This is a tour that rock fans will just not want to miss!! A tour that takes in the four major rock 'n' roll cities of the British Isles - London, Liverpool, Dublin and Manchester. Their combined rock roll call is a 'Hall of Fame' in itself. From the 60s to date, from The Beatles and Stones to Oasis, U2 and the Smiths, from Heavy Rock to House. You're going to see the sites, hear the stories, enjoy the legends, and party! You'll also be meeting 'guest' stars while on tour; music business people, 'retired' stars, and others who'll share their tales of Rock excess!

There are two ways you can take this. Either join us on our fixed departure, 16 seat mini-bus tour where you're accompanied by a Tour Manager throughout. We call this the 'On the Road' tour. Alternatively, take the tour independently at a date of your own choosing (we make all of your arrangements in advance, supply you with vouchers and a full and detailed itinerary for you to follow). We call this the 'Going Solo' package.

Below, we describe our 'On the Road' package. If you're interested in 'Going Solo', email for details info@backroadstouring.co.uk

DAY ONE - MONDAY

You arrive at one of London's airports where you'll be met by your 'Access All Areas' guide and transferred to our chosen hotel. It's one used by up-and-coming rock bands playing in London so you'll never know who you might meet in the bar! Famously, Oasis were banned for bad behaviour!

You have time to relax before we go to the World's first Hard Rock Café for a private visit to their vault (where you can have your photo taken playing Hendrix's 'Flying V') before enjoying a meal.

This evening you have several optional choices including attending a concert (a full schedule of who's on will be sent to you one month before the tour) or joining the 'Party Bus' on a night around London's top nightclubs and discos.

DAY TWO - TUESDAY

It's an early start as you're picked up by your Tour Manager and transferred to the airport for our one-hour flight to Dublin. The price of your air ticket is not included in the tour price but we book it on your behalf. We use Ryanair, a no-frills carrier. The ticket price depends on when you book this tour; the earlier you do, the cheaper the Dublin flight.

Dublin, home of U2, Thin Lizzy, Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats, Sinead O'Connor, The Cranberries, The Waterboys Chris De Burgh and many others. This afternoon and this evening we'll 'hit the town', seeing sites connected with these legendary musicians on the Rock 'n' Roll pub crawl! This will be a memorable evening enjoying the 'craic' as there's nowhere on earth like a Dublin pub - live music, great drink and food, and the friendliest of locals!
Early U2, Temple Bar, Dublin

DAY THREE - WEDNESDAY

Dublin is probably the best place within the UK and Ireland to buy vinyl, CDs or tapes, both new and used, collectable obscure or just deleted. It also has more instrument shops than Bono has had gold discs! Just the place to buy a new axe!

This morning you'll be free for a couple of hours to roam the Temple Bar district to shop before we catch our afternoon ferry to Liverpool. This will give you the chance to catch up on sleep ('coz the party hasn't stopped since you landed!), or you can enjoy the on-board entertainment.

We arrive in Liverpool early evening and after booking into our hotel and freshening up, we take a Beatle sites tour (visiting the boy's original houses, Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields). This gets us in the mood for a night's entertainment at the world's most famed Rock club, The Cavern, home of the Beatles, and where we'll enjoy a nostalgic night.

This morning we'll see more of the Beatle's Liverpool before going to the fantastic Beatles Story Exhibition.

Then, we take the 50-minute ride to Manchester, the UK's greatest 'hidden' rock secret! 'What Manchester does today, London does tomorrow' has been this city proud boast. This is a great and historic city that is enjoying a cultural renaissance and worth a visit in its own right.

Where do we start with the music? Herman's Hermits, Graham Nash and The Hollies, 10CC, Simply Red, Factory Records, Oasis, The Smiths, The Hacienda and Twenty-four Hour party people (Acid House music), Happy Mondays, John Mayall, The Doves, Joy Division, The Buzzcocks, The Bee Gees, Barclay James Harvest, The Verve, The Fall, James, New Order, The Stone Roses, M People, Take That .. the list is endless. There must be something in the water!

You'll enjoy a fully-guided tour of the rock sites, stars homes, album cover and lyric references. A visit to the local Hard Rock Cafe to see their Manchester 'greats' collection is a must. And tonight you'll be free to either take in a concert (perhaps a university gig) and/or explore one of the UK's most vibrant nightclub scenes. Perhaps you'll catch the next mega-stars before the rest of the world does!

This morning we'll depart for London. En route south we'll see a few more rock sites (and album cover photos that you can get yourself into!).

Arriving in London, we first stop at Camden Town, home of Madness, and then at the suburb of Hamstead, where many of the UK's rock stars choose to live.

Later, tonight, we have our grand finale, attending one of the Capital's top concert venues. Naturally, there'll be an end of tour party after the gig!