London & Country

Welcome to London! Meet your Tour Director upon arrival at your hotel. Free time this afternoon before joining your travel companions at 5 pm for a welcome dinner, followed by a [LOCAL FAVORITE] private, narrated cruise on the Thames River. (D) LOCAL FAVORITE Experience a leisurely cruise on the gentle Thames River. In the company of a Local Guide, enjoy a unique look at London as you glide serenely on one of England’s most important rivers, flowing from the Cotswold Hills to the North Sea.

The Royal Treatment Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes sights of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, the Prime Minister’s Downing Street residence, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, and a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The remainder of the day is free to explore England’s capital city. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT England’s national treasure of St. Paul’s Cathedral is home to a spectacular array of art–from delicate carvings to gilded dome murals and modern works of art. As the seat of the Bishop of London, the cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London, where notable services have been held, including jubilee milestones for Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, and funerals of luminaries like Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

On the Town in London Today, you are free to continue to explore London at your own pace or join one of the optional excursions available. In August and September, there’s the opportunity to visit Buckingham Palace and stroll through the magnificent State Rooms, used by the Royal Family, for ceremonial occasions and official entertaining. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT Double-decker buses, Piccadilly Circus, London Bridge, British pubs, and sweet shops are waiting to be discovered with a leisurely day in London town. Find your hideaway in Hyde Park’s lush gardens or find styles to suit your fancy in some of Britain’s most famous boutiques in Mayfair, Kensington, or Chelsea.

Country Charm & Classmates Set out for an exciting day of sightseeing. In Stratford-upon-Avon, visit Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall and see where one of the world’s greatest playwrights was educated. Enjoy free time in this Elizabethan town before a drive through the picturesque villages and idyllic rolling landscapes of the Cotswolds. The final highlight is a walking tour through the university city of Oxford, viewing the colleges and dreaming spires! (B) LOCAL FAVORITE If “the play’s the thing,” then this is the place where the world’s greatest playwright began his education. Find your seat during a fun visit to the schoolroom where a young William Shakespeare sat in the 1570s to learn the power of language. Also, discover Stratford’s Guildhall, where it is believed he watched plays performed by the finest actors of the day.