HIGHLIGHTS OF BRITAIN

Your itinerary

10 Days ~ England ~ Scotland ~ Wales

Tour Pace
A well-paced tour with two-night stays in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, and Plympton near Plymouth. The distances on driving days are comfortable, with regular stops at points of interest along the way.

DAY 1 – SUN – LONDON – STRATFORD

After meeting your Tour Director at London's Thistle Marble Arch Hotel, head off to Oxford to see the city’s famous university buildings. Afterwards, visit Churchill’s grave at Bladon before taking a scenic drive through the golden stone villages of the Cotswolds to the market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, home to William Shakespeare, whose birthplace you will visit. Then to your hotel to enjoy a Welcome Drink this evening. Hotel: Hilton Warwick. (D)

DAY 2 – MON – STRATFORD – YORK

See Coventry’s two cathedrals before heading north to York. Walk inside the ancient city walls to see the maze of narrow streets including the Shambles, where the houses lean towards each other so far that they almost touch. See also the York Minster, largest medieval church in northern Europe. Enjoy a Highlight Dinner in the evening. Hotel: Quality. (B,HD)

DAY 3 – TUE – YORK – EDINBURGH

Head north through the landscapes immortalised by the Brontë family and James Heriot to Durham where an orientation tour shows you the cathedral and castle. Move on to the Northumberland Moors and into Scotland at Carter Bar in the wild Cheviot Hills. Pass the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey and cross the salmon-rich river Tweed before reaching the beautiful Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Hotel: Hilton Grosvenor. (B)

DAY 4 – WED – EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING

With your local guide, drive along Prince’s Street past the ornate Scott Memorial into the 18th century New Town with its classical Adam facades. Across in the Old Town, visit Edinburgh Castle, perched high on its rock. Follow the Royal Mile down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse where Mary Queen of Scots lived – it is still the official Scottish residence of the Queen. The rest of the day is at leisure. Selected departures enjoy the Edinburgh Tattoo – a colourful mixture of military manoeuvres, complete with pipes and drums. (B)

DAY 5 – THU – EDINBURGH – LAKE DISTRICT

Begin the day with a spectacular drive through the contrasting scenery of the Southern Uplands, and stop to visit the Moffat Woollen Mills before crossing the border back into England. Travel through the ‘Auld Grey Town’ of Kendall on your way to visit Levens Hall. Admire the ornate Great Hall of this Elizabethan manor and the renowned Topiary Gardens, designed in 1690. Continue to your hotel, close to the shores of Lake Windermere. Hotel: Low Wood. (B,D)

DAY 6 – FRI – LAKE DISTRICT – CHESTER

Enjoy the beauty of the English Lake District in lakeside Grasmere, where you will visit poet William Wordsworth’s grave in the local churchyard. Head to the former Roman fortress of Chester, where an orientation tour within the well preserved walls shows you the galleried shopping arcades called the ‘Rows’ and fine half-timbered buildings. See also the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, the colourful Jubilee Clock and impressive cathedral. Hotel: Crowne Plaza. (B,D)

DAY 7 – SAT – CHESTER – BRISTOL

The morning’s route follows the Welsh borders to ancient Ludlow, which today is a bustling town still dominated by the massive fortress built to resist the frequent Welsh raids; meanwhile, the 15th century mansions on Broad Street reflect a later time of peace and prosperity. Pass through the apple orchards of Herefordshire before crossing into Wales, ‘Land of Song’. In the enchanting Wye Valley, pass the ruins of Tintern Abbey and cross the Severn Bridge back into England. The night is spent in the city of Bristol. Hotel: Marriott City Centre. (B)

DAY 8 – SUN – BRISTOL – PLYMPTON (PLYMOUTH)

Drive to the delightful Georgian city of Bath, its curative waters famous since Roman times. Visit the 18th century Pump Room and the ancient Baths, where parts of the Roman plumbing are still in use. See the 15th century Abbey before continuing to mysterious Glastonbury, a town steeped in legend (some say that King Arthur is buried in the ruined abbey). Pass through the cider orchards of Somerset to your hotel in Plympton near Plymouth. Hotel: Boringdon Hall. (B)

DAY 9 – MON – DARTMOOR EXCURSION

Drive to Saltash and cruise up Plymouth Sound to the harbour and the Mayflower Steps, from where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail on the Mayflower. Back on dry land, see the Hoe, where Sir Francis Drake played bowls, the Citadel, and explore the historic Barbican area. Now it’s out over the rugged, wild, heather-clad Dartmoor, with its sinister memories of the remote prison and 'Hound of the Baskervilles'. (B,D)

DAY 10 – TUE – PLYMPTON – LONDON

Cross Salisbury Plain to visit the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge, made up of strange and awe-inspiring monoliths reputed to be over 4,000 years old. The tour ends upon returning to London and bidding farewell to your Tour Director at the Thistle Marble Arch Hotel. (B)

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