CELTIC HIGHLIGHTS

14 days incl. travel, or 13 days from Glasgow to Glasgow (GD)

April 30-12 May

Deposit by July 31 and pay just $2418 pp.  After July 31 pay $2687 pp.

Itinerary

Day 1

(Sun.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2Arrive in Glasgow, Scotland

(Mon.) Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax in Scotland’s largest city. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (Dinner)

Day 3Glasgow–Fort William–Inverness

(Tue.) Your Celtic adventure starts in earnest with a city drive, taking in the fine 12th-century cathedral, imposing university buildings, and elegant Georgian squares. On the way this morning: the “Bonnie Banks” of Loch Lomond; wild Rannoch Moor; Glen Coe; lovely Loch Linnhe; and Fort William beneath Ben Nevis. In the afternoon, look out for signs of the mysterious Loch Ness monster. Spend the night in Inverness, the Highland capital. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 4Inverness–Braemar–Edinburgh

(Wed.) Cross the battlefield of Culloden Moor for a visit to a WHISKY DISTILLERY. On to BALMORAL CASTLE, the Queen’s residence during hunting season (when available). Then, drive through Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years, and in the afternoon, via Perth to Edinburgh. Tonight, don’t miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. (Breakfast)

Day 5Edinburgh

(Thu.) Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and famous scientists, inventors, and novelists. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (except when the Queen is in residence). Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia to see how the Royal Family and crew of 240 lived and worked on board. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. For departure numbers 0809, 0816, and 0823 tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO. (Breakfast)

Day 6Edinburgh–Lake District, England–Chester

(Fri.) On the way through the history-steeped Lowland Hills, stop at Gretna Green. Then, leave the land of the Scots and journey into England, through the tranquil Lake District to Grasmere, home of poet William Wordsworth. On your Chester walking tour, see the Roman remains, the characteristic black and white half-timbered houses, and the famous two-tiered arcades called the “Rows.” (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 7Chester–North Wales–Dublin, Ireland

(Sat.) Travel through the incomparable landscapes of Snowdonia National Park via lovely Betws-y-Coed and over breathtaking Llanberis Pass. After a stop at Caernarvon, cross Britannia Bridge to the Isle of Anglesey for a photo stop at tongue-twisting Llanfair... At Holyhead, board your FERRY and cross the Irish Sea to Dublin. (Breakfast)

Day 8Dublin

(Sun.) An orientation drive in the Irish capital includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Then, visit Oscar Wilde’s TRINITY COLLEGE, famous for the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells and the magnificent Old Library. Afternoon at leisure. Take your Tour Director’s dining recommendation. (Breakfast)

Day 9Dublin–Kildare–Blarney–Killarney

(Mon.) Horse-racing country this morning. Drive across the Curragh to visit the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare, whose thoroughbreds command respect on the racecourses of the world. On the way to Killarney, stop at the Rock of Cashel, where St. Patrick preached, and in Blarney, renowned for its magical Kissing Stone. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 10Killarney–Ring of Kerry–Adare–Limerick

(Tue.) Follow the road known as the RING OF KERRY for a spectacular 100-mile panoramic drive around the island’s southwestern tip. In the afternoon, travel via quaint Adare to Limerick, where an orientation drive features St. Mary’s Cathedral, King John’s Castle, and the Stone where the Treaty of Limerick was signed in 1691. A suggestion for a very special night out: an optional medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle. (Breakfast)

Day 11Limerick–Cliffs of Moher–Galway–Sligo

(Wed.) Motor to the spectacular CLIFFS OF MOHER, rising 668 feet above the Atlantic. Via the limestone plateau of The Burren you reach Galway. Hear about the infamous Lynch Stone, commemorating the day Mayor James Lynch Fitzstephen hanged his son for murder. Visit Knock, a village that attracts pilgrims from all over the world, then spend the night in Sligo. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 12Sligo–Derry, Northern Ireland–Giant’s Causeway–Belfast

(Thu.) A rich string of attractions awaits you today: the grave of native son and poet W.B. Yeats in Drumcliff; BELLEEK POTTERY, renowned for its exquisite cream-colored Parian china; and in Derry, walk the city walls in the company of a Local Guide. After lunch, drive to Dunluce Castle, then visit the awe-inspiring GIANT’S CAUSEWAY. Stay in Belfast tonight, Northern Ireland’s seat of government. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 13Belfast–Glasgow, Scotland

(Fri.) On this morning’s “Living History” tour in the company of a Local Guide, learn more about this fascinating city where the Titanic was built. Board your FERRY for the fast crossing of the North Channel to Stranraer on the west coast of Scotland. Back in Glasgow, celebrate the success of your journey with a farewell dinner tonight at your hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 14

(Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (Breakfast)

Vacation Highlights

Accommodations

Optional Excursions

Here's a list of optional excursions you can enjoy during your vacation. Whether it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site, optional excursions are a wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further. Plus, they give you flexibility. We include the must-see sites and experiences, and we also understand that people take interest in different activities and may want to craft a more personal vacation by hand-picking optional excursions that appeal to them.

Availability is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, days of operation, group interests, and general feasibility for your vacation. The approximate value listed gives you a good, general idea of what you can expect to pay but may vary once you are on your vacation. Some information provided might be in a foreign currency; you can use our online currency converter for exchange rate information.

CITY: Dublin

Irish Cabaret May to October
After a full choice dinner with wine and Irish coffee, enjoy a traditional Irish cabaret evening including dance, song and laughter.
Approximate value: GBP £72 per person

CITY: Edinburgh

Scottish Evening April 1 - October 31
No visit to Scotland's capital city would be complete without joining a Scottish evening with dinner, wine and a show featuring singers, dancers, bagpipers and the Ceremony of the Haggis.
Approximate value: GBP £52 per person

Rosslyn Chapel
Take a short trip from Edinburgh to visit Rosslyn Chapel, featured in the best selling novel The Da Vinci Code.
Approximate value: GBP £18 per person

Royal Yacht Britannia and Dinner
A visit on board the Royal Yacht Britannia, now moored at Leith docks, is followed by dinner with wine and coffee at a local restaurant.
Approximate value: GBP £48 per person

CITY: Killarney

Jaunting Car Ride
Unique to Killarney, a fun outing is to take a ride in a horse drawn jaunting car through the National Park to ancient Ross Castle.
Approximate value: GBP £12 per person

CITY: Limerick

Bunratty Castle Banquet
At 13th-century Bunratty Castle receive a goblet or two of mead and listen to the history of the castle, before enjoying a medieval Madrigal by the Castle Singers and dinner with wine.
Approximate value: GBP £67 per person

CITY: Sligo

Lough Gill Excursion
Visit Parke's Castle before enjoying the spectacular natural beauty of Lough Gill, where Yeats was inspired to write his famous poem "The Isle of Innisfree." A drink in a local inn is included.
Approximate value: GBP £23 per person