-Day 1 Start tour
Day 2 Hello London
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Details: London city walk
Step outside your hotel for a stroll through the heart of the English-speaking world. In this city of nearly seven million, you'll see everything from 12th-century fortifications to modern skyscrapers, royal parks to street art. Your Tour Director will lead you to some of the most famous sites. Walk along the Thames River. Cross Trafalgar Square. See bustling Piccadilly Circus. Pass trendy shops and cafés in Bohemian Soho on your way to Covent Garden, a 13th-century fruit and vegetable garden transformed into a maze of narrow streets and pedestrian walkways burgeoning with street performers, open-air markets and boutiques
Details: National Gallery visit
Located in an impressive domed building right in Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery houses a rich collection of over 2,000 works of art dating from the mid 13th century to 1900. Explore the beautiful marble hallways to see famous paintings by Van Eyck, Turner and Van Gogh.
Details: Enjoy a local snack
Immerse yourself in the local culture by enjoying a traditional British snack carefully chosen by your Tour Director.
Details: Classic fish & chips dinner
Nothing's more British than fish and chips-there are eight fish and chips shops ("chippies") for every McDonald's in the county. Head to an authentic pub with your Tour Director for a taste of this national food, generally served with malt vinegar.
Day 3 London landmarks
Details: London guided sightseeing tour
Join a licensed local guide for an in-depth look at London, from the royal haunt of Buckingham Palace (the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth II) to the slightly more democratic Speakers’ Corner of Hyde Park, where anyone can pull up a soapbox and orate to his heart’s content. You’ll see the changing of the guard (season permitting), the clock tower of Big Ben with its 14-ton bell, and Westminster Abbey, where almost every English king and queen since William the Conqueror has been crowned. After a stop at the Houses of Parliament, continue on to the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral, the masterpiece of London architect Christopher Wren.
Details: Shepherd's pie dinner
Try a true classic British meal - the ultimate meat and potato combination. Traditionally made with leftover roast meat, shepherd's pie is made with fresh minced or ground beef or lamb, along with mashed potato and peas. Tuck in!
Day 4 London
Traditional high tea
Details: Cricket lesson at Lord's Cricket Ground
Try your hand at this traditionnal British bat-and-ball game first played in southern England in the 16th century. You might find some similarities with baseball! With Lord's trainers leading the session, learn the basics of cricket, and play your own game, taking turns catching, fielding and bowling drills.
Details: William & Kate's Kensington Palace visit
Kensington Palace, former home of Queen Victoria and Princess Diana, was recently confirmed as the new official residence of Prince William and Kate. The Palace recently underwent a glamorous £12 million makeover to rediscover its "sleeping beauty". Be amongst the first to explore new exhibitons, dazzling gardens and the brand new education center.
Details: West End theatre performance
End with a night at the theater. You'll see a play in the West End, the British version of Broadway, with London's 40-or-so professional theaters, as well as restaurants, shops and cafés. Please note that theater performances may be moved to alternate days due to availability.
Day 5 Brighton
Details: Visit Royal Pavilion
Built for the Prince Regent, later King George IV, in stages between 1787 and 1823, the Royal Pavilion is remarkable for its exotic oriental appearance both inside and out. This magnificent royal pleasure palace was revered by fashionable Regency society and is still a distinctive landmark for vibrant Brighton & Hove today.The Royal Pavilion is also home to some of the finest collections and examples of the chinoiserie style in Britain.
Details: Pub dinner
The pub (short for Public House) is a British institution home to Britain's working class. With their quirky names (Sir Loin of Beef, The Hand and Hammer or The Cat and Custard Pot), cosy, comfortable seating and Olde Worlde charm, a visit to the pub is a must! Enjoy a traditional British dinner amongst the locals.
Day 6 London
Hop-on-hop-off river cruise to Greenwich
Details: Camden Market visit
The old favourite, Camden Market, is back in fashion: grunge alongside modern, amusing trends in design: clothing, jewellery and Doc Martens. Enjoy mixing with London's punks and Goths - you can relax over a coffee or smoothie with a view of the canal. Camden lock was a busy place for the shipping business till it died out. This meant there were lots of big storage warehouses that were left empty when the boats left. It was into this space that in the 1970s the original Camden Market was born, as an arts and craft market. Since then it has blossomed and grown and now attracts crowds from all over the world and so has become a tourist attraction as well as a market.
Details: Greenwich tour director-led sightseeing
Following your cruise on the river Thames down to Greenwich, let your tour director take you on a walking tour of Greenwich located in South London. See historical sights including Greenwich Market, Old Royal Naval College, National Maritime Museum, the Cutty Sark tall ship and the world-famous Greenwich Royal Observatory. Enjoy some free time in one of London's greenest areas.
