Monday, May 28 Departures
Departures from North America to London.
Tuesday, May 29 London
Upon arrival at either Heathrow or Gatwick, you will be met and driven to the Covent Garden Hotel, a deluxe property in an ideal location at Seven Dials. Once settled there will be a short orientation tour. This evening we meet for cocktails and introductions before a Welcome Dinner in the hotel's Brasserie Max.
Wednesday, May 30 London
Late morning we meet for an informative coach and walking tour, including some of London’s masterpieces of Baroque architecture, and an inside visit at the Foundling Museum, London's first home for abandoned children, with its connection to Handel and a remarkable collection of art. The tour ends at the National Gallery, with an inside visit. In the evening we gather in the hotel lobby and make the short walk to the Royal Opera House for a performance of Verdi's beloved Falstaff.
Thursday, May 31 London
Late morning we enjoy a behind the scenes tour of the Royal Opera House. The tour will include an introduction to the colorful history of the theatre and a look at aspects of current productions. This evening we return to the Royal Opera House for David McVicar's intense production of Richard Strauss' Salome.
Friday, June 1 London - Cardiff
After breakfast we depart by private, luxury coach for Cardiff, Wales. We stop first for a private tour of Kew Gardens, the world's largest collection of living plants. We then make our way to Malmesbury, stopping first for lunch at the Old Bell Hotel. We then tour the famous Abbey House Gardens, home to one of the largest private collections of herb and plant species in the UK. Then it’s on to Cardiff where we check in at the luxurious St. David’s Hotel & Spa on Cardiff Bay.
Saturday, June 2 Cardiff
After breakfast, we enjoy a private city tour, including a visit to Cardiff Castle. This afternoon we gather and make the short walk to the Welsh National Opera for a performance of Richard Wagner's powerful Tristan und Isolde. Dinner is included at the opera house.
Sunday, June 3 Cardiff
Following breakfast, we depart for a visit to two magnificent gardens. First is the National Botanic Garden of Wales. With some of the rarest plants in the world, this is one of the most fascinating gardens in the UK. Next we travel to a recovered garden and cloister (that dates to 1470) at Aberglasney, where we wander the serene grounds. This evening we gather and make the short walk to the Welsh National Opera for a performance of Puccini's resounding La bohème.
Monday, June 4 Cardiff - Oxfordshire
Following breakfast, we depart by private coach for Oxfordshire, stopping first for a tour of Highclere Castle, made extremely popular of late in the Downton Abbey television series. We have lunch before departing for nearby Oxford and the Old Bank, a hotel of timeless luxury and the first one to be built in the center of Oxford. Tonight we attend a performance of Mozart's masterful Don Giovanni at the Garsington Festival.
Tuesday, June 5 Oxfordshire
In the morning, we depart for a private walking tour of Oxford and some of its most famous colleges. After lunch, which is included, we will complete our tour at the doors of the famous Ashmolean Museum, the oldest university museum in the world. Tonight we depart for our second performance of the Garsington Festival, a rare staging of L'Olimpiade, a dramma per musica in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi.
Wednesday, June 6 Oxfordshire
Today we visit Blenheim Palace, a monumental country house that was the residence of the dukes of Marlborough. The palace is notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. The beauty and tranquility of `Capability’ Brown’s landscaped parkland, created in the 1760's and the Formal Gardens, created more recently, are unrivaled anywhere in Britain. We will also visit St. Martin's Church and the grave of Sir Winston Churchill.We return to Oxford where we enjoy Farewell Dinner at Gee’s, Oxford’s top-rated restaurant in a restored Victorian conservatory.
Thursday, June 7 Departures
Private transfers to Heathrow or Gatwick for journey home.