Shows, plays, famous authors’ houses and museums, Chatsworth, charming villages. 25 AUGUST - 21 SEPTEMBER 2023 ENGLAND AND WALES MUSIC AND LITERATURE TOUR
• Numerous literature highlights including the houses and museums of Beatrix Potter, Jane Austen, the Brontë Sisters, Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, the Globe, Shakespeare, Wren Library, Cambridge, and Anne Hathaway!
25 August 2023
- 21 September
Join us on this odyssey through some of the most picturesque villages in the world, the towering palaces and castles, the exquisite scenery, and music and literature experiences one can only dream of, including Westend show, private concert with Welsh Choir and the Royal Shakespeare play in Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Bath (4 nights), Cardiff (2 nights), Betws-yCoed Village (3 nights), Lake District (4 nights), York (3 nights), Stratford-upon-Avon (2 nights), Cambridge (2 nights) and London (4 nights).
• Wonder at the opulence and grandeur of famous castles like Cardiff Castle, Buckingham Palace and Chatsworth.
2 For more information ring our office or visit our website
OUR ARTISTS FOR THIS TRIP
• This is a small boutique tour limited to 20 passengers, part of our Travel of Note series of trips.
• A special tour of Highclere Castle where the famous series Downton Abbey was filmed.
Alex MilliganAlex Foster
ENGLAND AND WALES MUSIC AND LITERATURE TOUR
• Explore the beauty of the English countryside, drive through the prettiest towns and villages with thatched cottages lining the road including Cambridge, Betws-y-Coed, Hay-on-Wye, Portmeirion, Port Sunlight, the Cotswold and Bath!
Experience the Exceptional...
• Wonderful museum and church visits including Jorvik Viking Museum - York, Bletchley Park, Merchant Adventurers Hall, Parliament Buildings -London, Wren Library - Cambridge, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, and York Minster.
• Enjoying the beauty and history of National Parks including the Lake District and Mount Snowden with its tranquil setting, escaping the cities and revelling in peace.
• Many special musical and theatrical highlights including a private concert of Welsh Men’s choir at Cardiff Castle, tour of the Globe Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company play, King’s College Choir, Cambridge, West End show, Beatles Museum plus private concerts and other shows and plays as available.
• Escorted by the two Alexes, Alex Milligan and Alex Foster - 2 great friends and 2 great people!
Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa
Coal Exchange Hotel, Cardiff
3www.operatunity.co.nz/travel | P: 0508 886 489 | E: travel@operatunity.co.nz
The Grand Hotel, York (3 nights) is one of the UK’s top five-star hotels and winner of Hotel of the Year 2022 at the Cateys awards. It is located in the centre of York a few minutes’ walk from all the great locations including York Minster.
Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa (4 nights) is a luxury Lake District Spa Hotel nestled on the Lake Windermere shoreline, in the heart of the Lake District National Park. We enjoy lake view rooms at this hotel.
The Coal Exchange Hotel, Cardiff (2 nights) is situated in a historic, Grade II listed heritage building. Renowned for helping to shape the city, it was once filled with the ambition and passion from local trade negotiators and the shipping industry.
ENGLANDWALES YORKLONDONCARDIFFBATH CAMBRIDGE BETWS-Y-COED UPON-AVONSTRATFORD THE LAKE DISTRICT Cotswolds PortmeirionHay-on-WyePowisCastleLiverpool HaworthBletchleyParkChatsworth House Highclere Castle (Downton&GrasmereAbbey)BeatrixPotter FlytoAucklandLondonFly London to Auckland
The Grand Hotel, York
Ettington Park Hotel, Stratford-uponAvon (2 nights) is a 4-star Neo Gothic mansion set in 40 acres of parklands, furnished with exquisite antiques and furnishings.
University Arms, Cambridge (2 nights) offers a unique luxury hotel experience in the heart of Cambridge, with views over Parker’s Piece & Regents Street.
