Oxford and Royal Palaces

The River Thames threads its way serenely through sleepy, rural villages, pretty landscapes, and through the heart of bustling historic towns including Oxford and Windsor. Royalty and history beckon, whilst water meadows, old inns, wildlife, and weirs lead you through your adventures.

The tranquil river path guides the route for much of this trip - we love it because it is flat and traffic-free. The itinerary is relaxed and includes several optional river boat trips with bikes aboard. What a great way to discover the sights and smells of quintessential England!

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Highlights

• Windsor Castle & Great Park
• Waterfront of the Thames River
• The River and Rowing Museum in Henley
• Oxford

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Learn more about self-guided tours.

Daily program

Day 1: Arrival to Oxford
Arrive in Oxford and check into your hotel located at the center of the city. Take some time to relax before hitting the town to stroll the 'city of dreaming spires'. Visit the gardens of University and its historic colleges. Either tonight or tomorrow morning, you will meet with a representative to review the itinerary and fit your bicycle.
Overnight in Oxford.

Day 2: Oxford (12 miles/19 km)
Enjoy the treasures of Oxford today - by bike if you wish. There are the lovely colleges of the University with their magnificent architecture, museums galore, galleries and famous libraries. Add to these fine restaurants, unique shops and river backwaters dotted with punters and rowing eights and you will enjoy a fitting finale to your tour.
Overnight in Oxford.

Day 3: Oxford – Streatley (17-24 miles/27-38 km)
Crisscross the Thames today and take in pretty riverside villages and forgotten rural scenes. These dreamy waters of the Upper Thames are where many a famous tale has been dreamt. The shorter ride includes a boat hop from Abingdon with its ancient abbey (only available in July and August). Continue pedalling along the Thames to Streatley where you will spend the night in an old inn set in a tranquil riverside village.
Overnight in Streatley.

Day 4: Streatley – Henley (19 miles/30 km)
Today's ride follows the river through some of its most magical settings. Pedal across weirs, spot the llamas, smell ancient beech woods and discover the prettiest village on the Thames. There’s a 5 minute train hop at the start of the day from Streatley to the start of your cycling route. Once in Henley, famed for its rowing regatta, you will quickly discover its elegant atmosphere. Stroll along the waterfront, enjoy tea on one of a number of river islands. Your overnight stop nestles in the heart of the town.
Overnight in Henley.

Day 5: Henley – Marlow (10 miles/18 km)
Take time to discover all the history of Henley and visit The River and Rowing Museum before starting your cycling to Marlow. Today there are some slopes through the Chiltern Hills and beech woods with fantastic views and wonderful scenery. Then drop down into the historic small town of Marlow further downstream on the banks of the river.
Overnight in Marlow.

Day 6: Marlow – Windsor (19-36 miles/30-57 km)
There is a pretty route to cycle that leads away from the river through old villages and hamlets, across village greens and along hidden bridleways whilst crossing the river a few times. Take a peek at Eton across the river as you cycle across the Thames to reach Windsor and it's famed castle. Tonight your hotel is near the castle and you will have time to discover the royal history of the area. There is an option to extend the cycling route by adding a circular route into Windsor Great Park.
Overnight in Windsor.

Day 7: Windsor – Hampton Wick/Hampton Court (23 miles/37 km, Classic)(18 miles/29 km, Luxury)
Ride to Hampton Court today along the classic riverscape of the Thames. There are houseboats and villas, famous islands and willow lined meadows, pretty lock cottages, attractive steeples and ancient waterside inns. Enjoy the tranquility and rural scene before making tracks to Hampton Wick or Hampton Court where your overnight stop is located for the next two nights.
Overnight in Hampton Wick(Classic) or Hampton Court(luxury).

Day 8: Circular Ride Hampton Wick to Kew (16-20 miles/25-32 km, Classic)(19-23 miles/30-37 km, Luxury)
Your traffic free ride today is glorious along the river and takes in Richmond with its Old Palace and Park, chic shops and waterside cafes and the fine historic houses along the waterfront. The longer ride includes Kew Palace and the Internationally famed Kew Gardens. You may be able to enjoy a boat ride too with bikes aboard to help you along your way. Wow what a finale to the tour!
Overnight in Hampton Wick(Classic) or Hampton Court(luxury).

Day 9: Departure day
Depart on your own.

Surface and terrain

This tour takes place on flat terrain, on nearly traffic-free routes. The cycling is gentle, with low daily distances and very gentle grades. You will face occasional slopes, but no extended climbs on this trip. No cycling in London is required.

Hotels

These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.

Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.

How to get there

Tour start
Nearest airport: London Heathrow Airport (LHR), United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Oxford (direct from London Paddington)

Tour end
Nearest airport: London Heathrow Airport (LHR), United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Windsor either Central or Riverside Stations into Waterloo or Paddington.

Tips on getting to and from your tour

Dates

Prices

Included services

• 8 nights accommodation in rooms with en-suite bathrooms
• Breakfast daily
• Luggage transfers between hotels
• Adventure Handbook - packed full of information, history and photos of the area your tour
  covers
• Waterproof mobile phone holder
• Emergency service line
• Local host to welcome and brief you
• Standard touring bike
• Advice, help, and guidance
• Train tickets from Pangbourne on Day 6
• Route Directions on GPS route to download to your phone and OS maps

Single room pricing is available if you have at least 2 people in your party.

Bike rentals

Bikes available and included in the tour package (must be reserved in advance at the time of booking):

• Standard touring bikes

Bikes available to rent (must be reserved in advance at the time of booking):

• Electrically assisted bikes*
• Tandem bikes (availability may be limited)

*More about electrically-assisted bikes >

Bikes come equipped with the following at no additional cost:

• Pannier
• Bike pump
• Bike lock
• Toolkit and spare inner tube
• Waterproof phone holder and back up power bank and charger
• Helmet

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.

Helmets:
Helmet rental is available on this tour. However, we recommend that you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene purposes.

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