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BritishIrish Touring Pricing & Information |
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Harry Potter: In Search of "That Boy", Magic & Myths
What a fantastic opportunity to visit England with the
'kids' or 'grandkids', introduce them to British culture, history and literature,
while at the same time discovering the world of J K Rowling and Harry Potter
through visits to film locations and sites and attractions associated with
the boy-wizard and friends.
Quite unashamedly we've designed this tour to capitalise on the appeal of Harry Potter to include many other magical works of children's literature. Our memorable, fun-filled and magical tour has it all! Yes, there's Hogwarts Schooland a taste of riding a 'Hogwarts Express'. There are Harry's feathered friends, witches and fairies. There are giants (you!), ghosts, and a flight across London's rooftops... All this and visits to the historic cities of Gloucester and Oxford. You'll see fabulous castles, timeless villages and prehistoric temples. You'll explore beneath the depths of the earth in deep caves and caverns and discover, too, the works of other marvellous, magical writers and their creations. We bring alive through a selection of visits Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland', J R R Tolkien' 'Lord of the Rings', C S Lewis 'Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe', Kenneth Graham's 'Wind in the Willows' and the romance of the King Arthur legends. This is a fun tour where adult and child can share the experience. Itinerary:
Day 1 (Sat) London
The wizardry begins on arrival as you're met at one of London's
airports by your Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd guide. After taking
you first to your hotel, we'll then whisk you away into the world's
most exciting city and the first of many adventures. We have no
magic-carpet but a ride on the famed Millennium Wheel is a good
substitute as the fantastic ferris wheel that takes you, like Mary
Poppins, above London's rooftops. We'll complete our magical first
day with some traditional fish 'n' chips.
Day 2 (Sun) London
This is Harry's city and we'll take today to
explore it. Our day will begin with an introductory tour, seeing
all of the city's icons: Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, Buckingham
Palace, Big Ben, the Tower, St Pauls and Westminster Cathedral. Then
to London Zoo, home of more than 600 species of rare animals. We'll
concentrate on the reptile house where young Harry first learns of
his ability to speak to snakes. Imagine the surprise if one of your
family suddenly finds they have this skill!
Our final visit of the day is to King's Cross Station where we'll discover Platform 9 3/4. You can have your photo taken where, in the film, Harry and other first year wizards boarded the Hogwarts Express for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There'll be some jealous looks back at your own school when they see the photos. There's an optional visit to the original Hard Rock Cafe for dinner tonight, or to Chinatown. Just tonight, dinner is not included in your tour price. Day 3 (Mon) London - Somerset
ALL ABOARD! The Hogwarts Express leaves town!
Will you be on it?
We leave London and drive towards Salisbury. You'll see one of England's most mysterious sites, the prehistoric Stonehenge, before we arrive at the medieval village of Lacock. It's going to be fun exploring the 13th century Abbey and spotting which bits were used for various interior scenes at Hogwarts School. The kids can get themselves 'in the picture'! We're staying tonight near the mystic heart of ancient Britain, Glastonbury, where the leylines meet and there's always magic in the air and the promise of the unexpected! Day 4 (Tue) Somerset
Today is a day of Celtic myths and magic. Glastonbury
is, according to legend, the burial place of King Arthur and Queen
Guinevere. But there's more legend here than simply the 'Knights
of the Round Table'. This is a city associated with fairies and where
Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Fairies, set up court in the magical hollow
of Glastonbury Tor. And yes, you'll visit the Tor itself.
This is also the day we board the 'Hogwarts Express' for a ride on a steam train like that featured in the films. Day 5 (Wed) Somerset - Gloucester
We'll seek out the world of witches and descend
deep into a world reminiscent of Tolkien's 'Middle Earth', the caves
and caverns of Wookey Hole, home of the Wookey Witch. But we're on
a particular wizard's trail today. It's Merlin the Magician we seek
(and yes, he really did exist) as we cross the Severn River to Wales,
land of the Red Dragon! This was an area well-known to J K Rowling,
creator of our boy-wizard, and places like the 12th century Chepstow
castle and the Forest of Dean must have been a source of great inspiration
when she attended school in this area. We'll explore the battlements
of this fairytale fortress (where you can imagine defending the castle
against the forces of darkness alongside Merlin). Later, we'll look
for forest spirits and have some fun in the maze of 'puzzle wood'.
Our final highlight of the day is to visit some of Harry's favourite friends - the owls and birds of prey at the National Bird of Prey Centre in Gloucester. The question is, will they tell us what they see... Day 6 (Thu) Gloucester - Oxfordshire
Stand by Potter fans! It's another opportunity
to place yourself in Hogwarts! This lovely, historic city of Gloucester
has many wonderful literary connections, in addition to visiting
Gloucester Cathedral and the King's School, both of which were used
as locations for Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone.
We'll introduce you to another Potter - Beatrix Potter - and her
creation Peter Rabbit. And you'll learn why Humpty Dumpty can claim
his origins here.
We'll tour through the magnificent Cotswolds, hearing exciting and mysterious tales of the area and stopping off to find fairy rings and villages where you'd not be surprised to find Hobbits! We'll be checking the locals to see if they've hairy feet! Day 7 (Fri) Oxfordshire
Are you ready to practise a bit of magic of
your own? Today you will be taking part in some authentic divining
in the centre of a prehistoric stone circle! When the divining rods
twitch what will lie beneath our feet...?
Then to the majestic Oxford, 'city of the dreaming spires'. Many of the scenes in the film were shot in various locations around Christchurch College. You'll be able to have your own picture taken in Hogwarts Hall, or on the great staircase where Professor McGonnigal greeted the new students. Or perhaps the child in all if us will prefer to be pictured in the cloisters of Christchurch, the setting for Hogwarts Trophy Room and where Harry is shown the trophy his father won as a seeker in Quidditch. Oxford was also the setting for a magical book of another age but still managing to thrill today's generations. You'll see where Alice wondered through the small door into Wonderland, find a dodo, and discover where Lewis Carroll took his inspiration for the white rabbit, elongated necks and Mad Hatter tea parties on our 'Alice in Wonderland' walk. You'll also see where J R R Tolkien (Lord of the Rings), C S Lewis (The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe) and T S Elliot (The Wasteland) all met to discuss their fabulous tales. What a super opportunity of introducing new generations to a wider but always magical world of English literature. Day 8 (Sat) Oxfordshire - London
We've more great highlights than you can shake
a broomstick at for our final day. First, to a miniature village
where instead of seeing giants we'll all be one as we stride over
houses and tiny people! Our second event of the day will be to visit
the caves where the Hell-Fire Club met. Why that shiver? Surely you're
not scared of the spooks!
On to the quaint Thames riverside town of Henley. This is the stretch of river that inspired Kenneth Graham's 'The Wind in the Willows' and we'll be going into a very special exhibition to learn all about Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad! Finally, our climax, tonight we'll enjoy a ghost tour of London, descending into haunted prison cells below the city's streets, graveyards where owls hoot, and to where the pirates met their 'orrible deaths! What a finish to our Harry Potter locations and family action tour and what a day to remember! Dinner is not included tonight but you will have the opportunity to purchase a bagel sandwich from a traditional East End shop if you wish. Day 9 (Sun) London
Alas, it's time to return home and you're transferred
to your airport of departure. It has been a truly special journey
through some of the most beautiful countryside of England and Wales.
Everyone in the family, young and old, will have photographs and
memories to remind them of their time together in the magical world
of Harry Potter.
Tour Include:
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