12 Day Best of Britain and Ireland Tour

Tour Description

Experience the historic ruins, charming towns and natural beauty of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales on this comprehensive holiday. In England, highlights include visits to London; Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace; Oxford; Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon; and York, England’s most complete medieval city. In Scotland, visit the Edinburgh Castle to see Scotland’s Crown Jewels and Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Travel through the Lake District and enjoy a walking tour of 2,000-year-old Chester. In Ireland, highlights include Dublin; the spectacular Cliffs of Moher; Adare, known for its thatched cottages; and the spectacular ‘Ring of Kerry.’ Visit the Wales capital of Cardiff before returning to England to visit the Georgian city of Bath, famous for its Roman relics and the enigmatic Stonehenge.

Your Hotels

Stay at the following (or similar):

• London, Kensington Close (ST)
• Coventry, Ramada Hotel (F)
• Newcastle, Jurys Inn (F)
• Edinburgh, Capital Hotel  (F)
• Wrexham, Ramada Plaza (F)
• Dublin, Jurys Inn Custom House (F)
• Ennis, Auburn Lodge (ST)
• Killarney, Killarney Court (F)
• Tramore, Grand Hotel  (ST)
• Cardiff, Park Inn (F)

Tour Included

• SIGHTSEEING: Visits to Hampton Court Palace Gardens, Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry, Hadrian’s Wall, Jedburgh, Edinburgh Castle, tickets for Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Gretna Green, Grasmere, Llangollen, Betws-y-Coed, Llanfair, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Adare, Killarney, Blarney, Bath, Salisbury; orientation drives in Dublin, Cardiff; walking tours in Oxford, York, Chester
• SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS: Cotswold Hills, Northumberland National Park, Scottish Lowlands, Lake District National Park, North Wales and Snowdonia National Park, The Burren, Ring of Kerry and Lakes of Killarney, Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain
• GUIDES: Local Guide for city sightseeing in Edinburgh; Host service in London. Professional Tour Director while touring
• TRANSPORTATION: Private first-class air-conditioned motorcoach. Round-trip Irish Sea crossings by day ferry
• HOTELS: Rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and service charges.

Tour Meals

• Full English breakfasts (B); 5 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus.

Itinerary

Day 1 London – Oxford – Stratford – Upon – Avon – Coventry.

Meet your Tour Director and travelling companions and depart at 8 am from your London joining hotel for a memorable day of sightseeing: a photo opportunity at Hampton Court Palace; Runnymede, where King John sealed the Magna Carta; Oxford, where a walking tour takes in the colleges where Britain’s elite receive their outstanding education; and through the lovely Cotswold Hills. At Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, take your pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and explore the town at your own pace. Finally, at Coventry, whose centre had to be rebuilt after the devastation of World War II bombings, hear the tale of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom. (D)

Day 2 Coventry – York – Newcastle.

Leave the Midlands passing the once-mighty Sherwood Forest, home of the legendary Robin Hood, and head north to York, England’s most complete medieval city. Stand in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets, including the narrow Shambles. Stop for the night in Newcastle, once an important centre for the wool trade and coal mining, now a vibrant modern city. (B/D)

Day 3 Newcastle – Edinburgh, Scotland.

See a section of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman coast-to-coast defense against marauding northern tribes, then motor through wild Northumberland National Park to the Scottish border. Stop for photos at Jedburgh, with glimpses of the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, and then Melrose with its 12th-century abbey ruins and connections with Robert the Bruce. Afternoon arrival at Edinburgh. For departure numbers 0803 through 0824, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned Military Tattoo. (B)

Day 4 Edinburgh.

A full day to enjoy this “Prince of Cities.” Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and famous scientists, inventors, and novelists. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Afternoon at leisure. A suggestion for this evening: a traditional Scottish night out with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and, of course, the Ceremony of the Haggis. (B)

Day 5 Edinburgh – Lake District, England – Chester – Wrexham, Wales.

South through the history-steeped Lowland Hills and a visit to Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Drive through beautiful scenery in the Lake District, considered to be the finest of England’s National Parks. Visit Wordsworth’s Grasmere, then follow the shores of Lake Windermere. In Chester, the historic county town on the River Dee, your walking tour takes in the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered buildings, and the two-tiered shopping arcades called the “Rows”. (B/D)

Day 6 Wrexham – Llangollen – Dublin, Ireland.

A scenic North Wales drive via Llangollen, home of an annual national competition for poets and musicians, and through the incomparable landscapes of Snowdonia National Park. Pause at lovely Betws-y-Coed before heading over spectacular Llanberis Pass and, finally, cross Britannia Bridge to the Isle of Anglesey. Take your photos at tongue-twisting Llanfair… and at Holyhead, board the ferry for the Irish Sea crossing to Dublin. (B)

Day 7 Dublin.

A day in the “Fair City” starts off with an orientation drive through Eire’s capital and includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy Dublin at leisure. Take your Tour Director’s dining recommendation for this evening. (B)

Day 8 Galway – Cliffs Of Moher – Ennis.

Head for dairy farm country in the centre of the “Emerald Isle”. In Galway, a vibrant city on the west coast with a great seafaring tradition, hear about the infamous Lynch Stone commemorating the day Mayor James Lynch Fitzstephen hanged his son for murder. Cross the limestone plateau of The Burren to visit the spectacular 203-metres(668-foot) Cliffs of Moher before heading for Ennis, county town of Clare. Tonight’s optional opportunity: a traditional Irish evening in the setting of a village barn with dinner, wine, and entertainment. (B)

Day 9 Ennis – Ring Of Kerry – Killarney.

Stop for photos in Adare, a village known for its prize-winning thatched cottages and monastic ruins. In County Kerry join the road known as the “Ring of Kerry” for a 161-kilometres (100-mile) coastal panoramic drive. Focus your camera on sparkling seascapes, mountains dotted with brightly coloured farmhouses, winding lanes bordered with subtropical vegetation, and views of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View. Later, in Killarney, discover why this is such a popular resort. (B/D)

Day 10 Killarney – Blarney – Tramore.

Across the Kerry Mountains and through County Cork to Blarney, famous for its magical Stone of Eloquence. Time to see the castle and shop for Irish crafts and handmade crystal. After lunch, drive past Cork, the country’s second-largest city, and via Dungarvan to Tramore. Tonight, maybe an optional pub tour before dinner at your hotel. (B/D)

Day 11 Tramore – Cardiff, Wales.

An early start for the short drive to the ferry port at Rosslare. In just under four hours you cross St. George’s Channel to South Wales. Continue through rich dairy farmland to Cardiff, where an orientation drive introduces you to the capital’s major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, Millennium Stadium, and the stately civic buildings. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for an evening of Welsh entertainment. (B)

Day 12 Cardiff – Bath, England – Stonehenge – Salisbury – London.

A day packed with highlights begins as you cross the spectacular Severn Bridge into England. Stop in the elegant Georgian city of Bath, famous for its Roman relics, before continuing via Stonehenge, still an intriguing mystery, to Salisbury, the “City of the Soaring Spire.” Return to London around 4 p.m., where your holiday ends. (B)

Dates and Prices for 2011

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Accommodation rating Represents the standard of hotel used most frequently throughout this tour

Extras Represents the individual operators suggested budget to pay for additional activities on tour (dinners,entertainment,excursions etc) NOT included in base tour price

Hotel legend:
D deluxe | SF superior first | F first | MF moderate first | ST superior tourist | T Tourist