Best of Ireland & Scotland

Best of Ireland & Scotland Giant’s Causeway SCOTLAND

Glencoe Loch

Lomond

Culloden 1 SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Pitlochry St Andrews 2 EDINBURGH DERRY~LONDONDERRY DERRY~LONDONDERRY 1

ISLE OF SKYE ISLE OF SKYE 1 Loch Ness GLASGOW GLASGOW 2

N.IRE

Donegal 1

BELFAST BELFAST

Travel to see the very Best of Ireland and Scotland, from delicate Waterford Crystal to the golfing greats of St Andrews. Kiss the Blarney Stone and you’ll be sharing tales from the Giant’s Causeway, the Ring of Kerry and the Scottish Highlands for years to come.

BALLINA BALLINA 1

IRELAND

Galway Kildare 2

DUBLIN DUBLIN

Ring of Kerry Adare

2

KILLARNEY KILLARNEY

Blarney 1

WATERFORD WATERFORD

YOUR MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHTS

EXPLORE Dublin, Derry~Londonderry, Belfast and Edinburgh with Local Specialists. DISCOVER Waterford, Adare, Galway and Glasgow. VISIT the Irish National Stud in Kildare, the Waterford Crystal showroom, Blarney Castle, the Giant’s Causeway, Titanic Belfast, a Whisky Distillery, Pitlochry and Edinburgh Castle. VIEW Eilean Donan Castle, the battlefield of Culloden and the 18th green at St Andrews SEE St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Galway Cathedral and Loch Lomond. SCENIC DRIVE of the Ring of Kerry.

INCLUDED EXTRAS

Tickets to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo are included on departures that coincide with performance dates.

Your Itinerary

DAY 1 | FÁILTE TO DUBLIN

Delve into the whimsy of the Irish capital, then join your fellow travelers and Travel Director for a Welcome Reception. (WR) Hotel: Mespil/Clayton Ballsbridge

DAY 2 | DISCOVER DIVERSE DUBLIN

Drive through the streets of Dublin, joining your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour past the stately Georgian Squares and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Spend the rest of the day on your own or consider joining an Optional Experience at an Irish cabaret. (B)

DAY 3 | JOURNEY TO WATERFORD

Dive Into Culture and explore Ireland’s strong tradition of breeding world-class thoroughbreds at the Irish National Stud. We travel to the House of Waterford Crystal this afternoon and Dive Into Culture yet again, witnessing talented master craftsmen at work in their workshop. (B) Hotel: Fitzwilton

DAY 4 | ONWARDS TO BLARNEY & KILLARNEY

Maybe bend over backwards and kiss the Blarney Stone to acquire the ‘gift of the gab’, before crossing the Kerry Mountains to Killarney. Visit the working farms of Muckross to Connect With Locals over dinner at a Be My Guest experience in the Quilles Farmhouse. (B,BMG) Hotel: Killarney Towers/Hotel Killarney

DAY 5 | A DAY ON THE RING OF KERRY

Embark on a soul-stirring journey around the Ring of Kerry. See Daniel O’Connell’s Cahirciveen, the coastal village of Waterville, the Black Valley and Moll’s Gap. (B)

DAY 6 | CONTINUE TO GALWAY & BALLINA

Drive to Adare, one of Ireland’s prettiest villages, known for its thatched cottages. See the imposing stone cathedral, built on the site of an old prison and Eyre Square on our next stop in Galway, where we’ll enjoy some free time before continuing our journey northward. This evening we dine in our hotel. (B,D)

Hotel: Ballina/The Ellison

DAY 7 | OFF TO DONEGAL & DERRY~LONDONDERRY

Head north to Donegal with its ‘Diamond’ center before joining a Local Specialist in Derry~Londonderry to see the ‘Troubles’ neighborhood of Bogside. (B)

Hotel: City

DAY 8 | ADMIRE THE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY & ON TO BELFAST

