This amazing tour takes in England, Scotland and Wales in the space of ten days. On the first day, you leave London early in the morning and drive to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Here you can see Anne Hathaway’s cottage and explore the town before carrying on to Coventry. This is the city where Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets on horseback. Much of the city dates from the middle 20th century since it had to be rebuilt after World War II bombings. Then it is northwards to Leeds.
The next day you travel to York to see the famous York Minster, and then drive northwards again through Northumberland National Park where you can see a section of Hadrian’s Wall. Then it is across the Scottish border where you will see the house of Mary, Queen of Scots, and travel on to Edinburgh. Here you will no doubt want to enjoy that most famous of Scottish dishes, the haggis while being entertained by Highland dancers and the bagpipes.
You spend the whole of the next day exploring Edinburgh and have the opportunity to visit the former Royal Yacht Britannia and see how the Royal family, together with the crew of 240, lived on board.
The next day you cross the Forth Road Bridge to St Andrews, which is the home of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. Then it is up to the Highlands to spend the night in Britain’s largest national park, the Cairngorms. You then visit the battlefields of Culloden Moor, Inverness, and drive by Loch Ness, home to the fabled monster. Spend the night in Glasgow.
The next day you drive down through the Lowlands via Gretna Green and wonder at the amazing scenery of the Lake District. The night is spent in Liverpool, home of The Cavern, where the Beatles first played. On the following day, you take a trip through the stunning mountains of North Wales, via Snowdonia National Park, to Caernarvon, Conway and back to Liverpool.
Next, it is on to Chester with two amazing black and white half-timbered buildings, and two-tiered arcades called the “Rows.” Then visit Ludlow, before driving back into Wales and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Then you drive through the mining towns until you come to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.
The next day you cross the Severn Bridge and visit the elegant city of Bath, before visiting the West Country and Glastonbury, home to one of the biggest music festivals in the world. Then see Dartmoor National Park and Widecombe, and finish the day in Plymouth to see the Mayflower Steps and learn about Sir Francis Drake.
On the final day, you will visit Stonehenge and Salisbury where you can see the cathedral with the tallest spire in the country, and then return to London.
The best time to take this holiday is during the spring, summer, and early autumn since the weather can be damp and quite miserable in winter, especially in Scotland.
When you make this trip, you will certainly want to taste the traditional English meal of fish and chips and that other fine tradition of roast beef. However, the three countries are home to many different nationalities, and there are a huge number of ethnic restaurants, especially Indian and Italian.