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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Shannon.
DAY
2 ARRIVE SHANNON - KILLARNEY AREA (2
NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your tour manager/guide
board your own private coach and get an immediate introduction
to the splendors of Ireland when we visit Bunratty Castle,
a formidable castle built in the 15th century, which has been
preserved just as it would have looked in the 1500s. We will
take a tour through the castle, including the Great Hall, the
Main Guard and the South Solar, before visiting the adjoining
Folk Park, which is an authentic re-creation of life in
Ireland at the turn of the 20th century. In the evening we
will have a Local Folk Evening full of traditional
Irish ballads, dance and folk music.
DAY
3 DAY TRIP TO RING OF KERRY
Today we will enjoy a leisurely tour around the famed Ring
of Kerry, a beautiful drive around the Iveragh Peninsula.
We will enjoy a splendid variety of outstanding coastal
panoramas and magnificent mountain views. During the course
of our tour, we will have the opportunity to stop and explore
many small towns and villages on the peninsula, including
Killorglin, Glenbeigh and Caherciveen.
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 KILLARNEY
AREA - BLARNEY - CASHEL - DUBLIN
(2 NIGHTS)
As we leave Killarney, beautifully situated amidst mountains,
glens and lakes, we will we stop at Blarney Castle
where we will climb onto the battlements to reach the Blarney
Stone, said to impart the gift of eloquence to all that kiss
it. As we head out into the Irish countryside we will visit
ancient Cashel, a monumental cathedral complex that
dominates the surrounding landscape and was once the seat of
the Kings of Munster. It was here that St. Patrick began his
conversion of the Irish, using the shamrock as his symbol. We
will continue our journey to Dublin. Your guide will take you
on an introductory Walking Tour to orient you to the
city. We will stroll in St. Stephen’s Green,
the loveliest of Dublin’s many parks, and visit Merrion
Square, famous for its elegant Georgian houses and
once the home of such Irish luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Daniel
O’Connell, and William Butler Yeats.
DAY
5 DUBLIN
Our sightseeing in Dublin includes visits to Dublin
Castle where a fortress has stood since the time of the
Celts. The castle was once the centre of English rule and
had as notorious a reputation as the Tower of London. We will
also visit 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.
DAY
6 DUBLIN - FERRY CROSSING - HOLYHEAD
- CHESTER AREA
(1 NIGHT)
Taking the morning ferry across the Irish Sea, we arrive in
Holyhead in North Wales. As we drive across the northern
island, we will stop in Llanfair P G as it is known, to see
the longest named village in all of Wales. We see some of the
Welsh mountainous country as we travel onward along the
northern shoreline to city of Chester, founded by the Romans
and once one of their most important fortresses and naval
bases. Upon arrival your guide will be pleased to take you
on some introductory sightseeing of the area.
DAY
7 CHESTER AREA - YORKSHIRE (3 NIGHTS)
We take a Walking Tour of Chester and stroll along the
City Walls, the only complete circuit of walls that remain
in Britain and from which it is possible to glimpse bits of
the original Roman wall and to get a view of the grid pattern
in which the Romans laid out the city. Our last visit is to
the Grosvenor Museum where the history of Chester is
traced with special emphasis on the Roman period. Finally, we
enjoy some time for shopping in the historical Rows, which has
been a market area since 1331 before continuing on to
Yorkshire.
DAY
8 YORK
We begin this morning with a visit to 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. We continue to the Shambles, which remains a
narrow ancient street filled with shops and cafes. The
remainder of the afternoon is yours to spend at leisure before
your concert.
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
9 DAY TRIP TO DURHAM & HADRIAN'S WALL
This morning we travel to the wild moorland of Northumbria to
visit the remains of the 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. Later we will return to Yorkshire.
DAY
10 YORKSHIRE - OXFORD - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
This morning we will visit the city of Oxford, England’s
oldest University City dating from the 1100’s 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. 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 continue on to London where upon arrival we will 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
11 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. 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
12 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
13 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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