Tuesday 28th December

Depart for London!

Please ensure that you arrive at your local gateway in good time to check-in for your flight to London.

On your trans-Atlantic flight you will receive at least one main meal, and one snack meal, complimentary soft drinks, and a full range of in-flight entertainment including movies, TV programs, and audio channels.

Wednesday 29th December

Once you arrive in London you will pass through customs and collect your personal luggage before being met by a representative of the New Year's Day Parade and taken by luxury motor coach to your hotel.

Upon arrival at your hotel, you will have the opportunity to meet your tour hosts.

There may be a short delay before you receive your room and so we will arrange for your bags to be safely stored so that you may take a walk of the local area.

Your resource assistant will inform you of the time & place for an orientation meeting, where you will receive your welcome pack and learn all about your week in London.

Afternoon at leisure.

6:30pm
Make your way to The Strand Lounge, where you will meet everyone for a 'Welcome to London' drinks reception. A selection of wine and soft drinks will be served.
To show just how special Red Hatters are to the London Parade there will be a very special guest at the Red Hatters drinks reception this evening. One of The New Year's Day Parade and Festival 2011 Civic Patrons will personally attend, to wish each and every Red Hatter a wonderful time in London and to thank them for visiting our Capital City. The attending Patron will be wearing full regalia of office and so there will be some wonderful photo opportunities.
7:30pm
Dinner will be served in the Betjeman Suite.
Once dinner is over, the rest of the evening is free for you to adjust to European time.

Thursday 30th December

A full English buffet breakfast will be served each morning in the Regency Room on the first floor.


7:00am
Breakfast is served.
9:00am
This morning we will whisk you away on a spectacular tour of London's most famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, home of the two Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.
Soak up the atmosphere as your guide introduces you to over 1,000 years of history.
This is also your chance to look out for the places you would like to visit during your leisure time. There will be a couple of stops for photographs.
Continue by luxury Thames river cruiser to Greenwich, where an independent lunch may be found.
Greenwich, in south-east London, is famous the world over as the home of time (Greenwich Mean Time) and because Zero Longitude, the point where the eastern & western hemispheres meet, runs through the town. Today you will visit the Royal Observatory, the oldest scientific institution in Britain and home to some of the most important timepieces ever made. There will also be time to visit the Royal Naval College, one of the finest palatial buildings in the country and home to the largest maritime museum in the world.
5:00pm
Return by coach to your hotel.
7:00pm
Dinner this evening will be served buffet style in the Betjeman Suite.
After dinner the rest of the evening is at leisure.

Friday 31st December

7:00am
Breakfast is served.
Today is free for independent sightseeing and shopping.
Having seen all of the sights from the comfort of your luxury coach, you will now have the opportunity to visit your favourite attractions. By far the best way of getting around is by the Underground (Tube). Information about which ticket to buy can be found in this book, along with a list of the most popular attractions, the nearest tube station to each site, opening dates, times and entrance fees.
Use the London map provided in your information book to work out the best route.
Don't miss the British Museum and the National Gallery, they're free! Although you have to pay, a visit inside St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London are all a must.
Your resource assistant, and the concierge desk in your hotel, will be available to assist you in planning your day.
7:00pm
Dinner this evening will be served buffet style in the Betjeman Suite.
Soon after dinner, Red Hatters will be invited back to the Betjeman Suite, which will have been prepared with tables and a dance floor and where they can dance and have fun until just before midnight. A full cash bar will be open and complimentary iced water will be served at the tables.
As midnight approaches, the first of two glasses of celebratory champagne will be served and Red Hatters will be invited to toast the New Year. The hotel overlooks Trafalgar Square, and there will be views of one the main celebrations that take place in the square. Alternatively, you may wish to walk down to The Embankment, where you can view the wonderful New Year's Fireworks display.
Happy New Year!

