Window to Magical Realms Scotland and England

July 18 – 27, 2008

Only 4 Places Left! New Sign-Up Deadline: May 20th!

A Family-oriented Harry Potter Travel Adventure for Ages 5 and Up

Good News! There are four places left on the tour. And, don't worry, there are still good airfares available!

Prices $2695 for Ages 13 and Up
and $2295 for Ages 5 - 12
(*Ages 5 – 17 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone.)

Ask about our family discounts for 3 or more family members lodging together!

Receive a free Alivan’s Wand when you book by February 1st, 2008

This exciting Harry Potter theme tour offers an exceptional opportunity for fans of all ages to get an insider’s view of Harry's magical world. It's great for families, but it's just as fun for Harry Potter enthusiasts traveling alone or with friends. Expert guides will reveal secrets of the origins of J.K. Rowling’s amazing series of books about a magical parallel world. But even for those who aren’t hooked on Harry this tour offers an unique view of Scotland and northern England not seen by the average tourist. Spectacular scenery, fascinating history, and the lore of ancient Britain will be appealing to anyone of any age!

Space for this amazing private tour is strictly limited to 20 guests!

ITINERARY

July 18 (Friday):

TransAtlantic flight to Edinburgh, Scotland (not included) Tour participants are responsible for making their own flight arrangements into Edinburgh. Magical Tours will assist with transportation information, but flight connections are the responsibility of each tour participant. Guests should plan to arrive at Edinburgh airport by 10:00 AM on July 19.

For those who wish to arrive earlier or extend the tour at the end Magical Tours will be pleased to offer tips on overnight accommodations at the airport or in the city, and any other information to help you have the best travel experience ever. As a special treat deluxe rooms are available at Edinburgh's famous Balmoral Hotel, where J.K. Rowling wrote last parts of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

July 19 (Saturday):

Welcome to Edinburgh, Scotland! Guests should try to arrive by 10:00 AM. For guests who arrive a day or more early, a Magical Tours representative will arrange to meet you in Edinburgh. Our hotel is perfectly located right in the center of the old city. After check-in we'll have a nice lunch at a very historic restaurant, followed by a walking tour of the Royal Mile. This fascinating main street is so full of intriguing shops, you might feel as if you’ve discovered the real “Diagon Alley”. We'll tour the upper portion of the famous street to reveal some of the most fascinating tales and legends of this enchanting city.

And then it's on to our welcome dinner in the very restaurant where J.K. Rowling wrote much of the first Harry Potter book. After dinner, for those who are strong of heart, we’ll have a ghost walk into one of the scariest places in the world: deep in the underground Vaults of Edinburgh. If we emerge safely, we’ll scurry back to the safety of our cozy hostel, and hide under the covers!

July 20 (Sunday):

Just when you think it can't get any better, we're off on a special tour of Edinburgh Castle designed for Magical Tours guests! We’ll get an insider’s view of the Castle that is said to have inspired Hogwarts, and where J.K. Rowling herself hosted the Half-Blood Prince book release celebration. This will be an experience you will never forget! Everyone will also have plenty of free time to explore the famous castle on your own.

Enjoy lunch on your own at the castle or along the Royal mile. For the rest of the day we'll have free time to explore “Olde Edinburra”, or catch up on shopping on The Royal Mile. There are awesome gifts there for everyone back home. The only question is "how can I carry it all back?"
Fortunately most of the shops can arrange shipping for you!

And for those who want to get a bit of exercise, you can take the hike down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Park to climb up to the top of “Arthur’s Seat”! The palace of Holyrood House is the royal residence of Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh. From there you can look up to Arthur’s Seat, the massive volcanic outcropping in a huge town park just past the foot of the Royal Mile.
Lunch and dinner will be on your own today.

July 21 (Monday):

After a leisurely breakfast we're off on another incredible adventure: a First Class train ride to Durham where we’ll visit some of the most important filming locations for the first two Harry Potter movies. Durham Cathedral is magnificent, and there we’ll have a private tour where you can walk the familiar halls of "Hogwarts", stroll across the old school’s courtyard, and see Professor McGonagall’s classroom. It’s amazing – you may feel like you’re in a Harry Potter movie of your own! There will also be time to enjoy the beautiful city of Durham, George Washington's ancestral home. Many of our previous guests have said that Durham is one of their favorite places on the entire tour. For lunch we'll stop off at just the right restaurant for our visit to Durham.

After our return to Edinburgh we’ll go out for dinner together; but afterward the night will still be young – and Edinburgh is a very lively town!

