The Great River Thames and Windsor Castle

Make your own way to our hotel, where you meet our experienced tour manager and enjoying a relaxing evening.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we depart by coach and travel to Windsor Promenade where we embark on a scenic cruise along the Thames. Enjoy the views from the top deck as we cruise upstream past the famous royal Windsor Racecourse and Eton College before heading downstream to see the most famous view of Windsor Castle from the river and on through Romney lock.

We include a delicious ploughman’s lunch with cake and tea/coffee on board whilst the boat makes a turn at Old Windsor weir. After the cruise, we head to Windsor Castle which 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 entrance to the castle, and you’ll have free time to explore before we return to the hotel.

Today, we travel by coach to Caversham Pier where we join our Thames River cruise. Our 5-hour cruise passes some of the most unspoilt stretches of the Upper Thames. We’ll journey through Pangbourne and navigate two locks and three reaches as we cruise to the beautiful villages of Goring and Streatley. Here, the boat turns around and we’ll enjoy a delicious afternoon tea on board. We return to the hotel for dinner this evening.

After breakfast at the hotel, we travel by coach to Stonor Park, a historic country house and private deer park situated in a valley in the Chiltern Hills. The house has a 12th-century private chapel and the remains of a prehistoric stone circle in the grounds. It is the ancestral home and seat of the Stonor family, Baron Camoys. We include entrance to the house and a guided tour of the house and chapel, before we continue to Henley-on-Thames.

Here, we board our cruise on the beautiful and scenic River Thames where you’ll discover the history, heritage and beauty of Britain’s Royal River. The cruise includes live commentary from a qualified and experience Blue Badge Guide plus lunch to include finger sandwiches, cakes, tea and coffee. We return to the hotel for our final evening meal.

After breakfast, you are free to check out of the hotel and make your own way home, or you can take the opportunity to explore the local area further.