Discover the very best of the picturesque Isle of Man on this spectacular short break. Staying at the 4-star Empress Hotel with its fantastic seafront position, idyllic conservatory and contemporary rooms, enjoy the warmest of welcomes from the staff as you settle in to your home away from home. With everything from Viking-built castles to golden beaches and horse-drawn trams, the Isle of Man boasts a unique mix of culture, nature and history. On this tour, we’ll explore favourite destinations including Peel, Ramsey, Laxey and Castletown; soak up the views with rides on the Snaefell Mountain Railway and the Isle of Man Steam Railway; and visit one of the island’s most iconic locations – the Sound.
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Make your own way to the Empress Hotel in Douglas, where you will meet an experienced Tour Manager before enjoying a relaxing dinner at the hotel.
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we board our coach and drive along some of the island’s famous TT course today. We will see Tynwald Hill in St. Johns, one of the island’s most distinctive landmarks and a cultural and political icon that can trace its origins back to the early Viking invaders and the beginnings of the island’s independence as a self-governing crown dependency.
We’ll continue to Peel, with its golden sandy beach and beautiful bay that are dominated by the impressive ruins of Peel Castle, before visiting ‘Royal’ Ramsey on the island’s northeast coast and heading onward to Laxey. Home to the Great Laxey Wheel, probably the island’s most iconic monument to Victorian industry, it is here that we board the Snaefell Mountain Railway, the only electric mountain railway in the British Isles. The summit of Snaefell Mountain lies some 2,036 feet above sea level and, on a fine day, there are magnificent views of the ‘Seven Kingdoms’.
Returning to Laxey, there may be time for some personal exploration before heading back to Douglas. Enjoy a relaxing dinner at the hotel this evening.
Today is free for you to explore at leisure.
Douglas, the island's capital, presents a unique blend of holiday resort, finance centre, and historic working harbour. Take a stroll along the waterfront with its sweeping views of Douglas Bay and its horse drawn trams, a unique legacy of the golden age of Victorian tourism. Not to be missed is the centrally located, award-winning Manx Museum (free of charge), an ideal starting point to a rich journey of discovery of the island's history. You may like to take a trip back over to the west coast and explore the charming fishing port of Peel, with its expansive sandy beach and Manx kippers – be sure to try the island’s national dish of queenies, otherwise known as small scallops. Sitting at the mouth of the harbour is impressive Peel Castle, a former stronghold of the Viking invaders who arrived here in the 9th century – today, the castle is steeped in myth and legend.
The House of Manannan is another award-winning museum that leads the visitor through a fascinating tableau of Celtic and Viking exhibits and includes a replica Viking longboat that was sailed over from Norway to celebrate the Tynwald Parliament’s millennium in 1979.
Dinner is included this evening.After breakfast, our coach transfers us to the station where we enjoy a ride aboard the Isle of Man Steam Railway from Douglas to the seaside resort of Port Erin. A short stop in Port Erin offers a chance to pay a visit to the Railway Museum or take in the majestic views of the bay, Bradda Head and the distant Mountains of Mourne in Ireland.
From here, the coach will then take us on to the southernmost point of the island and the breathless setting of The Sound – one of the most scenic places in the British Isles. Overlooking the craggy splendour of the Calf of Man, the area is abundant with seals and birdlife – you may even be fortunate enough to see dolphins playing amongst the swirling tidal pools. The nearby village of Cregneash was one of the last strongholds of the Manx language and customs, which characterised the crofting way of life on the island. An opportunity to take a short walk through the village offers a chance to catch sight of a Manx cat, or perhaps one of the island’s indigenous four-horned sheep, known locally as Loughtans.
We then continue on to Castletown, the island’s old capital and site of Castle Rushen, one of the finest medieval fortresses anywhere in Britain. There will be a chance to explore Castletown’s rambling old streets and harbourside, before we head back to Douglas via the charmingly named ‘Fairy Bridge’. Relax and enjoy our final dinner at the hotel this evening.
After breakfast, you are free to check out of our hotel and make your own way home.
You will stay for four nights at the 4-star Empress Hotel in Douglas.
