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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
AREA
(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 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. We will also tour the Costume Museum
and allow plenty of time for shopping.
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 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 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. This evening
we return to our hotel in the Wessex area.
DAY
5 WESSEX AREA - OXFORD - STRATFORD AREA
(1 NIGHT)
This morning leaving the Wessex area we travel
to Oxford, England's oldest University City, which is 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. We will 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. We will continue on to the Stratford-upon-Avon
area for the night.
DAY
6 STRATFORD AREA - WARWICK - LAKE DISTRICT
(1 NIGHT)
On our way to the Lake District, 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. After free time to explore the castle and
its surroundings we will continue to the Lake District.
DAY
7 LAKE DISTRICT - EDINBURGH (2 NIGHTS)
Today we begin with a driving tour through the Lake District.
With 16 lakes and the highest peaks in England this is a region
of uncompromising beauty. We will see Windermere, Thirlmere,
Rydal Water, Derwent Water and Ullswater and visit
Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's home from 1799 to 1808,
and also St Oswald's Church, where he is buried at
Grasmere. Later this afternoon continue our journey north
across the borderlands to Edinburgh.
DAY
8 EDINBURGH
Our day begins with a visit to Edinburgh Castle, a
place filled with history, legend, and lore. Our visit will
include: St. Margaret's Chapel, the State Apartments,
the Great Hall and the Crown Chamber, which houses
the Honours of Scotland (Scottish Crown Jewels).
We continue with a Walking Tour along the Royal Mile,
where we will view many of the city's most interesting structures,
with turrets, gables, and towering chimneys. During our walk,
we will visit the High Kirk of St. Giles, one of the
most important architectural landmarks along the Royal Mile.
Our final stop will be the Palace of Holyroodhouse,
built by James IV, adjacent to an Augustinian abbey David
I established in the 12th century. Our tour of the palace
will include: King James Tower, the Throne Room, the
King's Bedchamber and the Picture Gallery, with portraits
of Scottish monarchs.
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
9 EDINBURGH - HADRIAN'S WALL - DURHAM
- YORKSHIRE
(2 NIGHTS)
Leaving Edinburgh this morning we travel further North through
the wild moorland of County Durham to visit the remains of
the 4 centuries old Hadrian's Wall, a fortified wall
built by the Romans across the north of England to mark the
boundary of their ancient empire. Our day continues in historic
Durham, a medieval treasure and one of the loveliest cities
in England. The proximity of the castle, cathedral and university
surrounded by a loop of the River Wear, makes Durham a fascinating
place to visit. We will visit Durham Cathedral, completed
in 1133. The cathedral is one of Britain's most architecturally
innovative buildings, as it is the first English building
with ribbed vault construction, and the first stone-roofed
cathedral in Europe. This evening we return to our hotel in
the Yorkshire area.
DAY
10 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 before
arriving at the Castle Museum. With its splendid presentation
of period rooms and the excellent reconstruction of Victorian
cobbled streets and shops, this is one of the world's most
famous folk museums. 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.
Those who choose can ascend the Central Tower,
for panoramic views of York.
DAY
11 YORKSHIRE - CAMBRIDGE - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
Before leaving York, there will be time to visit
the Jorvik Center, the exciting museum that depicts
life in Viking Britain. The center contains remarkably well-preserved
items, including boots and shoes, pins, plants and insects.
"Time Cars" take visitors on a journey back into Jorvik, the
Viking name for York, with sights, sounds and smells as they
would have been on an October day in 948 AD. Later, we will
make a visit to Cambridge as we continue the journey south
to London, the nation's capital. This evening, your guide
will take you on a Walking Tour that will begin in
Trafalgar Square and continue down Whitehall
past Horseguards Parade and Downing Street.
DAY
12 LONDON
We begin with a visit to Westminster Abbey,
where English kings and queens have been crowned since 1066.
We will take a 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
13 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
14 DEPARTURE FROM LONDON
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to
an end as your guide accompanies you to the airport for the
return flight home.
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