11 Days Essential Britain & Ireland Tour Package
Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Priced From: $1,799 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: May - Oct
This comprehensive 11-day vacation gives you an insight into all five countries of the British Isles. Start with visits to prehistoric Stonehenge and the extraordinary excavations of the Roman Baths. Then travel via Cardiff and through South Wales to board the ferry for the crossing to Ireland. Watch the craftsmen at work at the Waterford Crystal factory, admire the stallions at the Irish National Stud, and relax in Dublin before heading north past the Mountains of Mourne to vibrant Belfast. Another ferry crossing takes you to Scotland and its capital city of Edinburgh, where a guided city tour includes a visit to the castle. The Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe’s magnificent Floors Castle, a walking tour through York, and Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon are the final highlights of this journey.
Itinerary
Day 1
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2 Arrival in London, England
Uniformed hosts will be waiting to welcome you. After checking into your hotel and an afternoon at leisure we recommend our optional Taste of London excursion with dinner followed by a guided illuminations cruise on the River Thames.
Day 3 London-Bath-Bristol
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart London at 8 a.m. for a memorable day's sightseeing. Take a stroll in picturesque Salisbury with its vast cathedral, the ultimate in Early English Gothic; try to figure out the riddle of STONEHENGE; in the elegant Georgian city of Bath see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. Tonight's destination is Bristol with its historic harbor from where John Cabot sailed in 1497 to discover America. Before dinner join your Tour Director for a toast to happy touring with a congenial group. (FB,D)
Day 4 Bristol-Cardiff, Wales-Waterford, Ireland
On your Bristol orientation tour focus on Brunel's daring Clifton suspension bridge and SS Great Britain . Cross the Severn Road Bridge to the Welsh capital. An orientation drive here features the major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, and the stately civic buildings. Continue along the South Wales coast to Pembroke where your ferry will be waiting. Sail across St. George's Channel to Rosslare on the Emerald Isle and proceed to Waterford, a stronghold founded by the Danish Vikings in 853. (FB,D)
Day 5 Waterford-Dublin
This morning look forward to a visit to the world-famous WATERFORD CRYSTAL FACTORY, then in Kilkenny take a stroll in this pretty county town. Later, horseracing country with a visit to the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare, whose thoroughbreds command respect on the racecourses of the world. Drive across the Curragh and on arrival in Dublin, top the day with your Tour Director’s dining recommendation. (FB)
Day 6 Dublin
An orientation drive in Ireland's capital city includes statue-lined O'Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Then visit Oscar Wilde's TRINITY COLLEGE, famous for the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells and the magnificent Old Library. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight maybe take in an optional dinner outing to the Guinness Storehouse. (FB)
Day 7 Dublin-Belfast, Northern Ireland-Edinburgh, Scotland
Landscapes strewn with Ireland's typical round towers line the route northwards, crossing the River Boyne and over the border into Northern Ireland. Skirt the Mountains of Mourne and in Belfast where the Titanic was built, take in the city's vibrant history and view the impressive City Hall. Next board your fast ferry to cross the North Channel to Stranraer on Scotland's southwest coast and continue through the Scottish Lowlands to Edinburgh. (FB)
Day 8 Edinburgh
Morning city sightseeing with a local expert 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. The afternoon is free to enjoy this “Prince of Cities” at your own pace or maybe join an optional excursion to Rosslyn Chapel made famous by The Da Vinci Code novel. Tonight relax and enjoy our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. For tour numbers 0804, 0811, 0818 tickets are included for tonight's performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO: a vast spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands which takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. (FB)
Day 9 Edinburgh-York, England
This morning visit magnificent FLOORS CASTLE, the stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe. On past the abbey ruins at Jedburgh and the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, into wild Northumberland National Park. Later inspect 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. (FB,D)
Day 10 York-Stratford-London
Skirt Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest on the way to Stratford-upon-Avon. Take your pictures of Anne Hathaway's Cottage, visit SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE, and enjoy lunchtime exploring this fascinating Elizabethan town at your own pace. On return to London at about 3:30 p.m., a shownight theatre evening would be the best finale to your vacation; ask your Tour Director. (FB)
Day 11
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB)
Save time, money and stress!
For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our United Kingdom vacation specialist.
Contact: Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
10/08
|