July 22 (Tuesday):

After a bright and early breakfast we're off on a short journey to another ancient Scottish castle for an up close and personal encounter with owls! You will get to handle and learn about flying owls, and to try your hand at really flying different kinds of owls just like those that appear in the Harry Potter movies! Every Magical Tours guest always places this unique experience near the top of the list of tour favorites. You can expect something very special along the way!

After our return to the city we’ll travel to by First Class rail to Alnwick, England, the location where many, many exterior shots of “Hogwarts” were filmed for the first two Harry Potter movies. The absolutely breathtaking Alnwick Castle and village alone are worth a trip to the British Isles! You may feel as if you really are at Hogwarts! We may even get another owl-flying demonstration where Harry’s first broom flying lesson took place! We will probably first want to make our way to the castle’s excellent snack bar for lunch which we’ll enjoy together. We’ll have a wonderful tour of this “totally Hogwarts” place. After a full day, evening brings us back to Edinburgh for some free time and dinner on your own at any of the great restaurants near our hotel.

July 23 (Wednesday):

Today we’ll need to get an early start as we set off on our spectacular rail journey to the rugged Scottish Highlands. This train ride is considered by many to be one of the finest rail journeys in the world! Within easy view of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak, we’ll disembark for our stay in “Harry Potter country”.

Welcome to Fort William! Our Highland home will be an enchanting lodge overlooking the breathtaking Loch Linnhe. After settling into our comfy rooms, we'll begin our exploration tour of the Highlands of Scotland. On our leisurely tour today we'll have time to see the sights you really want to see, and enjoy a fun picnic along the way. We'll visit many film locations used in the Harry Potter movies, including the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, prominently featured in Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire .There we'll get a very close-up view of the iconic arched bridge. There are even super-secret areas that were closed off during the filming of Goblet of Fire we may get to see!. As the day winds down, we return to historic Fort William to enjoy a very special “Welcome to the Highlands” dinner together.

July 24 (Thursday):

After breakfast, we begin another amazing adventure. Today we'll ride the historic Jacobite Steam Train, like the one used in all the movies, traveling along the very same route where scenes were filmed . Steaming along through the rugged mountains, we'll ride over the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct , which was featured in most of the Harry Potter films. We can have fun imagining we're following the same route Harry and his fellow students took on their way to their magical school. This Highland rail journey from Fort William to Mallaig, a rustic coastal village, and back is rated as “one of the greatest rail journeys of the world”! Lunch will be an onboard treat.

After the steam train ride, we’ll stop off in town for everyone to choose a place for dinner on our own. Evening brings yet another unforgettable adventure. We’ll set out on foot into the Forbidden Forest – very near the site of Hagrid’s hut in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – by lantern light, to serve our dreaded detention! If we escape the forest, we’ll make our way on foot to a wayside inn for a cup of hot chocolate. Then it’s back to our comfy, warm hotel for a good night’s sleep.

July 25 (Friday):

We’ll get an early start today as we set out to explore a bit more of the Highlands around Fort William before setting off on our next journey.

Later in the morning we’re off for more adventure! We're going for some "monster hunting" at Loch Ness! We'll visit The Loch Ness Discovery Centre, with its fascinating multi-media presentation on the mysteries of the world's most famous lake. Enjoy lunch on your own at the center's snack bar or restaurant. And, as they say on TV, "That's not all!" From the Discovery Centre we’ll embark on a private Loch Ness expedition by boat in search of "Nessie”, the Loch Ness Monster (the original “monster in the lake”). Our expedition will take us through the Great Glen on a boat fitted with the most sophisticated “monster hunting” devices, including “deepscan” sonar and underwater webcams. During our voyage our boat Captain, a for-real Loch Ness Monster researcher, will tell us all about the most recent sightings of the famous creature – and, who knows? Maybe we’ll catch a glimpse of Nessie ourselves! Our boat trip on the loch takes us to the world-famous Urquhart Castle for some great photo angles from the water-side. After this once-in-a-lifetime experience, we head back to Fort William for a nice dinner together near the hotel. After dinner we'll enjoy an evening of Harry Potter knowledge competitions, complete with great prizes.

July 26 (Saturday):

After our last breakfast in the Highlands of Scotland we’ll have a bit of free time in the old village of Fort William for some shopping and sight-seeing. Afterward we’ll board our train back to Edinburgh. It will be a little like getting on The Hogwarts Express to go back home at the end of term. We’ll enjoy a wonderful Scottish-style lunch onboard as the unmatched Highland scenery rolls by.

After our arrival back in Edinburgh we’ll go back to our familiar hotel; and after settling in we’ll get together for our farewell dinner together in Old Edinburgh.

