Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge

Since I would be going around the UK by myself, my cousin Babits suggested that I join the group tours since I can end up saving more. I have always wanted to see castles and made sure that I get to go inside even just once in this trip.  The city of Bath was also suggested and so I decided to look around for tours online.

I stumbled upon the Golden Tours website and Checked their available tours. I picked the Windsor Castle, City of Bath and Stonehenge tour (GBP 69). I think the price was just right since I'll be visiting three destinations in a day. Once I paid online and printed out my voucher, all I had to do was show up on my tour date in their London office. 

At exactly 8:30 am, we boarded our coach at Victoria station assisted by our tour guide James (dressed up in suit with a hat--in a fine Englishman attire) and our very chatty driver Max (from Liverpool).

The London traffic did not bother me at all as James would provide us with a little bit of info on the places we passed by like Margaret Thatcher's neighborhood, architecture of the Cotswolds, legends involving Stonehenge and even Jane Austen's house. I felt too tired though that I ended up falling asleep on parts of the trip but it was a very smooth ride.

Windsor Castle was amazing and the Queen was there for her Jubilee luncheon that day. James gave us suggestions on what should we prioritize. Queen Mary's dollhouse was out of this world. I was speechless with the architecture and details of each room in the State Apartments. St. George's chapel is a must visit as well where some of the famous kings and queens of England are burried--Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, George VI and the Queen Mum (Elizabeth II's parents from the movie The King's Speech).

Bath was simply breathtaking from the architecture of the buildings and the lovely Pulteney Bridge with all the shops in it. The Roman Baths is worth visiting as well and knowing how this very old empire lived and conquered the world. One tip, you can grab a hotdog from this cart as you exit the Roman Baths. Pretty good for late lunch. Some pasties and pies can be found in the vicinity as well.

I never imagined that I would see Stonehenge in the flesh in this lifetime. I though I'll only see it in magazines or read about it in my high school textbook. Of course these are just stones on a plain for some people but it make's you wonder what's it for, who built it, how did they get the stones there and why? Of course speculations are there from calculating the movements of the sun and moon and even thinking that Merlin placed it there. One can't help but me amazed.

I enjoyed this tour very much even if I was all by myself. I only did a little bit of chitchat with the other tourists towards the end of the tour as I preferred to explore on my own. Golden Tours organized this really well. Our driver was really good and friendly and our tour guide James really knows his stuff.


Feel free to check and book their tours on their websites. I suggest that you find the tour that has all the entrance fees included. It can save you time and money. Visit their site at http://www.goldentours.com/. I highly recommend it.