Best of Ireland and Scotland (Small Group)
Itinerary
Relax at your hotel before joining your Travel Director for a warm and friendly dinner with your small group, an opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers.
Join your Travel Director for an orientation of Dublin, following the River Liffey past the Custom House, a defining building of the city's late-18th-century commercial expansion. Continue through the city streets to pass St Patrick's Cathedral, built on a site long linked with Ireland's patron saint and rebuilt in stone from the 13th century. Then enjoy a visit to Trinity College Library, home to the 9th-century Book of Kells - an illuminated manuscript created by Celtic monks.
The rest of the day is at leisure; perhaps explore the lanes around Temple Bar, visit one of the capital's museums or galleries or spend longer around Grafton Street and its surrounding squares.
Get a rare look behind the scenes at the Irish National Stud, where you'll hear how world-class racehorses are bred and trained. Then wander the Japanese Gardens, created by Tassa and Minoru Eida, whose design traces the journey of life through quiet paths and sculpted planting.
Afterwards, you'll travel on to Cork, a lively city shaped by the River Lee. Travel along Grand Parade to see City Hall, the Opera House and the mix of architecture that tells Cork's story in a single sweep.
Visit Blarney Castle, built in the 15th century by the McCarthy dynasty, with the Blarney Stone set into the battlements high above the ground below. Long tied to the ‘gift of the gab', it remains one of Ireland's most enduring legends.
Later, continue to Killarney for a short orientation before taking a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride, a local form of transport that has been part of life here since the 19th century.
In the morning, enjoy a trip around the Ring of Kerry, one of the world's most scenic journeys. See towering cliffs, lush lakelands, remote villages, Ireland's highest mountain range and the three peaceful Lakes of Killarney. Spend your evening in Killarney at leisure.
Start the morning with a short ferry ride across the Shannon Estuary, giving you wide views of the Clare coastline as you travel towards the Cliffs of Moher. At the visitor centre, you'll stand before the 214-metre cliffs and feel the scale of the Atlantic as it hits the rock below. Continue to your hotel along the Wild Atlantic Way, then join your Travel Director in Galway for a walk through the city's layered history — the Lynch Memorial, St Nicholas' Church, the Spanish Arch and lively Eyre Square, dedicated to the late U.S. President, John F. Kennedy.
Leave the City of Tribes behind and travel through Connemara, taking in the region's striking landscapes as you continue north. Stop in Sligo for an orientation, where you'll get a feel for this historic town and its literary links to W.B. Yeats, before enjoying free time to explore or find a spot for lunch.
Later, cross into Northern Ireland and continue to Londonderry, where you'll check into your hotel. This evening, savour local flavours over dinner.
Start your day with a walking tour with Ronan, one of the region's leading storytellers. Follow the original 17th-century city walls, complete with cannons, and make your way down Shipquay Street, lined with Georgian townhouses. Pause outside the red sandstone Guildhall, a prominent example of neo-Gothic architecture.
Later, visit the UNESCO-listed Giant's Causeway, where over 40,000 basalt columns were formed by ancient volcanic activity. Continue along the scenic Antrim Coast to your hotel overlooking Ballygally Bay.
Depart Ballygally this morning and cross the Irish Sea by ferry to reach Scotland. This route has long connected the islands of Ireland and Britain, with centuries of migration, trade and cultural exchange shaping both shores. On a clear day, spot Ailsa Craig rising from the sea—a striking volcanic plug that has supplied granite for curling stones worldwide since the 19th century.
After disembarking, stop at Craufurdland Castle to meet the 29th Laird and Lady for a tour of their home, and enjoy a traditional afternoon tea featuring classic British fare. Arrive in Scotland and continue to Glasgow, a city shaped by its 19th-century shipyards and the clean, modern lines of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Travel the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond before the landscape tightens into the dramatic pass of Glencoe, a place remembered for the story of the clans who lived — and fell — here. You'll stop at the Commando Memorial for a wide view of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak, then continue through the Great Glen to Loch Ness. A cruise on the loch lets you take in its quiet stretches, scattered ruins and the folklore that keeps Nessie's legend alive.
