- 14 days/12 nights/18 meals
- Group transfers on arrival and departure
- Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
- Voucher for open-top bus tour in Dublin
- Services of professional driver/guides
- Superior & first class hotels with private bath/shower for 12 nights
- 7 full breakfasts (B) and 5 continental breakfasts in London (CB)
- 6 dinners (D) including: Traditional Irish evening with dinner and entertainment at the Abbey Tavern, Pre-theater dinner at a popular West End restaurant (D), 4 table d'hote dinners
- Welcome get-together drink
- Tour of Dublin with a local guide
- Ferry ride across the River Shannon
- Catamaran cruise of Killary Fjord
- Theater evening in London
- Visits and admissions to Book of Kells at Trinity College, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Skellig Experience, Cliffs of Moher, Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, Clonmacnoise, Tower of London, Stonehenge, Roman Baths and Pump Room,Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace
- London for Less - discount card for shopping, tours and restaurants (one per room)
- 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 – 14 Day Coach Tour
This combined tour offer some of the outstanding highlights of London, Britain and Ireland this tour is perfect for the first time visitor to give them a flavour of all there is to see. You also get to enjoy spending time in the capital cities of both countries.
Day 1 - Depart U.S. for Dublin
Depart the U.S. gateway city in the evening and fly to Ireland to start your vacation.
Day 2 – Dublin Arrival & Sightseeing
Arrive at Dublin Airport and proceed through immigration and pick up your baggage. Go to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall where personnel will arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you will need to transfer to the hotel at your own expense. Today you are on your own so that you may opt to join your open-top sightseeing bus tour whenever you wish. Dine independently this evening, either in your hotel or nearby.
Day 3 – Dublin Tour & Book of Kells
This morning you are at leisure and you may again use your bus tour pass to explore Dublin . At 2:00 pm meet your tour director and join your group for a look around central Dublin. See fashionable shopping areas and elegant Georgian townhouses. Visit Trinity College ’s Old Library to view the 8th century Book of Kells with exquisite illustrations. Back at your hotel meet with your tour director and fellow travelers for a welcome drink and discuss your itinerary. (B)
Day 4 – Rock of Cashel & Blarney Castle
Depart Dublin to travel through the Irish countryside and stop for photos at the Rock of Cashel , a magnificent limestone outcrop with church ruins. Just outside Cork visit Blarney Castle to kiss the “Stone of Eloquence.” You may shop at the Blarney Woollen Mills, renowned for quality Irish merchandise. Continue your drive into the mountains of County Kerry to your hotel in the center of Killarney . After dinner you may like to take a stroll or visit one of the lively local pubs. (B, D)
Day 5 – Ring of Kerry & Valentia Island
Today you will discover wonderful scenery on the famous Ring of Kerry . The road winds between the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Ireland’s highest mountains, and the varied Atlantic coast. Cross to Valentia Island by bridge to visit the Skellig Experience to learn about early Christian monks who braved a harsh existence on the rocky offshore islands. On the return stop at Moll’s Gap to view the Three Lakes of Killarney. Enjoy some free time before dinner. (B, D)
Day 6 – Cliffs of Moher & Galway
Travel to Tarbert for a short ferry ride across the River Shannon to view the Cliffs of Moher . This wall of limestone rises to heights of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells. The new Visitor Centre explains the history and geology of the cliffs and surrounding region. Drive through the rounded limestone hills of the Burren and around the shores of Galway Bay to Galway . Take a short drive around central Galway before checking into your hotel. (B, D)
Day 7 – Connemara & Catamaran Cruise
Today explore Connemara , where the constantlychanging cloud formations give hills, lakes and peat bogs an added dimension. Travel alongside Galway Bay to Spiddal and on to Leenane to embark on a short cruise of Killary Harbour, a 9-mile fjord. Enjoy views of hills where traces of pre-Famine “lazy beds” of potato ridges can still be seen and pass mussel and salmon farms. Stop in Moycullen at the Celtic Connemara Crystal Factory, which specializes in Celtic designs cut into colored creations. (B, D)
Day 8 – Clonmacnoise & Abbey Tavern
Depart Galway mid-morning to visit Clonmacnoise , an early Christian monastic site founded by St. Ciaran in 545 AD. See round towers, church ruins and Celtic crosses with elaborate carvings, all in a picturesque setting on the banks of the River Shannon. Continue to the greater metropolitan area of Dublin and check into another city-center hotel near O’Connell Street. In the evening drive to the Abbey Tavern for a hearty dinner followed by a lively show of traditional music, songs and step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 9 – Fly to London
Transfer to Dublin Airport this morning to check in for your flight to London which takes just over one hour. (Dublin to London flight is not included in land only price – please ensure that you have an airline ticket for this segment.) Land in London’s Heathrow Airport and take an independent coach transfer to your hotel, which is conveniently located in Bloomsbury. Coaches operate on a frequent schedule. The balance of the day is at leisure. (B)
Day 10 – Tower of London & Dinner/Theater
This morning start your city tour by visiting the Tower of London . See the famous ravens and Beefeaters as you walk through the complex and view the magnificent Crown Jewels. Pass St. Paul’s Cathedral on the way to the West End, London’s theater district. See Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace , Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament . The afternoon is free and in the evening, join your fellow travelers for dinner in a charming West End restaurant followed by a popular show. (CB, D)
Day 11 – Windsor Castle & Hampton Court Palace
This morning visit Windsor Castle , the official residence of the Queen and the largest inhabited castle in the world. See the Upper & Middle Wards, the Round Tower and the Lower Ward where St. George’s Chapel is situated. Then drive to Hampton Court Palace to see the collections of pictures, the Tudor Kitchens, the great gatehouse, the orangery, the Hampton Court Vine and the maze. (CB)
Day 12 – Stonehenge & Roman Baths
Take a full day tour to Salisbury Plain to visit one of Britain’s most celebrated monuments. Stonehenge is comprised of the remains of a double circle of monoliths, which date from approximately 3000 BC. Continue west to Bath , renowned for its natural hot springs since the Roman occupation of Britain. Visit the Roman Baths and Pump Room and see Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and Queen’s Square. Return to London for a free evening. (CB)
Day 13 – London At Leisure
Today is completely at leisure for independent sightseeing or shopping. Art lovers can head to the National Gallery, the British Museum or the Victoria & Albert Museum. For modern art, cross the River Thames to visit the Tate Modern or Oxo Tower Wharf. Try the popular stores along Oxford Street, the special boutiques of Bond and Jermyn Streets or the famous Harrods. You may like to pick up Time Out inLondon to find out what’s on. (CB)
Day 14 – Depart for Home
As today is departure day, travel to Heathrow or Gatwick Airport by independent coach transfer. Allow plenty of time for check-in formalities. (CB)
B=Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
- Mespil Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
- Killarney Towers Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
- Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Galway (2 nights)
- Academy Plaza Hotel, Dublin (1 night)
- Jurys Gt. Russel Street Hotel, London (5 nights)
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