Day 1 - Arrive London

Upon arrival at one of London’s international airports you will be welcomed to England by your local Guardian Angel, and privately transferred to your hotel where you will be assisted with check-in procedures.

Day 2 - London Sightseeing Tour

An expert local guide and your chauffeur will be waiting to meet you for a full day sightseeing tour (8 hours) of the City of London and Westminster. You will visit the Tower of London, where the Beefeaters guard the dazzling Crown Jewels, and where you will gain excellent views of Tower Bridge from the Medieval Palace. Proceed afterwards to St. Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666. 

This afternoon you will tour Westminster. Enjoy a flight on the London Eye, from the top of which you will gain spectacular views of the city. Continue on to Trafalgar Square, where the National Gallery of Art is overshadowed by Nelson's Column. You will then head down Whitehall and past Downing Street, to the Houses of Parliament. You will also visit Westminster Abbey, the National Church of England that has been the scene of many state occasions including the Coronation. Finally return to your hotel past Buckingham Palace, the King's official residence in London.

Meal Plan: B

Day 3 - British Museum & British Library

Today, an expert local guide and your chauffeur will be waiting to meet you for a half day sightseeing tour (4 hours) to the Bloomsbury area of London. You will visit the British Museum that houses a world-renowned collection of historic artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles and the Sutton Hoo treasures. You will also see the excellent collection of Egyptian antiquities. Time permitting, you may also travel to the British Library building, where many priceless documents including a Gutenberg Bible and the First Folio edition of Shakespeare are on display.

Meal Plan: B

Day 4 - London - Cotswolds

Check out of your London hotel this morning and head out west into the charming English countryside. Your knowledgeable driver-guide takes you to Oxford, the “City of Dreaming Spires”, which is home to England's oldest university. Here you can take a walk through the impressive buildings that are still home to the university's main ceremonial and educational functions, admiring the impressive architecture and splendid settings of the various colleges. 

You then continue to Woodstock, stopping at Blenheim Palace for a tour. Currently home to the 12th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, the palace was designed by the architect Vanbrugh and was the birthplace of wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill. A vast park, wonderfully landscaped by Capability Brown, surrounds the palace. At the end of the tour you continue on to your hotel which is situated in the Cotswolds.

Meal Plan: B

Day 5 - Bath Sightseeing Tour

Today you will visit the beautiful Georgian city of Bath, often regarded as one of the loveliest cities in all of England. From its beginnings as a Roman camp in the first century AD, Bath developed through troubled centuries to emerge in the 1700's as a fashionable "spa" resort. Some of England's best-preserved Georgian architecture is found here, together with fascinating relics of earlier eras. 

Your driver-guide and private vehicle will be at your disposal for a full day (8 hours) for you to explore the city. You will tour the Roman Baths that were discovered in an excellent state of preservation near to Bath Abbey church and also see the magnificent Palladian architecture for which the city is renowned (seen at its best in the Circus and the Royal Crescent). On Monday afternoons, you may also visit Number One Royal Crescent that has been authentically restored to its Georgian appearance.

Meal Plan: B

Day 6 - The Cotswolds

Your driver-guide takes you on a full-day tour of the Cotswolds and into Warwickshire today. Discover the delights of the Cotswolds as you pass through some of the picturesque, quaint villages that are made so distinctive by the famous honey-coloured Cotswold stone. 

You then pass into the county of Warwickshire to visit Stratford-Upon-Avon, the market town that is revered as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Tour the town centre and visit Ann Hathaway's Cottage in the nearby village of Shottery. You may also wish to visit Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is buried. The church lies on the banks of the Avon beyond the world-famous theatre. Return to your hotel from here.

Meal Plan: B

Day 7 - Cotswolds - Chester

Check out of your hotel this morning and travel through the Warwickshire countryside en route to Cheshire. Enjoy lunch at leisure en route.

