Essential Tour Information
Prices from
Hotel
Single £ 1,750.00
Twin £ 1,450.00
All prices are per person
Child* discount £140
*child rate apply from 5-17 years inclusive.
We regret that children under the age of 5 are not carried on this tour.
Seasonal Price Range
£1,450-£1,899
The departure and return times shown are for guidance only. Please refer to your tour documentation for the confirmed times.
Tour Type: Escorted Tour
View Accommodation Details
Dates of Operation
Saturdays
6 April to 12 October, 2013
Sundays
21 April to 13 October, 2013
What's included
· First class hotel accommodation in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities
· 10 full English/Scottish breakfasts
· 2 table d'hote dinners
· Welcome Drink and Pub Dinner with your Tour Director in Plymouth
· 'Be My Guest' lunch on a working farm in Somerset
· Local highlight restaurant dinner with wine in Glasgow
· Farewell Dinner with wine in York
· Admission to Stonehenge, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Roman Baths, Bath, Clan Donald Centre, Edinburgh Castle, Shakespeare’s Birthplace and an Oxford College (subject to availability)
· Beatles themed drive in Liverpool
· Tickets are included for the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo on 27 July to 17 August departures
· Complimentary group photo
· All baggage handling and hotel tips are included
· Services throughout the tour of a professional Tour Director
· Touring by luxury air-conditioned coach with reclining seats and a washroom
onboard
· A qualified local city guide in Edinburgh
· Service charges and taxes
What's NOT included
· Admission charges unless otherwise stated in the itinerary
· Meals, snacks or items of a personal nature
· Gratuity to your driver and guide
Product Code:TT 00188
Full tour operator information including local contact telephone numbers and departure details will appear on your tour voucher/confirmation.
Best of Britain
from London
Tour Highlights: Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Bath, Plymouth, St Ives, St Michael’s Mount, Bovey Tracey, Cardiff, Tintern, Ludlow, Chester, Liverpool, The Lake District, Gretna Green, Glasgow, Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, The Highlands, Isle of Skye, Royal Deeside, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Alnwick, York, Stratford upon Avon and Oxford
Explore the many contrasts of Britain: see ancient Stonehenge, investigate the Abbey ruins and Roman spas in Bath, roam the scenic Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye and visit the unique cities of Oxford, Liverpool, Glasgow, York, Cardiff and St. Andrews.
Day One
London - Stonehenge - Plymouth (2 nights)
Greetings this morning from your Tour Director as you travel across Salisbury Plain to visit the ancient monoliths at
Stonehenge. Drive through Thomas Hardy country to reach the beautiful city of
Bath where our sightseeing tour includes a visit to
the Roman Baths as well as a drive through the city to admire its Georgian architecture. Later we arrive in the historic naval port of
Plymouth. After check-in this evening enjoy a Welcome Drink and Pub Dinner with your Tour Director and fellow travel companions.
Hotel: Jurys Inn, Plymouth (or similar)
Day Two
Cornish Excursion
First an orientation of the city shows you the
Mayflower steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the New World. Then stop at the citadel overlooking Plymouth Sound. Perhaps take a cruise around the historical harbour before making your way across the River Tamar and down the Cornish peninsula to the famous artists’ colony of
St. Ives, a village filled with galleries and charming houses. There’s also the chance to photograph
St. Michael’s Mount near Penzance. Enjoy beautiful Cornish scenery before returning to the hotel.
Day Three
Plymouth - Bath - Cardiff
We stop in Bovey Tracey, on the edge of Dartmoor. Enjoy a short visit to the Riverside Mill which contains work by the
Devon Guild of Craftsmen. Later enjoy lunch on a working dairy farm. Next cross the S
evern Bridge into Wales and head to the Capital City,
Cardiff. View the impressive castle and the Millennium Stadium during your orientation tour, before checking into your hotel.
Hotel: Park Inn City Centre, Cardiff (or similar)
Day Four
Cardiff - Chester - Liverpool
Enjoy a scenic drive along the beautiful Wye Valley, stopping to view the ruins of
Tintern Abbey. Then we travel through Hereford and the unsung beauty of the Welsh Marches to the Tudor market town of Ludlow in Shropshire. Next stop is
Chester where your Tour Director takes you on a walking tour, which includes the Roman Walls, the Cathedral, and the famous ‘Chester Rows’. Then drive on to your hotel in
Liverpool, once home to the Beatles and port of embarkation for emigrants seeking a better life in the New World. You will see Liverpool’s famous skyline, including the fourth largest Cathedral in the world. Tonight enjoy a "
Beatles" themed drive through the city in the company of a local expert.
