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Day 1: Glasgow Highlights
Land in Glasgow Airport where you’ll meet your CIE Tours driver/guide or representative. Take a group transfer to your hotel, departing at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you must transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 3:00 pm set out on a coach tour to discover the main attractions of Glasgow, a city that flourished in Victorian times due to the shipbuilding industry on the River Clyde. Drive around George Square with its ornate City Chambers and nearby Glasgow Cathedral. Visit extensive collections in Kelvinqrove Art Gallery and Museum, originally opened in 1901 and recently refurbished. Back at your hotel, join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink before dinner. (D)
Day 2: Loch Lomond & Urquhart Castle
Depart Glasgow and travel alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned in song and also for unsurpassed beauty of the lake and mountains. Travel across the haunting Rannoch Moor and through the deep valley of Glencoe, notorious for the Campbell massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692. Continue through Fort William and stop in Fort Augustus, located at the southern tip of Loch Ness. Drive beside Loch Ness to enjoy delightful scenery and keep an eye out for “Nessie”. Visit Urquhart Castle to see the ruins of what was once the largest castle in Scotland. Enjoy views of the scenic promontory where the castle is located. Continue to Nairn where your hotel was a favourite summer residence of Charlie Chaplin. Experience Scottish culture in your hotel this evening when a Scottish piper and step-dancer perform for you. (B,D)
Day 3: Culloden Battlefield & Edinburgh Ghost Tour
Visit the Culloden Visitor Centre to learn about the Battle of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated by the British army in 1746 in a fierce combat that lasted just one hour. The Scottish defeat changed the traditional way of Highland clan life forever. Drive south through the majestic peaks of the Grampian Mountains to visit Edradour Distillery, Scotland’s smallest, to see how whisky is distilled and sample some. Continue south to Edinburgh and check in to your hotel, located on a golf course a few miles from the city centre. In the evening head to the cosy Beehive Inn for an informal pub dinner and then join a local guide for a fun walking tour to discover the haunts of Edinburgh’s many colourful characters. (B,D)
Day 4: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
This morning an Edinburgh city guide will point out the principal sights of this interesting capital city. Drive along the bustling Princes Street and through the gracious, wide streets of the 200-year-old Georgian New Town. See the compact medieval section along the Royal Mile where some houses reach 11 stories tall. Visit Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city centre and contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The balance of the day is free for further sightseeing, shopping and dining. On August 03, 08, 15, 17 and 22 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 5: Larne Ferry & Drive to Dublin
Depart Edinburgh early this morning and drive south through part of the Southern Uplands and along the coastline. At Cairnryan take a ferry ride across the narrow channel between Scotland and Ireland to Larne, just outside Belfast. Drive south to Dublin and check in to your hotel, located in the Georgian section of the city, where the evening is at leisure for independent dining. (B)
Day 6: Viking Dublin & Taylor’s Three Rock Pub
This morning join your fellow travellers for a tour of central Dublin in the company of a local guide. Pass Trinity College, where the Book of Kells is housed; Dail Eireann, where the government meets; and rows of Georgian houses with gaily-collared doorways. Stop at Dublin Castle for a guided tour through the elegant State Apartments, which are filled with elaborate Waterford Crystal chandeliers and furnishings. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure or use your open-top bus and Guinness or Jameson vouchers to explore the city on your own. In the evening drive to Taylor’s Three Rock Pub for a great dinner of Irish specialties, which is followed by a lively show of traditional Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (B,D)
Day 7: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and travel through the centre of Ireland, stopping to view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel. Continue your drive south to visit Blarney Castle and kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills where you can find quality Irish-made goods. Drive into County Kerry where the scenery becomes more mountainous to Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes and mountains. Check in to your downtown hotel and relax before dinner. Afterwards you may like to head to a “singing pub.” (B,D)
Day 8: Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Today embark on the Ring of Kerry drive – a winding route with breathtaking sights of mountains and coastal views. Stop near the Gap of Dunloe to see Essence of Kerry, an audio-visual presentation. As you travel, there will be plenty of stops for photos. Meet a local farmer for a taste of farm life with a sheepdog demonstration of herding flocks. Cross to Valencia Island by bridge to visit the Skellig Experience which describes the life of early monks who led austere lives on the nearby islands. Drive through Waterville and stop in Sneem to admire brightly-painted houses. Pause at Moll’s Gap for stunning views and take a guided walk around Muckross Gardens before returning to Killarney in time to relax before dinner. (B,D)
Day 9: Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle
Drive to Tarbert for a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary. Continue to the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of limestone that reaches 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Drive to Bunratty to check into Bunratty Castle Hotel, located very close to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. If you wish, you may visit the Folk Park, have a drink in the 200-year-old Durty Nelly’s Pub or shop at the Bunratty Mills. In the evening head to Bunratty Castle for a memorable medieval-style feast. During and after the meal the lords and ladies will serenade you with song and harp music, evocative of the middle Ages. (B,D)
Day 10: Shannon Airport or Dublin Extension
Clients on the 10-day tour will take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport where your tour concludes at 10:30 am. (B)
OPTION - FINISH IN DUBLIN DAY 11 - Itinerary here
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