bookstores of Hay-on-Wye
- Spot puffins on a boat trip along the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast
- Step into the Regency era with an elegant afternoon tea in Bath
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in London (England), Twilight Soho Food & Drinks Tour | London |
| Day 2 | London by Vintage Bike, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Production | London |
| Day 3 | Drive to Oxford, Chauffeured Punt, Bodleian Library, Oxford's Pubs | Oxford |
| Day 4 | Drive to Chipping Campden via the Cotswolds | Chipping Campden |
| Day 5 | Hidcote Gardens, Horseback Ride, Explore the Southern Cotswolds | Chipping Campden |
| Day 6 | Drive to Hay-on-Wye (Wales), Discover the Famous Book Town | Hay-on-Wye |
| Day 7 | Drive to Tenby via the Brecon Beacons, Tenby Ghost Walk | Tenby |
| Day 8 | Skomer Island Boat Tour Along the Pembrokeshire Coast | Tenby |
| Day 9 | Explore the Gower Peninsula, Drive to Cardiff, City Food Tour | Cardiff |
| Day 10 | Drive to Bath (England) via Tintern Abbey, Afternoon Tea & Roman Baths | Bath |
| Day 11 | Discover Literary Bath, Bath Food Heroes Tour | Bath |
| Day 12 | Drive to London via Lacock, Castle Combe & Avebury | London |
| Day 13 | Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, Depart London |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in London (England), Twilight Soho Food & Drinks Tour
Welcome to England! Upon arrival at the airport, you'll be met by your driver and whisked to your central hotel in the capital, London. A historic city with a timeline stretching back almost 2,000 years, this thriving metropolis has world-class museums, ornate architecture, and an exceptional dining scene.
Day 2: London by Vintage Bike, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Production
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll spend the morning touring London's streets by bike. This is no ordinary cycling tour—you'll be cruising around on a vintage Pashley bicycle, the epitome of British cycling. From the grandeur of Big Ben to the cobbled streets of East London, you'll ride along atmospheric back streets and cycle lanes to discover a side of the capital beyond the guidebooks. Pedal through elegant royal parks to urban squares and witness London's dynamic street art scene before finishing at one of the city's historic pubs, where you'll toast your fellow cyclists with real ale or craft gin.
Later on, you'll be transported back in time to Shakespeare's London to see a performance at the iconic Globe Theatre, painstakingly built to replicate the original and completed in 1997. Step inside, and you'll find a 360-degree auditorium built from oak beams, lime-plaster walls, and a water-reed thatched roof. You'll follow in the footsteps of 17th-century Londoners and watch one of Bard's best-loved plays in the open-air theater (just like the original, there's no roof over the center yard, so be sure to dress for the weather).
Day 3: Drive to Oxford, Chauffeured Punt, Bodleian Library, Oxford's Pubs
Today, you'll pick up your rental car and leave the city behind for a two-hour drive west to Oxford. Dubbed the "City of Dreaming Spires," the town is home to one of England's oldest and most prestigious universities (the other being Cambridge.) Once you've checked in to your hotel, you'll head down to the riverbank for a relaxing tour of the city along the River Cherwell. You'll travel on a chauffeured punt (flat-bottomed riverboat), where you'll gently glide along the water and see sights including the Botanic Gardens, the playing fields of Magdalen College, and the college gardens of St Hilda's and Christ Church.
Return to dry land and it's time to time to explore inside Oxford's 11th-century university for a tour of one of the highlights, the Bodleian Library. Oxford's main research library is home to over 13 million books, and you'll find some of these on a visit to the 15th-century Divinity School, Convocation House, Chancellor's Court, the medieval Duke Humfrey's Library, and Radcliffe Camera, which houses the science library.
Your final immersion into Oxford life, and the best way to get a feel for the city's past and present, is a self-guided tour of the town's historic pubs. Literary fans should head to the Eagle and Child, the well-known haunt of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, while the Turf Tavern, established in 1381, is known for its historic charm and as the watering hole for the "Harry Potter" cast. When dinnertime rolls around, the King's Arms serves hearty English pub classics alongside a selection of cask beers, which can be enjoyed on the pub's riverside terrace.
Day 4: Drive to Chipping Campden via the Cotswolds
England's famous Cotswolds is a rural area in southern England that encompasses six counties and enjoys Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) conservation status. The region lies just over an hour's drive west of Oxford. Today, you'll drive north to Chipping Camden via a scenic detour to discover the northern loop of the Cotswolds. There's plenty to see en route, and you'll notice the local limestone used in the region's architecture gradually change from light cream to a deep golden honey-colored hue.
