East Coastliner

You will stay in hotels such as the Holiday Inn in Atlanta, the Inn at Ellis Square in Savannah, the Holiday Inn Riverview in the Charleston area, the Best Western Plus Westgate Inn in Leland, the Crowne Plaza in Richmond, the Best Western Plus Rockville Hotel & Suites in Rockville and the Fairfield Inn in Manhattan, New York. All rooms feature private facilities, TV and telephone. Most hotels have a bar and restaurant and often other facilities, such as swimming pool and shop. Hotels will be confirmed in your final documents.

Day 1: UK/Atlanta

Depart on your scheduled flight to Atlanta in Georgia. Transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 2: Atlanta

Situated in the heart of America's Deep South, Atlanta began as a sleepy railroad terminus in 1837 but rapidly became a sophisticated city before its destruction in the Civil War, immortalised in the film 'Gone with the Wind'. Atlanta has risen again, and is now one of America's foremost cities, privileged in hosting the 1996 Olympic Games. Our morning includes a sightseeing tour of the city. You will see famous Peachtree Street, the Georgia State Capital, the main downtown area, and the CNN Centre. Atlanta is also the birthplace of Dr Martin Luther King, and a visit will be made to his house and the church where he preached.

Lunchtime departure for the journey across the scenic Georgia countryside to the Atlantic Coast and historic Savannah for an overnight stay.

Day 3: Savannah

The beautiful city of Savannah epitomises the elegance and gracious living of the southern states in the 18th and 19th centuries. Enjoy an optional tour by horse and carriage of its beautiful parks, squares and the old town, a 2½ square mile area which has been designated an historic landmark.

Rest of the day free to explore the delights of Savannah before a late afternoon drive to Charleston in South Carolina, a state well known for its beautiful ‘southern belles’ and warm hospitality. Accommodation for two nights has been arranged.

Day 4: Charleston

Charleston, with its fine natural harbour, is an aristocratic city. Original Georgian homes, with exquisite gardens and wrought iron gateways, exude a charm and dignity which contrast sharply with the turmoil of Charleston's civil war past. The city has a distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere, with narrow cobbled streets, pavement cafés, bistros and restaurants. We have included a guided coach tour of the old town, including the waterfront, the old slave market and the exchange building.

In the afternoon, there is an optional harbour cruise which will take you to Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired.

Day 5: Charleston

Depart Charleston and drive into North Carolina and continue to Wilmington, on the banks of the Cape Fear River. This charming city is one of the oldest seaports in the USA. Across the river rests the Battleship North Carolina considered when commissioned to be the greatest fighting vessel the United States had ever produced. A city tour is included prior to transferring to your hotel in nearby Leland for an overnight stay.

Day 6: Richmond

Depart Leland for the drive through North Carolina to Virginia. Then visit the beautiful Berkeley Plantation where the first official Thanksgiving was held in 1619. Afternoon arrival in Richmond. A short orientation tour is included before transferring to your hotel for a two-night stay.

Day 7: Jamestown and Williamsburg

Today we have the option to drive around some of the most famous locations in American history. Firstly you will visit historic Jamestown, where the first British settlement was established when the good ships ‘Susan Constant’, ‘Discovery’, and ‘Godspeed’ brought 105 Englishmen to the New World in 1607. Then you continue to Williamsburg which became the capital of colonial Virginia. The town has been faithfully restored to its original 18th century appearance. Only horse-drawn carriages are allowed, and local craftsmen and traders can be seen at work in authentic period costume.

Day 8: Washington DC

Depart Richmond for nearby Monticello, the magnificent home of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States. Admission is included. You then drive into the fabled Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and continue along Skyline Drive, which runs along the crest of the mountain range. We enter the Shenandoah National Park with it’s gentle rolling countryside. The park began as an experiment in land reclamation to try to stop erosion. Today the area is thick with oak, hickory, pine and locust trees. Continue to Rockville, Maryland near to Washington D.C. for a two-night stay.

Day 9: Washington D.C.

All of Washington D.C. radiates from the stately Capitol building, with its famous Dome of Freedom. The great national shrines of American government such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument form a dignified complex which stretches along the famous Mall to the Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon. To one side is the White House, and other buildings of interest include the Supreme Court, Smithsonian Institute, and the US Treasury. A morning sightseeing tour is included with the rest of the day free.

Day 10: Philadelphia

Depart Washington for the drive to Philadelphia. A city tour has been included featuring the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Franklin Institute. Continue to New York where accommodation has been arranged in Manhattan, the heart of New York City.

Day 11: New York

New York is one of the world’s most exciting cities. It has the most hotels, the most restaurants and the biggest traffic jams! New York is Broadway and its theatres, Wall Street, Times Square, Greenwich Village, Central Park and, of course, the Statue of Liberty. This morning there will be an included sightseeing tour. Rest of the day and evening free to explore this amazing city.

Join our exciting optional New York by night tour to see a different side of this incomparable city.

Day 12: New York/UK

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Day 13: UK

Morning arrival in the UK.