As a first time visitor wanting an introduction to these historical, cultured andscenically wealthy islands, or as a return visitor wanting to see a little more than the regular sites to discover life behind the tourist façade this is, perhaps, the best tour you can take.

Four countries in one. Not too rushed, but in a way that allows time to see a selection of our many attractions - from the better known to the lesser known - and to experience our many differing cultures. Days of touring combined with days of organised independence and with the opportunity to explore what you see.

There's a little of everything for everybody: cathedrals and castles, mountains and lakes, ancient mystic sites and Georgian towns, eating and drinking, opportunities for shopping and meeting the locals.

Once you've experienced the multi-cultural, ancient and modern life on our soil you'll appreciate why we should perhaps be called the WISE Islands!

Tour Code

Arrive London

Depart London

  WISE

Saturday

Saturday

Price: GBP £1,849.00 pp twin share

Single Supplement: GBP £265.00

Click here to work out prices in other currencies http://www.xe.com/ucc/
For what is included/excluded in your tour price, see Tour Inclusions.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

NIGHTSTOP

Stepping out onto England's 'green and pleasant land', you're met at the airport by your Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd representative and know that you're in good hands. A short drive to our London base and, after a short orientation, you'll be free to relax and discover the area. Dinner is not included tonight to enable you to make choices about what to do with your first day - will you sleep and recover from the arduous of travel, or perhaps venture out to explore one of the world's most exciting cities?

London

Our WISE Islands experience starts with one of the country's best known jewels, the Cotswolds. Honey-coloured villages, nestling in folds of the gently undulating hills, are the order of the day. Our choice of stops will depend on the weather and your interests but we've the Slaughters, Stowe, Burford, Bibury, Chipping Campden and Minster Lovell from which to choose. Whether Spring, Summer or Autumn, flower-filled gardens and rolling hills make this one of England's most picturesque areas. We'll also be visiting one of the region's famed country houses and gardens such as Hidcote. You'll also be seeing the 'black and white' half-timbered Tudor style houses as we tour through the Malvern Hills and country Worcester, home of famed composer, Edward Elgar.

We've a varied day that sees us following the River Severn along the Wales-England border back-roads with potential stops at some of the pretty Severn-side villages. An undoubted highlight will be Ironbridge, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Depending on time and weather, the day offers other potential delights from this period such as Llangollen with its amazing canal aqueduct. A change of historical periods and we head for the Roman city of Chester with its surrounding wall and remarkable shopping 'rows' of Tudor-style black and white half-timbered buildings.

North Wales

Today, a day of outstanding beauty in the mountains of the Snowdonia National Park and along the North Wales coast line. Our circular route takes us from the medieval castle of Conway to the elegant Victorian resort of Llandudno, through the Vale of Clwyd skirting Lake Bala, to the lands where the last great Prince of Wales, Owain Glyn Dwr, held court. There's breathtaking scenery as we drive to Blaenau Ffestiniog when we'll have an option of going down a slate mine or taking a steam train ride. We are now in the heart of Snowdonia as we drive through the forests to Betws-y-Coed where one highlight will be a working woollen-mill and, finally, the magnificent Horseshoe Pass.

North Wales

DAY FIVE - WEDNESDAY

This morning sees us taking the North Wales coast road through Bangor and Caernarvon, over the Menai Bridge onto the Isle of Anglesey to the harbour town of Beaumaris where a number of attractions demand our attention. One of the great 12th and 13th century castles of Edward 1st is obligatory today. There are also some amazing prehistoric sites to visit before our route for the afternoon Dublin ferry takes us through the town with the longest name in Britain. For convenience, it is generally shortened to Llanfair PG but properly boasts 52 letters!

Then following, perhaps, a picnic lunch on this mystic Celtic Isle of Anglesey, it's on to Holyhead and our fast ferry across the Irish Sea.

We arrive in Dublin in time to enjoy a brief orientation tour before locating our city centre accommodation. Tonight we'll find a traditional music bar and sample the 'craic'.

Ferry: HSS Stena Depart 13.45 Arr. 15.25

Dublin

Organised Independence in Dublin. We have a full day to discover the many delights this city has to offer. You'll be given a briefing by your guide before having some free time to explore at leisure. This is a small city and offers easy walking. Options include Trinity College, the Book of Kells, the Guinness Brewery (where you can take a tour and enjoy a free sample!); St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grafton Street, Halfpenny Bridge and much, much more. Dinner tonight is not included to enable you to take an optional evening at one of Dublin's many 'cabarets', Irish nights, or perhaps go to the theatre.

Dublin

It's as if the Lake District had been brought to your doorstep. The Wicklow Mountains are the beautiful 'backyard' of Dublin's fair city. An area that has long exercised an attraction to those seeking solitude and contemplation. Monks settled here as early as 545 AD. Birdsong, the sound of running water and remains of an ancient monastic life remind us of the sanctity this area must have held for those who sought to live here. Passing through the Wicklow Gap, we'll enter into the secluded and seductive Valley of Glendalough. Remains of an 11th century cathedral, several churches and a 110ft (33m) round tower are all that's left of the monastic settlement that called this area home. Given Ireland's bounty of natural beauty, Glendalough must surely be one of its loveliest retreats. Heading back north towards Dublin, we'll also pay a visit to Powerscourt with its splendid landscaped gardens embracing the erstwhile 18th century mansion (destroyed by fire in 1974). Nearby are Powerscourt Falls, the highest waterfalls in Ireland (270ft or 90 metres).

