The Very Best of the UK

This brand new tour has been developed simply because you asked us to. And quite rightly too.

Some people asked us about featuring the UK because they wanted to do something a bit different, because they wanted to take a break from long haul flying or simply because they wanted to celebrate how beautiful the UK is. So we rose to the challenge, putting together a really lovely tour that takes in some of the most fascinating and diverse locations.

Our hotel partner for this tour is Hand Picked Hotels, a hotel group that offers quite unique individual properties in some very interesting parts of the UK, and Armathwaite Hall Country House and Spa in the Lake District. These four star, country manor house style hotels, offer high standards of accommodation, a relaxed and comfortable style and wonderful settings to make you feel at home. You’ll find more details about each hotel in this brochure.

Although the UK tour is a new destination for Journeys of Distinction you can still be assured of the same quality and attention to detail – a JOD Tour Manager who’s with you throughout your tour and some local Blue Badge guides in the various locations we visit.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
• Stratford upon Avon
• York
• Steam train journey to Whitby
• The Alnwick Garden
• Edinburgh
• The Lake District
• Chester
• Gala welcome dinner and farewell dinner with wine
• Luxury hotels throughout
• JOD Tour Manager plus local Blue Badge guides
• Porterage throughout

Dining Package
Choose one of our dining packages and get a great value price for your evening meals. The menu offered will be a set menu for Journeys of Distinction with a vegetarian option for each course, and you can eat at a time to suit you. The 3 course option is a starter, main and dessert and the 2 course option is your choice of either starter and main or main and dessert, which you can decide on the night.
Evening meal on 8 nights (day 2 to day 9)

2 course meal Add £159
3 course meal Add £209

Tour Extension
At the end of your tour, why not add one or two extra nights at Ettington Park Hotel. You can relax and unwind there, perhaps enjoying the hotel’s new leisure facilities with its indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam room, or maybe take a gentle walk through the hotel’s 40 acres of grounds.

1 night Ettington Park Hotel Add £75
2 nights Ettington Park Hotel Add £150
Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing a room and include full English breakfast
Single supplement per person Add £50

Pre-Bookable car Parking
If you would like to drive to Ettington Park Hotel, you can take advantage of the complimentary parking offered by Hand Picked Hotels, collecting your car again at the end of the tour. Parking is at owners risk and must be prebooked with us. Parking during the tour No charge

Pre-Bookable Transfer services
For those who don't want to drive, we are offering a pre-bookable transfer service from a choice of three city centre locations. We will arrange to collect you from your chosen location and take you directly to Ettington Park Hotel, and reverse at the end of the tour. There won’t be any further pickups or stops to collect other customers but there will be comfort breaks as needed dependent on the journey time. The specific address of your chosen location and the specific departure time will be confirmed prior to departure. One way transfers are also available – please ask for details.

Central London From £107 return - Collects from London Victoria, Bulleid Way Coach Station

Central Manchester From £91 return - Collects from Portland Street, Manchester

Central Sheffield From £90 return - Collects from Sheffield Transport Interchange

Prices are per person, unless otherwise stated

The Very Best of the UK - Exclusive 11 day luxury UK tour

Inaugural departures: May, June, August, October 2012

Tour itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Ettington Park Hotel
Arriving at Ettington Park Hotel after 3pm, you’ll settle into your room and spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the hotel’s facilities. Situated just a few miles from Stratford upon Avon, getting to the hotel couldn't be simpler – you can choose to drive to the hotel, leaving your car in the hotel car park whilst you are away at no extra cost, or you can choose our pre-bookable transfer service which collects from central London, Manchester or Sheffield and goes directly to the hotel. You’ll meet up with your Tour Manager and other group members early evening for our included welcome drinks party and four course gala welcome dinner with wine.
Hotel: Ettington Park, Stratford upon Avon
Meals included: Welcome Dinner

Day 2 Stratford upon Avon
Today we enjoy a day in Stratford upon Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace. We will visit all the key sites including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mary Arden’s farm and Anne Hathaway’s cottage. There will also be free time for you to explore on your own. Returning to the hotel late afternoon, your evening is at leisure.
Hotel: Ettington Park, Stratford upon Avon
Meals included: Full English breakfast

Day 3 York to Yarm
Today we travel north into Yorkshire and visit the historic city of York. We will start at the impressive York Minster; northern Europe's largest Gothic cathedral. You'll experience the beauty of this masterpiece up close with a guided tour. We'll visit the Quire and Chapter House which was constructed between 1260 to 1286. Its walls contain some of the Minster's finest carvings, most dating from 1270 to 1280. Then after lunch, we'll enjoy a city orientation tour with our Blue Badge Guide taking in all the key sites. We then continue to our hotel for a two night stay. Evening at leisure.
Hotel: Crathorne Hall Hotel, Yarm
Meals included: Full English breakfast

