The Best of England and Wales: Shakespeare to Snowdonia Castles to Colleges

14 days
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews  
85%
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Small Group Tour
Enjoy a comprehensive exploration of England and Wales as you discover the spires of Oxford, mountains of Snowdonia, cobbled streets of Windsor, Conwy castle and much, much more.
22%
$4,724
From$3,699
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Discover Oxford’s soaring spires, lovely landscapes and intriguing lore with university insiders
    • Walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform in one of England's iconic theatres
    • Experience the dramatic mountain environment of Snowdonia National Park in Wales

What's this trip about?

    Enjoy a comprehensive exploration of England and Wales as you discover the spires of Oxford, mountains of Snowdonia, cobbled streets of Windsor, Conwy castle and much, much more.

Compare to similar trips

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - 12 max
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityWindsor
End CityManchester

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Education / Learning

Destinations

  • Europe
  • England

Attractions

  • Conwy Castle
  • Cotswolds
  • Lake District
  • Liverpool
  • Oxford
  • Snowdonia
  • Snowdonia National Park

Activities

  • Culture
  • Educational/ learning
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History

Trip includes

    • 12 nights of accommodations
    • 4 expert-led lectures
    • 18 expert-led field trips
    • 2 performances
    • An experienced Group Leader
    • Customary gratuities throughout the program
    • Road Scholar Assurance Plan
    • Taxes

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1

In Transit to Program

In Flight

Day 2

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Macdonald Hotel Windsor

Arrival Day

Lunch: In the hotel dining room for those arriving by lunchtime. A light lunch with coffee, tea and water. Other beverages are available for purchase.

Afternoon: Arr...

Day 3

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Macdonald Hotel Windsor

Windsor Castle

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room. A breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water and fruit juices.

Morning: Begin your morning with a walk from the hotel to Windsor Castle – a remarkable building th...

Day 4

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Alveston Manor

Transfer to Stratford-Upon-Avon: The City of Oxford

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: We board the motor coach for our transfer to Stratford-upon-Avon, with a visit en-route to Oxford – the city of “dreaming spires”. Your Oxford expert will meet you in t...

Day 5

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Alveston Manor

Stratford-Upon-Avon & The Royal Shakespeare Company

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: Enjoy an introduction to Stratford-upon-Avon, before we begin today’s activities with a front of house tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s building and theatres...

Day 6

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Alveston Manor

The Cotswolds

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: Today’s field trip takes us by motor coach into to the picturesque Cotswolds countryside. Board the motor coach and set off to explore the quintessentially English villages of Stow-on-the-Wold, Broadway and...

Day 7

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Quay Hotel and Spa

Transfer to Deganwy: Chester & Its Grand Cathedral

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: We transfer by motor coach to our next base, Deganwy. Perched at the mouth of the River Conwy, it sits across the bay from Conwy itself - an historic walled market t...

Day 8

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Quay Hotel and Spa

Conwy Castle & Town

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: This morning your Study Leader will give you a potted history of Wales, telling you everything you’ll need to know about this fascinating and ancient country. We will then board the motor coach to...

Day 9

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Quay Hotel and Spa

Snowdonia National Park

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: We board the motor coach for a full day expert-led excursion into Snowdonia National Park. Spanning over 800 square miles, it was the first of three National Parks in Wales, officially inaugurated...

Day 10

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Castle Inn Hotel

Transfer to The Lake District: The City of Liverpool

Breakfast: Full Welsh and continental breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: This morning we transfer by motor coach to the Lake District, via the city of Liverpool. Home to the Beatles, the world famous Liv...

Day 11

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Castle Inn Hotel

Castle Cottage & Beatrix Potter’s Lake District

Keswick  B  Castle Inn Hotel

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: A unique opportunity to hear and learn about the real Beatrix Potter as we board the motor coach and travel to the village of Sawrey...

Day 12

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Castle Inn Hotel

Bowness-on-Windermere, Coniston & Brantwood

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: Once aboard the motor coach, we’ll take a scenic lakeside drive to Bowness-on-Windermere and the Arts & Crafts style Blackwell House. Here we will receive an introducto...

Day 13

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport

Transfer to Manchester: Kirkstone Pass & Holker Hall

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: Today we transfer by motor coach to our final destination, Manchest...

Day 14

Meals: Breakfast

Program Concludes

Breakfast: In the hotel. Some participants may depart prior to breakfast.

Morning: Transfer by Shuttle Bus to Manchester Airport (MAN) for onward flights. Your Group Leader will assist you in making arrangements....

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,699
Price per day$264
Single supplement (single occupancy)$1,000
Last Updated: 11/10/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Road Scholar.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Road Scholar Reviews & Ratings

4.4/5  Great
Excellent
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Terrible
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Other Road Scholar Reviews

M

Michael

Dec 2023

Written on

Not a good bicycle trip

Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, th...

