London & Estepona, Spain
with Optional FREE Tour of Gibraltar
Two fun filled weeks of sightseeing, socialising & relaxation
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October 5th - October 19th, 2024
14 nights from £2145
Solo Travellers 40+
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What's included?
​London
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7 nights en suite accommodation in a single, twin or double room
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Oyster card - 7 days FREE travel in Zones 1 & 2 on the London Underground
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Friday welcome drinks and dinner in a traditional pub
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English Breakfast
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Walking tour of Covent Garden
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Visit to a street market
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Sunday roast lunch with drinks
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3 hour sightseeing tour in an iconic black taxi
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Traditional fish and chip lunch
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Ghost walk and short Thames River boat trip
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Yeoman Tour of the Tower of London and Picnic
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West End theatre performance with interval drinks
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Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
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Afternoon tea
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Dinner with live entertainment
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Gibraltar - only for those taking the recommended British Airways flight from Heathrow landing at 14.10
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Top of the Rock Minibus/Taxi Tour
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Minibus transfer from La Linea to Estepona
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Estepona
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7 nights' accommodation in Estepona old town in a single, twin or double en suite room
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Welcome drinks party and 3 course paella dinner
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Walking tour of Estepona old town followed by Spanish breakfast
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3 hour Estepona old town tapas tour with live entertainment
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Beach walk, tapas lunch and drinks
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Day trip to Ronda and old town walking tour
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Tapas cookery demonstration with lunch and drinks
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Spanish wine tasting with nibbles
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What's not included
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Flights
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Flight transfers, except as outlined above
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Insurance
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Food and drink not specified above
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 Friday
Welcome dinner and drinks at a traditional London pub
London's pubs are legendary. Aside from a wide selection of drinks (including a tempting selection of delicious ales), they always provide a warm welcome and are often full of people engaging in playful conversation.
We begin this very special visit to London with an opportunity to meet and get to know your fellow travellers over typical pub fayre including a legendary British dessert, such as sticky toffee pudding.
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This evening we will talk about our activities for the week, and other places to visit in your free time.
Day 2 Saturday
English Breakfast followed by a private walking tour of Covent Garden
A traditional English breakfast is a wonderful start to your first full day in London, especially at a café where their breakfast has been voted number 1 in London!
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A local guide will meet us at the café, then take us on a private group walking tour of Covent Garden, which has been home to some of the craziest and most colourful characters in London’s history.
Wander through the centuries to discover how this area evolved from Westminster Abbey’s vegetable garden into a hustling and bustling market, a theatre district, a centre of vice and deprivation in bygone years, and even a slum that would inspire none other than Charles Dickens.
Day 3 Sunday
Visit to a market, followed by Sunday roast lunch and drinks
London's street markets are still the life blood of the city and this one is extra special, as it has a huge range of street food stalls as well as the usual food products. We won't let you each too much, though, because we'll be heading to a restaurant with an award willing Sunday lunch!
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Day 4 Monday
3 hour private taxi tour of London's most famous sights, fish and chip lunch, ghost walk and short river boat trip
Seeing the sights of London from the comfort of an iconic black taxi with a driver who is also a trained guide is the very best!
You will visit all the famous landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, The Bank of England, and Trafalgar Square.
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Your driver will then drop you off at a fish and chip restaurant, where we will have lunch with soft drinks.
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Later on, you will join an evening ghost walk and hear about the darker and spookier side of London. This includes a short boat trip to the external walls of the Tower of London.
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Day 5 Tuesday
Yeoman guided tour of the Tower of London followed by a picnic, with theatre performance and interval drinks
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It is the oldest castle in England: building started in 1076.
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You tour will be conducted by a Yeoman who is an attendant or officer in a royal or noble household. You will see The Crown Jewels, including the crown that King Charles wears, The White Tower, The Chapel Royal of St Peter and Vincula, Battlements, Medieval Palace, Bloody Tower, Torture at the Tower exhibition, Fusiliers Museum and Royal Mint exhibition.
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The Tower has some lovely landscaped areas where we will picnic afterwards.
