The United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in north western Europe. England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles – is home to the capital, London, a globally influential centre of finance and culture. England is also site of Neolithic Stonehenge, Bath’s Roman spa and centuries-old universities at Oxford and Cambridge.
Check into Hotel. The UKs capital one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It’s been hanging around for over 2000 years on the banks of the Thames, and there is just an incredible wealth of things to see, from historical sights, to amazing museums, to crazy street markets. After a continental breakfast, we say good bye to Paris and proceed to Calais. From Calais we board the Eurotunnel train to Folkestone. We then proceed to London. Upon arrival we take you to visit the British Airways London Eye by the river Thames. Hold your breath as you take a thrilling ride on the world's tallest Ferris wheel. Enjoy magnificent views of London City and its environs. Overnight in London
After a continental breakfast, we proceed on a guided panoramic city tour of London. See Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Also see Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square, the statue of Eros at Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, the symbolic Tower Bridge and the Hyde Park. witness the Changing of Guards' (if operational) at Buckingham Palace. Later In the afternoon we visit Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the world's largest exhibition of wax works which has amazed and entertained people of all ages for more than 200 years. Mingle with actors and sports stars among many others. The current celebrity list includes over 400 stunning, life like figures that never fail to entice the visitors. Overnight in London
After Breakfast we proceed to Oxford. Check into Hotel. Very young town which makes you feel either like a tourist or a student. Part of the reason for that is that this tiny city is absolutely jam packed with incredible buildings, largely in the form of the Oxford College. These are seriously wealthy establishments, who clearly had no problem flaunting that wealth in an architectural fashion back in the day. It is full of people wandering around, mouths agape, at quite how pretty the whole thing is. Then we go for a punt on the river, and enjoy some Pimms or a cream tea. Overnight in Oxford
Keeping Oxford as our base, after breakfast we head to take in the incredibly picturesque Cotswolds area – all quaint villages and rolling countryside. The England that everyone loves and imagines England to be like, country pubs, village greens and cricket ovals. Lovely stuff. Overnight in Oxford
After Breakfast we head “up north”, towards the Peak District national park. Check into Hotel Think rolling hills, quaint villages, and beautiful walks. We visit some fabulous country houses to visit, we stop off at Warwick Castle – one of the UK’s best-preserved castles. Overnight in Peak District.
After Breakfast we head to Manchester. Check in Hotel. Manchester boasts to be the biggest yarn industry in the UK – and Manchester is certainly no stranger to the fibre industry – in the 19th century she earned the nickname Cottonopolis. Plenty here for the yarn enthusiast in you. Of course, if fibre isnt your thing there are plenty of other reasons to visit Manchester, including excellent retail therapy and a variety of architectural highlights. Not to mention home to the Manchester United Soccer Stadium!
After Breakfast we head to the city of York. Check into Hotel. From the incredible Gothic York Minster (a climb to the top is highly recommended) to the winding, tumbled down alleyways of the shambles, to the Viking history - this is a city that just cries out for exploration. It’s also an awesome place if you’re into ghost stories. There are a whole number of ghost walks that take in the spooky past of York, so if you want an evening of entertainment and intrigue, likely accompanied with a number of fine drinking establishments, an evening ghost walk is a great bit of fun. Overnight in York
After Breakfast, we head down the coast from Belfast, through Dublin and down to the port of Rosslare, where a ferry will whisk you across to the last of the four countries to make up the UK.. Wales! Check into Hotel. We then go off to explore the Pembrokeshire Coast national park. Here we will find beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, and fabulous opportunities for walking. In the late afternoon after Lunch we drive to Cardiff, the Welsh capital. Here we find castles, sporting venues and more Welsh based culture than you can shake a stick at. Plus, arrive at the right time of year and you’ll find the Great British Cheese festival in full swing. Rest of the day free to explore Cardiff. Overnight in Cardiff
After Breakfast. From Cardiff we cross the enormous Severn estuary over the impress Severn road bridge and back into UK, or Bristol. Here we find all sorts of interesting items of historical interest, largely running on a nautical theme. For over a thousand years Bristol has been an important English port. From early explorers and traders, to the dark years of the African slave vessels, to filling Australia with immigrants, it is hard to understate the role that Bristol has played in Britain’s sea faring history. There is, after all, a reason for the expression “ship-shape and Bristol fashion” having a place in the English language.
We head out to taking a trip round the SS Great Britain. Built in 1843, and designed by the engineering genius who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel – the man who almost single-handedly revolutionised both engineering and public transport in the UK. The SS Great Britain is notable as being the first steamer to cross the Atlantic – setting a record pace for the time of 14 days. An amazing bit of history. From Bristol it’s on to the Roman spa city of Bath, a world heritage site. Like Oxford, this is a difficult place to be anything other than a tourist, but worth it all the same! Overnight in Bath
After Breakfast, our last day of our just over two-week whistle stop tour of the UK takes us back to London. No trip to the UK though would really be complete without taking in the most famous monument – the circle of rocks known as Stonehenge Yes – it has a motorway going past it. And yes, you can’t really get up close and personal with the rocks. (They’re just rocks. It’s not hard to imagine touching them). And yes… you’re not going to be having a deeply personal experience. what with this being one of the UK’s most famous monuments.
But there is something about the place that makes all these complaints just fade away. A circle of rocks, built by a people who had nothing but their hands and some bits of wood to help them out, in the middle of the Wiltshire countryside, hundreds of miles from an actual quarry, is just mind blowing. Add in the pagan ritualism, the relationship between the rocks and the sun, and the sheer mystery of the place, and you have somewhere that is capable of really capturing the imagination.
While there we visit Salisbury and enjoy the cathedral, which boasts the highest cathedral spire of any church in the UK. Arrive in London and enjoy rest of the day shopping or in leisure in London. Overnight in London
After Breakfast transfer to Airport for flight back home