Highlights of Britain: London, Bath, York & Edinburgh

Today you explore the royal and political heart of London. You begin at Westminster, where Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament rise beside the Thames, and step inside the magnificent Westminster Abbey, the great Gothic church where kings and queens have been crowned and buried for a thousand years. You continue to Buckingham Palace, the monarch's London home, timing your visit for the colourful pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, with its scarlet tunics and bearskins. You stroll through St James's Park and past Trafalgar Square, then take a relaxing cruise along the River Thames, gliding beneath its famous bridges with grand views of the city. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, steeped in royal history. This evening, perhaps enjoy a classic London pub or restaurant. Rest well, ready for more of the capital tomorrow.

Today you delve into London's history and culture. You visit the mighty Tower of London, the great riverside fortress that has been royal palace, prison and treasury, meeting the Yeoman Warders, spotting the resident ravens, and gazing on the dazzling Crown Jewels. You cross nearby Tower Bridge for wonderful views, then head to the world-famous British Museum, whose vast collection ranges from the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian mummies to the sculptures of ancient Greece. There is time to wander the lively piazza of Covent Garden, with its street performers and shops. This evening you have the option of a dazzling show in the West End, London's celebrated theatreland, from long-running musicals to acclaimed drama. As the day ends, the buzz of the capital surrounds you. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey west to Windsor, Stonehenge and beautiful Bath.

Today you leave London and travel west into the English countryside. Your first stop is Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and a favourite royal home, where you explore the sumptuous State Apartments and the exquisite St George's Chapel. You continue across the wide chalk downs of Salisbury Plain to Stonehenge, the mysterious prehistoric stone circle raised some five thousand years ago, standing in solitary grandeur against the sky. Suitably awed, you drive on to Bath, one of Britain's most beautiful cities, built of warm golden stone amid green hills, arriving in time to settle into your hotel. As the day ends, you stroll Bath's elegant Georgian streets in the evening light. Perhaps enjoy dinner in a historic inn. Rest well, ready to explore this graceful UNESCO city and the Cotswolds tomorrow.

This morning you explore beautiful Bath. You visit the remarkable Roman Baths, where steaming mineral water still fills the great pillared bathing pool fed by the sacred hot spring, and admire the sweeping Royal Crescent and perfect Circus, the finest Georgian architecture in Britain. You take in the fan-vaulted glory of Bath Abbey and the elegant Pump Room, wandering streets that inspired Jane Austen. In the afternoon you journey north through the storybook Cotswolds, a rolling landscape of honey-stone villages, drystone walls and sheep pastures, pausing in a picture-perfect village or two, before arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare. As the day ends, you settle into this pretty riverside town. This evening, perhaps stroll along the gentle River Avon. Rest well, ready to follow in the footsteps of the Bard tomorrow before travelling on to medieval York.

This morning you explore Stratford-upon-Avon, the town forever linked with William Shakespeare. You visit the half-timbered house on Henley Street where the playwright was born and grew up, brought vividly to life, and can see other Shakespeare family properties and his resting place at Holy Trinity Church beside the river. You soak up the charm of this handsome market town, home to the world-famous Royal Shakespeare Company. In the afternoon you journey north to York, one of England's most beautiful and historic cities, ringed by well-preserved medieval walls, arriving in time to settle into your hotel. As the day ends, you take a first evening stroll through York's atmospheric old streets, perhaps beneath the floodlit minster. Perhaps enjoy a traditional Yorkshire dinner. Rest well, ready to explore this wonderful medieval city and its Viking past tomorrow.

This morning you explore medieval York. You marvel at York Minster, one of the largest and finest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe, with its breathtaking stained-glass windows and soaring towers, and wander the Shambles, a wonderfully preserved lane of leaning timbered shops little changed since the Middle Ages. You can walk a stretch of the ancient city walls for lovely views, and delve into York's fascinating Viking heritage at the Jorvik Viking Centre. In the afternoon you board a comfortable train and speed north across the border into Scotland to Edinburgh, watching the countryside and coast slip by, and arrive in the dramatic Scottish capital in time to settle in. As the day ends, Edinburgh's castle-crowned skyline greets you. Perhaps enjoy your first Scottish dinner. Rest well, ready to explore regal Edinburgh tomorrow.

Today you explore regal Edinburgh, one of Europe's most dramatic and beautiful capitals. You climb to Edinburgh Castle, perched high on its volcanic rock, home to the Scottish crown jewels, the ancient Stone of Destiny and stirring views over the city, and hear the story of Scotland's kings and queens. You walk the historic Royal Mile, which tumbles from the castle past old closes, taverns and shops down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch's official Scottish residence. You explore the elegant Georgian New Town and browse for tartan, cashmere and whisky. For the energetic, there is the chance to climb Arthur's Seat for panoramic views. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, steeped in Scottish history. This evening, perhaps enjoy a whisky tasting or hearty Scottish fare. Rest well, ready for a taste of the Highlands tomorrow.

Today you venture beyond Edinburgh into the beautiful Scottish landscape for a stirring taste of the Highlands. You travel out through hills and glens, perhaps to mighty Stirling Castle, cradle of Scottish kings, set dramatically on its crag above the field of Bannockburn, and the nearby Wallace Monument, or venturing further to the dark, mysterious waters of Loch Ness, brooding beneath the romantic ruins of Urquhart Castle. Either way you drink in wide, wild scenery of mountains, forests, lochs and tumbling rivers, and feel the romance of Scotland's storied past, with plenty of time for photographs and legend. As the day ends, you return to Edinburgh, having glimpsed the beauty of the Highlands. This evening, savour a final Scottish dinner, reflecting on your journey the length of Britain. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying warm memories of Britain.

After a final morning in regal Edinburgh, perhaps a last stroll along the Royal Mile or some souvenir shopping for tartan and whisky, you are transferred to Edinburgh Airport for your onward departure. You leave having experienced the very best of Britain, from the palaces, museums and West End of London and the mystery of Stonehenge to the Georgian elegance of Bath, the storybook Cotswolds, Shakespeare's Stratford, medieval York with its great minster and Viking past, and regal Edinburgh with its castle, Royal Mile and Highland scenery. The images stay vivid long after you land, the Crown Jewels glittering in the Tower, the golden crescents of Bath, the Shambles in York, and Edinburgh Castle high on its rock. Britain offers history, pageantry, culture and beauty in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this endlessly rewarding island.