Oxford, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle Day Trip from London
London, United Kingdom
Visit Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and medieval Warwick Castle on this action-packed, full-day trip from London. From the comfort of a first-class, luxury coach, make your way out of the capital to three of England’s most-visited places. Enjoy a walking tour of Oxford, home to one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Pass through the idyllic Cotswolds, a region officially designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Visit Stratford-upon-Avon, the charming birthplace of William Shakespeare. Then, travel back to the Middle Ages with a trip to magnificent Warwick Castle.
Start your day meeting your professional guide at the prearranged meeting point in Victoria Coach Station to begin your tour. Hop aboard your first-class, luxury coach and relax as you travel northwest, away from the hustle and bustle of England’s capital.
Your first stop of the tour is Oxford. Known as the ‘City of Dreaming Spires,’ Oxford is home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world. On arrival, step out of your coach and enjoy a walking tour of the city center with your guide.
Plug into your state-of-the-art headset and listen to your guide talking clearly as you pass by the elegant, timeworn buildings and courtyard that have inspired generation of scholars, including Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea, Hugh Grant and Kate Beckinsale. See the Bodleian Library and Christ Church College, where Harry Potter scenes were filmed and where Albert Einstein studied.
Next, enjoy a brief stop for refreshments (own expense) before hopping back inside your coach and traveling through the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, an area steeped in gentle English beauty, history and heritage. Look out the window to admire the thatched-roof cottages and charming inns. On arrival in Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of the famous playwright William Shakespeare, visit Shakespeare's Tudor-era home, with its typical parlor, bedrooms, kitchen and buttery. After, enjoy some free time for lunch (own expense) at one of the many charming eateries.
Then it's a short journey to medieval Warwick Castle, whose magnificent towers and ramparts remain mostly intact. Travel back through 1,000 years of history as you cross the footbridge to a bygone world of banquets, battles and ceremony. Climb the winding staircase to the Princess Tower, or, if you're feeling brave, visit the spine-chilling dungeons where prisoners were tortured. You might wish to take a stroll through the castle's lovingly tended gardens, where archery, falconry and jousting take place in the summer months.
Your day trip then concludes back at Victoria Coach Station in the evening.
This tour was amazing. Our guide was so wonderfully knowledgeable and funny. Her language skills are phenomenal. We had a wonderful time at Warwick Castle and in Shakespeare's birth place. Very charming village. If you want to get away with hustle and bustle in London and to see beautiful English country side, this tour is perfect. And it's one day and you can see a lot.
Review by: Marija T, May 2018
Great guide, good organization, perfect sense for English humor
Review by: Galina P, May 2018
Excellent tour! Very convenient and comfortable. Informative and interesting! Highly recommend!!
Review by: Perry M, May 2018
Another great tour and wonderful guide. Took this to get out of London for the day and see some of the more rural areas. Very interesting history and knowledgeable and engaging guide who helped us through everything. Kudos to the driver who was kind enough to help me with my wifes wheelchair the whole day. Thank you for a great day
Review by: roice.cardenas, April 2018
The guide was amazing, this is the best option to escape from London and enjoy the beautiful landscapes.
Review by: Guilherme M, April 2018
Lovely tour ! Recommended
Review by: Jill, April 2018
This was a bilingual tour. I signed up for an English speaking tour and was not advised of this prior to the morning of the tour. It was very distracting as the guide literally had to talk all day in English and then in Spanish. We sat behind him and I was talking quietly to my granddaughter pointing out places of interest and he told me not to talk. So we drove for over 300 miles in silence. It was the worst of the four tours we took during our week in England. The sites were enjoyable when we were off the bus and away from the guide.
Review by: Stephanie F, April 2018
If you are wanting to get a taste of multiple sites in one day, this is the trip for you! It was a full day of sight-seeing and the guide, Deborah, was outstanding! Not to mention hilarious!! It is a fast-paced day tour, so if your desire is to stroll and spend more than an hour or so at each location, take one of the other trips that has less stops. I found myself wishing we had more time at each location, but totally understood the need for expediency in order to see all the stops in one day. I would highly recommend this tour for those that are short on time and would like to see the most places in one day!
Review by: Patrick S, April 2018
Many great sites in one entertaining day.
Review by: Laura H, April 2018
Great tour. Oliver was our tour guide and he was great. Very knowledgeable.
Review by: Elizabeth L, April 2018
Our guide, Phil, was absolutely phenomenal in his knowledge of facts and in his ability to tell a good story. I highly recommend this tour.
Review by: Sharon.Gaston, April 2018
wonderful
Review by: Daniel R, March 2018
We had a wonderful time on this trip. The highlights were Warwick castle which allowed photos without exception. Many other locations restricted photography and it was nice to simply snap as many indoor photos as you wanted. The weather prevented us from climbing the ramparts unfortunately. Oxford is only a walking tour with no access to the university grounds. It would be nice to see inside at least one university building, perhaps the library? Stratford was quaint but there wasn't a lot of time.
Review by: Valerie W, March 2018
The entire trip was amazing.
