Historic Dockyards & The Diamond Isle, with a gin thrown in!

HIGHLIGHTS: Portsmouth Historic Dockyards, Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery (Laverstoke Mill), Isle of Wight, Winchester.

Glorious Hampshire, spanning from the waters of the Solent to the edge of the Home Counties, is a revealing county of many guises. It has a rich maritime history, from the naval fleets of bygone eras to the modern yachts of the 21st century, historic centres with impressive architecture, and quaint country villages. Cross the waters of the Solent and discover the unique flavour of the Isle of Wight - known as the 'Diamond Isle', while back on the mainland we include a visit to the award-winning Portsmouth Historic Dockyards and a fascinating tour of the Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery.

**Please note it is a condition of travel with Grand UK, for all passengers to hold valid travel insurance for the duration of their tour.**Excursions
FULL DAY: We cross over to the Isle of Wight and take a leisurely tour around the coast, stopping at Alum Bay with its unusual multi-coloured sand, past Blackgang Chine, through the resorts of Shanklin and Sandown before ending up in the sailing capital, Cowes.

FULL DAY: Into Portsmouth today to visit the Historic Dockyards, a collection of 10 related museums charting the history of the navy and including some its most iconic vessels. Your time is free to choose your own itinerary, perhaps step aboard Lord Nelson's famous HMS Victory or HMS Warrior - the pride of Queen Victoria's fleet - or maybe discover the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flagship that was raised from the Solent in 1982, or enjoy a leisurely cruise around the dockyards for a view from the water.

FULL DAY: This morning we make our way to Winchester, the Royal capital of Saxon Wessex, and England, for many centuries. There is plenty of time to explore with a visit to the medieval Great Hall highly recommended. This afternoon we continue into the Hampshire countryside and to Laverstoke Mill, home of the Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery. Here we include a guided tour with the chance to make your own G&T before of course a complimentary tipple.

Everything Included:

- Free local joining points
- Collect Coach Miles
- All coach travel
- Reserved seats on tour coaches
- Tour Manager escorted
- Hotel accommodation and board as stated
- No single room supplement
- Excursions / itinerary as stated
- Admission fees and entertainment if stated
- Complete luggage handling
- Price-Back Insurance Offer


Escorted Travel
Every one of our coach holidays includes the services of a coach driver and is always fully escorted by a knowledgeable Tour Manager, they are on hand every day and night and stay in the same hotel to ensure your holiday is stress-free.




Our coach Tour Managers are there purely for your extra comfort and enjoyment, from organising activities to breaking the ice and helping you all make the most of your holiday.


We hand-pick these extra special people because of their passion for people and places; they are the heartbeat of our coach holidays, a smiling face, a helping hand and always a listening ear and have the ability to turn a great time into a truly magical and memorable holiday experience.


They are simply the best in the business.




Our coach Tour Managers are there purely for your extra comfort and enjoyment, from organising activities to breaking the ice and helping you all make the most of your holiday. They are simply the best in the business.

We hand-pick these extra special people because of their passion for people and places; they are the heartbeat of our coach holidays, a smiling face, a helping hand and always a listening ear and have the ability to turn a great time into a truly magical and memorable holiday experience.


Your Pick Up Points
Joining Your Grand UK Coach Holiday
For 2024 we have introduced improvements to our network of local pick up points across the eastern, central and southern England, aimed at shortening your journey times and getting you away on holiday more easily and conveniently, meaning an altogether more relaxing start. We now have two pick up regions so your travel days will be more convenient, providing more efficient journeys, meeting your tour manager and fellow travellers earlier and in most cases arriving in resort earlier, please refer to our Pick-ups section below for more details.
The Tour Ref below indicates whether the tour departs from Area A or Area B by having either an A or B at the end. For example, GUK5A would be a tour departing from Area A.

Pick-Up Information
For 2024 we have introduced improvements to our network of local pick up points across the eastern, central and southern England, aimed at shortening your journey times and getting you away on holiday more easily and conveniently, meaning an altogether more relaxing start. We now have two pick up regions so your travel days will be more convenient, providing more efficient journeys, meeting your tour manager and fellow travellers earlier and in most cases arriving in resort earlier.
The Tour Ref on the holiday tab indicates whether the tour departs from Area A or Area B by having either an A or B at the end. For example, GUK5A would be a tour departing from Area A.






Traveling from Departure Area A: Be picked up from your free local departure point, and join your tour coach at our interchange area at Northampton Services on the M11, at junction 15A.





Traveling from Departure Area B: Be picked up from your free local departure point, and join your tour coach at our interchange area at Beaconsfield Services, M40, junction 2.Meon Valley Hotel
This lovely hotel sits in 225 acres of grounds, surrounded by a golf course, nestled in the Hampshire countryside.

Hotel Facilities

- Restaurant, bar
- En-suite bedrooms
- Free Wi-Fi available
- Golf course, indoor pool, sauna, steam room, gym & spa (local charge)
- Lift

Hotels
• Meon Valley Hotel (Southampton) - View Information