Day 1 Sun. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC
FLIGHT.
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Day 2 Mon. ARRIVAL IN LONDON, ENGLAND.
Check into your hotel. In the afternoon there’s time to rest or start
exploring the lively British capital; uniformed Hosts are available to help you
make the most of your stay.
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Day 3 Tue. LONDON. A full day to enjoy
our exciting program of optional activities. Morning sightseeing with a Local
Guide includes all the famous landmarks: Knightsbridge with Harrods, the Houses
of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, Westminster Abbey,
Whitehall's mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister's Downing Street, and
Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, and the
ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. This afternoon you
may want to visit Windsor Castle or the Tower with the spectacular Crown Jewels,
and tonight a leisurely cruise on the River Thames would be fun. (B)
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Day 4 Wed. LONDON-STRATFORD-RETFORD.
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart at 8 a.m. for
a memorable day’s sightseeing. Head for Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon to
take your pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, then explore the town at your own
pace. After lunch, visit Coventry, whose center had to be rebuilt after the
devastation of World War II bombings and hear the tale of Lady Godiva and
Peeping Tom before admiring the splendid modern cathedral. Finally, head
northwards out of the Midlands, passing the once-mighty Sherwood Forest, home of
the legendary Robin Hood, to tonight’s destination. (B,D)
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Day 5 Thu. RETFORD-YORK-EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.
In York, England’s most complete medieval city, stand in awe in front of
the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a
maze of quaint streets including the narrow Shambles. Continue through wild
Northumberland National Park and inspect a section of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman
coast-to-coast defense against marauding northern tribes. Then cross the
Scottish border and at Jedburgh glimpse the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, and
see the abbey ruins. Late afternoon arrival in Edinburgh. For tour numbers 0808,
0815 and 0822 tickets are included for tonight's performance of the
world-renowned Military Tattoo. (FB)
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Day 6 Fri. EDINBURGH. A full day to
enjoy this “Prince of Cities.” Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces
you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and famous scientists, inventors and
novelists. In the “Old Town”, drive up the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle
to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Afternoon at leisure. A suggestion for this
evening: join your Tour Director for a traditional Scottish night out with
Highland dancers, bagpipers, and of course the Ceremony of the Haggis. (FB)
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Day 7 Sat. EDINBURGH-HIGHLANDS. A day of
memorable sightseeing: St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club has given
us the rules of golfing; Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900
years; Royal Deeside, where the Queen is an annual visitor; the battlefield of
Culloden Moor with its memories of Bonnie Prince Charlie; Inverness, the
Highland capital. Finally skirt Loch Ness, looking out for the mysterious
monster on the way to your Highland destination. (FB,D)
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Day 8 Sun. HIGHLANDS-ISLE OF SKYE-GLASGOW.
More heather clad moors as you drive through the western Highlands to
Lochalsh and the Inner Hebridean Isle of Skye. The route back to the mainland is
by ferry across the sound of Sleat to Mallaig, then breathtaking scenery all the
way to Fort William beneath Ben Nevis. Glen Coe, where the MacDonald Clan was
treacherously massacred by the Campbells in 1692, and a drive along the “Bonnie
Banks” of Loch Lomond are scenic highlights on the way to Glasgow, Scotland’s
great cultural city. (FB,D)
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Day 9 Mon. GLASGOW-LAKE DISTRICT-LIVERPOOL,
ENGLAND. South through the history-steeped Lowland Hills and a visit to
Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Drive through
beautiful scenery in the Lake District, considered to be the finest of England’s
national parks. Visit Wordsworth’s Grasmere, then follow the shores of Lake
Windermere. End the day in Liverpool of Beatles fame, once the departure port of
the great transatlantic liners. (FB,D)
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Day 10 Tue. LIVERPOOL. NORTH WALES
EXCURSION. A day dedicated to the mountainous splendor of North Wales.
Follow the coastal road via the walled town of Conway to Caernarvon, where the
castle saw the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales. Then a scenic drive
through Snowdonia National Park, over spectacular Llanberis Pass and via pretty
Betws-y-Coed. Time to relax back in Liverpool. Your Tour Director will have
suggestions for this evening. (FB)
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Day 11 Wed. LIVERPOOL-CHESTER-CARDIFF,
WALES. In Chester, the historic county town on the River Dee, your
walking tour includes the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered
buildings, and the two-tiered arcades called the “Rows.” Pause in the pretty
market town of Ludlow before heading back into Wales and Brecon Beacons National
Park, land of salmon rivers and the Welsh mountain pony. Finally, through “The
Valleys” whose iron ore and coal were the raw materials for the Industrial
Revolution, to the Welsh capital. Here an orientation drive introduces you to
the major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, Millennium Stadium and the
stately civic buildings. Ask your Tour Director about tonight’s optional Welsh
evening. (FB)
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Day 12 Thu. CARDIFF-BATH, ENGLAND-PLYMOUTH.
Leaving Wales, cross the Severn Bridge for a visit to the elegant
Georgian city of Bath, famed for its Roman relics, before heading into the
romantically scenic West Country and Glastonbury with its King Arthur
associations. In the heart of Dartmoor National Park, visit quaint Widecombe in
the Moor, ghostly setting for Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles. Finally,
in Plymouth, hear about Sir Francis Drake and see the Mayflower Steps, where the
Pilgrim Fathers embarked in 1620. (FB,D)
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Day 13 Fri. PLYMOUTH-LONDON. On the
final leg of your journey, take in Thomas Hardy’s Wessex; views of the
intriguing prehistoric monument of Stonehenge; Salisbury with its vast
cathedral, the ultimate in Early English Gothic. Return to London around 4 p.m.
How about celebrating the success of your tour with a night out on the town?
(FB)
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Day 14 Sat. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE
SAME DAY. (B)
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