Highlights of Great Britain Tour

After boarding the premium mini coach, the first stop on your Highlights of Great Britain Tour is the famous university city of Oxford, with its Gothic spires and medieval center. Explore this world-famous college town on foot, led by your experienced tour guide. Make sure to ask about the university’s most famous alumni—you’ll be amazed!

Next, it’s on to the honey-colored cottages, rolling hills, and quaint villages of the Cotswolds. This is the largest Area of Outstanding Beauty in England, and when you see the delightful, unspoilt villages, you’ll quickly understand why great measures have been taken to protect it! You’ll spend the night in a hotel in Chipping Campden, a quintessentially English village. 

It’s back on the premium mini coach for a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon that will delight literature lovers. Stratford is a beautiful riverside town that is also home to the most famous English writer, poet, and dramatist of all time: William Shakespeare. Your tour leader will show you some of the most important places in his life, including his place of birth and final resting place. 

After spending another night in Chipping Campden, today’s day trip will take you to the cathedral city of Worcester. You will visit the spectacular cathedral itself, which rises proudly above the city. Inside, your tour guide will show you around this impressive medieval structure, which contains royal tombs, cloisters, and a crypt.

Next, after starting in towns and cities, the tour now takes a turn towards the great outdoors and the rugged landscapes of Wales in Snowdonia National Park: the largest and most famous national park in Wales. On arrival, you’ll take a steam train up the country’s highest mountain, Snowdon, and get a view of the surrounding countryside—look out across Llyn Llydaw where legend has it King Arthur cast away the excalibur sword. After an exhiberlating day in the great outdoors, it’s back to the hotel to warm up and relax. 

After two wonderful nights in Wales, you’ll head north to the iconic city of Liverpool. During your day visit, you’ll explore its historic center and famous docklands, parts of which were given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004. Ready for some Beatlemania? Bus to all the town’s Beatle sites and visit the Beatles Story Museum, where the origin story of the legendary band comes to life. 

Next, you’ll spend two nights in the ancient Roman city of York. This beautiful walled city that is steeped in history will take your breath away. Its magnificent Gothic cathedral is one of the greatest in Europe, and boasts one of the world’s largest stained glass windows. Stroll along the medieval walls that encircle the historic center alongside your guide, learning about the city’s long and varied history, including the invasion of the Danish Vikings. Harry Potter fans should visit The Shambles, which they’ll recognize as the inspiration for Diagon Alley. 

As you head northwest to the Lake District, you’ll pay a visit to Castle Howard, one of the most impressive stately homes in England that sits proudly on the Howardian Hills. After marvelling at its grandeur and opulence, you’ll travel to the outstandingly beautiful Lake District—prepare to be blown away once again! Your first stop is Beatrix Potter’s farm. See the landscape that inspired her classic children's books, you might even see a “Peter Rabbit.” Continue your literary journey at Dove Cottage, the former home of William Wordsworth. Round off the day on the water with a cruise across Lake Windermere. You will spend two nights in a hotel in this gorgeous corner of England. 

After an unforgettable tour of Wales and England, you’ll venture north of the border into Scotland’s Northern Highlands. Here, you’ll explore the worn stones of medieval cathedrals and spin a yarn in one of the cozy pubs. Part of your itinerary is a visit to Rosslyn Chapel–an excellent example of 15th century stone masonry–and delve into local tradition with a bagpipe show and a haggis dinner! Toast with new friends on the last night of your tour, which you’ll spend in an elegant country house hotel.