Taste of Scotland & Ireland

The Taste of Scotland & Ireland is exactly that...a taste of each. You get to see so much in each country but don't get to spend too much time in each location. If you're wanting to see a lot within 11 days, this is definitely the tour for you.

saw it all! couldnt have done it myself.

The replacement tour, Taste of Scotland and Ireland, was wonderful.

The Taste of Scotland and Ireland tour was wonderful. The Highlands in Scotland was exactly as I pictured them. Cloudy, foggy and beautiful. Although we didn't see Nessie the Loch Ness Cruise was wonderful and Edinburgh Castle is amazing. Scottish night with the bagpipes and traditional dancing and food (even haggis) was very enjoyable. The Irish sheepherding demonstration, the Jaunting Car Ride and the Cliffs Mohr and the other places we visited were wonderful. PJ O'Brian, the driver, went the extra mile when he returned to the hotel to make certain that everyone had received the Covid testing at the end of the tour. The weather, to me, was great. No rain but lots of cloud cover, slight mizzle (mist and drizzle), cool temperatures so I could use the Irish sweater as a coat. October is a great time to go. My only wish was that we had more free time to visit the towns that we stayed in. Most shops closed up early although the taverns and bars stayed open late. Covid did put some restrictions on where we could go but for the most part from Scotland to Ireland we met wonderful people and had a great time. We will be back again once Covid restrictions are over with. Thank you CIE for a great time.

Travel with CIE You will Discover so Much!

The positives:

The tour guide and driver, Jimmy, was exceptional in his knowledge of the Republic of Ireland and of North Ireland. Jimmy always took the time to check in and was willing to share his personal experiences if asked and that was wonderful. The guide in Scotland, Enya, was also enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Several times CIE brought in subject matter experts to guide us through a particular area. This was excellent and I hope they add more on future tours.

Sites on the tour were interesting and CIE arranged for us to gain entrance without any hassle. CIE completely arranged for the two ferry trips and all other experiences so we could just enjoy and learn about each country.

A night of traditional food and entertainment was offered in each country. This was really fun and an excellent way to feel like you soaked in some of the culture. (Maybe they could keep the Scottish entertainment and find another venue instead of the Scottish Engineer as their food was very average.) The Irish evening was at a wonderful venue and the food was fantastic so we barely missed the river cruise that was cancelled due to COVID.

We felt valued and cared for throughout our trip. I'd gladly travel with CIE again once the COVID restrictions are lessened.

The negatives:

Because of COVID there were a few hotel changes that were not good. Particularly in Dublin, the Maldron Hotel Pearse Street was located in a rather sketchy area and at least a 15 minute walk from the nearest pub or restaurant. This was frustrating as the last night was a "dinner on your own" rather than a group farewell dinner so we should've stayed in the heart of Dublin to have many options. The Maldron Hotel is also an old hotel that has had a failed rennovation - very little amenities, no air-conditioning and windows that can't stay open without the curtains open, lumpy beds and lacking basic toiletries, etc.

Also another night that we had "dinner on our own" we were placed at the Dalmahoy Country Club outside of Edinburgh leaving us to eat in the restaurant or at the pub across the busy highway which closed at 7am. The restaurant at the hotel required reservations and we arrived late in the evening so it was tough to remember to make those reservations. Again, not a great hotel choice coupled with a "dinner on your own" night.

COVID caused us to have to do a test within 2 days of entering Scotland and another within 2 days of leaving for the US. CIE tried to help with this but didn't provide much information and that uncertainty caused us quie a bit of stress.

Great tour

I just did. This was a great tour and loved the guide, Lawrence. Like my other tour two years ago he was just so interesting with his stories and his dry sense of humor. I highly recommend this tour group.