London & countryside combined with Scotland and Ireland
Starting at PER PERSON for all of the below, based on 2 participants: $5,270.00
Day 1: London for 3 nights
Meet & greet private transfer from airport to hotel
1 double deluxe room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel The Bloomsbury****
The Bloomsbury Hotel is located in the heart of the theatre district, within walking distance of most London shows. Tottenham Court Road tube station and The British Museum are just 657 feet from the hotel.
Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Soho and the shops of Oxford Street are all within a 10-minute walk.
Luxury bedding, fluffy bathrobes and slippers, and flat-screen TVs are featured in each room at The Bloomsbury, as well as Aromatherapy Associates toiletries, and complimentary tea, coffee and water.
Dining options within the hotel include Landseer Restaurant & Bar or The Lutyens Lounge or Terrace where you can enjoy an afternoon tea or evening drink. St Pancras International Station, which includes the Eurostar service, is a 10-minute drive from the property.
Check-out is a leisurely 12:00, so you can relax with another cup of coffee.
https://www.doylecollection.com/hotels/the-bloomsbury-hotel
Day 2:
Behind the scene tour of London
Duration of tour: 4 hours
You cannot come to London without visiting the Westminster Abbey, The House of Parliament and the famous Big Ben! On this tour you will find out interesting information relating to the role and function of MPs, Lords and key officers across parliament. You will also discover how and why the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell, Big Ben, were built.
We will start in our meeting point, the entrance of the Westminster Abbey to have a little tour by the Abbey and then continue inside the Parliament. The ostentatious facade of the building offers a picturesque view while the golden spires and statues of kings are reflected in the river. The palace is flanked by the Victoria Tower.
Find out about the history of the Elizabeth Tower; from the first medieval clock tower built in the old Palace of Westminster to the design and construction of the present Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben has become one of the most famous images of London, and one of the main symbols of the city and the structure of Palace of Westminster is considered World Heritage by UNESCO since 1987.
Day 3:
Day at leisure
Day 4: Cotswold’s for 3 nights
Pick up car in London Volkswagen Passat or similar Midsize Class – Automatic Transmission unlimited mileage CDW & theft included
Day at leisure to explore Windsor Castle, home to the British royal family. Visit the State Apartments and St George’s Chapel, and then continue west of London to Salisbury, home of the mysterious Stonehenge rock formations.
Arrive in Bath, known for its elegant Georgian architecture and Roman baths
1 Manor room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Lords of the Manor****
Formerly a 17th-century rectory, Lords of the Manor is set in 8 acres of secluded gardens and parkland. With 4 AA Red Stars, it is one of the top 200 hotels in the country, and offers delicious award-winning food.
Each bedroom is individually designed, with elegant furnishings. Some rooms have views of the parkland and pond, or the walled gardens and Upper Slaughter Hill. Every room has a flat-screen TV, a DVD player and an iPod docking station.
Lords of the Manor’s restaurant has a Michelin Star and has won 3 AA Rosettes for its fine food. It offers à la carte and Sunday lunch menus, as well as a wide-ranging wine list. A full English breakfast is available each morning.
With a peaceful Cotswold location, the hotel is surrounded by pretty villages. Longborough, with its opera house, is a 15-minute drive away, while Oxford can be reached in an hour by car.
http://www.lordsofthemanor.com/
Day 5
Days at leisure to explore
This area is known as an AONB – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Cotswolds is approximately 600 square miles of rural landscapes. The limestone gives the natural building material for the traditional cottages. These honey coloured stone houses are protected as listed buildings, many with thatched roofs.
Stop at Stow on the Wold famous for its antique shops and galleries, also Bourton on Water, Chipping Campden, and many more.
the picturesque town of Broadway where shopping is a pleasant stroll. Hunting with dogs is now banned in this country but the “Hunt” still rides chasing scents across the countryside. Two packs of English fox hounds can be seen in all their glory waiting for the chance to lead the chase. If you like dogs you may like to make a brief visit to their kennels in Broadway
Oxford – the ancient university town with its dreaming spires and secret quadrangles and gardens. A host of famous scholars from John Wesley and Lewis Carroll to Mrs. Thatcher and Mr. Clinton.
