British & Irish Landmarks

19 days
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4.5/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
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USTOA

Group Tour
A great in-depth tour starting in London and ending in Dublin. Visit Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and historic York before heading north to Edinburgh with its dramatic castle. Continue to St Andrews and through the Highlands and the Isle of Mull. Cross to Belfast by ferry and travel around almost the entire Irish coastline with daily sightseeing.
From$3,522
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Enjoy the awesome Scottish & Irish Dinner/Shows
    • Great Scenery & Coastal Views
    • Enjoy watching Sheepdog trials on Ring of Kerry
    • Visits and admissions to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, York Minster, Edinburgh Castle
    • Opportunity to Loch Ness Cruise
    • Discover Edinburgh’s highlights on a city tour
    • Visit St Andrews, famous for golfing and Scotland’s oldest university
    • Tour Dublin to see the main sights.

What's this trip about?

    A great in-depth tour starting in London and ending in Dublin. Visit Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and historic York before heading north to Edinburgh with its dramatic castle. Continue to St Andrews and through the Highlands and the Isle of Mull. Cross to Belfast by ferry and travel around almost the entire Irish coastline with daily sightseeing.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityLondon
End CityDublin

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • Hiking & Walking
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • Europe
  • United Kingdom
  • England
  • Scotland
  • Ireland

Attractions

  • Belfast
  • Derry
  • Dublin
  • Edinburgh
  • Galway
  • Loch Ness
  • London

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Nature
  • River cruise

Trip includes

    • Sightseeing by luxury coach
    • Professional tour director
    • 18 nights in hotels listed
    • Full breakfast daily (B) except on day 1
    • 12 dinners (D) including: Scottish Evening in Edinburgh, Taylor’s Three Rock Pub dinner/show, 10 table d'hote dinners
    • 1 lunch (L)
    • Welcome get-together drink
    • Tours of London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin
    • London open-top bus tour with Tower of London or Kensington Palace visit
    • Walking tours of York, St Andrews, Derry, Galway, Waterford and Dublin’s Trinity College
    • Reserved seats for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 04 to 18 departures
    • Loch Ness scenic cruise
    • Oban Distillery whisky tasting and tour
    • Ferry rides to Isle of Mull, between Britain and Ireland and across River Shannon
    • Irish coffee on Inishowen Peninsula
    • “The Quiet Man” walking tour of Cong
    • Tea & scones at J B Keane’s Pub in Listowel
    • Sheepdog trials on Ring of Kerry
    • Visits and admissions to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, York Minster, Edinburgh Castle, St Andrews Cathedral, Duart Castle, Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Giant’s Causeway, Donegal Castle, Cliffs of Moher, Muckross House, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Titanic Experience, House of Waterford Crystal, Dunbrody Famine Ship and Book of Kells at Trinity College
    • Audio headsets and group photo
    • 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

View Similar Trips

Itinerary

Day 1: London Arrival & Tour

Meals: Dinner

Your vacation starts at your London hotel at 2:00 pm when you meet your tour director and head out on a panoramic tour of central London. See famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big...

Day 2: Tower of London & City Sights

Meals: Breakfast

Today schedule your London sightseeing as you wish on an open-top bus tour. There are a number of different bus routes as well as a walking tour and a cruise on the River Thames. Visit either the Tower of London to view the magnificent Crown Jewels or Kensington Palace, home of Princess Diana. You are free to choose a restaurant to dine independently.

Day 3: Shakespeare’s Birthplace & York

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive north to the attractive town of Stratford-upon-Avon and visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace to see an exhibition about his life and work. Then enter the house where he was born to see rooms furnished as they would have been in his day. Continue your journey north to the medieval city of York and check in to your hotel in time for dinner.

Day 4: York Minster & Scottish Evening in Edinburgh

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning join a local guide for a walking tour around central York to appreciate narrow streets and medieval houses. The stately York Minster, with towers and stained glass, is the highlight of the walk. Travel north and stop briefly in Melrose to view the ruins of the abbey. Drive to Edinburgh and dine at a Scottish Evening with bagpipes and lively music.

Day 5: Edinburgh Castle & Guided City Tour

Meals: Breakfast

Discover Edinburgh’s highlights on a city tour. See the elegant 200-year-old Georgian “New Town” and the compact medieval city centered on the Royal Mile. Tour Edinburgh Castle to view the Crown Jewels of Scotland and enjoy splendid views of central Edinburgh. On August 04 to 18 departures, experience the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Day 6: St Andrews & Highland Scenery

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel north to St Andrews, famous for golfing and Scotland’s oldest university. Take a walking tour around the town with your tour director who will tell you about the famous people and happenings here. Visit the picturesque ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. Stop in Pitlochry on the way to your hotel in Inverness, in the Highlands.

