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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 - CAMBRIDGE AREA (2 NIGHTS)
After arriving at London airport we will transfer to our hotel
in Cambridge. Our exploration of Cambridge will begin with a
Walking Tour of several of the ancient colleges,
including the Great St. Mary’s Church, St. John’s and Trinity,
founded by Henry VIII. At magnificent King’s College we
will visit the Chapel, famous for its glorious fan vaulted
ceiling, and considered the most elegant example of
perpendicular architecture in England. We will stroll
along the beautiful gardens of the college “Backs" and if
feasible, try our hand at Punting on the Cam.
DAY
3
DAY TRIP TO ELY & NORWICH
This morning, you will visit one of England’s most beautiful
cathedrals, Ely Cathedral. The Abbey was founded in the
7th century by Etheldreda, daughter of the King of the East
Angles, and around it grew the town of Ely. Our tour of the
city will include a visit to the great Norwich Cathedral,
one of the largest in Britain, and Strangers Hall, a
large and rambling city mansion dedicated to being a museum of
domestic life. We will wander the rooms, which are decorated
and furnished in many styles, from Tudor to Victorian. We
return to the Cambridgeshire for the night.
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4
CAMBRIDGE AREA - LINCOLN (1 NIGHT)
Our journey north takes us to the Roman city of Lincoln, where
we will visit the magnificent Cathedral, the third
largest in Britain and whose origins can be traced back to a
century before the Battle of Hastings. The cathedral is a
superb exhibit of excellent medieval craftsmanship. We will
also visit Lincoln Castle, and enjoy some free time to
meander through the cobbled and flag stoned streets of
antiquity that wind down from Castle Square.
DAY
5 LINCOLN
– NEWSTEAD ABBEY – COVENTRY – STRATFORD-
UPON-AVON AREA
(1 NIGHT)
We leave Lincoln and travel to Stratford Upon Avon. En route
we will top at Newstead Abbey. The medieval priory was
converted into a family dwelling in the 16th century
and was the ancestral home of Lord Byron. His apartments, as
well as the memorabilia of the poet’s life, can be seen at the
abbey. We will also visit Coventry Cathedral,
bombed by the Luftwaffe in 1941. It is a constant reminder of
the devastation of war as the ruins of the medieval cathedral
are preserved and connected to its modern successor. We will
then continue to Stratford-Upon-Avon.
DAY
6
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON AREA - BRISTOL - WESSEX AREA
(3 NIGHTS)
Stratford
upon-Avon, a city forever associated with the playwright
William Shakespeare. This morning we visit the modern
Shakespeare Centre which was built to commemorate the
400th anniversary of the Bard's birth. Our next stop will be
Shakespeare’s Birthplace and then on Holy Trinity
Church, the parish church where Shakespeare is buried all
located in an attractive setting near the River .Later
in the afternoon we will also visit
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
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 then travel to Bristol to
visit the historic Church of St Mary Redcliffe which is
over 1000 years old and one of the finest examples of Gothic
architecture in England.
We continue the short drive to the Wessex area where we will
be spending the next three nights.
DAY
7
DAY TRIP TO GLASTONBURY - WELLS - BATH
This morning we travel to Glastonbury and according to ancient
English legend this area was ruled in the Dark Ages by King
Arthur. we begin with a climb up Glastonbury Tor to
search for the Holy Grail before visiting the beautiful ruins
of Glastonbury Abbey, burial place of King Arthur and
site of the first Christian church in England.
After lunch at medieval Wells, we will tour the magnificent
Cathedral with its 14th century astronomical clock and
beautiful Chapter House. We continue to Bath, a city steeped
in history, where we will visit the Roman Baths and
Bath Abbey before we explore the architectural splendors
of Georgian Bath including Pulteney Bridge, the Royal Crescent
and the Circus.
DAY
8
DAY TRIP TO EXETER
Today we will visit the cathedral city of Exeter in the heart
of Devon. In the 1st century
AD the Romans captured the settlements of the Dummnonii tribe
on the western bank of the River Exe, making it the most
westerly strong point. Twin Norman towers rise about the
transepts of Exeter Cathedral, which was rebuilt in its
present form between 1270 and 1360. The west face has the
largest surviving array of the 14th century
sculpture anywhere in Britain. Inside, the longest stretch of
13th century
Gothic vaulting in the world decorates the ceiling. Later
that afternoon we are introduced to some of Exeter’s
better-know sights on a Walking Tour.
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
9
WESSEX - SALISBURY - WINCHESTER - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
This morning we make our way to Salisbury, considered by many
people to be England’s most beautiful Cathedral. We will see
the Magna Carta and climb the Cathedral Tower for a
never-to-be-forgotten view over this charming medieval city.
En route to London, we will stop at King Alfred the Great’s
capital of Wessex, Winchester to visit the great Cathedral,
which is the perfect place to appreciate the differences
between Gothic and Norman/Romanesque architecture. We will
make our way to the nation's capital, London. After dinner,
we 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
DAY TRIP TO CANTERBURY
This morning, making an early start, we will follow the route
of Geoffrey Chaucer and his pilgrims to Canterbury, the cradle
of Christianity in Saxon England. The focal point of any
visit to Canterbury is the great Cathedral, which was a
place of pilgrimage for over 300 years and was built by the
first Norman archbishop, Lanfranc, to match Canterbury’s
growing ecclesiastical rank as a major center for
Christianity. Our tour of the enormous cathedral will include
The Martyrdom, a stunning memorial, located in the spot
that Thomas a Becket was brutally murdered. There will be time
to wander through the charming streets of Canterbury before we
return to London.
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.
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