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 Great Britain - England - Scotland - Wales - Ireland United Kingdom- 2008 Best of the Neighboring Isles - 13 Days visiting England, Scotland and Ireland Map Pass tiny, storybook villages, where thatched roofed cottages are surrounded by postage stamp pastures, and ancient castles abound. Butter-golden gorse blankets the stone-framed green fields. The air is scented by the flavor of peat fires. Nearly every bend in the road affords gorgeous vistas of sky, land and water. Explore England and Scotland in more depth. Day 1 - Thu: Depart U.S. for London Welcome aboard your overnight flight to London.  Day 2 - Fri: London Arrival & Leisure Time
Land in London and transfer to your hotel by independent coach transfer. The
remainder of the day is at leisure so that you may rest or do some sightseeing
on your own. Welcome to London! To some, Britain is the land of crumpets,
cricket, and bankers in bowlers. To others, it's West End theater and the
Victoria and Albert Museum. To others still it's newspaper stories wrapped
around fish and chips. It's England where pomp and circumstance and corner pubs
are not seen as an odd mix, where the civil rights of hedgehogs are seriously
discussed, and where eccentricity isn't considered strange. In the evening meet
your fellow travelers over a welcome drink. Day 3 - Sat: London TouringStart your day with a visit to the Tower of London to see ravens, Beefeaters, the Traitors’ Gate, the White Tower and the magnificent Crown Jewels. Then drive through the city center to see the main sights and streets. Pass the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, nearby Westminster Abbey and bustling Piccadilly Circus. The afternoon and evening are free. (CB) Day 4 - Sun: Blenheim Palace & Cotswolds Visit Blenheim Palace, residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the birthplace of Winston Churchill, his cousin. It is the greatest building of the English Baroque style. Drive through the Cotswolds, a delightful hilly region with honey-colored stone houses and stop for a look around one of the villages. Stop in Stratford-upon- Avon for a browse around the town and continue to Whitchurch. (CB, D) Day 5 - Mon: Chester & Lake District Take a walking tour of Chester to see the medieval city walls and Chester Cathedral. Drive through the Lake District for stunning views of lakes, gentle hills and valleys. Stop in Grasmere before continuing into Scotland and stop at the Moffat Woollen Mills. Drive to Edinburgh where this evening you will enjoy a lively Scottish Cabaret. In Scotland, castles mark the strongholds of ancient clans, villages hug the banks of coal-black lochs, and tiny cottages covered in turf dot stone-walled fields. Moor and glen, castle and cottage, loch and stream - and history abound. (B, D)  Day 6 - Tue: Edinburgh Highlights Explore central
Edinburgh this morning, starting in the 200-year-old "New Town" with
its planned streets and elegant Georgian houses, homes of many famous writers
and inventors. See the Royal Mile where the old medieval houses are clustered.
Tour Edinburgh Castle where the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of
Destiny are housed. The afternoon and evening are free for independent
activities and dining on your own. On departures from July 31 to August 14
watch the spectacular Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B) Day 7 - Wed: Stirling Castle & Glen Coe isit the mighty Stirling Castle, which was captured from the English in 1297 by William Wallace and again in 1314 by Robert the Bruce. The castle has featured largely throughout Scottish history. Drive through Callander and into the scenic Trossachs region, called "The Highlands in Miniature". Stop at Kilmahog Woollen Mill, which stocks a large selection of Scottish goods and whiskies. Travel across Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, notorious for the massacre of the Clan Macdonald by the Campbells. Drive along the coast to Oban and take a look around this bustling fishing town before dinner. (B, D) Day 8 - Thu: Loch Lomond & Glasgow Today drive through some wonderful Highland scenery. Stop for a look around the planned town of Inveraray, built between 1753 and 1776. he New Town of Inveraray was built between 1753 and 1776 as the 3rd Duke of Argyll decided to move the entire town so that his splendid new castle could be properly landscaped. Cross the mountain pass of "Rest and Be Thankful" to Loch Lomond. Embark on a scenic cruise to admire panoramic views of Highland peaks before driving into Glasgow for a short orientation tour. (B,D)  Day 9 - Fri: : Ferry to Ireland &
Dublin Drive south from Glasgow through the gentle pastoral countryside of
the Southern Uplands to Cairnryan. Your tour group and coach will embark on a
short ferry journey to Larne. Take a brief look around the city of Belfast
before traveling south past the Mountains of Mourne and along the east coast to
Dublin. Check into your hotel and enjoy some relaxation time. Your hotel is
located in the city center, just off O'Connell Street, one of the city's
prominent thoroughfares. The evening is free and your driver/guide will assist