Day 7: Loch Ness Cruise & Oban Distillery

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Enjoy more wonderful Highland views as you travel along the shoreline of Loch Ness and take a scenic cruise to admire great views and perhaps spot “Nessie.” Drive along the west coast to Oban and visit Oban Distillery to see how whisky is distilled and sample some at the end of the tour.

Day 8: Isle of Mull & Duart Castle

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Take a ferry ride from Oban to the Isle of Mull, one of the Inner Hebrides. Tour many of the historic chambers of Duart Castle, home of Sir Lachlan Maclean, the present Clan Chief. Drive to the colorful coastal town of Tobermory for a look around before returning to Oban by coach and ferry.

Day 9: Glen Coe & Rabbie Burns

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning bid farewell to the Highlands as you drive through Glen Coe and alongside Loch Lomond. Stop briefly in Alloway at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum to learn about the famous poet’s life and poetry. Continue to Cairnryan for a short ferry ride to Belfast.

Day 10: Belfast & Giant’s Causeway

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Tour the highlights of Belfast to see the impressive City Hall and Victorian buildings. Travel along the scenic Nine Glens of Antrim and visit the Giant’s Causeway, hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Pause at Dunluce Castle and head to Derry.

Day 11: Derry & Inishowen Peninsula

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Start your day with a short walk around the medieval city walls of Derry. Then drive around the Inishowen Peninsula. Admire great views as you follow the coastline and stop at Malin Head, the most northerly point and sip an Irish coffee.

Day 12: Donegal Castle & Galway

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel through the Blue Stack Mountains to Donegal town where you will tour Donegal Castle, built in the 15th century by an O’Donnell chieftain. Continue your drive south passing through Counties Sligo and Mayo to Galway. Join a local guide for a walking tour around the compact center of the city before dinner.

Day 13: Connemara & "The Quiet Man"

Meals: Breakfast

Take a drive through the stunning scenery of Connemara and in Cong take a short walking tour to see movie locations from “The Quiet Man.” Return to Galway for an afternoon at leisure to explore the city.

Day 14: Cliffs of Moher & Killarney

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive through the Burren to view the majestic Cliffs of Moher, which rise 700 feet above the foaming Atlantic Ocean and cross the River Shannon Estuary by ferry. Stop at J B Keane’s Pub in Listowel for tea with scones and head to Killarney.

Day 15: Ring of Kerry & Sheepdogs

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Drive to the delightful town of Kenmare and journey along part of the Ring of Kerry route to view spectacular mountain scenery. Visit a farm to watch trained dogs herding sheep. Just outside Killarney tour the gracious 19th century Muckross House. Lunch is included and the evening is at leisure.

Day 16: Blarney Castle & Waterford

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel to Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also shop at the Blarney Woollen Mills before heading to Cobh to visit the Titanic Experience which tells about the 123 Irish people who embarked on the RMS Titanic. Continue to Waterford and after dinner take a walking tour.

Day 17: Waterford Crystal & Taylor’s Three Rock

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Tour the famous House of Waterford Crystal to watch molten glass being transformed into shimmering trophies by skilled blowers and cutters. Visit Dunbrody Famine Ship, a replica of a Famine vessel. Travel to Dublin and dine at Taylor’s Three Rock Pub with a lively show.

Day 18: Dublin & Book of Kells

Meals: Breakfast

Tour central Dublin to see the main sights. Take a guided walking tour through the campus of Trinity College to view the illuminated manuscript of the Book of Kells. Afternoon and evening are free.

Day 19: Tour Ends in Dublin

Meals: Breakfast

Your tour ends after breakfast.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,522
Price per day$185
Single supplement (single occupancy)$1,511
Last Updated: 8/2/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with CIE Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

CIE Tours Reviews & Ratings

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Terrible
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Other CIE Tours Reviews

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Jason

Jun 2024

Written on

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We used CIE for an amazing tour of Ireland. The food and the locals were amazing. Here is my issue: we were told that another CIE tour from Scotland would be joinin...

E

Exasperated

Dec 2023

Written on

Terrible Company

I waited 20 years for my dream trip to Scotland and Ireland and splurged $7000 on this tour. The second half of touring Ireland was great, the first portion in Scotl...

P

Pam H

Apr 2022

Written on

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME/MONEY WITH CIE!

I gave this return 1 star only because that’s the lowest possible option, otherwise they would receive 0 stars!!! I had a trip planned for September of 2021 to Icela...

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Tour Operator

CIE Tours

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For the 2015 season we will celebrate 83 years of travel excellence! During this time CIE Tours International has provided travellers with the highest quality holidays to Ireland and Britain and we continue to improve our tours and our services.

Over the years we have built up an enviable reputation for security and reliability with satisfied clients throughout the world. We set our own high standards for delivering excellent holidays with state-of-the-art luxury coaches; prompt and pleasant customer service; the best hotels; and carefully chosen visits and entertainment.

Our coach tours are fully inclusive with no optional extras to purchase at your destination. You pay one price and we insist that our tour directors focus solely on your enjoyment. Once you pay the deposit, we guarantee our land tour prices.

If you prefer to travel independently, we offer self-drive and chauffeur-drive programs for Ireland with a wide range of hotel accommodation, which can be booked in advance, as well as popular B & Bs. Whichever way you like to travel, choose one of our fine holidays from our website and enjoy the greatest travel experience ever!

What makes CIE Tours unique?

Sightseeing Visits: CIE Tours includes a variety of attractions on every tour for an interesting travel experience. Check each tour itinerary to see exactly which places are featured. Admission costs are included in the tour price so that you don't waste time paying as you enter each attraction.

Guaranteed Departures & Prices: We guarantee most of our land tour departures which are updated daily on our website. We guarantee land tour costs will not increase, once you have paid your tour deposit, to protect you against international currency fluctuations.

Group Airport Transfers: As a newcomer to an airport, it's great to have someone meet you. We include complimentary group transfers on the starting and ending date of tours at times specified on each itinerary. If you arrive or depart later than our tour dates, you may purchase a transfer from us.

Travel Documents: On arrival CIE Tours will supply coach tour clients with tour vouchers, maps, ticket wallets, destination information, rain poncho, carry-on backpack, phone cards, VAT tax card, luggage tags and a strap. Self-drive clients receive accommodation vouchers and listings, ticket wallets, luggage tags and a strap. Use the tags and strap on your baggage for easy identification throughout your holiday. All you need to supply is a valid passport and, if driving, a current drivers license.

Leisure & Spa Facilities: Most of the hotels we use offer wonderful leisure facilities and spas. When you travel on a coach tour, you will have some free time most days and may like to enjoy some relaxation and spa serenity! So be sure to pack a swimsuit and workout clothes.

History & Geography: People who choose to travel in Ireland and Britain usually have an interest in the long history of the region and, as you tour around, you will visit a lot of ancient cities, churches and castles. All of our tour directors are well trained in the background information of the places and incorporate this history into their narratives in a manner that is fun and easy to digest. Similarly they are able to give you facts on the geography of the regions you travel through, giving you an insight into climate, farming, weather and other topics.

Coach Touring & Sightseeing: Some people think that on a coach tour, all you do is sit on the coach all day. Not true with CIE Tours! We have created balanced and varied days of sightseeing with plenty of stops for taking photos, shopping, lunch, snacks and bathrooms. You never travel for longer than two hours without getting off the coach.

Fully Escorted Coach Tours:

See what you get on a CIE coach tour

--CIE Tours to Ireland, Scotland and Britain Luxury coach travel, daily sightseeing and a professional tour director

--CIE Tours to Ireland, Scotland and Britain Speedy group check-in at hotels

--CIE Tours to Ireland, Scotland and Britain All breakfasts and most dinners including special dinner/shows

--CIE Tours to Ireland, Scotland and Britain Airport transfers and baggage handling

--CIE Tours to Ireland, Scotland and Britain Prepaid hotels, meals and admissions help you control holiday costs

--CIE Tours to Ireland, Scotland and Britain Comprehensive tour documents

Selection Of Itineraries: Touring by coach is a holiday with a capital H! CIE Tours International offers the widest range of itineraries. Depending on your available time and budget, you can choose an ideal tour. All of our programs are carefully planned to permit full enjoyment of your holiday.

Luxury Touring Coaches: Travel in the height of comfort with CIE Tours and sit back and let an expert do the driving! Our state-of-the-art coaches feature panoramic windows for optimum viewing while reclining seats, individual climate controls and a public address system ensure your well-being.

Your Tour Director: CIE Tours could not exist without our great locally employed tour directors they are the envy of the travel industry. From the moment you land in Ireland or Britain, your tour director is there to welcome you, handle your luggage, drive you from place to place and give you a daily commentary. Tour directors make history and culture come alive and create a superb experience with daily doses of humour, information and assistance.

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Logistics

Accommodation

,Park Plaza London Waterloo: London (2 nights) York Marriott: York (1 night) Village Hotel Edinburgh: Edinburgh (2 nights) Columba Hotel: Inverness (1 night) Perle Oban Hotel: Oban (2 nights) Europa Hotel: Belfast (1 night) Everglades Hotel: Derry (2 nights) Galway Bay Hotel: Galway Castlecourt Hotel: Westport for July 21 Departure (2 nights) Killarney Plaza Hotel: Killarney (2 nights) Dooley's Hotel: Waterford (1 night) Radisson Blu Royal Hotel – Dublin: Dublin (2 nights)
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Meals Included

18 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch and 11 Dinners

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
cie-BriLanCie

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