Is train travel included?

Yes, one festive afternoon journey on the heritage Swindon & Cricklade Railway is included on day 2, alongside standard-class rail and coach travel used elsewhere on the tour.

Is this trip escorted?

Yes, it is an escorted tour with a UK Tour Manager from start to finish.

The tour stays for all six nights at the Mercure White Hart Hotel in Salisbury, a 4-star hotel.

There is one departure, in December 2026, timed around Christmas week.

What is not included?

Cancellation and travel insurance, Salisbury Cathedral tower entry, and UK rail connections from your home station are not included.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

A Wonderful Wiltshire Christmas

Escorted Christmas tour based in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with a heritage steam trip

Great Rail Journeys runs this 7-day, 6-night escorted Christmas holiday from a single base in Salisbury, the cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. There is no changing hotels: every night is spent at the Mercure White Hart Hotel, and a UK Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout. Days combine coach excursions with one especially festive rail outing, an afternoon aboard the heritage Swindon & Cricklade Railway with mulled wine and Christmas music on day 2. Other days bring a private guided tour of Salisbury Cathedral to see a 13th-century copy of the Magna Carta, a Christmas Eve walk among the ancient stones of Stonehenge, the Longleat Festival of Light, and visits to the Wiltshire Museum and the Avebury stone circle. Christmas Day itself is left free, built around a traditional lunch and an evening buffet. It suits travellers who want a fully organised, low-effort Christmas away from home, with history, festive tradition and one nostalgic train ride included rather than a rail-focused itinerary.

Price history

Across 4 checks, this price has fallen £200 since 4 Jul, to £1,499.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 2 of 4 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Most of the tour's travel is by coach; the only train journey is the heritage steam excursion on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway on day 2.
Christmas Day (day 5) has no organised activity; the day is left free around the included lunch and evening buffet.
Salisbury Cathedral tower entry is not included and is payable on entry.
UK rail connections from your home station to the tour start are not included; they can be booked separately as an optional extra.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Salisbury
Welcome to the medieval city of Salisbury
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.
Day 2railovernight: Salisbury
STEAM Museum and festive railway journey
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.
Day 3overnight: Salisbury
Salisbury cathedral and Longleat Festival of Lights
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 remaining 13th-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.
Day 4overnight: Salisbury
A Christmas Eve visit to prehistoric Stonehenge
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 the 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.
Day 5overnight: Salisbury
Christmas Day lunch and an evening buffet
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.
Day 6overnight: Salisbury
Boxing Day visit to the Wiltshire Museum and Avebury
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.
Day 7rail
Homeward bound
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.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2The tour boards the Swindon & Cricklade Railway for a festive afternoon journey through the wintry Wiltshire countryside, welcomed on board with mulled wine.
Day 3A private guided tour of Salisbury Cathedral visits the Chapter House to see one of the only remaining 13th-century copies of the Magna Carta.
Day 4A Christmas Eve visit to Stonehenge, walking around the Neolithic monument's sarsen stones, some weighing more than 25 tons.
Day 5Christmas Day itself is spent at leisure, built around a traditional Christmas lunch and an evening buffet with mini desserts.
Day 6A private guided tour of the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes is followed by a visit to the Neolithic stone circle at Avebury.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
6 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast and dinner each day, 1 lunch, 1 afternoon tea
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes, one festive afternoon journey on the heritage Swindon & Cricklade Railway is included on day 2, alongside standard-class rail and coach travel used elsewhere on the tour.
Is this trip escorted?: Yes, it is an escorted tour with a UK Tour Manager from start to finish.
What hotel is used?: The tour stays for all six nights at the Mercure White Hart Hotel in Salisbury, a 4-star hotel.
When does it depart?: There is one departure, in December 2026, timed around Christmas week.
What is not included?: Cancellation and travel insurance, Salisbury Cathedral tower entry, and UK rail connections from your home station are not included.