Stop to stretch your legs and soak up quintessential English village life as you pass by the small towns of Chipping Norton and then Burford, whose wide streets, flanked by medieval buildings and independent boutiques, are worth a potter. Continue to Bourton-on-the-Water, known for its bridges that cross the River Windrush and run gently through the town. Pass through Stow-on-the-Wold, where you'll find excellent options for a delicious lunch, and pass through The Slaughters until you arrive at Chipping Campden.
Day 5: Hidcote Gardens, Horseback Ride, Explore the Southern Cotswolds
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Enjoy a genteel day of country living that starts with an excursion to nearby Hidcote Gardens, part of a historic manor house in the village of Hidcote Bartrim. The 10 acres (4 ha) that comprise these public gardens were inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement of decorative and fine arts that originated in Britain in the late 19th century. You'll enjoy a private, two-hour stroll around the gardens to admire its hedges, rare trees and shrubs, mazes of narrowed paved pathways, and secret gardens bursting with colorful blooms.
Afterward, drive half an hour to the Cotswolds Riding equestrian center, located in the picturesque village of Stanton. Here, you'll saddle up and set off on a relaxed countryside "hack," spending the next few hours trotting the miles of local scenic paths and bridleways, with lookout points in the hills offering fabulous views over southern England. Your pace and route will be decided by your experience level, with everyone from beginners to well-seasoned riders catered to.
Post-ride, you can complete your Cotswolds immersion with a tour of the southern loop portion of the Cotswolds. Drive south to Bibury, a picture-perfect village along the River Coln and one of the most photographed places in the area. Stroll the photogenic Arlington Row of Weaver's Cottages, then hop back in the car and follow the river through a series of postcard-worthy villages along the Coln Valley. Your last stop is the village of Painswick, dubbed the "Queen of the Cotswolds," where you could stop for dinner before returning to Chipping Campden.
Day 6: Drive to Hay-on-Wye (Wales), Discover the Famous Book Town
This morning sees the start of the Welsh leg of your adventure as you drive west for just under two hours and cross the border into Wales, where your destination is the cute, colorful town of Hay-on-Wye. Nestled on the banks of the River Wye and surrounded by the undulating hills of the Brecon Beacons, Hay (as locals know it) is known as the secondhand book capital of the world and hosts an annual summer arts and literature festival, described by Bill Clinton as "The Woodstock for the Mind."
Day 7: Drive to Tenby via the Brecon Beacons, Tenby Ghost Walk
This morning, you'll explore the stunning scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park as you drive west to Tenby, a popular harbor town in southwest Wales with 13th-century stone walls and miles of sandy shoreline. While the drive is just over two hours, you might want to take your time and make the most of the national park that covers an area of just over 500 square miles (1,295 km). Highlights include the Pen y Crug Hillfort, with sweeping views over the Usk Valley and the imposing ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle, perched on a spectacular rocky outcrop overlooking the Black Mountains.
Day 8: Skomer Island Boat Tour Along the Pembrokeshire Coast
Pembrokeshire is famous for its gorgeous seascapes along its extensive coast, winding country lanes, enchanting woodland, and many idyllic viewpoints. You'll experience all these and more as you drive 45 minutes northeast to the charming village of Roch and then follow the coastal roads until you reach Martin's Haven, a 40-minute drive away, with plenty of scenic stops along the way. Here, the adventure begins when you head to the harbor and hop aboard a boat bound for Skomer Island.
It's a brief 15-minute journey across the waves to Skomer, located less than a mile off the Pembrokeshire coast and known internationally for its incredible seabirds. The island is a National Nature Reserve and one of the finest wildlife sites in the country, with nearly 350,000 breeding pairs of Manx shearwaters, over 41,500 puffins, and thousands of guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes. You'll have 4.5 hours here to hike, bird-watch, and enjoy the solitude before returning to the mainland.
Day 9: Explore the Gower Peninsula, Drive to Cardiff, City Food Tour
You'll continue your Wales exploration this morning as you drive east toward Cardiff, the country's capital, with a scenic detour along the Gower Peninsula. In 1956, the peninsula in southwest Wales became the first area in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Drive across pretty hills and an unspoiled coastline to see views from Three Cliff's Bay and Worm's Head. Reach Swansea, the birthplace of the writer Dylan Thomas, and you're an hour from Cardiff, the nation's largest city, whose regeneration over the last two decades has resulted in a dynamic, revitalized town.
