Best of Ireland & Scotland
Overview
Itinerary
Relax at your hotel before joining your Travel Director for a warm and friendly dinner, an opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers.
Join your Local Expert for a city tour that reveals Dublin's layered history and Georgian elegance. Stroll past the neoclassical Custom House and follow the River Liffey, taking in landmarks such as the Guinness Storehouse and the medieval Christchurch Cathedral. See St. Patrick's Cathedral, founded in 1191 and one of Ireland's most significant religious sites.
Then enjoy priority access to the Long Room at Trinity College Library, home to the 9th-century Book of Kells - an illuminated manuscript created by Celtic monks. Walk through the university's cobbled courtyards as your Local Expert shares the story of this esteemed institution, founded in 1592.
Witness life behind the scenes of the National Stud Farm, where many legendary racehorses are bred. Then see the finest Japanese gardens in Europe, where the gardens portray the symbolism of life and trace the journey of a soul, designed by master horticulturists, Tassa and Minoru Eida. Continue on to Cork, Ireland's second most populous city, built on the River Lee. Travel along Grand Parade to see Cork's City Hall and Opera House.
Today's Insight Choice invites you to experience your choice of one of Ireland's most iconic sites. Opt to explore Blarney Castle, climbing its medieval tower to kiss the famous Blarney Stone, long said to grant the ‘gift of the gab.' Alternatively, take time to roam the castle's 1,500-acre estate, discovering the Wishing Steps, Witch's Kitchen and a series of imaginative themed gardens. Continue to Killarney, where you'll enjoy a traditional jaunting car ride through the town and into Killarney National Park.
This evening, travel west to the coastal town of Dingle where you'll check in to your hotel.
Enjoy a Relaxed Start before setting out along the Dingle Peninsula, a region rich in Gaelic culture and striking Atlantic views. Drive the Slea Head route, one of Ireland's most scenic stretches, passing rugged cliffs, ancient stone huts and panoramic lookouts across the Blasket Islands. Along the way, gain insight into Ireland's early Christian heritage and the daily life of this remote, Irish-speaking region.
Afterwards, you may wish to join an Optional Experience for an up-close introduction to falconry. Later, perhaps join another Optional Experience and head to Dingle's oldest public house for a local tipple, live music and storytelling.
Begin the day with a short ferry ride across the Shannon Estuary. Enjoy magnificent views of the Clare coast, as you journey to the Visitors' Centre at the 214 m (702 ft) Cliffs of Moher. Join your Travel Director in Galway to see the infamous Lynch Memorial and the Church of St. Nicholas, where Christopher Columbus reputedly prayed before his discovery of America. Also see the aged Spanish Arch and 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. Continue to Glasgow, known for its 19th-century shipyards and the distinctive architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
A scenic drive takes you along the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. Absorb the dramatic landscape of Glencoe, still echoing with the cries of massacred clansmen. Pause at the Commando Memorial for a view of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis before reaching the Great Glen.
Continue on to Loch Ness and embark on a cruise to soak up the scenery, historic monuments and intriguing tales of Nessie in the heart of Scotland's great glen.
In the morning, see the sights of Inverness before travelling to the Culloden Moor Visitor Centre, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite army met its fateful end. Then, enjoy a 'wee dram' with a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Uile-bheist, a pioneering distillery blending age-old traditions with cutting-edge sustainability. Hear tales of whisky smugglers, explore the craft behind their signature single malts and beers, and uncover the legends that inspire their brews.
A scenic drive takes you through the Grampian Mountains past the Duke of Atholl's Blair Castle. Drive down and cross the Tay to visit St. Andrews. As you arrive, pass the Old Course, the home of golf since its invention in the 15th-century. Enjoy free time to explore. Why not wander to the town's university where the love story of Kate Middleton and Prince William began? Alternately, stroll to West Sands Beach where the famous 'Chariots of Fire' scene was filmed.
Head to Edinburgh where you may wish to join an Optional Experience at dinner with haggis and ceilidh. Continue across the majestic Forth Road Bridge to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. In the evening, select departures attend The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
In the morning, join a Local Expert to see the highlights of the city. Drive along Princes Street to the ornate Scott Memorial, then see the 18th century New Town with its neoclassical Georgian facades. In the Old Town see the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the King. Venture up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle, home of Mons Meg and Scotland's Crown Jewels, the Honours of Scotland.
In the afternoon, you are at leisure to continue exploring as you wish, or perhaps go shopping. Join your friends in the heart of Edinburgh at a Celebration Dinner of modern Scottish cuisine served with wine.
Your 14 days in Ireland and Scotland come to an end after breakfast with transfers arriving at Edinburgh airport.
Trip Inclusions
- Dublin: With a Local Specialist 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: Ireland's second city - "Rebel Cork" dates back to the 7th century. Your Travel Director will show you the Grand Parade and South Mall, along with City Hall and the Opera House on an insightful orientation tour encompassing the development of the religious settlement of St. Finbarr, to Viking raiding and settlement, to the creation of the Norman city and Merchant Princes.
- 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.
- Killarney: Settle into a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car and explore Killarney with one of the local jarveys who know these lanes by heart.
- Dingle Peninsula: Follow the Slea Head route, a dramatic coastal drive around the Dingle Peninsula, where sheer cliffs, secluded beaches, and ancient ruins reflect centuries of settlement. Pass prehistoric ring forts, beehive huts and Ogham stones, evidence of early Gaelic communities. Offshore, see the Blasket Islands, once home to a resilient Irish-speaking population who, facing isolation and hardship, relocated to the mainland in 1953.
- 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.
- 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: See Sligo's streets and landmarks on an orientation that reveals why this part of Ireland inspired 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. After getting your bearings in town, enjoy free time to explore at your own pace or stop for lunch before your journey continues to Londonderry.
- 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 your ferry to cross the Irish Sea to Cairnryan.
- 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: Board your cruise on a loch stretching 37 kilometres through the Great Glen Fault, created by tectonic shifts millions of years ago. Its deepest point reaches 230 m (754 ft) and visibility is near zero due to peat content, conditions that have long inspired tales of Nessie, the elusive Loch Ness Monster. Pass Aldourie Castle and hear how this natural trench fuels both hydroelectric power and global fascination.
- 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 Specialist to see the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Mons Meg up close.
- Edinburgh: Explore the city with your Local Specialist 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.
- 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.
- Derry/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.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
- 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.
- Blarney: Your up close and personal encounter with the lush gardens of the Blarney Castle estate is brought to life on a guided tour with a senior gardener. On your stroll enhanced by your expert's insights, learn about the arboretum's rare trees, mystical Druid rock formations and the Bog Garden boasting three 600-year-old yew trees.
- Inverness: Step into the world of Uile-bheist distillery, where age-old whisky and beer traditions meet modern craftsmanship. Discover how folklore inspires its brews, explore the art of distillation, and savour a tasting of it's 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 directly supports the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action.
- Air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with a local specialty representing the destination.
- Complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi where available
- Dublin: Join your Travel Director for a warm and friendly dinner and an opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers.
- Kilmarnock: Visit Craufurdland Castle, home to the Craufurd family for over 800 years. Join the 29th Laird of Craufurdland and his wife for a guided look inside their historic residence before sitting down to afternoon tea: a cherished British tradition featuring finely cut sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and a selection of sweet treats served with freshly brewed tea.
- Edinburgh: Enjoy a memorable dinner, reflecting on your journey in the company of newfound friends.
- Dining Summary: 7 Dinners (D), 13 Breakfasts (B), 1 Afternoon Tea (AT)
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
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Trafalgar Worldwide Tours (2027-28)
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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 Trafalgar. 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.
