Celebrating 70 Years
Of Great Vacations

ESCORTED COACH TOURS - BRITAIN

From $2,334
(Including Land & Air)

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• London Theater Evening
• Ruthin Castle Banquet
• Scottish Cabaret & Dinner
• Stonehenge & Roman Bath
• Brecon Mountain Steam Train
• Snowdonia & Caernarfon Castle
• Lake District & Trossachs
• Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Click on the phrases below for full details:

• Your Day-by-Day Itinerary
• What Your Tour Includes
• Your Hotels
• Departure Dates & Rates
• 55 & Smiling Discounts
• Early Payment Discount
• General Conditions for All Tours

"The British Elegance tour that we went on in June was great. The best thing was that we spent two nights everywhere — and even three in Edinburgh. The hotels and evening shows were excellent. So we are already planning our vacation to Ireland for next year. Top marks to CIE Tours!"
~ Mary & Robert P., Milwaukee WI

Day 1 - Sun: Depart for London
Depart U.S. on an overnight flight to London. Relax with inflight meals and entertainment.

Day 2 - Mon: London Arrival
Land in London, pass immigration control and pick up your luggage. Take an independent coach transfer to your city center hotel. Your hotel is located in the Bloomsbury section of London, near the British Museum and shops of Oxford Street. The balance of the day is free to rest after your journey or do some sightseeing on your own. In the evening meet your tour guide and fellow travelers over a welcome drink in your hotel.

Day 3 - Tue: London Tour & Theater
An orientation tour of the city center will introduce you to some of London's famous landmarks. Start with a visit to majestic St. Paul's Cathedral to learn about its history and monuments to famous people. Follow the narrow streets of the "city", London's high finance district, and see Nelson's Column with the famous lions in Trafalgar Square. Drive through Piccadilly Circus and pass the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben and nearby Westminster Abbey. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure and attend a popular West End show with your group in the evening. (CB)

Day 4 - Wed: Stonehenge & Bath
Depart London and travel west to Salisbury Plain to visit Stonehenge, rings of prehistoric monoliths that arouse much curiosity as to how and why primitive peoples erected such huge stones. Continue to Bath, popular since Roman times for healing waters and revived in the Regency period, when many elegant houses were built. Take a drive around the town and visit the Roman Baths and Pump Room to see the hot springs. See the pool and many chambers that date back 2,000 years. After some leisure time to walk around the town center, drive to the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and check into your hotel. (CB, D)

Day 5 - Thu: Cardiff & St. Fagans
Start the day with a short panoramic tour of central Cardiff. Stop for a guided tour around Cardiff Castle, a Norman castle built on the site of a Roman fort. The castle underwent extensive renovations in the 19th century. See chambers containing elaborate paintings, tapestries and colorful carvings. Then drive to the outskirts of Cardiff to visit St. Fagans, the Museum of Welsh Life. Walk around the farmhouses, Elizabethan manor, smithy, tannery and gardens to learn about many Welsh traditions throughout the past centuries. Return to Cardiff where the afternoon is at leisure. (B, D)

Day 6 - Fri: Wales & Medieval Banquet
Travel north today passing Caerphilly Castle and the Rhondda Valley, the coal mining region of Wales. Near Merthyr Tydfil take a vintage steam train ride through the gentle hills of the Brecon Beacons National Park and the scenic Taf Fechan Reservoir. Drive to Llandrindod Wells and stop to explore this Victorian spa town before continuing your journey through the attractive Welsh countryside dotted with farms. Drive to Chester to check into your hotel. This evening enjoy the jollity of a medieval banquet at Ruthin Castle. (B, D)

Day 7 - Sat: Chester & Caernarfon Castle
Depart your centrally located hotel on a short walking tour of Chester to see the medieval city walls, Roman remains and black-and-white Tudor buildings. Motor along the coast of North Wales past Conwy Castle to visit Caernarfon Castle. In 1283 Edward I built this massive fortress to show his strength over the defeated Welsh. Travel along the Pass of Llanberis and through Snowdonia National Park where the highest mountains in Wales are grouped. Stop in the typical Welsh town of Betws-y-Coed before returning to Chester in time to relax before dinner in your hotel. (B, D)

Day 8 - Sun: Lake District & Edinburgh
Today drive north past Merseyside, made famous by the Beatles in the 1960s. Travel through the Lake District, a scenic region popular with painters and poets, especially William Wordsworth. Stop in Grasmere where Wordsworth's grave is located. See the pretty towns of Windermere and Keswick and the delightful lakes shimmering between gentle hills. Continue across the Scottish Border to the Moffat Woollen Mills in the heart of the pastoral Southern Uplands. On arrival in Edinburgh check into your hotel, ideally situated in the Georgian "New Town." Enjoy dinner in your hotel and perhaps take a walk afterwards. (B, D)

