I know that many of your clients will want to escape the cold winter month of December with sun-drenched cruises to warmer climes.  If I was in their position, I’d probably want to do the same.

However, among your list of Europhiles and Anglophiles there will be others who will be attracted to Europe in general and the UK in particular where bustling Christmas Markets in their historic settings and ancient castles and stately homes dressed for Christmas will be irresistible especially when we top and tail them with some time in London.

My first three stories can be beautifully woven together to create 3-night Cotswolds-based tour that you and your clients will not have seen.  With mornings in London, Hever Castle, Polesden Lacey and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew offer some very good reasons for outstanding afternoon/dusk-time side trips into the English countryside.

Alice at the Palace

At Blenheim Palace, the magic of Alice in Wonderland will be exquisitely captured in an enchanting day time experience as you step between the pages of a larger-than-life storybook into Alice's amazingly topsy-turvy world. Wander down the rabbit-hole corridor, through the Hall of Mirrors, along the Hall of Doors and into historic rooms, sometimes grand, sometimes dainty, but always filled with hidden surprises.

An Enchanted Christmas

The National Arboretum at Westonbirt covers a breath-taking landscape filled with trees and shrubs from all over the world. In the run up to Christmas, you can take a night-time walk through this unique woodland garden and experience the magical light trail amongst the trees. Keep your eyes peeled for a close encounter with some of your favourite Christmas characters along the way….

The Spectacle of Light

This wonderful sound and light spectacular is set among Sudeley Castle’s glorious star-lit gardens and romantic ruins.  Follow Peter Pan and Wendy and discover some of the amazing characters from J. M. Barrie’s timeless classic including Tinker Bell, and the villainous Captain Hook!  Enjoy the carefully chosen music as each new secret in this magical environment is slowly revealed.

Christmas at Hever Castle

Discover the beautifully decorated Castle rooms, welcoming log fires and twinkling Christmas trees in the former home of William Waldorf Astor.  Outside in the grounds and as dusk falls, take a leisurely stroll along the festive trail and wander through the illuminated gardens.  As Hever Castle’s theme is Alice in Wonderland, let’s create an itinerary that combines them with a visit to Blenheim Palace.

All That Glitters

In November and December, Polesden Lacey, the sumptuous party house of Edwardian socialite Margaret Greville, will be re-imagined to focus on jewels and sparkle.  Inside, the house will be transformed with rooms re-imagined through the refraction and gleam of diamonds, emeralds, pearls and rubies. Christmas music, horse drawn carriages, wreath making.  Add it to your must see and experience list.

Myths, Magic and Tumbling Waterfalls

This Christmas, a visit to Kew Gardens will reveal a waterfall of lights cascading from the towering 18m-high Treetop Walkway while laser projections animate the Temperate House boasting 15,000 glimmering panes of glass.  Smoking white haze arches, a choir of holly bushes, a walkway of glittering pink cherry trees, specially curated soundtracks, and the smells of warming Christmas treats will make this visit sensational.