Combined Tour: London, England AND Scotland with Spike!

Most flights depart in the evening. Delta offers a direct non-stop flight to Heathrow airport. American Airlines and others offer reasonable alternatives.

Most flights arrive early in the morning. The shuttle will take you from the airport to the hotel where you can drop your bags and shake off the jet lag (or go exploring if you wish!). We will have an early Welcome Dinner for the group.

Possible highlights this morning: The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. Then, we will visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and other sites to be announced. At night, we will enjoy the vibrant dining and nightlife of The West End and Soho neighborhoods

• Morning: We will take a train to Windsor (30 minutes) and tour Windsor Castle.
• Afternoon: Continue by train to Oxford (1 hour) to explore Oxford University, Radcliffe Camera, and Christ Church College. Lots of Harry Potter sites here too.
• Evening: Stay overnight in Oxford.

Today, our group boards a private coach to visit visit the medieval town of Oxford and its famous University. Known for stunning architecture and literary connections, you’ll also see Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library and Christ Church College. Oxford was also used as a filming location in many of the early Harry Potter movies. Lunch will be in a 14th Century Pub. Then we visit the postcard-perfect Cotswolds! A quintessentially English area of rolling hills, picturesque villages, and old, honey-colored cottages. We will visit villages like Bibury, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Bourton-on-the-Water. Enjoy tea in a cozy café and maybe see where Shakespeare lived. This was my absolute favorite place on my last visit of England!

You can enjoy a free day in London on your own today at a relaxed pace, maybe do some souvenir shopping or check out the British Museum or Abbey Road & a music tour. OR you will have the option to take a day-trip (for a supplemental cost). One option is to visit the iconic Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore the medieval city of Salisbury with its stunning Salisbury Cathedral. The other option is to explore Home Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family. You’ll see the castle’s State Apartments, St. George’s Chapel, and the beautiful grounds.

Today we say goodbye to some of our London group who head home… but not us! We will take a relaxing, scenic train to Edinburgh and begin our Scotland adventures!

We will explore some of Edinburgh today, catered to your interests. Tonight, we will have a group dinner with the rest of our Scotland travelers who arrive today.

Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital city and a center of Scottish culture. We will spend all day and night immersed in its history, architecture, cobbled streets and magic. Start your day with a visit to the iconic Edinburgh Castle, perched atop an ancient volcano where you’ll see the Crown Jewels and enjoy sweeping views of the city. Then we stroll down the Royal Mile, popping into St. Giles’ Cathedral and browsing the charming streets filled with shops and history, before visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Other sites may include the National Museum or the Royal Yacht Britannia, just to name a few off the top of my head as I have yet to schedule out this entire day. I know we’ll finish the day by unwinding in one of Edinburgh’s famous historic pubs like The World’s End or The Beehive Inn, where you can soak up traditional Scottish atmosphere and enjoy a pint in a setting steeped in centuries of local lore.

After breakfast, we will head north to The Highlands with a stop in the charming Victorian town of Pitlochry. We’ll go through Cairngorms National Park and then 1,000 years of history at the dramatic Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness… will we get a glimpse of the world-famous monster some say live in its deep, dark waters? You will also see the 4,000 year old Clava Cairns, a well-preserved Bronze Age cemetery complex of passage graves; rings, monuments and standing stones aligned with the sunset, providing important insights into prehistoric burial rituals and beliefs. Stay overnight in Inverness.

A morning walk along the Black Water of Rogie Falls to see the salmon jumping up the waterfall. Then an icon: Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most recognized castles in Scotland. Strategically located on its own little island, overlooking the Isle of Skye and surrounded by the majestic forested mountains of Kintail, Eilean Donan’s setting is truly breath-taking. As we cross into Isle of Sky, you’ll see The Old Bridge at Sligachan and The Fairy Pools, which are a series of vivd aqua blue natural pools and waterfalls in Glen Brittle. The Black Cuillin mountains are begging to be photographed and explored. Stay overnight in the colorful harbor village of Portree lined by quaint shops and cafes. Maybe we’ll accidentally fall into Isle of Skye Brewery in Uig? We’ll watch the late sunset with stunning views of surrounding hills and sea (night 1 of 2).

Today we’ll explore more of the island at a relaxed pace. You will see The Old Man of Storr which is situated in the north of the Isle of Skye in the Trotternish area. and Quiraing as we loop around the Trotternish Peninsula today. We’ll also stop for photos at Lealt Falls which plunge 300 feet down a narrow, tree-lined gorge into the Sound of Raasay. And the towering multi-coloured hexagonal columns of basalt rock known as Kilt Rock. And we’ll stop at spectacular places of myth and wonder like The Quiraing Viewpoint and the Fairy Glen. Nothing like the rich green fields dotted with white houses of Staffin. For dinner and pubs, we retire back to Portree for another night.

We say goodbye to Isle of Sky and make a stop at Loch Cluanie, surrounded by dramatic mountain massifs over 3,000 feet high and abundant wildlife like golden eagles and red deer. Maybe a quick comfort stop in The small and attractive village of Spean Bridge before we set sail on a ferry back to the mainland with extensive views over Loch Nevis and the stunning mountains of the Knoydart peninsula. It is not uncommon for aquatic wildlife to accompany your voyage so keep an eye out for seals, dolphins, porpoises and more as we sail. Then we get to our lunch stop in the bustling and thriving port of Mallaig. Enjoy fresh seafood caught this morning! And then we take a wizardry trip… you’ve heard of Harry Potter, I hope? We will stop for photos at the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland. You may recognize it as the train to Hogwarts! And no description can re-create the impact of seeing Glen Coe for the first time. It is a place of awe-inspiring scenery, wildlife, adventure and myth, dramatic mountains, rare beauty and haunting history in the heart of the Highlands. Movies like Highlander, Skyfall, Harry Potter and The Dark Knight Rises all filmed here. We will stay overnight in Fort William or Glencoe.

As we depart Glen Coe, we’ll make a stop in the tiny, pretty village of Luss. A settlement has stood on this site since medieval times although much of the current village dates from the 18th century. Our destination today is Glasgow , a vibrant and compact city with plenty to offer. We will see the grand architecture of Glasgow Cathedral and the haunting Necropolis, unwind in the historic Glasgow Green, and finish your evening sipping whisky or local ale in a classic city pub, soaking up Glasgow’s lively atmosphere and welcoming spirit. Tonight we stay overnight in Glasgow.

A chance to explore more of Glasgow on your own today – many of its art galleries and museums are free. Then after lunch, we will visit Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s most historically important sites: it was once a favored residence of the kings and queens who held grand celebrations. Afterwards, a quick photo opp at The Kelpies – the largest equine sculptures in the world. And then
Get to Edinburgh in the afternoon. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. This is a chance to explore on your own and do some souvenir shopping before we head home. We’ll stay overnight in Edinburgh for final night in Scotland.

Fly out of Edinburgh to head home. Cheers! Haste ye back!