Review by: Linda I, March 2018
Very nice but due to the cold and snow most of the shops in Stratford closed early. Great guides
Review by: melaniejbach, March 2018
The tour guide was wonderful, funny and very informative! We had a great time at Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle, and had plenty of time at each stop to look around. This is a perfect way to escape London for a day and see a lot of other sites the UK has to offer!
Review by: Trinh T, March 2018
All great except for the drive through Cotswolds. I was expecting to see more. A slower drive or a stop would be nice.
Review by: curtis.hill, March 2018
Very enjoyable trip, many sights in a short period of time.
Review by: Sunjoo N, March 2018
Very good trip. Worth doing it.
Review by: Susan W, March 2018
Great trip! Tour guide was interesting and informative. Liked that we got a background and history on the bus and then were able to explore on our own once we stopped. It was a long day but a great way to see the country. I was on a business trip and had to stay over the weekend. This was a great option to see some sights without having to travel alone or rent a car. I will definitely consider trips again in the future.
Review by: mellol, February 2018
Tour says this Visit Bodleian Library and the famous Christ Church College, which was featured in several Harry Potter movies.
Review by: Joseph L, February 2018
Great - relaxing and enjoyable day.
Review by: Nisha J, February 2018
Excellent trip ... Tour guide was very nice person , explained about each place in detail ...helped us in each leg of the journey ...very pleasant trip indeed
Review by: Lisa E, January 2018
A good way to see a lot of places in one day.
Review by: Julie, December 2017
This was a wonderful tour, with a very informative guide Leslie. We loved every moment of this trip! There's just enough time in each area to see and do all the highlights. A must for any Shakespeare fans!
Review by: Graham S, December 2017
This tour was excellent, Rodney the guide did a fantastic job
Review by: Barbara L, November 2017
Enjoyed the trip. Since I have not traveled by bus for many years, I was not looking forward to the long 10 hour trip in a coach/bus. The luxury coach was very clean and comfortable. The full day passed by very quickly. It was a fast pace at each location but I expected it. You get a sense of each location so you can decide if you want to revisit another time. I enjoyed an outdoor lunch at a local café right in front of Shakespeare's House. The Cotswolds drive was just ok. I saw more of the Cotswolds area on the other Viator day's trip to Stonehenge, etc. The tour guide was excellent as well as the coach driver. Overall, a good trip.
Review by: Anjan R, November 2017
IT WAS BIT HECTIC BUT A PRODUCTIVE TOUR. SHEILA THE GUIDE WAS EXCELLENT. SHE EXPLAINED EVERY STEP OF OUR TRIP. HER EXPLAINING OF STRATFORD UPON AVON AND OXFORD EXCEEDED EXPECTATION. HER EXPLAINING OF COTSWOLDS WAS SUPERB. THE LISTENING DEVICE AND THE EAR PHONE WERE VERY USEFUL TOOLS, ESPECIALLY ON WALKING TOURS. THANKS TO EVAN EVANS TOURS.
Review by: Anita M, November 2017
The tour guide was knowledgeable and courthouse . The driver was excellent. The tour was good and we visited every place as expected. We had a wonderful day.
Review by: MIchael P, November 2017
We left Victoria Station at 9:00 AM to visit Oxford, the Cotswolds, Shakespeares birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle medieval. Our guides for the tour were Salvatore guide and James driver. The tour coach bus was a nice change from all the taxies and walking. It was cool to get outside the big city and see some of the countryside. The first stop was Oxford City of Spires. Its the home to the famed Oxford University, which is actually made up of 38 different colleges. Salvatore treated us to about a one-hour walking tour and then turned us loose to grab a quick lunch grab and purchase a souvenir. So of the famous people who attended college in Oxford were CS Lewis, JR Tolken, famed architect Sir Christopher Wren, Lewis Carroll, Albert Einstein, Theodor Seuss Geisel Dr. Seuss and oh yes, Bill Clinton to name a few. Some historical achievements associated with Oxford are the publishing of Shakespeares first folio, the compilation of the King James Bible and the design of the Union Jack. We even saw the back door exit and ally behind the White Horse pub often frequented by CS Lewis that became an inspiration for his writing of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was kind of a highlights stop. From Oxford we drove through the stone villages and thatched roofs of the Cotswolds. It was beautiful to see the picturesque rural landscapes with sheep grazing on the rolling green hills. This was all on our way to Stratford-upon-Avon, which was also a highlights stop where we spent an hour visiting Shakespeares birth home. Watching actors perform short scenes on the grounds made me want to see a play. This stop ended with ice cream from a street cart vendor on our way back to the bus. Our final bus stop was the Norman built Warwick Castle. This was a true medieval castle built in the 14th century. We hiked the 540 steps to Guys Tower, walked through an amazing exhibit of wax figures in their medieval period setting and then strolled through the more grand and modern staterooms from the 17th and 18th century. I guess with the proper credentials and reservations, you could still attend a dinner in the State Dining Room.
Review by: k.wilk04, November 2017
This tour was outstanding. Debra was an excellent tour guide, and Paul did a great job driving the bus. The 9 hour bus tour did a great job of viewing all destinations on our agenda. I would highly recommend it.
