London Theatre

Day 1 – London

Depart for London.

Day 2 – London

Welcome to England!! Your private bus and driver will escort you on a London City Tour to see Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus. Also visit the renowned Westminster Abbey, site of numerous royal weddings and coronations. The first King crowned at Westminster was William I in 1066. Highlights include the Coronation Chair and Screen, the monument of the Unknown Warrior and Poet’s Corner with its monuments to Chaucer, Milton, Longfellow, Hardy, Thomas, and other literary notables.

Day 3 – London

Tour Windsor Castle with its beautiful architecture. This afternoon visit Covent Garden. Designed by Inigo Jones and modeled after the piazzas of Italy, Covent Garden today is a wonderful, lively spot. Enjoy the fabulous street performers, such as jugglers and pantomimes. See the Bow Street Magistrates Court, home of the Bow Street Runners. This evening, enjoy a West End theatre performance.

Day 4 – London

Discover the largest city in Europe with your advisor today. This evening you’ll attend another smashing theatre performance.

Day 5 – London

The original Globe Theatre (1599) enjoyed its heyday during Shakespeare’s time, but burned down when a cannon heralding the arrival of Henry VIII ignited the thatched roof. Today you can visit the Globe Museum which houses a unique collection of material, including scale models, on the evolution of the Bankside Elizabethan theatre. Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition tells the story of William Shakespeare’s workplace and of the extensive research which has gone into the design and authentic reconstruction of this “Wooden O.” Then take a guided tour of the magnificent British Museum. Among the major works on display is the Rosetta Stone. Discovered in Egypt in 1799, this tablet allowed linguists to finally decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics after thousands of years of mystery. Other highlights include the Lewis Chessmen, the galleries of Egyptian funerary archaeology and an Beatles exhibit.

Day 6 – London

Explore London with your advisor today. Perhaps you’d like to visit magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral, or venture to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. You may wish to take advantage of an optional excursion: Drive through picturesque Cotswold villages to Stratford-upon-Avon, famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The Bard is believed to have been born here April 23, 1564.

Day 7 – London

Take a backstage tour of the Royal National Theatre and the Barbican (Royal Shakespeare Company). The Royal National Theatre is the nation’s flagship theatre for excellence. Visit Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and after dinner attend a Royal Shakespeare Company Performance.

Day 8 – London

A free day for explorations. Optional: Journey to the mystical past with a visit to Stonehenge. While contemplating the sculptural majesty of Stonehenge, your mind is crowded with questions. Travel on to Bath, a town famous since Roman times for its mineral baths and hot springs. It also has elegant Georgian architecture, history, beautiful scenery and grand terraces of mellow stone houses. You’ll tour the Roman Baths and the ancient Pump House.

Day 9 – Depart

Bid a reluctant farewell to historic Britain and her many majestic theatres.