Your Travel Package Includes:

SIGHTSEEING: 
Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain, Dartmoor National Park, "The Valleys" and Brecon Beacons, Ring of Kerry and Lakes of Killarney, The Burren, Lake District National Park, Scottish Lowlands and Highlands, Loch Lomond, Northumberland National Park, Cotswold Hills

SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain, Dartmoor National Park, "The Valleys" and Brecon Beacons, Ring of Kerry and Lakes of Killarney, 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: 
Scheduled transatlantic flights and airport transfers in London if Tour Operator issues the tickets; private first-class air-conditioned motorcoach; round-trip Irish Sea crossings by day ferry

MEALS: 
3 buffet breakfasts (B); 15 full English breakfasts (FB); 9 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus and coffee

AIRPORT TRANSFERS:
Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements with Tour Operator.

OPTIONALS: 
Choice of optional excursions at reasonable prices to customize your own experience. Please find a detailed list in your travel documents

Itinerary - Grand Tour of Britain & Ireland

Day 1 Fri. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2 Sat. ARRIVAL IN LONDON, ENGLAND. Uniformed Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.

Day 3 Sun. LONDON. A full day to enjoy our exciting program of optional activities. Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: Knightsbridge with Harrods, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall's mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister's Downing Street, and Buckingham Palace. A highlight is the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. This afternoon you may want to visit Windsor Castle or the Tower with the spectacular Crown Jewels, and tonight a leisurely cruise on the River Thames would be fun. (B)

Day 4 Mon. LONDON-PLYMOUTH. Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart at 8 a.m. for the West Country. First, a photo opportunity at Hampton Court, Henry VIII’s magnificent Tudor palace. Continue westward to Salisbury, the "City of the Soaring Spire." Cross the chalky terrain of Wiltshire and pass Stonehenge, one of England’s most intriguing mysteries. Drive through Dorset, and finally in the heart of Dartmoor National Park, visit quaint Widecombe in the Moor, ghostly setting for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles. (B,D)

Day 5 Tue. PLYMOUTH-BATH-CARDIFF, WALES. In Plymouth hear about Sir Francis Drake and see the Mayflower Steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked in 1620. Via Glastonbury and its associations with King Arthur to Georgian Bath, famed for its Roman relics. 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. (FB)

Day 6 Wed. CARDIFF. BRECON BEACONS EXCURSION. Enjoy an orientation drive to the major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, Millennium stadium and the stately civic buildings. Then head out to "The Valleys," whose iron ore and coal were the raw materials for the Industrial Revolution. Drive through Brecon Beacons National Park, land of salmon rivers and home of the Welsh mountain pony. Afternoon at leisure back in Cardiff and a visit to St. Fagans National History Museum. (FB,D)

Day 7 Thu. CARDIFF-WEXFORD, IRELAND. A leisurely departure from Cardiff and vistas of rich dairy farmland with a 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, arriving at Rosslare in just under four hours. (FB,D)

Day 8 Fri. WEXFORD-KILLARNEY. Today discover why Ireland is called the "Emerald Isle." Via Waterford, famed for its fine crystal, 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. (FB,D)

Day 9 Sat. KILLARNEY-RING OF KERRY-LIMERICK. This morning enjoy a 100-mile coastal panoramic drive known as the "Ring of Kerry": sparkling seascapes, mountains dotted with brightly colored farmhouses, winding lanes bordered with subtropical vegetation, and spectacular views of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View. 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 traditional Irish evening. (FB)

Day 10 Sun. LIMERICK-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 via Athlone before arrival in Dublin with suggestions from your Tour Director for this evening. (FB)

Day 11 Mon. 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. Later, our optional recommendation is an Irish dinner and cabaret show. (FB)

Day 12 Tue. DUBLIN-CHESTER-LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND. 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, once the departure port of the great transatlantic liners. (FB,D)

Day 13 Wed. LIVERPOOL-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. (FB,D)

Day 14 Thu. GLASGOW-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: 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 mountain resort destination stop at the battlefield of Culloden Moor, with its memories of Bonnie Prince Charlie. (FB,D)

Day 15 Fri. AVIEMORE-EDINBURGH. Drive through the heather-clad moors of the Grampian Mountains to Royal Deeside, where the Queen is an annual visitor. Stop for lunch at Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years. In the afternoon, travel via Dundee 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 tour numbers 0723 through 0813 tickets are included for tonight's performance of the world-renowned Military Tattoo. (FB)

Day 16 Sat. 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. (FB)

Day 17 Sun. EDINBURGH-YORK-RETFORD, ENGLAND. 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, 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 18 Mon. RETFORD-STRATFORD-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 center 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. (FB,D)

Day 19 Tue. COVENTRY-LONDON. Motor through the Cotswold Hills and pause at Bladon, where Sir Winston Churchill lies buried within sight of his birthplace, Blenheim Palace. Finally enjoy a walking tour in Oxford, one of the country’s oldest seats of learning. After returning to London around 4 p.m., how about celebrating the success of your tour with a night out on the town? (FB)

Day 20 Wed. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Quality Hotels:

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

LONDON Kensington Close (ST), PLYMOUTH Novotel (ST), CARDIFF Park Inn (F), WEXFORD Quality (ST), KILLARNEY Killarney Court (ST), LIMERICK Jurys Inn (ST), DUBLIN Jurys Custom House Inn (ST), LIVERPOOL Britannia Adelphi (ST), GLASGOW Quality (ST), AVIEMORE Aviemore Inn (ST), EDINBURGH Learmonth (ST), RETFORD Ye Olde Bell (ST), COVENTRY Britannia Centre (ST)

Hotel Rating Abbreviations:

F  = First Class
ST = Superior Tourist Class
T  = Tourist Class