Welcome to Ireland, England, and Scotland
Summer 2018
Mrs. Broekhuizen
Photos will be posted after our journey
Day 1: Fly overnight to Scotland
Day 2: Edinburgh
Meet your Tour Director at the airport in Edinburgh, where Edinburgh Castle is the enduring symbol of Scotland’s capital and site of many of the nation’s storied events. Ownership of the fortress, perched atop an extinct volcano, changed hands many times over the centuries, from Scottish to English and back again. Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth here to James VI of Scotland, who would later rule England as James I. In addition to the castle, you’ll see the homes of Alexander Graham Bell and Robert Louis Stevenson. For a sense of what it was like to live in Edinburgh in centuries past, stroll down the Royal Mile through the Old Town, a romantic jumble of medieval buildings. – Take a walking tour of Edinburgh
Day 3: Edinburgh
Take an expertly guided tour of Edinburgh – Visit Edinburgh Castle – Enjoy a free evening or Attend a Scottish Ceilidh
Day 4: Edinburgh | Yorkshire
Travel to Yorkshire – Take a tour of York: Clifford’s Tower – Visit York Minster
Day 5: Yorkshire | Warwick | Stratford
Travel to Warwick – Visit Warwick Castle – Continue to Stratford – Take a tour of Stratford and step back into the Elizabethan age. Here, you’ll tour the halftimbered house where William Shakespeare was born. The playwright had an unmistakable influence on his hometown: today, Stratford is home to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and a premier destination for theater lovers worldwide. You’ll also visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a picturesque farmhouse where the Bard’s wife spent her childhood. The Cottage is renowned for its beautiful grounds, which include a classic English garden boasting a wide variety of flowers in a rainbow of colors. – Visit the gardens at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage – Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace
Day 6: Stratford | Oxford | London
Travel to Oxford – Take a tour of Oxford – Visit New College – Continue to London
Day 7: London
Welcome to Londoin, a city of 8 million people that has become one of the world’s great melting pots while maintaining a distinct character that’s all its own. From the London Bridge to the Houses of Parliament, Great Britain’s royal tradition and rich history greet you at every turn. Admire architectural marvels like the Baroque domes and spires of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the 17th-century church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Check out the lively five-way intersection at Piccadilly Circus as well as Hyde Park’s urban greenery. You may even get a chance to witness the ceremonial Changing of the Guard. And don’t forget to snap a picture of Big Ben from the banks of the River Thames. – Take an expertly guided tour of Windsor Castle: St. George’s Chapel; State Apartments – Take an expertly guided tour of London: Big Ben and Houses of Parliament; Piccadilly Circus; St. Paul’s Cathedral; Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (if scheduled) – Attend an evening theater performance
Day 8: London
Full day to see more of London or Visit Stonehenge and Salisbury – Enjoy an authentic fish and chips dinner
Day 9: Depart for home
Day 2: Edinburgh
Meet your Tour Director at the airport in Edinburgh, where Edinburgh Castle is the enduring symbol of Scotland’s capital and site of many of the nation’s storied events. Ownership of the fortress, perched atop an extinct volcano, changed hands many times over the centuries, from Scottish to English and back again. Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth here to James VI of Scotland, who would later rule England as James I. In addition to the castle, you’ll see the homes of Alexander Graham Bell and Robert Louis Stevenson. For a sense of what it was like to live in Edinburgh in centuries past, stroll down the Royal Mile through the Old Town, a romantic jumble of medieval buildings. – Take a walking tour of Edinburgh
Day 3: Edinburgh
Take an expertly guided tour of Edinburgh – Visit Edinburgh Castle – Enjoy a free evening or Attend a Scottish Ceilidh
Day 4: Edinburgh | Yorkshire
Travel to Yorkshire – Take a tour of York: Clifford’s Tower – Visit York Minster
Day 5: Yorkshire | Warwick | Stratford
Travel to Warwick – Visit Warwick Castle – Continue to Stratford – Take a tour of Stratford and step back into the Elizabethan age. Here, you’ll tour the halftimbered house where William Shakespeare was born. The playwright had an unmistakable influence on his hometown: today, Stratford is home to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and a premier destination for theater lovers worldwide. You’ll also visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a picturesque farmhouse where the Bard’s wife spent her childhood. The Cottage is renowned for its beautiful grounds, which include a classic English garden boasting a wide variety of flowers in a rainbow of colors. – Visit the gardens at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage – Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace
Day 6: Stratford | Oxford | London
Travel to Oxford – Take a tour of Oxford – Visit New College – Continue to London
Day 7: London
Welcome to Londoin, a city of 8 million people that has become one of the world’s great melting pots while maintaining a distinct character that’s all its own. From the London Bridge to the Houses of Parliament, Great Britain’s royal tradition and rich history greet you at every turn. Admire architectural marvels like the Baroque domes and spires of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the 17th-century church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Check out the lively five-way intersection at Piccadilly Circus as well as Hyde Park’s urban greenery. You may even get a chance to witness the ceremonial Changing of the Guard. And don’t forget to snap a picture of Big Ben from the banks of the River Thames. – Take an expertly guided tour of Windsor Castle: St. George’s Chapel; State Apartments – Take an expertly guided tour of London: Big Ben and Houses of Parliament; Piccadilly Circus; St. Paul’s Cathedral; Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (if scheduled) – Attend an evening theater performance
Day 8: London
Full day to see more of London or Visit Stonehenge and Salisbury – Enjoy an authentic fish and chips dinner
Day 9: Depart for home