Led by Mary Trull, Professor of English, and Diego Reyes
Join us in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Oxford to dive into all things Shakespeare. This itinerary will be custom-designed and unique to St. Olaf!
William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest playwright in history. His works examine universal themes like love, ambition, and jealousy, and the beauty of his poetry has transformed the English language. His plays continue to be staged around the globe and adapted into film and digital media, proving their lasting power.
On this tour we’ll visit places directly connected to Shakespeare. We’ll walk the streets of Elizabethan London and Stratford-upon-Avon, getting a feel for the places that shaped the playwright’s world. We’ll learn about Shakespeare’s personal life, his family, and the context of his work. And of course, we’ll attend several performances.
We start with five nights in London exploring the city, courts, and culture of the Elizabethan age. We will tour the Bankside theater district and experience what the first performances of Shakespeare’s plays might have been like at the reconstructed Globe Theater and Blackfriars Theater. Guided tours of the Tower of London and Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace will display the Tudor age in all its pomp and grandeur, politics and intrigue, and artistic achievement. Participants will have free time to discover more about London’s tourism, shopping, and food culture on their own.
Next, we spend three nights in Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, where memories of Shakespeare’s life and works remain vivid. We will attend performances of the Royal Shakespeare Company and tour Shakespeare’s family homes, school, and church, learning about his upbringing and education, as well as farm and small-town life in Elizabethan England.
On the way to our next stop, we will tour Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, built as a Norman keep in the 12th century and expanded by Robert Dudley, the Earl of Essex, to court Queen Elizabeth. Arriving at Oxford, where we spend three nights, we will discover the role of theater in university life during Shakespeare’s time and explore the university town as his contemporaries knew it. With tours of Christ Church College and Cathedral, the Bodleian Library, and the historic Divinity School building, we will be immersed in medieval and early modern history and culture.
We’re working on the pricing and other details. Please check back soon!
This custom-designed itinerary starts in London, moves to Stratford, and finishes in Oxford. You will be able to view – and download and print, if you wish – the most up-to-date itinerary here.
Our intention with each tour is to provide an itinerary that introduces you to key elements related to your destination or the educational theme, while also providing some free time for you to pursue your own interests or have some down time. The balance can vary from day to day, and from tour to tour.
You’ll get the most out of study travel if you research what to do during your free time. This allows you to reap the benefits of group travel, while also customizing the tour to your interests and activity level. Read more about How to Be an Independent Group Traveler.
Mary Trull is Professor and Chair of the English department at St. Olaf College, where she has taught Shakespeare since 2003; she holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Chicago. Her scholarly monograph, Performing Privacy and Gender in Early Modern Literature, was published by Palgrave McMillan in 2013. She has been a fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies and has published scholarly articles and book chapters on Shakespeare and other Renaissance English literature. Her book manuscript in progress, Lucretian Transformations: English Women Writers, 1640-1690, explores the impact of Lucretian poetics and Epicurean physics on women writers of the seventeenth century. She was born and raised in South Carolina and has lived in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Berlin as well as Minnesota, and has conducted extensive scholarly research at archives in England.
Diego Reyes is a Systems Engineer at Inspire Medical. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the Universidad de los Andes and a Master’s of Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Diego was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and raised in three countries: Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. Fluent in English and Spanish, he graduated from high school in Texas and has lived in Minneapolis/St. Paul for over 20 years. Diego has been a Shakespeare fan since college, and took Mary to a Shakespeare play at the Guthrie theater for their third date.
Diego and Mary are avid international travelers and cyclists. The parents of three teenagers, they love to cook, dine out, and attend theater, opera, and live music.
Expect to revel in all things Shakespeare!
Movement between cities will be by air-conditioned private motor coach. Movement within each city and at cultural/historic sites will be on foot, requiring a lot of walking and standing, often over uneven ground. You should be capable of walking a mile or more at a time and up to five to seven miles per day, often over uneven terrain; of climbing stairs that may not have handrails; of climbing in and out of various types of transportation; of keeping pace with an active group of travelers on long days of traveling; of dealing with the emotional highs and lows that can occur when experiencing different cultures; and of being a considerate member of the group (prompt, courteous and flexible).
Any participant who has demonstrated an inability, in the opinion of the tour leader, of keeping up with the group or of safely participating in program activities may be prohibited from participating in certain activities.
You will be responsible for carrying your own luggage throughout the tour. Traveling lightly is highly recommended.
Hotels will be tourist class (four-star or superior rating) with private baths.
The tour price is currently PENDING … please check back!
Inclusions and exclusions vary by tour, so please read the following information carefully.
Inclusions: discussions led by Mary Trull; a full time tour manager for the duration of the tour; accommodations, meals, entrance fees, and activities listed in the itinerary; ferry and private motor coach transfers (except airport transfers on arrival and departure); non-alcoholic beverages with meals; gratuities for all local guides, drivers, and meals; and some limited medical coverage while overseas.
Exclusions: Airfare to and from the United Kingdom is not included. Participants are solely responsible for all expenses not specifically included in the tour fee. Examples of excluded expenses are: international airfare; airport transfers; any passport and visa fees; any recommended immunizations or vaccinations; alcoholic beverages; laundry, dry cleaning, phone charges, room service or other items of a personal nature; expenses incurred during free time or non-group activities; and any meals not specifically included on the tour itinerary.
This schedule is TENTATIVE and will be based on payments St. Olaf College must make to tour vendors to guarantee group rates. We highly recommend that you purchase additional trip cancellation insurance at the time of registration to recover your payments should you need to withdraw from the tour.
Deposit due: $500 upon registration
Refund if you cancel: $475 if you cancel on or before October 31, 2027. If the deposit is made after October 31, 2027 there is no refund.
Interim payment due: $4,000 on September 1, 2027
Refund if you cancel: $2,000 if you cancel on or before April 30, 2028
Balance due: May 1, 2028
Refund if you cancel: None, unless the tour is full and your place can be resold
Cancellations must be in writing.
Check your passport to ensure that it will be valid for the duration of your stay in the UK and has at least 1 blank page. You will also need, shortly before traveling, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before entering the UK. You can apply for the ETA and find information on new requirements on the UK Government website.
Go through the Travelers’ Health recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Look at the International Travel section of the U.S. State Department, including Before You Go, Country Information, While Abroad, and Emergencies.
Take time to prepare for your adventure by checking out a variety of resources, including frequently asked questions, general health information, included travel insurance, safety overview, and more.
Put a hold on your calendar for July 2028. We should have the dates finalized by early 2027. Even then, do not purchase non-refundable airfare until we can call the trip an official go.
Meanwhile, see our tips for Booking Your Flights.
We are working on the remaining details and will likely open registration shortly after the new year. Please check back!
Meanwhile, let us know if you want to receive updates by adding your name to the interest list.
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