Irish and Scottish Sampler 9 Days

• Sightseeing by luxury coach
• Professional tour director
• 8 nights in hotels listed
• Full breakfast daily (B) except on day 1
• 6 dinners (D) including
  - Taylor’s Three Rock Pub dinner and traditional show
  - Scottish Evening in Edinburgh
  - 4 table d'hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Walking tours of Dalkey, Derry and St Andrews
• Tours of Dublin, Belfast and Edinburgh
• Sheans Heritage Farm turf-cutting, tea and scones
• Ferry transportation from Ireland to Scotland
• Blair Athol Distillery whisky tasting and tour
• Reserved seats for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 01 to 22 departures
• Dublin open-top bus tour with a visit to Guinness Storehouse or General Post Office
• Visits and admissions to Blair Athol Distillery, Crumlin Road Gaol, Dalkey Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Giant’s Causeway, Pollok House, Scenic Glens of Antrim, St Andrews and St. Michan's Church Dublin.
• Headsets for walking tours
• Deluxe carry-on backpack, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
• Free Wi-Fi on coaches and in hotel lobbies
• Edinburgh open-top bus tour (9 day tour only)

Overnights for this tour:

• Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
• Marine Hotel, Ballycastle (1 night)
• Radisson Blu Belfast Hotel, Belfast (1 night)
• Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry (1 night)
• Apex Grassmanrket Hotel, Edinburgh (3 nights

Day 1: DUBLIN ARRIVAL & DALKEY VILLAGE
Tour begins 2:00 PM, Dublin hotel. Set off for a guided walking tour of Dalkey Village, an upmarket suburb filled with interesting shops, restaurants and bars. Visit the imposing Dalkey Castle where history will come alive for you. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dinner.
(D)

Day 2: DUBLIN TOUR & TAYLOR’S THREE ROCK PUB
Discover Dublin with its rows of stately Georgian houses lining elegant squares, historic Trinity College and Leinster House. Admire the fine interior woodwork at St. Michan’s Church and see the organ on which Handel is said to have played his Messiah. The afternoon is free for further exploration with your vouchers for the hop-on-hop-off city and a visit to one featured attraction. Tonight you’ll enjoy authentic Irish cuisine and traditional entertainment at Taylors Three Rock.
(B, D)

Day 3: BRÚ NA BÓINNE VISITOR CENTRE & BELFAST
Visit the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre to learn about the nearby passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth constructed over 5,000 years ago. Embark on a panoramic tour of Belfast to see Victorian buildings, the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square and the shipyards where RMS Titanic was built. Visit Crumlin Road Gaol to explore over 150 years of Northern Ireland's dark history from political prisoners to everyday citizens imprisoned during "the Troubles".
(B, D)

Day 4: GIANT’S CAUSEWAY & TASTE & TOUR BELFAST
Travel along part of the Nine Glens of Antrim, a scenic region with lovely views of mountains, valleys and coastline. Discover the Giant’s Causeway, a natural wonder formed over 60 million years ago by cooling lava that has given rise to many legends. Stop for photos at the ruins of Dunluce Castle before enjoying an additional photo opportunity at The Dark Hedges where scenes from the “Game of Thrones” were filmed. In the evening, join an enthusiastic guide for a fun and food filled walk and tasting to some top food and drink spots around Belfast City Centre.
(B, D)

Day 5: FERRY TO SCOTLAND & PITLOCHRY
Take a ferry ride to Scotland and head to the outskirts of Glasgow. Enjoy a guided tour of Pollok House, a grand country house which gives a real flavor of life in the 1930s. Continue northwards into the magnificent scenery of the Scottish Highlands to your historic hotel in Pitlochry. This hotel first opened its doors in 1884 and still retains many original features with unique guest rooms and spacious grounds.
(B, D)

Day 6: WHISKEY TASTING & ST. ANDREWS
Visit Blair Athol Distillery to see how whiskey is distilled and sample a “wee dram. Continue to St. Andrews – known as the “Home of Golf”. After a short walking tour spend some time exploring on your own. This evening, enjoy a Scottish evening with traditional Scottish cuisine and a lively show of Highland dancing and bagpipes. On July 30 to August 20 departures enjoy the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle esplanade and the Scottish evening will move to the following day.
(B, D)

Day 7: EDINBURGH TOUR & CASTLE
Head out on a sightseeing tour of Edinburgh to see the main points of interest -- wide streets and elegant mansions of the Georgian 200-year-old “New Town”, built to expand the cramped conditions in the old city. Walk along part of the Royal Mile where medieval houses are clustered closely together. Tour the imposing Edinburgh Castle, where the crown jewels of Scotland are housed. The rest of the day is free for independent exploring, shopping and dining.
(B)

Day 8: INDEPENDENT DAY IN EDINBURGH
Spend the day on an independent hop-on hop-off bus tour of Edinburgh. Also enjoy a walking tour around parts of the city’s historic areas – you will have a selection of different tours and routes.
(B)

Day 9: TOUR ENDS EDINBURGH
Your program ends after breakfast.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner