Wizards & Bards

Day 1 – London

Jet off to the land of Wizards and Bards!

Day 2 – London

Welcome to England! Your private bus and guide will escort you on a London City Tour. See Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, and Australia House, “Gringott’s Wizard Bank” in the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Visit formidable Westminster Abbey, the site of royal weddings and coronations for many centuries.

Day 3 – London

Tour Windsor Castle, weekend retreat of the royal family, and the largest castle in Europe still occupied. See the Round Tower built by Henry II, the State Apartments and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. Tonight, follow the crooked, cobbled alleyways of the East End on the Jack the Ripper Tour. An expert guide will spirit you back to an era of fog-filled Victorian horror and help you unravel the truth about London’s notorious serial killer.

Day 4 – Bath

Take a guided tour of the magnificent British Museum, where the history of civilization awaits you. Among the major works on display are the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and the Elgin Marbles “stolen” from the Parthenon in Greece. Enjoy a magical Theatre Performance at one of London’s historic West End theatres this evening.

Day 5 – Stratford-Upon-Avon

Transfer through the West Country with a tour of Stonehenge; a journey to the mystical past. Make a stop at 13th century Lacock Abbey in North Wiltshire, another movie site from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Continue to the Georgian city of Bath, one of Britain’s most elegant towns, famous since Roman times for its mineral baths and hot springs. Drive along the Royal Crescent and visit the Roman Baths and the ancient Pump House.

Day 6 – Edinburgh

Journey through the lovely Cotswold Hills, with a stop at Gloucester Cathedral, the fabled “Hogwarts” (used as the entrance to Griffindor, Harry’s dormitory, in the movie). Arrive in the renown Birthplace of the Bard (1565). A guided Stratford City Tour takes you inside Shakespeare’s birthplace, to Anne Hathaway’s cottage in the picture-postcard village of Shottery.

Day 7 – Edinburgh

Travel north to Scotland and stop to see Durham Cathedral, a location used in filming scenes of Hogwarts school of wizardry and witchcraft in the Harry Potter movie. Pass Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. Arrive in the striking city of Edinburgh, known as the Athens of the North. Option: If time permits, visit Wedgwood Story in Stoke, England, and see the processes involved in creating the world-famous china.

Day 8 – Edinburgh

Explore Scotland’s capital on a guided City Tour that includes the highlights and a visit to dramatic Edinburgh Castle, then a drive along the Royal Mile to view Holyrood House, official residence of the Scottish Monarch, home to Mary Queen of Scots. Also tour a Wool Mill to learn about the development of wool spinning, knitting and weaving skills Option: Dine on traditional Scottish fare tonight and be entertained by folk dancing, fiddles and pipes at a special Celidh Dinner.

Day 9 – Edinburgh

Transfer to the airport and fly home, with the magic of Great Britain and the wisdom of her wizards and bards alive in your memory for years to come.