the viking north, york, durham, lincoln

TENTATIVE ITINERARY	NIGHTSTOP

DAY ONE
You have a number of choices. You either fly into London to be met and transferred to our London hotel where you'll have the remainder of the day free to relax and explore London. Alternatively, if flying into London, you can be transferred to the rail station where you'll take the two-hour journey to Manchester. Finally, you might elect to fly from home directly to Manchester (a number of airlines have direct flights to Manchester from an airport near you). You'll be met at Manchester on arrival and enjoy the remainder of the day with freetime in this city. Dinner is not included this evening.	Manchester or London
DAY TWO
If in London, you are collected from our London hotel base and transferred to the rail station for the 2-hour journey north arriving mid-morning in Manchester where you'll be met by your Back-Roads Touring Co. representative. If you're already in Manchester, you'll join our morning panoramic tour of the city. On either this morning or afternoon, depending on arrival, we'll introduce you to Manchester, the cradle of the industrial revolution, now one of the North's premier tourist destinations and where the 2002 Commonwealth Games were held. Manchester was where Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital and where the liberal capitalist free trade movement was born. It is a city of incredible Victorian architecture, restored canals, suburb museums, art galleries and fine shopping centres. We'll be using the recently established tram network to take us around the city centre. You'll be seeing the cathedral, the famed St Peter's and St Anne's Squares, and some of the hidden city on our panoramic introductory tour. Dinner tonight allows us to try fine dining in Manchester's Chinatown or one of the famous Indian curry restaurants.	Manchester
DAY THREE
Leaving Manchester we turn north and to the 'White Rose' county of Yorkshire. Our initial route takes us through pretty mill towns and villages such as Todmorden. An undoubted highlight for literary fans will be the Bronte Sisters home at Haworth. Next, to the romantic ruins of Bolton Abbey and Fountains Abbey - two of many that suffered under Henry VIII in the mid 1500s as he broke his contacts with the church of Rome. Our final stop of the day will be at the elegant Georgian spar town of Harrogate. This was considered the northern equivalent of Bath and it rivals its southern neighbour for its Georgian neo-classical architecture. Our base of the next three nights is in the ancient city of Ripon. For 1000 years, Ripon administered its own justice and policed its own streets. Every night, at 9 o'clock, the Ripon Hornblower still 'sets the watch' at the four corners of the obelisk in the Market Place. You'll certainly feel you've stepped back in time here!	Ripon
DAY FOUR
The 'Land of the Prince Bishops' is our focus today as we tour further into England's North Country. One of the many highlights of the day will be our time in the majestic city of St Cuthbert, Durham. Here you'll see one of our most exquisite cathedrals and enjoy a walk down mediaeval streets in this hill-top city. What we do next will be determined by you, our tour participants, depending upon the group interest. We have so much to choose from. There's the pretty market town of Hexham and its Roman wall ruins. Or we have the fabulous open-air industrial museum of Beamish. We'll certainly want to be touring the splendidly scenic Weardale and perhaps seeing one of the traditional old lead mines of the area. There's also the city of Newcastle to consider or perhaps the maritime port of Hartlepool with its original Napoleonic warship. Whatever you decide, as ever your expert Back-Roads Touring Co. guide will be there to offer advice based on the day's weather and other considerations.	Ripon
DAY FIVE
From our Yorkshire base, we head westward across the heather-covered moors to Whiltby. This is Captain Cook country and we'll explore his local heritage. Later we experience a change of transport. You'll board a train (subject to schedules) at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and for the duration of the journey you'll relive the nostalgia of the steam age. Harry Potter fans will find the station somewhat familiar! Next, the most spectacular stately home in Yorkshire, Castle Howard. This beautiful palace is still lived in by the Howard family who built it in the 18th century. You'll have free time here to explore the house and grounds.	Helmsley
DAY SIX
A full day in York but on our short ride there we'll perhaps take the opportunity of stopping at the James Herriot centre in Thirsk if we have tour participants who are readers of this humorous, author. York itself is a fabulous Viking walled city that has much to offer its visitors, from the splendid Minster to the medieval shopping 'Shambles'. After a walking tour, you'll be free to explore at leisure. Dinner is not included tonight to allow you some additional city freedom.	Helmsley
DAY SEVEN
Time to turn south and see Robin Hood country. Our first stop is at Gainsborough and then through villages connected to the original ' Mayflower' Pilgrim Fathers to the medieval city of Lincoln. This historic and atmospheric city with its cobbled, narrow, winding streets is dominated by a castle and cathedral. We'll spend some time discovering its charms before driving to Sherwood Forest where we'll enjoy a short forest walk to find Robin Hood's Great Oak.	Nottingham/ Coventry/ Kennilworth
DAY EIGHT
Our final day sees us travelling through the counties of Nottingham, Leicester and Northampton. These are counties often missed, even by season's UK travellers. And what a shame as they are rich in heritage. We'll see one of England's major Stately Homes at Burghley, the unspoiled Georgian town of Stamford (often used by film makers as the perfect location for period dramas, and the pretty Cambridgeshire riverside village of St Ives. The varied day's sight-seeing provides a memorable finish to a memorable tour.	London
DAY NINE
Departures for onward travel or extend your stay in London.