Performing Arts: England & Ireland

Explore musical Ireland and England, a region of myth and legend, ancient and modern, tradition and rebellion.
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Day 1 Overnight Flight to Ireland (Shannon)
Details: Fly to Ireland
Please note that due to limited service to Shannon, a transfer from Dublin will likely be substituted.
Day 2 Hello Killarney
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Details: Bunratty Castle & Folk Park visit
Discover Bunratty Castle , a formidable castle built in the 15th Century. It has been preserved to look just as it would have in the 1500s. A tour of the castle will include the Great Hall, Main Guard, and the South Solar. We will this visit the adjoining Folk Park, an authentic recreation of life in Ireland in the late 19th Century.
Day 3 Killarney
Details: Excursion to Ireland's coastal Ring of Kerry
Get a feel for Ireland’s emerald beauty on an excursion around the Iveragh Peninsula on the panoramic coastal route, Ring of Kerry. Along the 112 miles of breathtaking views, you’ll spy 360 degrees of the vast Atlantic Ocean, the Lakes of Killarney, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks (Ireland’s tallest mountains), and every shade of green known to the Emerald Isle.
Details: Killarney choir performance
Choirs often enjoy performances at churches (some have restricted sacred repertoire and others allow secular,) temples, museums and cultural centers, significant historic sights or exchange concerts with local schools, universities or community groups. Participating in a choral or cultural festival can also be a rewarding experience. For all performances we work closely with each group to ensure the perfect venue to meet their vision. Speak with your Worldstrides representative about what options would be best for your group.
Day 4 Killarney--Dublin
Travel to Dublin
Dublin city walk
Ha'Penny BridgeMolly Malone statue
Details: Visit Blarney Castle
Stop for a visit to Blarney Castle, the medieval stone structure built on solid limestone around 1466. (The slivers of windows served as a defense, enabling Lord Blarney and his men to shoot arrows at invaders while staying protected from within.) Climb the spiral staircases to the top of the castle to kiss the Blarney stone. Legend promises that if you lean backwards and kiss the stone upside-down, you’ll be granted the “gift of the gab” (the privilege of babbling questionable commentary for seven years). Before you leave, wander the path to Rock Close to ponder the druidic circle of mystical stones. Enter Lord Blarney’s dungeon if you dare...
Details: Rock of Cashel
See the Rock of Cashel, an extraordinary ruined abbey at the top of a hill near Cashel. This outcrop of limestone, stretching 197 feet into the sky, possesses sixteen centuries of history. It was the castled seat of the kings of Munster as far back as 360 CE and remained a royal fortress until 1101. Today there are ruins of a two-towered chapel, a cruciform cathedral, a round tower, and a cluster of other medieval monuments. Inside the cathedral, ancient carvings survive in excellent condition.
Details: Dublin city walk
Get a friendly introduction to Ireland’s capital city, compliments of your Tour Director. As you wander the streets, take in the international glamour of Ireland’s most cosmopolitan city and discover an urban landscape of Georgian buildings, castles and cathedrals.
Day 5 Dublin Landmarks
Dublin choir performance
Details: St. Patrick’s Cathedral visit
Visit St. Patrick's Cathedral, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It is said that St. Patrick baptized converts on this site. Consequently, a church has stood here since 450 CE, making it the oldest Christian site in Dublin. The cathedral's design is primarily Early English in style, and features a 300-foot-long interior. It halls houses the largest ringing peal bells in Ireland. St. Patrick's is closely associated with Jonathan Swift, who was dean from 1713 to 1745, and whose tomb lies in the south aisle.
Details: Trinity College visit
Discover Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland. Trinity was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. The beautiful campus features cobbled squares, gardens, a picturesque quadrangle and buildings that date from the 17th to 20th centuries. Trinity College is also home to the Book of Kells, an 8th-century version of the four Gospels decorated with elaborate scripting and illumination. We will view this famous treasure and other early Christian manuscripts in the Colonnades, an exhibition area on the ground floor of the Old Library.
Day 6 Dublin--Shakespeare County
Ferry ride across Irish Sea to Holyhead
Travel to Stratford
Dinner
Details: Shakespeare's Birthplace visit
Explore Shakespeare's Birthplace, a carefully restored 16th Century house where The Bard was born, April 23, 1564. After touring the property and the period-correct gardens, we will visit the Shakespeare-related exhibits in the adjoining Shakespeare Center, built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth.
Day 7 Shakespeare Country--London
Details: Travel to London via Oxford
Today, We will travel from Stratford-Upon-Avon to London. En route we will visit Oxford. Oxford has long been an important stopping point on central routes from the north of England to London, but is more well-known as the home of England's first university. With its spectacular architecture and famous scholars, the university is a uniquely integral part of Oxford and England.
Details: Oxford University college visit
Explore the oldest English-speaking university in the world. Founded in 1096, Oxford got a big attendance boost in 1167, when a tiff between the English and French kings caused all English students to be expelled from the University of Paris. Many came back to Oxford, and since then the university has been home to many of England’s most illustrious thinkers and writers, including Sir Walter Raleigh, Roger Bacon -- and Dr. Seuss. With a local guide tour one of the 39 colleges that make up the university (colleges you may visit include Brasenose, Christ Church, or New College).
Details: London city walk
