Northumberland

Local departure by coach or Home Connect service, then on to Newcastle and our hotel for four nights. We enjoy a mulled wine with a mince pie on arrival to get us into the Christmas spirit. A delicious 3-course dinner will be served in the Empire restaurant.

After breakfast, we journey further north to explore the highlights of stunning Northumberland. We make a stop at Alnwick where you will have some free time to explore this historic town or grab a coffee in one of its cafés.

The highlight of today is an included visit to Bamburgh Castle which is dressed for Christmas. The views of the coastline are breathtaking from the ramparts and you can truly appreciate the splendour of this stunning part of the world.

We return to the hotel in the afternoon to enjoy a cream tea. You will then have free time to either relax before dinner or explore Newcastle as your hotel is located in the heart of this fascinating city. An included glass of fizz is waiting for you this evening before your 3-course meal. After your meal, you will be treated to Christmas classics by one of the local choirs. For those who wish to attend midnight mass, St John The Baptist Church is a few minutes walk from the hotel and a mug of hot chocolate will be waiting for you on the return to the hotel after the service.

Merry Christmas! After breakfast why not relax in the hotel before a traditional 3-course Christmas lunch is served. Watch the Kings Speech in one of the multiple lounge rooms. A 2-course finger buffet will be served in the evening and there will be board games to enjoy with your fellow passengers.

After breakfast, we will visit historic Durham, famous for its cathedral and university. Enjoy the Boxing Day sales in the many high street shops or enjoy a stroll around the historic centre.

This evening after dinner, enjoy music from across the decades.

We depart the hotel this morning, filled with magical Christmas memories, and return home.

Local departure by coach or Home Connect service then on to our hotel for a four-night stay.

Enjoy spectacular scenery on our included excursion travelling along the Northumberland Coast. We make our way via Warkworth and pretty Seahouses to call at Bamburgh, which lies in the shadow of the glorious castle.

Explore the historic city of Durham, where the dramatic skyline is dominated by the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Cathedral and Castle. Bill Bryson called Durham 'a perfect little city' and with churches, chapels and cafés dotted throughout, the city has an illustrious, religious and tempestuous past that can be uncovered in many of its attractions.

We follow the route of Hadrian’s Wall, calling at the ancient market town of Hexham and visiting Chesters Roman Fort. Here, we learn more about what life was like on one of the Roman Empire’s most northern outposts and the most complete Roman cavalry fort in Britain.

Return home.

Local departure by coach or Home Connect service, then on to Newcastle for a four-night stay.

This tiny, 2-sq mile island packs a lot in with religious significance dating back centuries.

Connected to the mainland by a causeway that is only accessible at low tide, Lindisfarne is much the same as when St. Aidan founded a monastery here in 635 AD.

We then return via Seahouses, a delightful Northumberland Coast village.

Explore Durham, in the ‘Land of the Prince Bishops’, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The grand Norman-era Cathedral dominates the landscape and there is a plethora of delightful shops and cafés to enjoy in the cobbled streets.

We then return to Newcastle for an afternoon at leisure.

Today we visit Alnwick, home to an impressive castle and gardens and is bursting with pretty streets and interesting shops, such as Barter Books, one of the largest second-hand bookshops in Europe.

We then take a scenic drive along the beautiful Northumbrian Coast. With wide, sandy beaches, quaint villages, and impressive castles, this stretch of coastline is some of the most beautiful in the country.

Return home.