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Day 1 – Sat: Depart U.S. for
London
Depart U.S. on your overnight flight to London. Relax with
meal and entertainment services.
Day 2 - Sun: London at Leisure
Welcome to London! After immigration and baggage claim, take
an independent coach transfer to your hotel, conveniently
located near Hyde Park and Oxford Street. Coaches operate
frequently. For the balance of the day you are free to rest,
use the health facilities in your hotel or explore London
a little. The British Museum, shops of Oxford and New Bond
Streets, Hyde Park and Piccadilly are all within walking distance.
In the evening meet your guide and fellow travelers over a
welcome drink to discuss your vacation before dining independently.
Day 3 - Mon: Tower of London &
City Sights
This morning tour central London to see famous landmarks including
Piccadilly Circus, Nelson’s
Column and lions of Trafalgar Square, Big Ben towering over
the Houses of Parliament and
Hyde Park. Visit the Tower of London to see the magnificent
Crown Jewels, guarded by the
Beefeaters in distinctive Tudor uniforms. Also see the White
Tower, completed in 1097, together with many other fortresses.
Spend the afternoon and evening on your own to sightsee,
shop, dine or see a West End show. (CB)
Day 4 - Tue: Cambridge & York
Drive north into the countryside to visit the university town
of Cambridge. Stop to see some
of the famous colleges, including King’s College, and
the Mathematical Bridge over the River Cam. Head north to
York for a walking tour so that you may appreciate narrow
streets and medieval houses, which contain centuries of history.
The stately York Minster, with towers and stained glass, is
the highlight of the walk. Continue your journey through Yorkshire
to your delightful country manor house hotel in Guisborough.
(CB, D)
Day 5 - Wed: Borders Country &
Abbotsford House
Head north passing the industrial center of Newcastle-on-Tyne,
through the Northumberland
National Park and charming Borders scenery to Jedburgh. Stop
for a while to look around this
charming town with romantic abbey ruins before driving to
Melrose. Visit Abbotsford House,
Sir Walter Scott’s home, where he wrote most of his
novels and lived until his death in 1832.
The house has an impressive collection of historic relics
and a library with over 9,000 rare volumes. Drive to Edinburgh
for an introduction to Scottish culture and food at a traditional
cabaret. (B, D)
Day 6 - Thu: Edinburgh City Tour
Discover Scotland’s capital on a tour around the city
center. See Princes Street, the main shopping
thoroughfare which divides the elegant Georgian “New
Town” from the compact medieval city.
Tour Edinburgh Castle to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland
and the Stone of Destiny. Also enjoy
splendid views of central Edinburgh. The afternoon is free
for independent sightseeing or shopping. On departures from
August 2 to 16, experience the colorful Edinburgh Military
Tattoo. (B)
Day 7 - Fri: Lake District & Chester
Journey through the Southern Uplands and stop at Moffat Woollen
Mills with its wide array of Scottish goods. Continue south
through the hills and valleys of the Lake District and stop
to explore the delightful town of Grasmere. Continue to Chester
where a walking tour will include “The Rows,”
medieval arcaded shops, as well as discovering the original
medieval walls, Roman ruins and Chester Cathedral. Drive to
your hotel where you will have time to relax or use the swimming
pool and leisure facilities before dinner. (B, D)
Day 8 - Sat: North Wales & Dublin
This morning see some of the charming Welsh countryside as
you drive through farmlands and
picturesque villages and along the coast road. You will catch
sight of the majestic peaks of
Snowdonia, the highest mountains in Wales. Cross to Anglesey
Island by bridge and onto
the tiny island of Holyhead. Take a short ferry crossing to
Dublin and transfer to your hotel,
located a few miles south of Dublin, overlooking Dublin Bay.
The evening is at leisure to explore
nearby pubs or restaurants. (B)
Day 9 - Sun: Dublin Castle & Merry
Ploughboy Pub
Take a morning tour around central Dublin, with spacious Georgian
squares and streets, landmark public buildings and graceful
townhouses. Tour Dublin Castle’s elegantly furnished
State Apartments to learn about historic events that have
taken place there. The afternoon is free for browsing or further
sightseeing on your own. Enjoy dinner at the Merry Ploughboy
Pub followed by an upbeat show with Irish music and dance.
(B, D)
Day 10 - Mon: National Stud &
Killarney
Depart Dublin and visit the National Stud and Japanese Gardens
in Kildare. Learn about
Ireland’s exciting horse breeding industry at the National
Stud and walk through the gardens,
which represent the “Life of Man” in oriental-style
gardening. Enjoy views of farms and pause for
photos at the impressive Rock of Cashel. Continue to the famous
town of Killarney and
check into your lovely centrally-located hotel with state-of-the-art
pool and spa facilities. (B, D)
Day 11 - Tue: Muckross House &
Kenmare
Tour 19th century Muckross House, a furnished mansion where
the guide tells you about the
lifestyles of influential owners and eminent visitors. Take
a walk around the charming gardens
on the shores of Muckross Lake. Drive to the delightful town
of Kenmare where traditional buildings are gaily painted and
enhanced with flowers. Travel through Moll’s Gap, a
wonderful
vantage point on the Ring of Kerry and stop at Ladies’
View before returning to Killarney. (B, D)
Day 12 - Wed: “Titanic”
Walk & Waterford Crystal
Travel to Cobh, the port town which was the last scheduled
stopping place for the “Titanic.” Take
a brief walk with a local guide to see places associated with
that fateful journey. Drive along the south coast via Youghal
to visit the Waterford Crystal Factory where skilled craftspeople
create
this famous crystal from molten glass. See the vast display
of trophies and tableware in the
showrooms. Continue to Wexford for dinner and overnight stay.
(B, D)
Day 13 - Thu: Ferry to Wales &
Bath
It’s an early start today as you depart Wexford for
a short drive to Rosslare to catch the ferry to
South Wales. Journey through pleasant farming country and
along the southern part of Wales,
passing former coal mining valleys and the built-up areas
around Cardiff. Drive across the River Severn Bridge into
England to Bath. Check into your hotel, located in the heart
of this UNESCO World Heritage City. (B, D)
Day 14 - Fri: Roman Baths & Stonehenge
This morning explore Bath, popular for its natural hot springs
with the Romans 2,000 years ago
and again in fashion in the 18th century Regency period. Visit
the wonderful Roman Baths and Pump Room, still preserved after
two millennia and drive around the stately mansions of the
Royal Crescent and Queen’s Square. Drive to Salisbury
Plain to view the prehistoric circle of vast monoliths at
Stonehenge. Continue into London and check into Jurys Clifton
Ford Hotel
once again. (B)
Day 15 - Sat: Depart for Home
As today is departure day, travel to Heathrow Airport by group
coach transfer or Gatwick Airport
by independent coach transfer. Allow plenty of time for check
in formalities. (CB)
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