Britain Sampler (GE) - 2013 / 2014

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9 days from London to London

Vacation Overview

Our most popular Britain vacation offers you the best of this great land. A guided sightseeing shows you all the famous landmarks in London: the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and visits to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Changing of the Guard, if held. Head southwest to admire the breathtaking gardens at Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace, then venture on to prehistoric Stonehenge, the Roman excavations of Bath, the Cotswolds village of Stow, Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, and picturesque Llangollen in northern Wales. Continue north through the Lake District, pausing in Wordsworth’s Grasmere and Gretna Green before arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. Admire the Crown Jewels at Edinburgh Castle and explore Holyrood Palace. Traveling south again, visit Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford House, and in medieval York, admire the mighty minster and enjoy a walking tour through the narrow Shambles. Return to London by way of the market town of Stamford and the university city of Cambridge.

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Receive a $200 per couple air credit on all 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe vacations.*

*Book a 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe (excluding Jordan) vacation to receive the $100 per person air credit. Must be booked, under deposit and discount applied between January 9 and June 25, 2013 for travel between January 9 and December 31, 2013. Not applicable on instant purchase air. Applies to coach class only. Air must be purchased through Globus in conjunction with a Europe tour. Air credit will apply to the per person air price and is non-transferable. Offers not valid with any other offer except Journeys Club Repeat Traveler benefit. Applies to new 2013 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. An additional $300 non-refundable deposit is required for air booked in conjunction with a land vacation. Once airfare is confirmed and Globus has received your full air and land deposit, your air-inclusive price is guaranteed. Globus reserves the right to ticket passengers upon receipt of full land and air deposit; Any subsequent changes and/or revisions to airline reservations at your request after receipt of full land deposit are subject to revision fees and/or airline-imposed change or cancellation fees. These fees are a minimum of $300, and in some instances may be up to 100% of the ticket price. In addition, promotional discounts do not carry forward on changed air bookings. However, promotions in effect at the time of the change will apply. Total air price includes all government-imposed taxes and fees applicable at the time of booking. Air price, air tax and security fees are non-commissionable. Additional airline fees for baggage may apply. For the most current airline-imposed baggage fees, please check the following website, www.iflybags.com. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.

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LONDON
Guided sightseeing, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and see the Changing of the Guard, if held

HAMPTON COURT
A special walking tour through the palace’s ornamental gardens

STONEHENGE
Visit the prehistoric monument

SALISBURY
Visit the cathedral city

BATH
Visit the Roman relics; welcome dinner

STOW-ON-THE-WOLD
Take a stroll in this Cotswolds village

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
Take pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, visit Shakespeare’s birthplace

LLANGOLLEN
Visit the picturesque village

CHESTER
Walking tour

GRASMERE
Visit Wordsworth’s village

EDINBURGH
Guided sightseeing, visit Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace

ABBOTSFORD
Guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s house, then enjoy a cup of tea & shortbread

JEDBURGH
Take pictures of the abbey ruins

YORK
Walking tour

CAMBRIDGE
Explore the university city

NOTE:

Edinburgh Military Tattoo ticket included for departures July 29-August 19.

DAY 1Arrive in London, England

Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.

London’s Tower Bridge over the River Thames

Ride the iconic double decker bus in London

The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel

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DAY 2London

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 (except on Sundays) 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? (Breakfast)

Overlooking The Houses of Parliament along the north bank of the Thames River

Westminster Abbey – the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs

Changing of the Guard

"Changing the Guard dates to Henry VII (reigned 1485-1509) and was designed to show military discipline as well as ceremony. The tall bearskin hats were introduced in the 18th century to make the soldiers look taller and thus more frightening, and they were adopted for ceremonial use in 1832. The ceremony we know today started in the late 1800s and involves real soldiers who fulfill all military duties, guarding the Queen being just part of their service."

Tower of London

"Since its founding in the 11th century, the Tower of London has served many roles: impregnable fortress, royal residence, armory, treasury, home of the famed Crown Jewels, and a prison for those who offended the monarchy. To this day it is guarded by the “Beefeaters,” a name that likely originates from when Tower guards were paid part of their salary with chunks of beef, a practice that continued until the 1800s."

Houses of Parliament

"Big Ben may be the most famous feature of the Houses of Parliament, but equally impressive is the hammerbeam ceiling of Westminster Hall. The Hall dates back to 1097 and, at that time, the roof was supported by pillars. During the reign of King Richard II (14th century), however, it was replaced by the hammerbeam roof seen today. This roof – its beauty and sustainability – is even more impressive when you know its history. It was built with beams made from trees that were ancient at the time, reputedly acorns, dating back to the 6th century (or earlier). If only these walls (beams, rather) could talk!"

