14 days Taste of Britain & Ireland
Get a great introduction to two great countries on this lively trip to England, Ireland, and Scotland. Enjoy a generous helping of the essential must-dos, with a hint of the unexpected.
Trip Highlights:
• Windsor Castle
• Cliffs of Moher
• Shakespeare's Birthplace
• Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum
• Blarney Castle
• Titanic Belfast
• Edinburgh Castle
Hotels:
• Hilton London Paddington Hotel
• Apex City of Bath Hotel
• Hilton Liverpool City Centre
• Malmaison Edinburgh
• Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre
• The Croke Park Hotel
• The Brehon Hotel
• The Hardiman Hotel (Formerly Hotel Meyrick)
• Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
| Day | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Tour | Tour begins 2:00 PM at your London hotel. Take a panoramic London tour to see famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently. |
| 2 | Independent Sightseeing in London | Discover London’s attractions on your own with an open-top, Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour. Enjoy a choice of routes and walking tours. You might visit the Tower of London to view the Crown Jewels, or visit Kensington Palace, former home of Princess Diana. The evening is free to explore and dine on your own. (B) |
| 3 | Windsor Castle | Bath | Take a panoramic tour of Windsor before visiting Windsor Castle, the largest inhabited castle in the world and one of the Queen’s official residences to see the State Apartments and St George’s Chapel, the site of Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle. Enjoy some free time for lunch and then travel to Bath. Visit the Roman Baths for a tour to discover why these hot mineralrich springs have been popular since Roman times. (B, D) |
| 4 | Cotswolds Drive | Shakespeare's Birthplace | Liverpool | Take in the gentle hills of the Cotswolds, renowned for its pretty cottages and colorful gardens. Stop in a typical lovely old village in the region. Visit Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon to see an exhibition about his life and work, before walking through the house where he was born. Travel on to Liverpool and spend the evening exploring its rich pop-music history with dinner on your own. (B) |
| 5 | Lake District | Lake Windermere Cruise | Scottish Evening | Travel through the Lake District, a region that inspired Beatrix Potter’s children’s books. Embark on a cruise along Lake Windermere, England’s largest natural lake. Enjoy some free time for lunch in one of the traditional lakeland villages. Pass through Gretna Green, just over the Scottish border, as you travel on to Edinburgh. Enjoy a traditional dinner and ceilidh at your hotel in Edinburgh. (B, D) |
| 6 | Edinburgh Castle | Edinburgh Tour | Explore central Edinburgh with a local guide; discover the Royal Mile, with its closely clustered medieval houses, and the 200-year-old “New Town”, with its elegant Georgian homes. Tour Edinburgh Castle to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. The rest of the day is free to explore and dine on your own. On August 7 – 21 departures, experience the world famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. (B) |
| 7 | Glasgow City Tour | Ferry to Belfast | Travel to Glasgow for a city tour, then enjoy some free time for exploring on your own. Proceed on to Cairnryan on Loch Ryan and take a short ferry ride to Ireland. (B, D) |
| 8 | Titanic Belfast | The Glyde Inn | Take some time this morning to explore central Belfast on your own. Then learn all about Belfast’s shipbuilding history and the ill-fated RMS Titanic at Titanic Belfast where you can experience the history of this ocean liner through interactive displays. In the evening, stop at The Glyde Inn for a drink and dinner with entertainment. (B, D) |
| 9 | Independent Sightseeing in Dublin | Tour Dublin independently, on the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour. Use your voucher to visit your choice of one of Dublin’s top attractions: Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or GPO Witness History. You are free to dine as you wish this evening. (B) |
| 10 | Blarney Castle | Killarney | Visit Blarney Castle and kiss the famous stone. Then travel on to Macroom and into the mountainous scenery toward Killarney. After dinner at your hotel you might want to stop into one of Killarney’s many traditional pubs with music. (B, D) |
| 11 | Dingle Peninsula | Irish Night | Visit the Dingle Peninsula, made famous by the movies Ryan’s Daughter and Far & Away. Take in spectacular views from Slea Head at the western tip. Enjoy some free time to explore Dingle on your own. Later, head to Kate Kearney’s Cottage for an Irish night featuring dinner and traditional entertainment. (B, D) |
| 12 | Foynes Flying Boat Museum | Cliffs of Moher | Doolin | Visit Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, which recalls the early days of air travel. Foynes is the home of Irish coffee, so you’ll learn how to make one and enjoy a sample. Take a ferry across the river Shannon, and drive to visit the Cliffs of Moher. Later explore the village of Doolin for lunch on your own. Take a brief panoramic tour around Galway’s city center. (B, D) |
| 13 | Galway Tour | Sheepdog Demonstration | Dalkey |Fitzpatrick Castle Stay | Set out on a walking tour of Galway City with a local guide. Travel to a traditional farm to watch trained dogs herd sheep; enjoy tea and scones. Head east to Dublin, and stroll around Dalkey, an exclusive seaside suburb, home of such luminaries as Bono and the late writer Maeve Binchy. Enjoy a farewell dinner at your elegant castle hotel in the neighboring Dublin suburb of Killiney. (B, D) |
| 14 | Tour Ends in Dublin | Your program ends after breakfast. (B) |