Tour Overview:
A well paced tour with two-night stays in the cities of Edinburgh, Thurso, Sligo, Plymouth and Dublin, plus the change of pace with two different Irish ferry crossings and pleasant driving days with frequent stops.
Itinerary:
22 DAYS ~ ENGLAND ~ SCOTLAND ~ NORTHERN IRELAND ~ IRELAND ~ WALES
Tour Pace - A well paced tour with two-night stays in the cities
of Edinburgh, Thurso, Sligo, Plymouth and Dublin, plus the change of pace with two
different Irish ferry crossings and pleasant driving days with frequent stops.
Fellow Passengers - This tour is suitable for both seasoned and
first-time travellers who want the most comprehensive tour of the British Isles. It is
perfect for those who want to trace their family ancestry or who are English history
buffs.
DAY 1 – LONDON – STRATFORD. After a warm welcome from
your Tour Director, head west over the green Chiltern Hills. Stop in the university town
of Oxford before driving through pretty Cotswold villages to visit
Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. Enjoy a Welcome
Drink.
Hotel: Thistle. (D)
DAY 2 – STRATFORD – YORK. Visit the Wedgwood china
factory before continuing to York to wander the cobbled streets of the
Shambles and see the huge York Minster.
Hotel: Marriott. (B,D)
DAY 3 – YORK – EDINBURGH. Tour the beautiful Lake
District and visit Wordsworth’s grave before stopping at Gretna Green in
Scotland. Then it’s on to Edinburgh. Tonight, selected departures attend
the spectacular flood lit Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle.
Hotel: Royal Terrace/Roxburghe. (B)
DAY 4 – EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING. Take a guided tour inside
historic Edinburgh Castle. Continue down the Royal Mile, past St
Giles’ Cathedral to the Queen’s Holyroodhouse Palace. Cross to the
18th century New Town. The afternoon is at leisure. (B)
DAY 5 – EDINBURGH – HIGHLANDS. Cross the Firth of Forth
on your way to St Andrews – the home of golf. Continue to Perth and over the
Grampian Mountains, past Blair Athol, to the sparkling Spey Valley. Enjoy a
traditional dinner with Scottish entertainment. Hotel: Laggan Country Hotel.
(B,HD)
DAY 6 – HIGHLANDS – THURSO. First stop to see the
Clava Stone Circles and continue across the battlefield of Culloden. Drive
via Inverness and along the shores of Loch Ness, before following the coast
to Thurso.
Hotel: Royal. (B,D)
DAY 7 – ORKNEY ISLANDS EXCURSION. Drive
to
John O’Groats, the most northerly town on the British mainland, where you
board a ferry to the Orkney Islands. Visit the village of Skara Brae, the Ring of
Brodgar, Kirkwall and the Italian Chapel. Head back to the mainland for the evening.
(B,D)
DAY 8 – THURSO – ISLE OF SKYE. Relax and enjoy the
lochs and mountains on your way to the fishing town of Ullapool. Then
it’s ‘over the sea to Skye’. Admire the scenic splendour of the
Cuillin Hills en route to your hotel in Portree. Hotel: Tongadale.
(B,D)
DAY 9 – ISLE OF SKYE – GLASGOW. Take in magnificent
scenery as you pass Eilean Donan Castle and continue through Glencoe,
‘the valley of the weeping’. Stop on the ‘bonnie banks’ of
Loch Lomond before arriving in Glasgow.
Hotel: Marriott. (B)
DAY 10 – GLASGOW – LONDONDERRY. Bid farewell to Scotland
as you cross the Irish Sea, enjoying views of the Island of Arran on the
way. Take the scenic Antrim coast road to the Giant’s Causeway before
reaching your hotel.
Hotel: Everglades. (B,D)
DAY 11 – LONDONDERRY – SLIGO. Join a guide to see
Derry’s Walls, the Guildhall and the city’s cathedral
before crossing the border to see O’Donnell’s Castle in
Donegal. Drive south to visit the Belleek Pottery Centre. Continue to the
churchyard at Drumcliff, where the Irish poet WB Yeats is buried, before reaching
your hotel in Sligo. Hotel: Radisson SAS. (B,D)
DAY 12 – SLIGO – LIMERICK. Take a scenic drive
through the beautiful Connemara region to visit the famous marble factory.
Continue on to Galway where you see St Nicholas Cathedral, the Spanish Arch
and Eyre Square. Now on to Bunratty Folk Park, where old Ireland comes to life
in the thatched cottages and cobbled streets of the museum. Stay tonight in
Limerick.
Hotel: George. (B)
DAY 13 – LIMERICK – KILLARNEY. An orientation tour shows
you King John’s Castle, St. Mary’s Cathedral and the treaty
stone. Now drive through the charming village of Adare into County Kerry.
In Killarney, enjoy a ride on a famous jaunting car.
Hotel: Killarney Avenue & Towers. (B,D)
DAY 14 – RING OF KERRY EXCURSION. Experience scenery of
plunging cliffs and spectacular lakes, and drive between granite mountains and endless
beaches as you tour the Ring of Kerry. (B)
DAY 15 – KILLARNEY – WATERFORD. Cross the Derrynasaggart
Mountains to kiss the Stone of Eloquence at Blarney Castle. Enjoy an orientation
tour of Cork seeing St Finbar’s Cathedral before continuing along the
coast to your hotel in Waterford.
Hotel: Dooleys. (B,D)
DAY 16 – WATERFORD – DUBLIN. After visiting the
Waterford Crystal showroom, drive to Kilkenny to see its castle en route to
the fun loving Irish capital, Dublin.
Hotel: Burlington. (B)
DAY 17 – DUBLIN SIGHTSEEING. Tour Dublin’s elegant
Georgian squares and visit Dublin castle (when open) with a local guide. Also see
the Irish President’s home, O’Connell Street and historic Customs
House before spending the afternoon at leisure. (B)
DAY 18 – DUBLIN – WARRINGTON. Cross the Irish Sea and
travel through North Wales, past Conwy Castle, to the walled city of Chester. See
the ruined Roman amphitheatre, Tudor ‘Rows’ and
cathedral before continuing to your hotel. Hotel: Daresbury Park. (B,D)
DAY 19 – WARRINGTON – BRISTOL. Drive to the border town
of Ludlow, with its half- timbered houses and ruined castle.
Continue along the Wye Valley past romantic Tintern Abbey and over the
soaring Severn Bridge to Bristol.
Hotel: Marriott City Centre. (B)
DAY 20 – BRISTOL – PLYMOUTH. Travel the short distance to
Bath, famous for its Georgian architecture. Visit the Roman Baths before
moving on to Plymouth, taking in Glastonbury along the way. On arrival in
Plymouth, enjoy a highlight cruise on the harbour.
Hotel: Jurys Inn. (B,D)
DAY 21 – DARTMOOR & TINTAGEL EXCURSION. Stop in
Princetown, in the heart of rugged Dartmoor, and visit King Arthur’s
Tintagel, returning to Plymouth via Bodmin Moor. (B)
DAY 22 – PLYMOUTH – LONDON. Visit mysterious
Stonehenge before crossing Salisbury Plain to return to London, where you bid
farewell to your Tour Director. (B)
Price Details:
Notes
REF: B959. Prices are per person sharing a
twin.
Tour departure point
This tour departs from the Thistle Marble Arch.
20009