FIT Tour in England and Wales (10 days)

Arrive London

Upon arrival at the airport you are met in the arrivals hall by your representative and privately transferred to your hotel.

This morning, an expert local guide and chauffeur are waiting to meet you for a full-day sightseeing tour of London. You start by visiting the Tower of London, home of the ‘Beefeaters’, where you get to see the dazzling Crown Jewels. You also gain excellent views of Tower Bridge from the Medieval Palace. Proceed to St. Paul’s Cathedral, rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Head along the south bank of the River Thames, and enjoy a flight on the London Eye, from the top of which you enjoy spectacular views of the city. Cross over to Westminster to the Houses of Parliament and ‘Big Ben’, one of the iconic symbols of England. Visit Westminster Abbey, the National Church of England that has been the scene of many state occasions, including the Coronation. Continue down Whitehall and past Downing Street to Trafalgar Square, where the National Gallery of Art is overshadowed by Nelson’s Column. Finally, return to your hotel, driving past Buckingham Palace, the King's official residence in London. The staterooms of the palace may be visited in August and September.

This morning you meet your driver-guide for a full-day excursion by private vehicle to the Kent countryside that lies to the south of London. Drive to Leeds Castle, one of the most romantic old castles in the United Kingdom. Lovingly restored, it is home to a magnificent collection of medieval furnishings, paintings, tapestries and treasures, and is situated on two small islands in a lake. Take a delightful walk along a flat path, or, for guests who are physically challenged, there is a small mini-coach available.

Drive from here across the hills of the North Downs to Canterbury, England’s first cathedral city, with historic buildings and narrow streets. As you wander through the lanes, admire the architecture of this unique town. Your highlight is Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of the world’s Anglican Communion. Walk through the soaring nave to the site where St. Thomas Becket was murdered, then make your way around the chancel to see the colorful ‘corona’, cloisters and chapter house.

Meet your driver-guide this morning for a full-day journey into the English countryside. Head first to Oxford, home to England’s oldest university, where you can take a walk through the impressive buildings that are still home to the university’s main ceremonial and educational functions.

Proceed to Woodstock, stopping at Blenheim Palace for a tour. This home of the Duke of Marlborough, designed by the architect Vanbrugh, was the birthplace of wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill. A vast park, landscaped by Capability Brown, surrounds the palace.

Afterwards continue to your hotel in the delightful English village of Lower Slaughter.

Your driver-guide leads you on a full-day excursion around one of the most quintessentially English parts of the country. Your first stop is Stratford-upon-Avon, the market town that is revered as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Visit the house where the playwright was born, right in the heart of the town centre, and visit Ann Hathaway’s Cottage, in the nearby village of Shottery. You may also wish to visit Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is buried. The church lies on the banks of the Avon, beyond the world-famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

This afternoon see the famed cottages and villages built out of the honey-coloured limestone that is so characteristic of the region in places such as Chipping Campden, Burford and Bourton-on-the-Water. You may also make an appointment to view works of art and antiques in the renowned galleries of Broadway and Stow-on-the-Wold

This part of the world is also renowned for its traditional English pubs and tea rooms. Take time to enjoy a pint of local ale with a ploughman’s lunch, or try an afternoon cream tea in quaint old-fashioned surroundings.

Your driver-guide takes you on a full-day north into Derbyshire, where the Peak District National Park is located. Here visit Chatsworth House, the home of the Duke of Devonshire, renowned for its fine art collection and exquisite formal gardens. Then cross the Peak District National Park and drive north to your hotel in Yorkshire, a property owned by the Duke himself and set in an idyllic location at the end of the scenic Wharfedale Valley, not far from Bolton Abbey.

Your day excursion with your driver-guide starts with an exploration of one of the most historic English cities. Visit York Minster, the largest medieval cathedral north of the Alps, and browse around the stores of the quaint streets, including the Shambles. You may also walk on the ancient walls that circle the city.

This afternoon you may prefer to take an excursion into the countryside surrounding York. Castle Howard is a fine mansion in the hills to the east of the city. With its large landscape garden, it was used as the setting for the television adaptation of ‘Brideshead Revisited’.

Leave Yorkshire this morning and head south with your driver-guide. Your route takes you through the Worth Valley, an area that is famed for its association with the Bronte Sisters. Stop in the small town of Haworth where this literary family lived at the parsonage with their father.

Continue from here past Manchester to the historic city of Chester. On arrival, take a walking tour of the city centre. Chester is the only town in England to preserve a complete circuit of medieval walls, from which you can walk and see the site of the Roman amphitheatre. Inside the walls, you can visit the colourful sandstone cathedral, or browse the medieval half-timbered shopping arcades called ‘The Rows’.

Today your driver-guide leads you on a full-day excursion into North Wales. Head west to the fortified town of Conway, where you witness the impressive town walls and ruined castle. Travel along the Vale of Conway into the Snowdonia National Park, driving through breath-taking scenery. The Llanberis Pass takes you down to Caernarfon, where Edward I’s sizeable castle dominates this largely Welsh-speaking town.

Time permitting, you may visit the Italianate village of Portmeirion. This ‘ideal village’ was created by architect Clough Williams Ellis to demonstrate how people should be able to live in beautiful surroundings. It is possible to arrive at the village by a miniature steam train on the Ffestiniog railway, one of the small trains built to carry slate from the surrounding mountains down to the ports.

Today you are privately transferred to Manchester airport for your departure flight.