Day 4 Whitby
Today is a nice leisurely day and there’s a real treat in store. Step back in time on a steam train journey aboard the North Yorkshire Steam Railway from Pickering to the historic fishing port of Whitby. The eighteen miles of preserved steam railway run through the spectacular scenery of the North Yorkshire Moors. From the smoke and steam pouring from the engines to the cosy woodpanelled carriages and friendly conductor service, the railway is both lovingly preserved and charmingly authentic. On arrival in Whitby, enjoy some time in this popular seaside location. You might want to try some deliciously fresh fish and chips at The Magpie Cafe which was described by Rick Stein as ‘the best fish and chip shop in Britain’. We return to Pickering by the same steam train where our coach awaits us to take us back to the hotel. Evening at leisure.
Hotel: Crathorne Hall Hotel, Yarm
Meals included: Full English breakfast

Day 5 Alnwick Garden to Edinburgh
This morning we leave Yorkshire and travel into Northumberland to visit The Alnwick Garden. This derelict 12 acre walled garden was transformed by The Duchess of Northumberland into the most magnificent vibrant gardens with beautiful landscaping, magnificent architecture and unique features. We will be guided by one of Alnwick’s own gardeners who will tell us about the gardens and take us round some of the highlights. In addition to the Rose Garden and the Ornamental Garden, one of the most fascinating is the Poison Garden which houses a range of deadly plants such as belladonna, tobacco and mandrake. Some are grown unwittingly in back gardens and in the British countryside, others are more unusual. Later we continue on Edinburgh and the Norton House Hotel and Spa, for our two night stay. Evening at leisure.
Hotel: Norton House Hotel and Spa, Edinburgh
Meals included: Full English breakfast

Day 6 Edinburgh
Today we enjoy a full day sightseeing in the wonderful city of Edinburgh. We start by visiting Holyrood Palace, the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen, and Edinburgh Castle. The castle, sitting atop of an extinct volcano dominates the Edinburgh skyline and offers stunning views across the city. The castle has witnessed many events that have defined Scottish history and one of its major attractions is Mons Meg; a huge cannon which is one of Europe’s oldest surviving medieval bombards. After lunch we meet our Blue Badge Guide for our city centre walking tour with free time so you can explore yourself. We return to the hotel late afternoon where the rest of the day and evening are at leisure.
Hotel: Norton House Hotel and Spa, Edinburgh
Meals included: Full Scottish Breakfast

Day 7 Edinburgh to Bassenthwaite
This morning we visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, one of the world’s most famous ships which first sailed in 1954. For 44 years, this floating residence was used to transport The Queen and other members of the Royal Family as they toured the world, visiting regions as far away as the South Pacific and Antarctica. After lunch we travel into the Lake District National Park, heading for Bassenthwaite, arriving late afternoon. Our hotel for the next two nights is Armathwaite Hall Country House Hotel and Spa.
Hotel: Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite
Meals included: Full Scottish Breakfast

Day 8 Borrowdale, Keswick and Wordsworth House
Today’s visits take in the northern lakes. We start our day by driving through some of the region’s most scenic and typically Lakeland viewpoints including Borrowdale Valley. Afterwards, we continue on to the bustling market town of Keswick where we enjoy some free time and lunch. Later we travel to Cockermouth to visit Wordsworth House and Gardens where William Wordsworth was born and spent his childhood. We then return to the hotel where the rest of the day is at leisure.
Hotel: Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite
Meals included: Full English breakfast

Day 9 Grasmere, Windermere, Cartmel and Carnforth to Nantwich
Today we visit the southern lakes, starting with a visit to the charming village of Grasmere which the poet William Wordsworth described as ‘the loveliest place on earth’. Here we will visit Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum before having some free time to amble round, enjoying the sights and maybe doing some shopping. You can visit Wordsworth’s grave in the village church. Right by the church is one of the village highlights - Sarah Nelson’s original gingerbread shop where gingerbread has been made and sold since 1854. From there we travel to Ambleside, boarding a cruiser and gently cruising across Lake Windermere into Windermere’s principal town – Bowness on Windermere. Here you enjoy some free time in the town which has much to offer and plenty of dining options for lunch. After lunch, we will continue on to the picturesque village of Cartmel known to everyone as the home of the creative genius behind Cartmel Sticky Toffee pudding! In addition to its pudding fame, Cartmel also has a racecourse and interesting church. After this we take a short scenic train journey which offers wonderful views over the wide expanse of Morecambe Bay as it travels down the coast through Arnside and Silverside into Carnforth station, the location for the film Brief Encounter, where we rejoin our coach. We then travel on to Nantwich and our hotel for the next two nights, Rookery Hall Hotel and Spa. Evening at leisure.
Hotel: Rookery Hall, Nantwich
Meals included: Full English breakfast

Day 10 Chester
This morning we travel to the historic city of Chester and enjoy a sightseeing tour with a local Blue Badge guide. There will be plenty of free time to explore further or maybe do a spot of shopping. We then return to the hotel and reconvene early evening for our gala four course farewell dinner with wine.
Hotel: Rookery Hall, Nantwich
Meals included: Farewell dinner, full English breakfast

Day 11 Nantwich to Stratford upon Avon
This morning we return to Stratford upon Avon, our final destination. Our Tour Manager will ensure that those who opted for the pre-bookable transfer service to London meet with their next driver and vehicle. Those who opted for our pre-bookable transfer services to Manchester and Sheffield will depart directly from Nantwich. For those who have opted for the tour extension, a warm welcome and relaxing time awaits you at Ettington Park Hotel and you can choose to stay just one night or two nights.
Meals included: Full English breakfast