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British & Irish Voyager
Superior First Class Hotels: 14 Day Coach Tour
Tour
Highlights:
London Pub
Welcome Dinner
Edinburgh
Twilight Tour with Dinner
Dublin’s
Shindig at the Old Jameson Distillery
Hampton Court Palace
London & Dublin Open-top Sightseeing Bus Tours
Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage in the Lake
District
Edinburgh, Stirling &
Blarney Castles
Day 1: London Arrival &
Introductory Tour
Welcome to Heathrow
Airport, London! After immigration and baggage
claim, take an independent coach transfer to your hotel, located on Tottenham Court Road. Coaches operate frequently. Use
your London open-top hop-on hop-off independent bus
tour voucher to reach places all around London that appeal to you. You may choose
to stay on the bus for the entire route and enjoy the commentary. In the
evening meet your guide and fellow travellers over
a welcome drink
to discuss your vacation before heading to a real English pub for some
typical food. (D)
Day 2: Hampton Court
& Leisure Time
This morning drive to Hampton Court Palace,
which is set in handsome gardens and parkland close to the River Thames. Tour
the Palace to 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. If you did not use your independent
bus tour voucher on the previous day, you may use it to discover the heart of
this vibrant capital. The pass is valid for 24 hours. (CB)
Day 3: Cotswolds & Chester
Drive through part of the Cotswolds, a delightful hilly region with honey-collared
stone houses, many dating back to medieval times. Stop in Stratford-upon-Avon
for a look around on your own to see Shakespeare’s Birthplace and some
of the old black-and-white houses. Continue your drive to Chester and check in to your hotel. Then
take a walking
tour to explore the narrow old streets of Chester. See the black-and-white Rows and
walk along parts of the medieval city walls. (CB,D)
Day 4:
Lake District & Gretna Green
Travel through the glorious Lake District to enjoy stunning views of shimmering
lakes, gentle hills and valleys. Stop in the quaint village of Grasmere
to visit Dove
Cottage, where William Wordsworth penned some of his most
popular lines. Also see his grave in the village churchyard. Cross the border
into Scotland and stop at Gretna
Green, one of the world’s most popular
wedding destinations. Drive through the Borders region to Edinburgh and your hotel in the “New
Town.” In the evening take a tour of Edinburgh’s
hidden gems and dine at a waterside restaurant in Leith. (B,D)
Day 5: 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, homes of many famous writers and inventors. See the Royal
Mile where the old medieval houses are clustered. Tour Edinburgh Castle where
the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny are housed. The
afternoon is free for independent activities. On August 06, 13 and 20
departures watch the spectacular Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle.
(B)
Day 6: Stirling
Castle, Glen Coe &
Traditional Music
Visit the mighty Stirling Castle,
captured from the English in 1297 by William Wallace and again in 1314 by
Robert the Bruce. Drive through Callander and into
the scenic Trossachs region, called “The
Highlands in Miniature.” 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
lovely Highlands hotel and enhance the Highland
atmosphere when a Scottish
piper and step-dancer perform for you after dinner. (B,D)
Day 7:
Highlands & Loch Lomond Cruise
Travel through wonderful Highland scenery with many bodies of water. Drive by
Loch Etive and Loch Awe and through Glen Aray to the Georgian town of Inveraray on the
shores of Loch Fyne. The New Town of Inveraray was built between 1753 and 1776 by the 3rd
Duke of Argyll who decided to move the existing town to landscape his
splendid new castle
properly. Cross the mountain pass of “Rest and Be Thankful” to Loch Lomond. Embark on a scenic cruise to admire
panoramic views of Highland peaks before driving into Glasgow for a short orientation tour. (B,D)
Day 8:
Ferry to Ireland & Dublin
Make an early start this morning as
you drive south from Glasgow
through the gentle pastoral countryside of the Southern Uplands to Cairnryan. Your tour group and coach will embark on a
short ferry
journey to Larne. Take a brief look around the city of Belfast before travelling south past the Mourne Mountains
and along the east coast to Dublin.
Check into your hotel, located on the north side of the city. The evening is
free for independent dining and hotel personnel or your tour escort will
assist in finding an appealing restaurant. (B)
Day 9:
Book of Kells & Shindig Evening
This morning tour Dublin city centre in the company of a local guide
to see public buildings, delightful gardens and lively shopping streets. View
elegant Georgian squares lined with townhouses boasting collared doors. Enter
Trinity College to view the 8th
century illuminated gospel manuscript
of the Book of
Kells in the Old Library. The afternoon is at leisure when you
may take an open-top
bus tour with a Guinness or Jameson visit. In the evening
attend a “Shindig”
at the Old Jameson Distillery. See whiskey-making processes before dining on
Irish specialties, followed by a festive entertainment program. (B,D)
Day 10:
Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin
and view the green countryside as you travel through the centre of Ireland,
which has many mixed farms. Stop to view the stately church ruins atop the
Rock of Cashel, which rises high above the surrounding plain. Continue your
drive south and just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the
famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also visit the Blarney Woollen
Mills before driving through Macroom
and into County
Kerry, where the
scenery becomes more mountainous. Check into your hotel in Killarney and
relax before dinner. (B,D)
Day 11:
Dingle Peninsula & Blasket Experience
Today discover the scenic Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies
– “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Far & Away.”
