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Britain in Depth A complete panorama of England, Scotland, and Wales Tour GA — 15 days from London to London

TOUR GA — 15 days from London to London

Day 1, Fri. LONDON-MAIDSTONE. Meet your tour director and traveling companions and depart at 9 a.m. from the Novotel, Shortlands, London W6, for a memorable day in Kent, the "Garden of England." Your first highlight is a visit is to CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL, England's Mother church where you hear about Thomas a Becket and the Black Prince. Then lots of time to explore LEEDS CASTLE which Lord Conway described as "the loveliest castle in the world." Admire the lavish state apartments, which have hosted international summit meetings, and take a leisurely stroll in the magnificent gardens. Before dinner tonight at your nearby hotel join your tour director for a toast to happy touring with a congenial group. (D)

Day 2, Sat MAIDSTONE-SOUTHAMPTON. First stop: elegant Royal Tunbridge Wells then, at the Regency seaside resort of Brighton, a specialist guide explains the splendid ROYAL PAVILION. Catch glimpses of Arundel Castle as you head for Portsmouth. Yet more highlights: visit the NAVAL MUSEUM and let a Royal Navy expert show you around HMS VICTORY, Lord Nelson's flagship at the battle of Trafalgar. Spend the night at Southampton, England's main port for passenger cruise ships. (FB,D)

Day 3, Sun. SOUTHAMPTON-PLYMOUTH. First this morning take a break in Salisbury for a look at its vast cathedral, the ultimate in Early English Gothic. Via the intriguing prehistoric monument of STONEHENGE head further into Thomas Hardy's Wessex. Drive across wild and romantic Dartmoor with a visit to the picture-book village of Widecombe in the Moor. Upon arrival in Plymouth hear about Sir Francis Drake and see the Mayflower Steps where the Pilgrims embarked in 1620. Tonight maybe join an optional outing to a local inn. (FB)

Day 4, Mon. PLYMOUTH. CORNWALL EXCURSION. A day full of West Country sights. Cross Bodmin Moor, setting for Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn, then take a stroll in the popular seaside resort of St. Ives. Follow the rugged Atlantic coast to take your photos at Land's End before viewing St. Michael's Mount, rising boldly out of the sea. Head back out of the county of Cornwall via the cathedral city of Truro. (FB,D)

Day 5, Tue. PLYMOUTH-CARDIFF, WALES. Visit Glastonbury and hear about its associations with King Arthur. In the elegant Georgian city of Bath see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS. Cross the impressive Severn Road Bridge on your way to Cardiff, capital of Wales. Your orientation drive features Cardiff Castle, Cathays Park, and the stately civic buildings. Tonight is your chance to sample traditional Welsh fare and entertainment. (FB)

Day 6, Wed. CARDIFF-STRATFORD. Head north into "The Valleys," whose iron ore and coal were the raw materials for the Industrial Revolution. On through Brecon Beacons National Park, land of salmon rivers and the Welsh mountain pony. After a break in Hereford, call at the ROYAL WORCESTER PORCELAIN FACTORY showrooms on the way to Stratford-upon-Avon. On arrival your orientation includes visits to ANNE HATHAWAY'S COTTAGE and SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE. (FB,D)

Day 7, Thu. STRATFORD. EXCURSION TO THE COTSWOLDS AND OXFORD. Take your photos in the pretty villages of Chipping Camden, Stow-on-the-Wold and Burford, nestled in the picturesque Cotswold Hills. In Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, take a stroll to see the colleges where Britain's elite receives its outstanding education. Pay tribute to one of the giants of recent history at Sir Winston Churchill's burial place in Bladon before returning to Stratford to explore the town further at your own pace. (FB)

Day 8, Fri. STRATFORD-CHESTER-RUTHIN, NORTH WALES. First highlight today: Ironbridge, cradle of the Industrial Revolution. Later, on your walking tour of Chester, see the Roman remains, black and white half-timbered buildings, the cathedral, and the two-tiered arcades called the "Rows." Time for shopping and exploring more of this fine city at your own pace before driving back into Wales to historic Ruthin Castle, where you spend the next two nights. (FB,D)

Day 9, Sat. RUTHIN. NORTH WALES EXCURSION. A day dedicated to the mountainous splendor of North Wales. Follow the coastal road via the walled town of Conway to Caernarvon where the castle saw the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales. Then a scenic drive through Snowdonia National Park, over spectacular Llanberis Pass and via pretty Betws-y-Coed for a stop at PENMACHNO WOOLLEN MILL to shop for Welsh handicrafts. After a break in picturesque Llangollen, home of an annual international contest for poets and minstrels, return to Ruthin via Horseshoe Pass. (FB,D)

