Your itinerary
Day 1: UK - Washington DC.
Fly to Washington where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 2: Washington DC - Williamsburg. Included sightseeing.
Cross the Potomac River to see the graves of American heroes, including those of John F Kennedy and his brother Robert, in beautiful Arlington Cemetery. Your guided sightseeing tour of the capital continues with photo stops at Capitol Hill and the White House, and visits to the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. This afternoon, leave the District of Columbia for Williamsburg, where the early European settlers established their first colonies.
Day 3: Williamsburg.
Spend the day in Colonial Williamsburg, where American heritage is proudly preserved in the reconstructed buildings and historical displays. Take a stroll down quaint streets and browse through homes, gardens, taverns, shops, and exhibits. In the Hall of Burgesses, listen as costumed interpreter's debate the controversial steps that led to the Declaration of Independence.
Day 4: Williamsburg - Richmond - Lexington.
Begin the day with an orientation tour of Richmond, capital of the Confederacy in the Civil War. This afternoon's highlight is the graceful home of the third President, Thomas Jefferson. The Monticello estate ('Little Mountain' in Italian) reflects Jefferson's skills as an artist, architect, and designer. It is the only house in the US that is on the United Nations' World Heritage List of international treasures.
Day 5: Lexington - Asheville.
This morning, visit Natural Bridge, a towering 215-feet-high limestone arch set in a wooded setting, once owned by Thomas Jefferson. George Washington's initials are still visible on the cliffside, from his work here as a young surveyor. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs from the Great Smokies to Shenandoah National Park without a single traffic light along its 470-mile route. We take in a portion of the parkway today from Roanoke to Fancy Gap. Stop at the tranquil setting of Mabry Mill, one of the most photographed spots in the country. Overnight in the Asheville area, hometown of American author Thomas Wolfe.
Day 6: Asheville - Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Gatlinburg. Included sightseeing.
The day begins with a stop at Chimney Rock. Take a lift carved through solid rock up to the granite monolith for views over Hickory Nut Gorge. Next visit the 7,500-acre grounds of the Biltmore Estate, built by George Vanderbilt, grandson of the famous railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Afterwards we drive right through the center of the Smokies, along the spectacular Newfound Gap Road, peaking at 5,046 feet.
Day 7: Gatlinburg.
Gatlinburg, one of America's most popular mountain retreats, offers something for everyone. You might want to spend a day at world-famous Dollywood, an 88-acre landscaped theme park inspired by Dolly Parton and her love for the mountains, family, and country music. Tonight's optional outing features the Dixie Stampede, an action packed evening of trick riders, renegade Indians, and ragtime entertainment. Dinner includes mountain specialties like juicy barbecue pork and chicken, corn-on-the cob, and a southern style apple turnover.
Day 8: Gatlinburg - Bardstown. Included Museum of Appalachia.
This morning, visit the fascinating Museum of Appalachia , with 65 acres of farmland and a number of historic cabins, barns, and other buildings - even a frontier privy! Make a short visit to Corbin - Colonel Sander's original fried chicken restaurant that is now a museum. This afternoon's journey takes you along Kentucky's scenic back roads to Bardstown, Kentucky's second-oldest city for an overnight stay.
Day 9: Bardstown - Loretto - Lexington.
Begin the day with a stop at Sinking Spring Farm, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. A replica of the original log cabin is preserved as a shrine to the best-loved of American Presidents. Then we stop in the tiny town of Loretto for a visit to one of the many bourbon whiskey distilleries for which Kentucky is famous. Travel the Bluegrass Parkway to Lexington, the 'Heart of the Bluegrass'. As you approach the scenery changes to the green pastures, white board fences, and columned estates of Kentucky bluegrass country - the backdrop for the movie Seabiscuit.
Day 10: Lexington - Beckley. Included Kentucky Horse Park.
This morning, it's time for a fascinating visit to the Kentucky Horse Park. Legends like Man o' War and Secretariat conquered the racing world from here. Visit includes the International Museum of the Horse; the Hall of Champions, where famous horses from the past enjoy their retirement; the Parade of Breeds, and many other exhibits and demonstrations. After a stop in the state capital of Charleston, one-time home of Daniel Boone, arrive in Beckley, the heart of West Virginia's 'smokeless' coal industry.
Day 11: Beckley - New River Gorge Bridge - Shennandoah National Park.
We stop this morning at New River Gorge Bridge (near Fayetteville), rising 876 feet above the river. After a lunch break in Lewisburg, a major Civil War battlefield, travel up to the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains with magnificent vistas of the Shenandoah Valley.
Day 12: Shenandoah National Park - Luray Caverns - Harpers Ferry - Gettysburg.
Stop at Luray for a guided tour of the spectacular caverns, and then head for Harpers Ferry where in 1859 John Brown made his ill-fated raid on the U.S. arsenal. Cross the Mason-Dixon Line into Pennsylvania later today, with time to visit the military museum, and many other sights in and around Gettysburg Military Park. (The Mason-Dixon Line is most commonly associated with the division between Pennsylvania and Maryland during the 1800's and American Civil War era. However the line was actually delineated in the mid-1700s to settle a property dispute.)
Day 13: Gettysburg - Mount Vernon - Washington DC.
This morning visit the site of the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, the decisive campaign of the Civil War where the Union Major General Gordon Meades's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by the Confederate General Robert E Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and where Abraham Lincoln delivered his immortal Gettysburg Address in November 1863. Next visit Mount Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington, overlooking the Potomac River. The final leg of your journey takes you back to Washington DC.
Day 14: Washington DC - UK.
Transfer to Dulles International Airport for your overnight flight to the UK.
Day 15: Home landing in the UK.
Maximum elevation on this tour is 5,046 ft.
Hotels On Tour
Washington area: Crowne Plaza Arlington; Williamsburg: Crowne Plaza Fort Magruder; Lexington, VA: Natural Bridge Hotel; Asheville: Quality Inn & Suites Biltmore South; Gatlinburg: Fairfield Inn; Bardstown: Best Western General Nelson; Lexington, KY: Radisson Plaza; Beckley: Quality Inn; Shenandoah National Park: Skyland Lodge; Gettysburg: Days Inn Gettysburg.
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