In supplier order. Some entries may cover multiple days; optional experiences are described by the supplier.
Travel to Manchester
Make your own way to your hotel in central Manchester, famed for its musical heritage and live music venues.
Check-in is from 3pm, and you’ll have the rest of the day to relax and explore the city’s lively centre, bustling with dining and entertainment options.
Included visit to Tatton Park and evening André Rieu concert
Have breakfast and board the coach for a visit to Tatton Park, a historic estate featuring a grand mansion, beautifully landscaped gardens, a working farm, and a sprawling deer park.
Enjoy time to wander the grounds, including the Italian, Japanese, and Walled Kitchen Gardens. The opulent 18th-century mansion can also be explored with its vast collection of art and antiques, as well as one of the National Trust’s finest libraries.
During a stroll in the park, backed by the Cheshire countryside, keep an eye out for the herds of deer roaming freely before pausing for a break in the cosy tearoom.
Later in the afternoon, return to the hotel and have some free time to perhaps visit the nearby Manchester Art Gallery or seek out the assortment of shops and restaurants in the area.
This evening, the group will be collected and transported to the Co-op Live in Manchester where the spectacular André Rieu will perform. The ‘Waltz King’ will be accompanied by his Johann Strauss Orchestra, choir, and soloists, as well as several special guests, for an evening filled with their trademark waltzes, melodies from opera, musicals, film, and classical music.
Included journey aboard the East Lancashire Railway with lunch
After breakfast, travel to the charming market town of Bury, home to the Bury Transport Museum and Bury Bolton Street Station. This delightful, carefully preserved heritage railway station, which dates back to 1846, is the headquarters of the East Lancashire Railway.
If time permits, you can discover the history of the vintage steam and diesel trains that still run through the countryside with a visit to the Bury Transport Museum (payable locally) ahead of a heritage rail journey and special lunch aboard the exquisitely restored Pullman-style carriages while you travel through the scenic Irwell Valley. Surrounded by the plush furnishings and crisp linen, enjoy two freshly prepared dishes, followed by coffee and after-dinner chocolate.
In the afternoon, return to the hotel and take advantage of free time to see the city’s landmarks, like Manchester Cathedral, or catch a show at one of the popular live music venues.
Optional visit to The Coronation Street Experience and return home
Following breakfast, you can choose to check out and make your way home or join an optional excursion. The Coronation Street Experience allows you to visit the set of the well-known British ITV soap opera.
A tour guide will lead you on a 90-minute exploration of the largest single TV production site in the world. Get up close to the authentic exterior set and the vast collection of props and costumes that have been used over the show’s sixty years of production.
At the end of the tour, you can return home.