The best of Great Britain

• Itinerary
• Prices & Information

1. Depart Minneapolis 9/8
Today we depart Minneapolis and begin our journey to Great Britain. Enjoy the flight.

2. Arrive London 9/9
Arrive in London today and meet your tour director that will spend couple of weeks with you. Attend an orientation of London and start of tour briefing from your tour director. You then have a free day in London to explore at will. This evening’s dinner will be served at a local favorite restaurant near your hotel. Some may want to take in an optional theater production in the renowned West End this evening.
Included Meals: Dinner
Hotel: Kenilworth Hotel

3. London 9/10
Breakfast is served at the hotel this morning before we explore London with the help of our expert local guide. Highlights include a visit to St Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace, where you will experience the pageantry of the changing of the guard. See magnificent Westminster Abbey, the most ancient of London’s great churches and the crowning place of British monarchs since 1066. You have the afternoon free at your leisure to do some exploring on your own. Some may want to browse some of the fashionable shops London has to offer. Others may want to take an optional tour of Westminster Abbey. This evening is free to choose from the many options London has to offer including theater in the renowned West End or maybe a dinner cruise along the Thames River.
Included Meals: Breakfast

4. London- Oxford – York 9/11
After breakfast at the hotel we depart into the rolling hills of England’s countryside to Oxford, the “City of Spires”. A walking tour led by your tour director introduces you to the architectural charm of a handful of the university’s 36 colleges, founded over the past eight centuries. Later visit Chatsworth House and Gardens. Home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, this is one of Britain’s most elegant country houses. Tour the richly decorated Chapel and State Rooms with fine furnishings and priceless works of art. In the afternoon drive north to York for your overnight stay and enjoy dinner at a favorite local restaurant.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Hotel Hilton

5. York 9/12
After breakfast we explore this amazing medieval city. Your tour director will lead you through the medieval centre of York and the Shambles, where narrow streets and ancient houses contain centuries of history. Visit the York Minster and admire its towers and stained glass. You will also have the opportunity to visit the National Railway Museum, voted best European Museum 2001, and the Yorvick Viking centre. Dinner this evening is on your own to choose from the many wonderful restaurants this charming city offers.
Included Meals: Breakfast

6. York – Edinburgh 9/13
After breakfast at the hotel we head for Hadrian’s Wall, built by the Romans to guard their northernmost border. Journey through the gentle Scottish Borders scenery to visit Abbotsford House, Sir Walter Scott’s home, where he wrote most of his novels. Arrive in Edinburgh the “Prince of Cities” where your perfectly located hotel awaits you. This evening you will experience a Scottish Cabaret, with traditional Highland dancers and a delightful dinner.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Hilton Caledonien

7. Edinburgh 9/14
Discover Scotland’s capital on a guided tour around the city center. See Princes Street the main shopping thoroughfare, which divides the elegant Georgian New Town from the medieval city. Explore the Royal Mile, and hear fascinating stories about its historic past. Visit Edinburgh Castle and see the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. Explore the Royal Mile, a fascinating street that connects the Edinburgh Castle, the Palace and many other historical sites. Make sure to get a look at the splendid view of central Edinburgh. The afternoon is free to explore the charming shops of The Royal Mile just steps from your hotel. Choose from one of the many wonderful restaurants surrounding the hotel this evening.
Included Meals: Breakfast

8. Edinburgh – Loch Lomond – Glasgow 9/15
This morning we drive to Stirling Castle for a guided visit. From then 13th until the mid-16th century Stirling flourished and shared with Edinburgh the rank and privileges of a capital city. The castle became a regular residence for the Stuart kings. We then go for a scenic drive through the national park of the Trossachs and Loch Lomond taking in the airs of Scotland’s natural mystique. Tonight we stay in Glasgow, once the second city of the British Empire, taking in the Cathedral and St George’s Square. Dinner is served at the hotel this evening.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Millennium Hotel

9. Loch Lomond to Lake District 9/16

This morning we drive south to England, making a stop in Gretna Green, one of the world’s most famous wedding venues, conjuring up stories of romance, scandals, and illicit trysts. For 250 years, thousands of young lovers have made for Gretna Green, where they can wed in a hurry under Scotland’s lenient marriage laws. Our days journey ends in the Lake District of England. A must see while visiting England, the Lake District boasts incomparable beauty. Much of the Lake District is a national park. Stop in the charming village of Grasmere, home of the poet William Wordsworth. Continue to Lake Windermere for a pleasure cruise along the shores of the lake. Later board the Haverthwaite steam train that gently clugs us through the charms of the deep countryside. Arrive at your lakefront hotel offering spectacular views of the lake and rolling countryside. A special dinner is served this evening.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Hotel Lakeside

10. Lake District to Stratford Upon Avon 9/17
This morning we make a stop in the Roman founded town of Chester, located on the banks of the Dee River. Today this is the town with one of the most completely preserved medieval aspects in England. The city still has its old town walls, a large number of half-timbered houses, and its characteristic “rows” an architectural feature of arcades or galleries running along the house fronts. See the red sandstone cathedral and join the guide for a walking tour of the charming streets. A short drive out of Coventry takes us to Warwick Castle, complete with chilling dungeon, State Rooms, the baronial Great Hall, and 60 acres of grounds and gardens. Arrive in charming Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Your hotel is the Shakespeare Hotel perfectly located in the town within walking distance to the delightful shops and restaurants.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Shakespeare Hotel

Stratford Upon Avon 9/18
This morning we will visit Shakespeare’s birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s cottage here in Statford Upon Avon. This is an old wool market town with one of the most beautiful high street in UK and a very old market not to be missed. Today we explore the Cotswolds villages with a stop in Chipping Campden, one of the most important of the medieval wool towns and famous throughout Europe. This legacy of fame and prosperity is everything that give the town it’s character. Visit Stow on the Wold, perhaps the best known of the small Cotswolds towns, before returning to your hotel. Dinner is served at a favorite restaurant before attending a theater performance at the famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

12. Stratford – Bath 9/19
After breakfast at the hotel we depart into the English countryside to the awesome stone age monument of Stonehenge, a mysterious circle of stones which has presided over Salisbury Plain for over 4000 years. Pass through the historic cathedral city of Salisbury, where we visit the magnificent cathedral and admire its spire, the highest in Britain. Arrive in the Georgian city of Bath, architecturally one of the finest cities in England. A city tour reveals the Royal Crescent, the Circus and the famous Roman Baths. This evening attend a farewell dinner.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Waterside Hotel

DAY 13 Bath to Home
After breakfast at the hotel we make a transfer to London’s Heathrow International Airport for the flight back home. Arrive home the same day.
Included Meals: Breakfast