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Best of Scotland and Ireland
13 Day First Class Escorted Tour
The best of Scotland travel combined with the best of Ireland travel. Here, there are no strangers - only friends you have not yet met. The lilting accents and wit of the locals will enchant you.
ITINERARY:
Monday - DEPART FROM HOME Your vacation begins the moment you board your flight. Destination: EDINBURGH.
Tuesday - EDINBURGH Take a hop-on-hop-off panoramic sightseeing tour of Edinburgh. Tour highlights include Edinburgh Castle, St. Gile's Cathedral, Burns Monument, National Gallery, and the Palace of Holyrood House. Learn the tale of Greyfriar's Bobby, who reportedly spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner. (CB)
Wednesday - ALNWICK CASTLE & GARDENS All-day excursion to the family home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. Set in a stunning Capability Brown landscape, Alnwick (annick)) Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England (after Windsor Castle) and was extensively used for the broomstick flying and Quiddich games in the Harry Potter films. Return to Edinburgh for a traditional Scottish Music Show. (CB,D)
Thursday - INVERNESS/LOCH NESS MONSTER Drive alongside Loch Ness, where we enjoy monster hunting at the ruined Urquhart Castle. Nearby, the native Caledonian Pine Forest landscape will take you back in time to how Scotland would have looked 500 years ago. Overnight in a bed and breakfast. (B)
Friday - RIDE THE HARRY POTTER TRAIN/ISLE OF SKYE Ride the Jacobite "Hogwarts Express" steam locomotives. We head by ferry to Skye, and up to Portree, where pastel houses line the harbor. Skye has ruined castles, awesome scenery, Viking fortresses and is home to legendary clans, immersed in Celtic myths & legends. We stop to visit the famous Eilean Donan Castle, used in the film "Highlander" and a James Bond movie. (B)
Saturday - GLEN COE/EDINBURGH Enjoy the mystical mountains of Glencoe. In the 1692 battle here, 40 members of the MacDonald clan were massacred in cold blood by the Campbells for not forswearing the Jacobite cause. They say you can still hear their cries! Our hotel is an authentic 13th century Scottish castle hotel set within acres of wooded parkland on the picturesque banks of the River Esk. (B)
Sunday- EDINBURGH/DUBLIN Arrive in Dublin, Ireland's capital, which has retained its Georgian elegance, and transfer to your hotel. Our afternoon of Dublin takes you to Trinity College to see the monk's manuscripts - the Book of Kells, and St. Patrick's, Ireland's national cathedral. Visit the Guinness Storehouse in the heart of old Dublin, where you sample Ireland's most famous creamy stout. Optional: Storytelling, dinner and traditional music in a candelit Dublin pub. (B)
Monday - DUBLIN/WICKLOW DAY TRIP Offering an unrivalled variety unique flowers and plants, Wicklow is aptly known as "The Garden of Ireland". The hills and valleys yield quaint villages, and classical mansions. Travel to Powerscourt Estate, with its extensive Italianate garden. The, we are off to Glendalough, the monastery founded by St. Kevin. Its round tower is one of the best preserved in Europe. Return to Dublin to explore the ambience of busy streets in the city center. (B)
Tuesday -KILKENNY HOMESTAY Enjoy the relaxed pace of Ireland, known for its bogs and turf fires, rich farmlands and scenic countryside. Travel through the Curragh, the horse breeding center of Ireland. Kilkenny, with its cobbled streets, is one of the finest examples of an Irish medieval town. You visit Kilkenny Castle, followed by a pub lunch. Tonight, "Meet the Irish" by staying as a welcome guest in a local home. (B,L)
Wednesday - BLARNEY/COBH/KILLARNEY If your family emigrated from Ireland, they probably left from Cobh. The village is closely associated with the loss of the Titanic, too. Visit Blarney, with a chance to kiss "The Stone". The place has an aura of magic and mystique with many other delights, telling a story of centuries past. Travel through landscapes of the rarest green, where herds of black and white cows peek from every hill on the way to Killarney. (B, D)
Thursday - RING OF KERRY EXCURSION An incredible day awaits! The scenic and spectacular Ring of Kerry offers unrivaled views of County Kerry's magnificent shoreline, one of nature's masterpieces. Traveling via Killorglin you see beautiful mountain vistas and rugged landscapes along the way. Travel through Killarney by pony and trap. Have your camera ready! A musical pub evening is in store for us tonight, complete with local entertainment. (B,D)
Friday - ADARE/SHANNON Visit Muckross Traditional Farm for tea and scones, where you will see villagers practicing ancient farming techniques. Next, Adare is a quaint picturesque village lined with traditional thatched-roof cottages, and ruins. Optional upgrade to Adare Manor. Optional and highly recommended: A night like no other. Medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle. You'll be transported back in time as you sip the traditional mead in the great banquet hall and don bibs to eat authentic recipes with your fingers! Madrigal singers, and musicians bring the era to life.(B)
Saturday - HOMEWARD The tour ends with a transfer to Shannon Airport. (B) Transfers to Dublin available at added cost.
INCLUDES:
- Airport transfers according to schedule below.
- Deluxe motorcoach transportation
- Driver/professional guide throughout
- First-class accommodations for 11 nights; room with private bath
- 11 hearty breakfasts (B), 1 pub lunch, 3 dinners (D)
- Tea and scones at a farmhouse
- Baggage handling
- All taxes and service charges
- All sightseeing and entrance fees. Some highlights: Book of Kells at Trinity College "Ballykissangel" and Guinness Brewery & Pub visit Kilkenny Castle Blarney Castle Killarney by pony and trap and Ring of Kerry tour Muckross Traditional Farm Edinburgh - hop on hop off tour voucher Borders - Alnwick Castle Highlands - Ride the Hogwarts Express, Eilean Donan Castle, Urquhart Castle Skye - Ferry to the Isle of Skye Scenic Drives - Royal Mile, Princes Street, magnificent Glen Coe, the road to Skye, Braveheart Country, searching for the Loch Ness Monster, Scottish Highlands
- Passport Case with "What You Need To Know Before You Go"
- Lynott Tours Irish song-sheet for our on board sing alongs
- Lynott Tours Baggage Strap
Your 3* & 4* B&B's/hotels/castles:
- Edinburgh Apex European Hotel 2 nights
- Fort William/Skye/Inverness Bed and breakfast 2 nights
- Edinburgh Dalhousie Castle/Borthwick Castle/1 night
- Dublin Grafton Capital 2 nights
- Kilkenny - Bed and breakfast 1 night
- Killarney Dromhall Hotel 2 nights
- Shannon Oakwood Arms or Adare Manor 1 night
2012
| Departs to Edinburgh Monday |
Returns From Shannon Saturdays |
Land Only |
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| 14-May |
26-May |
3,795 |
| 28-May |
9-Jun |
3,795 |
| 11-Jun |
23-Jun |
3,795 |
| 25-Jun |
7-Jul |
3,795 |
| 9-Jul |
21-Jul |
3,795 |
| 23-Jul |
4-Aug -Tattoo option |
3,795 |
| 6-Aug |
18-Aug |
3,940 |
| 20-Aug |
1-Sep |
3,940 |
| 3-Sep |
Sep. 15 |
3,795 |
| 17-Sep |
29-Sep |
3,795 |
Save $476 per person on coach tours if you 5-11 and sharing with two paying passenger. Single Room Supplement: $1061. Tattoo tickets on August departures available at a cost of $130. Twin supplement for Dromoland Castle $233.. Airfare at added cost includes air taxes. Land tours begin in Scotland one day later than departure date shown.
This tour is operated by Lynott Tours
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