Southern England Escape with London

Welcome to London! Tonight, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

On The Town in London Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes sights of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, the Prime Minister’s Downing Street residence, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, and a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Enjoy free time this afternoon. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT England’s national treasure of St. Paul’s Cathedral is home to a spectacular array of art from delicate carvings to gilded dome murals and modern works of art. As the seat of the Bishop of London, the cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London, where notable remembrances have been held, including jubilee milestones for Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, and funerals of luminaries like Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

Spires & Plays Your first stop today is in Oxford, the city of dreaming spires. Your [LOCAL FAVORITE] guided walking tour through the university city shows you colleges, architecture, and historic streets. Visit magnificent Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Continue to the market town of Stratford-upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace and hear the story of “The Bard,” England’s most famous playwright and poet. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT Ah, young love! Even more true as Shakespeare’s fiancée was eight years his senior. See Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the family home where the bard’s wife-to-be was born and courted by young Will. Built more than 500 years ago, much of the original structure remains. Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace and family home in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon. Hear tales of his family life, marriage, and children and see fascinating artifacts in a world-class collection assembled by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Cottage Stones & Roman Spas Take a scenic drive through the picturesque Cotswolds, characterized by rolling hills and charming honey-colored stone cottages, to Lacock, one of England’s best-preserved villages. Owned almost entirely by the National Trust, its unspoiled appearance has featured in the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey. In Bath, visit the amazing excavations of the Roman Baths, and take some time to visit this fascinating city. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT The traditions of one ancient Roman ritual are in full flow in Bath, amid the remarkable Roman and Georgian architecture and the best-preserved Roman Baths of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city of Bath sits above geothermal springs that bubble up from the limestone below. Bath also turns up the heat with some of Britain's grandest Georgian buildings, a mecca for elite 18th-century society.