Hotel: Jurys Inn, Liverpool (or similar)
Day Five
Liverpool - Lake District - Glasgow
A day of glorious scenery as we travel through Lancashire to the beauty of the
Lake District beyond. Drive along the shores of England’s largest lake,
Windermere, and through countryside that inspired the poet Wordsworth before reaching Grasmere where he is buried. Continue north to Scotland and
Gretna Green where eloping couples married in secret against their parents’ wishes. Our drive takes us through the rolling countryside of the Scottish Borders to the great city of
Glasgow. This afternoon enjoy an orientation tour of Scotland's largest city which includes views of St Mungo's Cathedral, magnificent George Square and the River Clyde, former heart of the shipbuilding industry. Celebrate your first night in Scotland with a Highland dinner in your hotel.
Hotel: Jurys Inn (or similar)
Day Six
Glasgow – Glen Coe – Scottish Highlands (2 nights)
Travel along the "bonnie, bonnie banks” of
Loch Lomond, immortalised in the traditional Scottish song. Enjoy magnificent scenery as you make your way to
Glen Coe through the tragic 'Glen of Weeping' – so named after the infamous 1692 massacre. Afterwards stop at the Commando Memorial for breathtaking views of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, before continuing to your hotel where you will dine tonight.
Hotel: Four Seasons/Highland Hotel, Aviemore (or similar)
Day Seven
Scottish Highlands – Culloden Moor – Isle of Skye
Travel by way of the lochs and glens of the Scottish Highlands to the port of Mallaig where we board a ferry to sail "over the sea to Skye. Visit the
Clan Donald Centre and Gardens before enjoying wonderful views of the Cuillin Hills. Cross the Skye Bridge for views of picturesque
Eilean Donan Castle before driving along the banks of mysterious
Loch Ness and returning to our hotel.
Day Eight
Scottish Highlands - St Andrews - Edinburgh (2 nights)
Start your day with a drive to the picturesque town of Pitlochry before heading to St. Andrews. This is known as the home of golf and also has the oldest university in Scotland. Stop to photograph the 18th hole of the Old Course. Finally cross the splendid Forth Bridge to enter Scotland’s capital Edinburgh for two nights. During the Edinburgh Festival, tickets to the Edinburgh Tattoo in the Castle grounds are included.
Hotel : Marriott/Holiday Inn, Edinburgh (or similar)
Day Nine
Discovering Edinburgh
This morning there is a tour of Edinburgh in the company of a local guide. We will tour the magnificent crescents and squares of the Georgian New Town and hear tales of murder and mystery as we travel the medieval Royal Mile. The highlight is a visit to Edinburgh Castle where there is an opportunity to view the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny on which the ancient Kings of Scotland were crowned. Further on see elegant Holyrood House in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat and the new Scottish Parliament building. Tonight, why not enjoy an optional night out including haggis, whisky and bagpipes.
Day Ten
Edinburgh - Alnwick - York
This morning visit the medieval market town of Alnwick. See the impressive castle, home to the Duke of Northumberland, and the Tenantry Column, topped by the Percy Lion. Continue through the magnificent scenery of Northumberland. Cross the River Tyne and travel onwards to Viking York where you will enjoy an orientation tour and see the Mansion House, the old walls, the Shambles as well as the awe-inspiring Minster. This evening enjoy a Farewell Dinner together.
Hotel: Holiday Inn, York (or similar)
Day Eleven
York – Stratford upon Avon - London
First pass by Sherwood Forest associated with the legendary folk-hero Robin Hood. Then arrive in Stratford-upon-Avon where you visit Shakespeare’s birthplace and see Anne Hathaway’s thatched cottage! William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and produced around 38 plays and 154 sonnets. Drive through the rolling Cotswold Hills to Oxford known as the city of dreaming spires. Enjoy a walking orientation tour through the city, which will include a guided visit to one of the Oxford colleges. Later return to London where sadly our tour comes to an end.