Start the morning with a look around Inverness before heading to Culloden Moor, where the Visitor Centre brings the final Jacobite battle to life through voices, maps and personal stories. Then enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Uile-bheist, a forward-thinking distillery reinventing age-old craft. You'll taste a ‘wee dram', hear tales of whisky smugglers and learn how their sustainable approach shapes each single malt and beer. It's a chance to explore tradition while supporting a new chapter in Highland distilling.
Travel through the Grampian Mountains, passing Blair Castle before crossing the River Tay into St Andrews. As you arrive, you'll spot the Old Course — a landmark for golfers since the 1400s. Enjoy free time to explore the town your way. Wander through St Andrews University, known for the love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton, or follow the path to West Sands Beach, where Chariots of Fire filmed its iconic opening scene.
Continue across the Forth Road Bridge into Edinburgh. On select departures, you can attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo this evening.
Join a Local Expert to explore Edinburgh's key sights, traveling along Princes Street to the Scott Monument and through the Georgian streets of the New Town. In the Old Town, see the Palace of Holyroodhouse before following the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, home to Mons Meg and Scotland's Crown Jewels. Then discover more of Scotland's heritage by creating an Islander Harris Tweed® handbag in a hands-on workshop.
The afternoon is at leisure for independent exploration or shopping before dinner with your group, featuring modern Scottish flavours paired with wine.
Your 14 days in Ireland and Scotland come to an end after breakfast with transfers arriving at Edinburgh airport.
Trip Inclusions
- Dublin: A stunning combination of cobblestone walkways, emerald-green lawns and 18th-century architectural gems, Trinity College is one of Europe's elite universities and counts poet Oscar Wilde among its alumni. See the enchanting college campus and discover insights into its impressive history. Enjoy access to view the famous Book of Kells, an exquisite manuscript of the four gospels of the Christian New Testament, renowned for the intricacy, detail and majesty of the illustrations.
- Kildare: Horse racing is key part of Irish culture; and you'll gain a rare insight into it on your visit to the Irish National Stud. Set in Kildare at the breeding ground of champions and the birthplace of legends, explore the foaling unit, museum and the stallions that continue to make racing history. As the only stud farm in Ireland open to the public, learn the insights of horse-racing at a site whose former visitors include queens and presidents.
- Killarney: Settle into a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car and explore Killarney with one of the local jarveys who know these lanes by heart.
- Londonderry: There's no better way to experience sightseeing than with one of Northern Ireland's best storytellers, Ronan, as he takes you on a tour inside the city walls. See the Gothic Guildhall and the Georgian houses of Shipquay Street.
- Edinburgh: Create a bespoke Islander Harris Tweed® handbag in Edinburgh, choosing the body colour, Harris Tweed® lid and decorative strap before assembling it with tools provided. Handwoven in the Outer Hebrides, Harris Tweed® gives your finished bag a direct link to Scottish textile craft.
- Dublin: With a Local Expert leading the way, discover Custom House and travel along the River Liffey. You'll see the Guinness Storehouse, Christchurch Cathedral and even St. Patrick's Cathedral.
- Cork: Your Travel Director will show you the Grand Parade and South Mall, along with City Hall and the Opera House.
- Killarney: Take a gentle orientation through Killarney as your Travel Director brings the town's history to life. Streets lined with shopfronts, church spires and the curve of the surrounding mountains help you place the stories being shared.
- Ring of Kerry: Venture into a world of towering cliffs, lush lakelands, beaches, fields dotted with sheep, rocky coastline, remote villages and historical sites, as you journey the magical Ring of Kerry. This 111-mile circular route is the best place to admire Ireland's scenic beauty and truly one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
- Galway: Fascinating stories and interesting locals take centre stage on your orientation of the historic heart of Galway. Visit the Lynch Memorial Window. Then make your way to the Church of St. Nicholas - the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use, Spanish Arch and Eyre Square.
