Britain Sampler 9 Day Guided Tour

Vacation Overview

Our most popular guided tour of Britain offers you the best of this great land. You’ll have amazing experiences and see the fascinating sights as you travel from London to Edinburgh and back to London. History buffs will be delighted in seeing mysterious, prehistoric Stonehenge (just imagine how these stones got there!); the Roman Baths in Bath, constructed around 70 AD and today one of the best preserved Roman remains in the world; Chester, one of Britain’s best cities for archaeological and architectural treasures; Edinburgh, home to many Scottish monarchs, including Queen Margaret, who died here in 1093; and York, England’s most complete medieval city with its cobbled streets and the magnificent York Minister.

Literary fans will enjoy visiting Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon; Abbotsford House, home of Sir Walter Scott; Grasmere, home to William Wordsworth; and Cambridge, where you have the chance to explore the city and the colleges attended by many famous writers. But that’s not all…Globus has also arranged special, out-of-the-ordinary experiences for you. You’ll enjoy Grasmere gingerbread, invented in 1856 in the English Lake District, and a cup of tea and shortbread in Abbotsford.

From the historical sights to the beautiful scenery to the special experiences, this escorted tour of Britain is a great way to sample what Britain has to offer!

Itinerary

Day 1ARRIVE IN LONDON, ENGLAND
Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.

Day 2LONDON
After a hearty English breakfast, morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the Thames River, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister’s Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. The highlight is a visit to ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL (except on Sundays), Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece built between 1675 and 1708. Free time in the afternoon for independent activities or to join an optional excursion to Windsor Castle or the Tower of London with its fabulous Crown Jewels. Later, how about an optional dinner, followed by a cruise on the Thames River?

Breakfast Breakfast
Day 3LONDON–STONEHENGE–BATH
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, and depart at 8 am for a memorable day of sightseeing. First, try to unravel the mystery of prehistoric STONEHENGE. Explore the visitor center with its imaginative exhibitions, then take the shuttle to the stone circle and admire the magnificence of the monument up close. Cross Salisbury Plain and head for the elegant Georgian city of Bath, where you see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. You will also have time to explore the town further on your own. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner
Day 4BATH–STOW-ON-THE-WOLD–STRATFORD-UPON-AVON–LLANGOLLEN, WALES–CHESTER, ENGLAND
Savor vistas of the Cotswolds on your way via the medieval market town of Stow-on-the-Wold to Stratford-upon-Avon. Time here to visit SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE and for pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. The afternoon is dedicated to North Wales. Take a stroll in picturesque Llangollen, home of an annual international contest for poets and musicians. Spend the night at Chester, the historic county town on the Dee River.

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner
Day 5CHESTER–GRASMERE–GRETNA GREEN, SCOTLAND–EDINBURGH
This morning’s walking tour includes the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered buildings, the cathedral, and the two-tiered shopping arcades called the “Rows.” Focus now on the tranquil Lake District, recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Take a break in Wordsworth’s beloved Grasmere, and try original GRASMERE GINGERBREAD. Then, head north for the Scottish border. On the way through the history-steeped Lowland Hills, stop at Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. In Edinburgh, don’t miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis.

Breakfast Breakfast
Day 6EDINBURGH
Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town,” and the famous scientists, inventors, and novelists who lived there. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (when available). The afternoon is free to enjoy the Scottish capital at your own pace. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. For departure numbers 0730 through 0820, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO, a vast spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands that takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.

Breakfast Breakfast
Day 7EDINBURGH–ABBOTSFORD–JEDBURGH–YORK, ENGLAND
First on today’s agenda is a guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s ABBOTSFORD HOUSE. After the tour, enjoy a CUP OF TEA and SHORTBREAD at Ochiltree’s Dining. Melrose Abbey and the ruins at Jedburgh are pointed out on the way to the English border and Northumberland National Park. In York, England’s most complete medieval city, stand in awe in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets including the narrow Shambles.

Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner
Day 8YORK–STAMFORD–CAMBRIDGE–LONDON
Leave Yorkshire and its associations with James Herriot, and drive through the richest farmland in Britain. Pause in the market town of Stamford before arriving in the beautiful university city of Cambridge. Return to London around 3:30 pm. How about a night out on the town with newfound friends?

Breakfast Breakfast
Day 9LONDON
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast Breakfast
Vacation Highlights
LONDON
Guided sightseeing, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral

STONEHENGE
Visit the prehistoric monument

BATH
Visit the Roman relics; welcome dinner

STOW-ON-THE-WOLD
Take a stroll in this Cotswolds village

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
Take pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, visit Shakespeare’s birthplace

LLANGOLLEN
Visit the picturesque village

CHESTER
Walking tour

GRASMERE
Visit Wordsworth’s village; [LF] try original Grasmere gingerbread

EDINBURGH
Guided sightseeing, visit Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace

ABBOTSFORD
Guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s house, then enjoy [LF] a cup of tea & shortbread at Ochiltree’s Dining

JEDBURGH
Take pictures of the abbey ruins

YORK
Walking tour

CAMBRIDGE
Explore the university city

Headsets throughout the tour except London.

July 30 through August 20 Departures–Edinburgh Military Tattoo ticket included