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Experience the
festive season in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.
7 Day Tour
Day 1
Arrival in London, England
Check into your hotel where your tour director
will be waiting to welcome you. The rest of the day is free for you to
relax and enjoy the hotel’s amenities or start exploring the lively
British capital, festively decorated for the Christmas season. At 6 p.m.
meet your traveling companions for a welcome drink and dinner hosted by
your tour director. (D)
Day 2 London
After a hearty
English breakfast, morning sightseeing with a professional London guide
includes all the famous landmarks: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace
and the area’s splendid museums, Knightsbridge with Harrods, the
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, and
Westminster Abbey. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL and
the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, if held. The afternoon
is free for you to sightsee or browse along nearby Oxford Street,
London’s dazzling mile-long shopping attraction. Tonight maybe take in
a play at a West End theater. (FB)
Day 3 At Leisure in London
A free day for independent activities and with so much to see and do,
your tour director will have useful advice. Your hotel is centrally
located and finding your way around on London’s buses and underground
trains is easy. Maybe a trip to the Tower of London with its fabulous
Crown Jewels, or a visit to Harrods, the opulent department store that
looks its best at Christmastime. As the daylight fades, stroll down
Regent Street with its spectacular illuminations, then head for
Piccadilly Circus and into Trafalgar Square to see the Christmas tree.
And tonight a special treat might be a carol concert or one of the
seasonal productions of The Nutcracker. (FB)
Day 4 London -
Oxford - Stratford-upon-Avon
A leisurely departure for Oxford where your
tour director takes you on a walk to see the colleges where Britain’s
elite receives its outstanding education. In quaint Elizabethan
Stratford-upon-Avon an orientation drive acquaints you with this
historic market town. Take your photos of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and
visit SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE. Time this afternoon to explore at your
own pace as you savor the festive atmosphere and window shop along the
High Street. Why not join your tour director later for an optional drive
to a cozy country inn nestled in the Cotswold Hills for drinks with the
locals and a tasty supper? (FB)
Day 5
Stratford-upon-Avon. Visit to Warwick Castle
A short drive brings you to mighty medieval
WARWICK CASTLE where a costumed guide greets you on arrival. After a
complimentary coffee and mince pie, choose which of the castle’s
attractions to visit first: the Great Hall and State Rooms beautifully
decorated for the season; the Royal Weekend Party depicting the
splendor of the Victorian period when Daisy, Countess of Warwick,
counted royalty and future prime ministers in her guest list; Kingmaker
–taking you back to a medieval household preparing for battle in the
year 1471. All are freely open for you to explore for the rest of the
morning before you join the revelry at a special Christmas lunch in the
castle’s The Last Judgement Undercroft . After free time back
in Stratford why not check out ticket availability at the Royal
Shakespeare Theatre; your tour director will assist. (FB, L)
Day 6
Stratford-upon-Avon - London
Back in London, the afternoon is free for that last-minute
Christmas shopping. A unique finale to a great week: at famous
SIMPSON’S-IN-THE-STRAND enjoy dinner in the Grand Divan Restaurant
where your entrée is served by tradition from a silver trolley. To
round off the evening, the best seats have been reserved at Her
Majesty’s Theatre for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spectacular original
London production of the highly acclaimed musical Phantom of the
Opera. (FB, D)
Day 7 Homeward
Your homebound flight arrives
the same day. (FB)
Price Per Person - Call for current
rates.
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