BRITAIN SAMPLER
9 days from London to London
PACKAGE: 5 Nights/6 days
Summary
Detailed Itinerary
Day 01
Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay
Day 02
After a hearty English breakfast, morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the Thames River, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister’s Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, 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. Later, how about an optional dinner, followed by a cruise on the Thames River?
Day 03
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, and depart at 8 am for a memorable day of sightseeing. First, try to unravel the mystery of prehistoric STONEHENGE. Explore the visitor center with its imaginative exhibitions, then take the shuttle to the stone circle and admire the magnificence of the monument up close. Cross Salisbury Plain and head for the elegant Georgian city of Bath, where you see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. You will also have time to explore the town further on your own. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner with wine at your hotel.
Day 04
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 visit 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 musicians. Spend the night at Chester, the historic county town on the Dee River.
Day 05
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. Take a break in Wordsworth’s beloved Grasmere, and try original [LF] GRASMERE GINGERBREAD. Then, 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.
Day 06
Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town,” and the famous scientists, inventors, and novelists who lived there. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (when available). The afternoon is free to enjoy the Scottish capital at your own pace. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. For departure numbers July 31 through August 21, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO, a vast spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands that takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.
Day 07
First on today’s agenda is a guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s ABBOTSFORD HOUSE. After the tour, enjoy a [LF] CUP OF TEA and SHORTBREAD at Ochiltree’s Dining. Melrose Abbey and the ruins at Jedburgh are pointed out on the way to the English border and Northumberland National Park. In 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.
Day 08
Leave Yorkshire and its associations with James Herriot, and drive through the richest farmland in Britain. Pause in the market town of Stamford before arriving in the beautiful university city of Cambridge. Return to London around 3:30 pm. How about a night out on the town with newfound friends?
Day 09
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
THE BEST OF THE BRITISH ISLES
PACKAGE:19 Nights/20 days
Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.
Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the Thames River, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister’s Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL and the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. This afternoon, why not join an optional excursion to Windsor Castle or the Tower of London, and later, maybe an optional dinner, followed by a cruise on the Thames River?
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart London at 8 am for a lovely day of sightseeing: a special visit to admire the breathtaking ORNAMENTAL GARDENS of Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace; Runnymede, site of the sealing of the Magna Carta; and a walking tour in the university city of Oxford. At Stratford-upon-Avon, visit SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE and take pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner with wine at your hotel.
A spectacular start to the day with a special, pre-public-opening guided tour of magnificent WARWICK CASTLE. Marvel at the opulent Great Hall and State Rooms, and visit the former private apartments. Later, in York, stand in awe in front of the great Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets, including the narrow Shambles
See a section of Hadrian’s Wall, and in Jedburgh, take pictures of the abbey ruins. Then, enjoy [LF] a light LUNCH at Ochiltree’s Dining before taking a guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s ABBOTSFORD HOUSE. Spend the next two nights in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. For departure numbers August 1 through August 22, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO.
Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and the famous scientists, inventors, and novelists who lived there. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (when available). Afternoon at leisure. Tonight, consider an optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis.
Drive over the elegant Forth Road Bridge and through Fife to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club has given us the rules of golfing. Then, through Dundee and the Victorian mountain resort of Pitlochry to the CULLODEN VISITOR CENTRE, where you hear the story of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish clans. Overnight at Inverness, the Highland capital.
Start your day with a drive along Loch Ness with its mysterious monster and stop at the LOCH NESS EXHIBITION, a fascinating experience, revealing the legends, history, and natural wonders of the world’s most famous lake. Then, at BEN NEVIS WHISKY DISTILLERY, discover the art of converting barley, water, and yeast into a heart-warming liquor. Along Loch Linnhe, over haunting Glen Coe and across wild Rannoch Moor, you reach the “Bonnie Banks” of Loch Lomond for a CRUISE on the loch before heading south to Glasgow.
On the way through the Lowland Hills, stop at Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Pause in the beautiful Lake District and in Liverpool, visit the award-winning BEATLES STORY, an atmospheric journey into the life, times, culture, and music of the “Fab Four.
