DAY 1
FLY VANCOUVER TO LONDON
DAY 2
ARRIVE LONDON (2 NIGHTS)
DAY 3
LONDON - FREE TIME
DAY 4
LONDON - STONEHENGE - BATH – CARDIFF
Greetings from your Travel Director as you leave London. See the Magna Carta Memorial in Runnymede where this historic document was signed. Continue through Windsor Great Park and see Windsor Castle. Marvel at the mysterious ancient stone circle at Stonehenge and stop to view Salisbury Cathedral. View elegant Georgian streets and squares in the spa town of Bath. Cross the magnificent Severn Bridge to Cardiff, capital of Wales, where you dine tonight. (D) Hotel: Copthorne Cardiff (F)
DAY 5
CARDIFF - PEMBROKE – WATERFORD
Admire Cardiff Castle then journey through beautiful countryside via Carmarthen. View Pembroke Castle, birthplace of Henry Vll, founder of the Tudor Dynasty. Board your ferry from Pembroke to Rosslare, Ireland. Journey south to Waterford and dine tonight at your hotel. (FB; D) Hotel: Treacys (F)
DAY 6
WATERFORD - BLARNEY - TRALEE
Visit the Waterford Crystal Showroom (subject to availability). Continue along the splendid southern coast through the fishing port of Youghal and Cork. Explore Blarney Castle – kiss the stone and acquire the 'gift of the gab'! Cross over the Cork and the Kerry Mountains, then travel via Killarney to your hotel in Tralee. (FB, D) Hotel: Benners (MF)
DAY 7
TRALEE - RING OF KERRY – LIMERICK
Drive around the Ring of Kerry, a spectacular landscape providing an amazing insight into Ireland's ancient heritage, featuring unspoilt coastline and the country's highest mountains. Travel north to County Limerick through Adare, the prettiest village in Ireland. Cross the mighty Shannon to Limerick, where you view St. Mary's Cathedral and King John's Castle. (FB) Hotel: Jurys Inn Limerick (F)
DAY 8
LIMERICK - GALWAY - DUBLIN (2 NIGHTS)
This morning there is time to visit Bunratty Castle and folk park, where 19th century life is vividly recreated. Drive through beautiful County Clare to view Galway Bay. Stop in Galway then head across lush countryside to Dublin, Ireland's capital. (FB) Hotel: Jurys Inn Parnell Street (MF)
DAY 9
DUBLIN SIGHTSEEING AND FREE TIME
Your expert Local Guide takes you on a sightseeing tour of Dublin, with views of Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral and historic Phoenix Park. Spend the rest of your day as you choose. For your last night in Ireland, why not join your travelling companions at an Irish cabaret? (F)
DAY 10
DUBLIN - LIVERPOOL
Cross the Irish Sea, with magnificent views of Dublin Bay, and arrive at Holyhead on the Welsh Island of Anglesey. Cameras at the ready as you view the station with the longest name in the world, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch. Admire breathtaking scenery in Snowdonia National Park on the way to Chester, where you have time to walk along the Roman walls and appreciate the famous 'Chester Rows'. Arrive later in Liverpool, home of the Beatles. (FB) Hotel: Ibis Liverpool (ST)
DAY 11
LIVERPOOL - LAKE DISTRICT - EDINBURGH (DUNFERMLINE) (2 NIGHTS)
Stop to view William Wordsworth's former home in the pretty village of Grasmere in the Lake District. Continue across the Scottish border and stop at Gretna Green, where eloping couples could marry against their parents’ wishes. Your day ends at your hotel near Edinburgh. (FB) Hotel: Holiday Inn Express (MF)
DAY 12
EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING
Princes Street, the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle situated on the Crag and Tail feature, Sir Walter Scott's monument, New Town – see all these historic landmarks and more during your morning sightseeing tour with your expert Local Guide. Spend free time afterwards exploring this beautiful city on your own. (FB)
DAY 13
EDINBURGH - YORK - LEEDS
Travel south through the Scottish Borderlands and across the River Tweed, stop to view the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey. Enjoy the views across the Cheviot Hills at Carter Bar and continue into Northumberland National Park where you view Hadrian’s Wall at Heddon. Cross the River Tyne at Newcastle and stop at York for an orientation tour including the Gothic Minster and the narrow cobbled street known as the Shambles. Then continue to your hotel in Leeds. (FB) Hotel: Jurys Inn Leeds (F)
DAY 14
LEEDS - COVENTRY - SHAKESPEARE COUNTRY
Drive through the heart of England to the city of Coventry. View the two cathedrals built side by side – one bombed during World War ll and the other built to replace it. View Lady Godiva's statue and hear the wonderful story of how she rode naked through the streets of Coventry. Dine at your hotel. (FB,D) Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Warwick (F)
DAY 15
SHAKESPEARE COUNTRY - STRATFORD - OXFORD - LONDON
Marvel at Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage en route to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace. Enjoy a scenic drive through the glorious Cotswolds to the little churchyard at Bladon where Sir Winston Churchill is buried. See the sights of Oxford, the oldest university city in the UK, before continuing to London where you can say farewell to your Travel Director and travelling companions at the end of your memorable holiday. (FB)
DAY 16
LONDON
Visit Buckingham Palace. Rest of the day at leisure.
DAY 17
Free day in London
Day 18
LONDON TO VANCOUVER
Enjoy your flight home to Vancouver