Great Flavors of Britain:

Transcription

1 13 Days/12 Nights Departs Wed. Jun.-Sep. from London Great Flavors of Britain: London, Cornwall, Cotswolds, York & Edinburgh This is the ultimate tour of Britain for foodies. From London to Cornwall, from York to Edinburgh you'll explore local food markets, discover London's affinity for chocolate, fish for your lunch off the English coast, learn the secrets of pairing tea with cheese, tour and sample at gin and scotch distilleries, and visit three brewpubs. Along the way you'll explore some of Britain's historic sites. ACCOMMODATIONS 3 Nights London 2 Nights Cornwall Region 1 Night Cotswolds Region 3 Nights York 3 Nights Edinburgh

2 INCLUSIONS Private Borough Market Food Walking Tour Mayfair Chocolate Tour London Oyster Card London TripBuilder CityGuide Private Transfer London to Cornwall with Tour of Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery en route Catch & Cook Fishing Trip Private Transfer Cornwall to Cotswolds with Tour of Glastonbury Abbey en route Private Transfer Cotswolds to York with Robin Hood Tour of Nottingham en route Cheese & Tea Pairing Workshop Private Yorkshire Breweries Tour 1st-Class Rail from York to Edinburgh with Seat Reservation Edinburgh Food Safari Walking Tour Seafood & Scotch Full-Day Tour Daily Breakfast ARRIVAL IN LONDON: Claim your bags and make your way to your hotel on the Underground, using your Oyster Card. You have the rest of the day to explore London on your own. (Accommodations, London) LONDON: Private Borough Market Food Walking Tour: Today you'll explore one of London's oldest and largest food markets, located in the historic district of Southwark on the south side of the Thames. Using your Oyster Card, travel to London Bridge Tube Station, then walk across the bridge to the Market, only a few blocks away. Start with drinks and pastries at one of the chic restaurants in the Market, where you'll meet your guide Celia. She will take you on an exclusive tasting tour of the Market, showing you the best of the food and wines including fine cheeses and fresh seafood as you hear the rich history of this fascinating Marketplace. After your 3-hour tour you have the rest of the day to explore on your own. (Breakfast, Light Lunch on Tour, & Accommodations, London) LONDON: This morning you travel on your own to #9 Conduit Street, the starting point for your

3 Mayfair Chocolate Tour. As you meet your guide you'll be given a rich hot chocolate to savor, as you learn some of the history of chocolate in London, and also of the chic neighborhood of Mayfair. As you visit some of the famous chocolatiers of London you'll sample Queen Elizabeth's favorites and other specialties of the finest chocolate boutiques. After your 3-hour tour, you should be sated with chocolate and ready to walk off some of the calories by continuing to explore London. (Breakfast & Accommodations, London) LONDON TO CORNWALL: Today you'll have a private car transfer to Cornwall in Southwest England. Along the way, stop at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire to visit the Bombay Sapphire Distillery. First up is a self-guided tour with an interactive map, followed by a 15- minute guided tour of the still house, and concluding with a complementary drink at the mill bar. Then continue on to Cornwall to your next hotel. (Breakfast, London; Accommodations, Cornwall) CORNWALL: This morning you'll head to Plymouth Harbor to begin a 3½-hour Catch & Cook Fishing Trip. You'll head out to sea to fish for mackerel; once you've caught a sufficient number, the boat will head for a nearby reef or shipwreck, where you'll fish for other species such as herring, whiting, cod, and pollock. After your fishing excursion, you can relax and have your catch prepared, cooked, and served to you at The Boathouse Café, along with bread, fries, and salad. (Breakfast, Lunch on Tour, & Accommodations, Cornwall) CORNWALL TO COTSWOLDS: Today you'll have a private transfer from Cornwall to the Cotswolds, an area of beautiful stone villages between Oxford and Stratford. Along the way you'll stop for a tour of Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset. Once one of the largest and most prosperous abbeys in Britain, it was burned to the ground by Henry VIII. According to legend, King Arthur and Guinevere are buried in the abbey. After the tour, your transfer continues on to your overnight stop in one of the Cotswold villages. (Breakfast, Cornwall; Accommodations, Cotswolds)

4 COTSWOLDS TO YORK: Today you'll have a private transfer from the Cotswolds to York. You'll stop en route at Nottingham for a Robin Hood themed visit of the city. Learn many of the myths associated with Robin Hood as well as the history of the city. Continue on with your transfer to York, the second-most visited city in England. (Breakfast, Cotswolds; Accommodations, York) YORK: This morning you'll have a most enjoyable experience. Walk to 16 Gillygate at the appointed hour. This is the address of Love Cheese, York's favorite cheese monger. Here you will have a guided tasting of 8 different teas, matched with 8 different cheeses provided by Love's. At the end of the afternoon you'll have a thorough understanding of the differences between white, green, black, oolong and Pu'er teas, and will have unlocked the secrets of pairing cheese and tea. You'll be guided through each tasting by local tea and cheese connoisseurs. (Breakfast & Accommodations, York) YORK: Today you will have a chance to sample one of the products for which Yorkshire is famous beer via a guided tour of three local breweries. Your tour begins at 11:30am when you're picked up at the York Rail Station. You'll see some beautiful countryside as you visit three local breweries selected for their excellent products. This 3½-hour tour will make you an expert on Yorkshire brews! You have the rest of the day to continue your exploration of York. Be sure to see York Minster, one of the greatest cathedrals in Britain (and the recently excavated Roman Forum underneath the cathedral). (Breakfast & Accommodations, York) YORK TO EDINBURGH: This morning, take your first-class train coach on the 2¾-hour journey to Edinburgh. The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh has offers a mixture of old and new, along with many historic sites such as Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood House and Arthur's Seat. After finding your hotel, you'll have the rest of the day to explore the city on your own. (Breakfast, York; Accommodations, Edinburgh)

5 EDINBURGH: The morning is free for exploration of Edinburgh. Don't fail to see Edinburgh Castle, with its dramatic setting overlooking the city. Walk the Royal Mile from the Castle to Holyrood House, a royal palace. At 2 p.m. meet at the designated location on Broughton Street for your three-hour Safari Walking Tour of the city. This area of the city has been characterized as "somewhat bohemian" it certainly is eclectic. In the past few years Broughton Street has attracted a wave of independent shops, bars, restaurants, and cafés and you'll explore many of them, grazing your way through several food and drink stops rather than having lunch in one place. You'll even sample some Scottish gin in an underground tartan furniture store...not to mention scones with jam and clotted cream, and of course a wee dram of single malt Scotch! (Breakfast, Lunch on Tour, & Accommodations, Edinburgh) EDINBURGH: Scotch and Seafood in a Day: This full-day tour starts in the morning from your hotel. Your driving guide will meet you at 9:30 and take you to the pretty lochside village of Balmatha, on the shores of Loch Lomond, one of the most beautiful lakes in all of Great Britain. You'll board the motor vessel Luss Explorer for a short cruise across the lake to the picturesque village of Luss. Stroll through the village and perhaps do some shopping at the handicraft or clothing stores. Then head for the Luss Seafood Bar where a Seafood Platter awaits, featuring a fine selection of Scottish seafood, including local smoked seafood (drinks not included). After lunch, your driving guide will take you to the beautiful Glengoyne Distillery, where you will see how single malt whisky is made and you'll have the opportunity to sample a wee dram. Following this tour, your driving guide will return you to your Edinburgh hotel. (Breakfast, Lunch on Tour, & Accommodations, Edinburgh) DEPARTURE: After breakfast, it's time to start your journey home or continue on to your next Avanti destination! (Breakfast, Edinburgh)

6