Review by: kevdawg246, November 2017
Very good overall. The boarding process at London Coach Station leaves much to be desired- it was total chaos. We arrived early to try and avoid this. Did not help. We waited in the gate were were told by the travel staff, but it was apparently wrong. As long as you can get on the right bus at the right time you will enjoy the trip.
Review by: tesa_68, November 2017
Great trip enjoyed it much. Worth it!
Review by: Monica P, November 2017
The trip was good, the Castle was interesting and we had enough time to explore. The same can be said for Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon. As for the Cotswolds, it was more of a fast drive thru the Cotswolds. I was under the impression that we would visit and do some kind of a walking tour. This was disappointing. David and Micheal were great. David filled us in with plenty of history and information before we got to each location.
Review by: Leesa, November 2017
Very full day trip but saw some beautiful places. The downside was the Cotswolds was a drive through, we didnt stop anywhere to see the villages. Oxford and Stratford Upon Avon were lovely and we had a little bit of free time to see the sites.
Review by: Christopher C, November 2017
Warwick Castle really should be all day trip unto itself. I'm glad we chose to walk the ramparts - even though our guide kept telling us it was 500 steps. They were 500 amazing steps - not to be missed if you can do it physically! But we did that, found the restrooms and it was time to go - too soon. We had a delicious lunch at Stratford upon Avon, but no time to really explore and enjoy the village. The drive through the Cotswolds was well narrated and beautiful. Oxford was too too rushed and anti-climatic - after the other stops, it was very disappointing.
Review by: Anne C, November 2017
Our guide and driver was substandard. Suprising as I've had so many excellent Viator experiences. He didn't communicate, offered little commentary and seemed anxious to return back to Aukland. Just disappointing in terms of the guide. The places themselves were remarkable, but I wish I had had a better guide.
Review by: Miriam G, November 2017
We enjoyed every minute of this beautiful day spent in various staple places in the UK. We highly recommend the guided tour, as it offers the comfort of not having to drive, great information on the way and timed arrivals and stays.
Review by: Katarzyna S, November 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Natale F, November 2017
Fantastic Tour
Review by: Rosemary D, October 2017
We had a wonderful day on this adventure. It was just enough time to see a bit of everything and the tour guide Allison was informative, helpful and quite funny.
Review by: Susan B, October 2017
This was a well organised trip - our guide on the tour was fantastic and very knowledgeable. Oxford, Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon were brilliant. Warwick Castle to me was a bit over the top - the wax works figurines were ok, but some how detracted from the beauty and history of the castle. I guess being owned by Madam Trussauds - this was to be expected, but for me, i did not like it.
Review by: mandm, October 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Max W, October 2017
The trip is a little rushed, which is really a necessity given the number of things included and the time involved. I wish we had more time in Oxford, and especially wish we had arrived a little earlier as most of the colleges were closing as we arrived. But our guide was FANTASTIC, and everything was just as described in the brochure. It was a wonderful day and we enjoyed all aspects of it.
Review by: Zurina Y., October 2017
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. It was a bit of a rush and wished we had more time, especially in Oxford. Nevertheless a recommended tour to visit Oxford, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle from London all in just one day!
Review by: Suzanne M, October 2017
I had a great time, but would suggest letting people know that Warwick Castle is run by an amusement park company up front. It was not an authentic experience, but would be amazing for families traveling with children as they might find an authentic castle to be not as much fun. Also, I know the schedule is tight, but another 15-20 minutes in Stratford-upon-Avon would give the opportunity for a meaningful lunch. Tour guide was amazing. Very personable and knowledgeable!
Review by: Debbie Han, October 2017
Lovely day trip , highly recommended!
Review by: Susan A, October 2017
Though the morning seemed a little confusing at first b/c there were so many tours leaving Victoria Coach Station at the same time, this one ended up being the greatest!!! Our guide was the best you could have because he was so interesting, informative, intelligent, and articulate! His knowledge of your country's history and influence was worth half the price of the tour!!! We all thought he was the BEST!!!! And though we only got to see the Cotswolds from the bus due to time limitations, he and the bus driver were great about slowing the bus down whenever possible to help us catch the best views and photos. The Oxford part of the tour seemed to be the best, though Warwick Castle was incredible, too! I think this is one of the best tours around London that your company offers! And definitely the best tour guide possible!!! He is superb!!!!!!!!!!
Review by: Vanessa S, October 2017
Great tour! Rhys our guide shared a lot of great facts along the way. Being a Shakespeare buff, he had a lot of information to share. Warwick Castle feels a bit touristy, since they have added wax figures and sound effects, but it was still quite nice to see. We spent a lot of the free time wandering around the grounds. Stratford-upon-Avon is quaint and adorable. Shakespeare's birthplace being the highlight. However, tons of great shops for coffee, food, treats and lots of great shopping spots. We loved our stop here. You really only drive through the cotswolds, but it is a scenic drive. Oxford included a walking tour, which was highly informative and the town itself is cute! Again, great coffee shops. This tour is very strict on time and was not afraid to leave people behind, so be punctual. Well worth it if you want to get out of London and see a bit of the countryside.
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