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In the evening we attend a West End theatre performance with drinks in the interval.
Day 6 Wednesday
Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace,
followed by afternoon tea
For anyone visiting London this is an absolute must see. All of the splendour, pageantry and colour of the Changing of the Guard is worth waiting for. We will get there early to make sure that we get a good view of the proceedings.
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After the ceremony we will make our way to a lovely English tea shop where we will relax over an afternoon tea of finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea or coffee.
Day 7 Thursday
Farewell to London dinner, drinks and dancing to live music
A fun filled last night out in London with delicious food, drinks, music and dancing to live Swing, Soul and Motown.
Day 8 Friday
Travel to Gibraltar and Top of the Rock Tour
Only for those taking the recommended flight via British Airways from Heathrow
Welcome drinks and dinner in Estepona
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and people call it Britain with sun. It is only around 2.6 square miles in size, but it is a country in its' own right. Very few people have a GIbraltar stamp in their passport!
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You will be taken on a private Top of the Rock tour to see St. Michael's Cave, the Great Siege Tunnel and of course the monkeys that inhabit the Top of the Rock, which are just as famous.
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After your tour, you will walk over the border into Spain where you will be collected by private minibus and taken to Estepona.
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Estepona is a magical place called the Garden of the Costa del Sol. It is a traditional white Spanish village next to the sea and has 325 days of sunshine a year and two blue flag sandy beaches fringed with palm trees. Life here is low key, there are few high rise buildings or loud bars and clubs.
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Later in the evening there is a welcome drinks party and 3 course paella dinner. There we will talk about our activities for the week, and places to visit in your free time.
Day 9 Saturday
Old Town Walking Tour and Old Town Tapas Tour
Estepona is just stunning, with endless intricate cobbled streets lined with flowerpots. The old town walking tours shows you all of the most beautiful places as well as the historic buildings, such as the ruined fortress and church. We also visit a number of murals which have been painted on a number of buildings on the outskirts of the old town. Finally we visit the orchidarium with 1400 varieties of orchids.
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In the evening, we go on a tapas tour of traditional Spanish restaurants, which are a little off the beaten track, where we savour some local dishes and watch a live Flamenco performance.
Day 10 Sunday
Walk along the beach to Estepona port and bull ring flea market,
followed by a tapas lunch with drinks
Estepona's port is very attractive, with a number of good cafés and restaurants to enjoy. And you never know what you may find at the flea market opposite, which is held in the bull ring.
Day 11 Monday
A free day to shop, visit the beach and relax
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Day 12 Tuesday
Day trip to Ronda with walking tour
Ronda is a mountain-top city that’s set dramatically above a deep gorge. This gorge (El Tajo) separates the city’s circa-15th-century new town from its old town, dating to Moorish rule. Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge spanning the gorge, and offers absolutely stunning views.
The Plaza de Toros, a legendary 18th-century bullring, is one of the oldest bullrings in Spain and is acknowledged as one of the most beautiful and majestic in the world
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Your driver/guide will show you all of the main sites and then you will have some free time for shopping and exploring this fascinating city on your own.
Day 13 Wednesday
Tapas cookery demonstration, then lunch with drinks
Our cook will show you how to make 3 of the most popular tapas dishes in this area: Prawns Pil Pil, Croquettes and Spanish Omelette.
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After the demonstration we will eat the tapas and enjoy a glass of wine or two!
Day 14 Thursday
Spanish wine tasting with nibbles
We are going to a specialist wine bar to taste a range of Spanish wines, both local and from vineyards further afield. The owner will give a detailed talk about each wine that we sample. You will then be free to spend the rest of your last evening any way you wish.
PRICES
LONDON 7 NIGHTS
Prices are for the entire London part of the holiday,
not just for the accommodation
HOTEL 1
This in an excellent location and offers good value for money.
Each room has en suite shower room, plus a TV and tea and coffee making facilities and WI-FI.
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SINGLE £2010
TWIN PER PERSON £1925
DOUBLE FOR SOLE USE £2420
DOUBLE PER PERSON £1575
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