Day One

27 Jun

Monday

June 27, 2005; arrive Gatwick am

Arrive 8:00 am at Gatwick where you’ll be met by your Back-Roads guide and transported to our London hotel base. 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've 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.

Chiswick Hotel

Chiswick High Street

London W4

Tel: 020 8994 1712

http://www.chiswick-hotel.co.uk/

Dinner of fish n chips!

Confirmed

Day Two

28 Jun

Tuesday

Harry Potter London day

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, Australia House(Gringotts Wizzarding Bank)

Charing Cross Road (Diagon Alley), Westminster Cathedral and scenes from the last two films where London was used extensively for locations. 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.

Chiswick Hotel

As above

No dinner inc.

Day Three

29 Jun

Wednesday

To Oxford and Hogwarts!

The majestic Oxford, 'city of the dreaming spires', is the focus of our morning. Many of the scenes in the film were shot in various locations around Christchurch and Divinity Hall at the Bodlian Library. You'll be able to have your own picture taken at the inspiration for 'Hogwarts Hall' (subject to college opening), or at Hogwarts library, or in the Hospital Wing, or on the great staircase where Professor McGonnigal greeted the new students and where Harry first sees Tom Riddle. Or perhaps the child in all of 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, her elongated neck and Mad Hatter tea parties on our 'Alice in Wonderland' walk. Other childrens' authors found here are C S Lewis ('The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe') and J R Tolkein ('Lord of the Rings').

The child in everyone will also enjoy our day's treasure hunt for dinosaurs and the real shrunken heads seen in 'The Chamber of Secrets'!

The Holt Hotel

Steeple Aston

http://www.holthotel-oxford.co.uk/

Dinner inc.

Confirmed

Day Four

30 Jun

Thursday

There are more adventures in store for us today.

In the lovely historic city of Gloucester, there's the Cathedral and the King's School, both of which were used as locations for Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. We'll also introduce you to another Potter - Beatrix Potter - and her creation, Peter Rabbit. And you'll learn why Humpty Dumpty can claim his origins here.

'All aboard!' Time now to board a 'Hogwarts Express' style steam train for an exciting ride through magical countryside. Shades of Thomas the Tank!

Another 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...

And while we're enjoying all of these features we'll also be touring 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 have hairy feet.

Whitehouse World

Forest of Dean

Tel: 01452 760463

Dinner inc. (out at local Inn)

http://www.whitehouseworld.co.uk/

Confirmed

Day Five

01 July

The county of Gwent,  Wales, 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 see her old family home and look for forest spirits (if there's time, we may have some fun in the maze of 'puzzle wood'). Later, we explore the battlements of the fairytale Chepstow Castle (where you can imagine defending the castle against the forces of darkness alongside Harry and gang, or just playing quiddich).

Brickhouse Farm

Redwick

Gwent

Tel: 01633 880 230

Dinner inc

Confirmed

Day Six

02 July

Our first magical stop of the day is at the perfectly preserved mediaeval village of Lacock, where its abbey was used extensively as a location in the Harry Potter films. Later, we can see where Harry's parents were murdered by Voldermort, and explore another recognisable part of Hogwarts.

Then we cut across the Salisbury Plain to Stonehenge (or alternatively see the larger prehistoric site at Avebury where parts of the Potter films were made).

Our penultimate stop on our way in to London will be where the film adventure began, the Dursley's House.

The Ship

Shepperton

Tel: (0)1932 227320

Dinner inc.

Confirmed

Day Seven

03 July

Today we can feature Windsor castle after enjoying a morning in London watching the famed Changing of the Guard.

Tonight, we’ll round off our tour with Back-Roads spooky ‘Sinister London’ night tour …. ghost, ghouls and other things that go bump in the night to send shivers up your spine!

London

Regency Hotel

Queensgate

Tel: 0207 7370 9798

No dinner

Confirmed

http://www.regency-london.co.uk/

Day Eight

04 July

Free day

London

As above

No dinner

Day Nine

05 July

Alas, time to depart and we take you to the airport for your flight home,.

Leave Gatwick am