Day 10, Sun. RUTHIN-GLASGOW, SCOTLAND. Focus on the tranquil Lake District, one of England's finest national parks. After a break in William Wordsworth's beloved Grasmere, head north for the Scottish border. On the way through the history-steeped Lowland Hills, a glimpse of Gretna Green and a shopping stop at Moffat Woollen Mill. Spend the night in Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. (FB,D)

Day 11, Mon. GLASGOW-ISLE OF SKYE-INVERNESS. Follow the "Bonnie Banks" of Loch Lomond and enter the Highlands. Wild Rannoch Moor; Glen Coe, where the MacDonalds were treacherously massacred; lovely Loch Linnhe; and Fort William beneath Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, are on the agenda this morning. Follow the scenic "Road to the Isles" and at Mallaig board your ferry to sail across the Sound of Sleat to the Isle of Skye. Here visit the CLAN DONALD CENTRE for an insight into 13 centuries of Clan history. Return to the mainland and take your photos of Eilan Donan Castle, then watch out for the mysterious monster as you trace the shores of Loch Ness. Overnight in Inverness, the Highland capital. (FB,D)

Day 12, Tue. INVERNESS-EDINBURGH. Cross the battlefield of Culloden Moor, then visit a WHISKY DISTILLERY, where your guide explains the ancient art of converting barley, water, and yeast into a heart-warming liquor. On to BALMORAL CASTLE, the Queen's residence during the hunting season. (Before May I, and after July 31 when the Royal Family is in residence, visit CRATHIE CHURCH instead.) Drive through Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years, and in the afternoon travel via Dundee to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club has given us the rules of golfing. Continue through Fife and over the mighty Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh. (FB)

Day 13, Wed. EDINBURGH. A full day to enjoy this "Prince of Cities." Morning sightseeing with a local expert includes an orientation drive along Princes Street and the Royal Mile, and tours of mighty EDINBURGH CASTLE and the Queen's HOLYROOD PALACE. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight don't miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. (FB)

Day 14, Thu. EDINBURGH-YORK-HARROGATE, ENGLAND. First on today's agenda is Sir Walter Scott's ABBOTSFORD HOUSE, where Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott often guides our tours herself. Melrose Abbey and the ruins at Jedburgh are pointed out on the way to the English border. Through wild Northumberland National Park motor to a section of Hadrian's Wall, the Roman coast-to-coast defense against marauding northern tribes. South now to York, England's most complete medieval city. 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. Spend the night in the flower-festooned garden spa of Harrogate. (FB,D)

Day 15, Fri. HARROGATE-LONDON. Leave Yorkshire and its associations with James Herriot and drive through the richest farmland in Britain to Leicestershire for a highlight visit to BELVOIR CASTLE. The stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland houses one of England's finest private art collections. Finally visit the beautiful university city of Cambridge, one of the country's oldest seats of learning. Return to London's Novotel where the tour ends around 4 p.m. (FB)

ALL THIS IS INCLUDED: Host service in London; professional tour director while touring Hotels listed below or equivalent; see also page 18. Twin-bedded rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, service charges, and tips for baggage handling Welcome drink; 14 full English breakfasts (FB); 9 three-course dinners with choice of menus and coffee (D) Private deluxe motorcoach. Air-conditioning and extra leg room while touring; see page 12 Ferry to the Isle of Skye Sightseeing with local guides: Brighton's Royal Pavilion, HMS Victory, a whisky distillery, Edinburgh, Abbotsford House Visits to Canterbury Cathedral, Leeds Castle, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Portsmouth's Naval Museum, Salisbury, Stonehenge, Widecombe in the Moor, Plymouth, St. Ives, Glastonbury, Bath's Roman relics, Cardiff, Royal Worcester Porcelain factory showrooms, Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, Churchill's burial place, Ironbridge, Chester, Caernarvon, a Welsh woollen mill, Llangollen, Grasmere, Moffat Woollen Mill, Glasgow, Clan Donald Centre, Inverness, Culloden, Balmoral Castle or Crathie Church, St. Andrews, Hadrian's Wall, York, Harrogate, Belvoir Castle, Cambridge Scenic highlights: Dartmoor, Land's End and St. Michael's Mount, "The Valleys" and Brecon Beacons, Cotswolds, Snowdonia, Horseshoe Pass, Lake District, Isle of Skye, Scottish Highlands, Northumberland Inside visits as shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable Globus travel bag and travel documents GLOBUS HOTELS MAIDSTONE Jarvis Great Danes (F), SOUTHAMPTON Hilton (SF), PLYMOUTH Moat House (F), CARDIFF Jurys (F), STRATFORD Forte Posthouse (F), RUTHIN Ruthin Castle Hotel (F), GLASGOW Thistle (SF), INVERNESS Thistle (F), EDINBURGH King James Thistle (SF), HARROGATE Moat House (F)

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