Tour Pace
Covering the length of Britain in just over a week, this tour may seem a bit brisk
at times. However, the itinerary is interspersed with frequent stops for sightseeing,
free time in the towns and cities and even a leisurely cruise!
DAY
1 – WED – DEPART USA
Overnight flight to London.
DAY 2 – THU – ARRIVE LONDON
Welcome to London! On arrival you are transferred to your London tour hotel.
Hotel:
Thistle Marble Arch.
DAY 3 – FRI – LONDON
SIGHTSEEING
Your half day sightseeing tour of London’s West End
shows you Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square
and Buckingham Palace. The afternoon is free to explore or shop.
(B)
DAY 4 – SAT – LONDON – STRATFORD
Meet your Tour Director and head for Hampton Court Palace, built
in 1514 by Cardinal Wolsey. Visit the grounds, home to the beautiful Palace Gardens,
the oldest tennis courts in England and the great vine. Continue along the Thames
Valley, passing Runnymede, site of the signing of the Magna Carta, before reaching
Oxford, which is home to England's oldest university. A scenic drive through Cotswolds
villages brings you to Stratford, beautifully located beside the peaceful river
Avon. Enjoy a Welcome Drink with your Tour Director before dinner.
Hotel: Thistle.
(CB,D)
DAY 5 – SUN – STRATFORD
– YORK
Tour Stratford and see Harvard House, New Place, the Royal Shakespeare
Theatre and the Parish Church, where Shakespeare was both baptised and buried. Visit
the half-timbered house where the bard was born, now a museum full of memorabilia
relating to his life, before seeing Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage in Shottery.
Continue north to Roman York, renowned for its ancient enclosing walls, its quaint
Tudor 'Shambles' and its superb Cathedral, whose 13th century Minster is one of
the finest ever built.
Hotel: Quality. (B,D)
DAY 6 – MON – YORK
– LAKE DISTRICT
Experience the wild and beautiful Yorkshire countryside,
made famous in literature by the Bronte family, before arriving in the breathtaking
Lake District, whose tranquil waters and sleepy villages inspired some of the greatest
writers in English literature. Enjoy a Highlight Cruise on the largest of the lakes,
Lake Windermere, and visit the grave of the poet William Wordsworth in the village
of Grasmere.
Hotel: Castle Green. (B)
DAY 7 – TUE – LAKE
DISTRICT – GLASGOW
Cross the Scottish Border at Gretna, favorite
destination for eloping English lovers. Continue to Culzean Castle, one of Robert
Adam's most notable creations with its Oval Staircase and saloon. Afterwards, venture
into Robbie Burns Country to visit the village of Alloway, where Scotland's most
famous poet was born. See his birthplace and monument, as well as his 'Brig o'Doon'
before continuing to Glasgow.
Hotel: Jurys Inn. (B,D)
DAY 8 – WED – GLASGOW
– HIGHLANDS
Not far from Glasgow, in the heart of rural Scotland,
lies fabled Loch Lomond. After driving along the 'bonnie bonnie banks' head north,
with distant views of the Trossachs giving way to the peaks of the Western Highlands.
Absorb the dramatic scenery of Glencoe, the 'valley of the weeping', where the dreadful
massacre of the MacDonalds took place in 1692. Continue to Fort William in the shadow
of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Stop briefly at the WWII Commando Memorial
before continuing to your Highland hotel, where you will experience an evening of
haggis, bagpipes and traditional entertainment.
Hotel: Highlander. (B,HD)
DAY 9 – THU – ISLE
OF SKYE & LOCH NESS EXCURSION
Spend an exciting day travelling
along the 'Road to the Isles' past remote Eilean Donan Castle and 'over the sea
to Skye', and hear tales of Flora MacDonald and her daring rescue of the Bonnie
Prince. Upon returning to the mainland, follow the shores of Loch Ness - watch all
the while for its infamous monster. Continue through the stately city of Inverness
and across the tragic Culloden Moor, where the pride of the Highland clans was finally
crushed. Continue along the sparkling Spey Valley and return to your hotel for the
evening. (B,D)
DAY 10 – FRI – HIGHLANDS
– EDINBURGH
Cross the Grampian Mountains and stop inthe shadow of
the royal family's summer residence of Balmoral Castle. Visit the charming Crathie
Parish Church, where the Princess Royal was married, and where John Brown, Queen
Victoria's 'loyal servant' lies buried. Continue through Braemar, known for its
annual Highland Gathering, on your way to St Andrews, the home of golf. Tonight
your destination is the striking city of Edinburgh.Hotel: Hilton Grosvenor. (B)
DAY 11 – SAT – EDINBURGH
SIGHTSEEING
Tour beautiful Edinburgh, visiting the castle, high on its
rocky crag, before travelling down the Royal Mile past St Giles Cathedral to Holyrood
Palace, and onto elegant Princes Street to see the Sir Walter Scott monument. The
afternoon is yours to discover more of this fine city. Tonight selected departures
return to Edinburgh Castle for the Edinburgh Tattoo – a colorful mixture of
military manoeuvres, complete with pipes and drums. (B)
DAY 12 – SUN – RETURN
TO USA
Your tour ends in the morning, with transfers to the airport. Alternatively
you have the option of taking the train back to London. (B)
