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Dungeons and Castles "Apprentice" Family TourJuly 9-15, 2012 - 7 days/6 nights$2,929 per person/dbl occupancy - not including airfare to/from Britain
Child Discount $TBS. Single Supplement $TBD This itinerary offers Harry Potter fans new destinations and experiences. It is also a great itinerary for our returning travelers. It begins with a 3-night stay in a lovely castle near Durham and includes Durham Cathedral, film location for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. A ride on a vintage steam train to see part of the the journey used in the films including the train station where students begin their year at "Hogwarts". Bridging fantasy with reality, we'll visit a museum where a real "hand of glory" is on display, the creepy artifact which grabs Harry's curious hand in "Knockturn Alley". Our visit to London includes a trip to Ashridge Park in Hertfordshire (film location for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) near Warner Bros. newest attraction, The Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter. Other London locations and a day trip to Oxford complete this tour. With smaller tour sizes, the pace slows down offering more time to enjoy every location. Included:
July 9 - Welcome
Meals - Welcome Dinner Individual arrivals to Newcastle-upon-Tyne Airport. Meet your guide at the airport for the group coach ride to your castle hotel. Settle into your rooms and enjoy the lovely castle and gardens before the Welcome Orientation and dinner. Welcome Dinner included. 
July 10 - Durham Cathedral, Pajama Party
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner 
Morning departure to Durham to visit film locations at Durham Cathedral and to enjoy the city. Enjoy shopping and lunch before heading back to our castle hotel for more activities. Durham Cathedral, the Shrine of St. Cuthbert, sits atop the River Wear. Construction of the Cathedral began in 1093 and took about 40 years to complete. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. According to the UNESCO website, "Durham Cathedral, owing to the innovative audacity of its vaulting, constitutes a type of experimental model which was far ahead of its time. It is the largest and most perfect monument of 'Norman' style architecture in England. The small castral chapel for its part marks a turning point in the evolution of 11th-century Romanesque sculpture." Fans of the Harry Potter films will recognize backdrops from the first two movies. After Dinner (included), get ready for a pajama party in sumptuous surroundings and in the dungeon, if you dare! July 11 - Vintage Steam Ride, Goathland Station, Whitby
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner 
This morning we take a short ride and head off to the Yorkshire Moors where a vintage steam train ride awaits to take us on a journey through some of the route used in the movie for the "Hogwarts Express". During the ride we'll stop at Goathland Station used as the station for arriving students at "Hogwarts". Our train journey ends in Whitby, a quaint former fishing village on the North Yorkshire coast which is considered Britain's spookiest town. It has earned a permanent place in the literary hall of fame as the place where Count Dracula first sets foot on English soil in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel. The Whitby Museum also counts among its collection the only alledged known surviving "Hands of Glory". Stories of the use of such hands became common across Europe, from Finland to Italy and Western Ireland to Russia in the last four hundred years. At least two were current in North Yorkshire, one relating to the Spital Inn on Stainmore in 1797 and the other to the Oak Tree Inn, Leeming, supposedly in 1824. Harry encounters such a hand in Knockturn Alley when it grabs him after his curiosity gets the better of him. We spend some time exploring the village and museum before heading back to our hotel. July 12 - Flight to London
After breakfast, we depart for our flight from Newcastle to London. Once in London we'll take a panoramic tour of Harry Potter film locations and other sights along the way. There will be time to stop and take photos and to walk about the locations. Dinner at leisure. July 13 - Hertfordshire and Oxford Filming Locations
Meals - Breakfast After breakfast we head off to Oxford in search of filming locations including Christ Church College and New College. Other locations may be included depending on events scheduled at the colleges. 
Along the way we stop by Asheridge Park in Hertfordshire which was featured in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Fans have the option to visit Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter on their own while we are at the park. 
Christ Church and its Great Hall is used as a double for "Hogwarts" in several films. Oxford's largest college, re-founded by Henry VIII in 1546, is the only college in the world with a cathedral within its walls. Lewis Carroll used the same views at Christ Church as inspiration for his Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The historic Bodleian Library is the main research library of Oxford University and includes Duke Humfrey's Library and the Divinity School, both of which were used to recreate some of the interiors at "Hogwarts".
Oxford is the perfect place for a Harry Potter-themed celebration. It is referred to as the City of Dreaming Spires because of its beautiful architecture. The city is the home of England's oldest university and while it is also an industrial city on the Thames, the association with learning and the academic way of life remains paramount. Many scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed in Oxford. Dinner at leisure. July 14 - Film Museum, free time
Meals - Breakfast, Dinner 
This morning we will visit the London Film Museum, a fantastic venue which will entertain film fans for several hours. Enjoy free time to complete shopping and other attractions in London before our final Farewell Dinner. July 15
Meals - Breakfast Independent departures to London area airports (on your own) or stay on to enjoy the pre-London 2012 Olympics events. Lumley Castle Accommodations Upgrades*Courtyard Bedrooms - Included in tour priceThe lovely Courtyard Bedrooms are located immediately adjacent to the Castle. Originally the stable block of the Castle, the Courtyard has been stylishly converted, each furnished to a high standard. You will find full en-suite facilities, satellite TV and radio, direct-dial telephone, internet access, trouser press, tea and coffee making facilities, hospitality tray and hairdryer. New Courtyard Bedrooms include plasma televisions and wireless internet access. Castle Bedrooms - Additional $150 per person An overnight stay in a Castle Bedroom is no ordinary experience. You may find your bed up a spiral staircase or in a turret. Both single and double Castle bedrooms are available, many of which offer breathtaking views across the surrounding parkland. Feature Bedrooms - Additional $225 per person Feature bedrooms are located both in the Courtyard and Castle and give you the opportunity to make your stay extra special. Many of the rooms have four poster beds, feature baths or you may find little surprises like discovering your bathroom behind the wardrobe door ! Each room is uniquely designed. You will find full en-suite facilities, satellite television and radio, direct-dial telephone, internet access, trouser press, tea and coffee making facilities, hospitality tray and hairdryer. King James Suite - Call for Availability The King James Suite offers a remarkable experience. The Suite includes a magnificent 20ft high four-poster Queen Anne Bed, Reception Room and Jacuzzi Bath. Complete with fresh flowers and champagne. Formerly the chapel of the castle, it boasts its own lounge area, en-suite bathroom and Jacuzzi with views over the surrounding parkland. |
Tweet HPFanTrips™ Excellent AdventureJune 29-July 6, 2012 - 8 days/7 nightsDungeons and Castles TourJuly 9-15, 2012 - 7 days/6 nightsLoch, Stock and Barrel TourJuly 16-25, 2012 - 10 days/9 nights
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Meals - Breakfast
You may want to enjoy dinner at the Eagle & Child, the pub frequented by the Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll, and view the interesting displays about these authors and their works.
HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.
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These themed tours are not official Harry Potter tours and are not endorsed, sanctioned or in any other way supported, directly or indirectly by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers and/or J.K.Rowling and her representatives and/or Universal Orlando.
Photos courtesy of Toni Gras. Durham Cathedral Image copyright Carcharoth (Commons)
Original material copyright © 2003-2012 HP Fan Trips™ and Beyond Boundaries Travel. All rights reserved.