Superior First Class Hotels - 13 or 14 Day Coach Tour
See two popular Celtic countries on this program. Start in Glasgow, travel through the magnificent Scottish Highlands. Tour Edinburgh Castle and enjoy Scottish entertainment before taking the ferry to Ireland. View the sights of Dublin and enjoy the spectacular scenery of Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher. Experience a Scottish cabaret in Edinburgh and finish your tour with a medieval banquet at Shannon. Excellent hotels in convenient locations, good food and hospitable staff blend together for a dream vacation.
Day 1 - Glasgow City Tour
Your trip starts in Glasgow Airport with a group hotel transfer from Glasgow Airport at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. At 2:30 pm take a coach tour around Glasgow to see red sandstone Victorian buildings, delightful parks and Glasgow Cathedral. View extensive collections in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Chat with your tour director over a welcome drink before dinner. (D)
Day 2 - Loch Lomond Cruise & Inveraray Castle
Drive along the shores of Loch Lomond and embark on a short cruise to appreciate views of Highland peaks. Then take a guided tour around Inveraray Castle, an imposing home built by the Campbell family between 1746 and 1789 and browse around the nearby town. Drive through Glen Coe, a spectacular valley made famous by the Campbells' massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692 and on to the coast to Ballachulish. (B, D)
Day 3 - Isle of Skye & Clan Donald Centre
Travel on the “Road to the Isles” through some of Scotland's loveliest scenery, stopping for photos at the Glenfinnan Monument. Take a ferry to the Isle of Skye and visit the Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle to discover the history of the Lords of the Isles. Drive through the island and return to the mainland by bridge, stopping for photos at the famous Eilean Donan Castle. Pass through wild Highland countryside and Loch Ness on the way to your hotel in Nairn. (B, D)
Day 4 - Culloden Battlefield & Glenfiddich Whisky Distillery
Visit the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre to learn about Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat by British Government forces in 1746. Drive into the Speyside region, where many of Scotland's famous distilleries are located. Stop at the Speyside Cooperage which produces fine casks from American oak using traditional methods and tools. A few miles further on, tour the Glenfiddich Distillery and enjoy a “wee dram.” Drive to your 19th century manor house hotel in Blairs. (B, D)
Day 5 - Royal Deeside & Afternoon Tea
Drive along the charming River Dee Valley, called “Royal Deeside” as it was made popular by Queen Victoria. Pass Balmoral Castle where the Royal Family spends the month of August and visit the lovely Crathie Church. Stop in Braemar, renowned for Highland games, and in Ballater, where shops bear the Royal Warrant. Stop at the Falls of Feugh, a charming tea shop, to sample afternoon tea with delicious freshly-baked scones and enjoy a talk on Highland life. (B, D)
Day 6 - St. Andrews & Coast of Fife
Travel across the Tay Bridge to St. Andrews, the “Home of Golf” to see the famous Royal and Ancient Clubhouse and the Old Course. Enjoy free time to visit the British Golf Museum. Travel past “East Neuk” fishing villages and stop for a walk in quaint Anstruther. Continue south to Edinburgh and check in to your hotel. In the evening take a tour of Edinburgh's hidden gems before dining at a waterside restaurant in Leith. (B, D)
Day 7 - Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
See Edinburgh this morning. Compare and contrast wide streets and elegant mansions of the Georgian 200-year-old “New Town” with narrow lanes and medieval townhouses along the Royal Mile, the oldest part of the city. Tour the imposing Edinburgh Castle's historic buildings and enjoy splendid views. Spend the afternoon and evening at leisure. On July 29 to August 19 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 8 - Fly to Dublin
Transfer to Edinburgh Airport for a one-hour flight to Dublin. (As this flight to Dublin is not included in land only price, please ensure that you have an airline ticket for this segment.) On arrival at Dublin Airport, transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon use your independent open-top bus tour voucher with a Guinness or Jameson visit and tasting - these features are valid for 24 hours. You are free to dine independently. (B)
Day 9 - Dublin Touring & Burlington Cabaret
Enjoy the morning at leisure or continue to use your open-top bus tour voucher. At 2:00 pm meet a local guide and tour central Dublin to see Trinity College, where the Book of Kells is housed; Dail Eireann, seat of government; and rows of elegant Georgian houses. Take a guided tour through Dublin Castle's elegant State Apartments. Dine at the great Burlington Cabaret right in your hotel. (B, D)
Day 10 - Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and stop for photos at the stately Rock of Cashel. Continue your drive south to visit Blarney Castle and kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills where you can find quality Irish-made goods. Drive into the mountainous scenery of County Kerry to Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes and mountains. Check in to your hotel and relax before dinner. Afterwards you may like to head to a “singing pub.” (B, D)
Day 11 - Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Today embark on the Ring of Kerry drive - a winding route with breathtaking views of mountains and coastline. Have a taste of farm life when a local farmer demonstrates how dogs herd flocks of sheep. Cross to Valencia Island by bridge to visit the Skellig Experience which describes austere monastic life on the nearby islands. Pause at Moll's Gap for stunning views before returning to Killarney. (B, D)
Day 12 - Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle
Take a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary and view the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of limestone that reaches 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Check in to Bunratty Castle Hotel, located very close to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and enjoy free time. Head to Bunratty Castle for a memorable medieval-style feast. During the meal the lords and ladies will serenade you with song and harp music, evocative of the Middle Ages. (B, D)
Day 13 - Depart from Shannon Airport or Galway Extension
Passengers on the 13-day tour will take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport where their tour concludes at 10:30 am. (B)
Passengers on the 14-day tour will drive along the famous Galway Bay and on to see locally-quarried marble and enjoy tea and scones at the Connemara Marble Factory. Take a panoramic tour around Galway and have a look around the city before traveling to Dublin. Check into a different hotel and you are free for independent activities and dining. (B)
Day 14 - Depart from Dublin Airport (14-day tour only)
Use your taxi transfer to arrive in Dublin Airport in ample time to check in for your flight. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free stores before boarding the aircraft for the journey home. (B)
B = Breakfast, D = Dinner
Hotels on this tour
- Menzies Hotel, Glasgow (1 night)
- Isles of Glencoe, Ballachulish (1 night)
- The Newton Hotel, Nairn (1 night)
- Ardoe House Hotel, Blairs (2 nights)
- Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh (2 nights)
- Burlington Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
- Killarney Towers Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
- Bunratty Castle Hotel, Bunratty (1 night)
- Academy Plaza Hotel, Dublin (1 night - 14-day tour only)
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