Meal Plan: B

Day 8 - Chester - North Wales

Today, your driver-guide is waiting to lead you on a full day excursion into North Wales. Head west past the fortified town of Conwy to the town of Caernarfon, where Edward I’s sizeable castle dominates this largely Welsh-speaking town. Here you shall tour the castle before continuing into the Snowdonia National Park. In Snowdonia National Park board the steam train which will take you to the summit of Mount Snowdon, at an altitude of 1,085m. Time permitting you may wish to visit the delightful Italianate village of Portmeirion, built by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis in 1926, where you will have free time to explore its extraordinary architecture and coastal scenery. Return to your hotel in Chester from here.

Meal Plan: B

Day 9 - Chester – The Lake District

Depart Chester today and head northwards to the region known as The Lake District, a National Park because of its outstanding natural beauty. En-route stop at Cartmel, a beautiful village with flower-filled corners, delightful streamside walks, humpbacked bridges, cobbled pavements and traditional inns. Having celebrated its 800th anniversary, the Priory Church of St Mary and St. Michael still serves as the centre of the community. Also visit Levens Hall, a fine Elizabethan Mansion with fantastic topiary gardens.

Meal Plan: B

Day 10 - The Lake District

Spend the day with your driver-guide discovering the unique scenery of the Lake District. The geography of mountains, valleys and lakes was formed during the Ice Age. Enjoy a relaxing public lake cruise followed by a ride on the steam railway through the Leven Valley. Alternatively, the more active may wish to spend some time walking the many pathways and admiring the views. Return to your lakeside accommodation.

Meal Plan: B

Day 11 - The Lake District - Seaham

Travel today up to the border with Scotland and the wall that was ordered by the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, to keep out Scottish invaders. All along the wall there used to be a full infrastructure of garrisons, forts and temples. The best preserved is The Housesteads, a fort where you can clearly see the foundations of the commandant, granaries, hospital and HQ building. Travel on up to the medieval university city of Durham. Durham Castle commands a strategic position above the River Wear and, for 750 years, served as the home to Prince-Bishops from where Northern England was ruled and the Scots kept at bay. Durham’s other impressive site is its Norman Cathedral, situated on the Palace Green whose origins go back to the 10th-Century. Spend the evening in the village of Seaham, overlooking the North Sea.

Meal Plan: B

Day 12 - Seaham – York

Venture down the coast today to the picturesque and traditional British resort town of Whitby. The ruins of Whitby Abbey are set high on the East Cliff, founded by St. Hilda in AD 657. Whitby also played a role in the inspiration of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Your driver-guide will take you to the North Yorkshire Moors, a dramatic National Park of heather-coloured moorlands and quaint villages. Your journey ends today at your hotel in York.

Meal Plan: B

Day 13 - York Sightseeing Tour

York is one of the most historic cities in England, as you discover this morning with your driver-guide. Enticing narrow cobbled streets lined with medieval, half-timbered buildings intertwine to form the heart of York’s charming Old Town, the location of this morning’s guided tour. The most famous of these streets is the Shambles, formerly a butchers' quarter and now home to many quaint antique, art and book shops, perfect for browsing. Take time to visit the soaring medieval structure of York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps. The cathedral’s towering windows contain more than half of all the 14th- and 15th-century stained glass surviving in England. You may also visit the Jorvik Viking Centre, built on the site of the amazingly-preserved original Viking settlement that was discovered by archaeologists in the 1970s. 

This afternoon, take an excursion out of the city to Castle Howard, a fine 18th-century mansion in the hills to the east of York. With its large landscaped garden, it has been used as the setting for numerous television dramas such as 'Brideshead Revisited'.

Meal Plan: B

Day 14 - York - London

Today, your driver-guide leads you on a full-day journey to London. As you head south, stop off in beautiful Cambridge, the city that is home to England's second-oldest university, founded in 1209. Many of the college buildings here are very grand; chief among these is King's College Chapel, whose fan-vaulted roof is one of the architectural wonders of the world. Afterwards, you continue to your hotel in London.

Meal Plan: B

Day 15 - Depart London

Today you will be privately transferred to one of London’s airports for your onward flight.

Meal Plan: B