Blenheim Palace – the largest privately owned palace in England, the home of the Duke of Marlborough, where Winston Churchill was born. A majestic 18thC building by Sir John Vanbrugh in the English baroque style. We may take a guided tour through the lavish state rooms and gardens. A leisurely pub lunch in Woodstock is recommended.
Day 6:
Bourton-on-the-Water and the Windrush Valley « Far from the Madding Crowd » day walk in the Cotswolds
This country walk of 8 to 16 km (5 to 10 miles) passes through the iconic Cotswold villages of Lower and Upper Slaughter, the tranquil pastures of the Windrush and Eye valleys and Bourton-on-the-Water, a popular tourist town known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’. The longer route visits the village of Naunton where there is a pub that serves excellent lunches.
The route and distance can vary depending on your interests and preference. This can be agreed in advance or decided on the day.
This is a walking tour, so you will need a waterproof jacket and waterproof shoes or boots with a good grip are essential.
Day 7: York for 1 night
1 double executive room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Guy Fawkes Inn****
The Guy Fawkes Inn stands next to York Minster and was the birthplace of the notorious plotter, Guy Fawkes. The Inn offers 4-star rooms with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and home-cooked, AA Rosette food.
Decorate with antique furniture and Italian fabrics, the rooms feature handmade beds, tea/coffee making facilities, bathrooms with complimentary toiletries from H2K of Harrogate. Many rooms have views of York Minster, the city or the courtyard towards the rear of the Inn where Guy Fawkes was born.
The Guy Fawkes Inn retains many original features including the timber staircase, gas lighting and real log fires. Dine by candlelight in the Inn’s restaurant, which serves traditional pub-food using locally sourced ingredients. The bar stocks a wide range of real ales and a selection of fruit wines.
The world famous Guy Fawkes Ghost Walk leaves every night just around the corner. York Theatre Royal and the National Railway Museum are both just a 5-minute walk away.
http://www.guyfawkesinnyork.com/
The walled city of York stands in the North of England, a medieval stronghold of extraordinary cultural and historical wealth. A visit here is sure to make your heart yearn for the England of old, when the culmination of a life’s work yielded such masterpieces as the magnificent Gothic cathedral of York Minster.
York’s beautiful Cathedral is the largest of its kind in England. When in York visiting the Shambles is a must. ‘The Shambles’ is sometimes used as a general term for the maze of twisting, narrow lanes which make York so charming. At its heart is the lane actually called the Shambles, arguably the best preserved medieval street in the world. It was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of William the Conqueror in 1086. Many of the buildings on the street today date back to the late fourteenth and fifteenth century (around 1350-1475).The Shambles was a street of butchers’ shops and houses, many complete with a slaughterhouse at the back of the premises, ensuring a ready supply of fresh meat. The meat was hung up outside the shops and laid out for sale on what are now the shop window-bottoms. It is still possible to see some of the original butcher’s meat-hooks attached to the shop fronts.
Day 8: Edinburgh for 3 nights
Stop in Harrowgate, Durham
Drop off car in Edinburgh anytime during the day
1 executive double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Nira Caledonia****
This magnificent Georgian townhouse boasts sumptuous rooms, each with a 42-inch plasma TV, DVD player, and slate bathroom. Amongst the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s New Town, it is 2,625 feet from Princes Street.
Individually designed with unique furnishings, the rooms at Nira Caledonia feature luxury goose feather beds and goose down pillows. Some offer large, floor-to-ceiling windows, a private garden, or a relaxing spa bath.
The restaurant serves fresh cuisine with Scottish, and often organic, ingredients. The bar provides a range of over 25 Scotch whiskies.
