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Price Per person double occupancy
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| Request a quote or call 800-322-0788 for more information. |
Price Includes: Very nice 3 and moderate 4 star hotels, breakfast daily, 7 dinners (beverages not included), modern transportation, sightseeing as listed, baggage handling for 1 piece per person, and taxes.
Not Included: Airfare, fuel charges, air taxes, travel/cancellation insurance, lunches, 3 dinners, gratuities to driver and guide.
Deposit Required: $300 per person will reserve your place. A $100 service fee will be charged for cancellation at any time in addition to our normal payment and cancellation policy.
Day 1: Depart USA
Our journey begins as we depart on our scheduled international flight over the Atlantic to London, England.
Day 2: Arrival in London, Hampton Court Palace
Upon our arrival in London, our tour director meets us at the airport with our deluxe air-conditioned bus and we begin our tour at Hampton Court Palace. In 1604, James I commissioned the King James Version of the Bible during the Hampton Court Conference and we visit the room where it happened. In the Chapel Royal, we hear how Henry VIII’s decision to allow production of the Bible was influenced by his last wife, Catherine Parr. After the tour we have time to stroll through the beautiful gardens and try and find our way to the center of the maze. Our welcome meal is at our hotel this evening. Our hotel is in London for the next three nights.
Day 3: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Free Time
We begin our day at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a marvelous building designed by Sir Christopher Wren and recently renovated to its former splendor. We continue to magnificent Westminster Abbey where most British Kings and Queens since 1066 have been crowned and it’s the final resting place of many monarchs, heroes and poets. Although not open to the public now, we will learn about historic events in the Jerusalem Chamber. It was used by the 17 men who translated the first third of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament. Between 1644 and 1647, the Westminster Assembly met here to prepare the Westminster Confession of Faith. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore London and maybe see a London show or Shakespeare production.
Day 4: Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle, Tower of London, Thames River Cruise, London Eye
This morning we visit the Metropolitan Tabernacle, where the great Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) held his great revival meetings. He preached to as many as 6,000 people every Sunday, with copies of his sermons printed and distributed worldwide. During his lifetime he preached to an estimated ten million people. It’s still a thriving congregation in the center of London. In the afternoon we tour the Tower of London, including the Crown Jewels. We then sail down the Thames back to Westminster and take a flight aboard the British Airways London Eye, the world's highest observation wheel offering amazing panoramic views of the capital.
Day 5: Oxford, Brecon, Wales
On arrival in Oxford, our local guide leads us on a walking tour of Oxford, including the Reformers Monument and the Cathedral. Founded by Cardinal Wolsey as Cardinal's College in 1524, this twelfth century church is one of the oldest buildings in Oxford and one of the smallest Anglican cathedrals in England. It is also the only church in the world to be both a cathedral and a college chapel. The college buildings took over the site of St. Frideswide's Monastery, which was sup-pressed by Wolsey to fund his college. The monastery dated back to the earliest days of Oxford as a settlement in the 9th Century AD. The cathedral has a famous men and boys' choir, and is one of the main choral foundations in Oxford. Famous alumni include: Charles and John Wesley, Lewis Carroll, William Penn, Albert Einstein and John Locke. Continuing on to Wales, we arrive in Brecon in time for dinner.
Day 6: Lutterworth, Moulton, Cambridge
We begin the day with visit to Coleg Trefeca, a center run by the Presbyterian Church of Wales which includes a small museum about Howell Harris, one of the main leaders of the Welsh Methodist Revival in the 18th century. We then drive through the scenic Brecon Beacons back to England. We visit Lutterworth, where John Wycliffe initiated the first translation of the whole Bible into the English language. Printing was still extremely costly, so he sent out his "Lollard Preachers" across England with portions of the scripture, preaching and teaching about Jesus. After a visit to St. Mary’s Church, we will make a stop in Moulton to learn about William Carey, the “Father of Modern Missions”. We continue on to Cambridge for our evening meal. We stay in Cambridge for 2 nights.
Day 7: Cambridge
This morning we attend Cambridge Presbyterian Church and enjoy fellowship with believers from around the world. On our afternoon walking tour through Cambridge University with its 31 colleges, we learn how Cambridge became the origin of Reformation thought in the 16th and 17th centuries. We will end with a choral service in the 500-year old King’s College Chapel with its famous stained glass windows. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 8: Elstow, Bedford, Olney, York
In nearby Elstow, we visit the 17th century Moot Hall and see what life would have been like in England at that time. The Abbey Church has a window depicting one of the scenes from Pilgrim Progress, as Bunyan was born in the village. He later moved to Bedford, and we visit the Bunyan Museum and see the site of the prison where he spent 12 years. In nearby Olney we visit the Newton Cowper Museum, which celebrates the leading 18th Century poet & letter writer William Cowper and his friend, John Newton who wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace”. We then head north to York.
Day 9: York, Edinburgh
This morning we explore York and learn more about its rich heritage. Constantine the Great was crowned emperor here in 306 and after the Northumbrian king Edwin was converted, York became a center for Christian scholarship. York Minster was originally a small wooden church built for the baptism of King Edwin in 627. It was later rebuilt in stone and has been added to several times. The term “Minster” normally refers to a church in a monastery, but this cathedral was never part of a monastic institution. It’s the biggest medieval church in England and has breathtakingly beautiful stained glass, including the 16th century rose window. In the afternoon we take a train to Edinburgh. We dine at our hotel this evening.
Day 10: St. Andrews, Stirling, Edinburgh
Today we journey to St. Andrews, the spiritual capital of Scotland and the place where Scotland’s Reformation began. During the time of the Reformation, St. Andrews University was third in significance, after Oxford and Cambridge. St. Andrews Castle, once the premier residence of bishops and archbishops is the site of battles and peace treaties. We hear about George Wishart and Patrick Hamilton’s martyrdoms. St. Andrews Cathedral dates back to 1160 and now comprises the ruins of Scotland’s largest cathedrals. The monument to Robert the Bruce, the first king to unite the Scottish people is here in this city. On our way back to Edinburgh, we stop in Stirling and visit the Church of the Holy Rude where, in 1566, John Knox preached at the baptism of James VI. We also visit Stirling Castle where James VI was educated by the Scottish Reformer George Buchanan. The evening is free.
Day 11: Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, John Knox
We begin with a tour of Edinburgh which takes us to the historic sites of the Edinburgh Castle, the Queen’s Holyrood Palace and points out the Royal Mile. We also visit St. Giles Cathedral to which Knox was appointed minister of the church. We visit the 15th century house where John Knox leader of the Scottish Reformation and founder of the Presbyterian Church lived for a short time before he died. Today it is a museum that holds an exhibition about his life. We enjoy a farewell Scottish meal tonight.
Day 12: Return
We fly out of Edinburgh today with many fond memories of our time in the British Isles. Overnight flight to Prague.
