14 days Taste of Britain & Ireland 2024
Savor the very best of England, Scotland and Ireland
Get a great introduction to three great countries on this lively trip to England, Ireland, and Scotland. Enjoy a generous helping of the essential must-dos, with a hint of the unexpected.
| Day | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Tour | Tower of London | Your tour departs from your London hotel at 2:00 PM. Take a panoramic tour of central London to see famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. Visit the historic Tower of London to view the Crown Jewels. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently. |
| 2 | Independent Sightseeing in London | Discover London’s iconic attractions at your own speed, as you please, with your choice of routes on a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour. Your evening is free to continue exploring and dining independently. (B) |
| 3 | Windsor Castle | Bath | Take a panoramic tour of Windsor before visiting Windsor Castle, the largest inhabited castle in the world and one of the King’s official residences. See the grandeur of the State Apartments, ceremonial rooms still used by the Royal Family today. Spend some free time in Windsor before travelling on to the beautiful city of Bath. Founded by the Romans and rich in elegant Georgian architecture, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tour the Roman Baths to discover why these hot springs have been popular since ancient times. (B, D) |
| 4 | Cotswolds Drive | Shakespeare’s Birthplace | Liverpool | Take in the Cotswolds, a quintessentially English region with gently rolling hills, colourful gardens, and honey-coloured stone buildings. Stop in one of its many charming old market towns or traditional villages. Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon to see an exhibition about his life and work, before walking through the house where he was born. Travel on to Liverpool and spend the evening exploring its rich pop-music history with dinner on your own. (B) |
| 5 | Lake District | Windermere Cruise | Travel through the Lake District, a region that has inspired numerous painters and writers, including William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. Embark on a cruise along Lake Windermere to admire the stunning scenery of wooded isles and neighboring mountains. Spend some free time in a traditional Lakeland village. Pass through Gretna Green, just over the Scottish border, on your way to your hotel outside Edinburgh, where you’ll enjoy a free evening. (B) |
| 6 | Edinburgh Castle | City Tour | Scotch Whisky Experience* | Explore central Edinburgh on a panoramic tour; discover the Royal Mile, with its closely clustered medieval houses, and the 200-year-old New Town, with its elegant Georgian homes. Tour Edinburgh Castle to see the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. Enjoy an evening of storytelling and whisky tasting at the Scotch Whisky Experience. (Departures from August 2 – 16 will instead experience the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.) (B, D*) *Meal counts vary on Tattoo departures, as the Scottish Evening is replaced with the Tattoo and an independent dinner. |
| 7 | Glasgow City Tour | Ferry to Belfast | Travel to Glasgow for a city tour, then take some free time to explore. Proceed to the harbor at Cairnryan for a short ferry ride to Ireland, and then to your Belfast hotel. (B, D) |
| 8 | Titanic Belfast | The Glyde Inn | Visit Titanic Belfast for a fascinating look at the building of the doomed ocean liner, which was crafted right in the city’s dockyards. Next, take a panoramic tour of this historic city. Visit the Glyde Inn for an early dinner with entertainment, before continuing on to Dublin. (B, D) |
| 9 | Independent Sightseeing in Dublin | Tour Dublin independently, on the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour. Use your voucher to visit your choice of one of Dublin’s top attractions: Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or the GPO Museum. You are free to dine as you wish this evening. (B) |
| 10 | Blarney Castle | Killarney | Visit Blarney Castle and kiss the famous stone. Then travel on to Macroom and into the mountainous scenery toward Killarney. After dinner at your hotel you might want to check out one of Killarney’s many pubs offering traditional music. (B, D) |
| 11 | Sheepdog Demonstration | Dingle | Kate Kearney’s Cottage | Head to the scenic Gap of Dunloe for a stop at Moriarty’s, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner. Visit a sheep farm for a demonstration by highly skilled sheepdogs. Proceed on to the spectacular beauty and charm of the Dingle Peninsula, famed as the setting for “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Far and Away”. Take some free time to explore Dingle town. Later, go to Kate Kearney’s Cottage for an Irish night featuring dinner and traditional entertainment. (B, D) |
| 12 | Flying Boat Museum | Cliffs of Moher | Galway | Visit Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, which recalls the early days of air travel. Foynes is the home of Irish coffee, so you’ll learn how to make one and enjoy a sample. Take a ferry across the River Shannon, and drive to visit the Cliffs of Moher. Admire the limestone landscape of the Burren as you travel to vibrant Galway, where you’ll take a panoramic tour of the city center before dinner at your hotel. (B, D) |
| 13 | Dalkey | Fitzpatrick Castle Stay | Take a walking tour of the historic heart of Galway. Head east to Dublin for a stroll around Dalkey, an exclusive seaside suburb that’s home to such luminaries as singers Bono and Enya and the late writer Maeve Binchy. Enjoy a farewell dinner at your elegant castle hotel. (B, D) |
| 14 | Tour Ends in Dublin | Your tour ends after breakfast. (B) |