In Transit: Overnight flight from North America.

Arrive To: Shannon Airport. Transfer by coach to Galway.

Lunch: A light lunch is served in the hotel.

Afternoon: After check-in take a short walk around the centre of Galway city before a welcome meeting.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: Best Western Flannery's Hotel.

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Irish breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Take a full day field trip to Connemara, travelling through the wild bogs, lakes and mountains of the National Park and along the rugged coastline to Kylemore Abbey. Sheltered by the Twelve Bens mountains on the lakeside, this abbey is a Gothic Revival fantasy that now houses Benedictine nuns. Continue on to Ashford, scene of the film the Quiet Man.

Lunch: Taken in Kylemore Abbey restaurant.

Afternoon: Field trip continues.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: Lecture on Irish History.

Lodging: Best Western Flannery's Hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Irish breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: A day of Irish geology as you travel from Galway Bay to the Burren, the "rocky land" in Gaelic, and on to Caherconnel Ring Fort and Poulnabrone Dolmen, the most well known of the many megalithic tombs on the Burren.

Lunch: Lunch is taken out today.

Afternoon: The field trip continues to the shell of 17th century Leamanagh Castle, the Catholic diocese Kilfenora and the stunning Cliffs of Moher.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: Best Western Flannery's Hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Irish breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Today's full day field trip begins with a visit to Athenry Medieval Town and the Horse Museum Dartfield.

Lunch: Taken out at the Horse Museum Dartfield.

Afternoon: The field trip continues with an Irish literary theme to Thoor Ballylee, the tower house summer home of W.B.Yeats and on to the estate and gardens of Coole Park, once the home of Yeats' patron Lady Gregory. See the "autograph tree" carved with the initials of George Bernard Shaw, J.M. Synge and Jack Yeats, amongst others.

Dinner: Excluded so that you can sample Galway's restaurants.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: Best Western Flannery's Hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Full Irish breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Transfer by coach to Clonmacnoise, a medieval monastery set by the River Shannon. At the crossroads of medieval rotes linking all Ireland, it thrived from the 7-12th centuries. The Visitor's Centre is housed in three buildings modelled on beehive huts and the group of stone churches (temples), a Cathedral, two round towers and three High Crosses remain.

Lunch: Packed lunch.

Afternoon: The transfer continues. After check-in you have a welcome meeting in the hotel before dinner.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: An evening of Irish music.

Lodging: Mespil Hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Irish breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: This morning take a guided city coach ride around Dublin.

Lunch: Excluded.

Afternoon: This afternoon a field trip takes you through the Wicklow Mountains to "the valley of the two lakes" Glendalough and the monastery founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. The main group of ruins lies east of the Lower Lake but the earliest buildings are by the Upper Lake. See the Gatehouse, Round Tower, Cathedral and Priest's House.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: Mespil Hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Irish breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: An early start today as you travel to Dublin for the ferry to Holyhead in Wales. On arrival meet your Welsh course director and hear an introduction to Anglesey as you travel by coach to Beaumaris where you'll visit the Castle-a great unfinished masterpiece. It was built as one of the 'iron ring' of North Wales castles by the English monarch Edward I to stamp his authority on the Welsh but he ran out of money and it was never completed.

Lunch: Lunch is taken out in Bulkely Hotel or similar.

Afternoon: Continue on to Penmon Priory-the monastery is reputed to have been founded by St Seiriol, a 6th-century holyman and friend of St Cybi. A holy well which survives may have its origins in this period. In the early 13th century the Celtic community was reorganized under the Augustinian Rule, and at this time the priory church was enlarged. Continue on to Betws-y-Coed and check in to the hotel followed by a welcome meeting before dinner.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: Lecture " An Introduction to Wales."

Lodging: Royal Oak

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Welsh breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Lecture "Welsh Heritage and Culture". Mid-morning the coach departs for Bodnant Gardens. Bodnant Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in the UK, spanning some 80 acres and is situated above the River Conwy on ground sloping towards the west and looking across the valley towards the Snowdonia range. The garden has two parts. The upper garden around Bodnant Hall consists of the terraced gardens and informal lawns shaded by trees. The lower portion, known as the "Dell" is formed by the valley of the River Hiraethlyn and contains the Wild garden

Lunch: Taken in Bodnant Gardens.

Afternoon: The field trip continues to Llandudno, Bronze Age Copper Mines and Great Orme Tramway.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: Royal Oak

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Welsh breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: This morning take a field trip to the Roman Fort at Caernarvon. The Segontium Roman fort was an auxiliary fort built by the Romans when they spread their conquest of Britain into Wales, and dates back to 77 AD. From records, it is clear that it held a regiment of up to 1,000 auxiliary soldiers until about 394 AD. These troops were non citizens who would be in the service of the Roman army for 25 years. It was a very strategic establishment, as it controlled access to Angelsey and protected the Welsh coast from the sea bound Irish raiders. The fort is active in that it allows visitors into the remains so that you can not only see the remains, but experience them too. The museum tells the story of the conquest and occupation of Wales and contains fine examples of the finds excavated from the Segontium site. Here you can get a vivid idea of life in this part of occupied Britain. Spend some free time in Caernarfon town before travelling on to Penryn.

Lunch: In the Black Bull pub, Caernarfon or similar.

Afternoon: Sitting between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait, Penrhyn Castle is a country house in Bangor in the form of a Norman castle. It was originally a medieval fortified manor house, founded by Ednyfed Fychan. Penrhyn is one of the most admired of the numerous mock castles built in the United Kingdom in the 19th century; Christopher Hussey called it, "the outstanding instance of Normal revival." The castle is a picturesque composition that stretches over 600 feet from a tall donjon containing family rooms, through the main block built around the earlier house, to the service wing and the stables.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: Enjoy a Welsh musical evening.

