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Guided Thames Source to Sea
offered by supplier M16009 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 10
day(s)
Group Size: 4
- 12
people
Destination(s):
England
Specialty Categories:
Bicycle Touring
Season: May
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 1690 Pound Sterling (GBP)
Maximum Per Person Price: 1690 Pound Sterling (GBP)
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This is a guaranteed tour starting May 14 2008.
The tranquil river path and the hidden lanes you will ride thread their way through sleepy rural villages and historic towns. Pretty landscapes and royal life abound as you ride by Oxford, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. Enjoy water meadows, old inns, wildlife and the traffic- free ride through the heart of London.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in the village of Ewen close to Cirencester and 1,25 hours by train from London Paddington. Your guide will meet you in the cosy inn in the afternoon with your cycling equipment. He will then lead you on a short ride to the source of the Thames River and its headstone for a photo call to mark the start of your adventure together.
Day 2: 34 miles to Clanfield through the rural meadows of the Upper Thames area where the river begins as barely a trickle. Following country lanes and sections of the river path reach Cricklade, a well preserved Saxon town and Lechlade with its moored boats and antique shops. Overnight stop in a 16th Century village inn.
Day 3: 28 miles to Oxford. Cylce through a remote and agricultural area with pretty hamlets and ancient inns. Weather permitting, you may be able to cross the river at the only ford on the Thames. Then cycle at the waters edge all the way into the heart of historic Oxford.
Day 4: Take a day off to enjoy all the historic treasures of Oxford.
Day 5: 28 miles. Criss cross the Thames today and discover forgotten rural scenes and a string of ancient market towns. Discover the ancient abbey in Abingdon or take tea in lovely Dorchester. Your overnight stop is in a rustic inn at the heart of a riverside hamlet.
Day 6: 30 miles. Follow the river today through the picturesque Chiltern Hills. There are some slopes on the quiet lanes but there are also wonderful views and woods as well as flat Thames towpath and pretty bridleways. Cycle through the delightful riverside town of Henley with its weirs and old mill before reaching Thameside Marlow.
Day 7: 32 miles. Leave the riverside scene for a short while and enjoy old villages before meeting the Thames again near Windsor. Cycle through the heart of Eton and Windsor, explore the castle there and then ride on for the rest of the day at the waters edge. Backwaters, locks and wildlife still abound as you reach your riverside hotel.
Day 8: 32 miles. Cycle beside the Thames almost all day and enjoy the royal history so prevalent along the banks of the river. Take in the palaces at Hampton Court, Richmond and Kew, the famous Botanical Gardens and the fine houses on the waterfront at Richmond. The route leads you almost traffic free past the Houses of Parliament to your riverside hotel beside the London Eye and Westminster Bridge.
Day 9: 15 miles. Ride east towards the sea and unravel the layers of history that have built up over two centuries beside the River Thames. Take in Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind, the Tower of London and the atmosphere of the old wharfs of London's docks.
Enjoy a traffic - free route to the historic maritime centre of Greenwich and to the Thames Barrier where your adventure finally ends. Reward yourself with a lazy boat trip back upstream to your hotel for a second night. Your guide will invite you to celebrate the trip together in one of our favourite hidden London gems.
Day 10: Time to explore London a little further and to say farewell to your cycling companions before departing.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
The tour price is based on 2 people sharing a room.
Price includes:
- 9 nights bed and breakfast in high quality and characterful small hotels and village inns
- a guide for 10 days
- quality hybrid bike hire with panniers
- luggage transfers
- tour brochure
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
England
Bicycle Touring
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