GRAND TOUR OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND

Tour Code - 9051

15 days London to London 
England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland

Price starting at: $1719

Experience the best of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales on this in-depth exploration of the British Isles. Discover the famous sights of London, the enigmatic Stonehenge and elegant Georgian Bath, famous for its Roman relics. Stop in Cardiff, Wales before arriving in Ireland. Highlights include ‘Blarney Stone’, the ‘Ring of Kerry’, the Cliffs of Moher and the sights of Dublin. Travel through England’s Lake District and into Scotland to spend the night in Glasgow. Continue into the Highlands and marvel at the mysterious Loch Ness and the mighty Edinburgh Castle. Back in England, visit the medieval city of York; and Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon.

Meals
Breakfast - 14
Lunch - 0
Dinner - 6

Standard Features
Sightseeing: Visits to Salisbury, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Plymouth, Glastonbury, Bath, Tenby, Blarney, Killarney, Adare, Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Liverpool, Grasmere, Gretna Green, Glasgow, Inverness, Culloden, Pitlochry, St. Andrews, Edinburgh Castle, tickets for Edinburgh Military Tattoo (departure numbers 0725 through 0815), Jedburgh, Hadrian's Wall, Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon; orientation drives in Cardiff, Limerick, Dublin; walking tours in Chester, York.

Scenic Highlights: Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain, Dartmoor National Park, Ring of Kerry and Lakes of Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, The Burren, Lake District National Park, Scottish Lowlands and Highlands, Loch Lomond, Northumberland National Park, Cotswold Hills.

Guides: Local Guide for city sightseeing in Edinburgh; Host service in London. Professional Tour Director while touring.
Transportation: Private first-class air-conditioned motorcoach; round-trip Irish Sea crossings by day ferry.

Hotels:Rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and service charges.

Meals: Full English breakfast (B); 6 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus.

01

LONDON-STONEHENGE-SALISBURY-WIDECOMBE-PLYMOUTH.
Meet your Tour Director and travelling companions and depart at 8 am for the West Country. Cross the chalky terrain of Wiltshire and pass Stonehenge, one of England's most intriguing mysteries. Stop in Salisbury, the "City of the Soaring Spire," then drive through fabled Wessex. In the heart of Dartmoor National Park, visit quaint Widecombe-in-the-Moor, ghostly setting for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. Later in Plymouth, hear about Sir Francis Drake and see the Mayflower Steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked in 1620. (D)

02

PLYMOUTH-BATH-CARDIFF,WALES.
Via Glastonbury and its associations with King Arthur to the elegant city of Bath, famed for its amazing Roman relics and Georgian buildings. Cross the spectacular Severn Bridge into Wales and head, for the capital, Cardiff. Here, an orientation drive introduces you to all the major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, Millennium Stadium, and the stately civic buildings. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for an evening of Welsh entertainment. (B)

03

CARDIFF-TENBY-TRAMORE,IRELAND. 
Vistas of rich dairy farmland this morning on the way to the pretty seaside resort of Tenby. Then on to Pembroke, departure point for the ferry across St. George's Channel to Ireland. Arrive at Rosslare in just under four hours. (B,D)

04

TRAMORE-BLARNEY-KILLARNEY.
Today, discover why Ireland is called the "Emerald Isle." Drive along the southern coast, passing Cork, the country's second-largest city. Stop in Blarney, famous for its Stone of Eloquence. Time to see the castle and shop for Irish crafts and handmade crystal. After lunch, continue to the popular resort of Killarney. Tonight, enjoy the optional outing to Tralee for dinner and a performance at Siamsa Tire, Ireland's National Folk Theatre. (B)

05

KILLARNEY. RING OF KERRY EXCURSION.
At Killorglin, join the road known as the "Ring of Kerry" for a 161 kilometres (100 miles) coastal panoramic drive: sparkling seascapes, mountains dotted with brightly coloured farmhouses, winding lanes bordered with subtropical vegetation, and spectacular views of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View. Back in Killarney, a special optional adventure: take a horse-drawn jaunting car along the national park lakeshore for pictures of Ross Castle. (B)