Details: Pie & mash dinner
Tonight for dinner enjoy a truly British authentic meal in a historical restaurant. In 1890 Albert Goddard founded the first pie and mash shop and one of his restaurants is still open today in Greenwich (since 1952). This traditional authentic working class meal is still very popular with the locals. Enjoy a pie (ground beef) with mashed potatoes and while you're waiting, try some jellied eels, typically served with Pie & Mash. Go on, give it a go!
Day 7 London
Details: London street art tour
Take a guided tour of London's thriving street art scene. Follow your guide through the trendy neighbourhoods of Shoreditch and Brick Lane in East London and discover art work by world famous artisits such as Banksy, Stick, Roa or Eine. You will learn about the different techniques used (stencils, mosaic tiles, stickers, etc) as well as understand some of the messages behind this form of expression. The London street art scene is ever changing making this tour a truly unique, cutting-edge and exciting tour so make sure you capture the moment with your camera.
Details: South Bank tour director-led sightseeing
Head to the South Bank of the river Thames today to discover one of the locals' favorite popular cultural hot spots. From the bustling, foodie-heaven of Borough Market in London Bridge to the Tate Modern Museum, your Tour Director will take you on a walking tour down the pedestrian path alongside street artisits and musicians. Catch a glimpse of the impressive Shakespeare Globe and take a walk over the Millenium Bridge built just over a decade ago.
Details: Tate Museum of Modern Art visit
Take a walk back through time and experience the major historical events of the 20th century through the great artwork of Picasso, Warhol, Pollack and more at the Tate Modern in London.
Details: Curry dinner
The history of Indian food in Britain is now almost four hundred years old and today the country is home to some of the best Indian food in the world. Today, traditional meals like Fish & Chips are matched in popularity by curry dishes. Sit down to a delicious authentic Indian meal for dinner tonight. Taste different dishes with fragrant spices to understand why Indian food is one of the nation's favorites.
Day 8 End tour
-Day 8 Start extension to Paris
Paris city walkÎle de la Cité, Notre Dame Cathedral visit, Île St. Louis, Latin Quarter visit
Enjoy a Macaron at Ladurée
Details: Eurostar Chunnel crossing
Take the Eurostar under the English Channel. Faster than you can say... anything, in French, you'll whiz through a tunnel and arrive in Paris.
Details: Paris city walk
This city was made for walking. Stroll grand boulevards with sweeping views of the city, pristine parks with trees planted in perfect rows, and narrow streets crowded with vendors selling flowers, pastries and cheese. Then head to the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine, to see Notre Dame Cathedral.
Details: Crêperie dinner
Tonight for dinner, enjoy a speciality from the Brittany region of France: crepes. Creperie restaurants are very popular in Paris and you will be able to choose from the variety of toppings (ham, cheese, egg, peppers, spinach, cream--or a combination!) to create your favorite savory crepe (called "galette") before you enjoy a local favourite: a sweet crepe served with chocolate, fruit or jam.
Day 9 Paris
Paris guided sightseeing tourArc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, École Militaire, Les Invalides, Conciergerie, Tuileries, Place Vendôme, Opera House
Boeuf Bourguignon dinner in Montmartre
Details: Paris guided sightseeing tour
What's that huge white arch at the end of the Champs-Élysées? The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz. Your licensed local guide will elaborate on this, and other Parisian landmarks. See some of the most famous sites, including the ornate, 19th-century Opera, the Presidential residence, the ultra-chic shops of the Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, and the gardens of the Tuileries. You'll pass the Place de la Concorde, where in the center you’ll find the Obelisk of Luxor, a gift from Egypt in 1836, and the Place Vendôme, a huge square surrounded by 17th-century buildings. Spot chic locals (and tons of tourists) strolling the Champs-Élysées. Look up at the iron girders of the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. See Les Invalides (a refuge for war wounded), the École Militaire (Napoleon's alma mater), and the Conciergerie (the prison where Marie Antoinette was kept during the French Revolution).
Details: Montmartre tour director-led sightseeing
The steep hilly area of Montmartre has been associated with artists for years. The name Montmartre is attributed to the many martyrs that were tortured and killed here.
Day 10 End tour
Tour Includes:
- Round-trip airfare
- 6 overnight stays (8 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms
- Full European breakfast daily
- Dinner daily
- Full-time services of a professional Tour Director
- Guided sightseeing tours & city walks as per itinerary
- Visit to select attractions as per itinerary
- Tour Diary™
- Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
- Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Please visit our Fees FAQ page for a full list of items that may not be included in the cost of your tour.
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