Day 9:
Secrets of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle
Duration of tour: 2 hours 15 mins
The best way to explore Edinburgh is to follow your feet. Where the buses can’t take you, and the guide books don’t show you is where our real stories can be found , the closes, wynds, courtyards and homes of Old Edinburgh. We’ll paint a vivid picture of our colourful past and people – see the secrets and tell the tales – the culture, crime and politics of Scotland’s capital. An experience shared by Mercat historians. Fascinating and Revealing.
Includes: A unique tour around the sites, stories and secrets of the Old Town and into Edinburgh Castle. Entrance to Edinburgh Castle included.
Day 10:
Loch Ness, Glen Coe & The Highlands
Duration of tour: 12 hours
Board your mini-coach and get ready for a day of adventure. As you head towards the Highlands you’ll see the amazing Forth Railway Bridge. Then try some delicious home baking in the beautiful Highland town of Pitlochry. Through the spectacular Cairngorms…Enjoy the stunning scenery as you travel through the spectacular and unique wilderness of the Cairngorms National Park. Lunch at Loch Ness…or take a cruise… Loch Ness is famous all over the world for its beauty and mystery. We stop here for lunch and you’ll have time for some delicious food and a thrilling ‘monster spotting’ boat cruise on the waters of the loch with views to Urquhart Castle. (Please note the cruise is optional and is not included in the price of the tour.) Relive the massacre of Glen Coe: Glen Coe is broodingly beautiful and steeped in history. As you stand at the mouth of the glen, you’ll feel the past come to life as our guide tells you about the terrible massacre of the MacDonald Clan. Salute William Wallace and head home.The route takes you driving past the beautiful city of Stirling and its stunning castle and you will be able to learn more about the exploits of William Wallace that were dramatised in the film Braveheart.
Includes: Transportation by luxury minicoach with professional guide.
Day 11: Dublin for 1 night
Private transfer from hotel to airport
Aer Lingus flight from Edinburgh to Dublin
Departure at 8:20 am, arrival at 9:30 am
Meet & greet private transfer from airport to hotel
1 double room, breakfast & taxes included at Trinity College****
The boutique Trinity City Hotel is a 2-minute walk from Trinity College. Featuring high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the property, it provides an informal restaurant and a bar.
The large stylish rooms at the Trinity City Hotel are decorated with rich colors and walnut wood furnishings. The rooms include a flat-screen TV, a laptop safe, a full-length mirror, and a bathroom with a bathtub, shower, and The White Company toiletries. Some rooms offer panoramic city views.
With an informal atmosphere, the open-plan restaurant has huge floor-to-ceiling windows and serves light lunches and coffee during the day. There is an evening dinner menu and a heated outdoor terrace area. There are several opulently furnished lounges in the hotel for guests to relax in.
The Temple Bar district is just a 5-minute walk away and the hotel has a 24-hour front desk. There is a DART Station at Tara Street just a short walk from the Trinity City Hotel.
http://www.trinitycityhotel.com/
Dublin Historical Walking Tour including Trinity College at 3 pm
Few cities wear history on its sleeve like Dublin does! The Historical Walking Tour has been acclaimed as a must-do tour for any visitor to Dublin and starts at Trinity College main gates. It takes in the grounds of Trinity College, Old Irish Parliament, Dublin Castle, City Hall, the Medieval and Viking quarter centered around Christ Church Cathedral and finishes in the old port of Temple Bar on the banks of the River Liffey.
Your guide has a passion for all aspects of history and will be delighted to discuss anything which might be of interest to you. Dublin combines a medieval city with the most stately of eighteenth century architecture and a thriving contemporary cultural scene. Behind the doorways, at every street corner there are reminders of the characters – revolutionary, literary and others – who imagined the city.
In just 2 hours, this entertaining ‘seminar on the street’ conducted by history graduates of Trinity College Dublin, explores the main features of Irish history – Dublin’s development, the influence of the American and French Revolutions, the Potato Famine 1845 – 1849, the 1916 Rising, the great War and the 1916 rising, the war of Independence, the Northern conflict and Ireland today.
