PRICES FROM £940 GBP

Highlights:

• London Welcome Dinner
• Scottish Cabaret Dinner/Show
• Hampton Court Palace
• Beatles Tour of Liverpool
• Wordsworth's Dove Cottage
• Edinburgh & Stirling Castles

Your Hotels

Stay at the following (or similar):

• Grafton Hotel, London (2 nights)
• Malmaison Hotel, Liverpool (1 night)
• Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh (2 nights)
• Isles of Glencoe Hotel, Ballachulish (1 night)
• Menzies Hotel, Glasgow (1 night)

Tour Includes:

• Group transfers on arrival and departure
• Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
• Services of a professional tour director
• Superior first class hotels with private bath/shower for 7 nights
• 7 full breakfasts (B)
• 5 dinners (D) including
  - Welcome dinner in London
  - Scottish cabaret and dinner in Edinburgh
  - 3 table d'hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Sightseeing tours of London, Glasgow and Edinburgh
• Beatles-themed tour of Liverpool with a local guide
• Loch Lomond sightseeing cruise
• Reserved seats for Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 04, 11 and 18 departures
• Visits and admissions to Hampton Court Palace, Dove Cottage, Gretna Green, Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Kilmahog Woollen Mill
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

8 Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Fri: London Arrival & Tour

Welcome to Heathrow Airport, London! Take an independent transfer to your hotel, located near the Bloomsbury district. At 2:30 pm take a panoramic tour of central London to see famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Nelson's Column and lions of Trafalgar Square, Big Ben towering over the Houses of Parliament and Hyde Park. In the evening meet your tour director and fellow travelers over a welcome drink to discuss your trip and relax over dinner. (D)

Day 2 - Sat: Hampton Court Palace & Gardens

This morning tour Hampton Court Palace, which is set in handsome grounds close to the River Thames. See the Tudor Kitchens, the great gatehouse, the orangery, the Hampton Court Vine and the maze. Return to London where the afternoon and evening are at leisure for independent activities - you may choose to sightsee, shop, dine or see a West End show. (CB)

Day 3 - Sun: Stratford-upon-Avon & Beatles' Liverpool

Drive through part of the Cotswolds, a delightful hilly region with honey-colored stone houses, many dating to medieval times. Stop in Shakespeare's town of Stratford-upon-Avon for a look around on your own. Continue to Liverpool where a Beatles-themed tour will show you Penny Lane, Strawberry Field and the world-famous Cavern Club while your guide will fill you in on the Beatles' lives. Check in to your centrally-located hotel beside the River Mersey. (B, D)

Day 4 - Mon: Lake District & Gretna Green

Travel through the glorious Lake District, associated with Beatrix Potter, and stop in Grasmere to visit Dove Cottage, where William Wordsworth penned his most popular lines. Also see his grave in the village churchyard. Cross into Scotland to Gretna Green, one of the world's most popular wedding destinations. Drive through the Borders to Edinburgh and your hotel near the Royal Mile. In the evening dine at a Scottish cabaret show with bagpipes, dancing, song and storytelling. (B, D)

Day 5 - Tue: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour

Explore central Edinburgh this morning, starting in the 200-year-old “New Town” with its planned streets and elegant Georgian houses where many famous writers and inventors lived. See the Royal Mile where the old medieval houses are clustered and tour Edinburgh Castle to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. The afternoon is free for independent activities. On August 04, 11 and 18 departures watch the spectacular Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)

Day 6 - Wed: Stirling Castle & Glen Coe

Visit the mighty Stirling Castle, captured from the English by “Braveheart” William Wallace and again by Robert the Bruce. Drive through Callander and the scenic Trossachs region. Stop at Kilmahog Woollen Mill, which stocks a large selection of Scottish goods and whiskies. Travel across Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, notorious for the massacre of the Clan Macdonald by the Campbells. Check in to your hotel overlooking the glen and relax before dinner. (B, D)

Day 7 - Thu: Highlands & Loch Lomond Cruise

Travel through wonderful Highland scenery passing Loch Etive and Loch Awe. Stop in the Georgian town of Inveraray, built between 1753 and 1776 by the 3rd Duke of Argyll who decided to move the existing town to landscape his splendid new castle. Cross the mountain pass of “Rest and Be Thankful” to Loch Lomond for a scenic cruise to admire panoramic views. Drive into Glasgow for a short orientation tour. (B, D)

Day 8 - Fri: Depart for Home

Your tour ends with a group transfer to Glasgow Airport. (B)

B = Breakfast, D = Dinner