Please note the tour price reflected on the brochure is subject to change. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Please consult with the operator directly for the recent price.
British & Irish Grandeur
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Explore Scottish and Welsh Evenings with Local Foods and Music
- Explore Taylor's Three Rock Pub
- Visits and admissions to Hampton Court Palace
- Kiss The Blarney Stone
- Drive to Salisbury Plain to view the prehistoric circle of vast monoliths at Stonehenge
- Experience, a journey through the story and making of Irish whiskey
- Explore York Minster, Alnwick Castle & Garden and Edinburgh Castle
- Enjoy Titanic Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, Book of Kells at Trinity College, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills
- Jameson Experience, House of Waterford Crystal, Cardiff Castle, Roman Baths & Pump Room and Stonehenge
Short Description
Start and end in London on this in-depth vacation! Discover Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, medieval York and mighty Alnwick Castle before spending two nights in Edinburgh. Cross to Ireland to explore the Giant’s Causeway, Cliffs of Moher, Killarney, Blarney and Waterford. Travel through South Wales, stopping at Bath and Stonehenge and end with a night or two in London.
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. Head out on a panoramic tour of central London to see famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Join your tour director for a welcome drink and discuss your trip before dinner.
Day 2: Hampton Court Palace & Free Time in London
Meals: Breakfast
This morning discover the magnificence of Hampton Court Palace, Henry VIII's favorite royal residence. Move at your own pace through the breath-taking grandeur of Henry's State Rooms, vast Tudor kitchens and more. The afternoon and evening are free so you may use your included Oyster card to explore central London by public transport.
Day 3: Cambridge & York Minster Tour
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Take a stroll around Cambridge to view some of the famous university colleges, including King’s College, and the Mathematical Bridge over the River Cam. Head north to York for a walking tour to appreciate narrow streets and medieval houses. The stately York Minster, with towers and stained glass, is the highlight of the walk. Check in to your hotel and relax before dinner.
Day 4: Alnwick Castle & Edinburgh Evening
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Head north to visit Alnwick Castle, the second largest inhabited castle in England. View the lavish State Rooms with a stunning array of artifacts, an exhibit on Downton Abbey, and take a stroll through Alnwick Garden. Travel through the Northumberland National Park and on to your hotel near Edinburgh where you’ll experience a Scottish Evening with bagpipes and fun music.
Day 5: Edinburgh Castle & Guided City Tour
Meals: Breakfast
Discover Edinburgh’s highlights on a city tour. See the elegant Georgian “New Town” with spacious streets and the compact medieval city along the Royal Mile. Tour Edinburgh Castle to view the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. The rest of the day is free for independent activities. On August 06 to 20 departures, experience the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Day 6: Ferry to Ireland & Titanic Belfast
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning will be an early start as you drive to Cairnryan for a short ferry ride to Belfast. Tour the city highlights to see Victorian buildings, the impressive City Hall and the shipyards where RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Visit Titanic Belfast to learn about this ill-fated famous liner through state-of-the-art displays. Pub dinner at the Cultra Inn on the grounds of Culloden Hotel.
Day 7: Giant’s Causeway & Derry Walk
Meals: Breakfast
Travel along the scenic coastal route of the Nine Glens of Antrim and visit the Giant's Causeway, hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Stop for photos at the ruins of Dunluce Castle and head to Derry for a walking tour around the medieval city walls with a local guide. Drive south to your Victorian hotel located on Dublin Bay, a few miles from the city.
Day 8: Dublin Tour & Taylor’s Three Rock Pub
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning tour central Dublin to see spacious Georgian squares and streets, landmark public buildings and graceful townhouses. Take a guided walking tour of Trinity College’s campus and view the priceless Book of Kells. The afternoon is free and in the evening enjoy dinner at Taylor’s Three Rock Pub followed by Irish music and dance.
Day 9: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Travel south, pausing for photos at the stately Rock of Cashel, with 12th century church ruins. Just outside Cork, visit the famous Blarney Castle and climb to the ramparts to kiss the “Stone of Eloquence.” You may shop at the Blarney Woollen Mills for quality Irish-made goods. Continue your drive to Killarney, famous for its exquisite location.
Day 10: Ring of Kerry & Sheepdogs
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Drive to the delightful town of Kenmare for a look around and savor a casual lunch. Travel along part of the awesome Ring of Kerry route to view spectacular scenery at Moll’s Gap and at Ladies’ View. Stop at a sheep farm to see demonstrations of sheep herding and shearing before returning to Killarney where the evening is free.
Day 11: Jameson Whiskey & Waterford Crystal
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Head east to Midleton to tour the Jameson Experience, a journey through the story and making of Irish whiskey. Enjoy a sample at the end of the tour. Travel to Waterford and at the House of Waterford Crystal see how glass is blown and cut by master craftspeople. In the evening take a gentle walking tour with a local guide to discover the history of this old port city.
