Upon arrival to one of London’s airports, your group will meet a local guide in the arrivals hall (past immigration, baggage claim & customs) who will lead your group on a panoramic tour of London’s best sites by private coach. See Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s, Hyde Park and the Houses of Parliament. The tour will finish at the hotel, and group members will have time to relax, explore and freshen up before this evening’s welcome dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

After breakfast, meet your professional Tour Escort who will accompany your group through Britain over the next few days. Your first stop today is Cambridge where you will walk by the colleges, including the magnificent King’s College. Continue journeying north to the historic city of York. Once inside the ancient city walls of York, wander through narrow cobble-stoned streets. See the Tudor Shambles and York Minster, England’s largest medieval Cathedral. After check-in at the hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore York.

After breakfast, continue north through the Yorkshire Moors to visit the Cathedral of Durham which is a listed UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue on to the old Roman camp at Corbridge, before crossing Hadrian’s Wall into Scotland. Drive north across the wild Northumberland Moors and the rolling Border Country to visit the Border abbeys of Jedburgh and Dryburgh, before arriving in Edinburgh in the late afternoon. After checking into your hotel, relax and then enjoy a typical Scottish dinner.

Day 4:

Enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of this classic capital of Scotland, visiting the stately Royal Mile and the Queen’s residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, St. Giles Cathedral and the awe-inspiring Edinburgh Castle. Spend the afternoon at your leisure for shopping and independent activities.

After breakfast, drive southwest to the border town of Gretna Green, a Scottish village historically known as a wedding destination for eloping English couples. Attend the “Anvil Ceremony” in the Blacksmith’s shop before crossing back into England and continuing to the spectacular Lake District, a source of inspiration for many English poets. A group dinner is included at the hotel’s restaurant this evening.

Drive south this morning to the Roman city of Chester with its unique black and white Rows, shopping arcades and encircling Roman walls. Continue in the afternoon via Coventry to Stratford-upon-Avon for lunch and a visit of Shakespeare’s birthplace. This evening while in Stratford, your group could decide to attend a Shakespearean play production.

This morning’s drive takes you south through the beautiful Cotswold countryside via Broadway and Morton-on-Marsh to Woodstock for a tour of Blenheim Palace, one of the largest houses in all of England. This 18th century, UNESCO World Heritage site was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. In addition to the estate’s English Baroque manor house, you will see what many consider the palace’s best feature: its gardens. The gardens you will today are largely the result of the vision of Lancelot “Capability” Brown, an 18th century landscape architecture, who is today is often referred to as England’s greatest gardener.

Continue in the afternoon to the university city of Oxford and enjoy a walking tour of one of the many colleges. From Oxford, a short drive takes you back into London. Spend the evening at your leisure in London and map out the following day’s activities.

Day 8:

Continental breakfast at your hotel. Spend the day at your leisure. Dinner this evening is on your own.

Day 9: Arrive London

After check-out, the group will travel by private coach to one of London’s airports for its return flight to the US.