Day 1 — Depart the U.S for London

Depart the U.S. for London on individual flights.

Day 2 — London, Oxford

Arrive in London this morning and transfer to Oxford. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner and plenary talk. (D)

Days 3–7 — Oxford

Lectures take place at Merton College, Oxford University. See Course Descriptions under the Tour Details tab for course details.

Excursions: Explore highlights of Oxford, including an exploration of the British educational system and the connection between James Smithson (the founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution) and the university, which he attended as a student. Alternative afternoon excursions are available for return travelers. Plus, take an additional special excursion tailored to your specific course.

2022 Excursions:

Those enrolled in The English Garden in History will visit Rousham Gardens, a country house with a walled garden and herbaceous borders first built in 1635 and remodeled in the 18^th century in Oxfordshire, England. The Age of Winston Churchill features a field trip to Chartwell, Churchill’s country house, and home for over four decades. Those in the Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England will travel to the reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Hall at Long Wittenham, South Oxfordshire, which was recently reconstructed using traditional materials, tools, and techniques. The excursion for The Rise and Fall of the British Empire will be a trip to Sezincote House, Gloucestershire. Travelers in Myths and Legends of the British Isles will visit three pre-historic sites (the White Horse, Uffington Castle, Dragon Hill) along the ancient route that ran from the southeast of England to the Wash in the Northwest. Participants in Shakespeare’s English History Plays will visit Stratford-upon-the Avon, the Bard’s childhood home.

2023 Excursions:

Those enrolled in The Rise & Fall of the British Empire will travel to Sezincote House in Gloucester, constructed in 1805 when British India was becoming the “jewel in the crown” of the world’s largest empire. Students in The Monarchy will visit Windsor Castle in Berkshire, the royal residence associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, with a rich architectural and cultural history. Students in The Archaeology of Britain will visit the ceremonial World Heritage sites of Stonehenge and Avebury, as well as Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum of art and archaeology. Participants in Jane Austen will visit the Jane Austen House Museum, where Austen lived for the final eight years of her life, along with the nearby Chawton House Library, a historic Elizabethan home, which hosts The Centre for the Study of Early Women’s Writing. 

Remaining 2023 excursions to be announced soon.

(B,L,D) 

Day 8 — Oxford

After breakfast transfer to Heathrow Airport for individual flights back to the U.S. or travel to London for the optional extension. (B)