PRICES FROM £860 GBP

Highlights:

• Places associated with Braveheart, Beatrix Potter, Brideshead Revisited & More
• Scottish Cabaret in Edinburgh
• Old-World Tavern Dinner & Ghost Tour in York
• Beatles Tour of Liverpool
• Historic Steamer Cruise on Lake Windermere
• North Yorkshire Moors Vintage Train

Hotels:

Stay at the following (or similar):

• Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh (2 nights)
• Old England Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere (1 night)
• Marriott Hotel, York (2 nights)
• Malmaison Hotel, Liverpool (1 night)

Tour Includes:

• Group transfers on arrival and departure from airports
• Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
• Services of a professional tour director
• Superior first class hotels with private bath/shower for 6 nights
• Full breakfast daily (B)
• 4 dinners (D) including
  - Scottish cabaret and dinner in Edinburgh
  - Tavern dinner in York
  - 2 table d'hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Sightseeing tours of Edinburgh and York
• Historic steamer cruise on Lake Windermere
• Ghost walking tour around York
• Walking tour of Whitby
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway vintage train ride
• Beatles-themed tour of Liverpool with a local guide
• Reserved seats for Edinburgh Military Tattoo on Aug 06, 13 and 20 departures
• Visits and admissions to Stirling Castle, Gretna Green, York Minster, Castle Howard and Brontë Parsonage
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

7 Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Sun: Edinburgh Arrival & Tour

Arrive in Edinburgh Airport where your CIE Tours tour director will greet you. Complimentary group transfers depart the airport at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. Passengers arriving later will transfer to the city-centre hotel at their own expense. A transfer from Glasgow Airport can be arranged at a cost of $75 per person. At 2:30 pm tour Edinburgh to discover the elegant 200-year-old Georgian “New Town.” Also see the narrow lanes and medieval townhouses along the Royal Mile, the oldest part of the city and catch a glimpse of the imposing Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a rocky outcrop. Meet your fellow passengers over a welcome drink and your tour director will suggest places to have dinner on your own.

Day 2 - Mon: Stirling Castle & “Braveheart”

A short drive will take you to the massive Stirling Castle, strategically located on a volcanic outcrop rock to defend the surrounding valley. It was recaptured from the English by “Braveheart” William Wallace in 1297 and several Scottish monarchs have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots. Enjoy great views of the surrounding countryside and explore the Great Hall, kitchens and chapel. Return to Edinburgh for a free afternoon. Dine at a Scottish evening where you can sample local specialties, including haggis, and experience traditional bagpipe music. On Aug 07 and 21 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B, D)

Day 3 - Tue: Beatrix Potter's Lake District

Journey past gentle hills and rich sheep pastures of the Scottish Borders. Stop at Gretna Green, famous for eloping couples, to look around and shop for Scottish goods before crossing into England. Drive through the Lake District National Park, a region of unspoilt beauty which Beatrix Potter worked tirelessly to preserve. See the charming hills and valleys that inspired William Wordsworth's poetry. Take a cruise aboard a historic steamer on Lake Windermere, the largest natural lake in England, to appreciate nature at its loveliest. Check in to your elegant lakeside hotel and dine independently at one of the many restaurants within easy walking distance. (B)

Day 4 - Wed: Spectacular Yorkshire Dales & York Ghost Walk

Drive into the Yorkshire Dales to experience more wonderful scenery with heathery moors, flower-filled meadows, hills, woods and ancient stone villages. Stop in the traditional village of Hawes before continuing through the Dales, the region where James Herriot worked as a vet and told his stories in “All Creatures Great and Small” and other books. On arrival in York take a guided tour around the city, including the Roman and medieval walls, and walk to York Minster, one of Europe's largest Gothic cathedrals. See brilliant stained glass and memorials to prominent people. This evening head to a cosy traditional tavern for dinner and later explore narrow medieval streets on a fun and informative ghost walking tour. (B, D)

Day 5 - Thu: Historic Train Ride & Castle Howard

Drive north to travel the North Yorkshire Moors Railway through magnificent scenery. The historic train will be a vintage Diesel or steam locomotive. Take a walking tour through Whitby, once renowned for whaling and today has a thriving fishing fleet. Everywhere you look in this town is a photographer's dream with its picturesque harbour, winding streets, stepped walkways and quaint buildings. Drive to Castle Howard, an imposing 18th-century mansion where Evelyn Waugh's celebrated novel, “Brideshead Revisited,” was filmed. Tour elaborate chambers to see world-renowned artefacts, family portraits, crystal and furnishings. Admire the gardens and breathtaking landscape before returning to York. (B, D)

Day 6 - Fri: Brontë Parsonage & Beatles' Liverpool

In the charming town of Haworth visit the Brontë Parsonage, where Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë penned some of the best-loved books in the English language from 1820 to 1861. See the dining room where the three sisters worked on their novels, including “Wuthering Heights,” influenced by the surrounding moors. Continue to Liverpool where a Beatles-themed tour will show you the places where the “Fab Four” came to fame. See 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 and, after dinner, explore some places on your own. (B, D)

Day 7 - Sat: Depart Manchester

Participants on our 7-day tour will transfer to Manchester Airport to arrive by 8:00 am for flights home.(B)

B = Breakfast, D = Dinner