Lodging: Royal Oak

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Welsh breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Lecture on "The Industrial and Social History of Wales". Mid morning depart for a field trip to Llanberis Slate Museum. The Museum building is sited in the Victorian workshops built in the shadow of Elidir mountain, site of the vast Dinorwig quarry. See a close-up exploration of the largest working waterwheel in mainland Britain. Watch slate-splitting demonstrations by craftsmen revealing the skills and artistry of generations of quarry workers. Take a fascinating tour of the workshops, iron and brass foundry, forges, loco shed and the waterpowered machinery that made the tools for quarrying slate.

Lunch: Taken in the Llanberis Slate Museum.

Afternoon: Since 1896, visitors from around the world have travelled on Snowdon Mountain Railway. Trains scale the highest mountain in Wales(1085m) where Snowdon boasts dramatic landscape and scenery. The Summit of Snowdon, at 3,560ft (1085m), is the highest mountain in England and Wales. As the train climbs through the atmospheric landscape of Snowdon, passengers can absorb themselves in the myth, legend and history Snowdonia has to offer. Based on Victorian engineering, Snowdon Mountain Railway is the only public rack and pinion railway in the United Kingdom and a true majestic mountain top adventure.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: Optional walk around Betws-y-Coed.

Lodging: Royal Oak

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full Welsh breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Transfer to the English Lake District via Conwy castle, one of the most picturesque of Welsh castles and a masterpiece of medieval military architecture. The castle and town walls, now in the UNESCO World Heritage List as site of outstanding universal value, were built by Edward I between 1283 and 1289 and helped to complete the conquest of the Welsh princes in North Wales. In Conwy, the castle's commanding position on a rocky outcrop overlooking the estuary dictated its very size and shape and gave it great military might. It is possible to walk along the town walls and admire the breathtaking views of the castle in its idyllic setting between the blue waters of the river Conwy's estuary and the mountains of Snowdonia.

Lunch: Taken out at Amelies Bistro in Conwy or similar.

Afternoon: Transfer continues. Check in at the hotel followed by a welcome meeting and talk on the Lake District before dinner.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Lodging: Best Western Grasmere Red Lion

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: A lecture on Writer's Inspiration: The Landscape of the Lakes focussing on the Romantic poets-Wordsworth and Coleridge and children's writers Arthur Ransome and Beatrix Potter. Guided field trip to Wordsworth's Dove Cottage and Museum. Dove Cottage was the home of William Wordsworth from 1799 to 1808 --known as the "golden decade" when he wrote his greatest poetry. Many of the Wordsworth's household items: furniture, family possessions and portraits are displayed. The garden, Wordsworth's 'domestic slip of mountain', has been restored to the half wild state that he and Dorothy lovingly created from local plants and materials.

Lunch: In a village tearoom such as Wilf's Cafe.

Afternoon: Free time in Grasmere or a guided walk along the fringes of the village. Optional walk around Grasmere.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: Best Western Grasmere Red Lion

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full English breakfast.

Morning: Coach journey to Keswick with a short walk along Thirlmere, a vast reservoir set in beautiful scenery. Coach to Borrowdale, a steep sided glacial valley set in mountainous countryside for a walk along Derwentwater, known as the "Queen of the Lakes" with the most spectacular views in the Lake District to Friar's Crag viewing point.

Lunch: Lunch is taken out today.

Afternoon: Coach to Aira Force, Ullswater with a walk to the most famous of the Lake District waterfalls.The main force falls 70 feet from below a stone footbridge. Aira Force provides a glimpse of a landscaped Victorian park with dramatic waterfalls, arboretum and rocks scenery. Return to the hotel for a lecture on "The Seasons of the Lake District".

Dinner: In the hotel.

Lodging: Best Western Grasmere Red Lion

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Field trip to sail on the National Trust's steam yacht Gondola and enjoy the stunning backdrop provided by the Coniston Fells and its majestic lake. The original Gondola was first launched in 1859 and the present-day Gondola reflects and brings to life the splendour and luxury of the Victorian era.

Lunch: Lunch in The Green Housekeeper in Coniston.

Afternoon: Field trip to the picturesque village of Hawkshead and the grammar school that William Wordsworth attended. Hawkshead is an ancient township that has flourished since Norse times and many buildings date back to the 17th century. The Old Grammar School was founded in 1585 by the Archbishop of York, Edwin Sandys. The ground floor classroom retains many old desks covered in carving done by the boys, including the poet William Wordsworth and his brother John. The school closed in 1909. Upstairs in the headmaster's study and a classroom containing an exhibition relating to the history of the school, the founder and William Wordsworth. The Beatrix Potter Gallery, a 17th Century building, was once the office of the local solicitor William Heelis, who married Beatrix Potter in 1913, and has remained largely unaltered since his day. The Gallery, now owned by The National Trust, houses an annually changing exhibition of a selection of Beatrix Potter's original drawings and illustrations. Some free time in the village

Dinner: At High Yewdale Farm.

Evening: At leisure

Lodging: Best Western Grasmere Red Lion

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.

Morning: Transfer by coach to Manchester via Kendal and Levens Hall, a large Elizabethan house and Grade I listed building, dates mostly from the late 1690's. Famous for its yew topiary, The grounds include an herb garden, vegetable borders, and an orchard. Beech hedges, seasonal beds, a rose garden, and a fountain garden also figure in the garden.

Lunch: Taken in Levens Hall.

Afternoon: The transfer continues.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: Holiday Inn Manchester West

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel unless departure transfers are earlier.

Morning: Transfers to the airport for departures.

Meals Included: Breakfast