Cotswolds, Bath & Stonehenge

DAY 1 - Discover one of England's most beautiful regions – the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds are full of colour all year round! Here you will find rolling hills and pretty villages and market towns full of character. Our journey this morning takes us to the historic market town of Stow-on-the-Wold and the quaint village of Bourton-on-the-Water. In the early afternoon, we drive along one of the most charming narrow back-road routes in the Cotswolds, where large coaches are not allowed to visit in what has been described as England's most beautiful village - Bibury. This is in the heart of the Cotswolds and what we might consider to be the real England with its old country pubs, traditional village stores and well kept gardens.

We end the day in Gloucester with its magnificent cathedral.

DAY 2 - Today we visit Bath where we take a guided tour of the city centre. Bath is a very fashionable city with over 2,000 years of history. Bath is famous for its Roman Baths, which is one of England's most popular tourist attractions. Bath is the most complete and best preserved Georgian city in Britain. The spa was used by the Romans, and the remains of the Roman baths are still there to be seen today, beside the 18th century Pump Room. 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 cresents, 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 out tour before returning to London.