July 14–31, 2016
Join us in the summer of 2016 for a once-in-a-lifetime 17-day tour of Great Britain
Led by geologist/paleontologist/author Dr. Donald Prothero, we will explore the geology and natural history of Great Britain from the White Cliffs to the North Sea coast of Scotland. Our tour will focus on sites of scientific and skeptical interest, including famous fossil beds and geologic sites, behind-the-scenes tours of natural history museums, historic places associated with scientists such Charles Darwin, A.R. Wallace, Isaac Newton, geologist James Hutton, and skeptic philosopher David Hume, plus a boat tour of Loch Ness, a visit to Stonehenge, tours of a Cornish tin mine and a Welsh coal mine and slate quarry, guided tours of London and Edinburgh, as well as visits to castles, battlefields, and other fascinating places. Also coming on the trip and lecturing on the history of science and evolutionary theory, especially Darwin and Wallace, is Dr. Michael Shermer.
Click an image to enlarge it.
Itinerary
- Thursday, July 14
- Arrive in London. Welcoming reception at our hotel.
- Friday, July 15
- Morning behind-the-scenes tour of the Natural History Museum; afternoon free to explore London
- Saturday, July 16
- Full-day guided tour of London, including walking tours of Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London
- Sunday, July 17
- Kent and Sussex: tour of Darwin’s house in Downe, Sydenham dinosaurs and site of first dinosaur discovery, White Cliffs and English coast
- Monday, July 18
- Tours of Cambridge University (Sedgwick Museum, Cavendish lab) and Oxford University (Natural History Museum)
- Tuesday, July 19
- Dorset and Devonshire: Stonehenge; the Fossil Coast at Lyme Regis; tour of ammonite beds at low tide; historic Plymouth
- Wednesday, July 20
- Cornwall: Land’s End, the Cornish tin mines, and ancient oceanic crust at Coverack Beach
- Thursday, July 21
- Bath and Wales: the Roman Baths; the birthplace of stratigraphy; southern Welsh Coast (Cardiff and Swansea); overnight at Aberavon Beach Hotel
- Friday, July 22
- Southern Wales and Shropshire: over the Breton Beacons to Blaenavon coal mine; Darwin’s birthplace at Shrewsbury; Chester Roman amphitheatre
- Saturday, July 23
- Northern Wales: the Snowdonia Mountains and Llechwedd Caverns slate quarry; geologic sites on the Anglesey Peninsula
- Sunday, July 24
- North to Scotland, via Grantham (Isaac Newton’s home, Woolsthorpe Manor); overnight at Lumley Castle, Durham (Elizabethan banquet dinner)
- Monday, July 25
- Scottish Lowlands: Hadrian’s Wall and Housteads Roman fort; Hutton’s unconformities at Jedburgh and Siccar Point
- Tuesday, July 26
- Edinburgh: Tour of Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile; Our Dynamic Earth Museum; Hutton’s section at Salisbury Craigs and Arthur’s Seat volcano
- Wednesday, July 27
- Full day free to explore Edinburgh
- Thursday, July 28
- Stirling Castle and Doune Castle; Bannockburn battlefield; Falkirk Wheel
- Friday, July 29
- Scottish Highlands: over the Cairngorms to Elgin Museum; Culloden Battlefield and Inverness
- Saturday, July 30
- Scottish Highlands: Loch Ness cruise; Fort William; Glencoe and the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond; ending in Glasgow. Farewell dinner
- Sunday, July 31
- Fly home from Glasgow
Pricing
-
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY: £3439 per person
(ground tour only; in pounds sterling), which comes to about $300 a day in $US. -
SINGLE OCCUPANCY: £3984 per person
(ground tour only, in pounds sterling).
This is cheaper than, or comparable to trips of similar length and distance offered by most tour companies.
What’s Included?
The price includes 17 nights’ lodging (including one night in a historic castle and another at a beach resort), all breakfasts, 9 lunches, and a few dinners (including an Elizabethan Banquet at the castle), motorcoach transport and tour guides, guidebook, and all admission fees.
You must book your round-trip airfare to the UK separately from your own point of origin, but our travel agent, Dreammaker Travel, Inc., will get you the best possible price.
Hurry! This trip is unique and never to be repeated. Book now, because space is very limited!
Questions?
Email us or call 1-626-794-3119 with a credit card to secure your spot.
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