Explore Ireland and Scotland on this extensive itinerary. Start in Glasgow and view the majestic Scottish Highlands, by enjoying the beauty of Scotland’s glens, lochs and isles. Travel to the country’s capital and visit Edinburgh Castle. Then see the best of Ireland. Tour the Ring of Kerry, stop at the Cliffs of Moher and enjoy a drive along the varied Irish coastline.
Day 1: Depart USA
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2: Arrive in Glasgow, Scotland
Welcome to Glasgow! At 2:30, meet your Tour Director for an orientation drive around Glasgow. Tonight, enjoy a delicious Welcome Dinner with your traveling companions. (D)
Day 3: Glasgow/ Aviemore
Today is dedicated to the rugged beauty of Scotland’s glens, lochs and isles. En route from Glasgow, stop at Loch Lomond and enjoy a cruise on this “bonnie” loch. Continue on via Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, and Fort William nestled beneath Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. Take an opportunity to view Loch Ness, the home of the mysterious monster “Nessie.” You’ll also find a hidden treasure. Continue to Aviemore. (B,D)
Day 4: Highlands Excursion
Visit Cawdor Castle this morning, famous for its associations with Shakespeare’s Macbeth who was promised the Thanedom of Cawdor by the witches. Then on to the battlefields of Culloden, where in 1746 the Jacobite cause, with Bonnie Prince Charlie’s leadership, perished. Visit the Glen Ord whisky distillery, then enjoy some free time in Inverness, the Highland capital. (B,D)
Day 5: Aviemor/ Edinburgh
Drive through Royal Deeside and pass Balmoral estate, the Queen’s private Highland residence. Stop for photos at Craithie Church, which the Royal Family attends when they are in Scotland. Call in at the village of Braemar, then on to St. Andrews, whose Royal & Ancient Golf Club has given us the rules of golfing. Continue to Edinburgh. Why not attend an optional Scottish evening including dinner, Highland dancers, bagpipers and the Ceremony of the Haggis? (B)
Day 6: Majestic Edinburgh
With your local guide, tour this regal city from Edinburgh Castle to the Royal Mile to fairytale Holyrood Palace. Your afternoon and evening are at leisure. During the Edinburgh Festival, we include tickets to the Edinburgh Tattoo. (B)
Day 7: Edinburgh/ Belfast, Ireland
Motor south through the picturesque Scottish countryside, stopping at Moffat Tartan Mills, before arriving in Stranraer. Enjoy the ferry crossing of the North Channel to Ireland. (B,D)
Day 8: Belfast/ North Antrim/ Letterkenny
The Titanic’s sad story begins in Belfast, where she was designed and built. This morning, visit the Thompson Dock & Pump House, where the Titanic had its last fit out, for an interactive experience. Then, on a city tour, your guide takes you through the landmarks that have played their part in Belfast’s historic development. Next explore the white cliffs and wide bays of North Antrim, some of the sheltered Nine Glens and the incredible Giant's Causeway. Continue to your hotel in the town of Letterkenny. (B,D)
Day 9: Letterkenny/ Connemara
Join your local guide on a walking tour of the Derry city walls. Then travel south to Galway, the "City of Tribes." Your orientation tour here includes stately Galway Cathedral. Afterwards, head to the coast and your hotel, beautifully situated overlooking Galway Bay. (B,D)
Day 10: Connemara Excursion
Today you tour Connemara, a wild land of rocky mountains, sparkling brooks, and rivers. Stop at lakeside Kylemore Abbey, a castellated neo-Gothic mansion, occupied today by the Irish Benedictine community of nuns who came from Ypres after World War I. Then on to Clifden, one of the prettiest towns in Connemara. Travel through bogland and villages to the Connemara Marble Factory and learn of the origin and uses of the area’s splendid marble. (B,D)
Day 11: Connemara/ Cliffs of Moher/Killarney
Drop in for coffee at Rathbaun Farm. Meet an Irish farming family as they carry out their everyday chores. Continue west across the Burren to see the Cliffs of Moher, rising approximately 700 feet above the Atlantic. Later, take the Tarbert ferry across the Shannon estuary and continue your journey to Killarney. (B,MC,D)
Day 12: Dingle Peninsula Excursion
Head out today to the beautiful Dingle Peninsula. Here, majestic hills soar green and purple over unspoiled valleys, glittering mountain streams tumble down to lakes and golden beaches stretch for miles. This peninsula is a Gaeltacht, an area where the Irish language is preserved. Learn about the Blasket Islands at the Blasket Centre. There is time to explore the town of Dingle, a colorful fishing port. You will also find a hidden treasure. Return to Killarney where the rest of the day is free. (B)
Day 13 Killarney/ Blarney/ Dublin
Your first visit today is Blarney Castle with its magical stone which gives the gift of eloquence for a kiss. There’s time for a stop at the Blarney Woollen Mills to shop for Waterford Crystal and fine Irish handicrafts. On to Cashel to view the Rock of Cashel. The dramatic limestone rock crowned with secular and religious building dominates the flat countryside for miles around. Continue to Dublin. (B)
Day 14 Tour Historic Dublin
During your morning city tour, visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, see Dublin’s Georgian squares, and walk the cobbled courtyards of Trinity College to its famed library and the 8th century Book of Kells. Your afternoon is at leisure. (B)
Day 15: Depart Dublin
Transfer to the airport. (B)
B=Breakfast, MC=Morning Coffee, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour:
Jurys Inn Glasgow, Glasgow
Macdonald Highland Resort, Aviemore
Jurys Inn Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Europa Belfast, Belfast
Radisson SAS, Letterkenny
Connemara Coast, Connemara
Killarney Towers, Killarney
Trinity Capital Hotel, Dublin
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