Welcome to Ireland’s capital, where your Celtic adventure gets off to a lively start. Arrive at your hotel, settle in, then meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a first look at the journey ahead. Later, get your bearings on an orientation drive through this fascinating city. The evening is yours so discover Dublin your way.
Dive deeper into the city this morning with a Local Specialist, ticking off the city’s big sights and hearing its juiciest stories. As you wander through the Irish capital, see icons like Trinity College, Temple Bar and St Patrick’s Cathedral while listening to tales of literary legends, Viking roots and rebellious heroes. The rest of the day is yours, so keep exploring at your own pace or consider a Choice Experience where you’ll get sporty and try your hand at Gaelic games. This evening you can also opt to ramp up the fun at an interactive Dublin cabaret show.
Roll south to Kilkenny, Ireland’s medieval marvel packed with cobbled lanes, colorful shopfronts and folklore. Your Travel Director gives you the lowdown before free time to grab lunch, stroll the Medieval Mile or take in views of mighty Kilkenny Castle. Then it’s on to Blarney Castle, where you can wander the grounds and perhaps pucker up for the famous Blarney Stone. Later, continue to Cork, with the option to cap off the day with hearty pub food, local music and classic Irish entertainment.
Get ready for one of Ireland’s great scenic drives as you follow the Ring of Kerry, where rugged coastlines, mountain views and postcard-perfect villages keep the cameras busy. Stop in Waterville for free time and lunch your way, then continue to Killarney for an orientation with your Travel Director and time to explore on your own terms. Want to add extra charm? Choose a traditional ‘jaunting car’ ride past the Lakes of Killarney and Ross Castle. Afterwards, return to Cork.
Wave goodbye to Cork today and stop in pretty Adare, where 19th-century thatched cottages bring a storybook charm. Then it’s on to the mighty Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most iconic sights, where rugged rock plunges into the wild Atlantic and seabirds wheel overhead. Take time to enjoy the views, feel the ocean breeze and snap that big-sky photo. Onwards to Galway, where your Travel Director gives you the inside track on this lively harbor city. This evening, continue to explore at your own pace or join an optional walking tour of Galway and dinner.
Travel north, stopping in Sligo for a coffee break before continuing to Donegal. Your Travel Director will show you around, then you’ll have free time to get lunch and explore this colorful town. Later, roll on to Derry/Londonderry for an evening of your design. Fancy adding more local flavor? Join an optional dinner at the Walled City Brewery, with beer-paired courses.
Start the day your way with free time or an optional locally guided tour of Derry/Londonderry. Then it’s time to get your camera ready for a trip to the legendary Giant’s Causeway, where thousands of basalt columns meet the wild Antrim coast. Later, continue to Belfast for a Travel Director orientation and then continue discovering the city your way. Choose to visit the Titanic Museum and perhaps top off the evening with an optional guided walk with a pub trip and fish and chips.
Set off on a Belfast orientation drive before heading to the ferry port and crossing to Scotland. Back on land, continue to Glasgow, where your Travel Director gives you the lowdown on the city on the way to your hotel. Tonight, explore at leisure or choose a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience of a seasonal Scottish dinner and comedy show.
Head for Loch Lomond, where you can enjoy free time or choose an optional cruise across its bonnie banks, with big views and local stories from the skipper. Continue through Glencoe for a photo stop of the dramatic rugged scenery, then on to Fort William for lunch your way. Later, pause in Fort Augustus for a view of infamous Loch Ness before arriving in the Highlands for dinner.
Bring 750 years of Scottish history to life on an optional visit inside Blair Castle or explore at your own pace. Continue to St Andrews, famed for its coastal charm and golfing heritage, before arriving in Edinburgh late afternoon. Tonight, relax at leisure or choose a lively Ceilidh evening with dinner, a welcome drink and the famous ‘Piping in the Haggis’ ceremony.
Go behind the scenes in Scotland’s capital this morning with a Local Specialist, learning about its grand streets and hearing stories of its royal past. Make the rest of the day your own. Choose to visit mighty Edinburgh Castle, home to the Honours of Scotland, or enjoy free time to roam its pretty surrounds at leisure. This afternoon, join an optional Old Town walk with fish and chips, and later opt to see out the day in style with a Johnnie Walker whisky and dinner experience on the Royal Mile.
Your Ireland and Scotland adventure wraps up after breakfast. Leave with some amazing memories and maybe a new love for ceilidhs and fish and chips.
