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12-Day UKI England, All Ireland, Scotland's borders and Wales
Tour Price: £417+ £127.00 Kitty.
Please note the tour price also covers your accommodation and breakfast in Ireland BUT DOES NOT COVER your flights and airport transfers and any additional night stays between individual tours. Please ask the office for more details.
Day One
Heading North West from the ancient Roman city of Londinium (London), we travel North West to Oxford, England’s first University and film location for Harry Potter. Get a full walking tour of the city's famous University colleges and absorb the fantastic architecture and history. Learn about England’s struggle with religious differences and how the English Language, one of the most widely used in the world today, was formed.
Then off to Sherwood Forest, home to one of England's most famous medieval characters, Robin Hood. The forest is a dream to explore and with a picnic lunch you will feel like one of the Merry Men. Have a go at long bow archery (this opportunity varies), the most formidable weapon in the medieval English army, before we make our way to Viking York!
A chance to explore the awesome gothic cathedral (England's largest), the Medieval city walls and the sights and sounds of the lively city centre. Learn about our Viking past and enjoy our unique, fun, Viking feast. Experience a spine tingling ghost walk through York’s fascinating cobbled streets followed by a rally of traditional pubs. Learn about pub culture in England and have a sample of some real English Ale……A great first day we think you will agree!
Day Two
Heading further North we take a brief stop in the University city of Durham, with a spectacular castle and Norman style cathedral, it is home to our venerable Bead. One of our very first historian after the Romans departed, he gave some light to our dark ages and Anglo Saxon history. St Cuthbert is also buried here, one of our early saints with an unusual story to tell.
A big Angel of the North experience awaits! (the largest angel statue in the world) then we cross the River Tyne and into Newcastle, home of football and beer, (and a bit of Sydney Harbour bridge connection). From Newcastle we attack Hadrian’s Wall, an epic construction built by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago and the largest structure they ever concieved. Take in the spectacular views through our first of five national parks, the Northumberland National Park. It's goodbye to England and Scotland ahoy as we break through the border! . A pause for lunch at Jedbergh, a historical border town with an amazing abbey ruin and also once home to Mary Queen of Scots.
After lunch we head further north for our grand entrance to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital.
A Full walking tour of Edinburgh awaits you by a Scottish walking tour guide and a bit of whisky tasting, ‘the water of life’. Explore the Royal Mile and Edinburgh castle before we settle down to a bit of Haggis, Neaps and Tats (an optional traditional Scottish food)!
The rest of the evening is spent at your leisure enjoying a fantastic night out.
Don't forget there are some spectacular festivals that happen in Edinburgh IE; The Edinburgh Fringe Festival showing all thats best in comedy and performance, and the Edinburgh Royal Military Tatoo...ask the office for more details.
Day Three
Depart from Edinburgh we head back into England. We have time
for a quick call into Gretna Green where the Ironmonger performs
a shotgun wedding! Once you are married, what better way to spend
your honeymoon than a tour around the spectacular Lake District
National Park (the largest National Park in Great Britain) and
try out some of our great optional activities.
Have a chance to kayak, row or motorcruise
the lakes or even Wakeboard!. Visit an amazing waterfall, the
highest pub in the Lakes, and the largest lake in the Lakes, Windermere!
In the summer months, the chance for a lakeside BBQ.
Afterwards we travel south for a rocking
night in the city of Liverpool. Get some Beatles Mania down at
the Cavern Pub.
You hop off the Road Trip tour bus here and catch a flight over to Ireland to experience the fantastic Emerald Isle with Paddywaggon. Please ask the office for details of all your travel arrangements required.
Day
Four, five and Six
This morning you will head out on the 3-Day South tour with Paddy
Wagon Tours. You’ll visit the world famous Cliffs of Moher,
Clonmacnoise and kiss the magical Blarney Stone.
We stay in vibrant, musical Killarney and an action-packed night
in Mediaeval, cosmopolitan Galway - Ireland’s seaside Party
Town! The highlights will include Rock of Cashel photostop, Tour
Cahir Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Fun-filled Killarney,
Bog of Allen, Burren: Eerily haunting limestone landscape, Clonmacnoise:
Ireland’s Golden Age Celtic Crosses and much much more.
On your return to Dublin you will be taken to Paddy’s palace.
Day
Seven
Have a day in Dublin – you could catch the open top bus
tour taking in the sites including the Guinness brewery, Trinity
college and both of the amazing cathedrals or just chill out –
it is up to you – you will spend another night in Paddy’s
Palace this evening.
Day
Eight, Nine and Ten
This morning, again with Paddywagon Tours you will set off on the 3 day North tour where you will be introduced to local guides and characters and customs of both the Ulster Irish and Ulster British communities. Downtown Belfast is amazing and the glorious Glens of Antrim are an absolute Irish paradise with Bonnie Scotland in full view 12 miles away. We bravely cross the famous Rope Bridge and see the eighth wonder of the world, the Giants Causeway, before storming formidable Dunluce Castle. Absolutely fantastic photography awaits you on your walking tour of Derry, city walls and scene of ‘Bloody Sunday’ in 1972. Be seduced by the charm and atmosphere of Derry on our overnight stay! With breathtaking scenery, genuine and warm locals, unspoiled landscapes and a living history, ‘Norn Iron’ is a real travellers paradise.
This evening you will catch the late flight back to Liverpool and meet the Road Trip crew back at the International Hostel
Day Eleven
After breakfast we take a trip down to the famous Liverpool Docks, and cross the Mersey River and into Celtic Wales.
We continue West to Conwy – with it's impressive fairy tail 13th century castle overlooking Conwy Bay. A chance for you to discover the inner workings of a medieval fortress! Learn about the English invasion of Wales and how the Welsh language, the oldest surviving European Language still thrives. Visit Llanfairpwllgwngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. (the longest place-name in the western world) and get your passport stamped and most importantly, get lunch!
We delve deeper into the stunning Snowdonia National Park - (the second largest National Park in Great Britain) and our third national park on this tour, dominated by the highest peak in England and Wales - Mt Snowdon (3560 ft). See the famous Welsh slate mines, ‘that roofed the industrial world’ and go in search of Gellerts Grave, hear the tale of Prince Llewellyn, the last 'true' Prince of Wales, and an opportunity for some homemade Ice cream (April-October).
We continue further south on a stunning drive through the heart of Wales and eventually find ourselves at our 4th National Park of the trip. The awesome Brecon Beacons, a stunning lanscape with breathtaking views. This is also where we find our CASTLE to stay in for the night. An amazing 19th Century building steeped in history and haunted to the hilt! The castle also offers great facilities with full use of gym and a hot tub/spa included.
Why not try an optional evening activity of a horseriding across the Brecon Beacons or a beautiful walk through the castle grounds followed by a relaxing soak in the hot tub/spa....WOW!
Day Twelve
We set off early and drive out of Wales and into the spectacular Cotswolds National Park- our 5th national park on this epic journey. Learn about our ancient English wool trade and spend some time in a Cotswolds village before arriving in Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon. We drive you round the historic city taking in the key places of interest of England and the worlds finest playwrite and poet. Time to sit back and reflect on the weeks tour with a relaxing lunch break by the River Avon, watching the swans meander by, all before heading back to London for late afternoon. We aim to get you back for around 16.30 hrs.
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