Two England Tours – Similar, but Different
2025 was a crazy year for me. Three trips to Europe. Two weddings. A family vacation in the States. And a persistent ankle injury that suddenly got much worse, requiring surgery in early January.
To be honest, as I was deciding on my Walkabout trips for 2026 in the middle of 2025, I just didn’t have the energy to reinvent the wheel. One day I suppose I will design a new trip or two, but during a crazy-busy year just wasn’t the right time. I figured that since my “Best of Town and Country” tour had been a hit in the past, I would replicate that, but with a twist.
I already knew that my London hotel, Number Sixteen was a winner and that the house at the Woodchester Valley Vineyard was a fabulous place to stay, so I decided to book those places first. I’m so glad I did because they worked out perfectly. Both are great places to work with.
Even though we would stay in the usual places, I wanted these two trips to be distinct and fresh, so I decided to try a couple of new themes. I decided to try an “active” trip, which would basically allow women to do what the Brits do all the time–walk. And the second trip would focus on a second favorite British pastime: gardens.
Today I bring you a trip report from both trips that were similar, but different.
Walkabout “Active” Tour
Number Sixteen, London
This trip began in London at Number Sixteen, a Firmdale Hotel. How much do I love this hotel? So much! The folks at Number Sixteen are incredible–willing to accommodate your every whim. One day I needed ice for my ankle, and once they found out I was injured, they brought me the most beautiful ice pack, wrapped in a linen cloth. They made sure I knew that they would bring me more ice any time I needed it.
The location of the hotel is perfect, too. Just a block from the South Kensington tube station, which is on the Circle line, allowing you to get pretty much anywhere in Central London quickly and easily. The Victoria and Albert Museum is a 7 minute walk from the hotel, and a favorite place for all of my guests to visit. And the Borough of Chelsea is a 15 minute walk away, bringing fantastic shops and restaurants practically to our doorstep.
London
The London portion of our trip included a Royal Walking tour, which, fortunately or unfortunately, took place on the same day as the opening of Parliament. Every year the King gives a speech to open Parliament, and that involves a royal procession from Buckingham Palace to the Parliament buildings. Many streets were closed, and there were security people EVERYWHERE. For a while it felt like we were walking in circles.
And did I mention it was raining?
Our Active group ladies.
Eventually, though, the streets cleared enough for us to make our way toward Buckingham Palace just in time for us to see the King and Queen rolling down the street on their way back home. Our group actually shrieked when King Charles looked in our direction, locked eyes with one of the ladies, and waved at us!
“Oh hello, ladies!”
The next day we toured Hampstead, a section of London that not many tourists visit but that our group agreed they should. This is a beautiful part of north London where artists and authors have traditionally lived. Hampstead Heath is 800 acres of parkland overlooking London and is a beautiful, peaceful spot. If you’ve never been to Hampstead, I highly recommend it. You can easily reach it on the Tube.
We finished our day in Hampstead with lunch at the Holly Bush Pub, a fixture in this area with amazing food and a terrific atmosphere.
The Cotswolds
Sadly, we had to say goodbye to London the next morning, but there was more excitement ahead. We boarded a train to Oxford where we stored our bags, conveniently, just a short walk from the train station. While the women were enjoying a walking tour of Oxford by our Blue Badge Guide, I took an Uber to the rental car facility to pick up our transportation for the rest of the trip–a nine-passenger van!
I have to say that, after the many times I’ve driven in the UK, I’ve become a pretty good driver on the left-hand side of the road. Thankfully, even in a large van, we had no incidents. Whew!
Yes, I reversed into that TINY parking space!
After a few hours exploring Oxford, we drove to our home for the week at the Woodchester Valley Vineyard and got settled in. That night we enjoyed our first meal, deliciously prepared by Chef Polly. It’s always a treat to have meals prepared by a chef in our home–everyone seems to relax a little more and the conversation just flows naturally.
The view from our home at the Woodchester Valley Vineyard. We never got tired of it.
For the next few days we took some fantastic countryside walks. Most of these I had already done the year before with my husband, so I knew where we should go. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to actually do the walks with the group, due to my ankle injury, but, aside from one wrong turn, they did really well and enjoyed frolicking through farmers’ fields like a local. (Yes, they stayed on the paths!)
I think everyone would agree that the hikes were a highlight of the trip. Getting into nature and seeing parts of the countryside that not a lot of tourists take the time to see, was something the group said they will never forget. If you’re ever going to the Cotswolds, I’d highly recommend setting aside a day or two (or even an hour or two) to get out and walk. Public footpaths are everywhere, and they are well marked. Most can be accessed via the OS (Ordinance Survey) app or the AllTrails app.
I learned something as I led this trip–women really enjoy walking! The hikes were such a hit that I think I’ll incorporate walking/hiking in future trips. I’m not sure what that will look like yet, but getting “off the beaten (tourist) path” is definitely what a Walkabout trip is about.
