- 15 days/13 nights/22 meals
- Group transfers on arrival and departure
- Ferry from Scotland to Ireland
- Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
- Dublin open-top bus tour & Guinness or Jameson visitÂ
- Services of a professional driver/guide
- Local guides in London, Edinburgh and Dublin
- Superior & first class hotels with private bath/shower for 13 nights
- 11 full breakfasts (B) and 2 continental breakfasts in London (CB)
- 9 dinners (D) including: Scottish cabaret and dinner in Edinburgh, "Shindig" dinner and show at the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin, Farewell dinner at Dunboyne Castle Hotel, 6 table d'hote dinners
- Welcome get-together drink
- Walking tour of Chester
- Loch Lomond sightseeing cruise
- Reserved seats for Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 13 departures
- Panoramic tour of Belfast
- Ferry ride across the River Shannon
- Visits and admissions to Tower of London, Blenheim Palace, Chester Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Kilmahog Woollen Mill, Book of Kells at Trinity College, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Blasket Centre, Cliffs of Moher and Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
- Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
- All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
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Superior & First Class Hotels - 15 Day Coach Tour
Explore Ireland, Scotland and England on this extensive itinerary. Visit scenic Dingle Peninsula, Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle. Enjoy a gentle walking tour around Chester and a panoramic tour of Belfast, cruise on Loch Lomond and view the majestic Scottish Highlands. Evening entertainment includes Bunratty Castle Banquet, lively ballads at the Abbey Tavern and a Scottish cabaret complete with haggis and whisky.
Day 1: Depart U.S. for London
Welcome aboard your overnight flight to London.
Day 2: London Arrival & Welcome
Land in Heathrow Airport. Transfers from Gatwick available on extra cost. After immigration and baggage claim, take an independent coach transfer to your hotel near Regent's Park. Coaches operate frequently throughout the day. The remainder of the day is free so that you may rest or do some sightseeing on your own. Whatever your interests, there is something for you - history, museums, art, fashion, people-watching, restaurants, clubs or theater. Get together with your tour director and fellow travelers over a welcome drink to discuss your vacation.
Day 3: Tower of London & City Tour
Meet your London guide this morning and head to the Tower of London. This majestic fortress contains a collection of castles and residences where English kings have made history. See ravens and Beefeaters as you walk through the complex and view the Traitors' Gate, the White Tower and the magnificent Crown Jewels. Drive through central London to see the main attractions. Pass the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, bustling Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. (CB)
Day 4: Blenheim Palace & Cotswolds
Travel to Woodstock to visit Blenheim Palace, an 18th century Baroque masterpiece and birthplace of Winston Churchill in 1874. See priceless treasures of art in the Great Hall and Long Library and view the charming Water Terrace Gardens. Drive through the Cotswolds, a delightful hilly region with honey-colored stone houses, many dating back to medieval times. Stop in Stratford-upon-Avon for a look around on your own to see some of the old black-and-white houses and Shakespeare's Birthplace. Continue your drive to your lovely 300-year-old maor house hotel near Shrewsbury. (CB, D)
Day 5: Chester & Edinburgh
Drive to Chester for a walking tour to see the Rows, the medieval city walls and the Chester Cathedral. Travel through the glorious Lake District to enjoy stunning views of shimmering lakes, gentle hills and valleys. Stop to browse around the quaint village of Grasmere, where you may view William Wordsworth's Grave. Continue north into Scotland and through the gentle scenery of the Southern Uplands. Arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland's delightful capital city, and check into your hotel near the Royal Mile before dining independently. On August 13 departure watch the spectacular Military Tattoom at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 6: Edinburgh Castle & Tour
Explore central Edinburgh this morning, starting in the 200-year-old "New Town" with its planned streets and elegant Georgian houses, homes of many famous writers and inventors. See the Royal Mile where the old medieval houses are clustered. Tour Edinburgh Castle where the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny are housed. The afternoon and evening are free for independent activities. In the evening head to Scottish Cabaret for Scottish specialties with lively singing, dancing and humor. (B, D)
Day 7: Stirling Castle & Glen Coe