Drive along the south shore and stop to admire views of heathery mountains
and the sandy stretches of Inch
Beach. Pause in Dingle
before continuing to the western tip of the peninsula. Tour the Blasket Centre
in Dunquin to learn about the Blasket Islands,
inhabited until 1953 by hardy families who eked out a living by farming and
fishing. Return to Killarney and enjoy free time to relax or take a walk.
After dinner in your hotel you may like to visit some of the cosy pubs
featuring live music. (B,D)
Day 12:
Flying Boat Museum & Cliffs of Moher
Travel north to Foynes
on the River Shannon Estuary to learn about the early days of flight at the Flying Boat Museum.
This was the landing place for Pam Am Clippers from the United States and Europe.
Drive to the village of Bunratty and look around Durty
Nelly’s Pub or the Bunratty
Folk Park.
Head to the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that rises
700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Continue
to Galway for a panoramic drive before checking in to your hotel, which
overlooks Galway
Bay. (B,D)
Day 13:
6th Century
Clonmacnoise & Dunboyne Castle
Leave Galway
and drive to the centre of the country to visit Clonmacnoise,
a monastic settlement founded in 545 AD by St. Ciaran.
See round towers, elaborately decorated Celtic crosses and the ruins of many
churches picturesquely set on the banks of the tranquil River Shannon.
Continue your drive eastward to your elegant hotel, just outside Dublin. Enjoy the
facilities and relax for a while before joining in a farewell dinner with your
group. Savour great food followed by some local
entertainment. (B,D)
Day 14:
Depart Dublin
for Home
Complimentary group transfers are
provided to Dublin
Airport to arrive at
6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. After check-in, you’ll have time to
shop at the duty-free stores before the journey home. (B)
Tour
runs 9 April – 29 October 2010
Departure
days Friday
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Tour Dates
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Price
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9 April > 23 April
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$3290
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7 May > 21 May
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$3460
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28 May > 18 June
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$3560
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25 June > 20 August
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$3770
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27 August > 24 September
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$3560
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1 October > 29 October
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$3290
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All
rates are in Australian dollars per person twin share basis
Single
supplement $1095
YOUR
TOUR INCLUDES
• Group
transfers on arrival at Heathrow and departure from Dublin
• Ferry from Scotland to Ireland
• Sightseeing
by luxury coach throughout
• London
& Dublin open-top bus tours
• Visit and a
drink at Guinness Storehouse or Old Jameson Distillery
• Services of
a professional driver/guide
• Local
guides in London, Edinburgh
and Dublin
• Superior
first class hotels with private bath/shower for 13 nights
• 11 full
breakfasts (B) and 2 continental breakfasts in London (CB)
• 10 dinners
(D) including:
- Welcome dinner at a local London pub
- Dinner in waterfront restaurant in Leith, near Edinburgh
- “Shindig” dinner and show at
the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin
- Farewell dinner at Dunboyne
Castle Hotel
- 6 table d’hôte dinners
• Welcome
get-together drink
• Walking
tour of Chester
• Twilight
sightseeing tour of Edinburgh
• Display of
Scottish piping and step-dancing in Ballachulish
• Loch Lomond sightseeing cruise
• Reserved
seats for Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 06, 13 and 20 departures
• Sightseeing
tours of Edinburgh & Dublin
• Panoramic
tour of Belfast
• Ferry ride
across the River Shannon
• Visits and
admissions to Hampton Court Palace, Dove Cottage, Gretna Green, Edinburgh
Castle, Stirling Castle, Kilmahog
Woollen Mill, Book of Kells at Trinity College,
Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Blasket
Centre, Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Cliffs of Moher
and Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket
wallet, luggage tags & strap
•
All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per
person
YOUR HOTELS
Stay
at the following (or similar):
Grafton
Hotel, London (2 nights)
Crabwall Manor Hotel, Chester (1 night)
Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh (2 nights)
Isles
of Glencoe Hotel, Ballachulish (1 night)
Menzies Hotel, Glasgow (1 night)
Jurys Croke Park Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
Brehon Hotel, Killarney
(2 nights)
Radisson
SAS Hotel, Galway (1 night)
Dunboyne Castle Hotel, Dunboyne (1 night)
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