Tonight there's an optional social evening at a fantastic local cultural centre where you can join in the dance and hear traditional music being taught and enjoyed.

Dublin

We've an earlier than usual start today, with much to see before catching a ferry from Belfast. Undoubted highlights of the day will be visits to the most remarkable prehistoric tomb in Europe at Newgrange (entry to the tomb itself conditional on availability), and to the Hills of Tara, the foremost spiritual and political centre of Ireland for 1000 years and the seat of power until the coming of St Patrick.

We then continue north to our ferry departure point and sail across the Irish Sea to South-Western Scotland.

Please note: ferry schedules and sea conditions may sometime entail taking a late evening ferry rather than the mid afternoon sailing.

Newton Stewart or Castle Douglas

We're on the edge of Robbie Burn's country and this morning we'll follow the 'Burns trail' travelling north though the beautiful Lowlands of Scotland. Troon, the Brig O Doon and lochs of Galloway are all on our itinerary.

Continuing north, we cross the great River Clyde over the Erskine Bridge and make our way, edging past Loch Lomond, into the Highland region of the Trossachs. Here you will see traditional heather-covered bens, babbling braes and lochs that so characterise the enchanting Highlands.

Finally, towards the end of a perfect and full day, we make our way past the mighty Stirling Castle to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. This morning there will be a panoramic tour of the major sites: Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the Royal Mile, Prince's Street and the New Town - all under the shadow of Arthur's Seat. For the rest of the day you will be free to explore this exciting and vibrant city at leisure. Dinner is not included tonight to allow you to take advantage of theatre visits if wished.

Edinburgh

Heading south, our first stop is at Jedburgh where you will have time to visit the local woollen mill. We'll also find abbey ruins, the castle jail and Mary Queen of Scots house, which is open to visitors. From here it is only a short drive to the English border. Here we'll visit some Roman remains on part of the great wall, which the Emperor Hadrian built to protect England from the fierce Picts north of the border. The market town of Hexham once suffered frequent raids by the marauding Scots. Today it is a bustling town where we will lunch before continuing our journey south, through picturesque Northumberland to our base on the North Yorkshire Moors or to the city of York.

York or Dales

A short drive from our North Yorkshire Moors base is the market town of Helmsley. Here we'll find the 12th century ruins of Helmsley Castle, much of which was destroyed during the English Civil War. The most spectacular stately home in Yorkshire, Castle Howard, is next on the agenda. This beautiful palace is still occupied by the Howard family who built it back in the 18th century. You'll have free time to explore the house and grounds and to have lunch. This afternoon we head back to the heather-covered moors for a change of transport. You'll board a train at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and for a journey to relive the nostalgia of the steam age. This area is Captain Cook country. After our steam train ride we'll continue our explorations of this sometimes bleak and remote countryside as we head back to our base.

  York or Dales

We begin this morning with the Viking city of Jorvik (York). Arguably, this fabulous walled city boasts the most impressive Minster in the UK. It is also famed for its medieval 'Shambles' when walking these atmospheric, narrow, cobbled streets take you back hundreds of years in time.

There's never enough time to see York, even if you lived here! But we must tear ourselves away and head south. But there's a compensation: Lincoln! This lovely city, dominated by another fabulous castle, cathedral and shambolic streets is one that quite undeservedly gets overshadowed by its northern neighbour.

Lincolnshire

Well, we have finish on the highest of notes and you'd think it difficult to better all that we've seen thus far on our WISE Islands tour. But no, there's no possibility of anti-climax with the flat, windmill-covered, East Anglian fenlands, Oliver Cromwell's Ely and the picturesque university city of Cambridge all to be toured before our final run-in to London.

Ely is a treasure for both its history, and for the fabulous stained glass of its cathedral. Cambridge, of course, offers not only medieval architecture of colleges such as King's, but also the opportunity of a gentle 'punt' on the 'backs' of the River Cam. There's also one of England's finest museums and an opportunity for some last minute shopping.

London

Alas, unless you're extending your stay in the UK's capital, it's time to leave and you'll be taken to your airport of departure, saddened to be leaving but undoubtedly a little WISER!

Please note: if you'd like to see more of the WISE islands on this visit, you can combine this tour with our 4-day 'Red Dragon' tour of South Wales (taken before the Wise Island's tour), or extend your stay by taking our 4-day 'In Search of King Arthur' tour to Devon and Cornwall.

NOTE:
Many of the historic properties we visit on our tours are either owned by the National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) or  the English Heritage (www.english-heritage.org.uk).  Why not visit their sites to get further descriptions of some of the super places included on the tour?

© As we publish full tour descriptions, you may find others offering our unique itineraries.  But, just as you find when others sing the songs of Paul McCartney, they're often not quite as good as when sung by the original composer!