Day 1: LONDON
Arrival at your pre-selected London airport, welcome by our representative and transfer by private coach to your hotel. Settle into your pre-booked room at hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: LONDON
Breakfast at hotel and departure at 9 a.m. for a guided tour of the City di Westminster, during which we can see the Houses of Parliament (also known as the Palace of Westminster) with its two famous towers: the Victoria Tower and St. Stephen’s Tower (which houses Big Ben). We will see the Royal Palace, and pass some of the most famous sights of London: Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. We will stop in front of Buckingham Palace, official residence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to watch the colourful Changing of the Guard. We will also have a look at Hyde Park, the largest park in central London, and visit Regent Street and Oxford Street, two of the busiest shopping streets. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, with its impressive 11-metre high dome, London Bridge, built on the site of the first Thames crossing, and Tower Bridge, the most famous bridge in Europe. Dinner and overnight stay in hotel.
Day 3: OXFORD – STRATFORD – CHESTER
After breakfast at the hotel, we will board the coach with our luggage and head to Oxford for a guided visit of Christ Church Cathedral. We then continue to Stratford-upon- Avon, home town of William Shakespeare. We will visit his house and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon, we will drive to Chester, a town founded by the Romans and with one of the most attractive mediaeval centres in Britain. Settle into hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: CHESTER – WINDERMERE – GLASGOW
Breakfast at hotel, and we will then head to the charming scenery of the Lake District, stopping at Windermere to admire England’s largest natural lake. You will have time to either enjoy a walk or to take part in an optional mini boat cruise. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon we will drive on to Scotland, with dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Glasgow.
Day 5: GLASGOW – FORT WILLIAM – AVIEMORE
After breakfast we will begin an itinerary which fully justifies the journey! The land of Scotland is one of the most beautiful in Europe; with a landscape constantly punctuated by mountains and with sudden glimpses of valleys and lochs, narrow lakes that combine with the deep firths (fiords) along this fragmented coastline. The best-known of these is Loch Ness, a mysterious lake that owes its fame to the legendary monster. We will stop for free time and lunch at Fort William, situated at the head of a deep sea-loch, and then continue for Inverness and Aviemore. In the evening, we will arrive at our hotel near Aviemore, for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: AVIEMORE – PERTH – EDINBURGH
After breakfast, we will leave early to drive through the Scottish Highlands, an area of mountains, passes and heather-covered moors. You have free time for lunch at Perth, where we will visit the castle and also a whisky distillery (time permitting). We then continue to Stirling, where you can admire the castle perched on top of a rock. In the evening, we will reach Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and one of the most beautiful and artistically rich cities in Britain. Settle into hotel, with dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: EDINBURGH
Breakfast at the hotel will be followed by a guided tour of Edinburgh, a city awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO. We will see Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles’ Cathedral, the monument to Sir Walter Scott, the Royal Mile and the picturesque streets flanked by historic churches and houses. Free time to get lunch and free afternoon. Return to the hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: EDINBURGH – JEDBURGH – YORK
After breakfast we leave for Jedburgh, and stop to look at the red sandstone remains of the mediaeval Abbey. We continue to York, the ancient capital of the kingdom of Northumbria, and founded by the Romans in the 4th century. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon we will explore some of the more picturesque corners of the city and visit York Minster: one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. In the evening we will settle into the hotel, for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9: YORK – LONDON
After breakfast we drive back to London. Free time for lunch. The afternoon is free for relaxation or your own choice of activity. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 10: LONDON
Breakfast at hotel and transfer to airport. End of our services.