Day 2 Arrival in London, England
Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.

Day 3 London
After a hearty English breakfast, morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: Knightsbridge with Harrods, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall's mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister's Downing Street, and Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL (except on Sundays) and the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. Free time in the afternoon for independent activities or to join an optional excursion to Windsor Castle or the Tower of London with its fabulous Crown Jewels. Tonight maybe an optional dinner followed by a cruise on the River Thames? (FB)

Day 4 London-Bath
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart at 8:30 a.m. for a memorable 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. Then westward to Salisbury with its magnificent cathedral, the ultimate in Early English Gothic. Via the intriguing prehistoric monument of STONEHENGE head for the elegant Georgian city of Bath, where you see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. Before dinner join your Tour Director for a toast to happy touring with a congenial group. (FB,D)

Day 5 Bath-Stratford-North Wales-Chester
Savor vistas of the Cotswolds on your way via the medieval market town of Stow-on-the-Wold to Stratford-upon-Avon. Time here to see SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE and for pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. The afternoon is dedicated to North Wales. Take a stroll in picturesque Llangollen, home of an annual international contest for poets and minstrels. Spend the night at Chester, the historic county town on the River Dee. (FB,D)

Day 6 Chester-Edinburgh, Scotland
This morning’s walking tour includes the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered buildings, the cathedral, and the two-tiered shopping arcades called the "Rows." Focus now on the tranquil Lake District, considered to be the finest of England’s national parks. After a break in Wordsworth’s beloved Grasmere, head north for the Scottish border. On the way through the history-steeped Lowland Hills, stop at Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. In Edinburgh, don't miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. For tour numbers 0801 through 0822 the optional Scottish evening is replaced with included tickets for tonight's performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO: a vast spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands, which takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. (FB)

Day 7 Edinburgh
Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and famous scientists, inventors and novelists. In the “Old Town”, drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (except when the Queen is in residence). The afternoon is free to enjoy this “Prince of Cities” at your own pace. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, which for the Queen was once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. (FB)

Day 8 Edinburgh-York, England
First on today’s agenda is Sir Walter Scott’s ABBOTSFORD HOUSE for a fascinating guided tour. Melrose Abbey and the ruins at Jedburgh are pointed out on the way to the English border and Northumberland National Park. South now to York, England’s most complete medieval city. Stand in awe in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets including the narrow Shambles. (FB,D)

Day 9 York-London
Leave Yorkshire and its associations with James Herriot, and drive through the richest farmland in Britain for a highlight visit to BELVOIR CASTLE, film location for The Da Vinci Code. The stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland houses one of England’s finest private art collections. Finally pause in the market town of Stamford before returning to London around 4 p.m. How about celebrating with newfound friends with a night out on the town? (FB)

Day 10
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB)