Gay Grand Tour in UK: London, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow

Itinerary

1. Day 1

   LONDON

   Arrival transfer from airport to hotel. Accommodation. Overnight.

2. Day 2

   LONDON

   Buffet Breakfast and be ready to admire the spectacular city of London with our Gay or Lesbian Tour guide. Start your tour by the shores of the Thames, where you will learn the history of the city that has become one of the most important financial districts of the world: City of London. You will then go deep into a semiprivate area with a hidden medieval Templar church.

   Step by step you will arrive to the feet of the imposing dome of St Paul’s Cathedral that dominates the City, and we will walk through hundreds of businessmen and women until we reach the Bank of England surrounded by skyscrapers. Continue to monument to the history of the Great Fire, London Bridge, and finally reach the London Tower and Tower Bridge (entrance fee to the Tower included), a perfect ending that will make you see with a different look this special part of the great London.

   Lunch on your own to taste local specialities. In the afternoon be ready for our special London LGBT guided tour, offering a unique and unusual view to the hidden parts of London that few people know about. Start your experience of Gay London in Soho district. This is also known for its LGBT vibe and it's where you’ll find many of London’s sex shops, burlesque shows and gay and lesbian bars.

   London is a city with 2000 years of history where some of the most influential people in the world have walked these streets and many have left a distinct footprint. On the Secret London LGBT Tour we will show you a side of London away from the usual tourist trail - we’ll take you along gas lit alleyways, past old pubs and bookshops, remnants of sprawling mansions, unusual art and secret societies.

   Explore also the spectacular, where many gay and bisexual notables were interred include King William III and his boyfriend William Bentinck. Inside the Abbey you will also discover a small stained glass memorial, unveiled in Poets' Corner, dedicated to Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wilde, playwright and aesthete. The window, above the monument to Geoffrey Chaucer, was designed by Graham Jones and contains small lozenges within it which have been filled, or will be filled in the future, with names of poets and writers. Dinner on your own and overnight in London.

   Meals Breakfast

3. Day 3

   LONDON - STONEHENGE - BATH - LONDON

   Buffet Breakfast and departure to the circles of Stonehenge. Located in the middle of Salisbury Plain, Stonehenge is unique among stone circles and its construction still defies belief. The first stone was placed here 5000 years ago and the structure was finally completed 1400 years later. Lunch on your own. Continue to Bath's Georgian Crescents to find elegant stone buildings with terraces, crescents, and graceful squares.

   Visit the original 2000-year-old Roman Baths and Georgian Pump Room with its natural mineral water. Lunch on your own. Afterwards continue to Bath. Free time in the city of Bath to visit the ancient Roman Baths, the best-preserved Roman Bath complex in Northern Europe. Back to London. Dinner on your own and overnight.

   Meals Breakfast

4. Day 4

   LONDON - OXFORD - COTSWOLDS - STRATFORD-UPON-AVON - LONDON

   After breakfast, depart London and travel into the beautiful English countryside. Your first stop is Oxford, one of the world's most famous university cities. Together with your LGBTQ+ friendly guide, enjoy a special Gay Tour of Oxford, discovering the city's rich history, iconic colleges, hidden lanes, and stories connected to its diverse and vibrant LGBTQ+ community.

   Continue through the picturesque Cotswolds region, renowned for its rolling hills, charming villages, honey-colored stone cottages, and idyllic rural landscapes. Enjoy free time for lunch on your own while soaking up the atmosphere of this quintessentially English setting. In the afternoon, travel to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

   Stroll through the historic market town and admire its beautifully preserved Tudor architecture, including Shakespeare's birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, and other landmarks associated with England's most celebrated playwright. After a day filled with history, culture, and stunning scenery, return to London. Dinner on your own and overnight.

   Meals Breakfast

5. Day 5

   LIVERPOOL - MANCHESTER

   Buffet breakfast and transfer from your hotel to London Train Station. Board your High-Speed Train to Manchester and enjoy the journey through the English countryside to one of the UK's most vibrant and LGBTQ+ friendly cities. Upon arrival in Manchester, transfer to your hotel and check in. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon, enjoy a special journey through the entertaining yet turbulent history of LGBT Manchester, visiting the main sights of the city and finishing in the vibrant Gay Village.

