Village Life® Cotswolds

• Journey through the charming Cotswolds, home to some of England's most scenic landscapes, with picturesque villages, rolling green hills and winding country lanes.
• Small group travel, with a maximum of 36 travelers. Stay for 7 nights in the first-class Queens Hotel.
• A private after-hours tour of the prestigious Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University.
• Specially arranged private visit to Chavenage House and grounds with a member of the family. An afternoon tea hosted by the family will be included.
• Tour Unesco World Heritage-designated Blenheim Palace, including the Palace State Rooms & Churchill exhibition; and the Shakespeare Library and Archive Collections, which is included in the UNESCO Memory of the World register.
• Included meals | 1 reception, 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners.

Depart for London, England. Please check your bags from your gateway city to your arrival city. Be sure to attach the provided Gohagan & Company luggage tags for each piece of luggage, including carry-ons. 

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 Gohagan & Company 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.

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

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

This morning travel to Daylesford Farm, located in the heart of the Cotswolds, between the villages of Kingham and Stow-on-the-Wold. This organic farm has promoted sustainable practices for some 40 years, growing produce and raising animals with the utmost consideration for the environment and animal welfare. Begin with a private talk focusing on sustainability and foraging. Then harvest fresh produce from the market garden and, using these ingredients, cook lunch under the guidance of a Daylesford Organic tutor. Savor the fruits of your labor for lunch.

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 supposedly inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Doors of Durin in “The Lord of the Rings.”  Next stop:  Bourton-on-the-Water, known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds” for its five stone bridges spanning the town’s centerpiece, the Windrush River.

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

Spend this morning at leisure, exploring on your own. Make your own plans for lunch before departing for today’s excursions.

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. Tour the Palace State Rooms and the Churchill Exhibition.

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. Finally, learn about “Christ Church time”—which is five minutes later than Greenwich Mean Time.

Enjoy an included group dinner at a local restaurant or pub in Oxford.

This evening, indulge in a memorable private after-hours tour of the Bodleian Library & Radcliffe Camera. The original library at Oxford, which began as the Duke Humfrey’s library, dates to 1488. After a period of its decline, Sir Thomas Bodley championed the refurbishment of the library and it re-opened its doors to scholars in 1602. In the subsequent 400 years, 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.)

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

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 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 “Poldark” and “Wolf Hall.” 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. Afterward, the family member and an estate worker will host you for afternoon tea and an informal discussion about life and work at Chavenage.

This evening, enjoy dinner on your own.

Setting off from your very own Queen’s Hotel (which is itself a Regency building dating from 1837) stroll along this charming town’s 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 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.

Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own.

Explore the life of Shakespeare during a tour of this lovely medieval riverside market town. Marvel at the treasures held in the Shakespeare Birthplace Trusts’ Shakespeare Library and Archive Collections, which is listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World register.

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.

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.

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 castle’s 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 VIII’s six wives and copies of books published by Catherine Parr —the first queen to have her work published.

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

Tonight, travel to the Falcon Pub in the village of Painswick (known as the “Queen of the Cotswolds”) 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.

Following breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to Heathrow International Airport for your return flight home.