12 Day Itinerary Including Airfare from
USA
Day 1 - Mon: Overnight Flight to
Glasgow
Depart your North American gateway city and travel
through the night to Glasgow. Land only tour starts on day
2.
Day 2 - Tue: 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 coach tour to discover the main attractions of
Glasgow, a city that flourished in Victorian times due to its shipbuilding
industry. Drive around George Square with its ornate City Chambers and nearby
Glasgow Cathedral. Visit extensive collections in Kelvinqrove Art Gallery and
Museum, originally opened in 1901 and recently refurbished. Join your fellow
travelers for a welcome drink before dinner is served. (D)
Day
3 - Wed: Loch Lomond & Loch Ness Cruise
Depart Glasgow and
drive alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned in song for unsurpassed beauty.
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 shop for Scottish souvenirs at the nearby Ben Nevis Highland Centre. 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 to Nairn where your hotel was a favorite summer residence of Charlie
Chaplin. (B, D)
Day 4 - Thu: Blair
Castle & Scottish Cabaret
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 in to your hotel. In the evening attend a Scottish cabaret where
you dine on local specialties, including the famous haggis, and enjoy
traditional entertainment. (B, D)
Day 5 - Fri: Edinburgh Castle & City
Tour
This morning an Edinburgh city guide will point out the
principal sights of this interesting capital city. Drive through the elegant,
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 August 09 to 23 departures enjoy the
Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 6 - Sat: Larne Ferry & Belfast Historic
Tour
This morning depart Edinburgh after breakfast and drive
south through part of the Southern Uplands and along the coastline. At Cairnryan
take a ferry ride across the narrow channel between Scotland and Ireland to
arrive in Larne. Drive the short distance to Belfast and see the highlights of
Belfast with a local guide, including Victorian buildings, the Harland and Wolff
Shipyards, where the Titanic was built and areas around the Shankill and Falls
Road. Check in to your centrally-located hotel and relax before dining in the
hotel. (B, D)
Day 7 - Sun: Giant's
Causeway & Walls of Derry Walk
Drive north to experience
wonderful views as you travel along the "Nine Glens of Antrim," a scenic route
past mountains, valleys and coastline. Stop at the Giant's Causeway, hexagonal
columns formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. The enormous
rocks have spawned legends about the mythical giant, Finn McCool. Continue to
Derry to check in to your hotel. Join a local guide for a short walking tour
around the ancient and historic city center, which is completely surrounded by
medieval city walls. (B, D)
Day 8 -
Mon: Ulster American Folk Park & Westport
Travel south to
Omagh to visit the Ulster American Folk Park, which traces the story of Ulster
emigrants to the Appalachians where they became known as the "Scotch Irish." See
how people lived in the "Old Country" before settling in the "New World." One
third of all U.S. Presidents had Scots Irish heritage. Drive along the scenic
Lower Lough Erne and around Donegal Bay, pausing to view the grave of the
Nobel-winning writer, W. B. Yeats. Continue through County Sligo and the
windswept landscapes of County Mayo to Westport. Check in to your hotel in the
town center and enjoy free time before dinner. (B, D)
Day 9 -
Tue: Achill Island & Deserted Famine Village
After a
leisurely breakfast, travel around Clew Bay to reach Achill Island, joined to
the mainland by bridge. Follow the Atlantic Drive to capture wonderful views of
steep mountains and golden beaches. Near Slievemore see the Deserted Village,
the remains of 100 cottages abandoned in the 1840's Famine. Return to Westport
for an afternoon at leisure so you may browse around the town. The estate town
was laid out in 1780 and has many fine Georgian houses and a tree-lined mall.
After dinner you may like to explore some of the lively pubs, including Matt
Malloy's Pub, of Chieftains fame. (B, D)
Day 10 - Wed: Strokestown Park House & Viking
Dublin
Drive through Castlebar to visit Strokestown Park House
in County Roscommon. There are three parts to see - the 18th century mansion
with its original furnishings; the four-acre walled garden, restored to look as
it would have during the heyday of the estate; and the Famine Museum, which uses
a combination of original documents and images to explain the circumstances of
the 1840's Great Irish Famine. Continue to the east coast to your hotel in
Dublin. Head to the nearby Brazen Head Pub, which dates from the 12th century,
and enjoy a great dinner with a lively show of traditional Irish songs and
intricate step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 11 - Thu: Kilmainham Gaol
& Guinness
Relax on a half-day guided tour of Dublin,
originally founded by Vikings over 1,000 years ago. See elegant Georgian
townhouses and colorful doors and cross the River Liffey to view the wide
thoroughfare of O'Connell Street with the General Post Office where the 1916
Rebellion started. Pause to view the Famine Memorial before visiting Kilmainham
Gaol to see how penal establishments were operated in past centuries. Learn
about the leaders of the 1916 Rebellion who were imprisoned and shot here. The
afternoon is free so that you may use your independent open-top bus tour and
Guinness or Jameson vouchers. (B)
Day 12 - Fri: Return Home from
Dublin
Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin
Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have
time to shop at the duty-free stores before boarding your flight for the journey
home. (B)