London, York and Edinburgh

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: London

Welcome to London! Meet your ACIS Tour Manager and begin to explore the city. Your cental hotel location allows you to walk to many unique neighborhoods, museums and monuments with ease. Depending on which area you are in, you may want check out the street markets along Portobello Road in Notting Hill; explore the paths of Hyde Park or the mansions of nearby Belgravia; visit museums in South Kensington; or stroll along the artsy South Bank.

Day 3: London

Start today with a guided visit inside the mammoth St. Paul's Cathedral. Sir Christopher Wren's architectural masterpiece is an enduring symbol of London, the seat of the Church of England and famed for its dome and Whispering Gallery. If you have time, your ticket includes access to climb to the top of the dome. Then cross the Thames, where your guide brings London's vibrant and artsy South Bank district alive on a guided walking tour past the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's replicated Globe Theatre. After time this afternoon for lunch and exploring more of the South Bank at your own pace, enjoy a guided walking tour of Charles Dickens's London, which transports you back to the life and times of the beloved writer.

Day 4: London

One highlight of the Tower of London is witnessing the opening ceremony, and we get there early before the crowds arrive to catch it with our famously boisterous Beefeater guide. Since its construction, the castle has been used as a treasury, palace and prison—today it houses 1,000 years of Royal history and the Crown Jewels. Afterward, cross one of the iconic bridges that spans the Thames for a guided visit of the Tate Modern. This world-renowned museum hosts eclectic exhibitions of contemporary art, including works by Picasso, Rothko, Dalí and Matisse, in a unique space that also offers stunning views of the city across the Thames.

Day 5: York

This morning drive to Duxford to visit the Imperial War Museum. Housed at a historic former airfield (keep an eye on the runway and skies for live air shows and reenactments), this large and interactive museum covers war and conflict from WWI through the present day, with many examples of military aircraft and stories of aviation history from the past 100 years on display. Then journey on to Cambridge for a walking tour viewing the famed University of Cambridge, which boasts 96 Nobel laureates and is the world's fourth-oldest university, founded in 1209. After time to get lunch, you'll visit King's College. One of the 31 colleges that comprise the university, it's filled with notable examples of Gothic architecture. Continue north and arrive in York in time for dinner.

Day 6: York

Explore the walled city of York and uncover the secrets of its quaint cobbled streets during a guided walking tour that includes entrance to York Minster. This English Gothic cathedral is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in Europe. The afternoon is yours to explore more of the city's walls and ancient Roman heritage. In the evening, test your nerves during a ghost tour of the Old Town. Stick close to your guide who brings to life haunting stories of the city's past.

Day 7: Edinburgh

We continue today through the beautiful Northumberland countryside toward Edinburgh. En route, imagine yourself as a Roman soldier in Britain with a visit to one of the forts at Hadrian's Wall, the Roman Empire's northernmost defense against the "barbarians" in northern Britain. Portions of the once 80-mile-long wall whose construction began in 122 AD still stand—a testament to Roman engineering. Arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, in time for dinner.

Day 8: Edinburgh

A guided morning walking tour of Edinburgh's medieval old town and Georgian new town shows you Princes Street and Charlotte Square before you ascend the hill to tour Edinburgh Castle, home of the Scottish crown jewels and the dramatically-named Stone of Destiny. This afternoon enjoy time to discover more at your own pace. You may wish to do a little shopping along Multrees Walk or wander the cultural, bohemian West End. Your feet may be tired at the end of this exceptional week, but you'll have plenty of memories to celebrate on your last night abroad.

Day 9: Departure

Depart for the USA.