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ENGLAND BELGIUM FRANCE

Day 1, London

On arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport, you will be met by your driver and taken on a half day tour of London en route to your accommodation. View Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus and entry to the London Museum.

Days 2 & 3, London

These days are spent exploring and enjoying London using your 48 hours “Hop on Hop off” bus tour ticket. Your ticket includes three walking tours and a river cruise.

Day 4, London – Hastings – Portsmouth

Travel south to Hastings where you will visit Battle Abbey, the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings. On October 14, 1066, Norman duke William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Continue along the coast to the Royal Dockyards in Portsmouth. Here, there are several ships to discover with the most famous, Nelson’s flagship – the HMS Victory. Overnight will be in the Portsmouth area.

Day 5, Portsmouth – Stonehenge – BathFirst stop will be Salisbury Cathedral.

Begun in 1220, the chapter house has one of only four surviving Magna Cartas, the bill of rights signed in 1215. Close are the pre-historic landscapes surrounding Stonehenge. The circle is believed to be about 5000 years old and it is now believed the great stones are aligned to the stars as well as the sun. Continue to Bath for overnight.

Day 6, Bath

This morning visit the Assembly Rooms including admission to the Costume Museum which houses a collection of fashions from the seventeenth century to the present time. Then visit Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. Free afternoon for further exploration of Bath.

Day 7, Bath – Oxford

Travel to Oxford where you will enjoy a University and City walking tour. Your guide will lead you through the heart of the historic city centre illustrating the history of Oxford and its University and describing the architecture and traditions of its most famous buildings and institutions. Late this afternoon travel to London for your last day in England.

Day 8, London – Bruges

This morning transfer to the St. Pancras International station for travel to Bruges, Belgium, Take time to settle into your hotel and familiarise yourself with the city.

Day 9, Bruges

Enjoy a guided walking tour of Bruges nicknamed “the small Venice of the North” with its typical architecture, colourful charm, art of living and its hundred years old traditions. Your tour through the heart of the old city will include: the Beguinage, then the Burg Square with the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the Gothic style City Hall and the magnificent Market Square, its quaint houses with decorated facades and the indoor market with the Belfry. Your tour will conclude with a cruise on Bruges famous canals. This afternoon perhaps visit to the Museum of Flemish art or browse for handmade lace and Belgian chocolates

Day 10, to Ypres

Travel by coach to Ypres, a town at the centre of intense fighting between the Germans and the Allied forces in World War I. Today your tour takes in the Messines Ridge (June 1917), Caterpillar/Hill 60 (site of Australian mining operations), Menin Road &Polygon Wood (September 1917; 5th Australian Division memorial), and Passchendaele - then into Ypres itself for night in hotel, with attendance at the 8 p.m. Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate memorial to the Missing Soldier.

Day 11, to Amiens & CaenTravel to Villers Brettoneux

Visit the Franco-Australian Museum, situated on the first floor of the Victoria School; this is the school that displays the inscription "N'oublions jamais l'Australie". See the 3rd Australian division memorial and follow the route of the famous advance of 8th August 1918. Then visit the Historial de la Grande Guerre at Peronne, a very modern museum portraying conditions on the Western Front and then the 2nd Australian Division memorial at Mont St Quentin. Continue to Caen for overnight

Day 12, to D-Day Landing, Bayeux & Paris

This morning visit Omaha Beach and Gold Beach before returning to Bayeux to view the tapestry. This afternoon travel to Paris.

Days 13 & 14 Paris

These days are spent exploring and enjoying Paris using your 2 days Paris Visite card, zones 1-5. Entry fees are included to the Louvre, Pantheon, Hotel d’Invalides, Arc de Triomphe and the Palace of Versailles (Versailles with audio-guide).

Day 15, to Australia

Transfer to airport for flight to Australia.

France, Ireland & UK