This vacation offers our most complete view of the British Isles. In England, enjoy visits to London, Canterbury, the exotic Royal Pavilion in Brighton, mysterious Stonehenge, Salisbury, historic Plymouth, Land’s End, St. Ives, and the Roman ruins at Bath. Travel through Brecon Beacons National Park, then take a ferry to the “Emerald Isle.” Visits include Waterford, Blarney, Killarney, the 100-mile panoramic drive around the Ring of Kerry, Limerick, the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, Knock, Belleek, and fascinating Giant’s Causeway. In Belfast, visit the Titanic Exhibition, and in Dublin, enjoy an in-depth orientation tour. Return across the Irish Sea and through North Wales to Liverpool for a visit to the Beatles Story. Head north through the Lake District to Scotland, with highlights that include Gretna Green, Glasgow, the “Bonnie Banks” of Loch Lomond, the Isle of Skye, and Loch Ness. From Inverness, visit Cawdor Castle, setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Culloden Moor battlefield, then head south to pretty Braemar, St. Andrews, the Scottish capital of Edinburgh with its castle and Holyrood Palace, and fairytale Floors Castle. Back in England, explore medieval York, Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, and magnificent Blenheim Palace on your way to London.
Itinerary:
Day #1 Arrive in London, England. Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.
Day #2 London. Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister’s Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL and the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. (B)
Day #3 London–Canterbury–Brighton. Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart London at 8 am. Drive through the orchards of Kent to visit CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL, where you hear about the Black Prince and Thomas à Becket. Then, in the Regency seaside resort of Brighton, tour the exotic ROYAL PAVILION, built for the Prince Regent in the early 1800s. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (B,D)
Day #4 Brighton–Stonehenge–Salisbury–Plymouth. This morning, visit prehistoric STONEHENGE before taking a stroll in picturesque Salisbury with its vast cathedral, the ultimate in early English Gothic architecture. Upon arrival in Plymouth, hear about Sir Francis Drake and see the Mayflower Steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked in 1620. This evening, why not join an optional excursion into Dartmoor National Park for an evening of storytelling at a local pub? (B)
Day #5 Plymouth. Cornwall Excursion. A day full of West Country sights as you head through Daphne du Maurier’s Cornwall. After viewing St. Michael’s Mount, rising boldly out of the sea, take your photos at Land’s End, before exploring the popular seaside resort of St. Ives, where you will be treated to an authentic [LF] CORNISH PASTY. (B,D)
Day #6 Plymouth–Bath–Newport, Wales. At Glastonbury, hear about King Arthur, and in Bath, see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. Overnight is in Newport. Why not join tonight’s optional to Cardiff Castle for an evening of Welsh entertainment and dinner? (B)
Day #7 Newport–Brecon–Waterford, Ireland. Your journey through Wales takes you north along the Taff Valley and through Brecon, a historical market town in the Brecon Beacons National Park, to Carmarthen, and then to Fishguard. Cross St. George’s Channel to Rosslare in Ireland and proceed to Waterford, a stronghold founded by the Danish Vikings in 853. (B,D)
Day #8 Waterford–Blarney–Killarney. In Blarney, renowned for its magical Kissing Stone, there is time to walk up to the castle and to shop for traditional Irish handicrafts before continuing to the popular resort town of Killarney, your County Kerry base for the next three nights. (B,D)
Day #9 At Leisure in Killarney. A full day to relax or join our optional excursion that includes a horse-drawn jaunting car ride through Killarney National Park to Ross Castle, a boat ride to Innisfallen Abbey and across the lakes to Muckross House. After lunch on your own, the excursion continues with a visit to the house and gardens, returning to your hotel mid-afternoon. (B)
Day #10 Killarney. Ring of Kerry Excursion. Start a scenic day with a drive to Killorglin on Dingle Bay, and join the spectacular RING OF KERRY for a 100-mile panoramic drive around the island’s southwestern tip. Take your photos of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View. Later, join an entertaining optional evening in Tralee with dinner and tickets for the National Folk Theatre. (B)
Day #11 Killarney–Dingle Peninsula–Adare–Limerick. Breathtaking scenery on Dingle Peninsula. At the BLASKET ISLANDS CENTRE, learn about the way of life on the remote islands evacuated by its inhabitants in 1953. Via quaint Adare, head for the city of Limerick. Tonight’s optional recommendation: a medieval banquet. (B)
Day #12 Limerick–Cliffs of Moher–Sligo. Motor to the spectacular CLIFFS OF MOHER, rising 668 feet above the Atlantic. Via the limestone plateau of The Burren and Galway—a popular seaside destination and a buzzing cosmopolitan center with cobblestone streets, colorful shops, and a busy café and bar culture—reach Knock, a village that attracts pilgrims from all over the world. Then, spend the night in Sligo. (B,D)