Day 12: Cork for 1 night
Ford Mondeo or similar Midsize Class – Automatic Transmission unlimited mileage CDW & theft included
on the way, we suggest you stop and view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel, rising high above the surrounding plain. Continue your drive south and, just a few miles outside Cork, you will be able to visit stunning Blarney Castle where kissing the famous “Stone of Eloquence” is a must.
While you are here you could also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills. Here you will find quality Irish-made goods of all types, conveniently displayed under one roof.
Cork: beautiful city, discover the famous English Market, Saint Finbar’s Gothic Cathedral and the chance to ring the bells at St Anne’s Church are but a few
1 double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Hayfield Manor******
Set in leafy grounds just 15 minutes’ walk from Cork centre, Hayfield Manor is a luxury hotel with a beauty spa and an elegant restaurant. Cork International Airport is a 15-minute drive away.
The sumptuous rooms feature a luxurious orthopaedic bed and a marble bathroom with designer toiletries. Rooms also feature a flat-screen TV/DVD player, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
Guests can relax in the pretty gardens, or try indulgent beauty treatments in the spa. Hayfield Manor Hotel also features an indoor heated swimming pool, steam room, and an outdoor hot tub.
Perrotts Garden Bistro offers Mediterranean cuisine, and the stylish Orchids Restaurant serves a classic Irish menu using local produce. Hayfield’s Bar has a range of fine spirits and wines. In the mornings, guests can request full Irish breakfast at an additional charge.
Day 13: Dromoland castle for 2 nights
On own
Today you will embark on Ireland’s most Famous scenic drive of 100 miles – the Ring of Kerry. Famous with natives and tourists alike, this winding route reveals breathtaking sights of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks as well as coastal views of beaches and cliffs.
As you travel along, there will be plenty of scenic photo opportunities as there are plenty of photo stops mapped around the route at the the best vantage points. Drive through the village of Cahirciveen and cross to Valencia Island by bridge.
Visit the Skellig Experience to learn about the nearby rocky islands and all about how the early Christian monks lived in such austere conditions. Today the site forms a thriving bird sanctuary.
Stop for lunch before visiting Sneem, town where you will stop and take in the brightly-painted houses are grouped around a central green.
1 executive deluxe room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Dromoland Castle*****
A pretty lake, championship golf course, and sweeping grounds surround this magnificent 5-star castle. It dates back to the 5th century, and guests can dine in an elegant restaurant with high ceilings, relax in the spa, or try falconry and archery in awe-inspiring surroundings.
Approached by a long drive that winds through acres of pretty lawns, Dromoland Castle was originally home to Gaelic royalty. Now guests can stay in large, traditionally furnished rooms that feature modern amenities like a flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi.
Afternoon tea is served with freshly baked pastries and bread, and the old library has been converted into a cocktail bar where guests can sit beside an open fire and take in picturesque lake views. There are restaurants for formal and informal dining, with wide-ranging and innovative menus.
Dromoland Castle Hotel is only a 20 minute drive from Shannon Airport, and the city of Limerick can be reached in 30 minutes by car. The rugged Cliffs of Moher are one of the most striking sights in Ireland, and are less than an hour drive from the castle.
Day 14:
Day at leisure or visit the Cliffs of Moher
Stretching across 8km of jaw-dropping Atlantic coastline, The Cliffs of Moher command one of the most incredible views in Ireland. On a clear day one can see as far as the Aran Islands in Galway Bay and right across to the valleys and hills of furthest Connemara.
Day 15 Shannon airport for 1 night
1 double king, breakfast & taxes included at The Bunratty Castle Mews B&B
The Bunratty Mews is located just 5 minutes from Bunratty village, Durty Nelly’s and Bunratty Castle. It offers rooms with baths and showers free Wi-Fi and free parking.
Themed bedrooms at the Bunratty Mews B&B provide seating areas, DVD players and hairdryers. They also include ironing facilities and a kettle.
The Bunratty Mews offers traditional cooked breakfasts and continental options. Light evening snacks are also available.
http://www.bunratty-castle-mews.com/
October 1:
Drop off car at Shannon airport at the end of the day