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DAY
1 DEPARTURE
FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to London.
DAY
2 ARRIVE
LONDON - WINCHESTER - WESSEX (3 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where
we will board our own private bus and transfer into the
beautiful English countryside. We will stop to visit
Winchester, closely associated with Alfred the Great, and once
the ancient capital of England. Our sightseeing begins with a
visit to the remains of Winchester Castle, where a
round oak table, King Arthur's Round Table, is
attached to the wall. We will also visit Winchester
Cathedral, the longest medieval cathedral in Britain, and
the burial place of Jane Austen. We continue to our hotel in
the Wessex region.
DAY
3 DAY TRIP
TO STONEHENGE & SALISBURY
This morning we visit mysterious Stonehenge, a huge
circle of lintels and megalithic pillars, and one of the most
impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain. We continue to
nearby Old Sarum, where a Celtic hill fort, as well as
Roman, Saxon and Norman strongholds once stood. We will spend
the afternoon in Salisbury, where we will visit Salisbury
Cathedral. Our visit will include the cathedral's
13th-century octagonal Chapter House, which
displays one of the four surviving original texts of the
Magna Carta.
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 DAY TRIP
TO HARDY'S WESSEX AND CORFE CASTLE
Our morning is dedicated to exploring Thomas Hardy’s Wessex.
Hardy was one of Britain’s finest writers; known for his
spectacular settings, which can be seen throughout Dorset.
Our morning commences with a visit to Hardy Cottage in
Higher Bockhampton, where he was born. Our day continues to
nearby Stinsford Church, his local parish church, where
we will view Hardy’s Grave. We continue with a
visit to the spectacular fortress ruins of Corfe Castle,
which romantically crown a jagged pinnacle of rock above the
charming unspoilt village of Corfe. The castle has dominated
the landscape since the 11th century, but became
famous after Sir John Bankes’ wife and her retainers, mostly
women, courageously held out against 600 Parliamentary troops
in a six-week siege during the English Civil War.
DAY
5 WESSEX
- BATH - STRATFORD-UPON-AVON AREA
(1 NIGHT)
This morning we explore the ancient Roman city of Bath. We
begin with a visit to the Roman Baths, first associated
with the Celtic King Bladud, and later established by the
Romans in the 1st century. We continue with a
Walking Tour through historic Bath, where we will see: the
spectacular façade of Bath Abbey; Pulteney
Bridge, featuring quaint shops and wonderful views of the
city; the Circus and the Royal Crescent, one of
Britain’s finest streets. We continue to Stratford-upon-Avon,
where we will visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace, as well
as the modern Shakespeare Centre, built next door to
commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Bard's birth.
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
6 STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
AREA - OXFORD - LONDON
(3 NIGHTS)
This morning we will begin with a visit to Anne
Hathaway’s Cottage, located just outside the town center.
The cottage provides a rare insight into the life of a family
in Shakespearean times, and many of the original furnishings
are preserved inside the house. We continue to the city of
Oxford, and England's oldest University
dating from the1100's. We will take a Walking Tour to
view many of the colleges that make up Oxford, as well as the
Sheldonian Theater and the Bodleian
Library. We will also visit Christ Church College,
Oxford’s biggest and grandest Renaissance College, which was
founded in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey. The college’s
Christ Church Cathedral is the smallest in England.
This afternoon we begin our journey to London and upon arrival
we can take a leisurely Walking Tour of Westminster
and Whitehall, including: Trafalgar Square,
Whitehall, Horseguards Parade, Parliament Square, Downing
Street, St. James’s Park and Buckingham Palace.
DAY
7
LONDON
We begin with a visit to Westminster Abbey, where
English kings and queens have been crowned since 1066. We
will take a Blue-Badge guided tour, which will include the
Royal Chapels, holding the tombs of the monarchs,
as well as Poets' Corner, featuring memorials to
famous British literary figures. Our morning continues as we
walk past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, before taking
a Thames River Cruise, a relaxing way to view many of
London’s most magnificent sights. This afternoon we will
visit the Tower of London, one of Britain’s most
fascinating and important historical structures, with macabre
associations with the legendary figures imprisoned and/or
executed here. Our visit will include the Armories,
a display of instruments of torture and execution and the
Crown Jewels Exhibit. This evening we will spend
time around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square,
two of London’s most vibrant and lively areas.
DAY
8 LONDON
This morning we visit to the British Museum, one of the
most comprehensive collections of art and artifacts in the
world. Highlights of our visit will include: the
Rosetta Stone, whose discovery led to the deciphering
of hieroglyphs, the Elgin Marbles, from the
Parthenon in Athens, and the Sutton Hoo Treasure.
After lunch we continue with a visit to
St. Paul’s Cathedral,
Sir Christopher Wren’s Renaissance-style masterpiece. Our
visit will include an ascent to the Whispering Gallery,
an acoustic marvel in which the faintest whisper can be heard
clearly on the opposite side, as well as the American
Memorial Chapel, honoring the 28,000 U.S. service
personnel who lost their lives while stationed in Britain
during World War II.
· Your Third Concert Performance will be today
DAY
9 DEPARTURE
FROM LONDON
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your
tour manager/guide accompanies you to the airport for the
return flight home.
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