Leisurely United Kingdom and Ireland Tour Package (13 Nights / 14 Days)

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Visit London. Evening transfer.Get to know London on a guided tour featuring style, cul­ture and history. See Westminster, the Houses of Parliament, the River Thames, the Tower of Lon­don and Buckingham Palace, where we shall be able to watch the famous “Changing of the Guard” (depending on the season). Free afternoon. In the evening, we will meet at a a meeting point in Piccadilly to walk to Leicester Square, China Town and Soho with its amazing atmosphere, its theatres and bustle . Time for dinner in this area with numerous ethnic restaurants (Indian, Thai, Chinese, international, and so on). Return to the hotel from Piccadilly.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT: Picturesque countryside with hills and woods. We start the day leaving London towards northern England. Our first stop is CAMBRIDGE to admire its beautiful residential colleges. After lunch, we will continue to YORK where its cathedral, Roman walls and lively shopping streets will create a charming memory, some free time to stroll around. Afterwards, we will continue north to DURHAM. Explore this charming medieval town full of life which has a wonderful cathedral right in front of the castle.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT: Cross into Scotland. Castles, views over the sea. Sightseeing of Edinburgh. Today we will travel to Scotland, stopping in ALNWICK, a picturesque town with lovely gardens and a large medieval castle which was used in the Harry Potter films. We will continue to EDINBURGH, arriving at noon. This is Scotland’s capital city and one of the most active cities in Northern Europe. Its monumental center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its castle overlooks the city’s steep streets and parks. We will enjoy a sightseeing tour with a local guide.

Free day. You can enjoy the charm of this city. Free time to explore and discover memorable places.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Traditional whisky distillery in Pitlochry. Blair Castle. We will travel to northern Scotland. We will visit STIRLING, famous for its historic downtown area and castle which sits atop the mighty Castle Hill. We will then continue travelling north. Not far from the village of Dunkeld we will stop at HERMITAGE FOREST, where we will enjoy a nature walk along pleasant paths of low difficulty level, great for hikers of all fitness levels and ages. Next, we will head to PITLOCHRY, picturesque town in the center of the Scottish region where more whisky is produced. We visit in the area a traditional whiskey distillery (entrance included). Time to have lunch. After the break, we will explore BLAIR CASTLE (entrance included) and its impressive grounds. We will continue travelling north. Late-afternoon arrival in INVERNESS, a seaside town quite close to the world-famous Loch Ness. Note: Hotel and room availability in northern Scotland is quite limited. For some departure dates (normally in the peak-season month of August), we may have to offer accommodation in towns around Inverness.Note: due to capacity limitations in traditional distilleries, sometimes we can make this visit on Saturday in Edinburgh, on the "Whisky & Gin tour" where we visit the manufacturing processes, tasting included, of gin and whiskey.

TODAY´S HIGHLIGHTS: Beautiful landscapes of Northern Scotland, Eilean Donan Castle, Boat tour on Loch Ness.We will have a day full of excitement as we travel along the hauntingly beautiful landscapes, forests, lochs and plains of northern Scotland. We will visit the fascinating EILEAN DONAN CASTLE probably the most photographed fortress in the entire country (entrance included). Next, we will travel to FORT AUGUSTUS where we will visit the sluice gate system. Time to have lunch and a stroll. In the afternoon, we will then travel to LOCH NESS and go on a boat tour on the lake’s dark and mysterious waters. After that, we will visit the medieval castle of URQUHART (entrance included). Accommodation in INVERNESS.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Beautiful landscapes of Northern Scotland. We will continue enjoying a stage with gorgeous landscapes. We will make a brief stop in SPEAN BRIDGE to visit a monument that speaks about the Second World War. We will later stop in FORT WILLIAM, a tourist centre at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest summit in the United Kingdom. We will go by KILCHURN Castle, which displays its beautiful ruins right by a dark lake. INVERARAY, a quite picturesque historic village by Loch Fyne with a large castle and quiet streets. Lunchtime. We will return contouring Loch Lomond, one of the most popular lakes in Scotland. Time for a stroll around BALLOCH, the liveliest town on its banks. Arrival in GLASGOW at mid-afternoon. Time for a stroll around the centre of this lively city.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT: Ferryboat to Ireland. Today we will leave Glasgow heading towards southern Scotland. We will board a ferry in Cairnryan. Our journey takes us towards Northern Ireland, arriving in BELFAST, Northern Ireland’s capital city. This monumental city is overcoming its religious conflicts. We will resume our journey to EIRE in Ireland. Last stop will be DUBLIN, arriving at the end of the day.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT: Sightseeing tour of Dublin. We start the day with a sightseeing tour of DUBLIN, Ireland’s peaceful capital city. We will enjoy a stroll on the banks of River Liffey, visiting its parks, old university and its lively downtown streets. We will stroll around Trinity College (depending on the duration of sunlight, this visit may take place the afternoon before, upon arrival in Dublin). Free time during the afternoon.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Powerscourt gardens, Rock of Cashel, dinner included in Cork.In the morning we will depart from Dublin heading to POWERSCOURT which is located nearby. We will visit its magnificent gardens, designed in the 18th century and considered the most beautiful gardens in Ireland (entrance included). Admire its fountains, Japanese Gardens, and its pet cemetery. Afterwards, we will travel to KILKENNY, here we will have time for lunch and to stroll around this lively town. Further south, we will stop to visit the impressive Rock of CASHEL (entrance included), a medieval fortress that symbolizes the fight of Irish people against England. We will arrive in CORK around mid-afternoon. Time for a stroll in the center of Ireland’s second largest city. Dinner included.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Kinsale, Killarney, carriage tour and cruise in National Park. dinner in Limerick. We will depart for KINSALE. Making a stop by Charles Fort to admire its great views of the ocean right by the 17th century fortress. Time in the historic centre of KINSALE, a seaside town, considered by many as one of the most beautiful coastal towns in Ireland. Afterwards, we will travel to KILLARNEY, a tourist town in the heart of Ireland. Time for lunch and a walk around, we will also enjoy a romantic horse and carriage tour of its national park (included). The horse and carriage tour will take us to Ross Castle which offers wonderful views by the lake. We include a short cruise to enjoy the beautiful views. Continuing, a brief stop in ADARE, a small village that preserves its picturesque traditional thatched-roof cottages and the ruins of the old abbey. Mid-afternoon we will arrive in LIMERICK. Time to stroll around its centre where you will have the opportunity to visit its castle, walk along the river, its cathedral or discover its shopping centre. Dinner included.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Folk Park in Bunraty, Poulnabroune Dolmen, Cliffs of Moher. Today we will visit FOLK PARK in BUNRATTY (ticket included), a wonderful park where we can learn about how life was in Ireland in the past with its typical cottages and old markets. Its castle stands, accurately reproducing how life was in the Middle Ages. We will continue to CAHERCONNELL where the Poulnabrone dolmen is found. We may get the chance to see an exhibition of how dogs shepherd sheep. Afterwards, we will visit the impressive Cliffs of Moher which overlook the ocean, those who wish can walk to O’Brien’s Tower (entrance included). Our route continues through Burren National Park which displays amazing landscapes. Finally arriving in GALWAY.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Monastic ruins in Clonmacnoise. We will depart for CONG, a small picturesque village located in a magnificent lake area. We will visit the ruins of the Royal Abbey and walk around Ashford Castle, a gorgeous medieval castle that has been turned into a hotel. We will travel to CLONMACNOISE, where after lunch, we will visit its monastic ruins (ticket and visit included). We will resume our journey back to DUBLIN, where we will arrive in the late afternoon. End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.