Itinerary
Day 1. Monday, June 23 2008 Fly from USA
Day 2. Tuesday, June 24 Meet this morning at Manchester Airport. Coach transfer to Chester. After checking into our rooms, take some time to recover with a nap and a shower followed by a late afternoon walking tour of the town. Dinner and overnight in the Westminster Hotel (+44 01244 317341), Chester.
Day 3. Wednesday, June 25 8:30 a.m. depart hotel, arrive Wroxeter at 10:00 for short visit of this Roman town. Depart Wroxeter at 11:00, arrive Bliss Hill Victorian Village at 11:30. Visit includes entrance to the Victorian Village. Lunch is available at the village. 13:30 depart Bliss Hill, arrive 13:45 at Iron Bridge, where the Industrial Revolution began. 14:00 depart for Cosford RAF Museum. 16:30 depart Cosford for Chester. Dinner and overnight in Chester.
Day 4. Thursday, June 26 Check out of hotel in time for 9:00 a.m. departure, arrive Conwy at 9:30. We will see Conwy Castle, the road and rail bridges, Plas Mawr and the smallest house. Depart Conwy at 14:00, arrive Llandudno at 14:30. 14:40 departure on the Great Orme cable car at Llandudno. 17:00 depart Llandudno for Betws-y-Coed. Dinner and overnight in the Royal Oak Hotel (+44 01690 710219), Betws-y-Coed.
Day 5. Friday, June 27 Depart hotel at 8:30, arrive Llanberis at 9:00. Depart 10:00 a.m. on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, returning to Llanberis at 12:30. Depart Snowden Mountain Railway, arrive Slate Museum at 13:00 for visit and lunch (not included). At 14:00, depart on boat trip on Lake Pardarn and the end of which we will be picked up by our coach at 15:00 to depart for Electric Mountain. After visit Electric Mountain, a huge power station built inside an old slate cavern, we will return to Betws-y-Coed. Dinner and overnight in Betws-y-Coed.
Day 6. Saturday, June 28 Depart hotel at 9:30, arrive Llechwedd Slate Cavern at 10:15. Depart Slate Mine at 11:15 for Blaenau Ffestiniog to to depart on the steam train to Porthmadog at 11:45. We will arrive at Porthmadog at 13:00. After lunch (independent), depart at 14:00 to drive to Caernarfon to visit the castle and town. Depart Caernarfon at 16:45, arrive Betws-y-Coed at 17:30. Dinner and overnight in Betws-y-Coed.
Day 7. Sunday, June 29 Depart hotel at 9:30 for 10:00 visit of Bodnant Gardens. 12:00 departure, arrive 12:45 at Penrhyn Castle. Depart Penrhyn at 16:00, arrive Betws-y-Coed at 16:30. Dinner and overnight in Betws -y-Coed.
Day 8. Monday, June 30 9:00 a.m. check out of hotel, coach transfer to Bowness on Lake Windermere. After noon arrival, check in, and lunch (independent), take boat across Lake Windermere followed by steam train ride to Haverthwaite. The coach will pick us up and bring us back to our hotel. Dinner and overnight in the Burnside Hotel (+44 (0) 8700 468640), Bowness.
Day 9. Tuesday, July 1 9:00 a.m. departure for morning circular drive of the lakes to Coniston Water. Lunch (independent) at Ambleside with possible visit to Wordsworth Museum. Return to Windermere at 14:30, afternoon free (optional visit Beatrix Potter museum). Dinner and overnight in Bowness.
Day 10. Wednesday, July 2 9:00 check out of hotel and drive to Perth via Ullswater. Arrive Perth, Scotland, at 15:00. Dinner and overnight in the Queens Hotel, (+44 01738 442222), Perth.
Day 11. Thursday, July 3 9:15 depart hotel for and all day excursion. 9:30 visit Sterling Castle. Depart Sterling Castle at 12:00, arrive Falkirk Wheel at 12:45. Boat trip using the wheel begins at 13:10, ending at 14:00. Depart Falkirk at 14:30, arrive Hopetoun House, the largest stately home in Scotland, at 15:00. Depart Hopetown House at 16:45, arrive Queensferry at 17:00 After dinner at Queensferry, depart at 19:00 for hotel. Overnight in Perth.
Day 12. Friday, July 4 Depart Perth station at 9:55 by train, arrive Edinburgh station at 11:16. Upon arrival, we will walk across the street and get on a “hop on, hop off” bus which will serve as transportation for the day. 16:33 departure from Edingburgh, arrive Perth station at 17:55. Dinner and overnight in Perth.
Day 13. Saturday, July 5 Depart hotel at 8:30 for Inverness. On our way we will first stop at Edradour Distillery at 9:30. At 10:30 we will depart for Blair Castle, arriving at 11:00. We will depart at 12:45 and arrive at Aviemore at 14:15. There we will take a steam train trip on the Strathspey Railway, departing at 14:45. The train ride lasts until 16:15 and then we will continue by coach to Inverness, arriving at 17:30. Dinner and overnight in The Royal Highland Hotel (+44 1463 231 926), Inverness.
Day 14. Sunday, July 6 Morning free to poke around the town. Depart Inverness at 11:00 for coach excursion to to the castle at Eilean Donan, the most photogenic castle in Scotland. We will return to Inverness on the northern loop road and should be back in Inverness about 17:30. Dinner and overnight in the Royal Highland Hotel, Inverness.
Day 15. Monday, July 7 Check out of hotel at 9:00 and first take the Loch Ness Cruise at 10:00. Depart for Glasgow at 13:00. On our way we will drive down the length of Loch Ness, past Fort William, and then past Loch Lomond. We should arrive in Glasgow around 18:00. Overnight in the Holiday Inn Glasgow Airport, +44-870-4009031
Day 16. Tuesday, July 8 Return flights to USA