Day Tours From London To Stonehenge, Bath etc.

A Guide To Choosing The Right Day Tour For Your Personal Needs

Day Tours From London Luxury Coach

There is a bewildering choice of day tours available from Central London. This page aims to point you in the right direction so that you end up with the tour that is appropriate for your personal needs.

All the main tour companies operate a full programme of tours throughout the year, the only day you will have problems with availability is Christmas Day. Nearly all the day tours start picking up by 07:30 and leave London by 08:45, returning sometime between 18:00 and 20:30.

Touring Areas

Day tours from London visit crudely one of 3 regions of England. Most tours will visit a permutation of three attractions within each region.
The regions are:
West of London: Windsor, Stonehenge, Winchester, Salisbury, Avebury, Lacock, Bath, Glastonbury, Oxford.
North West of London: Oxford, Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwick Castle.
South East of London: Canterbury, Dover, Leeds Castle.

Day Tour Operating Companies

There are broadly three categories open to you when you select a tour company for your day tour - standard full size coach tours, minibus small group tours and private custom tours.

Standard full size coach tours

In terms of numbers of people this is where most people end up. There are three main operators, Evan Evans, Golden Tours and Premium Tours. If you book with anybody else they are almost certainly a middle man and you will end up on one of the above tours.
All these companies offer very similar product. They all use very similar full size touring coaches and have a driver and either a blue badge guide or a tour manager aboard. The blue badge guides are independent of the tour companies and can, and do switch between companies. The blue badge scheme guarantees you have a competent guide, these people have studied for the blue badge accreditation over years. Clearly, some of them are better than others in terms of delivery, but all know their stuff.
Anderson Tours are another large coach operator noted for their daily Bath and Stonehenge tour and also operate other tours with smaller vehicles.

Evan Evans Coach Tours

Offering perhaps the largest tour programme of the 'Big 3', Evan Evans is perhaps a benchmark to compare against. Evans Evans operates to all the major destinations outside London visited by day tours and the combinations available will meet most requirements.
Evans Evans Day Tours - More Details

Premium Coach Tours

A smaller company than Evan Evans but with a programme that has all the major tours. Like all the big 3, prices for the same tour are remarkably similar. Premium will often differentiate themselves by 'adding value' to a tour, e.g. a private torch lit tour of the Roman Baths rather than the normal standard tour.
Premium Tours Day Tours - More Details

Small group minibus tours

Mini bus operators invariably use 16 seat vehicles, often with a combined driver/guide rather than separate driver and guide. The driver/guides may not be blue badge accredited but are equally knowledgeable, normally with strong people skills. With the small number of people traveling a more personalised experience than the big coaches is provided.

The small size of the vehicles also means they can go down the country lanes and visit villages off the beaten tourist track where the large buses cannot go.

International Friends Tours

International Friends operate a programme of tours throughout the year focused on the touring regions west and north west of London. One of the advantages of a minibus tour is that the pickups in the morning are far more streamlined and shorter than the large coach tours.
International Friends Day Tours - More Details

Private Custom Tours

At first sight the idea of a custom tour may seem extravagant. But private tours can be surprisingly affordable for families. For small groups you have the best of both worlds, a customised itinerary going where you want to go, when you want to go at a price no more expensive than using a standard large group public tour

London Tours Private Car Tours (Up to 6 People)

Harry Norman is the larger than life, ex London taxi driver behind London Tours. Harry has established a formidable reputation in providing tours for five or less people. Days are not as long as the coach tours, commonly visiting two main destinations.
London Tours (Harry Norman) Private Day Tours - More Details

FCMBS Private Minibus Tours (Up To 16 People)

FCMBS offer larger vehicles than London Tours. A choice of small buses with 8, 14 or 16 seats are available all with experienced driver/guides. FMBS do offer the long day tours comparable with the large coach operators and because of their luggage holds can offer tour transfers to/from cruise and airports.
FCMBS Private Minibus Day Tours - More Details

Tips and things to look out for

Traffic congestion coming back into London is highly unpredictable. Its not a good idea to book an evening theatre or a table for dinner based on scheduled return times.


Although the public coach tours will have morning pickups from major hotels scattered around London, they do not normally offer the same service on your return in the evening. Unless your hotel is on the route back into London of the tour, most tours will terminate at a single point in Central London.


Although the public coach tours will have morning pickups from major hotels scattered around London, they do not normally offer the same service on your return in the evening. Unless your hotel is on the route back into London of the tour, most tours will terminate at a single point in Central London.
For most tours to the west and north west of London, coaches will return through the Earls Court, Gloucester Road, South Kensington districts of Kensington. It might be worth checking out if the Underground stations are convenient for your accommodation at these rather than staying on the bus to somewhere like Victoria, often the tour terminus.


The different companies prices are very similarly priced for the same thing. Do take the trouble to read the details of what is included in the tour, crucially which admissions are included. Admissions can make up a sizable portion of the tour fee.


The buying public have historically purchases tours with the maximum number of places visited crammed into a single day. As a result nearly all the tours visit three main destinations. For many attractions the time allowed is the bare minimum, just enough time to see the main highlights and move on. For many people the time allocated is much shorter than they would spend if they visited independently.


Windsor, Bath and Oxford especially can easily be visited independently with very frequent public transport from Central London.


