Day 1: Following your home taxi collection we join our luxury tour coach and head south to Portsmouth making suitable stops en route.
Day 2: This morning we make the short journey to Southsea where we board the Hovercraft for the journey across the Solent to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. The short crossing features a special Hovercraft demonstration including 360 degree turns and deflating the skirt to ‘float like a boat’. Once we arrive at Ryde, we take the Island Line train, made up of restored London Underground trains, to the seaside resort of Shanklin.
Shanklin, is where thatched cottages meet golden sand and is one of the most popular destinations on the Isle of Wight. Away from the beach, the main town hosts a multitude of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, and further up the cliff, is the Old Village - a must-see spot, with its pretty thatched cottages, cosy tearooms and craft shops to explore.
After some free time, we then return to Ryde by train where there is time to explore the islands largest town, before boarding the Hovercraft for the 10 minute journey back to the mainland.
Day 3: Today we visit The Hovercraft Museum in Lee-on-Solent, a working museum which preserves and maintains the crafts in its care, including those featured in the James Bond film ‘Die Another Day’. Later we make our way to Gosport and visit the Royal Navy Submarine Museum. Experience the adventurous and incredible life aboard a submarine on Britain’s only remaining Second World War submarine, HMS Alliance. Get a truly unique perspective of the challenges the hundreds of submariners who served on HMS Alliance would face every day as you explore the submarine.
See where torpedoes were kept, how the sailors would sleep and eat every day, and get the chance to use a working periscope in the control room. You will even discover what the submariners would do in case of an emergency below the surface.
Day 4: This morning we make the short journey to the historic dockyard where we spend the day. We have included the full navy ticket for entrance to all eleven attractions. HMS Victory is the Royal Navy's most famous warship, best known for her role in the Battle of Trafalgar. The Victory currently has a dual role as the Flagship of the First Sea Lord and as a living museum to the Georgian Navy. The visitor experience onboard HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as Nelson’s famous flagship from the Battle of Trafalgar is now brought alive with a hand-held audio guide. We also include entry to the Mary Rose Exhibition which is also situated in the Historic Docks. Here you can find out more about King Henry VIII’s famous warship, its crew and see a wonderful collection of artefacts recovered from the wreck. The Mary Rose was the flagship vessel for Henry VIII and served in his fleet for 34 years before sinking during the Battle of the Solent in 1545, with the king watching from nearby Southsea Castle. Her remains were raised in 1982 and are now on display along with thousands of the original objects recovered alongside the ship, giving a unique and moving insight into life in Tudor England. She is the only ship of her kind on display anywhere in the world.
Day 5: Sadly, this morning we depart our hotel and make our way back to Norfolk making suitable stops en route. Upon arrival our door to door taxi service will be waiting to take you home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Price: £784pp
Single Supplement: £nil (Limited Availability)
Additional Singles Beyond Allocation From: £120 (Will be allocated a double room for sole occupancy)
Insurance: TBC (Insurance not currently available)
Tour Reference: AWE4848
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 8 weeks prior to departure