England and Scotland
Amazing Cities, Culture and a Haunted Castle 15 Days
 
London – Bath – Stonehenge – Cheddar – Chester – Edinburgh – Loch Ness - Oxford

Day 1 Flight to London. Enjoy our flight to the Capital of England.

Day 2 Arrive in London with greeting and transfer to Hotel. Unpack your bags and get ready to enjoy London and its many fascinating museums, parks and attractions.

Day 3 Our tour guide will introduce us to the famous landmarks of the city on the Thames. Visit the National Gallery, and very nearby, Trafalgar Square. See the changing of the Royal Guard at Buckingham Palace (when available), Royal Albert Hall, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. How about a walk through St. James Park and Hyde Park?

Day 4 Our motor coach tour delivers us West to Salisbury (with its mighty Gothic Cathedral). Continue on to intriguing Stonehenge. Someone placed massive stones here 35 or more centuries ago. Can you solve the mystery? Our busy day continues as we arrive in the ancient Roman town of Bath to view its Roman Baths and Pumphouse. We tour the town of Bath and overnight nearby. Purchase real Roman Coins nearby for a few dollars each.

Day 5 Travel West to the valley and caves of Cheddar. The caves offer stalactites and stalagmites and fascinating underground vistas. Recent DNA testing has linked fossils from the cave with area residents. O/N Bath.

Day 6 From Bath we venture North to Windsor Castle, the world's largest inhabited Castle. Home of the Monarchs for 900 years it has Dungeons, Gargoyles and Pinnacles, and many paintings by the masters. Be sure to read the inscription on the interior wall of the dungeon cellar. Continue on to Stratford-Upon-Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare. Enjoy one of Shakespeare's plays this evening.

Day 7 North to the walled city of Chester. See Roman ruins, half timbered homes and two-level shopping arcades called the "Rows". Continue north and admire the beauty of flocks of sheep and the rolling hills covered in deep shades of green.

Day 8 Our motor coach delivers us through the rolling hills of Northern England into the land of kilts and bagpipes. En route we pass through the beautiful Lake District with views that will inspire you. O/N Edinburgh, Scotland

Day 9 Our city tour of Edinburgh includes the castle that houses the Scottish Royal Jewels and a special cemetery for dogs!! Also step onto the Royal Mile, Princes Street and the Queens Holyrood Palace. Pass Robert Louis Stevenson’s home and hear about his writing of the classic thriller, Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde, set in Edinburgh. O/N Edinburgh.

Day 10 A terrific Highlands tour includes world famous Loch Ness, Inverness and a whiskey distillery. Overnight in a haunted castle. Learn of "Betty" and her late night walks through the halls of this castle. Witness secret passages and walk the beautiful grounds.

Day 11 Enjoy breakfast and depart for Loch Ness. Cruise the lake to do some monster spotting. After the cruise travel South to Fort William for lunch and then onto the Majestic Glen Coe where the brutal "Massacre of the Macdonalds" took place in 1692. Leaving the mountains behind, motor to Edinburgh passing by the Stirling Castle and the historic Wallace Monument. O/N Edinburgh

Day 12 Travel south to the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey and then Hadrian's Wall to learn of its construction (you may be surprised). Continue on to the Medieval city of York. Visit York Minster and then wind your way through a maze of old quaint streets into the "Shambles".

Day 13 Bid farewell to York and depart for London. Stop at the university city of Oxford (the city of Spires) en route. Arrive in London in time for a late supper.

Day 14 Today is set aside for exploring and browsing one of the world's most fascinating cities. We visit the British Museum, the Tower of London, the Trocadero, and the London Museum. We could spend three more exciting weeks here if we only had the time.

Day 15 Depart London. Enjoy the flight home. Dream about the day you return to London.