06

KILLARNEY-DINGLE PENINSULA-ADARE-LIMERICK-ENNIS.
Breathtaking scenery this morning on the Dingle Peninsula, where the 51.4 kilometres (32 mile) Slea Head drive affords magnificent vistas of the Atlantic Ocean. See the Blasket Islands and hear about the way of life and unique literary achievements of its inhabitants prior to their evacuation in 1953. Then, via Adare, a village known for its prize winning thatched cottages, to Limerick. An orientation drive here features King John's Castle and the Treaty Stone of 1691. Tonight, an optional banquet at Knappogue Castle. (B)

07

ENNIS-CLIFFS OF MOHER-GALWAY-DUBLIN. 
A scenic route this morning via the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren on the way to the port city of Galway on its lovely bay. Hear about the infamous Lynch Stone, commemorating the day Mayor James Lynch Fitzstephen hanged his son for murder. Continue across the mighty Shannon before arrival in Dublin with suggestions from your Tour Director for this evening. (B)

08

DUBLIN
A day in the "Fair City" starts with an orientation drive through Eire's capital, including statue-lined O'Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. The rest of the day at leisure. Why not join an optional dinner evening at the Guinness Storehouse. (B)

09

DUBLIN-CHESTER, ENGLAND-LIVERPOOL.
Across the Irish Sea to Holyhead on the Welsh Isle of Anglesey with its tongue twisting place names. Follow the North Wales coast to Chester, the ancient county town on the River Dee. See the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered buildings, and the two tiered arcades called the "Rows." Overnight in Liverpool of Beatles fame and once the departure port of the great transatlantic liners. (B,D)

10

LIVERPOOL-LAKE DISTRICT-GRETNA GREEN, SCOTLAND-GLASGOW.
Drive into the tranquil Lake District, often considered to be the finest of England's national parks. Visit Grasmere, home of poet William Wordsworth, and over the border for a visit to Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Travel through the history-steeped Lowland Hills to Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. (B,D)

11

GLASGOW-FORT WILLIAM-INVERNESS-CULLODEN-AVIEMORE.
Along the "Bonnie Banks" of Loch Lomond and through wild Rannoch Moor into the Highlands. Via Glen Coe, where the MacDonald Clan was treacherously massacred by the Campbells in 1692, to Fort William beneath Ben Nevis. Then, the Great Glen for vistas of the Caledonian Canal, Loch Lochy, and Loch Oich. Follow the banks of Loch Ness, home of the timid and timeless Nessie. Continue via Inverness, the Highland capital, and on the way to tonight's destination in Cairngorms National Park, stop at the battlefield of Culloden Moor with its memories of Bonnie Prince Charlie. (B,D)

12

AVIEMORE-PITLOCHRY-ST. ANDREWS-EDINBURGH.
Drive through more spectacular Highland scenery for a stop in the pretty Victorian mountain resort of Pitlochry. The routing then takes in Perth and Dundee before crossing the Tay Bridge to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, has given us the rules of golfing. Continue through Fife and over the mighty Forth Road Bridge to spend the next two nights in the Scottish capital. A suggestion for this evening: join your Tour Director for a traditional Scottish night out with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and of course, the Ceremony of the Haggis. (B)

13

EDINBURGH.
A full day to enjoy this "Prince of Cities." Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old "New Town" and famous scientists, inventors, and novelists. In the "Old Town," drive up the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland's Crown Jewels. Afternoon at leisure. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, which for the Queen was once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Tour five decks and see how the Royal Family and crew of 240 lived and worked on board. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. For departure numbers 0725 through 0815, tickets are included for tonight's performance of the world-renowned Military Tattoo. (B)

14

EDINBURGH-JEDBURGH-YORK,ENGLAND-LEEDS.
At Jedburgh, glimpse the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, and see the abbey ruins before heading towards the Cheviot Hills and the English border, then through wild Northumberland National Park. On the way, see a section of Hadrian's Wall, the Roman coast-to-coast defense against marauding northern tribes. In York, England's most complete medieval city, stand in awe in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets, including the narrow Shambles. (B,D)

15

LEEDS-STRATFORD-UPON-AVON-LONDON.
Head for the Midlands, passing the once-mighty Sherwood Forest, home of the legendary Robin Hood. In Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, take your pictures of Anne Hathaway's Cottage and explore the town at your own pace. After returning to London around 4 pm, where your holiday ends. (B)

Dates and Prices. Rates are per head in US$:

 Optional Gratuity :  US$124

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