Tea & Tennis: London and Wimbledon

When you arrive in London, grab a cab (or Uber) at the airport and head to our home for the week: The elegant, old-school, blissfully quiet yet centrally located The Mandeville. 

Nestled in Marylebone on the doorstep of famous Bond Street and Marylebone High Street, The Mandeville is a stone's throw from many of London’s most celebrated West End attractions. You won't have to walk far to find the arts, culture, food & drink that London is famous for. 

After unpacking, why not shake off your jet lag with a pre-dinner stroll through Regent's Park or a relaxing walk down the Marylebone High Street, stopping at The Conran Shop and Daunts Books along the way to the Selfridges department store? 

We’ll meet in the early evening for a celebratory glass of bubbly before heading to dinner at St. John Marylebone, a fine-dining restaurant well loved by locals. Their unfussy, high-quality take on traditional British cuisine is a fabulous introduction to the food we'll be enjoying this week. 

After breakfast, we'll visit the celebrated Tate Modern. Housed in the iconic former Bankside Power Station, the museum's collection is a rich collection of modern and contemporary art, featuring works by artists such as Picasso, Warhol, and Hockney. 

Following our guided tour, we'll enjoy lunch at the Tate Modern restaurant, which offers stunning views of the London skyline and the River Thames. 

We will enjoy a guided tour of Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral in the late afternoon, depending on availability. These iconic landmarks, rich in history and architectural grandeur, will come to life under the guidance of our expert, who will regale us with tales of royal weddings, coronations, and christenings in either place. 

Evensong mass at Westminster Abbey will also be an optional experience, offering a serene and uplifting experience for those who wish to join in.

Around 6 pm, we'll hop in a taxi and zip to our dinner reservation at The Golden Hind for some fish & chips. This charming shop has been serving up crispy fish and fries since 1914, and as a staple of British cuisine, it's a can't-miss stop.

Our day begins with a journey to Hampton Court Palace, the magnificent Tudor home of Henry VIII. We’ll explore the Great Hall, the historic kitchens, and the stunning riverside gardens, including the famous hedge maze. We’ll spend about two hours taking in the highlights of this storied estate.

In the early afternoon, we’ll make our way to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens. where we will sit down for lunch at the Pavilion Bar and Grill, and enjoy local, freshly grilled plates.

Following, we’ll enjoy a private guided tour of Kew Gardens, where we’ll explore remarkable plant collections, Victorian glasshouses, and beautifully landscaped grounds. After the tour, we’ll have a bit of free time to wander—perhaps walking the treetop canopy trail or relaxing by the lake. 

We’ll return to London in the early evening, where we'll indulge in a lovely dinner at Dishoom Carnaby, a buzzy, Bombay-inspired café tucked just off Carnaby Street, where 1960s nostalgia, lively atmosphere, and beloved dishes like the 24-hour black daal and chicken ruby come together for a memorable evening.

After breakfast, we'll visit  the Kensington Palace, where each room tells a story, from Queen Victoria’s childhood to Princess Diana's glamorous era. 

We'll explore the palace and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the garden. Then we're in for a British treat - afternoon tea at the gardens' The Orangery, a charming venue set in the gardens. Afterwards, we'll stop to visit the Princess Diana Memorial, and for those who would like to continue, a walk through Kensington Park and on to the V&A Museum. 

The afternoon will be yours to shop and explore the city. Dinner will be on your own before we meet at the West End for a live theatre performance!

Today's the day! We finally get to experience a day in Centre Court at Wimbledon.

We'll arrive at Wimbledon late morning for a day of tennis at the All-England Club. 

We'll have time to explore the grounds, browse the Wimbledon shops for souvenirs, check out the Wimbledon museum, and take in the electric atmosphere. As the matches begin, we'll settle into our Royal Box-level seating and get ready to witness world-class tennis up close, feeling the thrill and intensity of the competition!

After a full day of tennis, we'll unwind at for celebratory post-match cocktail and a light bite at the hotel.

For those of you not joining the trip extension to the Cotswolds, we must say our goodbyes. We'll cherish the happy memories and the long-lasting new friendships made! 

It can take 45-90 minutes by taxi to Heathrow, depending on traffic, so plan accordingly for your return flight.

For those of you joining the trip extension to the Cotswolds, onward!

A visit to the Cotswolds feels like stepping into a fairytale. Its rolling hills, storybook villages, and historic castles make it the perfect place to unwind and soak up the English countryside.

After breakfast, we'll take the train out to Cirencester to begin our four days in the Cotswolds.

Once we check in at The Pig — a honey-stone 17th-century country house hotel wrapped in Rosemary Verey-designed gardens — we'll spend 2 unhurried hours at the Fieldhouse Spa, with its sauna, steam room, and hydro-pool tucked among the orchards and meadows, before wandering the kitchen garden and walled garden as the afternoon winds down.

To wrap up the day, we'll gather for a leisurely high tea from The Pig's Buttered and Baked menu, timed in the late afternoon so it doubles as dinner — then call it an early night.

After breakfast at the hotel, we'll head to Sudeley Castle, a thousand years of English history layered into ten award-winning gardens and romantic ruins — once home to Queen Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's last wife, whose legacy still runs through the grounds. Lunch follows at the Sudeley Pavilion, overlooking the gardens.

In the afternoon, we'll join the Rosé & Roses in the Cotswolds tour — a private visit to Coughton Court, home to the Throckmorton family since 1409, with a rosé tasting in the private garden hosted by the family's own wine merchant, and a guided walk through the estate gardens with the head gardener.

Take some free time to wander around the town before we head back to the hotel to relax and refresh before dinner. We'll sit down for a hearty pub food meal at The Falcon Inn, a cozy pub right around the corner from our hotel.

With a full breakfast at the hotel behind us, we'll set off for Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds, with time for pictures around its historic market square and a wander through its antique shops and cobbled streets — including the famous yew-flanked door at St Edward's Church, said to have inspired Tolkien.

From there, we'll continue on to Oxford for the Iconic Oxford: Private Christ Church College Experience. We'll walk the Hall Stairs made famous on film, take in the Great Hall where scholars have gathered for centuries, cross Tom Quad — the largest courtyard in Oxford — and finish in the serene Cloisters.

We'll stop for Sunday roast at the Chester Arms, then have free time to shop through Oxford's streets and take a punt along the river before dinner on our own this evening.

There's no rush this morning — we'll take our time over breakfast at the hotel and ease into the day.

Late morning, we'll head to Highgrove for the gardens and grounds — King Charles's private organic garden, decades in the making, with a wildflower meadow, a walled kitchen garden, and whimsical touches like the Islamic-inspired Carpet Garden. Please note that if the King is in residence when we visit, we're unable to tour Highgrove. 

From there, we'll stop for lunch at The Crown, Ampney Brook.

We'll continue on to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 2,000 acres of parkland shaped by Capability Brown, ornate State Rooms, and gardens including the Water Terraces and the 1707 Walled Garden — before heading back to the hotel for dinner at the Feast in the Sunshine through Outdoor Eats at The Pig.

Today, it's time to say our goodbyes, but we'll have memories and new friends to last a lifetime.

After breakfast, we'll be driven to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to catch our return flights. Make sure you book a return flight that leaves in the afternoon or evening. It's approximately two hours by car to LHR, so we won't be at the airport until noon. If your flight arrangements don't fit this timetable, a private airport transfer can be arranged at an additional cost.