Day 10
Cross the border into North Wales and drive to lovely Betws-y-Coed and through the incomparable landscapes of Snowdonia National Park. After a stop at tongue-twisting Llanfair..., board your FERRY at Holyhead for the crossing to Dublin. For a first taste of Ireland, why not join an optional Irish cabaret evening, including dinner, dance, song, and laughter?
Day 11
An orientation drive in the Irish capital includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Oscar Wilde’s Trinity College. The afternoon is at leisure for you to enjoy the vibrant city. Maybe take in an optional dinner outing to the Guinness Storehouse
Day 12
Across the Curragh to the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare. On the way to Limerick, see the Rock of Cashel, Tipperary, and on arrival, an orientation drive acquaints you with St. Mary’s Cathedral, King John’s Castle, and the stone where the Treaty of Limerick was signed in 1691. Tonight, you might like to join an optional banquet at Knappogue Castle.
Day 13
A breathtaking view of the Clare coast from the 668-foot CLIFFS OF MOHER, then a drive across the limestone plateau of The Burren to the port city of Galway. Next, a special treat at RATHBAUN FARM: watch the farmer shear a sheep and maneuver a flock with the help of a sheep dog. Then, enjoy [LF] TRADITIONAL TEA in the 150-year old farmhouse.
Day 14
Via quaint Adare with its pretty thatched cottages and Killorglin on Dingle Bay, join the spectacular RING OF KERRY for a 100-mile panoramic drive around the island’s southwestern tip. Later, you might like to take an optional jaunting car ride through Killarney National Park, with glorious views of the Lakes of Killarney and ancient Ross Castle.
Day 15
Morning visit to Blarney, renowned for its magical Kissing Stone. Time for lunch, to walk up to the castle, and to shop for traditional Irish handicrafts. In the afternoon, proceed via Cork to Waterford, a stronghold founded by the Danish Vikings, where you join a guided tour of the HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL.
Day 16
By FERRY from Rosslare across St. George’s Channel to Pembroke and a drive through South Wales. Why not join an evening of Welsh entertainment and dinner tonight?
Day 17
First, this morning, journey to the elegant Georgian city of Bath to see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. You will also have time to explore the town further on your own. Then, head into wild and romantic Dartmoor for a tasty [LF] DINNER at a local pub. The next two nights are spent in Exeter.
Day 18
Today’s excursion takes you to Cornwall, of Poldark fame, and to the pretty fishing village and former smuggler’s port of Looe. Then, follow in the footsteps of Drake, Raleigh, and the Pilgrim Fathers with a [LF] CRUISE on Plymouth Sound, one of the world’s great natural harbors. You will also have time at the historic Plymouth Barbican to see the Mayflower Steps before returning to Exeter.
Day 19
For the finale of your journey, travel to prehistoric STONEHENGE and try to unravel its mystery. Explore the visitor center with its imaginative exhibitions, then take the shuttle to the stone circle and admire the magnificence of the monument up close. Return to London around 4 pm. How about celebrating the success of your vacation by taking in one of the great West End shows?
Day 20
BONNIE SCOTLAND
7 days from Glasgow to Edinburgh
PACKAGE: 6 Nights/7 days
Welcome to Glasgow! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax in Scotland’s largest city. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner with wine at your hotel.
Start your day with a guided tour of a WHISKY DISTILLERY, where you hear about the ancient art of converting barley, water, and yeast into a heart-warming liquor. Next, visit STIRLING CASTLE, a great symbol of Scottish independence and favored residence of Scotland’s kings and queens. Today’s final highlight is the BANNOCKBURN VISITOR CENTRE, commemorating the key battle in the Scottish Wars of Independence of June 23-24, 1314. Back in vibrant Glasgow, an orientation drive takes in the fine 12th-century cathedral, imposing university buildings, and elegant Georgian squares built by wealthy tobacco barons.
Drive along the “Bonnie Banks” of Loch Lomond, then proceed via Rannoch Moor, scenic Glen Coe, and Fort William, and follow the “Road to the Isles” to Glenfinnan. Take photographs of the viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films. At Mallaig, board your FERRY for the crossing to the Isle of Skye, the largest island of the Inner Hebrides and famous for its dramatic landscapes. Before dinner tonight, why not join an optional excursion to the spectacular Eilean Donan Castle, followed by a drink at a local pub?
