London Show Tour Christmas Edition

We depart for London with Air Canada

We arrive in London in the morning and transfer to our hotel. There will be an orientation walking tour around the area, with some free time before this evening’s Welcome Dinner.

London is bursting with centuries-old landmarks. Today’s full-day tour will be by both coach and walking to take in the major highlights all decorated for Christmas: Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, along with visits to Westminster Abbey and the Canadian War Memorial. This evening is our first night at the theatre.

A day at leisure. There are countless attractions, museums and galleries in London to visit. Enjoy the festive window displays and do a little Christmas shopping. Your Tour Manager will be on hand with suggestions.

Our full day excursion takes us through the quintessential English countryside to the “City of Dreaming Spires” Oxford, home to the most prestigious universities. We start with a guided walking tour through the 12th-century buildings stopping to visit one of the universities all in its festive glory. We will enjoy a Christmas lunch before our journey back to London.

This morning we visit Windsor and the castle that has been “home” to English monarchs for almost 1,000 years. It is said to be the late Queen’s favourite residence. We also pass by Runnymede—site of the signing of the Magna Carta, and stop at the R.A.F. Memorial, overlooking scenic countryside. This evening is our second theatre night.

We visit Bath, known for its hot spring waters and the 18th-century honey-coloured Georgian terraces with their elegant crescents. Our guided walking tour shows us Jane Austen’s home, the Avon River, Bath Abbey and more. We’ll visit the magnificent Roman Baths, built by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. After, we’ll enjoy a festive “Afternoon Tea” (an interpretation of the ritual that began in the 1800s) in The Pump Room—the social heart of Bath for more than two centuries with famous patrons like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

A walking tour of Covent Garden with its world- famous festive magic takes us to an area that through the years has evolved into one of the liveliest districts in London. Originally a vegetable garden for the monks of Westminster Abbey, today Covent Garden houses stylish shops, market stalls, cafés, bars, restaurants and even a “Canadian” pub close by along with all kinds of buskers (street entertainers). We’ll visit the “Actors Church”—so called as it contains memorials dedicated to many famous theatrical personalities: Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Vivien Leigh and more. It was also here that George Bernard Shaw set “Pygmalion”—the basis for the movie “My Fair Lady”, right under the Portico! This evening is our final theatre night!

This morning we’ll step aboard the magnificent London Eye, which offers a truly captivating and unparalleled view of London—a perfect “Farewell” to the city! In the afternoon explore on your own. Get in some last minute holiday shopping in London or just take in the beauty of the season with a mulled cider in a local pub. We will raise a glass to toast the holidays and to this enchanting city!

It’s “Cheerio” as we fly home via Air Canada.