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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
(2 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 BATH
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
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 WESSEX - STONEHENGE - SALISBURY - OXFORD
AREA
(1 NIGHT)
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. We
continue on to the Oxford area, the university city of
colleges, green quadrangles and dreaming spires.
Oxford is the oldest English speaking university dating from
1167 and also associated with many notable literary alumni
including such diverse characters as Geoffrey Chaucer, Lewis
Carroll, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis and Evelyn Waugh. 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
DAY
5 OXFORD AREA - WARWICK - YORKSHIRE (2
NIGHTS)
This morning we 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.
On our way to Yorkshire, we will make a visit to
Warwick Castle, the finest medieval fortress in
England. Collections of paintings, furniture, arms and armor
are housed in the State Rooms, Great Hall and Armory
DAY
6 YORK
In the morning we will take a guided Walking Tour of
medieval York along the 13th century city walls to
Stonegate and the Shambles. We will see
many historic buildings including St. William's College
and the Guildhall. With its splendid
presentation of period rooms and the excellent reconstruction
of Victorian cobbled streets and shops. Our day will end with
a tour of
York Minster,
which traces its origins from the early 7th century, and
features stunning stained glass from the Middle Ages
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
7 YORKSHIRE - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
Our morning begins with a visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre.
This Viking city, discovered many feet below present ground
level, was reconstructed as it stood in 948, and a "time car"
will take us back through the ages. We continue to London,
Britain's historic capital city. Upon our 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
8 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 that 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 its 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
9 LONDON
Our morning begins with a 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
10 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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