Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B= Breakfast, D = Dinner

Day 1: Sunday, June 21, 2020: Depart
We will depart from the USA on International flights to Edinburgh, Scotland. (IF)

Day 2: Monday, June 22, 2020: Edinburgh
We will arrive in Edinburgh in the early morning and meet our tour director, who will escort us to the waiting motor coach. On the way into Edinburgh, we will have an orientation tour, including viewing Holyrood Palace, before arriving at our hotel. In the afternoon, we will have a walking tour of the city, including time in the Writer’s Museum, which celebrates the lives of three giants of Scottish Literature – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Just outside The Writers’ Museum is Makars’ Court: a peaceful public space with beautifully inscribed flagstones which celebrate Scottish writers from the 14th century up to the present day. We will have some free time in the afternoon before dining in our hotel this evening. (IF/D)

Day 3: Tuesday, June 23, 2020: Edinburgh, Windermere
Our local guide will take us on a walking tour of the Royal Mile, including St. Giles Cathedral and the John Knox House. We will also tour Edinburgh Castle. We will then catch up on sleep, as we drive down to the scenic Lake District. We will check-in to our hotel and dine together in the early evening. (B/D)

Day 4: Wednesday, June 24, 2020: Lake District
We will have a full day to explore the Lake District, the inspiration for many poets, artists, and writers. We will begin with a morning church service at St. Oswald’s Church, where Wordsworth and his family are buried. We will also visit Dove Cottage in Grasmere, where the family lived. In the afternoon, we will visit Rydel Mount, where Wordsworth spent the last 37 years of his life. It’s still owned by the Wordsworth family. Our visit will include Afternoon Tea in the tearoom. We will return to our hotel for dinner. (B/D)

Day 5: Thursday, June 25, 2020: Haworth, York
Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë spent most of their lives in the Parsonage in the Yorkshire village of Haworth. We will visit the museum and have a guided walk around the village, hearing stories about their lives in the Yorkshire Dales. In the afternoon, we will drive to York, a city with Norman, Viking, Roman history. We will have an evening walk around the old Roman Walls, then dine in our hotel. (B/D)

Day 6: Friday, June 26, 2020: York, Stratford-upon-Avon
Our guided morning tour of York will include a tour of York Minster Cathedral, the biggest medieval church in England. Christianity has an early heritage in York. By 306, when Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor in York, it is believed there was a small Christian community. In 312, he issued a general edict of toleration for the Christian Church and York became a center of Christianity. After time for lunch, we will continue on to Stratford-upon-Avon. This was Shakespeare’s home town for many years and the town has a world-class theater. We will dine in our hotel this evening and see a play if there is a suitable one available. (B/D)

Day 7: Saturday, June 27, 2020: Oxford
Subject to availability, we will visit C.S. Lewis’ home, The Kilns, on the way into Oxford. Oxford is one of England’s famous University cities with a rich Reformation history. The early English reformer, John Wycliffe, was a professor at the university. Other well-known students included Bible translator William Tyndale and the great revivalist preacher George Whitefield. We will have a walking orientation tour including Christ Church College Cathedral, and the Martyr Memorial. In the afternoon, we will tour Magdalene College and Addison’s Walk. We will dine in a local restaurant this evening. (B/D)

Day 8: Sunday, June 28, 2020: Hampton Court, London
After breakfast, we will have the opportunity to attend church in Oxford, followed by a traditional Sunday roast dinner. We will then drive to Hampton Court. In 1604, James I commissioned the King James Version of the Bible during the Hampton Court Conference and we will discuss this in the room where it happened. In the Chapel Royal, we will hear how Henry VIII’s decision to allow production of the Bible was influenced by his last wife, Catherine Parr. After the tour, we will have time to stroll through the beautiful gardens and try and find our way to the center of the maze. We will check-in to our hotel in London and the evening is at leisure. (B/L)

Day 9: Monday, June 29, 2020: London
In Westminster Abbey, we’ll see not only the tombs of kings and queens, but also the famous “Poet’s Corner” with the tombs of many famous authors, musicians and poets. After our tour, we’ll take the tube to Covent Garden and see St. Paul’s Church where G.K. Chesterton was a lay preacher. It’s now known as the “Actor’s Church.” Covent Garden is a delightful place to eat lunch and watch the many street performers. The afternoon and evening are at leisure, with the use of hop-on, hop-off bus tickets. (B)

Day 10: Tuesday, June 30, 2020: Canterbury, Rochester, London
This morning we will drive to the coast of Kent, which Dickens knew so well. In Rochester, we will have a Dickens-themed walking tour and see many of the places that he immortalized in his books. In Canterbury, we will visit the magnificent Cathedral, hear about Thomas Becket’s murder in 1170, and see a number of royal tombs. We will also visit the ancient ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey. We will end the tour with sung Evensong at 3:15 PM, then return to London for a late dinner. (B/D)

Day 11: Wednesday, July 1, 2020: London
This morning we will visit the Dickens Museum, where he wrote Oliver Twist, Pickwick Papers and Nicholas Nickleby. We  will explore his study, the family bedchambers, and the servants’ quarters below stairs. Exhibits include his desk, handwritten drafts from the novels he wrote here, and his young wife’s engagement ring. In the British Museum we will see amazing artefacts including the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles and the Easter Island Statue. We will also visit the British Library and see some of its top treasures. We will end the day with dinner in a restaurant, followed by a ride on the London Eye. (B/D)

Day 12: Thursday, July 2, 2020: Return
We will transfer to Heathrow Airport for the return trip to the USA. (B)

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

What are accommodations like?

