Farewell tour

For the shorter journey taken by the Tenth Doctor, see the final reward.

The farewell tour was what the Eleventh Doctor called the two hundred years in which he travelled to avoid his fixed death at Lake Silencio, Utah, on 5:02pm 22 April 2011.

Some time after leaving Amy and Rory, (TV: The God Complex) knowing his death was an imminent and fixed point in time, the Doctor began a "farewell tour," which lasted nearly two hundred years. The Doctor actively participated in historical events in this period, "waving" at Amy and Rory throughout history. Some of these escapades included being painted and then imprisoned in the Tower of London, only to escape via a hot air balloon, taking part in a breakout from a World War II POW camp, but quickly being recaptured and participating in a Laurel and Hardy film as an extra. During these years, the Doctor also had adventures with River Song, including travelling to Easter Island where the Doctor was worshipped as a god and meeting "Jim the Fish". The Doctor also seemed to stay in contact with "Jim"; when asked about him, he said he was still "building his dam". (TV: The Impossible Astronaut)

At the end of these two hundred years, the Doctor paid a social call on Craig Owens on 18 April 2011, and found out that he and Sophie had had a son named Alfie. He planned to go immediately to the Alignment of Exodor to see seventeen galaxies in perfection unison. While trying to leave, the Doctor noticed power fluctuations consistent with teleportation. Craig and he discovered six Cybermen whose ship had crashed on Earth centuries before. They were rebuilding by converting kidnapped people with spare parts and using Cybermats to drain the city's power. Although Craig was almost converted into the new Cyber-Controller, they destroyed the Cybermen. The Doctor used up the last of his free time to repair damages to Craig's home caused by a Cybermat instead of watching Exodor. He also took some TARDIS-coloured envelopes and said his last goodbye. As he walked towards the TARDIS, he saw three children and briefly spoke to them. Thousands of years later, River read that the Doctor seemed "happy, but sad", since he knew his death was coming. (TV: Closing Time) He planned on continuing his tour after learning "Doctor who?" was the Question that the Silence wished for him never to answer. However, when he learned his old friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, had died months before, the Doctor was heart-broken and decided to end his running. (TV: The Wedding of River Song)