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HARRY POTTER Mini-Tour of England & Wales from London

Three days / Two nights

Whatever your age, it's magic all the way on this our activity-based tour for film and book enthusiast alike. We combine visits to film locations with memorable sightseeing of a range of classic UK attractions. You see mediaeval villages and historic cities, fairy tale castles and prehistoric temples, stunning scenery and wonderful architecture. But it's a 'doing tour' too, designed for a family to have holiday fun together (and take lots of photographs!). There're steam train ride, castle exploring, woodland walking and family competitions to enter.

Our tour is also designed to introduce youngsters to some other famed children's writers including C.S Lewis, Lewis Carroll and Roald Dahl. All-in-all, it's a perfect voyage of discovery and we hope a great way to build on the Harry Potter experience.

DEPARTURE DATES & PRICES FOR 2008

Tour Code	Arrive London	Depart London
SHP	Wednesday	Friday
SHP 01	02 Apr	04 Apr
SHP 02	09 Apr	11 Apr
SHP 03	02 Jul	04 Jul
SHP 04	16 Jul	18 Jul
SHP 05	06 Aug	08 Aug
SHP 06	13 Aug	15 Aug
SHP 07	27 Aug	29 Aug
SHP 08	10 Sep	12 Sep

If the scheduled dates do not suit you then please note that this itinerary can also be run as a customized tour for family group. In 2007, nineteen families, of 2 to 7 in size, took this option. The cost is available on application and depends on the number travelling and time of year you come.

This GUARANTEED DEPARTURE begins WEDNESDAYS as above from central London hotels below.
It is your responsibility to be there in plenty of time.

The Royal National, Bedford Way The Corus Hotel, Hyde Park The Grosvenor Thistle, Victoria Station The Holiday Inn Forum The Chiswick Hotel, Chiswick

08.00 (underground Russell Square) 08.20 (underground Lancaster Gate) 08.30 (underground Victoria Station) 08.45 (underground Gloucester Road) 09.00 (underground Turnham Green)

NOTE: Clients should wait by the concierge desk. Return drop-offs are to any central London hotel.

Cost: $819 USD per adult sharing a twin/double room; $935 USD single occupancy; CHILD aged 11 and under $689 USD sharing with one adult; CHILD aged 11 and under sharing a family room with two adults $645 USD

What your tour price includes: Your accommodation for 2 nights while on the tour including both full breakfasts and dinners. Your price also includes all entrance fees to attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide.

Airport transfers and accommodation pre and post tour is not included but can be reserved at a specially discounted price. Our London tour base is the Chiswick Hotel so you will be picked-up for your tour here at 09.00 if booking pre-tour accommodation with us.

Want to upgrade your tour package to include international airfare? Click here for info.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

DAY ONE - Wednesday

We leave the 'Muggles' of London behind and begin our magical journey with a visit to the newly opened Roald Dahl Museum. Here, young and old alike can discover the inspiration behind 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', 'James and the Giant Peach' and 'The BFG'. It's then a short hop to Oxford, home to Britain's oldest university. Have fun following in Harry, Ron and Hermonie's footsteps as we climb the stairs of 'Hogwarts', see where Harry met Tom Riddle and see the locations of Hogwarts infirmary and library! Let's not forget Christ Church College dining hall, used as the 'model' for Hogwarts Hall and an interesting museum with an eclectic mix of oddities, including the shrunken heads seen on the 'Knight Bus'. 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. Other children's authors we can find here are C S Lewis ('The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe') and J R Tolkein ('Lord of the Rings').

NIGHTSTOP: Cotswolds

DAY TWO - Thursday

Another great day. This morning we'll travel through the delightful Cotswolds region of honey-coloured stone villages, Tolkein's inspiration for the 'The Shire' in the Hobbit. We'll see if the locals have hairy feet! It's then on to a magical stone circle where you'll hear about the legend of the Witch, King and Fairies who live underground. It's then time to meet some of Harry's feathered friends - at a flying demonstration of birds of prey including an owl or two. What a hoot! Next, a 'Hogwarts Express' style steam train ride takes us through the countryside to Cheltenham. Perhaps they'll sell Chocolate Frogs on board…. Our last visit of the day is to the old cathedral city of Gloucester, immortalised by Beatrix Potter in her tale 'The Tailor of Gloucester'. We'll visit the cathedral where you can follow a Harry Potter trail around the cathedral cloisters used in the films as the school corridors, location of the girls' bathroom scene and more.

NIGHTSTOP: Near Gloucester

DAY THREE - Friday

This morning we venture into the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley. This was an area well-known to J K Rowling, creator of our boy-wizard, and places like the 12th century Chepstow Castle and Forest must have been a source of great inspiration. We'll see her old family home and school. Weather and time permitting, we'll take a stroll in the forest looking for Fairie spirits, Unicorns and perhaps 'Firenze' the Cenatour. We'll then drive into the country of Wales, hearing stories of Dragons and Merlin the Magician before exploring the battlements of the fairytale Chepstow Castle (where you can imagine defending the castle against the forces of darkness alongside Harry and gang, or learning to fly a broomstick).

Next, we'll stop at a fantastic site, the perfectly preserved mediaeval village of Lacock - used extensively as a location in the Harry Potter films, including a house where 'You Know Who' murdered Harry's parents! Our final stop of the day before returning to London is where it all began. We'll visit the real street used as 'Privet Drive' in the movies…maybe we'll see Hagrid flying by on his motorbike!

You're delivered to your central London hotel for approximately 19.00.

NIGHTSTOP: London (own account, not included in tour price. Accommodation is available for a supplemental fee.)

NOTE: Depending on time of year, certain attractions (miniature village and steam train rides) are either unavailable or appear on different days of your itinerary. Also, Christchurch College occasionally is closed without warning for private functions or college events. A substitute attraction will be visited should this occur.

NOTE: This is an unofficial tour and is not authorized by Warner Brothers or by JK Rowling.

This Harry Potter mini-tour is designed to link with King Arthur, the 4-day tour of Devon & Cornwall and select departures of Literary Southern England.

For guests with a longer holiday break, why not try our 9-day Harry Potter tour? This family fun tour still visits all of the best Harry film/book locations in London, Oxford & Gloucester, but also plunges you deep into the earth (caves & caverns,) through forest mazes and into the world of King Arthur’s Glastonbury - as much magic as we can show you!

We also offer a one-day Harry Potter tour, departing central London that features film locations in Oxford, a steam train ride (on available weekend dates), and a visit to the miniature village.

This tour is operated by Back-Roads Touring Co Ltd