8/9 Days – Irish & Scottish Sampler

Your tour begins at 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Visit Dalkey Castle, built in 1390, where 500 years of history are brought to life with costumed actors in a fun and interactive tour. Your leisurely stroll in this heritage town will follow in the footsteps of international best-selling writer Maeve Binchy to the Memorial Garden in her honor and past the favorite pub of U2’s Bono, a local resident. Enjoy a welcome drink at your hotel with your group before some free time for dining independently

Take a panoramic tour of Dublin, seeing the stateliness of its Georgian buildings and the lively buzz of its shop-lined streets. Visit Dublin’s spiritual heart: the 1,000- year-old Christ Church Cathedral. See its magnificent interior, filled with treasures reflecting Ireland’s history. Enjoy an afternoon of independent exploring in Dublin before heading out for an Irish night at Taylors Three Rock, where you’ll be entertained by a lively show over dinner. (B, D)

Visit the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre to learn about the nearby passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, followed by a visit to one of these ancient tombs, constructed over 5,000 years ago. Visit the stately Hillsborough Castle, the home of Queen Elizabeth when she visits Northern Ireland. Embark on a panoramic tour of Belfast to see Victorian buildings, the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square, and the shipyards where RMS Titanic was built. (B, D)

Travel along part of the Nine Glens of Antrim, a scenic region with lovely views of mountains, valleys, and coastline. Discover the Giant’s Causeway, a natural wonder formed over 60 million years ago by cooling lava that has given rise to many legends. Enjoy lunch with your group in Ireland’s oldest thatched roof pub, the Crosskeys Inn. (B, L)

Discover 150 years of history at Crumlin Road Gaol, a Victorian-era prison, and hear stories of some of the 25,000 people who served time there. Next, board the ferry to Scotland, and then continue your journey northwards into the magnificent scenery of the Scottish Highlands to your historic hotel in Pitlochry. The hotel still retains many original features, with unique guest rooms and spacious grounds. (B, D)

Tour Blair Athol Distillery to see how whisky is distilled and sample a wee dram. Continue to St Andrews on the east coast. This town is renowned as the “Home ofGolf” and for its university, Scotland’s oldest. Take a short walking tour and spend some time exploring on your own. July 31 – August 14 departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B)