M

Marsha

Nov 2023

Written on

Travel Section Incompetent, Unhelpful, and Won't correct error

I booked a tour to Italy for May 2024. I cancelled in Oct. for a lot of reasons. Before I enrolled, I asked if Road Scholar would book the flights so that on the las...

J

Jane Johnson

Sep 2023

Written on

There is a nonrefundable deposit

Please know that Road Scholar will always keep a nonrefundable $100 deposit. I cannot find that buried in all the paper and fine print but they state it is there???...

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Tour Operator

Road Scholar

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Road Scholar, the not-for-profit leader in educational travel since 1975, offers 5,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Alongside local and renowned experts, experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities, from cultural tours and study cruises to walking, biking and more.

Programs For Whatever You Love to Do:

Much more than a tour, a Road Scholar program is a true learning adventure. Whether you join us in Seattle or Santiago, Beijing or Berlin, Road Scholar programs all share four unique attributes:

--Exceptional opportunities for learning and exploration through special behind-the-scenes access to the world's most fascinating treasures, led by our passionate and knowledgeable instructors.

--The shared fellowship of learning and warm camaraderie, whether a solo traveler or with a companion.

--Comfortable accommodations and appetizing meals.

--Excellent value.

Explore Your Mind and the World:

There are no grades or tests on Road Scholar programs. All that's needed is an inquiring mind, an adventurous spirit, and the belief that learning and discovery are lifelong pursuits.

Established in 1975, Road Scholar offers participants once-in-a-lifetime experiences delivered by local and world-renowned experts. Experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities, from cultural excursions and study cruises to walking, biking and more.

Our Most Popular Tours:

Adventures Afloat Cruises: On these educational cruises, you’ll traverse some of the world's most spectacular waterways, offering you a convenient and rewarding way to learn and explore aboard ocean liners, riverboats and small ships.

Independent City Discoveries: Combine structured learning with independent discovery — each program includes hotel accommodations and some meals, lectures, expert-led field trips and detailed outlines for four self-guided excursions.

Grandparent Travel: Discover and explore together with your grandchild through interactive learning experiences and field trips. Both you and your grandchild will share the joy of learning with other grandparents and their grandchildren, bridging generations and opening doors to discovery and friendship.

National Parks: From Denali to the Everglades and countless beautiful, historic places in between, field trips to America’s National Parks reveal what tourists can’t see on their own, with specialized experts showing you how to track wildlife or lead you to the spot with the most awe-inspiring view.

Outdoor Adventures: From hiking in the Grand Canyon to exploring France by barge and bicycle, to sharpening your golf or tennis skills, these active programs exercise the body and the mind.

Service Learning: From tutoring school children or helping restore a crucial forest habitat for wildlife, to assisting with artifact restoration and museum curatorial work, Service Learning adventures are an opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Small Groups: Love to learn in a small-group setting? Check out this collection of programs that have 10-24 participants.

Why Road Scholar?

You Can't Beat Road Scholar's Remarkable Value: Our all-inclusive prices have no hidden costs. Compare the price of one of our programs to what it would cost to duplicate the experience on your own (if that's even possible) and you'll see what we mean by "remarkable value."

Lifelong Learning and Lifelong Friends: When you participate in a Road Scholar program, you will not only expand your mind, you will be in the company of other people who believe that learning is one of the best parts of life.

Instructors Who Inspire: Road Scholar instructors are both experts in their field and lifelong learners themselves who are excited to answer your questions, hear your opinions and share in your experience.

Solo Participants Love Our Programs: Road Scholar programs are renowned for being inclusive, warm and welcoming for solo participants. We can either match you with a roommate or, on most programs, you can choose to room on your own.

Think Outside the Tour: The educational focus of Road Scholar programs makes us completely different from a commercial travel tour. Road Scholar programs offer educational experiences that answer the what's, the why's and the how-to's.

You Go Where Others Can't: We've been offering educational experiences since 1975 and we've made connections with educators and other local "insiders" all around the world, creating learning opportunities that show you the world in a way that just can't be done on your own or on a "tour."

We've Covered All the Bases: From expert-led lectures and field trips to comfortable lodgings and meals, we handle all the details, including the ones you might not anticipate. We've taken the worry out of the planning, so you can focus on your learning experience.

Peace of Mind Through the Road Scholar Travel Assistance Plan: The Road Scholar Travel Assistance Plan, which is purchased on behalf of every participant, provides 24-hour emergency assistance in the unlikely case of a medical emergency.

Scholarships for Those in Financial Need: Each year, Road Scholar awards $250,000 in scholarships toward programs in North America for those who do not have the financial means to participate.

Our Donors: Each year, thousands of donors contribute to our Annual Fund, helping to cover the gap between the tuition we charge and the actual cost of our programs.

What they’re known for
Popular global tours with a unique focus on educational experiences for mostly senior travelers.

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Logistics

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

12 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 8 Dinners

The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Gluten Free, Low Salt, Low Fat, Vegetarian

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
roadscholar-978

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