British Icons and Legends

Your Tour Manager will meet you upon arrival in England. Drive to Warwick Castle for a visit of England’s best preserved medieval fortress. Then continue on to Stratford-upon-Avon where you will have a look at Trinity Church, where Shakespeare regularly attended church! Afterward, transfer to your hotel and check in. A tour briefing before dinner will introduce you to the highlights ahead and the musical diversity you will experience in Britain; from Purcell, Vaughan Williams, and Elgar to the Beatles and Rolling Stones! Enjoy dinner before having a good night’s sleep! (D)

This morning, after an early breakfast, attend the 9:00 mass at St George’s Church, Worcester. Later, drive to Elgar’s Birthplace and the Elgar Centre to learn about his life and work. Discover the people and places which inspired him, and his enthusiasm for the early days of recording. Among the many items and mementoes, you will see his gramophone, Victorian and Edwardian photographs, manuscripts, music scores, letters, and concert programs. Then immerse yourselves in Elgar and his works including the Enigma Variations, inspired in part through walks in the Malvern Hills surrounding this area. Drive back to Worcester to visit the cathedral tombs and attend Evensong before returning to Stratford for dinner together. (B,D)

After breakfast, visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Continue north to the Roman city of Chester, one of the United Kingdom’s famed walled cities. The area recently discovered a scaled-down version of the Roman Colosseum built around AD 100! Enjoy an introductory walk of the central attractions with your Tour Manager and check in to the hotel. Enjoy dinner together this evening. (B,D)

Today, enjoy a full day excursion to Liverpool, the home of the Beatles and one of Britain’s most important port cities. Your Tour Manager will present a diverse history of the city’s famous and infamous past and how it has influenced the world. You’ll take a `ferry across the Mersey’ and visit the Beatles Story and learn about the lives of the ‘Fab Four’ from simple childhood upbringings to worldwide stardom. After lunch on your own at the Albert Dock, you’ll take an afternoon Magical Mystery Tour! Enjoy some free time around Matthew Street before having dinner in Liverpool and heading back to Chester. (B,D)

Following breakfast, you will journey south to England’s capital and one of the greatest cities in the world. En route, you will stop in Oxford, for lunch on your own. Entrance is included to Christ Church for you to explore on your own. Continue to London and on arrival, check in to the hotel. Dinner will be in a local restaurant. Tonight, see a theater performance in London! (B,D)

This morning, enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of London with a local guide. Highlights will include the Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. In the afternoon, visit the British Library to see an unrivaled collection of treasures including the Magna Carta, and music scores by Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Mozart, Handel. Don’t forget to check out the handwritten lyrics by John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney, and the offerings by Leonardo da Vinci and Shakespeare! Later this afternoon, enjoy a ride on the London Eye! Dinner. (B,D)

On your final day, you will break into smaller groups and explore London using your Oyster Card tube pass. There will be a special farewell dinner tonight and a concert at the Royal Festival Hall to end your musical tour through England. (B,D)

Transfer to the airport for return flight to the United States. (B)