Duration: 13 Days
Experience some of Britain’s fascinating towns as you travel through England, Scotland, and Wales, stopping for overnights in London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Strathpeffer, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Plymouth. Part of the charm of exploring through Britain is seeing the spectacular scenery, and on this Britain tour, you’ll get the opportunity to witness some of its most scenic areas. Travel through Northumberland National Park, with its wide-open spaces and views of endless beauty; Brecon Beacons National Park, with its dramatic landscapes; Dartmoor National Park; and incomparable Snowdonia National Park in Wales, with picturesque villages, mountains, and lakes. Drive through the serene Lake District, England’s largest and finest natural park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On your way to Glasgow, admire some of Scotland’s most stunning scenery, including vast areas of unspoiled wilderness and gorgeous lochs (lakes).
On this tour, you’ll also travel to some of Britain’s charming towns. In Stratford-upon-Avon, explore the town that Shakespeare called home and get a glimpse into life in 16th-century England. Walk through York’s quaint streets with your Tour Director and marvel at England’s most complete medieval city. In Bath, explore the elegant city famed for its excavations of the 2,000-year-old Roman baths. In Plymouth, see the Mayflower Steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked in 1620. Enjoy an orientation drive in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, and sightseeing in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. These are just some of the many highlights of this value-minded Britain tour through England, Scotland, and Wales. Be sure to grab your camera so all you have to do is sit back and relax as you experience these wonderful destinations.
Traveller Notes
Adventure is knocking with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!
Special Departures
Departures August 4 and 18 include the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Please note: Itinerary is based on 2024, and is subject to change. Full details will be confirmed in 2024.
Check into your hotel. In the afternoon, there's time to rest or to start exploring the lively British capital. Uniformed hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.
Today is devoted to exploring on your own or enjoying our exciting optional activities. You may choose to join a Local Guide for an optional morning sightseeing tour of the city's famous landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall's mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister's Downing Street residence, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. The highlight is a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece built between 1675 and 1708. Later, maybe visit Windsor Castle or the Tower of London with its spectacular Crown Jewels. Tonight, we recommend our optional Taste of London excursion with dinner, followed by a guided illumination cruise on the River Thames. (B)
Meet your Tour Director and travelling companions and depart at 8 am for a memorable day of sightseeing. In Oxford, a walking tour shows you the colleges where Britain's elite receive their outstanding education. Then, travel through the lovely Cotswold Hills to Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon. Take photos of Anne Hathaway's Cottage and explore the town at your own pace. Your overnight destination is Leeds. Today's Distance: 263 mi/ 423 km (B,D)
In York, stand in awe in front of the great structure of York Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets, including the narrow Shambles. Take pictures of a section of Hadrian's Wall, then motor through wild Northumberland National Park to the Scottish border. See the Jedburgh Abbey ruins before a late-afternoon arrival in Edinburgh. A suggestion for this evening: enjoy a traditional Scottish night out with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and, of course, the Ceremony of the Haggis. Today's Distance: 270 mi/ 434 km (B)
A full day to enjoy the Scottish capital. Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old "New Town," home to famous scientists, inventors, and novelists. In the "Old Town," visit Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland's Crown Jewels. Afternoon at leisure. Later, consider an optional tour with dinner. For departures August 4 and August 18, tickets are included for tonight's performance of the world-renowned Military Tattoo, a vast spectacle of amassed Scottish pipe bands that takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. (B)
A day of memorable sightseeing: take the elegant Forth Road Bridge to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club has given us the rules of golfing; then, cross the Firth of Tay and, via Dundee and Perth, head into the Highlands, with a stop in the Victorian mountain resort of Pitlochry. Cross the battlefield of Culloden Moor with its memories of Bonnie Prince Charlie, then, via Inverness, head for your Highland destination. Today's Distance: 221 mi/ 335 km (B,D)
Look out for signs of the mysterious Loch Ness monster and proceed via Fort William, beneath Ben Nevis. Glen Coe, where the MacDonald Clan was massacred in 1692, and a drive along the "Bonnie Banks" of Loch Lomond are scenic highlights on the way to Glasgow. Today's Distance: 176 mi/ 283 km (B,D)
South through the history-steeped Lowland Hills and a visit to Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Drive through beautiful scenery in the Lake District, considered to be the finest of England's national parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. End the day in Liverpool, of Beatles fame, once the departure port of the great transatlantic liners. You may wish to join an optional city tour this afternoon. Today's Distance: 240 mi/ 386 km (B)
A day dedicated to the mountainous beauty of North Wales. After a stop in pretty Betwsy-Coed, drive over spectacular Llanberis Pass and through Snowdonia National Park to Caernarfon, where the castle saw the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales. Then, follow the coast road via the walled town of Conway back to Liverpool. Today's Distance: 185 mi/ 298 km (B)
First stop today is in the pretty market town of Ludlow, before heading back into Wales and Brecon Beacons National Park, land of salmon rivers and the Welsh mountain pony. Finally, head through "The Valleys," whose iron ore and coal were the raw materials for the Industrial Revolution, to the Welsh capital. Here, an orientation drive introduces you to the major attractions: Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, Millennium Stadium, and the stately civic buildings. Tonight, why not join an evening of Welsh entertainment and dinner? Today's Distance: 181 mi/ 301 km (B)
Leaving Wales, cross the Severn Bridge for a visit to the elegant Georgian city of Bath, famed for its Roman relics, before heading into the romantically scenic West Country and Glastonbury with its King Arthur associations. In the heart of Dartmoor National Park, visit quaint Widecombe-in-the-Moor, the ghostly setting for Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles". Finally, in Plymouth, hear about Sir Francis Drake and see the Mayflower Steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked in 1620. Today's Distance: 197 mi/ 316 km (B)
On the final leg of your journey, take in Thomas Hardy's Wessex and visit prehistoric Stonehenge to admire the magnificence of the monument from up close and explore the visitor centre with its imaginative exhibitions. Return to London around 3 pm. How about celebrating the success of your tour with a night out on the town? Today's Distance: 218 mi/ 351 km (B)
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
