Did research on Britain over the past 2 weeks. As you know, Britain consists of England, Wales and Scotland. Overall, on our return from India, we have 8 days to spare in/around London. At this point, I am leaning towards the following Itinerary:

Day1 – Arrive in London: Store the bags at Heathrow. Check in at the Hotel, near Victoria Station or King’s Cross. Keep the schedule light for the day.

Day2: First day in London

Day3: Second day in London

Day4: Leave for Edinburgh via train. It takes 5 hours to reach there. Check in at the Hotel or B&B, near Royal Mile or Dalkeith Road.

Day5: First day at Edinburgh (Castle and the Royal Mile)

Day6: Second day at Edinburgh (Highlands Tour)

Day7-8: TBD. Probably a hop into Ireland (Dublin) or Northern Ireland (Belfast).

Now, London is a must visit and adding it to the itinerary was easy. Also, it is our Europe Hub during the vacation. Though seeing all the above-average sights in London will require several days, we decided to limit it to 2-3 days, so that we have time to explore the rest of the British Isles. Though I have made a list of the sights we will see, the hotel and B&B options and the cuisine, I will begin to map it all out (in detail) only after the overall 8-day high-level plan is in place. Between Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, most of the material out there suggests Edinburgh as the better and more enjoyable option. Also, just as luck would have it, we will be in Scotland during the Edinburgh Festival! This is a big plus. So, Edinburgh it is … Though I am no big whisky drinker, I got to give it a try and hopefully visit a distillery while in Scotland. I plan to pick a Highlands Tour which will give us a peek at Loch Ness (Yeah, I am “touristy” 🙂 ).

The weather in August, though better than at other times, promises to be lousy in comparison to our California weather. It should be alright.