Essential Britain & Ireland

This comprehensive vacation gives you an insight into all five countries of the British Isles. Start your trip in England with visits to prehistoric Stonehenge, Salisbury with its famous cathedral, and the extraordinary excavations of the Roman Baths in Bath. Then travel to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, and through South Wales to board the ferry for the crossing to Ireland. Watch the craftsmen at work at the Waterford Crystal factory, admire the stallions at the Irish National Stud, and relax in Dublin, Ireland’s capital, before heading north past the Mountains of Mourne to vibrant Belfast. Another ferry crossing takes you to Scotland and its capital city, Edinburgh, where a guided city tour includes a visit to Edinburgh Castle. The final highlights of this vacation include the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe’s magnificent Floors Castle, a walking tour through York, and last but not least, Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. You’ll arrive home with lots of stories and photos to share from your vacation to the British Isles.

Built in three phases around 3100 BC, the enormous stones at stonehenge placed in a circular formation in an abandoned field have intrigued visitors for generations. Some believe the place to be a former location of human sacrifice, others believe it was a holy place of Sun worship.

Possibly the most important monument built in Britain in prehistoric times, the formation at Stonehenge was built in three stages, according to archeologists. The stones seen today are the completed third stage.

The rock formations cast very different moods depending on when visited. The best times to photograph the formations are early morning when the sun is rising and in the early sunset. Light bathes these rocks in softer tones creating images as impressive as the site itself.

Few mysteries exist in our modern world. England’s Stonehenge in Salisbury remains one of those unsolved mysteries that continue to boggle the minds of archeologist and tourists alike. Make this a must see when visiting the UK.