Return to the mainland this morning and trace the shores of Loch Ness on your way to the CULLODEN VISITOR CENTRE, where you hear the story of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish clans. Then, a unique treat: admire a champion shepherd at Leault Farm as he manipulates his flock with up to eight border collies in a [LF] SHEEPDOG DISPLAY. Enjoy more spectacular Highland scenery as you drive through Cairngorms National Park and Glen Garry to the Victorian mountain resort of Pitlochry and then to your overnight destination: Dundee.
A leisurely start to the day with a drive across the Tay Bridge to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, has given us the rules of golfing. A fun inclusion is the opportunity to hit a few balls at the [LF] ST. ANDREWS GOLF PRACTICE CENTRE. Continue on to Perth and a special visit to SCONE PALACE, the stately home of the Earl and Countess of Mansfield. During your welcome over [LF] COFFEE and SHORTBREAD, hear about the crowning of Scottish kings, including Macbeth and Robert the Bruce, then join your guide on a private tour of the Murray family home. Plenty of time later to explore the palace grounds. Cross the mighty Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh and tonight, don’t miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis.
Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and the famous scientists, inventors, and novelists who lived there. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels. The afternoon is free to enjoy the Scottish capital at your own pace. Later, a unique experience: board the former [LF] ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA, once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Tour five decks and see how the Royal Family and crew of 240 lived and worked on board. Dinner rounds off this exceptional evening. For departure numbers August 3, August 10, and August 17, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO, a vast spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands that takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.
DAY 07
INTRODUCTION TO IRELAND
7 days from Dublin to Dublin
Céad míle fáilte—a hundred-thousand welcomes! Check into your hotel. At 3 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for an afternoon orientation drive through statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and past St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Oscar Wilde’s Trinity College. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner with wine at your hotel.
Horse-racing country awaits this morning. Drive across the Curragh to visit the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare, whose fine thoroughbreds command respect on the racecourses of the world. Lots more to see: the Rock of Cashel, where St. Patrick preached; Tipperary, made famous in a wartime marching song; and Limerick, where an orientation drive acquaints you with St. Mary’s Cathedral, King John’s Castle, and the stone where the Treaty of Limerick was signed in 1691. Tonight’s suggestion for a very special night out: attend an optional banquet at Bunratty Castle
Your day excursion along Ireland’s spectacular Atlantic coastline begins with a drive to the 668-foot CLIFFS OF MOHER, where you savor the breathtaking panorama of the Clare coast. A scenic route across the limestone plateau of The Burren takes you to Galway, a popular seaside destination and a buzzing cosmopolitan center with colorful shops and a busy café and bar culture. This afternoon, a special treat at RATHBAUN FARM: try your hand at scone making, and learn from the farmer about sheep shearing and dog whistling. Afterwards, enjoy [LF] COFFEE and your SCONES, fresh from the oven.
After a short drive via Clonderlaw Bay to Killimer, cross the Shannon estuary by FERRY. Continue on to Killorglin on Dingle Bay to join the spectacular RING OF KERRY for a 100-mile panoramic drive around the island’s southwestern tip. Take your photos of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View, then spend the night in the popular resort of Killarney. Before dinner at your hotel, why not take a horse-drawn jaunting car ride along the national park to Ross Castle?
Across the Kerry Mountains and through County Cork to Blarney, renowned for its magical Kissing Stone. Time for lunch, to walk up to the castle, and to shop for traditional Irish handicrafts. In the afternoon, proceed via Cork to Waterford, a stronghold founded by the Danish Vikings, and look forward to a guided tour of the HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL. After dinner this evening, enjoy an [LF] IRISH COFFEE DEMONSTRATION.
An exciting agenda today: Enniscorthy, site of the final battle of the Great Rebellion of 1798; Ireland’s oldest HANDWEAVING MILL at Avoca, where you watch the WEAVERS at work; the Wicklow Mountains; and GLENDALOUGH, the early Christian monastic site founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. See the engaging audiovisual Ireland of the Monasteries, then let your Local Guide show you the remains of this ecclesiastical settlement. Back in Dublin tonight, a fitting farewell to Ireland would be an optional cabaret evening with dinner, followed by dance, song, and laughter.
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning