Superior & First Class Hotels - 14 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: London Arrival & Tour
Start your trip at Heathrow Airport with an independent transfer to your hotel. At 2:30 pm take a panoramic tour of central London to see famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Nelson's Column and lions of Trafalgar Square, Big Ben towering over the Houses of Parliament and Hyde Park. In the evening meet your tour director to discuss your trip over a welcome drink and dine in your hotel. (D)
Day 2: Tower of London & City Sights
Today you may schedule your London sightseeing when you take an open-top bus tour around the many famous landmarks. There are a number of different bus routes as well as a walking tour and a cruise on the River Thames. Visit the Tower of London to view the magnificent Crown Jewels, guarded by Beefeaters in distinctive Tudor uniforms. You are free to choose a restaurant to dine independently. (B)
Day 3: Stratford-upon-Avon and Beatles' Liverpool
Drive through part of the Cotswolds, a delightful hilly region with mellow-hued stone houses, many dating from medieval times. Stop in Shakespeare's town of Stratford-upon-Avon for a look around on your own. Continue to Liverpool where a Beatles-themed tour will show you Penny Lane and the world-famous Cavern Club while your guide will fill you in on the Beatles' lives. Check in to your centrally-located hotel. (B, D)
Day 4: Lake District & Gretna Green
Travel through the glorious Lake District, associated with Beatrix Potter, and stop in Bowness-on-Windermere to visit the World of Beatrix Potter to see representations of the animal characters that she created in her children's books. Cross into Scotland and stop at the Old Blacksmith's Shop in Gretna Green, one of the world's most popular wedding destinations. Drive to Edinburgh and your hotel near the Royal Mile. Enjoy dinner at a popular restaurant this evening. (B, D)
Day 5: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
Explore central Edinburgh this morning, starting in the 200-year-old “New Town” with its planned streets and elegant Georgian houses where many famous writers and inventors lived. See the Royal Mile where old medieval houses are clustered and tour Edinburgh Castle to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. The afternoon is free for independent activities. On August 3 to 17 departures, experience the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. (B)
Day 6: Sheepdogs & Culloden Battlefield
Travel north into majestic Highland scenery and stop at Leault Farm where dogs herd sheep through various obstacles and discover how each dog responds to individual whistles. Visit the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre to learn about the background of this event when British Government forces defeated the army of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746 and ended hopes of restoring the Jacobite Stuarts to the British throne. Take part in a ceilidh, a musical evening, in your hotel. (B, D)
Day 7: Highlands & Loch Lomond Cruise
Travel south through more wonderful Highland scenery today, passing the shoreline of Loch Ness with views of this deep lake. Drive past Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak, and through the towering mountains of Glen Coe, which is famous for the Massacre of Glen Coe in 1692. Take a scenic cruise of Loch Lomond, Britain's largest lake, to admire panoramic views. Drive into Glasgow for a short orientation tour. (B, D)
Day 8: Ferry to Ireland & Belfast
Make an early start this morning as you travel south through Ayrshire to Cairnryan for a short ferry journey to Larne with your tour group and coach. Take a brief look around Belfast before driving south past the Mourne Mountains to Dublin. Check in to your hotel and the evening is free for independent dining. (B)
Day 9: Dublin Tour & Abbey Tavern
This morning tour Dublin to see Georgian squares with elegant row houses, public buildings, public parks and lively shopping streets. Enter Trinity College to view the 8th century illuminated gospel manuscript of the Book of Kells. The afternoon is at leisure for further sightseeing and shopping. In the evening head to the nearby Abbey Tavern for dinner and a festive entertainment program. (B, D)
Day 10: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Travel south through farming country and stop to view the Rock of Cashel, which rises high above the surrounding plain. 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. Check in to your hotel in Killarney and relax before dinner. (B, D)
Day 11: Dingle Peninsula & Blasket Experience
Today discover the scenic Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies - “Ryan's Daughter” and “Far & Away.” 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 farming and fishing families. Return to Killarney for free time. (B, D)
Day 12: Flying Boat Museum & Cliffs of Moher
Travel to the River Shannon Estuary to visit Foynes Flying Boat Museum. Learn about the early days of flight as this was the landing place for Pam Am Clippers. Stop in Bunratty for a look around Durty Nelly's Pub or the Bunratty Folk Park. Head to the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that rises 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Continue to Galway for a panoramic drive before checking in to your hotel. (B, D)
Day 13: 6th Century Clonmacnoise & Clontarf Castle
Visit Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement founded in 545 AD by St. Ciaran. See round towers, elaborate Celtic crosses and church ruins picturesquely set on the banks of the River Shannon. Continue your drive to your elegant castle hotel, located on the north side of Dublin. Relax for a while before joining in a farewell dinner where great food is followed by some local entertainment. (B, D)
Day 14: Depart Dublin for Home
Group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon, in good time to check in for your flight home. (B)
B=Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
- Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel, London (2 nights)
- Hilton Hotel, Liverpool (1 night)
- Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh (2 nights)
- Columba Hotel, Iverness (1 night)
- Menzies Hotel, Glasgow (1 night)
- Croke Park Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
- Brehon Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
- Meyrick Hotel, Galway (1 night)
- Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin (1 night)
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