Day #13 Sligo–Belleek, Northern Ireland–Giant's Causeway–Belfast. A fascinating day today: the grave of native son and poet W.B. Yeats in Drumcliff; BELLEEK POTTERY, renowned for its exquisite Parian china; Derry, one of the finest examples of a walled city; and awe-inspiring GIANT’S CAUSEWAY, composed of thousands of strangely symmetrical basalt columns jutting out to sea. Overnight in the vibrant city of Belfast. (B,D)
Day #14 Belfast–Downpatrick–Dublin, Ireland. This morning’s highlights are a “living history” orientation drive with a Local Guide and a visit to the fascinating TITANIC EXHIBITION. Learn all about the building of the largest passenger steamship, its maiden voyage, and the tragic night of April 14, 1912. As a reminder of this unique experience, take home your [LF] TITANIC SOUVENIR. Travel to Downpatrick and visit the inspiring SAINT PATRICK CENTRE before you drive back again into the Republic. Why not join an optional cabaret evening with dinner, followed by dance, song, and laughter? (B)
Day #15 Dublin. Your orientation drive in the “Fair City” includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian Squares, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and a visit to TRINITY COLLEGE with the famous Book of Kells. The afternoon is at leisure. Top the day with an optional dinner evening at the Guinness Storehouse. (B)
Day #16 Dublin–Liverpool, England. Back across the Irish Sea for a photo stop at tongue-twisting Llanfair…on the Welsh Isle of Anglesey, a scenic drive through Snowdonia National Park, over spectacular Llanberis Pass, and via pretty Betws-y-Coed to Liverpool. (B)
Day #17 Liverpool–Lake District–Glasgow, Scotland. Start the day with a visit to the award-winning BEATLES STORY, an atmospheric journey into the life, times, culture, and music of the “Fab Four.” Then, focus on the tranquil Lake District, and after a break in William Wordsworth’s beloved Grasmere, head north for the Scottish border and to Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Overnight is near Glasgow. (B,D)
Day #18 Glasgow–Fort William–Isle of Skye–Inverness. Follow the “Bonnie Banks” of Loch Lomond, then proceed via Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, and Fort William, and follow the “Road to the Isles” to Mallaig, where you board your FERRY for the crossing to the Isle of Skye. Visit the MUSEUM OF THE ISLES, and enjoy [LF] TEA and CAKE at the Stables restaurant, then return to the mainland and trace the shores of Loch Ness on the way to Inverness. (B,D)
Day #19 Inverness. Highlands Excursion. Fascinating visits on today’s excursion. At CULLODEN VISITOR CENTRE the story unfolds of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish clans. Then, call at CAWDOR CASTLE, setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth and home to the Thanes of Cawdor for over 600 years. Back in Inverness, the rest of the day is at leisure. Our recommendation would be to join the Loch Ness Experience optional excursion, which includes a cruise on the loch followed by supper. (B)
Day #20 Inverness–Braemar–St. Andrews–Edinburgh. Main features today: the battlefield of Culloden Moor; Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games; St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club has given us the rules of golfing; and the Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh. Tonight, an optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. For departures July 15 through August 5, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO. (B)
Day #21 Edinburgh. Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” as well as the “Old Town.” Drive up the narrow Royal Mile to visit EDINBURGH CASTLE and then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (except when the Queen is in residence). The afternoon is free to enjoy the Scottish capital at your own pace. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, once the perfect residence for the Queen’s glittering state visits and family vacations, and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B)
Day #22 Edinburgh–York, England. This morning, visit FLOORS CASTLE, the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe’s family home and largest inhabited castle in Scotland. Later, pass the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, see a section of Hadrian’s Wall, and in York, England’s most complete medieval city, follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets, including the narrow Shambles. (B,D)
Day #23 York–Coventry–Stratford-Upon-Avon. In Coventry, view the splendid modern cathedral, which rose from the rubble of severe World War II bombings, and in Stratford-upon-Avon, take your pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and visit SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE. (B,D)
Day #24 Stratford-Upon-Avon–London. A final highlight: enjoy a guided tour of magnificent BLENHEIM PALACE, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, and there is also time to explore the landscaped parkland. Return to London around 3:30 pm. How about celebrating the success of your vacation by taking in a West End show? (B)
Day #25 London. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)