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Vehicles: Buses used for excursions are of the highest standard available. All buses are air-conditioned and equipped with a microphone. Dress Code: The United Arab Emirates has conservative dress traditions. Men and women should ensure shoulders and knees are covered when in public, especially in souks, shops and villages. Photography: Normal tourist photography is acceptable, but it is considered offensive to photograph Arab women. It is also courteous to ask permission before photographing men. Photographs of government buildings or military installations are not allowed. Conditions: The tour operator reserves the right to cancel any part of this tour for reasons of government decisions, public holidays, weather conditions, or similar.
Itinerary Depart Edinburgh at 08:15 and travel west, past Stirling castle to your first stop at Doune Castle. This area of Scotland has certainly seen its fair share of fighting and warfare. Stirling castle was once known as the 'Key to Scotland', and it was here that William Wallace (immortalised by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart) defeated the English army in 1297. After William Wallace's death it was Robert the Bruce who continued the fight for independence and you will pass the site of his most famous victory in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn. Then you arrive at the fantastic medieval stronghold of Doune castle. Built for Robert Stewart, the Duke of Albany, over 600 years ago the castle is still in great condition and you will have time for photos. You might even have seen the castle before, it was made famous by the film 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail', with many scenes filmed here. You then continue a little further on to Callander. After a short coffee stop you cross the Highland boundary fault line leaving the rolling farms for the wild mountains and forests of the Highlands. You will make a short stop at Loch Luibnaig before you continue over the Braes of Balquhidder, the final resting place of Highland outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor. Made famous by Sir Walter Scott, Rob Roy was a sort of Highland Robin Hood, he stole from the rich, but never quite got round to giving it to the poor! From Balquhidder the tour winds its way through the tough knot of mountains known as Breadalbane (meaning the 'high country of Scotland') before we stop for lunch in a small West Highland village. Shortly after lunch you stop for the short walk out to visit Kilchurn Castle, a magnificent ruin situated in the middle of Loch Awe and former home of the Campbells of Breadalbane. You will continue along the banks of Loch Awe through Campbell country to the picturesque town of Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne. Here you can visit the 18th-century castle and home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Campbell clan. (castle open Easter to mid-October). The town was built at the same time as the castle and has the air of a classic 18th-century planned village with its straight wide streets and dignified Georgian houses. You can take time to explore the town and maybe call at the Old Jail or the maritime museum, the Arctic Penguin. Leaving Inveraray, you take a drive up through the steep-sided mountains known as the Arrochar Alps to the great viewpoint at 'Rest and Be Thankful'. It was given its name in 1753 by the weary soldiers who had just finished building the old military road up through Glen Croe. From here you skirt around Loch Long and down to the Bonnie, Bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. This is Scotland's largest loch and it takes its name from the mountain Ben Lomond on the eastern shore. You make a short stop at the conservation village of Luss, with its quaint houses and stunning views across the loch. At 17.30 you make your way back to Edinburgh, with a short photo stop underneath Stirling Castle. Return time: 18:30 approx
Highlights 81,000sq ft. Child-Size City Kids Can Learn Real-Life Skills at an interactive indoor theme park, it combines fun and learning through realistic role-play for children aged 4 to 17. An indoor city run by kids that is perfect for a fun day out, explore real-life activities, no matter the weather! Fun and Safe Environment With something for kids of every age, KidZania has an eclectic mix of activities including the Aviation Academy, Acting Academy, the Health Institute, the Art Studio, the Health Institute, and the Milk Innovation Lab among others. Ticket Includes Admission Ticket Ticket Excludes Food & Beverages Description Blending learning with reality and entertainment, each career at KidZania is developed to teach kids essential life skills including financial literacy, team work and independence. Designed to empower and entertain kids, KidZania gives children the chance to challenge themselves and explore the world of opportunities. If your child has ever dreamt of becoming a pilot, a firefighter or the next award-winning dancer, watch the excitement on their faces as they try out real life activities! The concept effectively gives them their first taste of independence and gets kids thinking about what they might want to be in the future.
