Day 1: Depart U.S. for Scotland
Depart U.S. on your overnight flight to Glasgow, either traveling direct or via London.
Day 2: Glasgow Highlights
Land in Glasgow Airport where you'll meet your CIE Tours driver/guide or representative. Take a group transfer to your hotel, departing at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you must transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 3:00 pm set out on a city tour to discover the main attractions of Glasgow, a city that flourished in Victorian times due to the shipbuilding industry on the River Clyde. Drive around George Square with its ornate City Chambers and nearby Glasgow Cathedral. Visit the Museum of Transport to view collections of cars, buses and bicycles, many invented in Scotland. Back at your hotel, join your fellow travelers in a welcoming drink before dinner is served. (D)
Day 3: Loch Lomond & Loch Ness Cruise
Depart Glasgow and drive alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned in song and also for unsurpassed beauty of the lake and mountains. Travel across the haunting Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, notorious for the Campbell massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692. Continue through Fort William and stop at Spean Bridge Woollen Mills, which offers a good selection of quality Scottish goods. At Fort Augustus embark on a short cruise on Loch Ness to admire enchanting scenic views and perhaps spot the famous monster. Motor alongside the loch and through Inverness before continuing to Nairn. (B, D)
Day 4: Blair Castle & Distillery
Head through the steep Grampian Mountains to visit 13th century Blair Castle, home of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. This stately mansion contains a variety of portraits, china and armor to show the life of Scottish nobility. Nearby visit Blair Athol Distillery to learn about the creation of whisky and enjoy a sample. Continue south to Edinburgh, in time to check into your hotel. In the evening attend a Scottish cabaret where you dine on local specialties, including haggis, and enjoy traditional bagpipe music and singing. (B, D)
Day 5: Edinburgh City Tour & Castle
This morning an Edinburgh city guide will point out the principal sights of this interesting capital city. Drive along the bustling Princes Street and through the gracious, wide streets of the 200-year-old Georgian New Town. See the compact medieval section along the Royal Mile where some houses reach 11 stories tall. Visit Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city center and contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The balance of the day is free for further sightseeing, shopping and dining. On July 30 to August 20 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 6: Ferry trip to Dublin
This morning depart Edinburgh after brekafast and drive south through the Southern Uplands, a region where sheep are raised on the gentle, fertile hills. At Cairnryan take a ferry ride across the narrow channel between Scotland and Ireland to arrive in Larne, just outside Belfast. Drive south to Dublin where your Scottish driver/guide will bid you farewell and a "haste ye back" to Scotland. Check into your hotel where the evening is at leisure for independent dining. (B)
Day 7: Dublin Tour & Doyle's Cabaret
Spend a morning at leisure and at 2:00 pm join your Irish driver/guide, a local guide and your fellow travelers for a tour of central Dublin. See Trinity College, where the Book of Kells is housed; Dail Eireann, where the government meets; and rows of Georgian houses with gaily-colored doorways. Stop at Dublin Castle for a guided tour through the elegant State Apartments, which are filled with elaborate Waterford Crystal chandeliers and furnishings. In the evening attend Doyle's Irish Cabaret, which takes place right in your hotel. Start with a 4-course dinner which is followed by a lighthearted show with lively dancing, popular songs and plenty of laughter. (B, D)
Day 8: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and travel through the center of Ireland, stopping to view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel. Nearby visit a farmhouse to sample some freshly-baked scones with tea and learn about farm life. 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 County Kerry where the scenery becomes more mountainous to Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes and mountains. Check into your hotel and relax before dinner. Afterwards you may like to head to a "singing pub." (B, D)
Day 9: Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Today embark on the Ring of Kerry drive - a winding route with breathtaking sights of mountains and coastal views. Stop near the Gap of Dunloe to see "Essence of Kerry," an audio-visual presentation. As you travel, there will be plenty of stops for photos. Visit the Skellig Experience to learn about the life of early Christian monks who inhabited the rocky offshore islands. Drive through Cahirciveen and Waterville and stop to walk around Sneem, where brightly-painted houses are grouped around the central green. Stop at Moll's Gap for a panoramic view before returning to Killarney where the evening is free. (B)
Day 10: Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle
Drive to Tarbert for a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary. Continue to the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of limestone that reaches 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Drive to Bunratty to check into Bunratty Castle Hotel, located very close to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. If you wish, you may visit the Folk Park, have a drink in the 200-year-old Durty Nelly's Pub or shop at the Bunratty Mills. In the evening head to Bunratty Castle for a memorable medieval-style feast. During and after the meal the lords and ladies will serenade you with song and harp music, evocative of the Middle Ages. (B, D)
Day 11: Shannon Airport & Dublin
This morning take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport where your tour concludes at 10:30 am. If you wish to end your tour in Dublin, you may drive through pleasant scenery of the midland region to arrive at Dublin Airport at approximately 4:30 pm or in the city center at 5:00 pm. (B)
B=Breakfast, D=Dinner |
