My husband and I booked this private tour for ourselves and our teenage daughters (age 14). From the moment our driver, Ahmed, picked us up at out London hotel at 8 am until we returned around 8 pm, he was nothing but friendly, helpful, and accommodating. Ahmed arrived on time in a clean, spacious, and comfortable van. He had bottled water ready and available during the trip. As soon as we left the hotel, he immediately started pointing out important landmarks in London and giving us cool facts along the way. Our one hour drive to Windsor Castle went quickly as Ahmed engaged us with more highlights of London, neat tidbits, and tips for our trip. He responded patiently and politely to any and all questions. We could not believe the wealth of knowledge he had about London and its history.
Upon arriving in Windsor, Ahmed first showed us the town and drove us past Eton. He also pointed out a good spot for lunch, a shopping area, and where he would pick us up after we toured Windsor Castle. He dropped us off right at the gate where we needed to enter for our timed entry and reminded us to get our audio guides inside before walking to the Castle. As a family, we toured Wiindsor Castle and St. George's Chapel, then went to lunch in town at The Prince Harry Pub - a great recommendation from our driver. We were enjoying lunch and the town of Windsor so much that we called Ahmed to ask if we could stay another hour instead of rushing off to our next stop: a walking tour of Oxford. Ahmed said absolutely, it's your trip and I am here to serve you. We were thankful to have the extra time to check out the town of Windsor without having to rush. Ahmed picked us up again at the time we requested, and we started our approx 1.5 hr drive to the Cotswolds (we chose to bypass Oxford for time). Again, Ahmed engaged us with more stories and facts throughout the drive. He suggested we stop at Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Lower Slaughter. All of these were great choices - very picturesque and quaint little villages in the Cotswolds. Again, Ahmed suggested great picture spots at each stop, knew where bathrooms were, knew what time shops closed, pointed out buildings and shops, and skillfully navigated the narrow, windy roads through the countryside - even as it got dark and rainy. We were running close on time, but he insisted we stop to see the Slaughters Manor House (from Bridgerton) since I was a fan of the show. I was so glad he suggested this last stop. I was able to recognize some of the buildings, gardens, and landscapes from the show. On the way home, we were all exhausted from a long day of touring, but Ahmed didn't miss a beat on the 2 hour, rainy drive back to our hotel. Even as we got back into London, he drove us by a few places such as the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Harrod's, and the Natural History Museum - all spots near our hotel he wanted to make sure we knew about. Ahmed returned us safely to our hotel around 8 pm. We cannot thank Ahmed enough for this memorable tour and the wealth of information we learned from him. Would highly recommend this tour (or any other tour with Ahmed) - you won't regret it!