Step outside your hotel for a stroll through the heart of the English-speaking world. In this city of nearly seven million, you'll see everything from 12th-century fortifications to modern skyscrapers, royal parks to street art. Your Tour Director will lead you to some of the most famous sites. Walk along the Thames River. Cross Trafalgar Square. See bustling Piccadilly Circus. Pass trendy shops and cafés in Bohemian Soho on your way to Covent Garden, a 13th-century fruit and vegetable garden transformed into a maze of narrow streets and pedestrian walkways burgeoning with street performers, open-air markets and boutiques
Details: Trafalgar Square
See Trafalgar Square, often used for community gatherings and political demonstrations.
Details: National Gallery visit
Visit the National Gallery, which contains an unrivaled collection of Western art spanning seven centuries, from the late 13th to the early 20th. The largest portion of the collection is devoted to the Italians, including works by da Vinci, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and Botticelli; but the collection also features works by the Spanish giants El Greco, Goya and Velázquez. The Flemish-Dutch school is represented by Brueghel, Jan van Eyck, Vermeer, Rubens and Rembrandt; and there is also an immense French impressionist and post-impressionist collection that includes works by Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir and Cézanne.
Details: Piccadilly Circus
Visit Piccadilly Circus, a shopping and entertainment area brightly lit with video displays and neon signs.
Details: Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and with the Royal Opera House, which itself may be referred to as "Covent Garden". The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the historical buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the London Transport Museum and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Details: Leicester Square
Leicester Square is perfectly situated in the heart of London's West End, with Trafalgar Square to the south, Piccadilly Circus to the west, Covent Garden to the east, and China Town to the north.
Day 8 London landmarks
Details: Westminster Abbey guided tour
Westminster Abbey has a unique past. Inside you will find the Confessor’s Shrine, the tombs of Kings and Queens, and countless memorials to the famous and the great. Every Coronation since 1066 has been held at Westminster Abbey. Today it is still a church dedicated to regular worship and to the celebration of great events in the life of the nation. Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey is a “royal peculiar” under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, subject only to the Sovereign.
Details: Thames River cruise
Enjoy a Thames River Cruise, a relaxing way to view many of London's most magnificent sights. Our trip will take us past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and under the famous Tower Bridge.
Details: Tower of London visit
Get up close and personal with the Tower of London. Towers, rather. Twenty stone towers, as well as tunnels, winding staircases and narrow passageways comprise this huge fortress covering 18 acres on the banks of the Thames. A royal residence from the 11th - 16th centuries, the Tower also served as a jewel safe and a prison. The headless skeletons of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard (Henry VIII's former wives who were executed here) are believed to be buried here. The Crown Jewels are housed here, including the largest cut diamond in the world (530-carats). Beefeaters (guards) lead tours through the Tower.
Day 9 London
Details: British Museum visit
Explore the British Museum, one of the most comprehensive collections of art and artifacts in the world. Highlights of our visit will include the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Marbles, and the Sutton Hoo Treasure.
Details: St. Paul’s Cathedral visit
Visit St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren's Renaissance-style masterpiece and yet another home to a stunning resident choir. Our visit will include an ascent to the Whispering Gallery, an acoustic marvel in which the faintest whisper can be heard clearly on the opposite side. We also will visit the American Memorial Chapel. If we are lucky, we will be present when the organ is being played.
Details: London choir performance
Potential venues include (but not limited to): Southwark Cathedral, The Community of St. Stephens, Victoria Park Bandstand, St. Gabriel's Church Pimlico, the lively Spitafields Market, Hillsong Church, Christ Church Spitafields, or an exchange with a local school, university or community group. Additional options such as Cadogan Hall or St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square are available at additional cost.
Day 10 Flight home from London
Tour Includes:
  • Round-trip airfare and other transportation described in the itinerary
  • Accommodation in three- or four-star hotels in twin (or occasional triple) rooms with private facilities guaranteed throughout
  • Plentiful daily breakfast to start the day energized and ready to go
  • Appetizing, culturally representative, three-course dinner daily
  • Full time, multilingual, WorldStrides tour director who is LEAP-trained in experiential education
  • Local guide at sites and on city tours as described in the itinerary
  • All of the venue arrangement fees and promotional costs for included concert performances
  • LEAP! Learning through Exploration and Active Participation; trademarked immersive approach of learning by doing
  • Entrances and transportation to sites and activities described in your itinerary
  • Local guide and local bus driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
  • Basic Medical, Dental, Emergency Evacuation Insurance during trip
  • 24/7 On Tour Emergency Support
  • Up to three college credits upon course completion (grades 9-12) or high school credit (grades 6-12)
  • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, costs for rental, transport of instruments or music stands, any passport or visa fees, or tips for the Tour Director or multi-day bus drivers. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid tips, or other customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.

We are better able to assist you with a quote for your selected departure date and city over the phone. Please call 1.888.378.8845 to price this tour with your requested options.

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5232.00 total fee
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