On this tour we will explore the best landscapes the west of England has to offer. The rolling limestone hills of the Cotswolds, the ancient Neolithic sites of Wessex and the Georgian splendour of the city of Bath.
This tour departs every TuesdayThis tour is also available on a daily basis for small groups - contact us for details.
This tour can only only be booked online or by calling . We do not accept bookings through hotel concierge desks.
After leaving London behind we take the old coach road to Bath, through Hungerford, Marlborough, along the Kennet valley and through the Savernake Forest. Evidence of this once important route lies all around us, historic coaching inns, chalk hill figures cut into the downland, obscure monuments to long forgotten characters and a subtle change in the landscape as we head into the golden stone villages of the Cotswold and Mendip hills. Our first stop will be in Lacock, a perfectly preserved village, now owned by the National Trust and often used as a backdrop to such films as the Cranford Chronicles, Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter. After a guided walking tour there will be free time to explore and take morning coffee before we continue towards the Avon valley and the city of Bath.
Visitors have been coming to Bath for centuries, owing to the hot springs that bubble up to the surface at several locations in the city. A constant temperature of 46.5C, the only warm springs in the country, meant that it became the important Roman resort of Aqua Sulis during the time of their occupation nearly 2,000 years ago. The city was beautifully re-invented in the 18th century when it became the fashionable place to see and be seen. Elegant crescents, squares and terraces were built as the rich and famous travelled from London for 'the season' and relieve themselves of gout, rheumatic pain and stiffness of the joints. The fully guided tour of the city includes admission to the Roman Baths museum and a tour of the highlights of Georgian Bath, including the Royal Crescent, Royal Circus and the Assembly Rooms.
After lunch and free time we meet up again and travel through mysterious Wessex, taking the back roads, through villages of flintstone and thatch and onwards to Salisbury Plain and the enigmatic circle of Stonehenge. Facts and theories abound at this ancient site, where and why, who were the builders, what was it used for? During our guided tour we learn about the different periods of building stretching back 5,000 years, we learn of the people that worship there and of the various ideas of its alignments and purpose. It is here, amongst the stone age landscape of Wiltshire, that we end our tour before returning to London.
Price Includes
- Fully guided lecture standard tour
- Entrance to Roman Baths Museum
- Fully guided tour of the city of Bath, including the Royal Crescent, Royal Circus and the Assembly Rooms
- Guided walking tour of Lacock
- Entrance to Stonehenge
- All travel in comfortable purpose-built minibus from Central London
Why choose this tour?
On this tour you will be travelling with no more than 16 other people - guaranteed! Our purpose-built minibuses have large windows, good air circulation and clear PA systems so that your professional guide can escort you comfortably through our wonderful country. Our itineraries are carefullly planned (with many years of experience) so that you discover as much as possible, without spending too much time on the road.
As we travel in smaller vehicles, we normally use the most scenic routes, where large coach are prohibited from travelling. Additionally, as our group sizes are smaller we are able to more time out of the vehicle. We also employ a the very best driver/guides.
Friendly and Professional Guides - Small Groups - More Scenic Routes - More Time Sightseeing- No Time Wasted Travelling around London- Great Value for Money
Departure Information
07.20AM Great Russell Street, outside British Museum main entrance (MAP)
07.30AM International Students House Car Park, 229 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PN (MAP)
07.40AM Outside Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch (MAP)
07.50AM Outside main entrance to Zara Fashion, 79 Brompton Road, SW3 1DB. This store is next to Harrods. (MAP)
08.00AM Outside Premier Inn, Knaresborough Place, Earls Court (MAP)
07.20AM Great Russell Street, outside British Museum main entrance (MAP)
07.30AM International Students House Car Park, 229 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PN (MAP)
07.40AM Outside Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch (MAP)
07.50AM Outside main entrance to Zara Fashion, 79 Brompton Road, SW3 1DB. This store is next to Harrods. (MAP)
08.00AM Outside Premier Inn, Knaresborough Place, Earls Court (MAP)
This tour normally ends by 6.30pm
If you intend to travel to our central London meeting points by public transport, you can plan your journey in advance on the Transport for London website - click here
To find great deals on hotels (often close to the above tour departure points) in central Londonclick here
Make the most of your time with us
We prefer to spend your valuable time touring the places you have chosen to visit and we therefore offer a choice of 4 meeting points, which are easiliy accessable by public transport from all parts of London and form our natural route to the west. Many tours spend over an hour driving around the busy congested roads of London.