PLACES WE STAY
Francis Hotel, Bath (4 nights) is a beautiful 18th century townhouse, beautifully situated in the middle of town, overlooking the gardens of Queens Square.
Royal Oak Hotel, Betws-y-Coed (3 nights) is a picturesque building overlooking the river Llugwy with luxurious rooms but still keeping within the Victorian architecture.
The Dixon, London (4 nights) was formerly the Tower Bridge Magistrate’s Court. It has been fully restored, highlighting its Edwardian heritage with quirky features celebrating its past. It is located 1 minute from Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and Butler’s Wharf full of restaurants and shops.
4 For more information ring our office or visit our website
En route from Bath to Cardiff
• Visit and guided tour of the Roman Baths Complex, dating back nearly 2000 years.
Traditionally Wales is a melodic land of green hills and welcoming valleys and sweeping sandy beaches filled with towns that transport us to another age.
• Historical talk about our hotel which helped shape the city, with its coal mining history, filled with the ambition and passion from local trade negotiators and the shipping industry.
• Visit to the Fashion Museum at the Assembly Hall.
• Tour of Jane Austen’s House Museum, offering a snapshot into life in Regency times, Jane’s writings and the places that shaped Jane Austen’s life.
Cardiff
• A walking tour of Bath’s 18th Century features: Queen Square, Circus, Royal Crescent, and Great Pulteney Street.
Highlights include:
• Cardiff Castle tour including outer walls of Roman stonework and Norman buildings from the 11th century.
BATH (4 nights)
Highlights include:
• A performance at the Theatre Royal, erected in 1805, and considered a prime example of Georgian architecture (subject to availability).
• Welcome dinner at our hotel with music from Alex and Alex!
Cardiff (2 nights) - Coal Exchange Hotel
• A premium private event: we enjoy dinner at Cardiff Castle followed by a private concert presented but the Bridgend Welsh Male Voice Choir.
Roman Baths, Bath
Today we leave Bath and visit St Fagan’s Museum, an open-air museum of over 40 historic buildings plus the magnificent 16th century St Fagan’s castle. St Fagan’s is one of Europe’s leading open-air museums and Wales’s most popular heritage attraction.
• Visit to Downton Abbey - Highclere Castle which is of course the location for the stunning period drama Downton Abbey. It is our turn to be captivated by the house that we have only visited through our TV.
• Time to rest after our long flight with 24 hours off before any activities.
Bath is a historic Roman and Georgian city and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. Bath is famous for its hot springs, Roman period baths, medieval heritage, and home to Jane Austen.
-Francis Hotel Bath
• Cardiff city tour includes Civic Centre, the Millennium Stadium, new Wales Millennium Centre and the impressive Cardiff Bay Barrage.
En route from Cardiff to Betws-y-Coed Village
Drive through the valleys of the Black Mountains, the centre of the coal industry in Wales, which employed over 270,000 men at its peak in the 1920s.
• Visit Lakeland Motor Museum and a vintage steam train ride.
• A visit to the unashamedly romantic village of Portmeirion, built by Clough Williams-Ellis, a prominent architect, in the style of an Italian village as a result of his fantasy between 1925 and 1976 and home to the famous Portmeirion crockery.
5www.operatunity.co.nz/travel | P: 0508 886 489 | E: travel@operatunity.co.nz
• Ride on the vintage Llanberis Lake Railway and see the wonderful old bridge at Beddgelert en route.
• Visit the Wonderful World of Beatrix Potter Museum plus steamboat cruise on lake.
Betws-y-Coed is North Wales most popular inland resort. The area is enhanced by cascading waterfalls, lakes, river pools and ancient bridges.
• Private reading of Wordsworth’s poems in Dove Cottage (subject to availability).
• We enjoy the tale of Beatrix Potter by visiting Hill Top, her famous house and farm. Full of her favourite things, this house appears as if Beatrix had just stepped out for a walk. Every room contains a reference to a picture in a ‘tale’.
Betws-y-Coed
• Visit the famous Bodnant Gardens, a 32-hectare garden with spectacular views over Snowdonia.