Once you've had a chance to settle in at your hotel, it's time to head out and explore Cardiff's multicultural culinary scene on a food tour. On a guided stroll through the city with an experienced guide, you'll sample warm Welsh cakes, tuck into crumbly, buttery pies, and browse the stalls at the Riverside Food Market. You'll also hear tales of local life from your guide, admire the city's grand buildings, including Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium (the home of Welsh rugby), and even learn a few key words of Welsh. Lechyd da (cheers)!
Day 10: Drive to Bath (England) via Tintern Abbey, Afternoon Tea & Roman Baths
It's been a short but sweet stay in Wales, and this morning, you'll get back behind the wheel and drive a couple of hours east to Bath, whose elegant Georgian architecture has earned it UNESCO World Heritage Status. Just before you cross the border into England, you'll stop at Tintern Abbey. Once a thriving monastery founded by Cistercian monks in 1131, it was immortalized in the early writings of poet William Wordsworth. Now ruins, you'll still be able to make out its fragile architecture with soaring Gothic arches and the gaps for once-magnificent windows.
Arrive in Bath, and after checking into your hotel, You'll follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens with a sumptuous afternoon tea at The Pump Rooms. This Bath institution has been the social heart of the city for over 200 years. Enjoy an array of sweet and savory delicacies and, of course, homemade scones with clotted cream and jam. Afterward, head next door to visit one of the best-preserved religious spas in the world, the Roman Baths, whose thermal springs still flow with natural hot water.
Day 11: Literary Tour of Bath, Food Heroes Walking & Tasting Tour
Spend the morning exploring Bath's Regency history and centuries-old connection to author Jane Austen, who called the city home in the early 1800s, when the town was a destination spot for fashionable society. Walk in the footsteps of Austen with a 2.5-hour tour that reveals the nuances of life in Regency England as you explore the elegant Georgian architecture of the Royal Crescent, Sydney Gardens, and the Jane Austen Centre, where guides in period costumes help bring the era to life.
Day 12: Drive to London via Lacock, Castle Combe & Avebury
It's time to wave goodbye to Bath and head back east to the capital. Set off, and around half an hour into your journey, detour to visit a few of the area's most notable villages and sights. The first is Castle Combe, known as one of England's most beautiful villages. With no new houses built since the 1600s, the town's charming cottages adorned with ivy make it a serene spot for a stretch of the legs and watching the world go by.
Lacock, a 15-minute drive away, is another perfectly preserved village with only four streets and whose historic architecture has made it a go-to filming location for shows such as "Downton Abbey" and the BBC's "Pride and Prejudice." The main attraction here is the 13th-century Lacock Abbey, built from the beautiful, golden Cotswold stone. "Harry Potter" fans will enjoy exploring the cloisters and abbey rooms, which served as Hogwarts School cloisters in the films.
If you have time, another nearby landmark worth seeing is Avebury, whose extraordinary set of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial sites, together with Stonehenge, form a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore the stones and perhaps stop for lunch in the local village pub, then hop back in the car. In around two hours, you'll arrive back in London, where you can drop off your rental car, check back into your hotel, and get ready for your final evening in the capital.
Day 13: Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, Depart London
It's your last morning in the capital, and before you transfer to the airport, you could head to Hyde Park, central London's green lung and a vast open space adored by locals who go to jog, dog-walk, swim, or unwind. Leave behind the hustle and bustle for a few hours and brave an open-air swim in the Serpentine, or opt for a gentle row aboard one of the river boats available for hire. If the weather's fine, grab a second takeaway breakfast and coffee, spot the squirrels and swans, or admire the views across the lake from a waterside café.
Just next door to Hyde Park on its western side is Kensington Gardens, another of London's eight Royal Parks. Once the preserve of royalty, the park's palace has been the childhood home of Queen Victoria and more recently home to Diana, Princess of Wales, Princess Margaret, and the London home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Depending on your timings for the day, wander the historic tree avenues, see the cascading fountains in the Italian Gardens, or go in search of Peter Pan (you'll find a bronze sculpture dedicated to J.M. Barrie's literary hero down by the Long Water).
When you're ready, transfer to the airport in time to make your flight home or continue your European adventure. Safe travels!
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