- Sligo Bay: The area surrounding the town of Sligo was home to one of Ireland's most famous literary figures, the poet William Butler Yeats. On your journey into town, you'll quickly see why Yeats was inspired by the scenic beauty of the area. Explore its rich medieval history as well as its shops on an orientation with your Travel Director.
- Giant's Causeway: Visit Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site, formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Walk across thousands of interlocking basalt columns, shaped by nature and renowned for their striking geometric appearance.
- Ballygally: Take a gentle orientation walk through Ballygally with your Travel Director, following the curve of the bay where the sea brushes against a strip of pale sand. The village sits between cliffs and shoreline, with neat cottages, salty air and views that open towards the Antrim Coast.
- Larne: Board the ferry with your Small Group and cross the Irish Sea, following a route that has linked these shores for centuries.
- Glasgow: Led by your Travel Director, take an easy orientation through Glasgow, where broad streets and bold Victorian architecture set the tone. Pause in George Square to take in its statues and grand civic buildings before continuing to St Mungo's Cathedral, its dark stone and soaring interior hinting at the city's medieval roots.
- Loch Ness: Soak up the scenery and hear intriguing tales of Nessie during a cruise on one of Scotland's most famous lakes.
- Fort William: Stop at the World War II Commando Memorial near Fort William, where bronze figures stand against a sweep of Highland landscape. From this quiet hillside, you get one of the clearest views of Ben Nevis, its ridges rising sharply above the glen.
- Inverness: With your Travel Director, see the River Ness, Inverness Castle and beautiful scenery as you explore the history of this Highland city.
- Inverness: At the Culloden Visitor Centre, you'll discover why the Battle of Culloden lasted only an hour yet changed the Highland way of life forever.
- St. Andrews: Spend time in St Andrews, a coastal university town shaped by old quadrangles, sea air and open links. Walk to the stretch of West Sands Beach where Chariots of Fire filmed its iconic scene, then look across the Old Course, regarded as the birthplace of modern golf.
- Edinburgh: A hush descends and eyes turn to the castle. The skirl of the pipes rises and drums crack the night air as a tide of tunics and tartan flood from the drawbridge. For a limited time in August, witness the incredible spectacle of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
- Edinburgh: Explore Edinburgh Castle with your Local Expert to see the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Mons Meg up close.
- Edinburgh: Explore the city with your Local Expert as you travel along Princes Street to see the Scott Memorial, the neoclassical Adam facades of New Town and the official Scottish residence of the King, Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Iconic Experience
- Blarney: It is said that those who kiss the Blarney Stone, the famous stone of eloquence, are bestowed with the power to persuade, flatter and coax. Take your turn at giving it a peck knowing that the stone was sourced from 330-million-year-old limestone.
- Cliffs of Moher: Towering cliffs and the dramatic sea, the Cliffs of Moher has inspired countless travellers. Visit the Exhibition Centre and look out over the Wild Atlantic Way from these majestic cliffs that rise over 700 feet high. Gain insights from your Travel Director into the cliffs' geology, history and the species that find sanctuary in its nooks and crannies.
Make Travel Matter®
- Inverness: Step into the world of Uile-bheist, where age-old whisky and beer traditions meet modern craftsmanship. Discover how folklore inspires their brews, explore the art of distillation, and savour a tasting of their signature creations. Built with sustainability at its core, Uile-bheist is one of Scotland's lowest-carbon distilleries, aiming for net zero by 2030. Your visit supports the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action.
- Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with us, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- Dublin: Enjoy a relaxing first night and dine together with your fellow guests.
- Edinburgh: Enjoy a memorable dinner with your Small Group, reflecting on your journey in the company of newfound friends.
- Dining Summary: 7 Dinners (D), 13 Breakfasts (B)
- Enjoy the comfort of the luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
Prices & Dates
There are currently no departures available on this trip. Either it's the end of the season and new departures will be released shortly, or this itinerary has been changed and is not operating this season. Feel free to contact us for information about when next seasons dates will be released or click here to view general release dates for all destinations.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Brendan Vacations. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