The Lake District - Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa (4 nights)
Betws-y-Coed Village, Wales (3 nights) - Royal Oak Hotel
Powis Castle, house and garden tour which includes a superb collection of treasures from India displayed in the Clive Museum, old Masters, and one of Britain’s only truly Baroque gardens.
• A fabulous vintage steam train journey up Mt Snowdon, with magnificent waterfalls, viaducts, ancient forests, spectacular views and the centre of slate mining in Wales.
Before reaching the Lake District we enjoy a tour of Liverpool including the Beatles Museum and a visit to Port Sunlight, an historically listed town built for workers of Sunlight soap.
Time to wander the bookshops and antique shops of the cute village of Hay-on-Wye which was transformed into a Mecca of secondhand book shops in the 1960s.
• National Slate Museum and then lunch at Castell Deudraeth.
Windermere is the largest natural lake in England and is fed by numerous rivers. It has spectacular walks and views and historic buildings.
• Dinner and private concert from our escorts.
Highlights include:
En route from Betws-y-Coed to the Lake District
Highlights include:
• Visit Lakes Distillery for a whiskey and chocolate tasting.
• Wordsworth expedition to Grasmere which includes visit to Wordsworth’s grave, Dove Cottage, and the Wordsworth Museum.
• Time to rest and enjoy our beautiful hotel and grounds.
• Visit Merchant Adventurers Hall situated in a Grade I listed building of historic significance.
York is a beautiful walled city in northeast England that was founded by the ancient Romans. Its huge 13th-century Gothic cathedral, York Minster, has medieval stained glass and 2 functioning bell towers.
Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon.
Visit to the magnificent Chatsworth House including tour, lunch, and time to wander the gardens, house and fabulous farm and gift shops at leisure.
York (3 nights)
• 2-night stay at Ettington Park Hotel, a neo-gothic mansion set on 40 acres of land, a perfect place to enjoy with its history and ghost stories.
6 For more information ring our office or visit our website
Chatsworth House
• Free time to wander streets or visit numerous other museums including the Allied Forces Museum at leisure.
• Backstage tour of the historic Theatre Royal with afternoon tea afterwards.
- Ettington Park Hotel
Visit Brontë Sisters’ Parsonage in Haworth plus time to visit the cute town of Haworth. Tour includes an introductory talk and time to look at the house, church and graves.
• Visit and tour Jorvik Viking Museum and go back hundreds of years to the time of the Vikings.
• Walking tour of York including visit to York Minster, the oldest medieval church in England plus walking cute streets, visiting the Shambles area and the Old Town.
En route from York to Stratford-upon Avon
- The Grand Hotel, York
Highlights include:
• Private concert in the ballroom at the hotel with our artists.
Highlights include:
Stratford-upon-Avon (2 nights)
• A performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with dinner included beforehand at the theatre.
• Visit all Shakespeare’s houses and grave, Anne Hathaway’s cottage as well as other sites of importance.
• Driving through the beautiful Cotswolds with its many thatched cottages.
• Chipping Campden stop for a wander (well-known to Miss Marple and Graham Greene fans).
En route from the Lake District to York
Stratford-upon-Avon
Highlights include:
• A very regal tour of Buckingham Palace, and the State Rooms, predominately used for state, ceremonial, and official occasions, as well as a chance to wander the gardens, made famous by royal garden parties.
• Driving tour of London including Westminster, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, and the parks surrounding Buckingham Palace.
• A tour to the Whitehall area of London including a tour of the beautiful Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Rooms – only recently opened to the public – where Churchill and his war cabinet planned Britain’s role in the Second World War.
Cambridge (2 nights) - University Arms
Cambridge
• King’s College Choir Evensong in the awe-inspiring King’s College Chapel (subject to availability).
London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom, known for its historic buildings, vibrant theatre scene and its tree-lined streets and more than 200 parks.