July 27 (Sunday):

Our tour ends after breakfast at our hotel. Everyone will be provided with transportation to the Edinburgh airport for flight departures. We’ll be sad to part after our great adventure in the land of Harry Potter, but we all will have shared in a truly unforgettable “Magical Tour”!

This limited size private tour will fill quickly. Don’t miss out!

Reservations and deposits for this tour must be received by May 1, 2008 May 20th, 2008.

This is not a “Big Bus Tour”. There will be no wake-up calls at 5 AM to herd onto the buses, or nightmarish marathon bus rides with totally exhausted tour participants. Our travelers will have friendly, extremely knowledgeable guides for the entire tour – not just a bus driver and contracted tour guide. We do our best to set the mood, to weave a spell, and to make yours a total experience. This is not just a film-location “drop-by” trip. Each of the places visited will come to life through carefully planned presentations. Hotels, bed and breakfast inns, and most restaurants on the entire journey have been selected for their very specific location and/or high level of “atmosphere”. The small group size allows us to personalize the experience in a way large groups simply cannot do.

Our travel adventure is not just another mass tour organized by a big commercial tour company to capitalize on a movie fad. It encompasses a genuine affection for an enduring classic of literature, as well as for a beautiful and historic country. This is much more than just a “Harry Potter” tour – anyone would love this unique view of England and Scotland. We want you to be a real part of it all – not just a tourist passing through. The price is not set artificially low, and then supplemented during the trip through endless additional charges for “extra” tours. If you want a complete, personalized, worry-free escorted tour of Harry Potter’s Britain – a magical journey - this is it!

Complete Prices: $2695* Adults (Age 13 +) $2295* Children ages 5 - 12 (NOTE: The MAXIMUM for this small group tour is 20 persons, and the minimum is 12.) All prices are based on Double Occupancy. Inquire about Single Supplement prices. A special discount is available for family groups of 3 or more lodging together.

*SPECIAL NOTE: Prices are based on the October, 2007 British Pound to US Dollar exchange rate of 1 Great Britain Pound = $2.05. Magical Tours/Your Man in Europe reserves the right to charge a tour supplement fee equal to any increases in the currency exchange rate exceeding a 2% loss in the US Dollar valuation. The Pound to Dollar currency exchange rate in 2007 proved very unfavorable for US visitors to Britain. If the trend continues Magical Tours will have no choice but to pass the cost increase on to our guests. We regret this situation, and hope that the exchange rate will not continue to deteriorate.

Tour Includes: All eight breakfasts, five lunches and five dinners; all airport transfers, all ground transportation including First Class rail travel (when available) and vans or minibuses , eight nights of overnight accommodation (based on double occupancy) in very specially–selected hotels, admissions to all attractions described in the tour itinerary, full time knowledgeable guide services, and standard gratuities. There will be no additional charges for tours and events offered by Magical Tours/Your Man in Europe.

Not Included: Airfare to and returning from Edinburgh, optional travel insurance, extra beverages (meals will include 1 beverage and will be budgeted accordingly); a la cart or premium menu selections beyond the established meal allowances; between meal snacks; gratuities for extra services such as baggage porters, or for superior service (normal gratuities are included in the trip cost); souvenirs; and privately arranged activities. Please Note: This tour is designed for fans of the Harry Potter books and films – young and old. The nature of the tour, which will include young children, makes the inclusion of alcoholic beverages with meals when minors will be present inappropriate. Included meals come with a beverage of choice, but for this tour, alcoholic beverages are excluded if underage guests are at the same table. Also: All overnight accommodations, as well as railroad, coach, and mini-bus travel will be NON-SMOKING. The minimum age for this tour is 5 years.

DISCLAIMER: This themed tour is not an official 'Harry Potter' event and is not endorsed, sanctioned or in any other way supported, directly or indirectly by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers or J.K.Rowling and her representatives. All rights to the series of “Harry Potter” books are the property of J.K. Rowling and her publishers including Scholastic Press, et al. Film rights and image trademarks are the property of Warner Brothers, Inc. Any references to trademarked and copyrighted materials are not intended as anything more than an effort to bring well-known imaginary figures and places in literature into the context of an actual travel experience in Great Britain. Though the places we will visit are quite real and historically significant, the theme of this tour is based upon entirely imaginary characters and places. When the tour itinerary refers to such imaginary characters or place names, there is no intent to imply that they are real people or places, or that they pertain to factual events. Such references are intended to create whimsical associations between possible inspirations for the stories and/or filming locations used for the movies, and the very real places we will visit. Since “Hogwarts”, “The Forbidden Forest”, etc. are not real places, we cannot possibly actually visit them…but we can have fun pretending…

Copyright 2007-Your Man in Europe/Magical Tours