Saturday 1st January 2010
The New Years Day Parade

8:00am
Breakfast is served.
The first part of the morning is at leisure or you may want to help with the decoration of the bus to be used by Red Hatters in the Parade.
10:30am
Depart on your specially commissioned red open top London bus which will be your transport in the parade today.
Arrive in the main assembly area of Berkeley Square. An official group photograph will be taken while you are waiting.
Re-board your coach on Piccadilly.
Toilet and first aid facilities are available.
Catering facilities are NOT available.
12:00 Noon
The New Year's Day Parade!
As 'Big Ben' chimes midday the Parade starts and you will drive two miles down the most spectacular Parade route in the world, before an expected audience of close to one million people. Enjoy this unique experience!!
You are welcome to stand atop your bus and wave your red hat to the crowds, or if you prefer you may walk alongside and meet the crowds and wish them happy New Year!
On Whitehall, in the shadow of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster, the cameras will roll as part of the live satellite broadcast being beamed all around the World.
Return to your hotel at the conclusion of the parade.
3:00pm
Make your way to the Regency Suite, where a full afternoon tea will be served. There you will be joined by local Red Hatters from Britain and Europe.
Rest of the afternoon at leisure.
7:00pm
This evening enjoy a special private performance in the Regency Suite of the acclaimed 'Shakespeare Wot!' performed by the exceptionally talented and highly acclaimed Shakespearean actor Geoffrey Towers
Dinner and evening at leisure.


Sunday 2nd January

6:30am
Breakfast is served.
8:00am
Today you will experience a wonderful day trip into the English countryside with either visits to Oxford and Windsor or to Bath and Stonehenge.
Oxford and Windsor
Oxford is known as the 'city of dreaming spires'. The university buildings and the 40 colleges dominate the centre of the city. Your guide will take you on a walk of the most famous streets and will include entrance to Brasenose College.

The historic country town of Windsor is famous for it's cobbled lanes and narrow passages. At the heart of the town is the castle which has, for over 900 years, been residence and fortress for the British monarch. Entrance includes a view inside the Royal Apartments.
Bath and Stonehenge
Dwarfed by it's lonely isolation on the wide sweep of Salisbury plain, Stonehenge or 'Hanging Stones' is a magical, mystical and awe inspiring place. The henge dates back to circa 2800 BC and, although we are fairly certain that it was a religious site, we have little idea about why it was built.

The City of Bath was founded by the Romans in around AD54 and is where they built a system of baths using the natural hot springs. These have been excavated and form part of your tour of the museum & pump rooms. The City was extensively re-built in the dignified Palladian style of the 18th Century with beautiful crescents & squares.
6:00pm
Arrive back at the hotel.
7:30pm
Make your way to The Strand Lounge for a short reception where wine will be served. To show just how special Red Hatters are to the London Parade there will be a very special guest at this evening's drinks reception. One of the Patrons of the Parade will speak to the group and will try to meet and be photographed with as many ladies as possible. In past years, your host has been a former Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster, who will attend dressed in the splendid robes of his or her former Office.
8:00pm
Dinner this evening will be served in The Betjeman Suite.
Once dinner is over, the rest of the evening is free.

Monday 3rd January

7:00am
Full English breakfast is served.
Today is free for independent sightseeing and shopping.
This is your last opportunity to visit all of the sights and to do some last minute shopping. Really it's the main retail therapy day with all of the stores' New Year sales getting into their stride.
The best department stores are Harrods (Knightsbridge), Libertys (Oxford Circus) and Selfridges (Bond Street), although there are many more wonderful shops to choose from in Regent Street, Oxford Street and Covent Garden.
For dinner this evening we are providing you with a voucher which is exchangeable in nearly 400 of London's restaurants and cafes. You may choose what, when and where you eat. Your resource assistant will be happy to give suggestions and place reservations for you. Eat early because this is 'theatre night'.
6:45pm
Depart by luxury coach to one of London's famous West End Theatre's, where we have arranged best seats in the orchestra stalls to see a top rated musical.
10:00pm
Immediately after the show you will board your coach for the return to your hotel.

Tuesday 4th January

Breakfast is served.

Please ensure that you bring your own luggage down to reception in preparation for boarding your coach to the airport.

Depart for either London Heathrow or London Gatwick Airport to check in for your trans-Atlantic flight.

Lunch and afternoon tea will be served on-board.

We wish you a safe journey home and hope very much that we will see you again in our wonderful Capital City!