LONDON, SCOTLAND, & IRELAND

10/19/2010 - 10/30/2010

  

HIGHLIGHTS:  Roundtrip airfare, 4 nights in central London, breakfast daily, city sightseeing tour with Buckingham Palace and the Changing of The Guards, Tower of London and The Crown Jewels, a show in The West End, Optional tour to Windsor Castle, Runnymeade, Stonehenge, Scotland, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Ferry to Belfast, Dublin, Glendalough, & lots more... 16 Meals

 

DAY 1 ... We board our overnight flight to London.  (Inflight Meals)

DAY 2  ... A morning arrival and clearing Customs, we proceed directly to Buckingham Palace for the ceremonial Changing of the Guards, with all of the pagaentry that only the British can provide.  Later today, we check into our centrally-located hotel for a 4 night stay.  Welcome Dinner at the Hotel. (D)

DAY 3 ... Our city sightseeing tour shows us all of the sights that make this bustling city famous...Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park and Speakers Corner, Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial.  After a lunch break in Covent Garden, you may wish to visit Harrod's, the largest department store in the World!  The remainder of the day is at leisure. (CB)

DAY 4  ... After breakfast, we'll visit the imposing Tower of London, scene of so many Royal tragedies and depository of the magnificent Crown Jewels.  Entering the Treasury Room, you will see the Imperial Crown of State, the crown of St. Edward the Confessor, the Royal Sceptre with its Diamond, and many more objects that represent the majesty of the Monarchy.  The afternoon is free for independent activities. Tonight 's special highlight is a live performance of a top play in the West End Theatre District.  (CB,D)

DAY 5 ... Today is set for an OPTIONAL TOUR outside of the city to the fields of Runnymeade, where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215.  We'll also visit nearby Windsor Castle, a Royal Residence built by William the Conqueror in 1066.  Our tour will continue either to Stratford Upon Avon, the home of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway in the Cotwolds, or historic and mysterious Stonehenge before returning to London. (CB)

DAY 6 ...We transfer to the train station for the 4 hr ride through scenic English countrysides, arriving in Scotland to the ancient walled city of Edinburgh.  This centrally located hotel is our home for the next 3 nights, and you can easily walk to most of the attractions of the city.   Special Dinner tonight.  (B,D)

DAY 7 ...Today is a sightseeing tour of the old city of Edinburgh...Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood House, once the home of Mary Queen of Scots, the Church of John Knox, and the many places of interest in the old town.  You have time for self-exploring and a chance to take in the legendary history of this most fascinating city.   (B)

DAY 8 ... This morning we board our motorcoach and cross the Forth Bridge to the ancient village of St Andrews and its famous Old Course said to be the birthplace of the popular, yet frustrating game of golf. We tour the area and have time in the village before returning to Edinburgh.  Tonight is a treat as we enjoy a traditional Scottish meal and show. (B,D)

DAY 9 ... We transfer to the train station for our journey by rail to the ferry that takes the group across the Irish Sea to Belfast. Our group will tour through the Boyne Valley area:  For thousands of years, the Boyne Valley was the centre of civilisation in Ireland and today hundreds of thousands of visitors are still captivated by the surviving monuments to past glories. We travel to Mellifont Abbey - the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland founded in 1142 by St Malachy of Armagh, its most unusual feature is the octagonal lavabo. The Visitor Centre houses an interesting exhibition which includes fragments of carved stone masonry recovered from the Abbey during excavation. Then it's on to Dublin for 3 nights. (B,D)

DAY 10 ... This morning our guides narrates an interesting city tour with visits to Trinity College to view the Book of Kells, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Phoenix Park, and lots more.  Enjoy Dublin along O'Connell Street, lined with statues, and the shopping along Grafton Street in this 1000 year old city.  Tonight enjoy an Irish Dinner and Show.   (B,D)

DAY 11 ...  We travel south from Dublin along the scenic coast through Dun Laoghaire to Dolkey and on to Glendalough...(the Glen of two lakes). This is home to one of the most soaring round towers and ruined churches in all of Europe, and the church of St. Kevin in the 6^th century. One of the most impressive clusters of medieval monastic monuments in Ireland is situated here.  There are lovely walks by the lake shore and in surroundings hills. We see the pretty villages of Laragh/Clara, Rathdrum, Roundwood and Avoca which houses one of the oldest mills in Ireland - Avoca Handweavers.  Time to shop before our return to Dublin. (B)

DAY 12 ...It has been a wonderful trip, but now it's time to return home as we transfer to the airport for our flight back to the USA.  (B, in flight meals)

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