Tour Archive
The 2006 itineraries are available here.
Weekend Itinerary
July 31 - August 3, 2005
4 days/3 nights (airfare not included)
$799 per person (dbl occupancy)
SOLD OUT! This package has reached its maximum of 42 participants and is closed to further bookings. We encourage you to look at some of the other packages on the menu at right.
This itinerary has been specially designed for fans looking for a short program which features a few of the major highlights of HP Fan Trips™ 2005. It offers an exciting exploration of Oxford and the British countryside through the eyes of Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, ghosts and goblins and legends of this land which have inspired writers for centuries. From the journey on a one-of-a-kind vintage steam train to a knock-your-socks-off banquet, you're sure to be enchanted with this "kingdom."
Included:
- Three nights accommodations at 3-star hotels
- Daily services of a Professional Guide
- Ride on the train used as the Hogwarts Express in the filming of the Harry Potter movies, including a full day of activities
- Virtual reality flying game
- Presentation on the history of witches
- Breakfast daily, 1 dinner including "Hogwarts"-style banquet
- Transfers as noted on itinerary
- Gratuities for Guide and Driver
- Limited edition Alivan's magic wand
- Optional panoramic tour of London ($50.00 per person extra based on group size of 20 persons)
Daily Schedule
Tip: Want to see a bit more? Check out the other packages (at right) for additional options.
July 31 (Day One)
Arrival in London from overnight flights. Optional: transfer into the city of London via coach for a ½ day sightseeing tour that includes filming locations from the Harry Potter movies. Flights must be booked to arrive by 8:30 am for a 10:00 am departure to London.
Transfer via coach to Oxford where you will take a city tour. Buses will pick up arriving guests and depart every hour on the hour from 8:00am to 12:00 noon. For Accio conference attendees, we will provide transfers from Reading to Oxford if a minimum of 20 attendees have booked HP Fan Trips™ 2005 tours.
Oxford is the perfect place for a Harry Potter-themed celebration. It is referred to as the City of Dreaming Spires because of its beautiful architecture. The city is the home of England's oldest university and while it is also an industrial city on the Thames, the association with learning and the academic way of life remains paramount. Many scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed in Oxford, plus even more in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Take some time to rest from your journey before this evening celebration of a very special birthday dinner, "Hogwarts"-style! You'll truly enjoy the banquet as you sit in an historic Oxford dining hall, renew friendships with HP Fan'ers from 2004 or make new friends. There's always a great deal to talk about when this crowd gets together!
Transfer to hotel 3-star accommodation which may not be centrally located.
August 1 (Day Two)
Continental breakfast (included).
Transfer to the train depot for a 7:00 a.m. departure for the ride of your life! You will be sitting in the very carriages that were used in the filming of the Harry Potter movies. A diesel engine will speed you in these vintage carriages to a changing point where the carriages will be connected to the train used as the Hogwarts Express in the filming of the Harry Potter movies, and continue on a beautiful ride into the Lake District. You will be given some time to shop and eat at there your leisure.
Throughout the day there will be activities on the train such as games, divination classes, stories and socializing! Just as it took Harry and his classmates all day to travel to their school, you will be treated to an all-day adventure through the gorgeous English countryside. The scenery and activities throughout the day will inspire your own magical memories.
We don't need to tell you how special this is... Let the HP Fan'ers from 2004 tell you. You'll be riding in the actual train compartments that were used in the movies - a truly unique experience, as the train does not come out of the depot except for filming or museum exhibitions!
Transfer to 3-star accommodations.
August 2 (Day Three)
Continental breakfast (included).
Visit the Christ Church College and other locations that were used in the filming of Harry Potter.
Enjoy a virtual reality game called Wizard's Cavern throughout the day. Test your flying skills on a broomstick, with your image superimposed into the VR system in real-time. Feel the sensation of flying by making the broomstick travel with your whole-body movements – catch the golden rings to win!
Option (at no additional cost) to participate in a fascinating presentation by Oxford lecturer Robin Briggs who will discuss the history of witches and wizards based on his studies of witchcraft trials across Europe between the years of 1400 and 1700.
Great literature has come from masters based in Oxford – Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. You may want to visit the Museum of Oxford to see Alice's clothing and other items, or visit Alice's shop to buy some themed gifts. A visit to Tolkien's grave is an unique pilgrimage to make, where fans have left notes written in Elvish, laid rings as tokens of respect or just spent a quiet few moments paying homage to the creator of the legendary epic.
Enjoy a free evening! Stay at 3-star accommodations.
August 3 (Day Four)
Continental breakfast (included).
Transfer to the airport where your journey ends and you head back home. Or... if you choose to stay longer, enjoy your extended trip!
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