Sometimes, Stonehenge steams at dawn. We know because on our tours we've stood there among the great pillars—no crowds, no ropes to hold us back—and felt the sun stream across Salisbury Plain to touch our faces at the same moment it starts to warm the night-cooled sandstone. It is a simple, awesome, hold-your-breath moment. And you’ll experience it yourself on this amazing journey through Southwestern England. Beforehand, we spend several days in the parts of the Cotswolds we love best. We’ll show you our favorite paths that crook through Technicolor cottage gardens, across sweeping meadows and into the loveliest honeyed-stone villages in the land. We’ll dine with friends in their manor house, and time a visit to the tea shop lady when her scones are warm and fresh. This isn’t just the superficially pretty England, it’s the real thing—a rich cultural experience with personal introductions and remarkable access to non-public places. You’ll simply never forget it.

DAY 1 - LONDON
On our Cotswolds walking tours, we meet in London at our Victorian residence-turned-hotel (1 night). For a unique perspective, we’ll wander the greenswards of Hyde and St. James’s Parks as our guide shares historical anecdotes of the royal family and others.

DAYS 2 - 4 - BLENHEIM PALACE / STONEHENGE / "DOWNTON" VILLAGE
At the grandest end of the scale, we start the week with a visit to the sprawling estate of Blenheim, birthplace of Winston Churchill.  A lovely country footpath follows the River Windrush to Burford (3 nights). We’ve secured special access to Stonehenge so you can walk right up to the stone circle when the site is closed to the general public. You’ll stroll the narrow lanes of Bampton, where the village scenes of “Downton Abbey” were filmed and tour Kelmscott Manor, the home of William Morris.

DAYS 5 - 7 - BROADWAY / STRATFORD UPON AVON
In the heart of Jane Austen country, we’ll visit a fantastic organic farm to wander in the gardens, eat a gourmet lunch and do a cheese tasting in the creamery. We’ll also see a display of falconry and walk on a scenic portion of the Cotswold Way right to our hotel in the beautiful village of Broadway (2 nights). 
 
At Chedworth Roman Villa, we’ll marvel at the remarkably intact mosaics at the active archeological site. In nearby Chipping Campden, we’ll meet a renowned silversmith at work in his family’s century-old workshop. Our farewell dinner is in a private manor where we’re hosted by our friends Anne and John—the grandson of Lord Ismay, one of the planners of D-Day. We end our week with a guided visit to Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.