Grand Tour of Great Britain: Scotland, England & Wales
15 days | 17 days with London extension |
Immerse yourself in the majesty of Great Britain.
Discover what makes Great Britain truly great as you explore this delightful island from top to bottom. Start in Edinburgh, the Georgian Scottish capital, before heading south to Wales, passing through lovely English countryside and historic cities like York and Liverpool along the way. Then it’s off to the Roman town of Bath and royal London—the perfect finishing touch on this quintessentially British experience.
Your tour package includes
- 13 nights in handpicked hotels
- 13 breakfasts
- 5 dinners with beer or wine
- 11 sightseeing tours
- Expert Tour Director & local guides
- Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
- Edinburgh Castle
- Alnwick Castle
- Durham Cathedral
- York Minster
- Chester
- Shakespeare family home
- Cardiff Castle
- Bath
- Stonehenge
- Trafalgar Square
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Edinburgh today.
Edinburgh3 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Edinburgh
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to Scotland! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
Reviews
Hotels
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
Edinburgh - Holiday Inn Express - Edinburgh City Centre
This modern hotel is located in the New Town of Edinburgh. Guests enjoy the lounge bar, the relaxing Great Room, and convenient location. Nearby, you’ll find Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the Royal Botanic...
Newcastle Region - Hampton by Hilton Newcastle
This modern hotel is located in Newcastle. Guests enjoy a well-equipped fitness center featuring a Peloton bike, a stylish 24-hour bar offering light meals and panoramic views of the city, and spacious rooms with plush bedding....
York - Holiday Inn York City Centre
This contemporary hotel is located in downtown York. Guests enjoy a restaurant, cocktail bar, and lounge. Nearby you’ll find the York Castle Museum, York Shambles, and Clifford's Tower.
Liverpool - Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village
This contemporary hotel is located in Liverpool. Guests enjoy a stylish rooftop terrace with breathtaking city views, spacious rooms equipped with modern amenities and luxury toiletries, and a vibrant on-site restaurant. Nearby...
Cardiff - Radisson Blu Hotel
This chic hotel is located in Cardiff. Guests enjoy a stunning rooftop terrace, spacious rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, and an elegant on-site restaurant. Nearby, you'll find the iconic Principality Stadium, the historic...
Bath - Hampton by Hilton Bath City
This charming hotel is located in Bath. Guests enjoy the convenient location, a fully equipped fitness center, and casual dining at the all-day restaurant. Nearby, you'll find the Roman Baths, the Thermae Bath Spa, and the Bath...
London - Crowne Plaza London – King’s Cross
This upscale hotel is located in London, steps away from the St Pancras railway station. Guests enjoy on-site restaurants, the leisure club, and a fitness center. Nearby, you’ll find King’s Cross Theatre, Trafalgar Square, and...
Flights
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
- Round-trip flight for your tour
- Airport transfers at your destination
- A great price locked in today
- 24/7 support from our dedicated service team
- Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
- Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
FAQ
- In order to enter the United Kingdom, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
- We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
- Beginning January 8, 2025, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must purchase an individual visa from the United Kingdom's government’s Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) website or the UK ETA mobile app (Apple or Android) in order to enter the United Kingdom.
- If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact your destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
- You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code GTB.
- You will walk for at least 1.5 hours daily across mostly flat terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, with some hills and stairs.
- Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
- You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times.
- Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
- If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
- Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Edinburgh and depart from London. A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
- Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers.
- All other included transportation is by private motor coach.
- Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
- Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
- Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
- Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
- We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
- A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
- You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
- It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
- At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
- If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
- If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to goaheadtours.com and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
- You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code GTB.
- Scottish cuisine relies on readily available ingredients like game, dairy, and fish, with little use of exotic spices. Pickled kippers and smoked salmon are popular, as well as hearty dishes like Scotch broth (stew of meat and root vegetables) and haggis (a savory pudding of sheep innards). Scotch whisky is a legendary local spirit, and Scottish ales are world-famous.
- For traditional English fare at a reasonable price, try a pub meal of fish and chips or bangers and mash. Stilton cheese, steak and kidney pie, and Cumberland sausages are also worth a try.
- Modern-day London boasts an array of diverse international restaurants. Popular options for the adventurous palate include Indian, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Greek, and West African cuisine.Sip afternoon tea with delicious finger sandwiches and scones at Harrods for the ultimate in English tradition.
- The small country of Wales has a reputation for interesting local cuisine. Most visitors will love Welsh cakes, which resemble a mix between a cookie and a pancake, and bara brith, a sweet, dense bread. Welsh rarebit, a savory cheese sauce, is popular on bread as well as served as a dip. Seafood fans will love the ubiquity of fresh cockles (small saltwater clams) and the more adventurous should try laverbread, seaweed that’s been boiled and fried and is often served with buttered toast.
- The United Kingdom operates within 230-240 volts and uses a Type G plug with three large, flat pins.
- We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other electrical device without a built-in converter.
- The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
- Hotels may provide hairdryers, irons and other small appliances, but these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
- Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though charges may apply.
- There is no internet access on the motor coach.
- Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
- The United Kingdom is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is five hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
- When it’s noon in New York, it’s 5pm on tour.
- You will use the Pound sterling on tour.
- Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
- We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
- You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
- Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
- International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
- At the conclusion of your tour, it is customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
- We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $4USD per person per day for your driver.
- If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
- Tips can only be paid in cash.
- If you are traveling to multiple countries with different currencies and the same Tour Director, ask them what currency they prefer for their tip.
- The cost of porterage is included in your tour price, and it is not necessary to tip baggage handlers.
- Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour.
- Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for excursions.
- Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
- Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.