Day 12: South Wales & Cardiff Castle
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Depart Waterford early this morning to catch the ferry from Rosslare to Pembroke Dock. Journey through the gentle, green countryside to Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Head to Cardiff Castle, developed in Roman times and transformed into an elaborate 19th century Gothic-style residence, for a tour of the magnificent and varied chambers. In the evening head to a Welsh evening for dinner and local music and entertainment.
Day 13: Roman Baths & Stonehenge
Meals: Breakfast
This morning drive east to explore the mineral-rich hot springs at Bath. Tour the Roman Baths and Pump Room, first built by the Romans 2,000 years ago and revived during the 18th century. Drive to Salisbury Plain to view the prehistoric circle of vast monoliths at Stonehenge. Continue to London and check in to your hotel. The evening is at leisure.
Day 14: Tour ends in London
Meals: Breakfast
Your tour ends after breakfast.
Availability
- Single Supplement: $ 1,201
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192 CIE Tours Travel Reviews & Ratings
British & Irish Grandeur
Go To Ireland... Just Don't Use CIE
By the time our tour guide casually mentioned that their numbers on our particular tour were “way down” (our group had 28 the first week and only 18 the second week on a 50 person bus), I had already figured out why. CIE, as a company, is just not very good. Our group of three in Colorado, booked with some other family, a party of two, in Florida, to make sure we were on the same tour. The problem is, in spite of detailed explanation that we would be traveling separately and paying separately, CIE consistently attempted to treat us as a single party of five, both in payment and logistics. They charged our family in Florida an extra $50 to send their ‘travel bags’ to them directly. They messed up the travel vouchers for our group and even had them scheduled to be picked up at the wrong airport in England. This was clearly communicated on multiple occasions, but was still messed up by CIE.
Then there is their transport company. Before getting to the Denver airport, we received notice our flight into London would be delayed 2.5 hours. I called immediately, giving CIE a ten hour notice, and was told it would cost extra money for them to pick us up later. Apparently, they don’t do pickups afternoon. This would have been good information to have beforehand. Upon arrival, when I called the travel company at 2:00 pm local time, there was no answer so we ended up just taking a taxi and paying an extra $70 just to get to our hotel. Despite multiple requests, CIE has repeatedly refused to refund our $45 that we prepaid for our transfer, claiming a non-refundable policy. Think about this… 5 people on our trip, bringing in nearly $20,000 of revenue to this company, and rather than make it right, when the delay was no fault of our own, they choose to hold firm to their “non-refundable” policy and refuse to refund a measly $45.
I gave 3 stars rather than less because the tour itself was great. Our tour guide and itinerary were top notch. We did the 14 day Irish/British Grandeur and it was a whirlwind fourteen days. We saw a tremendous amount of sites and points of interest, but in doing so, we were exhausted by the end, despite being much younger than most of our tour companions. While there were a couple free afternoons and evenings, there wasn’t a single free morning. The mornings that we were leaving the hotel, we were to have bags out of our hotel room by 6:00 am or 7:00 am and we would be leaving between 45 mins and an hour later. Even when we stayed an additional night, our latest morning departure was 8:15 am. This is most definitely not a leisurely tour so be prepared to get good at sleeping on a bus.
The most disappointing part of it all though was the ‘bait and switch’ of the hotels. This tour was promoted as 4 and 5 star hotels, which was a complete fabrication. We stayed one night at a 5 star, two nights at a 4 star, and every single other hotel was maybe a 3 star. Maybe. Terribly uncomfortable beds, pillows, and poor service from hotel staff. For the price we paid for this trip, the hotels were a total rip-off and we expected better. The moral of the story is this; your numbers are down, CIE, because you’re not a very good company and word is spreading about your poor customer service. Go see Ireland! Just do it with a different company.
Company Reviews
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME/MONEY WITH CIE!
Loved our experience
Our Guide was awesome. John did an amazing job
Both unfair and unacceptable
Here is their policy on their own website
CIE TOURS CANCELLATIONS: If it becomes necessary to cancel a coach tour prior to departure, at the discretion of the company, CIE Tours will offer the next available date at no additional land cost or will make a full refund of all monies paid to CIE Tours. CIE Tours cannot accept responsibility for any additional costs or fees relating to such a tour booking or for any cancellation penalties due to non-refundable airfares, unless ticket is purchased from CIE Tours. Airline penalties may apply.
And yet they will not honor it. Stay away from this company. They do not care about you after they get your money.
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport
Group Size
Standard Group - 25 + people
Trip ID#:
BriCraCie
Meals Included
13 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches and 8 Dinners
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