Grand Tour of Britain & Ireland - 23 Days/22 Nights

Tour begins 2:00 PM at your London hotel. Take a panoramic tour of London with a local guide. Visit Kensington Palace, Queen Victoria’s birthplace and former home of Princess Diana. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group at your hotel before a free evening for independent dining.

Enjoy an independent day of sightseeing with tickets for the Original London Hop-On, Hop Off city tour. Explore St. Paul’s Cathedral with your enclosed admission voucher. (B)

Travel through the Cotswolds, ¬ filled with rolling hills and charming villages. Stop for photos before arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Enjoy free time in Stratford for lunch and some independent exploration before heading to your hotel in York. (B, D)

Take a walking tour of central York and visit York Minster. Drive through the lush green scenery of northern England and cross into Scotland. View the ruins of Melrose Abbey. Celebrate with a traditional Scottish banquet and entertainment this evening. (B, D)

Tour Edinburgh with a local guide, Scotland’s capital city, famous for its medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town. Tour Edinburgh Castle to view the Crown Jewels of Scotland. August 9 and August 16 departures will attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B)

Take a tour of St Andrews the “Home of Golf.” Enjoy some free time before traveling on to Pitlochry for lunch. Proceed to Aviemore, a popular resort town in the Highlands. (B, D)

Cruise along Loch Ness; perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of the legendary Nessie. Drive though the Highlands and visit Stirling Castle before going to your hotel in Strathclyde. (B, D)

Stop at the Robert Burns’ Birthplace Museum to learn about the famous poet. Drive to the Cairnryan port to travel by ferry to Belfast, where you will dine in your hotel. (B, D)

Drive through the scenic Nine Glens of Antrim. Visit the Giants Causeway, hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Return to Belfast for a panoramic tour of the city. Enjoy free time for dining independently. (B)

Depart for Donegal, where you will enjoy some free time and lunch independently. Visit Knock Shrine, a pilgrimage site where an apparition of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared. Depart for Galway and take a walking tour of the city with a local guide. Return to your hotel for dinner there. (B, D)

Drive through the stunning scenery of Connemara. In Cong, take a short walking tour to see locations from the “Quiet Man.” Have lunch at Eddies of Clonbur, then travel to Galway via Maam Cross. The afternoon is free to enjoy Galway on your own. (B, L)

Drive through the Burren and visit the Cliffs of Moher, and take a ferry across the River Shannon. Stop at John B. Keane’s Pub, where the famed playwright wrote his famous works. (B, D)

Visit the 19th-century Muckross House and Gardens. Take a scenic drive along the highlights of the Ring of Kerry before stopping in Kenmare for lunch and some free time to explore. Travel to a traditional farm to see highly-skilled sheepdogs herd sheep. Enjoy a free evening in Killarney. (B, L)

Visit Blarney Castle and kiss the “Stone of Eloquence.” Visit Cobh and learn of this colorful town’s connection to the Titanic. Enjoy a walking tour of the historic city of Waterford with a local guide. (B, D)

Tour the famous House of Waterford Crystal to see how its famous glassware is made. Visit the Dunbrody Famine Ship to learn the history of Irish emigration. Enjoy a night of traditional Irish entertainment and cuisine at Taylors Three Rock Pub. (B, D)

Tour Dublin, then take a walking tour of Trinity College and see the 9th-century Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s ¬ nest cultural treasures. Explore Dublin independently for the remainder of your day. (B)

Sail to Holyhead in Wales. Discover the town of Conwy and take a guided walking tour of its famous sights. Tour Conwy Castle with free time to explore on your own. (B, D)

Head south through Snowdonia National Park, stopping in a traditional Welsh market town, where you’ll have some free time for lunch. View the stunning scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Enjoy a panoramic tour of Cardiff before heading to Cardiff Castle, where you’ll enjoy a tour followed by an elegant banquet. (B, D)

In Bath, visit the hot springs and the ancient Roman Baths. Stop in Glastonbury with its historic sites. Enjoy free time to explore and have lunch. Take a scenic drive through Devon, across Bodmin Moor and into Cornwall to your hotel in St Austell. (B, D)

Travel to Marazion and see St Michael’s Mount, a remarkable tidal island. If the tide allows, walk out across the causeway. Travel to the artistic community of St. Ives for a walking tour. Browse the picturesque ¬ fishing village of Mevagissey. (B, D)

Visit the stone monoliths at Stonehenge. Take a tour of Salisbury, a medieval city famous for its cathedral, which houses one of the original copies of the Magna Carta. (B, D)

Head to Windsor for a walking tour with a local guide, then visit Windsor Castle, the Queen’s Residence. Explore independently for the rest of the day and evening. (B)

Your program ends after breakfast. (B) B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner All components of this tour (hotels, visits and attractions) for 2020 itineraries are subject to change until finalized in September 2019.   >