Day 1: U.S. - London
Depart on your flight to London (option for early arrival).
Day 2: London - Winchester
Upon arrival to London, you will be greeted & driven to Winchester where you will be able to settle into your hotel before kicking off your tour. The first stop will be 8 College Street, Jane’s final residence. Tour Jane’s home & garden before you venture into Winchester, a historic city & the former capital of England. Here you may see Winchester Cathedral, known for being the longest cathedral in England. Next, visit Jane Austen’s grave located at the Winchester Cathedral. That evening, you will enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel.
Day 3: Steventon - Chawton
Following breakfast, you depart for Steventon, Jane's birthplace, to explore the area where Jane grew up & lived for most of her life. Visit Steventon Church where Jane’s father was Rector, and see the sites of Jane’s childhood. You will also travel to Chawton, a small & quaint English town. Visit Chawton House, the former home of Jane’s brother, Edward, & now the site of Chawton Library, dedicated in Jane’s honor to research on women’s literature. You will return to Winchester for dinner.
Day 4: Winchester - Bath
After breakfast, you will depart for Highclere Castle, perhaps better recognized as Downton Abbey to fans. Highclere Castle is emblematic to the era of rural English gentry in which Jane lived & wrote. Later, travel to Swindon to visit Lyme Park, where the exterior scenes of Pemberley were filmed for the 1995 BBC version of Pride & Prejudice. That evening, continue on to Bath for overnight & dinner.
Day 5: Bath
Following a leisurely breakfast & morning, you will see Bath as Jane did as an expert guides you around town. The afternoon is open for you to explore Bath at your own pace. Jane’s life in Bath. The afternoon is free for exploring on your own. See the Royal Crescent, the Pulteney Bridge or the Parade Gardens, each of which are some of England's most beautiful attractions. That evening will also be free for you to dine and discover Bath as you wish.
Day 6: Bath - Laycock Village - Cotswolds
After breakfast you will travel to Laycock Village, a National Trust site portrayed as Meryton in the 1995 Pride & Prejudice. As you travel on to Stratforn-Upon-Avon, you will have the chance to explore some of the small villages of the Cotswolds, a range of beautiful rolling hills in the English countryside. Once in Stratford, you will enjoy an early dinner before taking in an evening production Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Day 7: Statford - London
Today you will travel to Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, the shooting location of the interior scenes for Pemberley. That afternoon, you will continue onto London where you will have an evening to yourself to enjoy the city. You can visit the British Museum, the London Eye, or just take a ride on the underground to one of London’s wonderful restaurants for dinner.
Day 8: London
After breakfast, we you will explore London through the eyes of Jane Austen. You will visit & tour many of the sites thought to be frequented by Jane during her time in the city. Among one of the highlights are a stop at the British Library to view Jane’s writing desk & juvenilia. That afternoon & evening, you will again have the chance to see venture through London on your own. You can choose to see Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, or enjoy the London skyline as part of a cruise of the River Thames.
Day 9: London
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will have more time to see the sites of London. Visit Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, or just wander around to enjoy some of London’s fine retail & dining. This evening you have the opportunity to enjoy a concert at the BBC Proms, the premier musical event of the season. (Tickets availability is limited; cost is additional & is subject to location of seats available).
Day 10: London - U.S.
Transfer to airport for departure flight.