Everyone remembers where they were on September 11, 2001. An event that shook the world, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center changed the path of recent history in a way we still see every day. Visit Ground Zero to gain a deeper understanding of 9/11, the affect it had on the city (and the world!) and the long struggle undergone in New York City to move forward from that day. With an expert local guide, you’ll explore not just the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, but the areas and landmarks around the World Trade Center that featured so poignantly in news reports after the attacks. Traveling in small groups, you’ll visit St. Paul’s Chapel, where friends and families gathered to hear news of their loved ones, and where handmade prayers and memorials still lie. At Brookfield Place (previously known as the World Financial Center) you’ll learn about the economic effects of the attack and the struggle to rebuild afterwards. You’ll visit the Eleven Tears Memorial, a touching and personal memorial, which commemorates the 11 American Express employees that died in 9/11. The Winter Garden is another must-see on Vesey Street. You may have missed it on your own, but with a local guide leading the way, you won’t miss a beat. After that we’ll head for Ground Zero, to see the stunning 9/11 Memorial Pools, each one built in the footprint of one of the twin towers, and inscribed with the names of all those who perished in the attack. Your guide will take this time to give you a more personal account of the tragedy that unfolded here, taking you to the Fireman’s Memorial and the Survivor Tree to tell you the incredible stories of courage and loss that unfolded right where you stand. The last stop on our tour is one we’ll let you manage on your own. The 9/11 Museum is a very well curated space, with artifacts salvaged from the event on display, alongside countless personal stories. It’s a very moving visit, best taken in at your own pace in silence. We still have one last perk though – we’ve pre-reserved your museum tickets, so you’ll skip long lines to gain immediate access. We’ve kept our groups small for this tour to ensure a level of intimacy and peace that’s fitting for such a visit, and have chosen only the best local guides to give your tour a more personal feel, giving the 9/11 Memorial and its surrounds a more human context. PLEASE NOTE: From March 1, 2018, we are no longer including the following sites on our walking tour due to a slight itinerary change. American Express Eleven Tears Winter Gardens Brookfield Place Inclusions: Expert local tour guide 5pm Reserved timed-entry 9/11 Museum tickets (self-guided) Small groups of 20 people or fewer Exclusions: Gratuities Hotel pick-up/drop-off Food/Beverages Sites Visited: St Paul's Chapel Brookfield Place (formerly known as World Financial Center) American Express Eleven Tears Memorial Winter Garden 9/11 Memorial Museum (Museum is non-guided) 9/11 Memorial Pools Freedom Tower (from exterior) Fireman's Memorial Survivor Tree North Cove Marina PLEASE NOTE: From March 1, 2018, we are no longer including the following sites on our walking tour due to a slight itinerary change. American Express Eleven Tears Winter Gardens Brookfield Place Please note, this tour is in English only.
Create a London sightseeing schedule to suit you! This Hop-On Hop-Off open top bus tour includes 91 stops across London that you can jump off at and explore the city. On-board commentary gives you a few details about the attractions you can pass on the route - these include Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral!
Trip style: Local Life & Culture, History & Heritage Language Tour: English Full Itinerary Get the local lowdown on a city that's seen its fair share of drama in recent years on this historical Detroit tour that takes you through the city's crazy past. Begin your Detroit tour at a cafe on Broadway, where you'll meet your local guide and head out onto the streets. From the minute you leave the meeting point you'll start seeing some famous Detroit landmarks, such as the 95-year old Detroit Athletic Club, the renovated Opera House, the vacant Wurlitzer Building, and the fine new downtown YMCA. Your local guide will be telling you all you need to know about these spots, and what they mean to the city of Detroit. Continuing on your tour in Detroit, see the site where one of the biggest department stores in the US once stood. When it closed in the 1980s, it left a hole in the city that hasn't been filled. There are not many stores in the old retail district, but apartments and lofts have brought some new life to the area. Next on this Detroit city tour, the Compuware Building from 2002 is worth a visit, for its 15-story atrium and colorful fountain. Outside that building you'll see a panorama that includes landmarks like the 47-story Penobscot Building from 1928, the Guardian Building from 1929, and the Renaissance Center from 1977, which is home to the tallest hotel in the entire Western Hemisphere (72 floors!) as well as the headquarters of General Motors. Then you'll see Campus Martius Park in the heart of downtown, which opened in 2004 and features an ice-skating rink in winter and activities year-round. It recently won an award as the nation's most transformative urban park, and is a fine example of how Detroit is making a serious comeback. A visit to the Guardian Building gives you a picture of the greatness of Detroit in the late 1920s. The lobby and banking room of this art-deco skyscraper are truly incredible. We'll take a stop here, and then we take a ride on the elevated People Mover, which has been moving people around downtown Detroit since 1987. From the Michigan Avenue Station, see the $800 Million MGM Grand Casino and hotel that were completed in 2008, and the new Rosa Parks Transit Center (named for "the mother of the Civil Rights Movement") with its dramatic canopies. If the weather is nice, we'll walk to a nearby hotel that's a great example of Detroit's rise, fall and renewal. When it opened in 1924 it was the tallest hotel in the world and one of the fanciest, but it closed in the 1980s and stood vacant for more than 25 years on a prominent street corner. Detroiters were thrilled when it reopened after a $200 million renovation as the wonderful, a proud moment in Detroit's history! A block down from here is one of the world's tallest vacant buildings at 36-storeys high. Your leader will tell you stories of its past and how it awaits a new life. Next, we visit the area near Grand Circus Park, which is full of examples of Detroit's rocky history. Here we'll find even more vacant buildings as well as legendary parks and music venues that have hosted the like of Bruce Spingsteen and Detroit's own Eminem. This gives us many more opportunities for your guide to let you in on all the local secrets behind them. It's one thing simply seeing these buildings, but to get to know the history behind them makes the experience even more special, especially when it comes from the mouth of a local! Our last stop will be at a local brewpub, where you can sip on a local beer or soft drink and continue to chat about Detroit with your local guide. The first drink's on us!