Christmas in Bristol, Bath, and the Cotswolds

You’ll make your own way to Bristol set on the Avon River in the southwest of England. Upon arriving at the luxury hotel on the outskirts of the city, you’ll check in* and have time to settle in and unwind, perhaps with a treatment at the state-of-the-art spa.

This evening, a three-course dinner will be served at the hotel’s award-winning restaurant.

*Check in time is from 3pm.

After breakfast, you’ll get on the coach for the quick journey to the city’s harbour.

You’ll then board a canal boat, which will be moored next to Brunel’s SS Great Britain, for a tour of the harbour. During this excursion, the boat will glide around the harbour while you listen to commentary provided by the crew members. You’ll learn about the city’s maritime history, as well as spot some of the major landmarks, including Bristol Cathedral, Bristol Aquarium, and the M Shed Museum, which showcases Bristol’s past within a dockside transit shed.

Back on land, you’ll have some free time to do some last-minute shopping or perhaps visit the Bristol Christmas market in the city centre. With over 35 unique stalls, live entertainment, and delicious drinks and snacks available, this is the perfect place to kick off your festive celebrations.

Towering over the market, a 15-metre-tall Ferris wheel can be found, decked with lights and ornaments. Perhaps purchase a cup of mulled wine and take a ride to enjoy spectacular views over the glittering city and its rooftops.

The coach will then return via the Clifton Observatory for views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, an iconic Grade I-listed structure spanning the dramatic Avon Gorge and dating back to 1864.

Tonight, there will be a celebratory ‘Bucks Fizz’ reception at the hotel followed by a three-course dinner with entertainment.

Get ready for a very special Christmas starting with breakfast and a scenic drive into the beautiful region of the Cotswolds. As you travel, you’ll pass through historic market towns and pretty villages, featuring distinctive golden limestone buildings and preserved medieval architecture. You’ll also see manicured estates and stately homes, interspersed with rambling wild meadows and rolling hills.

The hilly market town of Stroud will be the first stop, and your tour manager will lead your around. With a rich industrial past, the area is known for its textile mills, which are also spread across the surrounding valleys and can be visited. Take a walk along the Stroudwater Canal, surveying the art studios and boutiques.

Next, the tour will continue to Painswick, another market town known for its wool production, and dubbed the ‘The Queen of the Cotswolds’. Exquisitely preserved and ringed by countryside, it encompasses honey-hued cottages, designed in the traditional Cotswold architectural style and meandering lanes. St. Mary’s Church, a medieval parish with a Gothic façade is a highlight and famous for its garden of 99 yew trees. According to legend, the 100th tree will never grow, despite various attempts. The 18th-century Painswick Rococo Garden is also worth seeing, with an elaborate design, labyrinth of mazes and striking red house.

In the early afternoon, you'll return to the hotel to freshen up before meeting the other guests for a 'Bucks Fizz' reception with canapés and a Christmas lunch. 

Later this evening, a Christmas buffet will be served. 

Have breakfast and then board the coach for an excursion to the nearby city of Bath, UNESCO-listed and named after its ancient Roman-built baths. Your tour manager will take you around its visitor-friendly centre, made up of Georgian architecture and cobbled streets.

The Roman Baths, which were built around 70 AD can be viewed along with a museum displaying artefacts from that period. A towering Gothic-style cathedral, Bath Abbey, will be another stop, as will Pulteney Bridge, one of only a few historic bridges in the world with shops built into it on both sides. You’ll also get to see the iconic Royal Crescent, a semi-circular row of 30 terraced houses looking out over the Royal Victoria Park and the city.

You’ll then board the coach and return to the hotel to unwind. This evening, a pre-dinner drink of Prosecco and nibbles will be offered before a three-course dinner enhanced by entertainment.

Once you've had breakfast, you'll make your own way home.