England, Ireland & Scotland

Day 1 – Dublin

Depart for Great Britain.

Day 2 – Dublin

Welcome to the Emerald Isle! Your private bus and drn a Dublin City Tour see the National Gallery, the National Museum, and visit Dublin Castle. Constructed from 1204 to 1226, the castle features impressive state apartments and the Heraldic Museum. Continue to Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland, founded in 1591, and the alma mater of Samuel Beckett, Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde among others. Here you can see the famous Book of Kells and other beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages displayed in the Colonnades Gallery.

Day 3 – Edinburgh

Tour the narrow winding streets of Kilkenny to see Kilkenny Castle. Visit the Rock of Cashel National Monument. This limestone rock was the seat of the Munster Kings from 370 AD until the 12th century. In 1101, the Rock of Cashel was adopted by the church as the ecclesiastical seat of the Archbishops. Continue to the pretty little port of Waterford, home of the legendary crystal makers. Watch the master glass blowers, crystal cutters and engravers in action.

Day 4 – Edinburgh

Travel to Scotland by ferry. Edinburgh is one of Europe’s great and beautiful cities, from the broad sweep of Prince’s Street to the striking view of Castle Rock, dominated by the ramparts of historic Edinburgh castle. Option: Enjoy more time in Edinburgh with a flight from Dublin.

Day 5 – York

Discover the capital of Scotland on an Edinburgh City Tour. See St. Giles Cathedral and Castle Rock, and visit Edinburgh Castle. Then stroll along the Royal Mile to see Holyrood House, the official residence of the Scottish Monarch. The afternoon is free to continue your explorations with your advisor. You may wish to visit Greyfriars Kirk to see the statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby and learn the story of this faithful Skye terrier that has had a hold on public sentiment for more than a century.

Day 6 – London

Transfer by way of Hadrian’s Wall, built in AD 122 as a defense against the “barbarians” of the north. The ancient city of York is still surrounded by its medieval walls, and in places one can still see the Roman foundations upon which these walls were built. Ramble down the narrowest and best-known street with your courier this evening on The Shambles Walk.

Day 7 – London

Travel to London through Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and visit Ann Hathaway’s Cottage. On your London City Tour see Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and other highlights of the largest city in Europe. Also visit Westminster Abbey, the historic site of numerous royal weddings and coronations. Highlights include the Coronation Chair and Screen, and Poets’ Corner with its monuments to Chaucer, Milton, Longfellow, Thomas and other literary notables.

Day 8 – London

Visit the British Museum where the history of civilization awaits. Its vast collection includes Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek, Roman, British, Oriental and medieval antiquities. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone (196 BC), the Lewis Chessmen, the Parthenon Sculptures, the new galleries of Egyptian funerary archaeology, and an exhibit dedicated to the Beatles. This evening “the play’s the thing” when you attend a West End Theatre Performance.

Day 9 – Depart

Leave Great Britain behind but carry home many wonderful and historic memories.