DAY 1 ARRIVE IN LONDON, ENGLAND
Welcome to London! Tonight, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. D
DAY 2 LONDON
LONDON Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, Prime Minister’s Downing Street residence, Buckingham Palace, and a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Free time this afternoon. B
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SITES England’s national treasure of St. Paul’s Cathedral is home to a spectacular array of art from delicate carvings to gilded dome murals and modern works of art. As the seat of the Bishop of London, the cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London, where notable remembrances have been served here, including Queen Victoria’s jubilee, birthdays of Queen Elizabeth II, and funerals of luminaries like Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.
DAY 3 LONDON-STONEHENGE-BATH
STONEHENGE Guided visit.
BATH Visit the excavations of the Roman Baths. B, D
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURAL GEMS The traditions of one ancient Roman ritual are in full flow in Bath. Amid the remarkable Roman and Georgian architecture and the best-preserved Roman Baths of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, a good spa day is never hard to find in one of the “Best Spa Towns in Europe.” The city of Bath sits above geothermal springs that bubble up from the limestone below. Bath also turns up the heat with some of Britain's grandest Georgian buildings, a mecca for elite 18th-century society.
DAY 4 BATH-STRATFORM-UPON-AVON-LIVERPOOL
LIVERPOOL Free time this afternoon. B
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT If “the play’s the thing” then this is the place where the world’s greatest playwright’s story began. Experience the humble beginnings of the boy called Will Shakespeare and visit the house where he spent his childhood and his early years. See the artefacts such as a 400-year-old pair of gloves and a book of Shakespeare’s complete works, and wander through the beautiful garden.
While we include many excursions and must-see sights on your trip, you may wish to explore other options to enhance your free time. Below is a selection of excursions that may be available for purchase on your tour.
DAY 5 LIVERPOOL-GRASMERE-GRETNA GREEN, SCOTLAND-EDINBURGH
LAKE DISTRICT (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) Scenic drive.
GRASMERE Visit Wordsworth’s beloved village. Sample the original Grasmere gingerbread.
GRETNA GREEN See where the blacksmith would wed runaway couples.
EDINBURGH Free time this evening. B
LOCAL FAVORITE
TIMELESS TRADITIONS Sweeten the day with classic Grasmere gingerbread and hear the story of Sarah Nelson, the Victorian cook who invented the world famous cross between cake and biscuit in 1854.
While we include many excursions and must-see sights on your trip, you may wish to explore other options to enhance your free time. Below is a selection of excursions that may be available for purchase on your tour.
DAY 6 EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the New Town, Old Town, and a visit to Edinburgh Castle to see Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Free time this afternoon before a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. B,D
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT Ascend to Castle Rock to explore Edinburgh Castle, one of the most important historical strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, with an 11,000-year history as "the most besieged place in Great Britain." Here, you’ll find the royal regalia and Scotland’s Crown Jewels.
DAY 7 EDINBURGH
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.