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

DAY    2            ARRIVE LONDON - WESSEX (8 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where we will board our own private bus and transfer into the beautiful English countryside. We will stop in Sherborne to visit the magnificent Abbey, featuring a fan- vaulted ceiling and stunning stained glass. We conclude the afternoon with a visit to the 12th century Old Castle, which was partly demolished by the Parliamentarians in 1645, before continuing to our hotel in the region.

DAY    3            DAY TRIP TO GLASTONBURY, WELLS & WOOKEY HOLE
This morning we will journey to Glastonbury a sight often associated with the legend of King Arthur. We will climb 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. Growing in the abbey grounds is a cutting from the famous Glastonbury thorn, which is said to have miraculously grown from the staff of St. Joseph of Arimathea, and it continues to astonish everyone by flowering each Christmas. We continue to Wells for a visit to the magnificent Cathedral, highlighted by the 365 medieval statues of kings, knights and saints on the West Front, and the unique scissor arches on the interior. We will also stroll along the Vicar's Close, one of the oldest complete streets in Europe, before concluding our afternoon with a visit to Wookey Hole, an extensive cave system once inhabited by Iron Age man.

DAY    4            DAY TRIP TO BATH
Today we explore the ancient Roman city of Bath. One of Europe's most beloved cities, Bath is set among the rolling green hills of the Avon valley, and is a compact, traffic free city offering an abundance of history and charm. We begin with a visit to the Roman Baths, first associated with the Celtic King Bladud, and later established by the Romans in the 1st century. We continue with a Walking Tour through historic Bath, where we will see: Bath Abbey's spectacular façade, Pulteney Bridge, featuring quaint shops and wonderful views of the city, the Circus and the Royal Crescent, one of Britain's finest streets. Our day concludes with visits to the Assembly Rooms and the Museum of Costume, which features a collection of costumes in authentic period settings, displaying the changing fashions from the 16th century to present day.

DAY    5            DAY TRIP TO CORFE CASTLE, STEEPLE & LULWORTH COVE
Our morning begins with a visit to the spectacular fortress ruins of Corfe Castle, which romantically crown a jagged pinnacle of rock above the charming unspoiled village of Corfe. The castle has dominated the landscape since the 11th century, but became famous after Sir John Bankes' wife and her entourage, mostly women, courageously held out against 600 Parliamentary troops in a six-week siege during the English Civil War. We continue to Steeple, on the south side of the Purbeck Hills, to learn the true origin of the Stars and Stripes on the American flag. The stars and stripes, or originally called bars and mullets, came to America via the great grandfather of George Washington. We will view the coat of arms, which appears above the north door of the Steeple Church. The symbol will first be seen on a stone shield in the south porch, and is repeated four times inside the building, on the barrel-vaulted roof panels. Our day concludes with a scenic Walk along the coastal path from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door Natural Arch.

DAY    6            DAY TRIP TO LONGLEAT & STOURHEAD
Our morning begins with a visit to Longleat House, a magnificent Elizabethan house built in the early Renaissance style. The house features ornate, lofty rooms complete with exquisite paintings and furnishings, including a grandiose Elizabethan Great Hall. We will also visit Longleat Safari Park, which hosts several species of magnificent and endangered wild animals, which are free to roam the surroundings, as well as the world's longest maze, The Maze of Love. (Safari Park sightseeing is subject to season) This afternoon we will visit the magnificent 18th century landscaped gardens at Stourhead, one of the finest English gardens in Britain. We will have the opportunity to wander the paths to view the wide range of trees, flowers, and colorful shrubs, as well as bridges, grottos, and temples, which are tucked away within the gardens.

DAY    7            DAY TRIP TO WINCHESTER
Today we will explore Winchester, a city closely associated with Alfred the Great, and once the ancient capital of England. We begin with a visit to Winchester College, whose buildings have been in continuous use for over 600 years. This is the first of England's great 'public' schools and the structures vary from Victorian Tudor Gothic, to the more modern trimmings of the New Hall designed in 1961. Next we visit the remains of Winchester Castle, where a round oak table, King Arthur's Round Table, is attached to the wall. Our afternoon will include visits to Winchester Cathedral, the longest medieval cathedral in Britain, and the burial place of Jane Austen, as well as Wolvesey Castle, formerly the main residence of the Bishops of Winchester. After a bit of free time to explore and shop in Winchester, we return to our hotel in Wessex.

DAY    8            DAY TRIP TO THOMAS HARDY'S WESSEX
Today is dedicated to exploring Thomas Hardy Country. Hardy was one of Britain's finest writers; know for his spectacular settings, which today can be seen throughout Dorset County. Our morning commences with a visit to Hardy Cottage in Higher Bockhampton, where the author was born and died. We continue to nearby Stinsford Church, Thomas' local parish church, where we will view Hardy's Grave. We will enjoy a bit of free time in Dorchester, Hardy's Casterbridge, for lunch and shopping, before continuing to Bere Regis Church, where we will view the d'Urberville Graves and Window. Our afternoon will conclude as we view Tess Durbeyfield's thatched cottage at Marlott, in Marnhull Village, as well as the pub across the street, which was a favorite spot for Hardy.

DAY    9            DAY TRIP TO STONEHENGE, OLD SARUM & SALISBURY
This morning we visit mysterious Stonehenge, a huge circle of lintels and megalithic pillars, and one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain. We continue to nearby Old Sarum, where a Celtic hill fort, as well as Roman, Saxon and Norman strongholds once stood. We will spend the afternoon in Salisbury, where we will visit Salisbury Cathedral. Our visit will include the cathedral's 13th-century octagonal chapter house, which displays one of the four surviving original texts of the Magna Carta.

DAY    10            WESSEX - WINDSOR - LONDON (4 NIGHTS)
This morning we begin our journey to London, stopping en route in Windsor, where we will visit Windsor Castle, the world's largest inhabited castle, with 1,000 rooms. Our visit will include the richly decorated State Apartments and St. George's Chapel, a pantheon of English monarchs. Our day continues to 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    11            LONDON (LONDON'S FAVORITE "HAUNTS")
Today we will enjoy the experience of riding on one of London's famous double-decker buses as we take a City Tour, which will reveal many of London's most famous landmarks. Late this morning, we will stop at Buckingham Palace to view the fascinating Changing of the Guard ceremony. This afternoon, we will cross Tower Bridge to the city's Southwark area, where we will "hop off" to visit the London Dungeon, a ghoulish place designed to chill the blood, while reproducing the conditions of the Middle Ages. Exhibits include: a burning at the stake; a torture chamber with racking, branding, and fingernail extraction; a spine-chilling "Jack the Ripper Experience," and a show called "Judgment Day," where you are sentenced to death (by actors) and taken on a boat ride to meet your fate. After dinner, we will continue our journey into London's netherworld, with either a ghoulish Ghost Walk, or a chilling Jack the Ripper Walk.

DAY    12            LONDON (THE KINGS & 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    13            LONDON (ARTIFACTS & ARCHITECURE 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    14            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.