BI 25 - MUSIC IN THE BRITISH ISLES
12 DAYS

You Will Always Have Your Own Private Tour
(Year-round) On Guaranteed Dates

Register For Costs From Your Nearest Gateway



Admission Costs Included to all Bolded Sites in the Itinerary.

 

1. Round-trip airfare with a major carrier on scheduled flights and guaranteed dates

2. All airport taxes

3. Accommodation in 3 Star and Superior 2 Star Tourist Class hotels with private facilities guaranteed throughout

4. Continental Breakfast and Dinners throughout your touring program

5. A Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide to accompany your group 24 hours a day from arrival to departure

6. All excursions, cultural activities and (several pre-booked) admissions, per your itinerary

7. Transportation by private coach for airport transfers and touring, except in the capital city, where public transport is used (and the cost included) for group sightseeing

8. One Free Place for Group Leaders with every six full-paying participants

9. All taxes

10. All of the venue arrangement fees and promotional costs for your performances, as stated in the itinerary.



WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?

1. Lunches and beverages with meals

2. Visas (if required)

3. Travel Insurance

4. Transportation of equipment by land and/or air or hiring of instruments

 

 

DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Ireland.

DAY    2            ARRIVE DUBLIN (3 NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your tour manager/guide board your own private coach and be transferred to your hotel in Dublin. Founded by the Vikings, Dublin is the vibrant modern capital of Ireland, but it still retains the aura of old world Europe. After time to relax, your guide will take you on an introductory Walking Tour of Southeast Dublin. We begin outside the Bank of Ireland, one of Dublin's most treasured landmarks, before strolling along Grafton Street, the spine of Dublin's most popular and stylish shopping district. After viewing the Molly Malone statue, we continue to St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful 22-acre park in the heart of Dublin filled with beautifully landscaped flowerbeds, fountains, a lake and memorials to important Dubliners. Our walking tour concludes with a walk around Merrion Square, a marvel of Georgian architecture known for its colorful doors and the famous literary figures that once lived here, including Yeats and Wilde.

DAY    3            DUBLIN
Our morning begins with a visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It is said that St. Patrick baptized converts on this site, and consequently a church has stood here since A.D. 450, making it the oldest Christian site in Dublin. St. Patrick's is closely associated with Jonathan Swift, who was dean from 1713 to 1745 and whose tomb lies in the south aisle. Our day continues with a visit to Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland, with cobbled squares, beautiful gardens, a picturesque quadrangle, and buildings dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The college is also home to the Book of Kells, an 8th-century version of the four Gospels with elaborate scripting and illumination.

· Your First Concert Performance will be today

DAY    4            DUBLIN & SANDYCOVE
This morning we will visit the Dublin Writers Museum, housed in a stunning 18th-century Georgian mansion with splendid plasterwork and stained glass. The museum is an impressive reminder of the grandeur of the Irish literary tradition, and Yeats, Joyce, Beckett, Shaw, Wilde, Swift, and Sheridan are among those whose lives and works are celebrated here. This afternoon we will visit Sandycove on Dublin Bay for a visit to the Martello Towerthat was once home to James Joyce.

DAY    5            DUBLIN - LARNE FERRY - CAIRNRYAN - ALLOWAY AREA
 
                         (1 NIGHT)
We will make an early morning start and drive north to the port at Larne where we will board the ferry to cross the Irish Sea to Cairnryan on the Scottish coast. We will continue to the Alloway area, famed as the birthplace of the poet Robert Burns. The Burns Cottage and Museum evoke his humble origins and house an extensive and well-displayed collection of manuscripts and relics. Near the Burns Monument and the Brig O'Doon we will visit the visitor center, the Land O'Burns that recalls the bard's life and times of the poet Robert Burns.

DAY    6            ALLOWAY AREA - THE TROSSACHS - STIRLING AREA
  
                        (2 NIGHTS)
After an early morning start we will explore the Trossachs, one of Scotland's most scenic areas and forever associated with Sir Walter Scott's outlaw hero, Rob Roy. We continue on to Stirling where our first stop will be the dramatically located Stirling Castle, site of many sieges and once the royal residence of the Stuarts. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in the castle's Chapel Royal. In 1297, the Scottish hero William Wallace captured the castle from the English.

DAY    7            DAY TRIP TO EDINBURGH
Our day in Edinburgh 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 St. Giles Cathedral, one of the most important architectural landmarks along the Royal Mile and the first Presbyterian church. 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    8            STIRLING AREA - SCOTT'S VIEW - DRYBURGH ABBEY -
  
                        ABBOTSFORD - THE LAKE DISTRICT (1 NIGHT)

After an early morning start we will arrive at Scott's View, a viewpoint which faces west across the winding Tweed to the three conical peaks of the Eildons. We will arrive at Dryburgh Abbey, one of a group of Border abbeys founded by David I, and it was begun in 1150. It was repeatedly attacked by the English in the 1300s and was badly damaged when the town of Dryburgh was razed in 1544. A sheltered meander of the Tweed provides a splendid setting for the ruins of the abbey. The conventual buildings are among the best preserved groups. Our day will end with a visit to Abbotsford, a fantasy in stone typical of Sir Walter Scott, the man who did so much to romanticize and popularize all things Scottish. Our Guided Tour will highlight a collection of some 9,000 rare books and some of the many items relating to Scotland and its history collected by Sir Walter throughout his life. We continue on to our hotel in the Lake District for the night.

DAY    9            THE LAKE DISTRICT - LONDON (3 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 St Oswald's Church, where he is buried at Grasmere. We continue on to the nation's capital where after dinner, your guide will take you on a leisurely Walking Tour of Westminster to introduce you to some of London's most famous sights. We will start at Trafalgar Square, walk down Whitehall past Horseguards Parade and Downing Street before arriving at Parliament Square and the Houses of Parliament. Your walk can continue through St. James's Park to see Buckingham Palace.

DAY    10          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 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    11          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    12          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.

Please note that the sightseeing content may be amended or eliminated in order to facilitate the best possible concert arrangements for your group.

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