Best of Britain - 9 Days

Day 1: Heathrow Airport & Windsor

Start your tour at Heathrow Airport with a transfer to your hotel in Windsor. At 2:30 pm set out to visit Windsor Castle, residence of The Queen and the largest inhabited castle in the world. In the evening meet your tour director for a welcome drink and after dinner take a short walking tour. (D)

Day 2: Cotswolds & Shakepeare's Birthplace

Head out into the English countryside today and travel through the delightful Cotswolds. This region was important in the Middle Ages when the wool produced was vital to the economy. Most of the villages date back centuries and are built in the local warm-toned stone. Stop in one of the villages to take photos before driving to Stratford-upon- Avon. Here visit Shakespeare's Birthplace to see an exhibition about his life and work. Then enter the house where he was born to see rooms furnished as they would have been in his day. Drive north to Yorkshire and check in to your charming traditional hotel in central Harrogate. (B, D)

Day 3: York Minster & Scottish Evening

Drive to nearby York for a walking tour through medieval streets to see black and white half-timbered houses. Stroll along the Shambles, one of narrowest alleyways where the overhanging upper floors almost form an arch across the street. Tour the stately York Minster, which towers over the old city and is renowned for magnificent stained glass windows. Travel north through the Northumberland National Park and pause in Jedburgh to view picturesque abbey ruins. Continue through the hilly countryside of the Scottish Borders to Edinburgh where your hotel is set in spacious grounds a few miles outside the city. Enjoy a lively Scottish Evening with dinner and entertainment. (B, D)

Day 4: Edinburgh Castle & Guided City Tour

Explore central Edinburgh this morning, starting in the 200-year-old “New Town” with its planned streets and elegant Georgian houses where many famous writers and inventors lived. See the Royal Mile where the medieval houses are clustered closely together with some as high as 11 floors. Tour the massive Edinburgh Castle to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny and enjoy great city views. The afternoon is free for independent activities. You may like to visit some of the many museums or browse in the little shops along the Royal Mile. On August 03 to 17 departures watch the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B)

Day 5: Lake District & Beatles' Liverpool

Stop in Gretna Green, the first village across the border from England where eloping couples used to cross into Scotland to be married at the Old Blacksmith's Shop. It is a popular shopping stop for quality Scottish goods. Drive through the Lake District, a region associated with Beatrix Potter. See stunning views of lakes, gentle hills and valleys. Stop in Grasmere where William Wordsworth penned some of his popular lines and you can see his grave in the village churchyard. Continue to Liverpool to visit The Beatles Story where you can hear their music and learn about their lives and work. Check in to your centrally-located hotel and after dinner you may head to the world-famous Cavern Club. (B, D)

Day 6: Tintern Abbey & Cardiff Castle Banquet

Drive south through Shropshire, one of the most unspoiled parts of rural England and close to the Welsh border. Stop in Ludlow, a town that can trace its origins back 900 years, to see the huge castle and old black-and- white houses. Continue south through the lovely Welsh countryside to visit the picturesque ruins of Tintern Abbey, founded in 1131. It was a prosperous Cistercian abbey which thrived until it was dissolved in 1536 by order of King Henry VIII. In the 18th century it became a popular haunt of the poet, William Wordsworth. Continue to Cardiff, the youngest and fastest-growing capital city in Europe. Visit Cardiff Castle, which dates back nearly 2,000 years. See the 19th century fairy-tale apartments with ornate decorations and then enjoy a great Welsh banquet right in the Castle. (B, D) .

Day 7: Roman Baths & Stonehenge

Take a panoramic tour around the highlights of Cardiff including the older buildings as well as the iconic Wales Millennium Centre. A short drive will bring you to the spa city of Bath, popular for its natural hot springs with the Romans 2,000 years ago and again in the 18th century Regency period. Visit the Roman Baths and Pump Room, wonderfully preserved after two millennia, with hot springs still sending out healing waters. At Salisbury Plain marvel at the prehistoric circle of vast monoliths of Stonehenge and learn about the primitive builders who managed to create such an enduring monument. Continue into London and check in to your hotel. (B)

Day 8: London Tour & Tower of London

This morning take a panoramic tour of central London to see famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus with its statue of Eros, Nelson’s Column flanked by huge lions in Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Visit the mighty Tower of London to see the many fortresses, Beefeaters, ravens and the priceless Crown Jewels. The afternoon is free for further exploring and there is no shortage of great things to see and do. In the evening you are free for dinner. (B)

Day 9: Depart for Home

Your tour ends after breakfast. (B) 

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

Highlights

• Traditional Scottish & Welsh Evenings
• York Walking Tour
• Windsor Castle
• The Beatles Story in Liverpool
• Shakespeare’s Birthplace
• Gretna Green
• Tower of London

Tour Includes

9 days/8 nights/13 meals

• Airport transfers at start and end of tour
• Sightseeing by luxury coach
• Professional tour director
• 8 nights in hotels listed
• Full breakfast daily (B) except on day 1
• 5 dinners (D) including
• Welcome dinner in Windsor
• Scottish Evening in Edinburgh
• Welsh Evening in Cardiff
• 2 table d’hote dinners

• Welcome get-together drink
• Walking tours of Windsor and York
• Tours of Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and London
• London open-top bus tour (10-day tour only)
• Reserved seats for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 7 to 21 departures
• Visits and admissions to Windsor Castle, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, York Minster, Edinburgh Castle, Old Blacksmith’s Shop at Gretna Green, The Beatles Story, Tintern Abbey, Cardiff Castle, Roman Baths & Pump Room, Stonehenge and Tower of London
• Headsets for walking tours
• Deluxe carry-on backpack, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
• Free Wi-Fi on coaches and in hotel lobbies

Hotels

Superior First Class

• Harte & Garter Hotel, Windsor (1 night)
• York Marriott, York (1 night)
• Norton House Hotel, Edinburgh (2 nights)
• Hilton Hotel, Liverpool (1 night)
• Maldron Hotel, Cardiff (1 night)
• Marriott Kensington Hotel, London (2 nights)