Day 1: Following your home taxi collection we take a leisurely drive to our overnight hotel in Lancashire, arriving with plenty of time to settle in before our evening meal.
Day 2: After a leisurely breakfast, we continue our journey north to the port of Heysham for our crossing to the Island. The Ferry crossing is approximately 3.5 hours weather permitting. Upon arrival, we make the short journey to our hotel, The Empress, our base for the next 5 nights.
Day 3: From Douglas, we enjoy a journey on the Manx Electric Railway, still operating with Victorian and Edwardian rolling stock. Built betwen 1893 and 1899 the line connects the capital Douglas with Laxey where we disembark. At Laxey, we join the Snaefell Mountain Railway and journey to the summit. At 621 metres above sea level, Snaefell offers breath-taking, panoramic views where you can catch a glimpse of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the kingdoms of heaven on a clear day! We continue our day with a visit to Ramsey, the island's second town where we have some free time to explore before returning to Douglas.
Day 4: Today is at leisure to relax and explore. Nestled along the east coast of the Isle of Man, the small holiday resort of Douglas oozes charm. Visitors can enjoy horse-drawn tram rides along its pedestrian shopping promenade, visit some of the independent boutiques and High Street shops, or enjoy the gardens and museums sprinkled throughout the town.
Day 5: Your first heritage steam journey takes you south from Douglas’s authentic Victorian station on the island's famous Steam Railway. The line was once part of an extensive network that connected most of the island, but is now a 15-and-a-half-mile narrow-gauge run, via the former island capital, Castletown, to beautiful Port Erin. We then re-join our coach and make a stop in Creigneash, before heading to The Sound, a protected nature reserve with seabird and seal colonies as well as an excellent café with fabulous views across to the Calf of Man. We continue our journey to Castletown. Once the island’s capital, this ancient town is clustered around the splendidly preserved Castle Rushen. Here, the energetic can climb to the battlements for the spectacular view of the island’s south. After some free time we journey back to our hotel.
Day 6: This morning we visit St John’s where the Manx Parliament still holds an open-air session each year. We then make our way to Peel which has connections with the island’s rich Celtic, Viking, and maritime past. Try the world-famous Manx Kippers, eat some of the best ice-cream on the island or explore the magnificent ruins of Peel Castle - the choice is yours!
Day 7: After an early breakfast we make our way to the ferry port for our return crossing to Heysham. From here we make our way back to Norfolk, where our door to door service will be waiting to take you home.
Holiday Information:
6 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast (Evening meals at the main hotel may be served buffet style)
Price: £1061pp
Single Supplement: £102 (Will be allocated a true single room at the main hotelm overnight tbc)
Insurance: TBC (Insurance not currently available)
Tour Reference: AWE5005
Deposit Required: £70pp
Balance Due: 10 weeks prior to departure