For expert help planning your Britain vacation, call a travel specialist at 1-800-942-3301
| England, Scotland and Wales
A 14-Day tour starting from $5,440
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| About This Tour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On a journey featuring the best of Scotland, Wales & England travel from Edinburgh to the English Lake District; tour medieval Wales; explore Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon, with a Royal Shakespeare Theatre performance; and end with two nights in the heart of London. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, a performance of The Sound of Music in London’s West End, special dinners, sightseeing, admissions, luggage handling and the services of local guides and drivers, and the Tauck Director are included.
Hotel Accommodations: Fine Hotels / Great Locations Night 1,2,3 Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh, Scotland Night 4 De Vere Cameron House Loch Lomond, Scotland Night 5,6 Langdale Hotel & Country Club Langdale, England Night 7,8 Hotel Portmeirion Portmeirion, Wales Night 9,10 Shakespeare Hotel Stratford-upon-Avon, England Night 11 Bath Spa Hotel Bath, England Night 12,13 Millennium Hotel London Mayfair London, England Meals – 13 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches & 11 Dinners Condjucted by a Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the tour. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully trained employee of Tauck. Gratuities Included – All gratuities for restaurant and hotel staff and local guides are included. No Options Sold – Your Tauck Director will assist you with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed, pleasant experience for you.
1. Arrive Edinburgh
Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh, Scotland. Welcome to Edinburgh! A transfer is included from Edinburgh Airport to your first night’s hotel, the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa. Your hotel is situated right in the heart of Edinburgh, nestled in the shadow of historical Edinburgh Castle. Join us tonight for a welcome reception and dinner. Meals D 2. Sightsee Edinburgh Edinburgh Castle commands a strategic site on Castle Rock overlooking the city. Built in the 11th century, it has played a prominent role in Scottish history; take a guided tour of the castle accompanied by a local Scottish guide, enjoying panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and learned insights about this important landmark. Next it’s on to the majestic Palace of Holyroodhouse for a visit to the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh (subject to closure). Edinburgh Castle and Holyroodhouse are connected by The Royal Mile, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Spend the afternoon at your leisure; you might choose to visit Princes Gardens, Princes Street or the Botanical Gardens and the National Gallery of Scotland. Tours departing July 31 through August 21 will attend an outdoor evening performance of the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Meals B 3. Pitlochry / Edinburgh Visit Blair Castle, once the home of the Duke of Atholl, before stopping in the town of Pitlochry for time at leisure. Besides being acclaimed as one of the finest resorts in Europe by Queen Victoria, this delightful spot also produces fine Scotch whisky. A private tour and tasting at a local distillery showcase its time-honored recipes. Return to Edinburgh before dinner. Meals BD 4. Royal Yacht Britannia / Loch Lomond Drive to the shoreline today for a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia, private cruise vessel of the Royal Family. Learn about the history of life on board this celebrated ship, and then continue on your journey to Loch Lomond where a different ship experience awaits. A cruise aboard Tauck’s private boat on the storied waters of Loch Lomond hints at the scenic treasures that await at your acclaimed lakefront accommodations – celebrities and literary figures, including Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Margaret, have enjoyed the grounds and hospitality of the baronial De Vere Cameron House, set on over 100 acres of wooded glades on the bonnie shores of Loch Lomond, since the 18th century. Meals BD 5. Glasgow / Lake District Enjoy a brief tour of Glasgow en route to the beautiful English Lake District; rife with classic Victorian architecture, this lovely city is lined with more parks per square mile than any other city in Europe. Learn about daily life in the Lake District when you have lunch in a private home with the owners, followed by a visit to Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum – a great opportunity to see why this romantic region has inspired so many writers and poets! Your accommodations for the next two nights are located in the heart of one of England’s largest national parks, reigning over 35 acres of woodlands, streams and tarns, dotted with massive millstones and historic monuments. Meals BLD 6. Gardens / Lake Windermere Cruise Immortalized by renowned poets for its haunting landscapes of mountains, forests and lakes, the Lake District is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty. Start your day with a visit to Levens Hall & Gardens; dating from 1350, this Elizabethan estate is renowned for its topiary garden that was first started in 1694. Leisure time in Bowness-on-Windermere, deep in quintessential Beatrix Potter country, indulges with spectacular lakeside vistas on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere in Cumbria – take a private cruise on the lake before returning to your hotel. Meals BLD 7. Chester / Portmeirion / Wales Visit the medieval town of Chester today as you travel to the picturesque seaside village of Portmeirion. Built by the Romans, the layout of Chester still follows the Roman pattern, and the Roman defensive walls create a pleasant walk around the old city centre. Travel through the rolling hills of North Wales, stopping at well-known Bodnant Garden, one of the most beautiful gardens in the United Kingdom, spanning some 80 acres. Continue on to Portmeirion for a two-night stay. This idyllic coastal village is renowned for its remarkable mix of Italianate pastel-colored architectural styles and landscape designs. Formerly an early Victorian villa, the Hotel Portmeirion overlooks Cardigan Bay from its own peninsula. Meals BD 8. Caernarfon / Betws-y-Coed Start the day with a trip to the town of Caernarfon to visit the castle where the investiture of the Prince of Wales takes place. Have lunch at Betws-y-Coed, nestled in the tree-lined valley of the River Conwy; an antique church, old bridges, stone houses and woodland paths create a most picturesque setting. Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure in Portmeirion. Meals BLD 9. Wedgwood / Stratford-upon-Avon Continue your exploration of Wales with a drive south through stunning rural landscapes to Stoke-on-Trent, best known for its pottery since the 14th century. You will have the unique opportunity to watch highly skilled potters and craftsmen turn clay pots into Wedgwood during a tour, before adding your personal touch to your own priceless piece. After experiencing an afternoon tea-style lunch, visit the cottage of William Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The cottage is actually a twelve-room Elizabethan farmhouse with a low thatched roof, timbered walls and lattice windows that have changed very little since the 1800s. Spend two nights in Stratford-upon-Avon at the historic Shakespeare Hotel in the center of the village. The birthplace of William Shakespeare, this riverfront city is home to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and historic Elizabethan and Jacobean buildings. Meals BLD 10. Cotswolds / Blenheim / Oxford Venture into the charming Cotswolds this morning; stone houses and thatched cottages dot the region’s landscapes of grassy limestone hills, deep ravines, and barren plateaus known as “wolds,” Old English for “God’s high open land.” A visit to Blenheim Palace, one of England’s most outstanding examples of English Baroque architecture, and a guided tour of the esteemed Oxford University, dating back to 1167, make this a most memorable day in the English countryside. Meals BD 11. Experience the Best of Bath Travel through the rolling landscapes to Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded by the Romans as a thermal spa and today reigning unequaled as a magnificent Georgian townscape. An important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages, it developed into an elegant town in the 18th century with neoclassical Palladian buildings that blend harmoniously with the Roman baths. Visit the famous Roman baths and see the Royal Crescent, the Circus and other major sights. The remainder of the day is at leisure; the heart of Bath is traffic-free, where street musicians often perform. Meals BD 12. Stonehenge / London View the mysterious monoliths of Stonehenge, England’s oldest prehistoric monument dating back 5,000 years and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the ancient stone circle is one of the wonders of the world whose origins are still being debated today. Continue on to London for two nights. A city sightseeing tour upon your arrival includes famous landmarks such as Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, #10 Downing Street and Green Park, as well as a guided visit to magnificent Westminster Abbey. Meals BL 13. London / West End Theatre Spend the day at your leisure; your hotel is close to major sites on Bond Street, Grosvenor Square and Oxford Street. Enjoy a farewell dinner, followed by a theatre performance of one of London’s hottest shows, The Sound of Music, in the city’s famous West End Theatre District. Tours beginning on Tuesdays will have an alternative London schedule. Meals BD 14. Journey Home Tour ends: London, England. A transfer from the Millennium Hotel London Mayfair to London’s Heathrow Airport is included. Allow a minimum of 2 1/2 hours for flight check-in. Meals B
Have Lunch at a Private Home
Get a taste of daily life in England’s Lake District when you have lunch in a private home with the owners.
Private Tauck Cruises Enjoy private Tauck cruises on beautiful Loch Lomond in Scotland and Lake Windermere in Cumbria amidst stunning scenery immortalized by legends and literature. Spend Two Nights in the Lake District Spend two nights in the heart of England’s largest national park at a 35-acre rustic property surrounded by natural woodlands, mountains and lakes. London Theatre Experience a performance of one of London’s hottest shows when you see The Sound of Music in the West End. Price Per Person
May through July 24; August 26 through October 2 Double $5440 Single $6415 Triple $5199 July 31 through August 21 – Edinburgh Military Tattoo Double $5540 Single $6499 Triple $5267 2008 Small Group Departures – No more than 26 Tauck guests, specially priced from $6190 per person double: June 19; August 5, 28; September 18 – inquire at time of booking for additional dates and information. International Airfare is additional. Call for special rates on international air for travel originating in the U.S. (subject to availability). Please ask at time of booking about additional hotel nights before your tour begins and about our comprehensive Guest Protection Plan. |
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| Note: All prices are per person, double occupancy, subject to availability. These pages are not endorsed or supported by the tour operator in any way. All information presented is based on promotional material provided by the tour operator. All prices, itineraries, accommodations and dates are subject to change without notice and at any time by the tour operators. Availability is limited and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. The prices on this website are not guaranteed. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in pricing. Please call us toll free at 1-800-942-3301 to confirm availability and pricing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||