From the Shannon to the Thames

Cead mile failte - a hundred-thousand welcomes!

This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Seacliff Rocks & Sheep Flocks

CLIFFS OF MOHER: Visit the 668-foot-high cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean.

GALWAY: Free time.

RATHBAUN: Watch the farmer shear a sheep and manoeuvre a flock with a help of a sheep dog, and enjoy traditional tea at Rathbaun Farm. (B) 171 mi / 275 km

LOCAL FAVOURITE - CULTURE & TRADITION: The Irish legacy of sheep herding and wool shearing is alive and well just outside of Galway. Experience the long-time traditions of farming life in Ireland both past and present and talk to the farmers.

Beauties in County Kerry

ADARE: Stop at the quaint village to see its pretty thatched cottages.

RING OF KERRY: Panoramic drive around part of Ireland's spectacular southwestern peninsula.

KILLARNEY: Free time. (B/D) 157 mi / 253 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - NATURAL WONDERS: Explore the emerald tapestries of green fields and ocean views that make other coastlines green with envy. The Ring of Kerry begins and ends in Killarney, taking you on a trip along the southwest coast of Ireland. Discover a paradise of panoramic cliffs, lush landscapes, and breathtaking beaches of the Iveragh Peninsula.

The Stone of Eloquence

BLARNEY: Visit the village renowned for its magical Kissing Stone.

CAHIR: Photo stop.

DUBLIN: Free time this afternoon. (B) 225 mi / 360 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - LEGENDS & LORE: Cut the blarney and hear the history of how telling tales is forever linked to the 15th-century castle and the village below in Blarney. One of the last estate villages that remain standing in Ireland, Blarney was built by an 18th-century landlord to house the castle workers there. It's true!

Ireland's Capital City

DUBLIN: Take a morning orientation drive to see O'Connell Street, Georgian squares, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Trinity College. Free time this afternoon. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - CITY SIGHTS: "In Dublin's fair city where girls are so pretty," you'll also find great personality and charm. The charisma of Dubliners and the bounty of pubs here is matched only by the gorgeous Georgian Squares, 12th-century St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the legendary library of Trinity College.

A Grand Ship & Giant Steps

GIANT'S CAUSEWAY: See more than 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed millions of years ago.

BELFAST: Visit the Titanic Belfast Experience. (B) 232 mi / 373 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - LEGENDS & LORE: Follow in the legendary footsteps of giants at the foot of the cliffs along the coast of Northern Ireland, where 40,000 massive black basalt columns jut out of the sea. Hear the legendary myth of two battling giants that caused the magnificent geological wonder of Giant's Causeway, actually formed by volcanic activity 50-60 million years ago.

Strait to Scotland

BELFAST: Ferry crossing on the North Channel strait to Cairnryan on Scotland's southwest coast. Continue with a scenic drive through Scottish border country to Edinburgh. (B) 132 mi / 212 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - EPIC RIDE: The North Channel (also called the Irish Channel) connects northeast Ireland to the southwestern coast of Scotland. The North Channel is part of the Ocean's Seven, a set of seven long-distance open-water swims, although most who cross rely on the many ferries that run between Belfast and Cairnryan, the Scottish village with a proud maritime history, including its floating Mulberry Harbors built to support the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

Drummers, Pipers & Precious Jewels

EDINBURGH: Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the New Town, the Old Town, and a visit to Edinburgh Castle to see Scotland's Crown Jewels. Free time this afternoon.

THE ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO: Attend the world-renowned Tattoo performance. (Select departures only). (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - MUSIC & MASTERPIECES: Ascend to Castle Rock to explore Edinburgh Castle, one of the most important historical strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, with a 1,100-year history as "the most besieged place in Great Britain." Here, you'll find the royal regalia and Scotland's Crown Jewels. The Castle forms the background of the spectacular Tattoo, an extravaganza of bagpipes and drums performed en masse in August each year.

Lights, Camera, Alnwick!

ALNWICK: Visit Alnwick Castle, setting for many film productions. Choose between a tour of the castle or taking a stroll through the magnificent Alnwick Gardens.

YORK: See York Minster and browse the shops of The Shambles. (B) 218 mi / 351 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - HISTORIC SPOT: While strolling the cobblestones of York's Shambles, it's easy to imagine the medieval butcher shops and boisterous crowds bartering for beef and bones outside the 14th-century timber-framed windows. The Shambles is one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe and said to have been the inspiration behind Harry Potter's Diagon Alley, and today is a colourful gathering place with cheerful cafes and quirky boutiques brimming with the sweet aromas of chocolate, pastries, and pies.

Sonnets & Springs

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON: See Anne Hathaway's Cottage and visit Shakespeare's Birthplace.

BATH: Visit the excavations of the Roman Baths. (B/D) 238 mi / 383 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - CULTURAL GEMS: The traditions of one ancient Roman ritual are in full flow in Bath. Amid the remarkable Roman and Georgian architecture and the best-preserved Roman Baths of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, a good spa day is never hard to find in one of the "Best Spa Towns in Europe." The city of Bath sits above geothermal springs that bubble up from the limestone below. Bath also turns up the heat with some of Britain's grandest Georgian buildings, a mecca for elite 18th-century society.

Mysterious Monuments

STONEHENGE: Visit the prehistoric monument. (B) 131 mi / 210 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - HISTORY & MYSTERY: Ponder the who, what, why, and how of Stonehenge, one of the most impressive prehistoric megalithic monuments in the world. Its sheer size and sophisticated architectural design have earned it legendary reverence as the most famous prehistoric monument in the world. Although its original purpose is a mystery, the concentric monuments hold spiritual significance for people from around the world who gather at the massive stone circles to celebrate the summer solstice.

The Royal Treatment

LONDON: Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, Prime Minister's Downing Street residence, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Free time this afternoon. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - HISTORIC SITES: See the legendary landmarks of England's historic capital city. Walk where voices have rung out for centuries in Parliament Square and where chimes rise high above you with the ringing of Big Ben's quarter bells. See Westminster Abbey, where royal coronations, weddings, and funerals have made history.

Safe travels until we meet again! Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)