GRAND TOUR OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND

England, Wales, Ireland & Scotland

ITINERARY:

1 LONDON - STONEHENGE - SALISBURY - PLYMOUTH.
Meet your Tour Director and travelling companions and depart at 8 am from your London joining hotel (see your travel documents) 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)

2 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. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for an evening of Welsh entertainment. (B)

3 CARDIFF-TRAMORE, IRELAND.
An orientation drive introduces you to all the major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, Millennium Stadium, and the stately civic buildings. Then, pause at the pretty seaside resort of Tenby on the way to the departure point for the ferry across St. George's Channel to Ireland. Arrive at Rosslare in just under four hours. (B,D)

4 TRAMORE - CORK - 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)

5 KILLARNEY. RING OF KERRY EXCURSION.
At Killorglin, join the road known as the "Ring of Kerry" for a 100-mile coastal panoramic drive: sparkling seascapes, mountains dotted with brightly coloured farmhouses, winding lands boardered 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)

6 KILLARNEY - DINGLE PENINSULA - ADARE - LIMERICK - ENNIS.
Breathtaking scenery this morning on the Dingle Peninsula, where the 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 prizewinning 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)

7 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)

8 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)

9 DUBLIN - CHESTER, ENGLAND - MANCHESTER
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 Manchester, "Capital of the North," the world's first industrialised city, and a once thriving international centre of textile manufacture and cotton spinning. (B,D)

10 MANCHESTER - GRASMERE - LAKE DISTRICT - GRETNA GREEN - GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.
Drive into the tranquil Lake District, often considered to be the finest of England's national parks. Visit Grasmere, home of the 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 - 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 the 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. For departure numbers 0726 through 0816, tickets are included for tonight's performance of the world-renowned Military Tattoo. (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. 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)

14 EDINBURGH - 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 - COVENTRY.
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. At historic Coventry, whose centre had to be rebuilt after the devastation of World War II bombings, hear the tale of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom, and admire the splendid modern cathedral. (B,D)

16 COVENTRY - OXFORD - LONDON.
Skirt the Cotswold Hills and pause at Bladon, where Sir Winston Churchill lies buried a short distance from his birthplace, Blenheim Palace. Finally, enjoy a walking tour in Oxford, one of the country's oldest seats of learning. Return to London around 4 pm, where your holiday ends. (B)