Buckingham Palace

"Amid the splendor of modern cities it’s hard to imagine what places looked like before they became what we know today. In a previous incarnation, the ground where Buckingham Palace now stands was a mulberry garden cultivated by King James I as food for silkworms. The silk industry he hoped to nurture never materialized, and eventually a roadhouse was built there, followed in due course by the Blake House, Goring House and Arlington House.Originally known as the Buckingham House, built as a townhouse by the Duke of Buckingham in 1709, the estate was acquired by King George III in 1762."

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DAY 3London–Hampton Court–Stonehenge–Salisbury–Bath

Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and depart at 8 am for a memorable 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. Then, westward to the intriguing prehistoric monument of STONEHENGE. Via Salisbury with its magnificent cathedral, the ultimate in Early English Gothic architecture, head for the elegant Georgian city of Bath, where you see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)

The Roman Baths once served as a complex for public bathing

Stonehenge

"Built in several stages starting around 3,000 BC, Stonehenge remains one of humankind’s biggest mysteries. While science is still trying to determine the purpose behind this famous prehistoric monument, it is generally assumed to be some sort of astronomical observatory that reflects the changing trajectory of the sun through the sky and the seasons"

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DAY 4Bath–Stratford-Upon-Avon–North Wales–Chester, England

Savor vistas of the Cotswolds on your way via the medieval market town of Stow-on-the-Wold to Stratford-upon-Avon. Time here to visit SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE and for pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. The afternoon is dedicated to North Wales. Take a stroll in picturesque Llangollen, home of an annual international contest for poets and musicians. Spend the night at Chester, the historic county town on the River Dee. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 5Chester–Lake District–Edinburgh, Scotland

This morning’s walking tour includes the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered buildings, the cathedral, and the two-tiered shopping arcades called the “Rows.” Focus now on the tranquil Lake District, considered to be the finest of England’s national parks. After a break in Wordsworth’s beloved Grasmere, head north for the Scottish border. On the way through the history-steeped Lowland Hills, stop at Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. In Edinburgh, don’t miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. (Breakfast)

View over Auld Reekie in Edinburgh, Scotland

Gretna Green

"There are many legends of love that surround Gretna Green – the first town encountered across the Scottish border. For centuries, Gretna Green has been synonymous with elopement and blacksmith marriages, although marriage by a blacksmith is more legend than fact. Until the 18th century, church marriages among the lower classes in Europe were almost unheard of. Instead, lower class weddings were usually looked at as “marriage by declaration.” When England passed the Marriage Act of 1754, establishing church weddings as the only legal form of marriage, a sudden industry began over the border in Scotland, where couples could still wed by declaration. Scottish “blacksmith priests” began working in pubs and inns and the eloping couples came in droves."

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DAY 6Edinburgh

Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and famous scientists, inventors, and novelists. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (except when the Queen is in residence). The afternoon is free to enjoy the Scottish capital at your own pace. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, once the perfect royal residence for the Queen’s glittering state visits and family holidays. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. For departure numbers July 29 through August 19, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO, a vast spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands that takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. (Breakfast)

The Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh serves as the offical residence of the Queen

The Edinburgh Castle dominating the skyline of Edinburgh, Scotland

Atop the famous Edinburgh rock, the Edinburgh Castle provides panoramic views

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DAY 7Edinburgh–York, England

First on today’s agenda is a guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s newly refurbished ABBOTSFORD HOUSE. After the tour, enjoy a CUP OF TEA and SHORTBREAD at the brand new visitors’ center. Melrose Abbey and the ruins at Jedburgh are pointed out on the way to the English border and Northumberland National Park. In York, England’s most complete medieval city, stand in awe in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets including the narrow Shambles. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 8York–Stamford–Cambridge–London

Leave Yorkshire and its associations with James Herriot, and drive through the richest farmland in Britain. Pause in the market town of Stamford before arriving in the beautiful university city of Cambridge. Return to London around 3:30 pm. How about celebrating with newfound friends with a night out on the town? (Breakfast)

Marvel at the architecture on Londons infamous Big Ben

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DAY 9London

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)

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Transportation

Motorcoach with free Wi-Fi

LONDON Park Plaza Westminster Bridge (SF)
BATH Hilton (F)
CHESTER Mercure Chester East (F)
EDINBURGH Mercure Edinburgh Princes Street (F)
YORK Mercure York Fairfield Manor (F)
LONDON Hilton London Metropole (SF)

Full English breakfast; 3 three-course dinners with choice of menus, including a welcome dinner in Bath

Four Ways Globus Eliminates the Hassles

VIP Access
Skip the lines and get special treatment at the must-see attractions.

Perfect Hotels
We’ve done the work to find just the right hotels in just the right locations.

Tour Directors
Take your heads out of the guidebook and let expert guides make every destination fascinating.

Transportation
Leave the navigating to us – and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

View Offer

Receive a $200 per couple air credit on all 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe vacations.*

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on the Britain Sampler:

City of Bath
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
Stonehenge
Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church

VACATION OVERVIEW
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DATES & PRICES
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OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS