Best of Britain

Depart from your hotel at 2:00 PM for a visit to Windsor Castle, residence of the King and the largest inhabited castle in the world. Next, take a walking tour around this compact and historic town.

In the evening, join your group for a welcome drink, then dine independently.

Travel to Blenheim Palace, a monumental country house and home to the Dukes of Marlborough. Enjoy a scenic drive through the picturesque Cotswolds, passing through quaint towns and villages nestled in distinctive rolling hills and valleys. Travel on to York, a city founded by the Romans in the first century and a major wool trading center in the Middle Ages. (B/D)

Take a walking tour of York's medieval streets, including the Shambles, one of the city's narrowest alleyways. Tour Gothic York Minster, renowned for its magnificent medieval stained glass windows. Visit Bamburgh Castle, an imposing medieval fortress that is one of the largest inhabited castles in Britain. This magical castle is set high on a rocky plateau affording wonderful views along the coast. Continue to your hotel near Edinburgh, where you will dine with your group. (B/D)

Explore central Edinburgh starting in the 200-year-old “New Town” with its planned streets and elegant Georgian houses. See Princes Street, the city's premier shopping district, and the medieval Royal Mile, overlooked by the imposing Edinburgh Castle. Tour the castle to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland. The afternoon is free to explore on your own. Enjoy a lively Scottish evening with dinner and entertainment. Select departures experience the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B/D)*

Travel through the lush hilly countryside of the Lake District; the beauty of this region has inspired many writers and poets. Visit Grasmere, a picturesque village that native William Wordsworth once called, “the most loveliest spot that man hath found.” Head to Liverpool, a city that once dominated global trade and is now better known as the home of the Beatles. Take a walking tour of the docks before free time for dinner.

Later, meet your group to experience live music at the world-famous Cavern Club, where the Fab Four got their start. (B)

Travel through scenic Shropshire, one of the most unspoiled parts of rural England. Stop in Ludlow, a quintessentially English town, to see the castle and quaint old black-and-white houses. Continue through the lovely Welsh countryside to visit the picturesque ruins of Tintern Abbey. In Cardiff, tour the splendid Cardiff Castle, which was magnificently restored in the Victorian era. Dine at your hotel. (B/D)

Take a panoramic drive around Cardiff before crossing the border from Wales to England. In Bath, visit the Roman Baths, hot mineral-rich springs that have been popular since ancient Roman times.

Continue on to the prehistoric circle of vast monoliths of Stonehenge at Salisbury Plain and learn about the primitive building methods used to create such an enduring monument. Arrive in London and savor dinner with your group at your hotel. (B/D)

Set out on a panoramic tour of central London to see famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus with its statue of Eros, Nelson's Column flanked by huge lions in Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. Visit the mighty Tower of London to see the many fortresses, ravens, Beefeaters in their distinctive uniforms, and the priceless Crown Jewels. The rest of the day is free for further exploring. (B)

Your tour ends after breakfast. (B)