Day 9 - Mon: Edinburgh City Tour
Explore the two main parts of the city center on a morning tour. Near your hotel drive through the Georgian "New Town" with spacious houses, streets and parks. Then discover the old medieval city around the Royal Mile. Visit Edinburgh Castle which soars over the surrounding city and contains many interesting buildings. The afternoon is free for independent activities. In the evening a Scottish cabaret in your hotel will introduce you to local specialties, including haggis, neeps and tatties, followed by rousing entertainment. (B, D)

Day 10 - Tue: Wallace Monument & Trossachs
Drive north to Stirling to visit the Wallace Monument which honors Sir William Wallace who united Scots against English rule in the 12th century. Known as "Braveheart," he was made popular by the film of the same name. Climb to the top of the tower for panoramic views. Travel through the Trossachs, often referred to as the "Highlands in miniature." Stop in Callandar, a town in the center of this delightful region, and enjoy a stroll around. Return to Edinburgh where you are free to dine independently this evening. On July 28 to August 11 departures see the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo which takes place on the Castle Esplanade. (B)

Day 11 - Wed: Scottish Borders & York
Travel south through pleasant farming country and part of the Borders Forest Park. Stop to view a section of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans to keep out the unruly Scots. Continue to York and check into your hotel. An afternoon walking tour around the center is the best way to appreciate the narrow streets and medieval houses. See the Shambles where the overhanging roofs almost form an arch across the street and end your tour with a visit to York Minster, the largest cathedral in Britain. (B, D)

Day 12 - Thu: Warwick & Anne Hathaway's Cottage
This morning travel south to visit Warwick Castle. Take a guided tour to see the highlights of this enormous stronghold which dates from medieval times and is also a stately home. Continue a short distance to Stratford-upon-Avon. A few miles outside the town tour Anne Hathaway's Cottage, owned by the family into which Shakespeare married. Then drive into Stratford-upon-Avon and check into your hotel. Enjoy some free time to look around the town before dinner. If you are interested in drama you may like to check availability of tickets to the Royal Shakespeare or Swan Theatre. (B, D)

Day 13 - Fri: Cotswolds & Stratford-upon-Avon
This morning drive through the Cotswolds, a region of profitable sheep farming during the Middle Ages. Today it is famous for quaint villages built of golden limestone. Travel to the villages of Stow-on-the-Wold and Broadway and stop to admire picture-perfect stone houses surrounded by manicured gardens. Return to Stratford-upon-Avon to enjoy an afternoon at leisure. The River Avon and the center of the town are within easy reach of your hotel. You may wish to visit Shakespeare's Birthplace to learn about his life and walk through his house which is furnished in the style of his day. (B, D)

Day 14 - Sat: Depart for Home or London
For those of you on our 14-day program this is the final day of your tour. Transfer by coach to Heathrow Airport to arrive by 10:00 am or Gatwick Airport by 11:30 am. Lucky passengers on our 15-day tour will be transferred to your London hotel for check in and the balance of the day is at leisure for independent activities. (B)

Day 15 - Sun: Depart for U.S.
Transfer to the airport by coach. Allow plenty of time to reach the airport to check in for your return flight and perhaps do a little duty free shopping. (CB)

What Your Tour Includes

14 days/12 nights/21 meals or 15 days/13 nights/22 meals

• Round trip flights between U.S. & London
• Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
• Airport transfers at start and end of tour
• Services of a professional tour director
• Local guides in London and Edinburgh
• Superior first class hotels with private bath/shower for 12 or 13 nights
• 10 full breakfasts (B) and 2 or 3 continental breakfasts in London (CB)
• 9 dinners (D) including    
  - Medieval Welsh banquet at Ruthin Castle   
  - Scottish cabaret and dinner in Edinburgh   
  - 7 table d'hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Theater evening in London
• Steam locomotive trip on the Brecon Mountain Railway
• Walking tours of Chester and York
• Reserved seats for Edinburgh Military Tattoo on departures July 28 to August 11
• Visits and admissions to St. Paul's Cathedral, Stonehenge, Roman Baths and Pump Room, Cardiff Castle, St. Fagans, Caernarfon Castle, Moffat Woollen Mills, Edinburgh Castle, Wallace Monument, Hadrian's Wall, York Minster, Warwick Castle and Anne Hathaway's Cottage
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

Your Hotels

Stay at the following (or similar):

• Hotel Russell, London (2 nights)
• Marriott Hotel, Cardiff (2 nights)
• Chester Moat House Hotel, Chester (2 nights)
• Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh (3 nights)
• Moat House Hotel, York (1 night)
• Moat House Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon (2 nights)
• Hotel Russell, London (1 night - 13 night tour option only)

Departure Dates & Rates

55 & Smiling Discounts

Save $75! All departure dates with a bullet in the chart above qualify for the 55 & Smiling discount.

Early Payment Discount

Inclusive air prices reflect savings of between $85 & $170 per person when airfare is paid at least 90 days prior to departure. Book early and save. For travel from Chicago ask about special airfares with Aer Lingus.

General Conditions for All Tours