A Wonderful Wiltshire Christmas

Your festive holiday begins in the historic cathedral city of Salisbury, our base for the next six nights. Here, you meet the Tour Manager at our welcoming Georgian hotel, perfectly situated in the heart of the city and just a short stroll from the magnificent 13th-century cathedral.

After checking in, there's time at leisure to get to know the city. Wander the medieval streets steeped in history, browse the Christmas markets or simply soak up the festive atmosphere in a cosy bar, enjoying a drink around a crackling log fire.

We regroup this evening at our hotel for our first dinner of the holiday.

• Dinner

This morning after breakfast, we travel by coach to STEAM, the museum of the Great Western Railway, located in the heart of Swindon's historic railway works. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the exhibits and discover the stories of the people and engineering behind Britain's rich railway heritage.

After our visit, we continue by coach to Blunsdon, where we board the Swindon & Cricklade Railway for a festive afternoon journeying through the wintry countryside. Onboard our heritage carriages, we are welcomed with a warm glass of mulled wine before indulging in a Christmas afternoon tea, featuring seasonal sandwiches, savoury treats, prosecco and unlimited hot drinks as we enjoy the return journey through Wiltshire's scenic landscapes.

On arrival back at Blunsdon, there's time to tour the locomotive shed and visit the cinema coach, where nostalgic railway films bring the golden age of steam to life. We then make our way back to our hotel by coach, with time to unwind before dinner this evening.

*Trains are steam-hauled where possible, however due to timetable changes or weather conditions, heritage diesel locomotives may be running instead.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We get straight into the Christmas spirit after breakfast, with a festive wreath-making workshop. Feel free to be as creative as you please, using a selection of berries, dried flowers and pine cones to build your own wreath. To add to the atmosphere, there's mulled wine, Christmas music and hot chocolate. The wreath you make is yours to take home.

This afternoon, we tour Salisbury Cathedral with a local guide, who shows us around this 900-year-old architectural gem. On this private tour, we also visit the Chapter House to see one of the only remaining13th-century copies of the Magna Carta. With time to explore independently, you may choose to visit the cathedral tower (payable on entry).

Later, we drive to the stately home of Longleat to experience the fantastic Festival of Lights event. With a different theme each year, the festival features hundreds of lanterns, which illuminate the landscaped grounds. As the winter sun sets, Longleat is transformed into a dazzling wonderland. Back at our hotel, we have a slightly later dinner this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we take a short eight-mile drive to one of England's most famous landmarks, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Stonehenge. Standing on Salisbury Plain for more than 5000 years, Stonehenge is a wonder to behold and, just a few days after the winter solstice, this is sure to be a magical experience.

On arrival, there's time to explore the museum before boarding a shuttle bus to this extraordinary neolithic monument. There's time to walk around and admire thesthe huge sarson stones, weighing in excess of 25 tons each, and to ponder on this awe-inspiring, mysterious place.

Arriving back at our hotel in the early afternoon, there's free time to explore more of Salisbury at leisure. You might like to wander around the Christmas markets in town, take a stroll along the riverside path to Stratford-sub-Castle or cosy up in an inviting pub. After dinner, you may choose to attend the Salisbury Cathedral midnight mass, watch the candlelit King's College Carol Service on television or simply relax with your favourite tipple.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Happy Christmas one and all! With no planned activities today, you can enjoy the day entirely at your own pace and be as active or relaxed as you wish.

Naturally, we have all the Christmas Day meals covered. Once you have enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and opened presents, you might like to take a walk around the town to build up an appetite - or simply relax in the hotel lounge, enjoying the warmth and festive cheer.

After a traditional Christmas Day lunch, you might choose to watch the King's Speech or enjoy a post-lunch nap before we start to indulge once again with an evening buffet meal. Ending the day with a final flourish, our Christmas evening buffet includes mini desserts.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, in true Boxing Day tradition, we have a slightly later start. After breakfast, we journey to the charming town of Devizes.

Here, we head to the Wiltshire Museum where we are given an exclusive private guided tour followed by time to look around at our own pace. The museum's displays describe Wiltshire's history, ranging from Stonehenge and Roman times to a Saxon Gallery and the story of the formation of the Kingdom of Wessex.

Our journey into ancient Britain continues after as we make our way to the World Heritage site of Avebury, home to one of Europe's largest Neolithic stone circles. Dating back nearly 5,000 years ago, the stone circles and henges are full of traces of our ancient past, and the surrounding landscape also includes a stone-lined avenue and Silbury Hill - the largest artificial mound in Europe.

Once back at the hotel, there's time to unwind before the finale of this holiday, a Boxing Day dinner. We dine together for the last time this evening, enjoying a three-course meal, including chocolate treats.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This festive week in Wiltshire has introduced us to the historic town of Salisbury, where we have witnessed the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral and the Magna Carta. We have visited the iconic sites of Stonehenge and Avebury, admired the sparkling lights of Longleat and enjoyed a taste of the Wiltshire countryside during our festive railway journey.

After breakfast, your holiday draws to a close and you are free to check out and make your way home. Alternatively, you can continue exploring the country of Wiltshire independently.

• Breakfast