Tea & Tennis: London and Wimbledon

Hail a London cabbie and arrive at the lovely 4-star hotel,The Mandeville.

The Mandeville Hotel’s Marylebone location is on the doorstep of famous Bond Street, Marylebone High Street, and Selfridges (the iconic department store). It is surrounded by the best of London’s shopping; the West End and London’s celebrated attractions are around the corner. 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 hotel lobby as we head out for the week's first dinner at the elegant Orrery Restaurant. It's a short walk from the hotel. 

After breakfast, we'll visit Windsor Castle. The world's oldest and largest inhabited castle is one of the official residences of the British monarch and was much loved by Queen Elizabeth II. We'll do a guided Windsor Tour and discover the rich history of this place that dates back over a thousand years. 

We'll take time for lunch at Duchess of Cambridge a true British Pub in the heart of Windsor.  

After lunch, we'll make our way to the Windsor Promenade and take a wee boat ride along the river Thames for lovely views of the Windsor Bridge, Eton College, and the stunning riverside architecture. 

We'll set aside some time to shop, enjoy one of the many tea shops for a light bite, and explore the quaint town of Windsor. 

We'll wind down on our ride back to London after a full day of sightseeing.

Dinner is at your leisure tonight. Grab a friend and head out for fish and chips! 

Let’s meet in the lobby after breakfast and head to The British Museum. Dating back to 1753, one of the world’s oldest museums houses a vast collection of art and artifacts from various cultures and periods. Treasures include the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, and several Egyptian mummies.  

After the guided tour, we'll venture over to Circolo Popolare, a Sicilian Trattoria, for pizza and a salad before returning to our hotel via Oxford Street and St Christophers Place.  

We'll walk back to the hotel after shopping at Oxford Street. The walk will take approximately 20 minutes. After a short pause, we'll head to Westminster Abbey for Evensong at the nearly 1000-year-old church where English Kings and Queens are crowned. Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset. The focus is singing psalms and other biblical canticles. You need not be a believer to enjoy the ancient choral music.  

You can't say you've been to London without having a curry, now can you? Tonight, we'll dine at the wonderful Michelin-starred Trishna, billed as a contemporary take on coastal-influenced Indian Cuisine. 

After a sumptuous breakfast, we're headed to Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana. On a guided tour, we'll explore the splendid state apartments and learn historical tidbits about the British royal family.  

And as we're in the UK, lunch takes the form of afternoon tea at  The Orangery. It will include your choice of tea, scones with clotted cream, finger sandwiches, and delicious desserts. After this sweet indulgence, we'll walk through the beautiful Kensington Gardens. We'll stop to visit the Princess Diana Memorial and continue through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace. 

Enjoy time to relax or shop. We'll meet later for a pre-theatre meal at Bocca Di Lupo, where we will enjoy authentic Italian Food. 

Tonight, we're headed to the West End for theatre to see *SIX! The Musical! Prepare to lose your head and experience the Tudor Wives’ lives as they turn back the clock and take to the stage to reclaim their crowns and retell their stories of love, loss, and the infamous ex they all have in common.  

*May change if the show is no longer playing in July 2024.  

Today is the big day you will experience the Wimbledon Championships! After breakfast, we'll hop into a private van headed to The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. 

Wimbledon is lauded as one of the world's premier sporting events and one of the most exclusive. Join us as tennis fans from all over the globe unite for this special tournament.

Centre Court will be the setting for the Women’s Semi-Finals, and we'll see not just one match but two! Women's semi-finals will be followed by the Mixed Doubles finals, which will take place on the same court (Center Court). It's always fun to see how incredibly fast the doubles action is. For serious tennis fans, Junior Tennis is played on the outer courts. This is your chance to find the up-and-coming stars. 

Centre Court now has a retractable roof guaranteeing a full day's play, whatever the weather. 

After a full day at Wimbledon, it's time to head back to the hotel. 

As this is our last night together, we will meet for a farewell glass of bubbly and snacks in the hotel bar. This will be a time to reminisce about today's tennis action and share anecdotes and photos of our week in London and Windsor. 

Sadly, our amazing adventure has come to an end. For those who don’t have an early morning flight, a farewell brunch at the Chiltern Firehouse is included. It's just a short walk from the hotel. 

Cherish the happy memories and the long-lasting new friendships made.