Tours are great for time poor visitors who want to see a lot in one day. The beauty of a tour apart from a guide is the ability to visit multiple attractions in one day,something you won't be able to do normally by public transport independently

Summary of Most Popular Guided Tours From London 2013
Including Stonehenge
Stonehenge Afternoon Tour PR £35 Full Size Bus Stonehenge only. Afternoon tour leaving lunchtime. Daily.
Stonehenge & London Sights PR £49 Full Size Bus Morning tour of London on red London bus. Afternoon tour Stonehenge. Daily.
Stonehenge & Bath PR £45 Full Size Bus Admission Stonehenge afternoon in Bath. Daily.
Stonehenge & Bath IF £54 Small Group Admission Stonehenge + Roman Baths at Bath. Saturdays only.
Stonehenge & Bath AN £49 Full Size Bus Admission Stonehenge + Roman Baths at Bath. Daily.
Windsor - Stonehenge - Bath PR £71 Full Size Bus Admission Windsor, Stonehenge + Pub lunch. Flexible time Bath after tour. Daily
Windsor - Stonehenge - Bath IF £99 Small Group Admission Stonehenge, Roman Baths, but not Windsor. Mon, Wed,Fri and Sat.
Windsor - Stonehenge - Lacock - Bath PR £88 Midi Size Bus Admission Windsor, Stonehenge + Pub lunch at Lacock included - Not Tues+Sat
Windsor - Stonehenge - Oxford EE £79 Full Size Bus Admissions to Windsor Catle, Stonehenge, Walking Tour Oxford. Daily
Salisbury - Stonehenge - Avebury IF £99 Small Group Admission Stonehenge+Salisbury Cathedral. Tour Avebury. Wednesdays
Lacock - Bath - Stonehenge IF £99 Small Group Admission Stonehenge + Roman Baths at Bath. Walking tour Lacock. Tuesdays.
Stonehenge - Glastonbury - Avebury IF £99 Small Group Admission Stonehenge, Glastonbury Abbey. Fridays.
Salisbury - Stonehenge - Bath EE £74 Full Size Bus Admissions to Salisbury Cath, Stonehenge, Roman Baths. Daily
Stratford - Cotswolds - Stonehenge - Bath PR £80 Full Size Bus Admission Stratford, Stonehenge, Tour Cotswolds Tues,Fri,Sun
Oxford - Cotswolds - Bath - Stonehenge IF £179 2 Day small group with hotel Includes admissions, walking tours and good hotel. Every Weekend
Stonehenge Special Access Tours
Stonehenge - Lacock - Bath PR £99 Various Special access admission at Stonehenge plus Roman Bath
Stonehenge - Salisbury or Avebury AN £79 Various Special access at Stonehenge plus either Avebury or Salisbury
Stonehenge From Salisbury   £85 Various Evening Special access at Stonehenge from Salisbury
Cotswolds, Oxford, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwick Castle
Oxford - Stratford - Warwick Castle PR £71 Full Size Bus Admission Christ Church Oxford and Shakespeare's Birthplace + Warwick
In depth Cotswolds + Lunch - Stratford PR £79 Full Size Bus With lunch + Cream Tea in Cotswolds, Walking Tour Stratford. Tues, Thur, Sat
In depth Cotswolds + Blenheim Palace EE £79 Full Size Bus With lunch. Summer Only (May to Sep) Fri, Sat,Sun
Oxford - Cotswolds - Stratford IF £99 Small Group Guided tours of Oxford, Stratford, Burford, Boutron On Water. Thursday & Sunday
Oxford - Cotswolds - Stratford AN £75 Small Group Guided tours of Oxford, Stratford, Cream T Cotswolds. Daily.
Oxford and Stratford AN £50 Full Size Bus Includes Anne Hathaway's Cottage.
Tues+Thurs+Sat+Sun
Windsor - Stonehenge - Oxford EE £79 Full Size Bus Admissions to Windsor Catle, Stonehenge, Walking Tour Oxford. Daily
Stratford - Stonehenge - Bath PR £80 Full Size Bus Admission Stratford, Stonehenge, Roman Baths. Tues,Fri,Sun
Oxford - Cotswolds - Bath - Stonehenge IF £179 2 Day small group with hotel Includes admissions, walking tours and good hotel.Every Weekend
Canterbury, Greenwich Thames River Cruise, Leeds Castle & Dover
Leeds - Canterbury - Dover - Greenwich PR £71 Full Size Bus Admission Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Lunch Dover. Greenwich tour+cruise.
Scotland, Amsterdam & Paris
Day Trip Paris - Train & Metro/River Pass PR £119 Eurostar Train Day return on Eurostar train. Paris public transport pass and Seine cruise.
Escorted Day Trip To Paris PR £149 Eurostar Train Pickup from hotel. Eurostar day return. Fully escorted tour of Paris
Luxury Day Trip To Paris PR £209 Eurostar Train Pickup from hotel. Eurostar day return. Tour + Champagne lunch on Eiffel Tower.
3 day Weekend Break In Paris By Bus IF £229 Coach 2 nights in Paris with full sightseeing.
Optional Versailles trip.
3 day Weekend Break In Paris By Train IF £239 Eurostar Train 2 nights in Paris with full sightseeing.
Optional Versailles trip.
3 Day Weekend Break In Edinburgh IF £219 Train 2 nights in Edinburgh with guide, optional trips to Highlands. Every Friday.
3 Day Weekend Break In Amsterdam IF £229 Coach 2 nights in Amsterdam with guide and full sightseeing programme.
IF - International Friends (Uses 16 seat minibuses)
AN - Anderson Tours		 EE - Evan Evans Tours
PR - Premium Tours