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

DAY    2          ARRIVE LONDON - STONEHENGE - WESSEX (3 NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to Wessex.  En route we will stop at Stonehenge, over 3000 years old and Britain's most famous ancient monument.  After lunch we will make an Orientation Tour of Sherborne and visit the famous vaulted Abbey, resting place of Saxon nobles.  We will view the famous Sherborne School, used for filming of `Goodbye Mr. Chips' and also Sir Walter Raleigh's home, Sherborne Castle.

DAY    3          DAY TRIP TO BATH
Our visit to Bath will include visits to the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey before we explore the architectural wonders of Georgian Bath including Pulteney Bridge, the Royal Crescent, the Circus and the Assembly Rooms.  We will also tour the Costume Museum and allow plenty of time for shopping.

DAY    4          DAY TRIP TO CORFE CASTLE, STEEPLE & LULWORTH COVE
We will visit the spectacular fortress of Corfe Castle, the scene of a bloody battle in the Civil War; the village of Steeple to examine the original Stars and Stripes (the coat of arms of George Washington's ancestors who lived here) and Lulworth Cove where we will walk along a breathtaking coastal path to Durdle Door Natural Arch.

DAY    5          WESSEX - STRATFORD-UPON-AVON AREA (1 NIGHT)
We will drive to Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare, the world's greatest playwright.  After visiting the Shakespeare Centre, Shakespeare's Birthplace and Anne Hathaway's Cottage we will enjoy an evening performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

DAY    6          STRATFORD AREA - WARWICK - YORKSHIRE (3 NIGHTS)
On our way to York we will make an interesting visit to Warwick Castle, the finest medieval fortress in England.  Collections of paintings, furniture, arms and armour are housed in the State Rooms, Great Hall and Armoury.  The castle also boasts dungeons, a torture chamber, rampart walk and a ghost tower.

DAY    7          YORK
Our Walking Tour of medieval York will take us along the 13th century City Walls and past many splendid historic buildings before we arrive at Stonegate and the Shambles.  Our day also includes a tour of York Minster, one of the great cathedrals of the world.  This evening we will enjoy a chilling Ghost Walk.

DAY    8          YORK & CASTLE HOWARD
We will visit the Castle Museum, an excellent Folk Museum with a famous reconstruction of Victorian cobbled streets and shops.  We will spend the afternoon at Castle Howard.  This magnificent palace was the setting for the television adaptation of `Brideshead Revisited'.

DAY    9          YORKSHIRE - DURHAM - EDINBURGH (3 NIGHTS)
En route to Edinburgh we will visit Durham where the close proximity of the castle, Cathedral and ancient university surrounded by a loop of the River Wear make this medieval treasure one of the loveliest cities in England.

DAY    10        EDINBURGH
Edinburgh is one of Europe's most beautiful cities and our Walking Tour will start at Holyrood Palace before passing John Knox's house as we walk along the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle where we will take a guided tour.  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    11        THE TROSSACHS
Today we will travel to the Trossachs where we will view some spectacular Scottish Glen and Loch scenery.  The energetic who climb Ben A'n will be rewarded with a dramatic and outstanding view of Lochs Achray and Katrine, a panorama that was the setting for Sir Walter Scott's `The Lady of the Lake'.

DAY    12        EDINBURGH - LAKE DISTRICT - CAERNARFON (1 NIGHT)
As we drive south to Wales, we will make a short detour into the spectacular Lake District, a region of uncompromising beauty.  We will stay overnight at Caernarfon and visit the magnificent Castle where Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales.

DAY    13        CAERNARFON - DUBLIN (1 NIGHT)
We will cross the Irish Sea to Dublin, a city of splendid history with wide Georgian streets and elegant squares.  Our sightseeing will include a visit to Trinity College where we will view the 8th century Book of Kells.

DAY    14        DUBLIN - CASHEL - KILLARNEY AREA (2 NIGHTS)
As we drive through the heart of the `Emerald Isle' we will stop to visit the spectacular Rock of Cashel, which dominates the Tipperary countryside, a monumental 12th century cathedral complex which was the seat of kings and medieval bishops. We will continue to Killarney in its spectacular location amidst mountains, glens and lakes.

DAY    15        THE RING OF KERRY
This morning we will have a leisurely tour around the Ring of Kerry which is one of the most beautiful drives in Europe.  We will view a splendid variety of outstanding coastal panoramas and magnificent mountain views.  In the evening we will visit a Singing Pub for traditional Irish Ballads and Folk Music.

DAY    16        KILLARNEY AREA - BLARNEY - ROSSLARE (1 NIGHT)
Our day's sightseeing begins with a stop in Blarney.  We will visit Blarney Castle where we will climb on to the battlements to reach the Blarney Stone, said to impart the gift of eloquence to all who kiss it.  We will continue our journey to Rosslare

DAY    17        ROSSLARE - FISHGUARD - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
After taking the ferry across the Irish Sea to the Welsh port of Fishguard we will travel through South Wales to our London, Britain’s historic capital city.  Upon our 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    20        LONDON (KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND)
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.  This evening we will spend time around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, two of London’s most vibrant and lively areas.

DAY    19        LONDON (ARTIFACTS & ARCHITECTURE IN 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 a bit of free time to shop and explore Carnaby and Regent Streets, 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.  This evening, we will dine and explore the area around Covent Garden, before attending a West End Theater Performance.

DAY    20        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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