2019 Taste of Scotland & Ireland - 11 days/10 Nights

2019 Taste of Scotland & Ireland 11 Days / 10 Nights / 18 Meals

Day 1: Glasgow Highlights
Tour begins 2:30 PM at your Glasgow hotel. Set out on an introductory tour of central Glasgow - a city that flourished in Victorian times due to the shipbuilding industry and international trade. Drive around George Square with its ornate City Chambers, and visit Provand’s Lordship, Glasgow’s oldest house. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dinner.
(D)

Day 2: Loch Lomond & Loch Ness Cruise
Travel alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned for its unsurpassed beauty. Drive across the haunting Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, admiring the wild and spectacular scenery. Continue through Fort William and stop at a woollen mill to shop for quality Scottish goods. Embark on a short cruise on Loch Ness before heading to Nairn.
(B, D)

Day 3: Whisky Tasting & St Andrews
Visit Blair Athol Distillery to see how whisky is distilled and enjoy a sample. Travel to St Andrews, best known as the “Home of Golf.” Take a panoramic drive around and spend some time exploring independently. Continue to Edinburgh to your gracious manor house hotel, set on 1,000 acres with two golf courses. Enjoy a Scottish evening with traditional cuisine with a lively show of songs, stories, and dancing.
(B, D)

Day 4: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
Explore the principal sights of central Edinburgh from the bustling Princes Street and through the gracious, wide streets of the 200-year-old Georgian New Town. Walk along part of the Royal Mile where compact medieval houses reach 11 floors tall. Visit Edinburgh Castle perched high above the city on volcanic rock. The castle contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The balance of the day is free. The July 30 - August 20 departures watch the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade.
(B)

Day 5: Ferry to Ireland & Titanic Belfast
Depart Edinburgh and travel through Ayrshire and along the coast. Embark on a ferry ride to Belfast with lunch on board. At Titanic Belfast, immerse yourself in the history of this famous liner through state-of-the-art displays. Head to Dublin for a free evening.
(B, L)

Day 6: Dublin Sightseeing & Canal Dinner Cruise
Discover central Dublin with a local guide. See the shopping areas around Grafton and Nassau Streets, view elegant Georgian squares, and the General Post Office, where the 1916 Uprising started. Take a walk around Christ Church Cathedral founded in 1028. Board a former Guinness barge for a canal dinner cruise complete with traditional Irish music.
(B, D)

Day 7: Farmhouse Tea with Sheepdog Demonstration & Blarney Castle
Travel through the midlands of Ireland, stopping for photos at the stately Rock of Cashel. Immerse yourself in farm life with tea and scones at a farmhouse visit and watch skilled dogs herd sheep. Head to Blarney Castle and kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Treat yourself to Irish goods at the Blarney Woollen Mills before heading to Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes and mountains.
(B, D)

Day 8: Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Step back in time as a jaunting car drives you past Ross Castle set on Lough Leane. Embark on the Ring of Kerry drive -- a winding route with breathtaking sights of mountains and coastal views. Cross the bridge to Valentia Island to visit the Skellig Experience, which explains the life of early Christian hermits on Skellig Michael, a rocky offshore island featured in the film “Star Wars VII.” Enjoy a casual lunch and later stop in the pretty village of Sneem. Pause at Moll’s Gap for panoramic mountain views and return to Killarney where the evening is free.
(B, L)

Day 9: Cliffs of Moher & Medieval Castle Banquet
Take in the enormity of the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of sandstone that reaches 700 feet above the Atlantic, as you ferry across the River Shannon. Walk along the Cliffs for stunning views. Later, at Bunratty Castle Hotel, you’ll have free time to visit the Folk Park, have a drink in the 200-year-old Durty Nelly’s Pub, or shop at the Bunratty Mills independently. In the evening head for a memorable medieval-style feast where the lords and ladies will serenade you with song and harp music evocative of the Middle Ages.
(B, D)

Day 10: Galway & Clonmacnoise
Head to Galway for a walking tour around the central part of the city. Visit the monastic site of Clonmacnoise, founded in 546 AD by Saint Ciaran. Back in Dublin, your evening is free to explore.
(B)

Day 11: Tour Ends in Dublin
Your program ends after breakfast today.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

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Authentic Local Experiences:

• Expect an unforgettable evening of music, ceremony, theatre and dance with reserved seats for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on July 30 to August 20 departures.
• Enjoy farm life as you sample fresh baked scones with tea and watch a sheep herding demonstration
• Discover the rich history and local lore of Edinburgh, Galway and Dublin with local guides

Trip Highlights:

• Blair Athol Distillery
  Blair Athol Distillery Blair Athol Distillery is one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland. After enjoying a leisurely conducted tour, you can mull over the distinctive character of the finished article as you sip your dram of Blair Athol 12 Year Old.
• Blarney Castle

  Blarney Castle

  Built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, this stronghold has been attracting attention ever since. Millions have flocked to Blarney to kiss the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of the tower, making it one of Ireland’s greatest treasures.
• Cliffs of Moher

  Cliffs of Moher

  One of Ireland’s top visitor attractions, the cliffs are 700 feet high and extend for 5 miles over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly on a headland and one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay and Connemara. The cliffs are home to major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds.
• Edinburgh Castle

  Edinburgh Castle

  The rock on which today’s castle stands has been a stronghold for over 3000 years and Edinburgh Castle has dominated its surroundings for centuries. See the 12th century St. Margaret’s Chapel, the monumental great hall of James IV, opened in 1511, the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.
• Loch Ness Cruise

  Loch Ness Cruise

  This large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands is approximately 23 miles long and forms part of the Caledonian Canal. It is the second largest Scottish loch by surface area at 21.8 square miles after Loch Lomond, but due to its great depth, it is the largest by volume. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the legendary Loch Ness Monster, also known as “Nessie”.
• Skellig Experience

  Skellig Experience

  You can experience many aspects of those offshore Skellig islands while remaining on the dry land, in a custom built, stone clad, grass roofed, prize winning building located right on the waterfront beside the Valentia Island bridge at Valentia, County Kerry!
• Titanic Belfast

  Titanic Belfast

  Opened in April 2012 to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of this iconic ship, this new visitor experience tells the story of the Titanic from conception and construction right through the maiden voyage and tragic ending.

Dining Experiences:

• 10 breakfasts(b), 2 lunches(L) and 6 dinners (D) including a Scottish Evening in Edinburgh and a festive medieval castle banquet.

Hotels:

• GB-GLA-GTH | Glasgow (1 night)
• GB-NAI-NEW | Nairn (1 night)
• GB-EDI-MAR| near Edinburgh (2 nights)
• IE-DUB-TCH | Dublin (2 nights)
• IE-KER-KAV | Killarney (2 nights)
• IE-CLA-BCA | Bunratty (1 night)
• IE-DUB-MPE | Dublin (1 night)