Our hotels are chosen for their quality, amenities and proximity to areas of interest. Whenever possible, we choose hotels in town centers, so that you are able to go off and explore in your free time. It may be necessary for us to substitute hotels for others of equal quality. You will be fully informed of any changes that affect you. Enjoy your stay!

Edinburgh, Scotland
June 22-23, 2020
Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge
77 South Bridge
EH1 1HN Edinburgh

Windermere, Scotland
June 23-25, 2020
Newby Bridge Hotel
Newby Bridge Nr Ulverston
Cumbria LA12 8NA

York, England
June 25-26, 2020
Holiday Inn
Tadcaster Road
York YO24 1QF

Stratford-upon-Avon, England
June 26-27, 2020
Crowne Plaza Stratford-Upon-Avon
Bridgefoot
Stratford-Upon-Avon CV37 6YR |

Oxford, England
June 27-28, 2020
Witney Hotel
Olney House
Ducklington Lane
Witney OX28 4EX

London, England
June 28-July 2, 2020
Copthorne Tara
Scarsdale Place
London W8 5SY

Flight Information

Various flight booking options are available for this tour. Please read our printable guide to booking your flight to better understand these options.

Option 1: We have reserved group air flights on American Airlines and they are currently $1,300 per person round-trip. We will continue to monitor options and will switch to another airline if we can get a lower rate. Payment is due with final payment in April 2020. The last day to sign up for group air is February 25, 2020. 

Option 2: You may request a flight quote from us by filling out this form. Payment is due at the time of booking.

Option 3: You may book your own flights, making sure you land on the morning of June 22, 2020 no later than 9:10 AM.  If you would prefer to arrive earlier, we can arrange a pre-tour hotel night in Edinburgh. You are welcome to depart at any time on July 2. Please wait until the tour is a guaranteed departure before booking non-refundable airfare, and send us a copy of your flight itinerary for our records as soon as you have booked it.

Please note that if you would like to use air miles you will need to book directly with the airline.

We can arrange pre-tour nights in Edinburgh and post-tour nights in London, but due to the volume of tours in 2020, we are not able to arrange additional travel within Europe.

What’s included in the $2,999 land price ?

Price based on a minimum of 20 participants in double-occupancy rooms. Triple occupancy is $2,899.

Your Tour Includes

•   Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
•   Accommodations (double-occupancy) in superior 3-star and moderate 4-star hotels
•   Professional Tour Director throughout the tour
•   Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
•   Entrance fees included as per itinerary
•   All transfers, as a group
•   Insurance during the tour (pre-tour coverage upgrade available)
•   Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
•   All taxes and tips except as indicated below

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Round-trip air from Philadelphia (group air is available for $1,300)
•   Single supplement ($550)
•   Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary
•   Items of a personal nature, such as passports and visas. Passports must be valid for six months beyond return date.
•   Pre-tour cancellation insurance (details sent with reservation form)
•   Gratuities for tour manager, and driver

Payment Schedule

•   Deposit of $350 will secure your place on the tour. Please send all payments to Reformation Tours, P.O Box 854, Belleville, IL 62222.
•   Final invoices will be sent in March 2020
•   Final payment is due by April 7, 2020
•   Reservations will be accepted after April 7, 2020, subject to availability

Insurance

We offer the Professional Plan offered by Roam Right Insurance, a division of Arch Insurance Company. We include $500 coverage in your tour price and you are welcome to upgrade to cover the full tour premium. The cost of the tour insurance is the tour cost (minus $500) x 6.14%. To insure your land costs, the price is $2,999 – $500 x 6.14% = $154. To insure your land and air costs, the price is $4,299 – $500 x 6.14% = $234. A quote will be automatically added to your invoice.

Cancellations

Regardless of reason, cancellations are costly. To offset these costs the following fees will apply, plus any non-recoverable expenses to our suppliers:

From time of deposit to 100 days before departure: $100 cancellation penalty
From 99-15 days prior to departure: $350 cancellation penalty plus any non refundable deposits
14 days or less prior to departure: No refund– Cancellation charges also apply to additional accommodation reserved prior to and after the tour.
– Cancellations must be received in writing by 5:00 p.m. central time on the last business day of the applicable time period.
– For flight changes or cancellations, revision fees and/or airline cancellation charges will apply.
– Roommates canceling can result in a single supplement charge for the roommate. The Participant who cancels will be responsible for that charge if a substitute roommate cannot be found.
– Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is strongly recommended.
Reformation Tours cannot assume responsibility for any additional costs or fees relating to the issuance and/or cancellation of air tickets or other arrangements not made through Reformation Tours.