Yuletide at Blenheim Palace and Windsor Castle

Make your own way to your hotel, where you will meet our experienced Tour Manager and enjoy dinner this evening.

After a leisurely breakfast, we head by coach to the Royal Borough of Windsor. On arrival, we make our way to Windsor Castle, the official residence of His Majesty The King.

Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. Established in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, it has been remodelled by successive kings and queens, including Edward III, Charles II and George IV, and restored during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign after the fire in 1992. Today, the castle is used regularly for ceremonial and State occasions and has been the home of 40 monarchs.

We include entry into the castle to admire the State Apartments which are decorated with wonderful Christmas displays each year. You will enjoy free time to explore the castle and visit St George's Chapel (subject to opening times). Once outside the castle grounds, there will be time to take a browse around the many wonderful shops and eateries. Why not do a spot of Christmas shopping whilst your here? We return to the hotel where we enjoy dinner this evening.

After a leisurely start to the day, in the late morning we wrap up warm and board our coach for departure to Blenheim Palace.

Offering grandeur on the largest of scales, Blenheim Palace was given to the 1st Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne and her grateful nation as thanks for his stunning victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704.

The parkland as you see it now, looking so natural with its sweeping lake and hanging beech wood is, in fact, man-made, constructed laboriously between 1764 and 1774 to the far-sighted plans of the master landscaper, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. At Blenheim Palace, there’s an overarching aura of history and achievement. Couple that with a grand building in a perfect setting and there’s no wonder that UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site!

On arrival, we include entry into the palace, where the 2025 festive theme is the Palace of Oz! Follow the yellow brick road and journey to the land of Oz to discover Dorothy and the Emerald City.

We then include a delicious, private afternoon tea in the Marlborough room before having time at leisure to take in the sights and smells of the Christmas market situated in The Great Court, where you can stock up on festive goodies and tasty treats from the wooden chalets.

As darkness falls, we have included entry to the Illuminated Trail, which features a multitude of lights and seasonal sounds, rounding off your visit to Blenheim with unforgettable memories.

We return to the hotel this evening and enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before departing the hotel.