The Best Of Southern England

2012 Season
Departs From: London

From 903EUR

Length:  7 days from London to London, or 8 days incl. travel

Overview

See the places you�ve always read about on this exciting journey through southern England. Begin in London with guided sightseeing that shows off the city�s most famous landmarks: Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and visits to St. Paul�s Cathedral and the Changing of the Guard, if held. Stop to admire the breathtaking gardens at Henry VIII�s Hampton Court Palace, then drive through Runnymede, site of the signing of the Magna Carta, and explore the university city of Oxford. Spend the night in Stratford-upon-Avon and visit Shakespeare�s birthplace and Anne Hathaway�s cottage. Continue west through the scenic Cotswolds, stopping at the Elizabethan village of Broadway and at 12th-century Tintern Abbey in southeastern Wales. See the amazing Roman excavations in Bath, contemplate mysterious Stonehenge, and cross the Salisbury Plain on your way to the seaside resort of Brighton. Tour the Royal Pavilion and visit moated Leeds Castle before returning to London for the completion of your vacation.

Duration:  7 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
28 May, 2012	03 June, 2012
04 June, 2012	10 June, 2012
11 June, 2012	17 June, 2012
18 June, 2012	24 June, 2012
09 July, 2012	15 July, 2012
23 July, 2012	29 July, 2012
03 September, 2012	09 September, 2012
10 September, 2012	16 September, 2012
17 September, 2012	23 September, 2012
24 September, 2012	30 September, 2012

City Highlights

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

Hampton Court
A special walking tour through the palace�s ornamental gardens

Oxford
Visit the university city

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

Broadway
Visit the picturesque Cotswold village

Tintern Abbey
Take pictures of the abbey ruins

Bath
Visit the Roman relics

Stonehenge
Visit the prehistoric monument

Salisbury
Visit the cathedral city

Arundel
Admire the Duke of Norfolk�s castle

Brighton
Royal Pavilion tour

Tunbridge Wells

Leeds Castle
Visit the mighty, moated castle and gardens

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

Day 2   London. After a hearty English breakfast, 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. Free time in the afternoon for independent activities or to join an optional excursion to Windsor Castle or the Tower of London with its fabulous Crown Jewels. Later, maybe an optional dinner followed by a cruise on the River Thames? (B)

Day 3   London�Hampton Court�Oxford�Stratford-Upon-Avon. Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart at 8 am for a lovely day of sightseeing. First, a special visit to admire the breathtaking ORNAMENTAL GARDENS of Henry VIII�s Hampton Court Palace. Your Tour Director will take you on a walk to see the Great Vine, Pond Garden, Privy Garden, and the flower borders of the Great Fountain Garden. Drive through Runnymede, site of the sealing of the Magna Carta, then, take a stroll in Oxford to see the colleges where Britain�s elite receives its outstanding education. Arrive in Stratford-upon-Avon in good time to take your pictures of Anne Hathaway�s Cottage and visit SHAKESPEARE�S BIRTHPLACE. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (B,D)

Day 4   Stratford-Upon-Avon�Broadway�Bath. A particularly scenic day. Enjoy vistas of the Cotswold Hills as you motor to the Elizabethan village of Broadway. On to Wales for a drive through the beautiful Wye Valley and pictures of the romantic ruins of 12th-century Tintern Abbey. Cross the 3,240-foot Severn Road Bridge, and in elegant Georgian Bath, see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS with time to explore further on your own. This evening, consider an optional excursion to the picture-book 13th-century village of Castle Combe. (B)

Day 5   Bath�Stonehenge�Salisbury�Brighton. Try to unravel the mystery of prehistoric STONEHENGE on the drive across Salisbury Plain, then stroll through the picturesque city of Salisbury with its magnificent cathedral, the ultimate in Early English Gothic architecture. Pause in the town of Arundel, dominated by its huge castle, home of the Duke of Norfolk, before arriving in the Regency seaside resort of Brighton. A unique highlight: a tour of the exotic ROYAL PAVILION, the lavish oriental palace built for the Prince Regent in the early 1800s. (B,D)

Day 6   Brighton�Tunbridge Wells�London. Start the day with a visit to Royal Tunbridge Wells, a beautiful Georgian spa town, on your way to magnificent moated LEEDS CASTLE, which Lord Conway called �the loveliest castle in the world.� Take a leisurely stroll in the landscaped gardens, and admire the lavish state apartments where international summit meetings have been hosted. Return to London around 3:30 pm. How about celebrating the end of your vacation by taking in one of the great West End shows? (B)

Day 7   London. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Meals:  Full English breakfast (B); 2 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus, including a welcome dinner in Stratford

Hotel Information:  LONDON Hilton London Metropole (SF), STRATFORD-UPON-AVON Holiday Inn (SF), BATH Hilton (F), BRIGHTON Hilton Metropole (SF), LONDON Park Plaza Westminster Bridge (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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