Three Day Small Group Harry Potter and English Authors Tour

Want to tour the movie locations and scenes of inspiration from the Harry Potter series? Looking for flexibility and spontaneity in your itinerary? Want to explore the English countryside away from the large coach tours?

Combine visits to film locations with memorable sightseeing of a range of classic UK attractions. You will see medieval villages and historic cities, a fairy tale castle and a prehistoric stone temple, stunning scenery and wonderful architecture. But it's a "doing tour" too, designed for a family to enjoy holiday fun together. There's a steam train ride, castle exploring, woodland walking and family competitions to enter. The tour is also designed to introduce youngsters to other famed children's writers including JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Roald Dahl and Lewis Carroll.

With a maximum group size of 11 and a university educated guide/driver, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience.

Schedule Details Departs: Seasonal - 2008 Dates:

• April 02 and 09
• July 02 and 16
• August 06, 13 and 27
• September 10

Departure Point: Tour departs from centrally located London hotels Departure Time: 8:00am Return details: Tour returns to original point of departure at approximately 7:00pm (Day 3) Hotel Pickup: Tour departs from centrally located London hotels. Please include the details of your hotel at the time of booking. You MUST call the supplier at least 24 hours prior to tour commencement to reconfirm all tour and departure details. If the supplier does not pickup from your hotel, they will advise you of the meeting point when you call. Itinerary:

Day One:

Leave the "Muggles" of London behind and begin a magical journey at the newly opened RoCald 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 you 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 an "Alice in Wonderland" walk. Other children's authors you can find here are CS Lewis ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe") and JR Tolkein ("Lord of the Rings"). Your accommodation for the night is a charming 15th century coaching Inn in the Cotswolds.

Day Two:

Travel through the delightful Cotswolds region of honey-coloured stone villages, Tolkein's inspiration for the Shire in "The Hobbit". 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 you through the countryside to Cheltenham. The last visit of the day is to the old cathedral city of Gloucester, immortalized by Beatrix Potter in her tale "The Tailor of Gloucester". 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. Your accommodation for the night is near Gloucester.

Day Three:

This morning you will venture into the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley. This was an area well-known to J K Rowling, creator of the boy-wizard, and places like the 12th century Chepstow Castle and Forest must have been a source of great inspiration. See her old family home, school, and weather and time permitting, take a stroll in the forest looking for Fairie spirits, Unicorns and perhaps "Firenze" the Cenatour. 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, stop at a fantastic site, the perfectly preserved medieval village of Lacock - used extensively as a location in the Harry Potter films, including a house where "You Know Who" murdered Harry's parents! The final stop of the day before returning to London is where it all began. Visit the real street used as Privet Drive in the movies and maybe you will see Hagrid flying by on his motorbike!

Please note: depending on time of year, certain attractions may not be available (i.e. steam trains), so substitutes will be offered. Christ Church Hall is occasionally closed for College events and may not be visited.

Additional Information