Visit the mighty Stirling Castle, which was captured from the English in 1297 by William Wallace and again in 1314 by Robert the Bruce. The castle has featured prominently through the ages. Drive through Callander and into the scenic Trossachs region, called "The Highlands in Miniature". Stop at Kilmahog Woollen Mill, which stocks a large selection of Scottish goods and whiskies. Travel across Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, notorious for the massacre of the Clan Macdonald by the Campbells. Reach the coast at Ballachulish and check in to your lovely Highlands hotel overlooking the sea loch. (B, D)
Day 8: Highlands & Loch Lomond
Travel through wonderful Highland scenery with many bodies of water. Drive by Loch Etive and Loch Awe and through Glen Aray to the Georgian town of Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne. The New Town of Inveraray was built between 1753 and 1776 as the 3rd Duke of Argyll decided to move the existing town to landscape his splendid new castle properly. Cross the mountain pass of "Rest and Be Thankful" to Loch Lomond. Embark on a scenic cruise to admire panoramic views of Highland peaks before driving into Glasgow for a short orientation tour. (B, D)
Day 9: Ferry to Ireland & Dublin
Drive south from Glasgow through the gentle pastoral countryside of the Southern Uplands to Cairnryan. Your tour group and coach will embark on a short ferry journey to Larne. Take a brief look around the city of Belfast before traveling south past the Mourne Mountains and along the east coast to Dublin. Check into your hotel, located near to the Temple Bar district. You are free for dinner this evening and Ryan's of Parkgate Street, one of Dublin's best ornate Victorian pubs, is close to your hotel with a full restaurant and informal pub grub. (B)
Day 10: Book of Kells & Shindig Evening
This morning tour Dublin city center in the company of a local guide to see public buildings, delightful gardens and lively shopping streets. View elegant Georgian squares lined with townhouses boasting colored doors. Enter Trinity College to visit the Old Library where the 8th century illumi-nated gospel manuscript of the Book of Kells is housed. The afternoon is at leisure to use your bus tour voucher. In the evening attend a "Shindig" at the Old Jameson Distillery. See whiskey-making processes before sitting down to a dinner of Irish specialties, followed by a festive entertainment program. (B, D)
Day 11: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and view the green countryside as you travel through the center of Ireland, which has many mixed farms. Stop to view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel, which rises high above the surrounding plain. Continue your drive south and just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous "Stone of Eloquence". Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills before driving through Macroom and into County Kerry where the scenery becomes more mountainous to Killarney. Check into your hotel and relax before dinner. (B, D)
Day 12: Dingle Peninsula Tour
Today discover the scenic Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies - "Ryan's Daughter" and "Far & Away". Drive along the south shore and stop to admire views of heathery mountains and the sandy stretches of Inch Beach. Pause in Dingle before continuing to the western tip of the peninsula. Tour the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn about the Blasket Islands, inhabited until 1953 by hardy families who eked out a living by farming and fishing. Return to Killarney and enjoy free time to relax or take a walk. After dinner in your hotel you may like to visit some of the cozy pubs featuring live music. (B, D)
Day 13: Cliffs of Moher & Galway
Leaving Killarney travel to Tarbert where you take the ferry across the River Shannon. Drive via Lahinch to view the Cliffs of Moher. The impressive wall of rock rises to a height of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic Ocean and stretches for five miles along the coast. See part of the Burren, a region of limestone and drive around Galway Bay to your hotel in the center of Galway. (B, D)
Day 14:Â Clonmacnoise & Dunboyne Castle
Leave Galway and drive to the center of the country to visit Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement found in 545 AD by St. Ciaran. See round towers, elaborately decorated Celtic crosses and the ruins of many churches picturesquely set on the banks of the tranquil River Shannon. Continue your drive eastwards to your elegant hotel, just outside Dublin. Enjoy the facilities and relax for a while before joining in a farewell dinner with your group. Savor great food followed by some local entertainment. (B, D)
Day 15: Depart Dublin for Home
Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free stores before the journey home. (B)
B=Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
- Grafton Hotel, London (2 nights)
- Albrighton Hall Hotel, Shrewsbury (1 night)
- Jurys Inn, Edinburgh (2 nights)
- Ballachulish Hotel, Ballachulish(1 night)
- Thistle Hotel, Glasgow (1 night)
- Ashling Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
- Brehon Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
- Radisson SAS Hotel, Galway (1 night)
- Dunboyne Castle Hotel, Dunboyne (1 night)
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