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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 (2 NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your tour manger/guide where
we will board your own private coach and be taken to your
London hotel. After time to relax, we will visit St.
Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren's wonderful Renaissance
masterpiece. We will make an ascent of the dome to the
Whispering Gallery for an impressive view
of the concourse below.
DAY
3 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, which 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 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.
· Your First Concert Performance will
be today
DAY
4 LONDON - OXFORD - STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
AREA
(1 NIGHT)
We will stop to explore 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 also 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 to
a town forever associated with the playwright
William Shakespeare, Stratford–upon-Avon. This afternoon we
visit the modern Shakespeare Centre which was built to
commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Bard's birth. We
continue on to Shakespeare’s Birthplace and to Holy
Trinity Church, the parish church where Shakespeare is
buried all located in an attractive setting near the River
Avon. Our afternoon concludes with a visit to Anne
Hathaway’s Cottage, located just outside the city center.
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.
DAY
5 STRATFORD AREA - WARWICK - YORKSHIRE
(2 NIGHTS)
On our journey north to York, we will stop at Warwick
Castle, the finest medieval fortress in England. Collections
of paintings, furniture and arms and armor are housed in the
State Rooms, Great Hall and Armory. This evening we arrive
in Yorkshire.
DAY
6 YORK
Our day begins in Exhibition Square, where we will take a
Walking Tour of the city, a perfect way to learn about the
history and lore of the city, through numerous intriguing
stories. We continue 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.
· Your Second Concert Performance
will be today
DAY
7 YORKSHIRE - DURHAM - EDINBURGH (2 NIGHTS)
Our sightseeing today day commences with a stop 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. Upon arrival in Edinburgh your guide
will be pleased to take you on some introductory sightseeing.
DAY
8 EDINBURGH
We begin 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. Our
next stop is 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). After walking along Princes Street
to view the Scott Monument we will have the opportunity to
climb Arthur's Seat for a spectacular view over the Firth
of Forth.
DAY
9 EDINBURGH - STIRLING - LAKE DISTRICT
(1 NIGHT)
Before we venture south across the borderlands to England,
we stop at 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, the subject of Braveheart, captured
the castle from the English and we will visit the nearby Wallace
Monument that commemorates his victories. We then continue
to the Lake District, famous for its associations with the
Romantic poets. With 16 lakes and the highest peaks in England
this is a region of uncompromising beauty and we will see
Windermere, Thirlmere, Rydal Water, Derwent Water and Ullswater
and visit Wordsworth's Cottage and the Churchyard
where he is buried at Grasmere.
DAY
10 LAKE DISTRICT - CHESTER - CAERNARFON
(1 NIGHT)
We travel to Chester this morning which was founded by the
Romans and once one of their most important fortresses and
naval bases. We take a 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 next 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.
A drive through the beautiful scenery of northern Wales will
bring us to Caernarfon. Here we will visit the magnificent
Castle built by Edward I in 1283 and where Prince Charles
was invested as Prince of Wales.
DAY
11 CAERNARFON - FERRY CROSSING - DUBLIN
(2 NIGHTS)
We will cross the Irish Sea by ferry to Ireland
where we transfer to our hotel in Dublin, Ireland's magnificent
capital city. Upon our arrival, we will take 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
12 DUBLIN
Our sightseeing in Dublin includes 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 Third Concert Performance will
be today
DAY
13
DUBLIN - CASHEL - BLARNEY - KILLARNEY
(2 NIGHTS)
We leave Dublin early this morning and travel to
the spectacular Rock of Cashel, a monumental 12th century
cathedral complex dominating the surrounding landscape. The
Rock was the stronghold of the kings of Munster for seven
centuries, and it was here that St. Patrick converted them
and made the shamrock the emblem of Ireland. Our day continues
to Blarney, where we will visit Blarney Castle, one
of the most haunting and striking castles in Ireland. The
remains of this impressive castle include a massive square
tower, with a parapet rising 83 feet, and the infamous Blarney
Stone, wedged underneath the battlements; it is traditional
to kiss the stone to ensure the gift of eloquence. We will
also stroll through the gardens and a nearby dell beside Blarney
Lake, before having the opportunity to visit Badger
Cave and adjacent dungeons, penetrating the rock at
the base of the castle. We continue on to our hotel in Killarney,
beautifully situated amidst mountains, glens and lakes.
DAY
14 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. We continue to Valentia
Island, then through the Coomaskista Pass, before stopping
to visit Staigue Fort, the best preserved Iron Age drystone
fort in Ireland. Other highlights will include: the Hog's
Head, Moll's Gap, Ladies View, Torc Waterfall and our visit
to Sneem, a small village with brightly painted cottages.
In the evening we will visit a Local Folk Evening for
traditional Irish ballads, dance and folk music.
DAY
15
KILLARNEY – BUNRATTY - SHANNON AREA (1 NIGHT)
As we drive through the Ireland’s green hills, we will make
a stop at Adare, a charming village where the main
street is lined with thatched cottages. We will then
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.
We continue on to our hotel in the Shannon area for the night.
DAY
16 DEPARTURE FROM SHANNON
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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