   Admire to a famous building of the city like John Rylands Library and Manchester Cathedral. Walk among the old terracotta factories and chimneys to learn the stories and social changes in the first industrial city in the world. Admire the first ever man made canal, the magnificent Royal Exchange, the historic town hall, and the best kept hidden gems of Manchester.

   Afterwards enjoy a special tour inside Manchester Town Hall, one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. Regarded as one of the finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United Kingdom and one of the most important Grade One listed buildings in England. Dinner on your own. The rest of the evening is free to enjoy Manchester's lively atmosphere and nightlife at your leisure. Overnight at your hotel.

   Meals Breakfast

6. Day 6

   MANCHESTER - LIVERPOOL - MANCHESTER

   Buffet breakfast and transfer from your hotel to Manchester Train Station. Board your High-Speed Train to Liverpool, a vibrant waterfront city famous for its maritime heritage, cultural attractions, and strong LGBTQ+ community. Upon arrival, experience the thrill of being in the former second Port of the British Empire, Liverpool, home to the Beatles, and of course many a sailor’s tale from gay life at sea.

   You will marvel at the spectacular World Heritage Site Waterfront. You will discover the many gay seafarers, musicians, artist’s politicians and personalities than have passed through this colorful city, making their unmistakable mark. You will walk through the ornate financial district of Castle Street passing the Georgian Town Hall and then through Liverpool’s thriving gay quarter to see the site of the Beatles Gay Manager Brian Epstein’s record shop NEMS and using his entrepreneurial talents to make them famous, eclipsing his own personal happiness.

   Then passing Eric’s Club where Pete Burns (Dead or Alive) and HollyJohnson, (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) hung out around the infamous record shop Probe. Admire the legendary Cavern Club, where Brian Epstein discovered the Beatles and resolved to make them the most famous band in the word. Finally reach the Royal Liver Building 360, to rise 138m above the city with panoramic views of Liverpool and, on a clear day, North Wales.

   Free time for lunch on your own. In the afternoon, free time before return to Liverpool Train Station and board your High-Speed Train back to Manchester. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at your hotel.

   Meals Breakfast

7. Day 7

   MANCHESTER - EDINBURGH

   Buffet breakfast and transfer from your hotel to Manchester Train Station. Board your High-Speed Train to Edinburgh and enjoy a scenic journey through the beautiful landscapes of Northern England and Southern Scotland, arriving in one of Europe's most elegant and historic capitals. Upon arrival in Edinburgh, transfer to your hotel and check in.

   Lunch on your own. In the afternoon, live a special LGBT walking Tour in Edinburgh with our Gay & Lesbian Friendly Tour Guides. Admire the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace, the Museum of Scotland, the Royal Mile, and Princes Street. Edinburgh has a vibrant gay scene "the Pink Triangle," centered around the top of Leith walk, just off Princes Street, Edinburgh's main thoroughfare.

   All the bars and clubs are in easy walking distance. Each one offers something different; so whether you want music, real ale or good food, you will find a bar to suit. The city has more in common with European cities than other cities in the UK so around the city is a cafe culture. Here you will find a gay-friendly relaxed atmosphere.

   Afterwards continue to Edinburgh Castle, Scotland's most famous fortress which has towered above Edinburgh since the 13th century and is the country's most popular tourist attraction. Dinner on your own. The rest of the evening is free to enjoy Edinburgh's vibrant atmosphere, charming pubs, and welcoming nightlife at your leisure. Overnight at your hotel.

   Meals Breakfast

8. Day 8

   EDINBURGH - GLASGOW - EDINBURGH

   Buffet breakfast and transfer from your hotel to Edinburgh Train Station. Board your High-Speed Train to Glasgow, Scotland's largest city and a vibrant cultural hub r

What is included