Walkabout Gardens Tour
After the hikers went home, I gave myself about three days to rest. I rented an Airbnb in one of my favorite villages, Southrop, and allowed myself to catch up on some sleep, do some work, and generally relax. I took a short walk one day and explored the area on another. I had written down some ideas of things I’d like to see and do while on my own in the Cotswolds, but in the end, I stuck close to the Airbnb because I wanted to truly rest up for the next group.
The gardeners (ha!) met up at the Oxford train station, and I whisked them away in the van. First stop: Blenheim Palace.
Sweltering heat at Blenheim Palace!
Blenheim is amazing and beautiful and HUGE! It is the birthplace of Winston Churchilll, and if you tour the house you can see the room where he was born. But we were there to see the gardens, which were not what we expected. If you think “palace” you probably think “formal,” and there are some formal gardens there, some of which were under construction. But mostly, the gardens of Blenheim are a vast parkland–1,200 acres, in fact! We obviously couldn’t see it all, but we covered some ground.
Blenheim Palace
After Blenheim, we drove to the Woodchester Valley house where, once we unpacked and settled in, Chef Polly “wowed” us with her culinary prowess once again. I’m telling you, we didn’t have a bad meal on either trip!
The next day we drove south toward Bath and visited Iford Manor Gardens. This may have been a favorite of some in our group, and I totally understand why. Iford is a shooting location for several TV shows and films, including The Secret Garden (2020). This place is incredible! It’s remote and not that easy to get to, which could explain why it isn’t crowded. But I’m telling you, if you like gardens and want to see one that is stunning, you need to go here.
Iford Manor
On our way back to the house, we drove through Lacock and Castle Combe, both known as some of the most beautiful villages in England. They were beautiful, but I think they should actually be known as the most crowded villages in England. Parking was a bit of an issue, so in Castle Combe I dropped the ladies off and waited in a parking lot about a mile outside of town while they explored for a few minutes. Truly, the crowds were insane!
The next day was a Sunday, so we took the morning slower, enjoyed some worship time together, then headed to the Burford Garden Center. (I took the hiking group there too.) The Burford Garden Center is amazing–their plants are abundant and gorgeous and I wish I had a nursery even half as nice near me! But they offer so much more than plants. There are beautiful things for the home, gorgeous clothes, and gourmet foods. And much more. There’s a children’s shop that is to die for, and a bookstore that’s amazing. Plus, a cafe where we could get lunch and a cup of tea. It’s a full day out.
We, however, didn’t have a full day because later that afternoon we had a fun vineyard tour and wine tasting back at Woodchester. I really love the wine they make–their sauvignon blanc is award-winning, and everything else there is fantastic. It’s just too bad that they don’t ship to the U.S.
The next day we headed north to Hidcote Gardens near Chipping Campden. This was another garden I was glad to have seen, and even though we visited on a Bank Holiday, it wasn’t terribly crowded. Hidcote was a little bigger and just different from Iford, and it was fun to compare the two. Both are definitely worth seeing.
Hidcote Gardens
Hidcote Gardens
After Hidcote we stopped at Stow-on-the-Wold for a little shopping. This is a great lunch/shopping stop, and if you’re into antiques there are tons of great antique shops here. And everyone loves the “Tolkien Door” in Stow-on-the-Wold that supposedly inspired the Doors of Durin in The Lord of the Rings.
The next day we drove back to Oxford where our guide, Christine, met us again for a walking tour while I returned the van to the rental agency. By now, England was in the throes of an all-out heatwave, so we may not remember much about Oxford that day other than trying to find shade wherever we could.
Finally, it was time to board our train and head to London. Now it was this group’s turn to enjoy the air conditioned splendor of Number Sixteen, and they certainly did. We were sooo grateful for the a/c in London!
[Pro tip: if you’re going to London during the summer, check to make sure your hotel has air conditioning. Things have definitely heated up in Europe over the past few years, and a/c is a must for many.]
Our time in London went so fast. We did a walking tour of Royal London (this time in the heat instead of the rain), enjoyed afternoon tea at the Covent Garden Hotel, and spent a day at Kew Gardens. Kew is a Royal Botanical Garden, and even bigger than the gardens at Blenheim Palace. If you go, be sure to take the trolley tour–this was a great way to see a lot without wearing yourself out.
Afternoon tea at the Covent Garden Hotel
The Palm House at Kew Gardens
We enjoyed dinners at the Ivy Chelsea Garden and Maggie Jones’s–a favorite that had been closed for a couple of years but is now open again. Both were delicious.
The Walkabout “Best of Town and Country” tours are becoming classics–we’ve done them so many times now. But things become classic for a reason: because people love them. I think this tour hits the right tone between time in beautiful, bustling London and exploring the incredible, peaceful countryside of England. If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll be able to join me one day!
