manchester, the great north country, wales, the lake district, the peak district, snowdonia and viking england

THE GREAT NORTH COUNTRY & WALES
The Lakes combining our Peaks, Snowdonia & Viking England
14-days / 13 nights - Saturday to Friday

By combining our series of three and four-day tours that start from Manchester, you have a comprehensive and coherent fourteen-day tour of Northern England and North Wales. This superb tour offers unbeatable mountain, moorland and lake scenery. We offer you three walled cities - Chester, Conwy and York. There's history aplenty, including the prehistoric stone circles in the Lakes, Roman and Viking archaeology throughout the region, the great Norman 13th century castles of Wales, stately homes such as Chatsworth and, nearer our time, icons of the Industrial Revolution.

Then there are the great cathedrals like York Minster, country parish churches, magnificent ruined abbeys and monasteries. If it's the literary or movie connections you seek, then look no further; the Brontes, 'Calendar Girls', Lakeland poets are all here. These attractions, with gardens, museums, local culture, fun evening and great food, all included, make this a 'belting tour' (as they'd say 'oop north'!).

Here's how your tour works as a 14-day experience, joining for the Viking North tour as your first tour.

SUMMARY - Tentative Itinerary	NIGHTSTOP

FRIDAY
Arrive Manchester. Own arrangements.	Manchester
DAY ONE - SATURDAY
Highlights Lancashire and Yorkshire Dales, York, York Minster and 'Shambles', Coxwold and Helmsley.	Helmsley
DAY TWO - SUNDAY
Highlights Yorkshire Moors, Whitby, Captain Cook country, North Yorkshire Moors Railway, stately home of Castle Howard.	Helmsley
DAY THREE - MONDAY
Highlights Rievaulx Abbey, Richmond, Swaledale, the Dales, Northumbria, Highforce waterfall, ancient lead workings, mediaeval Ripon, 7th century cathedral, optional Prison and Police or Workhouse museums.	Helmsley
DAY FOUR - TUESDAY
Highlights 'Bath of the North' - Harrogate, Royal Horticultural Society's Harlow Carr Gardens, Ilkley, setting of 'Calendar Girls', Holmfirth, setting for 'Last of the Summer Wine', picturesque Holme Valley and the High Peaks.	High Peaks
DAY FIVE - WEDNESDAY
Highlights Pennine Mountain Snake Pass, famed dam-busters bouncing bomb dam, Pilgrim Fathers’ village of Scrooby, Mr Straw unchanged 1930s house, Lincoln.	Lincoln
DAY SIX - THURSDAY
Highlights Historical city of Lincoln, cathedral stetting for ‘Da Vinci Code’ film, original Magna Carta, Lincoln castle. Battle of Britain Memorial flight. Antique shops of Horncastle.	Lincoln
DAY SEVEN - FRIDAY
Highlights Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest, fabulous Peak District, plague village of Eyam, ‘Blue John’ semi-precious stone village of Castleton, elegant spa town of Buxton.	Manchester own expense unless linking to another tour from this hub
DAY EIGHT - SATURDAY
Highlights Chester, cathedral and medieval shopping 'rows'. Llandudno, pier, Great Orme funicular railway, walled harbour of Conwy, Britain's smallest house and 12th century castle.	Conwy, North Wales
DAY NINE - SUNDAY
Highlights Snowdonia National Park, great slate mine at Blaenau Ffestiniog, or copper mine at Sygun, a steam train journey on half-gage railway, woollen mill, Harlech and the Llewyn Peninsular.	Conwy
DAY TEN - MONDAY
Highlights Caernarfon, Isle of Anglesey, Thomas Telford's famed suspension bridge, prehistoric burial chambers and monuments, village with the World's longest name; Llanfair.p.g, Beaumaris harbour, Victorian gaol,Roman Army museum, 900 year old pub.	Conwy
DAY ELEVEN - TUESDAY
Highlights Bodnant gardens, Lake Bala, Llangollen canal, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Mrs Gaitskil's Knutsford, Cheshire.	Knutsford, Cheshire
DAY TWELVE - WEDNESDAY
Highlights Holker Hall, Coniston Water, 'Old Man of Coniston', Brantwood home of Victorian philosopher, John Ruskin. Lakes scenery, Bowness, Windermere.	Windermere, Lake District
DAY THIRTEEN - THURSDAY
Highlights Wordsworth's cottage, Grassmere, Borrowdale, Buttermere, Crummock Water, Whinlatter Forest, Keswick, Castlerigg prehistoric Stone Circle, Lead Pencil Museum.	Windermere
DAY FOURTEEN - FRIDAY
Highlights Windermere, Beatrix Potter home, West Yorkshire Dales, Kirkby Lonsdale, Viking cemetery, The Three Peaks, Ribblehead Viaduct, Settle, Austwick's geological Norber Erratics, Ingleton, Ingleborough Hill show cave, Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters.	Manchester (own arrangements)
SATURDAY
Transfer and homeward
NOTES: . Additional pre and post tour accommodation (B&B): Twin £50 / Single £60 . Airport transfers to/from Manchester: £45 for up to three persons sharing
CLICK HERE FOR FULL ITINERARY