Tripology

Commercial Flight

Board your over­­night transatlantic flight.

After checking into your hotel, the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Hotel

Stay at Jurys Clifton Ford (SF).

Sightseeing

See many of the major sights of the British capital on a morning sightseeing tour.

Relaxation

The afternoon is at leisure. (B)

Sightseeing

Travel to Oxford, the “City of Dreaming Spires,” famous for its colleges.

Sightseeing

Then head to Bladon to view Winston Churchill’s grave. Continue through the rolling Cotswold’s to Stratford-upon-Avon for a visit to Shakespeare’s birthplace and to see Anne Hathaway’s cottage.

Food and Dining

Later, on to Kenilworth for a Welcome Drink with your Tour Director and fellow travelers. (CB,D)

Hotel

Stay at De Montfort (F).

Arts, Crafts and Antiques

This morning depart for Staffordshire and stop at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre (when open) to learn how this fine china is made.

Bus

Then drive across the Pennine Hills, through the Brontë country­­­side, and on to York.

Sightseeing

Enjoy a walking tour including the cobbled Shambles, the awesome Minster and the city walls. (B,D)

Hotel

Stay at Holiday Inn (F).

Sightseeing

Journey through Yorkshire to Durham. See Palace Green, the castle and the finest Norman Cathedral in Britain. Then on to a section of Hadrian’s Wall.

National Parks

There is time to take pictures before continuing across Northumberland National Park to the Scottish Border. View the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey before arriving in Edinburgh. (B)

Hotel

Stay at Marriott (SF).

Sightseeing

Sight­seeing in Edinburgh includes Princes Street, the Royal Mile, the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood House, Arthur’s seat and Edinburgh Castle. After­ward why not visit the Rosslyn Chapel, long associated with the Knights Templar, but more recently as an important feature of the Da Vinci Code. (B) Note: Tickets to the Military Tattoo are included on Jul 30-Aug 13 departures.

Golfing

Travel over the Forth Bridge to St. Andrews, where you will stop to see the famous 18th hole of the town’s renowned golf course.

Bus

Then cross over the River Tay via Perth to Pitlochry and on to the Scottish Highlands. (B,D)

Hotel

Stay at Macdonalds Highland Resort (F) in Aviemore.

Sightseeing

Through rugged scenery with a stop at Culloden Moor. Drive along the shores of Loch Ness and stop at Urquhart Castle to try and spot “Nessie.”

Bus

Then through Glen Shiel, past Eilean Donan Castle and “over the sea to Skye.” (B,D)

Hotel

Stay at King's Arms (F).

Sightseeing

Travel to Fort William and stop at the Commando Memorial for views of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Continue to Glencoe. Then follow along the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond on the way to Glasgow.

Food and Dining

Tonight sample Scottish cuisine in a characteristic restaurant. (B,D)

Hotel

Stay at Jurys Inn (F).

Sightseeing

Enjoy an orientation tour of the city taking in the Cathedral, George Square and the River Clyde. Into the Southern Uplands for a visit to the Moffat Woollen Mills. Cross back into England and the scenic Lake District, then on to Manchester. (B)

Hotel

Stay at Copthorne (F).

Sightseeing

Journey to Caernarvon where you will visit the mighty castle. Continue through Snowdonia National Park and make a stop at the tiny railway station, which has the world’s longest name, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch. (B,D)

Sightseeing

First to Chester for a walking tour, which highlights the arcaded shops known as the “Rows,” the Cathedral and the city walls.

Bus

Then over Horseshoe Pass to charming Llangollen. From here journey to Llandrindod Wells for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Hotel

Stay at Metropole (F).

Sightseeing

Drive to the Welsh capital of Cardiff to see the main sights. Stop to view 12th-century Tintern Abbey, then continue across the Severn Bridge to Georgian Bath. Visit the Roman Baths and take an orientation tour. Then on to Bristol. (B)

Hotel

Stay at Mercure Holland House (SF).

Sightseeing

Drive to Wells to admire its stunning cathedral. On to Glastonbury for a visit to the legendary burial site of King Arthur. Next, see Widecombe in the Moor, setting for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Hound of the Baskervilles.” Finally travel to Plymouth, where you will visit the Mayflower Steps, the point of departure for the Pilgrims. (B)

Hotel

Stay at Astor (F).

Bus

Drive along the Cornish coastline to Land’s End, the most westerly point of the British mainland.

Sightseeing

Then on to St. Ives, an artist colony. There is a chance to photo­graph St. Michael’s Mount near Penzance before returning to Plymouth. (B,D)

Leave the coast and head inland to visit Stonehenge. Continue to Lymington to board the ferry to the Isle of Wight.

Sightseeing

Here, visit the apartments of Osborne House, home of Queen Victoria and her consort, before cruising back to Portsmouth for a Farewell Dinner. (B,D)

Hotel

Stay at Marriott (F).

Bus

Travel to Winchester, famous for its cathedral.

Sightseeing

Then enjoy sweeping views of Windsor before driving through Runnymede where King John sealed the Magna Carta, en route to London. (B)

Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)