The Best of Southern England 2012

Tours | Globus family of brands | London | Europe | England | Wales

Itinerary:

Day	Description	View All +
Day 1	Arrive in London, England. Uniformed Globus hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.	View Details +
Day 2	London. 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 River Thames, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister’s Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL and the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. 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, maybe an optional dinner followed by a cruise on the River Thames? (B)	View Details +
Day 3	London–Hampton Court–Oxford–Stratford-Upon-Avon . Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart at 8 am for a lovely day of sightseeing. First, a special visit to admire the breathtaking ORNAMENTAL GARDENS of Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace. Your Tour Director will take you on a walk to see the Great Vine, Pond Garden, Privy Garden, and the flower borders of the Great Fountain Garden. Drive through Runnymede, site of the sealing of the Magna Carta, then, take a stroll in Oxford to see the colleges where Britain’s elite receives its outstanding education. Arrive in Stratford-upon-Avon in good time to take your pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and visit SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (B,D)	View Details +
Day 4	Stratford-Upon-Avon–Broadway–Bath. A particularly scenic day. Enjoy vistas of the Cotswold Hills as you motor to the Elizabethan village of Broadway. On to Wales for a drive through the beautiful Wye Valley and pictures of the romantic ruins of 12th-century Tintern Abbey. Cross the 3,240-foot Severn Road Bridge, and in elegant Georgian Bath, see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS with time to explore further on your own. This evening, consider an optional excursion to the picture-book 13th-century village of Castle Combe. (B)	View Details +
Day 5	Bath–Stonehenge–Salisbury–Brighton. Try to unravel the mystery of prehistoric STONEHENGE on the drive across Salisbury Plain, then stroll through the picturesque city of Salisbury with its magnificent cathedral, the ultimate in Early English Gothic architecture. Pause in the town of Arundel, dominated by its huge castle, home of the Duke of Norfolk, before arriving in the Regency seaside resort of Brighton. A unique highlight: a tour of the exotic ROYAL PAVILION, the lavish oriental palace built for the Prince Regent in the early 1800s. (B,D)	View Details +
Day 6	Brighton–Tunbridge Wells–London. Start the day with a visit to Royal Tunbridge Wells, a beautiful Georgian spa town, on your way to magnificent moated LEEDS CASTLE, which Lord Conway called “the loveliest castle in the world.” Take a leisurely stroll in the landscaped gardens, and admire the lavish state apartments where international summit meetings have been hosted. Return to London around 3:30 pm. How about celebrating the end of your vacation by taking in one of the great West End shows? (B)	View Details +
Day 7	London . Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)	View Details +

Highlights: LondonGuided sightseeing, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and see the Changing of the Guard, if heldHampton Court A special walking tour through the palace’s ornamental gardensOxfordVisit the university cityStratford-Upon-Avon Take pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, visit Shakespeare’s birthplace; welcome dinnerBroadway Visit the picturesque Cotswold villageTintern Abbey Take pictures of the abbey ruinsBathVisit the Roman relicsStonehengeVisit the prehistoric monumentSalisburyVisit the cathedral cityArundel Admire the Duke of Norfolk’s castleBrighton Royal Pavilion tourTunbridge WellsLeeds CastleVisit the mighty, moated castle and gardensNotes: PRICE DETAILS: Dates and prices do not include international air travel. When planning your trip, allow one extra day before tour date for travel between the USA and Europe.Prices based on double room occupancy.Single room supplement: $425Triple room reduction per person: $34Extra nights per person in London:April: in single room $152, in twin room $87, in triple room $82May-October: in single room $244, in twin room $151, in triple room $143July 27 to August 12: in single room $370, in twin room $230, in triple room $220What's Included: MEALS: Full English breakfast (B); 2 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus, including a welcome dinner in StratfordHOTELS: Full English breakfast (B); 2 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus, including a welcome dinner in Stratford