Britain And Ireland In Depth

2012 Season
Departs From: London

From 2,907EUR

Length:  25 days from London to London, or 26 days incl. travel

Overview

This vacation offers our most complete view of the British Isles. In England, enjoy visits to London, Canterbury, the seaside resort of Brighton, mysterious Stonehenge, Salisbury, historic Plymouth, Land�s End, St. Ives, and the Roman Baths. Stop in the Welsh capital of Cardiff and travel across South Wales, then take a ferry to the �Emerald Isle.� Visits include Waterford, Blarney, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, Knock, Belleek, Giant�s Causeway, Belfast, and Dublin. Return across the Irish Sea and through North Wales to Liverpool in England. North through the Lake District to Scotland, with highlights that include Gretna Green, Glasgow, the �Bonnie Banks� of Loch Lomond, the Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, Inverewe Garden, Inverness, pretty Braemar, St. Andrews, the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, and fairytale Floors Castle. Back in England, explore medieval York, Shakespeare�s Stratford-upon-Avon, and Blenheim Palace on your way back to London.

Special Departures:
Tickets for the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo are included for select departures.

Duration:  25 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
28 May, 2012	21 June, 2012
04 June, 2012	28 June, 2012
11 June, 2012	05 July, 2012
25 June, 2012	19 July, 2012
16 July, 2012	09 August, 2012
23 July, 2012	16 August, 2012
30 July, 2012	23 August, 2012
06 August, 2012	30 August, 2012
20 August, 2012	13 September, 2012
03 September, 2012	27 September, 2012
10 September, 2012	04 October, 2012
10 September, 2012	04 October, 2012
17 September, 2012	11 October, 2012
24 September, 2012	18 October, 2012

City Highlights

London
Guided sightseeing, visit St. Paul�s Cathedral & see the Changing of the Guard, if held

Canterbury
Visit the cathedral

Brighton
Royal Pavilion tour; welcome dinner

Stonehenge
Visit the prehistoric monument

Cornwall
Take pictures of St. Michael�s Mount, visit Land�s End & St. Ives

Bath
Visit the Roman relics

Cardiff
Orientation drive

Fishguard-Rosslare
Cross St. George�s Channel by ferry

Ring of Kerry
Scenic peninsula drive

Dingle Peninsula
Visit the Blasket Islands Centre

Adare
Admire the thatched cottages

Cliffs of Moher
Savor the spectacular views

Drumcliff
Visit W.B. Yeats� grave

Belleek
Guided tour of the pottery

County Antrim
Visit Giant�s Causeway

Belfast
Guided �Living History� tour, visit the Titanic Exhibition

Downpatrick
Visit the Saint Patrick Centre

Dublin
Orientation drive, visit Trinity College

Dublin�Holyhead
Cross the Irish Sea by ferry

Liverpool
Guided tour of the Beatles Story

Mallaig�Armadale
Cross the Sound of Sleat by ferry

Isle of Skye
Visit the Museum of the Isles at the Clan Donald Centre

Inverewe
Visit the subtropical garden

Edinburgh
Guided sightseeing, visit Edinburgh Castle & Holyrood Palace

Floors
Visit the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe�s castle

York
Walking tour

Stratford-Upon-Avon
Take pictures of Anne Hathaway�s Cottage, visit Shakespeare�s birthplace

Blenheim
Guided tour of the palace

Note:

Edinburgh Military Tattoo ticket included for departures July 15 through August 5

Day 1   Arrive in London, England. Uniformed Globus hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.

Day 2   London. Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Visit ST. PAUL�S CATHEDRAL and see 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. Visit CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL, and in Brighton, tour the exotic ROYAL PAVILION. 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 Salisbury with its vast cathedral. Continue on to Widecombe-in-the-Moor in Dartmoor National Park. Upon arrival in Plymouth, hear about Sir Francis Drake and see the Mayflower Steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked in 1620. (B,D)

Day 5   Plymouth. Cornwall Excursion. Head through Daphne du Maurier�s Cornwall to St. Michael�s Mount, rising boldly out of the sea, take your photos at Land�s End, then explore the popular seaside resort of St. Ives. (B)

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-Cardiff-Waterford, Ireland. A morning orientation drive in Cardiff features the castle, Cathays Park, and the stately civic buildings. Then, 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 Killarney, your 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 for a visit to Muckross House, returning to your hotel mid-afternoon. (B)

Day 10   Killarney. Ring of Kerry Excursion. Follow the road known as the RING OF KERRY for a 100-mile panoramic drive. 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, 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-Giants Causeway-Belfast. A fascinating day: the grave of W.B. Yeats in Drumcliff; BELLEEK POTTERY; Derry, one of the finest examples of a walled city; then awe-inspiring GIANT�S CAUSEWAY. Overnight in 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, brand-new TITANIC EXHIBITION. Learn all about the building of the largest passenger steamship, its maiden voyage, and the tragic night of April 14, 1912. Then, 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 includes statue-lined O�Connell Street and St. Patrick�s Cathedral. Then, visit TRINITY COLLEGE with the famous Book of Kells. Top the day with an optional dinner evening at the Guinness Storehouse. (B)

Day 16   Dublin-Liverpool, England. Back across the Irish Sea and 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 guided tour of the award-winning BEATLES STORY, an atmospheric journey into the life, times, culture, and music of the �Fab Four.� Overnight is near Glasgow. (B,D)

Day 18   Glasgow-Fort William-Isle of Skye-INverness. Follow the �Bonnie Banks� of Loch Lomond, and at Mallaig, board your FERRY for the crossing to the Isle of Skye. Visit the MUSEUM OF THE ISLES, then return to the mainland and trace the shores of Loch Ness on the way to Inverness. (B,D)

Day 19   Inverness. Highlands Excursion. Further into the remote Highlands for a day of spectacular Scottish scenery. Trace the shores of Loch Maree to fascinating INVEREWE GARDEN, with its subtropical plants encouraged by the warm Gulf Stream. Then, drive back to Inverness along Loch Glascarnoch. (B)

Day 20   Inverness-Braemar-St. Andrews-Edinburgh. Main features today: the battlefield of Culloden Moor, Braemar, St. Andrews, and the Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh. For July 15 through August 5 departures, 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.� Visit EDINBURGH CASTLE and then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (except when the Queen is in residence). Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B)

Day 22   Edinburgh-York, England. This morning, visit FLOORS CASTLE, and 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, 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, then explore the landscaped parkland. Return to London around 3:30 pm. (B)

Day 25   London. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Meals:  Full English breakfast (B); 10 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus, including a welcome dinner in Brighton

Hotel Information:  LONDON Park Plaza Westminster Bridge (SF), BRIGHTON Hilton Metropole (SF), PLYMOUTH Holiday Inn (SF), NEWPORT Hilton (F), WATERFORD Granville (F), KILLARNEY Scotts (F), LIMERICK Clarion (SF), SLIGO Radisson Blu (SF), BELFAST Stormont (SF), DUBLIN Hilton City (SF), LIVERPOOL Novotel (F), GLASGOW The Westerwood (SF) at Cumbernauld, INVERNESS Columba (F), EDINBURGH Ramada Mount Royal (F), YORK Ramada Fairfield Manor (F), STRATFORD-UPON-AVON Holiday Inn (SF)


Terms and Conditions

Note: Flights are NOT included with the Tour and unless otherwise stated above transfers are also NOT included.

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