Itinerary Details
CIE Tours: 2024 - 14 Day English Odyssey
Day 1 Arrival | Windsor Castle
Your tour departs at 2:00 PM from your Windsor hotel. Venture to see the splendors of Windsor Castle, a residence of the King, and the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group, and dine and explore this intriguing medieval town as you wish this evening.
Day 2 Blenheim Palace | Cotswolds | Bath
Travel to Blenheim Palace, the magnificent country house once home to Winston Churchill and often seen as the setting for popular TV shows and movies; tour the house and explore the gardens. Set off on a drive through the rolling hills of the quintessentially English Cotswolds; with charming villages and colorful gardens. Arrive in Bath, a striking city of honey-colored Georgian buildings with an ancient heritage. Take a walking tour of the city before visiting the famed Roman Baths. Dine at your hotel this evening.
(B,D)
Day 3 Stonehenge | Salisbury
Visit prehistoric Stonehenge and marvel at the vast monoliths mysteriously erected 5,000 years ago. Head to the medieval city of Salisbury, with free time for lunch and sightseeing. Along with charming local shops, Salisbury boasts a splendid 13th-century cathedral housing the world's oldest working clock. Head back to Bath, where your evening is free to explore and dine as you wish.
(B)
Day 4 Winchester | Portsmouth | Brighton
Visit Winchester, where some say the legendary King Arthur had his roundtable. Then, delve into nautical life at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where you can step aboard some of Britain's most notable ships, and see the Mary Rose, King Henry VIII's favorite ship. Head on to your seafront hotel in Brighton, a friendly, creative city that's been popular as a resort area for centuries. Enjoy dinner with your group.
(B,D)
Day 5 Birling Gap | Royal Tunbridge Wells | Sissinghurst
Visit Birling Gap for a gentle cliff walk. Head to Royal Tunbridge Wells, a delightful old spa town, for some free time to discover its exquisite Georgian and Victorian architecture and charming shops and pubs. Next take a stroll to explore Sissinghurst Castle Garden, one of the finest gardens in England. Head to your hotel for dinner.
(B, D)
Day 6 Canterbury Cathedral | Leeds Castle
Journey to the beautiful city of Canterbury. Take time to explore its medieval center before visiting its imposing cathedral and hearing some of its enthralling tales. Proceed to romantic Leeds Castle in Kent, once called “the loveliest castle in the world”. Tour this storybook structure, complete with a moat, and discover its colorful gardens. Head to London where you'll dine with your group.
(B, D)
Day 7 Kensington Palace | London Exploring
Visit Kensington Palace, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate. Next, savor a light lunch, and then the rest of the day is yours to explore the amazing city of London as you wish.
(B, L)
Day 8 Cambridge American Cemetery | Punting
Depart London and head to the Roman city of St Albans or 17th-century Hatfield House, depending on your departure date. Next, visit the Cambridge American Cemetery, honoring the thousands of American soldiers who gave their lives in World War II. Continue on to Cambridge for a sightseeing trip on the River Cam, as you go punting on a traditional flat-bottomed boat. Your evening is free to explore as you wish..
(B)
Day 9 Lincoln | York
Head to Lincoln, with its towering cathedral and castle overlooking the city. Stop in a pub for a traditional Sunday roast lunch. Arrive in York, an ancient city of narrow cobbled streets, charming tearooms, quaint old pubs, and intriguing medieval churches. Your tour director will bring you on a walking tour, then enjoy the rest of the day free for exploring.
(B, L)
Day 10 Vintage Train Ride | Whitby | York Minster
Journey back in time on a vintage train ride: go from the Goathland Station that portrayed Hogsmeade Station in the first “Harry Potter” film to the old fishing town of Whitby, the setting for Bram Stoker's “Dracula”. Tour Whitby's pretty harbor and cobbled streets with your tour director, then enjoy free time for lunch. Head back to York and visit York Minster, a Gothic cathedral resplendent with medieval stained glass..
(B,D)
Day 11 Yorkshire Drive | Lake District
Take a scenic drive through the lush green splendor of the Yorkshire Dales, pausing in the romantic market town of Richmond. Head on to Keswick, in the famously beautiful Lake District, where you'll have some free time for lunch. Head on to your hotel near the banks of Lake Windermere, and have dinner with your group tonight.
(B, D)
Day 12 Cruise on Lake Windermere | Liverpool
Take a short scenic cruise on England's largest lake, Windermere, seeing mountain vistas, wooded isles, and lakeside villages. Head on to Liverpool, birthplace of the Beatles. Tour this fun, friendly city on foot with your tour director - and you are free to explore for the rest of the day. You might check out the many attractions around the Albert Dock, including the Beatles Story, the Tate Liverpool, and the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
(B)
Day 13 Stratford-upon-Avon | Anne Hathaway's Cottage | Oxford
Head to Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare's hometown. Visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the 500-year-old thatched house, surrounded by gardens, where The Bard's wife was born. Drive to Oxford to discover this storied university city on a walking tour with your tour director. Enjoy a farewell dinner with your group.
(B, D)
Day 14 Tour Ends In Oxford
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner>
