Britain Sampler

Itinerary :

Day 1: London: Welcome to London! Transfer to the hotel of your choice. Overnight in London

Day 2: London: After breakfast, morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the Thames River, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horse guards and the Prime Minister’s Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral (except on Sundays) and the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. Free time in the afternoon for independent activities. Overnight in London. (B)

Day 3: London – Stonehenge – Bath: After breakfast, depart at 8 am for a memorable day of sightseeing. First, try to unravel the mystery of prehistoric Stonehenge. Explore the visitor Centre with its imaginative exhibitions, then take the shuttle to the stone circle and admire the magnificence of the monument up close. Cross Salisbury Plain and head for the elegant Georgian city of Bath, where you see the amazing excavations of the Roman Baths. Tonight enjoy welcom dinner at your hotel. Overnight in Bath. (B, D)

Day 4: Bath – Stow on the World – Stratford upon Avon – Llangollen – Chester: Breakfast at the hotel. Savour vistas of the Cotswolds on your way via the medieval market town of Stow-on-the-Wold to Stratford-upon-Avon. Time here to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace and for pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. The afternoon is dedicated to North Wales. Take a stroll in picturesque Llangollen, home of an annual international contest for poets and musicians. Spend the night at Chester, the historic county town on the Dee River. Overnight in Chester(B, D)

Day 5: Chester – Grasmere – Gretna Green – Edinburgh: Breakfast at the hotel. This morning’s walking tour includes the Roman remains, the cathedral, and the two tiered shopping arcades called the “Rows.” Travel to Lake District, considered to be the finest of England’s national parks. Take a break in Wordsworth’s beloved Grasmere. Then, head north for the Scottish border. On the way through the history-steeped Lowland Hills, stop at Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Travel to Edinburgh for overnight. (B)

Day 6: Edinburgh: Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town,” & the famous scientists, inventors, & novelists who lived there. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore Holyrood Palace. The afternoon is free to enjoy the Scottish capital at your own pace. Overnight in Edinburgh. (B)

Day 7: Edinburgh – Abbotsford – Jedburgh – York: Breakfast at the hotel. First on today’s agenda is a guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford House. After the tour, enjoy a cup of tea and Short bread at Ochiltree’s Dining. Melrose Abbey and the ruins at Jedburgh are pointed out on the way to the English border & Northumberland National Park. In York, stand in awe in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your tour through a maze of quaint streets including the narrow Shambles. Overnight in York. (B)

Day 8: York – Stamford – Cambridge – London: After breakfast, leave Yorkshire and its associations with James Herriot, and travel through the richest farmland in Britain. Pause in the market town of Stamford before arriving in the beautiful university city of Cambridge. Return to London in afternoon. Overnight in London. (B)

Day 9: London: Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)