Ancient Stones & Treasures of Wiltshire

Your holiday begins today as you arrive independently in the cathedral city of Salisbury and make your way to our charming Georgian hotel. The Mercure White Hart Salisbury is conveniently located in the heart of the city, a short distance from the renowned Salisbury Cathedral. 

After checking in or leaving your bags at the hotel, there's time to get to know the city at leisure. The parkland surrounding the cathedral (known as Cathedral Close) houses attractions such as the 18th-century Mompesson House, which featured in the 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Amongst the city's timeless streets, you'll find a marketplace, quirky shops and Fisherton Mill, a large independent art gallery.

Return to the hotel to meet the Tour Manager and group and enjoy a welcome glass of prosecco before our first three-course dinner in the hotel restaurant.  

• Dinner

This morning, we are introduced to Wiltshire's expansive history on a guided tour of the prehistory galleries at Wiltshire Museum. Here, we learn more about Stonehenge and view the largest collection of Early Bronze Age gold on public display in England. 

Our journey into ancient Britain continues as we drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Avebury, known as one of the most important ceremonial sites of Neolithic Britain. First, we stop for lunch at the famous Red Lion, a traditional thatched pub nestled in the centre of Avebury's stone circle. Afterwards, a guided tour and talk introduce us to Britain's largest and most complex Neolithic henge monument. Dating back nearly 5,000 years, the stone circle surrounds the town of Avebury and is shrouded in mysticism and ritual.

After the tour, there's free time to explore at leisure - perhaps admire Silbury Hill from the standing stones of West Kennet Avenue, a parade of about 100 monoliths stretching 1.5-miles to West Kennet Long Barrow. Later, the coach takes us back to our hotel, where we enjoy dinner this evening. 

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning after a leisurely breakfast, we board our coach for a visit to Bluestone Vineyards in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside. On arrival at this boutique vineyard, we are taken on a tour, learning about the grapes and growing process, before a tutored tasting of some of Bluestone's excellent wines. Afterwards, we are treated to a light lunch in the vineyard, savouring views of Wiltshire's stunning countryside.

Returning to Salisbury, we enjoy entrance to its most famous landmark. Salisbury Cathedral boasts Britain's tallest spire at 404 feet as well as the world's oldest clock, dating from 1386. On a private tour, we uncover another treasure of the cathedral - the best preserved of only four original Magna Carta signed by King John in 1215. This significant document defended the rights and freedoms of individual citizens and has been entered by UNESCO into a register of the world's most important documents.  

The rest of your afternoon is free to continue exploring this historic town, before returning to the hotel for dinner together.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A holiday highlight awaits today as we visit one of England's most famous sights - the mystical Neolithic site of Stonehenge.

Your morning is free to explore Salisbury at your own pace. Just outside the cathedral, the Salisbury Museum houses impressive collections, from local archaeology and natural history to art, including stunning gold items from the Iron Age and Roman period. Other curiosities include the skeleton of the Amesbury Archer, found near Stonehenge, the scale model of a coal-fired engine which once ran along a track in the cathedral grounds, and items from Old Wardour Castle. In the late afternoon, return to the hotel to board our coach to Stonehenge.

Arriving at Stonehenge this evening, our exclusive experience begins as we enter the inner stone circle of this UNESCO World Heritage site - which is usually roped off to visitors. During this once-in-a-lifetime moment, we are free to walk among these mystical 5,000-year-old stones, feel the history and perhaps enjoy a spectacular sunset. At the end of this extraordinary evening the coach takes us back to our hotel for tea and biscuits.

*Please note: on late-August and September departures, the exclusive Stonehenge experience will be in the morning, before it opens to the public.

• Breakfast

After breakfast, we set out by coach to Blunsdon station where we explore the railway museum before boarding a heritage steam train* for a round trip on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway. The 2.5-mile route passes two other stations - Hayes Knoll and Taw Valley Halt - as it rides through idyllic Wiltshire countryside. This charming railway has been reconstructed and preserved by dedicated volunteers since 1978 and offers a nostalgic and scenic rail experience.

Upon our return, there's time to find lunch independently at the station's Whistle Stop Café before we head to Swindon to visit STEAM, the museum of the Great Western Railway. An hour-long guided tour tells us how Swindon has become synonymous with railway history as we view displays of iconic locomotives and hear some of the stories of people who worked on the railway.    

After our tour, we return to Salisbury, where there is some free time to relax before dinner at the hotel.

  *Trains are steam-hauled where possible, however due to timetable changes or weather conditions, heritage diesel locomotives may be running instead. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

A visit to Old Wardour Castle awaits after breakfast. At this historic site, we can look around and discover its ancient stonework. Built in the 14th century as a luxury residence and fortress, it survived two dramatic sieges before eventually being destroyed with dynamite by its owner during the English Civil War.    

We are free to explore independently, and you could roam the castle, climb the steps to the east tower, or maybe walk down to the lake and discover the fairy grotto in the grounds.       

From Old Wardour, we transfer by coach to Cranmore Station, where there's time to find lunch independently at the station café. After, we board a heritage steam train for a relaxing five-mile round-trip into the countryside around Shepton Mallet. On our return, you are free to explore the museum, miniature railway and access the engine shed, before our coach transfers us back to our hotel ahead of our final dinner.   

  *Trains are steam-hauled where possible, however due to timetable changes or weather conditions, heritage diesel locomotives may be running instead. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

With its long and fascinating history, Wiltshire has provided a charming and captivating holiday destination. Magical Avebury and its many Neolithic monuments and an exclusive experience inside Stonehenge's inner circle at sunset provided unforgettable glimpses into the mysteries surrounding these UNESCO World Heritage sites. Viewing an original Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral and exploring Old Wardour Castle took us to the Middle Ages, while journeys on heritage railways evoked the charming nostalgia of the mid-1900s and a tour of Bluestone Vineyards showcased Wiltshire's contemporary treasures.  

After breakfast today, your Wiltshire holiday draws to a close and, as you check out of our hotel, you can set off home or continue to explore Wiltshire independently. 

• Breakfast