Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock & Castle Combe Full Day Tour As recommended by Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, Rurubu and lots of people who have travelled with us!

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This is the perfect way to experience the history and beauty of the countryside around Bath . You can explore two of the most impressive megalithic monuments in Europe as well as visiting a Cotswold village that was voted the prettiest village in England and a traditional Wiltshire woollen village used in the filming of Pride and Prejudice and the Harry Potter movies.

We've specifically kept our tours small and personal which gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy this stunning part of England . Our local guides have a wealth of knowledge about the area and will provide you with plenty of information about the history, culture, theories and legends.
Summary notes are available at the end of the day if you should require them. You may even be lucky enough to see one of our amazing crop circles that are a feature of the Wiltshire landscape.

Stonehenge
We drive through the beautiful Wiltshire countryside to Stonehenge . This amazing monument was first mentioned as one of the wonders of Britain only seventy years after the Norman Conquest. It has aroused awe and curiosity ever since. This is your chance to experience it for yourself. During the drive to Stonehenge there is plenty of information for you to browse through as well as an audio presentation. This allows you to make the most of your time here. If English is not your first language there are audio presentations at the monument in all major languages

Avebury Stone Circle
This is a lesser known megalithic monument which is 16 times larger in area than Stonehenge and nearly 1000 years older! The lack of media attention at this site has helped to maintain its magical charm. There are no restrictions to prevent you from wondering freely amongst the stones here. This is the ultimate location to try your hand at dowsing and try and discover for yourself the energy of the stones!

After leaving Avebury we have 3 photo stops at the following places:-

Silbury Hill
This is the largest man made object in prehistoric Europe . It was built 4800 years ago and it took longer to build than Stonehenge and yet its purpose is still one of the great unsolved mysteries.

Cherhill White Horse
White horses are a feature of the Wiltshire landscape. Carved out of the chalk hills they appear dramatic against the rich green landscape. Cherhill White Horse is nearly 300 years old.

Waggon and Horses
This traditional thatched inn is just outside Avebury and was frequently visited by Charles Dickens.

Lacock Village
This wonderful village consists of properties which date from the 13th and 18th centuries. It was once a prosperous woollen town, but now it seems like a village trapped in time. There has been no major building here in the last 200 years so you really feel as if you're stepping back into English history.

We usually make this our lunch stop as there is a wonderful country pub that has had a licence since 1362. The George Inn offers good home cooked food and real ale.
If you're interested in film locations Lacock has been used many times. It became the town of Meriton in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. The Abbey and some of the houses were also used in the filming of the first two Harry Potter movies.
The Abbey is not open during winter months.  

Castle Combe Village
In the southern part of the Cotswolds is Castle Combe. This idyllic village nestles in a small wooded valley with its meandering stream and weavers cottages in abundance. The castle has long gone but its stone was used to build the Manor House, now a sumptious hotel.
As well as being the set for the original Dr Dolittle film and Stardust, Stephen Spielberg was there in 2010 filming his next epic.  

Schedule
This tour begins at 8.45am prompt, from the Best Western Abbey Hotel, 1 North Parade. BA1 1LF. This is a one minute walk from the Abbey church.
Please aim to arrive at 8.30am so we can depart on time.
We have designed our tours to keep travelling time down to a minimum. The longest stretch in the minicoach is 55 minutes.
Time spent at Stonehenge 1 hour
Time spent at Avebury 1 Hour
Time spent at Lacock 1 hour 30 minutes (this is usually our lunch stop)
Time spent at Castle Combe 30 minutes
Return time to Bath is 4.30pm *

All times are approximate
*Very occasionally we combine this full day tour with our afternoon tour of Stonehenge and Lacock National Trust village. We only do this when numbers would be too low to operate the two tours separately. This means that we return at the later time of 5.15pm.