with suggestions as to where to dine. (B) Day 10: Dublin Tour & Abbey Tavern This morning tour Dublin city center in the company of a local guide to see public buildings, delightful gardens and lively shopping streets. View elegant Georgian squares lined with townhouses boasting colored doors. Enter Trinity College to visit the Old Library where the 8th century illumi-nated gospel manuscript of the Book of Kells is housed. The afternoon is at leisure for further sightseeing or shopping. In the evening head to the Abbey Tavern for dinner and a session of traditional Irish music and step-dancing. (B, D) Day 11: Blarney Castle & Killarney Depart Dublin and view the green countryside as you travel through the center of Ireland, which has many mixed farms. Stop to view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel, which rises high above the surrounding plain. Continue your drive south and just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous "Stone of Eloquence". Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills before driving through Macroom and into County Kerry where the scenery becomes more mountainous to Killarney. Check into your hotel and relax before dinner. (B, D) Day 12: Dingle Peninsula Tour Today discover the scenic Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies - "Ryan's Daughter" and "Far & Away". Drive along the south shore and stop to admire views of heathery mountains and the sandy stretches of Inch Beach. Pause in Dingle before continuing to the western tip of the peninsula. Tour the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn about the Blasket Islands, inhabited until 1953 by hardy families who eked out a living by farming and fishing. Return to Killarney and enjoy free time to relax or take a walk. After dinner in your hotel you may like to visit some of the cozy pubs featuring live music. (B, D) Day 13: Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Leaving Killarney travel to Tarbert where you take the ferry across the River Shannon. Drive via Lahinch to view the Cliffs of Moher. The impressive wall of rock rises to a height of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic Ocean and stretches for five miles along the coast. See part of the Burren, a region of limestone and drive to the outskirts of Limerick to check into your hotel. This evening a medieval-style meal and entertainment at 15th century Bunratty Castle will end your tour on a high note. (B, D)  Day 14: Birr Castle Gardens & Dunboyne
Castle Drive through the outskirts of Limerick and farming country to the
heritage town of Birr. Visit Birr Castle Gardens, which offer formal gardens,
the tallest box hedges in the world, hornbeam cloisters and over 1,000
different species of trees and shrubs. Also see the giant telescope which was
the largest in the world when completed in the 1840's. Continue your drive
eastwards to your elegant hotel, just outside Dublin. Enjoy the facilities and
relax for a while before joining in a farewell dinner with your group. Savor
great food followed by some local entertainment. (B, D) Day 15: Depart Dublin for Home Take a group transfer to Dublin Airport where your tour concludes at 10:00 am. If you need to arrive earlier, your guide will coordinate an early group transfer. (B) B=Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast, D=Dinner
Includes: • Independent transfer on arrival and group transfer on departure; In Ireland: Group transfers on arrival and departure • Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout • Services of a professional driver/guide • 9 dinners (D) including Medieval banquet and entertainment in Bunratty Castle, Farewell dinner at Dunboyne Castle Hotel , 5 table d’hote dinners, and Traditional Irish evening with dinner and entertainment at the Abbey Tavern, Scottish cabaret and dinner in Edinburgh • Ferry from Scotland to Ireland • Welcome get-together drink • Walking tour of Chester • Loch Lomond sightseeing cruise • Local guides in London, Edinburgh and Dublin • Reserved seats for Edinburgh Military Tattoo on July 31 to August 14 departures • Superior & first class hotels with private bath/shower for 13 nights • Panoramic tour of Belfast • 11 full breakfasts (B) and 2 continental breakfasts in London (CB) • Ferry ride across the River Shannon • Visits and admissions to Tower of London, Blenheim Palace, Chester Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Kilmahog Woollen Mill, Book of Kells at Trinity College, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Blasket Centre, Cliffs of Moher and Birr Castle Gardens • All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person 2008:Your Hotels Stay at the following (or similar): Radisson Vanderbilt Hotel - London - 2 night(s) Hill Valley Hotel, Whitchurch - Cheshire - 1 night(s) Jurys Inn - Edinburgh - 2 night(s) Oban Bay Hotel - Oban - 1 night(s) Glasgow Thistle Hotel - Glasgow - 1 night(s) Academy Plaza Hotel - Dublin - 2 night(s) The Brehon Hotel - Killarney, Co Kerry - 2 night(s) Radisson Hotel - Limerick, Co Limerick - 1 night(s) Dunboyne Castle Hotel - Dunboyne, Co Meath - 1 night(s) Dates for 2008
Single Room Supplement: $915. Save $75 per person on coach tours if you 8 & under 21 and traveling with at least one full fare paying passenger
This program appears only on our website. A printed brochure does not exist for this tour.
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