Tour Duration: 4 days Tour Code: GV2012 Tour Type: Prices From: A$899 [Tour Dates]
Tour Itinerary
Day
Description
1
LONDON-HAMPTON COURT-OXFORD-STRATFORD-UPON-AVON. Meet your Tour Director and travelling 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. (D)
2
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 988 metres (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)
3
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)
4
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., where the holiday ends. (B)
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.
Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable.
MEALS: Full English breakfast (B); 2 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus, including a welcome dinner in Stratford.
Meals Breakfast - 3 Lunch - 0 Dinner - 2
Optional Excursions
To help plan your leisure time, as well as your pre-tour budgeting, here is a list of optional excursions that may be offered on this tour.
Availability is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, group interests, and general feasibility for your tour. Please note prices may be based on the previous year and are subject to change. Full terms and conditions are contained in the important travel documents.
Cost
Description
39
GBP
Name:TOWER OF LONDON AND CROWN JEWELS AFTERNOONS DAILY Location:LONDON Details:Let your guide bring the 900-year-old Tower Of London to life before you inspect the fabulous Crown Jewels. Afternoons daily.
39
GBP
Name:AFTERNOON EXCURSION TO WINDSOR CASTLE DAILY Location:LONDON Details:Enjoy your guided visit to the Queen's favourite residence, the largest inhabited castle in the world. The highlight is the newly refurbished state rooms.
49
GBP
Name:BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND THE ROYAL MEWS AFTERNOONS DAILY JULY 31 TO SEPTEMBER 30 Location:LONDON Details:First a guided visit to the Royal Mews to see the magnificent gold coach, then admire over 20 grand rooms in the palace used by the Queen for state occasions.
59
GBP
Name:A TASTE OF LONDON DAILY APRIL TO OCTOBER Location:LONDON Details:Ideal for your arrival day, this guided evening excursion includes a 3-course dinner with wine and beer at a contemporary London restaurant, followed by a narrated illumination cruise on the River Thames.
140
GBP
Name:SHOWNIGHT - WICKED (FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS) Location:LONDON Details:A marvellous evening in London's theatre district starts with a gourmet dinner at The Bank restaurant in Wesminster followed by best seats at The Apollo Victoria Theatre to see the sensational London production of Wicked.
140
GBP
Name:SHOWNIGHT - BILLY ELLIOT (FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS) Location:LONDON Details:A marvellous evening in London's theatre district starts with a gourmet dinner at The Bank restaurant in Westminster followed by best seats at the Victoria Palace Theatre to see the original London staging of the inspirational musical Billy Elliot.
39
GBP
Name:PUB DINNER AT CASTLE COMBE Location:BATH Details:Two drinks of your choice and dinner at a quaint old village inn will make this a memorable evening.