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Itinerary
Stratford & the Cotswolds Villages – Turkey & Tinsel
After joining the coach, we make our way to our hotel and check in.
Stratford & the Cotswolds Villages – Turkey & Tinsel
Our first excursion takes us to the beautiful town of Stratford-upon-Avon, forever associated with William Shakespeare. Fans of The Bard can visit the house in which he was born, and there’s a chance to wander the riverside gardens or discover the town’s theatres including the Swan Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Stratford & the Cotswolds Villages – Turkey & Tinsel
We enjoy time in Oxford. This beautiful city of dreaming spires has plenty to offer, with many historic university buildings to see including the famous Bodleian Libraries, and postcard-perfect scenes of students and visitors punting on the river. Oxford also has a wide variety of shops, from High Street stores to quaint individual boutiques and bookshops, peppered with plenty of restaurants and olde worlde taverns. The city’s literary connections include J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Oscar Wilde and it also provided inspiration for some of the sets in the Harry Potter films.
Stratford & the Cotswolds Villages – Turkey & Tinsel
We tour some of the Cotswolds’ most famous and unspoilt villages. Be on the lookout for the characteristic honey-coloured cottages and buildings! We begin at Stow-on-the-Wold, a market town on top of Stow Hill. Notable places of interest include medieval St Edward’s Church and Market Square with the limestone-arched Market Hall at the centre.
We continue to Broadway, in the very heart of the Cotswolds. Often thought of as one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds, see the famous limestone on Broadway High Street, used throughout the Cotswolds, and marvel at the quaint cottages and houses which line the streets next to horse chestnut trees and pristine grass verges.
Stratford & the Cotswolds Villages – Turkey & Tinsel
After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and head for home.
Oxford Orientation & Free Time Among the Dreaming Spires
On day 3, arrive in Oxford for an easy-going introduction to the city’s dreaming spires. Your driver will point out landmarks as you make your way to the centre: the Bodleian Library, round-domed Radcliffe Camera, Sheldonian Theatre, and the sky-bridge of Hertford College’s Bridge of Sighs. Then enjoy time to drift between bookshops, collegiate quads where open, and cafés hidden down cobbled lanes.
Oxford’s scholarly heart beats through eight centuries of learning, from medieval halls to modern laboratories, and its streets carry literary connections to Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and Wilde. Film fans will recognise corners used in Harry Potter. In the afternoon, enjoy a free afternoon to browse museums or watch punting on the river before returning to Coventry as the golden stone glows in the late light.
Cotswolds Villages Tour: Stow-on-the-Wold & Broadway
Typically on day 4, journey through rolling hills and dry-stone walls to discover the honey-coloured Cotswold stone that gives this region its glow. Begin in Stow-on-the-Wold, a hilltop market town where the broad Market Square, cheese-plate inns and antique emporiums brim with character. Seek out St Edward’s Church, whose famed yew-framed door looks plucked from a storybook.
Continue to Broadway, with its gracious Broadway High Street lined by chestnut trees, galleries and mellow limestone facades. Browse independent shops, admire artisan window displays and, on clear days, look for Broadway Tower on the horizon as you pause for photos and reflection. The pace is unhurried, allowing you to savour village life and the soft light that makes the Cotswolds so photogenic.
Turkey & Tinsel Evenings at the Royal Court Hotel
Across your stay, settle into the Grade II listed Royal Court Hotel for convivial evenings with seasonal touches. One night features a traditional Christmas dinner served buffet-style, with roast favourites and sweet treats. Raise a glass during the hotel’s 2 for 1 bar (6pm–9pm), a relaxed window for conversation and cheer after your daytime exploring.
Set amid picturesque grounds, the hotel’s period spaces lend a warm backdrop for unwinding with friends old and new. Meals are buffet-style for easy, sociable dining, and you can enjoy a free evening lingering over dessert or planning the next day’s adventures. A comfortable, festive base complements the heritage-rich excursions on this seasonal escape.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace Entry
During your Stratford visit on day 2, step inside Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street to explore creaking Tudor rooms and the garden where actors often share scenes from the plays. Displays curated by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust illuminate family life, from John Shakespeare’s glove-making trade to the young William’s early world.
Walking through the timber-framed house connects the townscape outside with the writer’s beginnings, enriching your appreciation of Stratford’s Tudor fabric. This visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability and opening times, leaving the remainder of your time free to browse shops, churches and riverside paths nearby.
Punting on the River Cherwell, Oxford
On day 3, glide in a classic punt along the River Cherwell, with a local guide propelling you past willow-draped banks, under stone bridges and alongside the meadows by Magdalen College and the University Parks. Sit back and watch college towers drift by from the waterline, a serene counterpoint to the city’s bustling streets.
Punting is an Oxford tradition dating to the Victorian era and remains one of the most atmospheric ways to see the collegiate landscape. Rides typically last 30–60 minutes and are at additional cost and bookable on tour, weather permitting and subject to availability, leaving ample time to continue your exploration on foot.
Bodleian Library Guided Tour, Oxford
Use your free time on day 3 to join a guided tour of the Bodleian Library, stepping into the fan-vaulted Divinity School and book-lined Duke Humfrey’s Library. Along the way, admire grand exteriors such as the Sheldonian Theatre and the Radcliffe Camera as your guide traces the university’s scholarly traditions.
Founded in 1602, the Bodleian is one of Europe’s oldest libraries, a place where rare manuscripts and ceremonial architecture intertwine. This optional visit deepens the city’s intellectual story and adds rich context to the colleges you see outside. Tours are at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability and timed-entry slots.
Stratford-upon-Avon Visit: Shakespeare’s Town & Riverside Walk
Typically on day 2, travel to Stratford-upon-Avon, the market town where William Shakespeare was born. Wander past timber-framed houses on Henley Street, browse book and antique shops, and follow the River Avon through leafy gardens alive with swans. Near the water, admire the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, pausing at the Swan Theatre and riverside lawns to pause for photos and reflection.
The town’s Tudor streets and guildhalls evoke the world that shaped Shakespeare’s imagination. Learn how wool wealth built this picturesque place, glance at the elegant Clopton Bridge and Holy Trinity Church spire across the water, and enjoy free time for a café stop or gentle riverside stroll. This unhurried visit keeps the focus on atmosphere and authenticity, letting you explore at your own pace.