• Walking tour of Southwark including George Inn (a haunt of Charles Dickens), The Globe Theatre with theatre and backstage tour, Tower of London, and the Crown Jewels.
• A West End show with dinner on the West End, plus time to see another show of your choice.
• Visit and private tour of Charles Dickens’ house in London.
• Final night gala event with music from our escorts and local artists.
Best known for its legendary university, Cambridge is one of the most famous cities in England, with greenery galore, beautiful, historic buildings and streets and punting on the river.
London (4 nights) - Dixon Hotel
7www.operatunity.co.nz/travel | P: 0508 886 489 | E: travel@operatunity.co.nz
En route from Stratford-upon-Avon to Cambridge
Visit and tour to Bletchley Park, once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers and now a vibrant heritage attraction in Milton Keynes. This is one of the most fascinating museums we have ever visited!
• Full free day for your own tours and visiting friends and family.
Christopher Wren Library
• Walking guided tour of Cambridge, pointing out the famous colleges, buildings and streets.
Buckingham Palace
Highlights include:
• Private visit to the Wren Library at Trinity College, home to famous writings and historic books ranging from the private notebooks of Sir Isaac Newton to Winnie the Pooh! (Subject to
Initial Deposit on booking $2000 Second Deposit due 26 Feb 2023 $3000 Final Balance due: 7 May 2023 $20,895 pertwinpersonshare Single Room supplement add $5960
• Airfares economy Auckland - London// London Auckland including all taxes (airline to be confirmed).
MODERATE TOUR
• Escorted by Alex Milligan and Alex Foster.
• All tours and entrances as listed on itinerary including Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle), Buckingham Palace, Dove Cottage, Hill Top Farm, Shakespeare’s house, Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Chatsworth House and all other tours listed on itinerary.
• Wonderful museum and church visits including Jorvik Viking Museum - York, Bletchley Park, Merchant Adventurers Hall, Parliament Buildings -London, Wren Library - Cambridge, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, and York Minster.
Deposits refundable (less costs incurred) prior to FINAL BALANCE DUE DATE. Itinerary details are subject to change, however any changes will be replaced with a comparable or better option.
• All breakfasts, 1 afternoon tea, 7 lunches and 11 dinners plus all tips, taxes, porterage.
• Many special musical and theatrical highlights including a private concert of Welsh Men’s Choir at Cardiff Castle, tour of the Globe Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company play, King’s College Choir, Cambridge, West End show, Beatles Museum, plus private concerts and other shows and plays all subject to availability.
Toll Free: 0508 886 489 email: travel@operatunity.co.nz | www.operatunity.co.nz PO Box 132 150 Sylvia Park, Auckland 1644, New Zealand
THIS TRIP
• Travellers need to be independently mobile and fit to travel.
• Travellers are required to obtain comprehensive travel insurance for all international trips.
• Deposits refundable until final payment date minus any costs incurred, or an administration fee of up to $300.
• Please refer to terms & conditions on our booking form.
• Literary experiences including Globe Theatre and backstage tour, visits to Wordsworth’s house with afterhours private poetry reading, Beatrix Potter’s house, Brontë Sisters’ Parsonage in Haworth, Shakespeare’s houses, Jane Austen tour of house and museum, Charles Dickens’ house and museum and Wren Library.
• Numerous tours to historic towns, houses and gardens including Portmeirion, Cardiff Castle, Powis Castle, Windermere, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cotswold, Hay-on-Wye and Port Sunlight.
• All accommodation at historic hotels, in beautiful settings: Bath (4 nights), Cardiff (2 nights), Betws-yCoed Village (3 nights), Lake District (4 nights), York (3 nights), Stratford-upon-Avon (2 nights), Cambridge (2 nights) and London (4 nights).
IMPORTANTINCLUDES:INFORMATION
• All trips are subject to change but any changes will be of equal or greater value.
This tour will suit people with a stick, but not a walker. You will be required to walk to get from place to place and stand in museums, but it is designed to be an easy tour with lots of times to rest, travel on a coach and walk easy leisurely distances.