Stonehenge & Windsor Minicoach Tour

A panoramic tour of the town of Windsor in a luxury 16-seater Mercedes minicoach, followed by a visit to one of the King's royal residences. View the magnificent state apartments, Queen Mary's Doll Houses and St George's Chapel, the magnificent late gothic building the resting place of many of England's royalty and then onwards to the world heritage site of Stonehenge.

About an hour's minicoach drive out of London lies the largest occupied castle in the world, Windsor, home to His Majesty King Charles III. We will have a drive around the castle for an all-round perspective before going inside. There is so much to see within Windsor Castle including Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a view of the Long Walk, the state apartments and the splendid late Gothic chapel of Saint George’s—the final resting place of many of England’s Kings and Queens, including the late Queen Elizabeth II.

We continue our minicoach tour through Windsor Great Park—the King's private land—famous for its ancient oak forest, and we will hear about a mysterious spirit that is said to still haunt the place. We drive past Royal Ascot, a horse racing course, to join the motorway that takes us through some of the best low heath in the country.

We will join the A303, the 'highway to the sun'—a road steeped in both myth and magic—and drive through the ancient town of Amesbury. Before Stonehenge's imposing stones come into view, we'll pause at Durrington Walls, a colossal earthen ring crowned with a grassy rampart, holding the secrets of a vibrant Neolithic community, and also Woodhenge, where ancient wood posts once stood in a circle.

The enigmatic site of Stonehenge is unique and remains a mystery. The site was developed over two distinct periods from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age—a time span of almost one and a half thousand years. It seems that Stonehenge was constructed to mark the passage of the solstices, and maybe the moon as well. We'll cover some of these ideas on our tour, bearing in mind that Stonehenge is just a small part of a massive landscape that was developed by early man.

In the Visitor Centre we can experience what it is like to stand in the middle of the stone circle as it developed over the centuries and during the passage of the seasons. On display is locally unearthed artefacts, including tools used in the construction of Stonehenge. Video shorts will explain how the stones were erected and how bronze was smelted. Outside the Visitor Centre is reconstructions of Bronze Age huts, based upon excavations in the area.

A courtesy bus will take us up to the site itself, navigating us through the sacred landscape of prehistoric man. We exit via the shop where souvenirs can be purchased. There's also a restaurant at the site, where hot and cold drinks and snacks can be purchased.

Our journey back to London will take us back through the ancient heath of Surrey and through the suburbs of London including Twickenham Stadium (home of rugby) and Richmond, once a royal residence by the River Thames.