Tread in the footsteps of Finn MacCool and along the other-worldly Giant’s Causeway ‘steps’ that descend into the sea during a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience that will help to conserve this iconic landmark. We arrive in Belfast later and visit Titanic Belfast, where we’ll Dive Into Culture and gain insights into the tragic story of the famous ship. (B) Hotel: AC by Marriott

Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye

From the peace and quiet of vast open spaces to the hustle and bustle of capital cities, this trip captures the contrasts of our Celtic cousins. Experience the kinetic energy of Dublin and discover a distinctly different pace of life in the Inner Hebrides on the magical Isle of Skye.

VACATION PLANNER

15 DAYS | 20 MEALS

START: Dublin END: Edinburgh

2023 Departures Apr 08 ✚ ,15 ✚ ,17,22,24,29 May 01,06,08,13,15,20, 22,27,29 Jun 03,05,10,12,17,19,24,26 Jul 01,03,08,10,15,17, 22● ,24 ● ,29 ● ,31● Aug 05 ● ,07● ,12● ,14 ● ,19 21, 26,28 Sep 02,04,09,11,16,18, 23, 25, 30 Oct 02,07,14,21

CODE: BIAS

● Edinburgh Tattoo 4-26 August 2023: We’ve included Tattoo tickets when you’re in Edinburgh during these dates. See the

Edinburgh Military Tattoo panel on page 102 for further details. ✚ Special Rate Solo Rooming: These departures includes a 20–100% discount on our standard single supplement.

WANT TO TRAVEL IN 2024?

If you’re looking even further ahead, this trip departs every Saturday and Monday from mid April to October 2024. Visit our website for dates and prices.

Scottish Highlands

DAY 9 | CROSS THE IRISH SEA TO GLASGOW

Join your Local Specialist this morning for an included city tour to Queen’s University and City Hall. We board our ferry at Larne and cross to Cairnryan in Scotland, then drive to Glasgow. (B)

Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn City Centre/Maldron

DAY 10 | DISCOVER GLASGOW’S RICH LEGACY

Delve into Scotland’s intriguing cultural capital and stroll through the toon, admiring views of George Square and the River Clyde, once the heart of Scotland’s shipbuilding industry. We head to whisky country next, visiting a whisky distillery, where we’ll Dive Into Culture and learn how to make Scotland’s favorite honey-colored drink and have a chance to sample a wee dram. Our hearts warmed, we return to Glasgow for some free time to explore the city. (B)

DAY 11 | CONTINUE OVER THE SEA TO SKYE

Journey to the tragic site of the 1692 massacre of the MacDonalds at the ‘Glen of Weeping’. Continue to Fort William at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, then cross to the Isle of Skye, where we’ll spend this evening dining in our hotel. (B,D) Hotel: Dunollie Please Note: Hotels on the Isle of Skye are generally simpler establishments typical of the region and may be substituted with accommodations on the mainland. All sightseeing will remain the same as per the itinerary.

DAY 12 | VENTURE TO LOCH NESS & CULLODEN IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

We leave the rugged beauty of Skye behind and venture past Eilean Donan Castle before continuing along the banks of Loch Ness. See the bloody battlefield of Culloden before we dine at our hotel in the Scottish Highlands this evening. (B,D) Hotel: Highlander Please Note: Hotels in the Scottish Highlands are generally simpler establishments typical of the region.

DAY 13 | JOURNEY TO ENCHANTING EDINBURGH

Traversing the dramatic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, we pass Pitlochry before arriving in St Andrews to see its famous golf courses. We cross the scenic Firth of Forth to enchanting Edinburgh. Tickets to see the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo are included on departures that coincide with performance dates. (B) Hotel: Novotel Centre/Marriott

DAY 14 | UNCOVER EDINBURGH’S TREASURES

Join your Local Specialist for a guided sightseeing tour including a visit to Edinburgh Castle. See the Royal Mile, the elegant Palace of Holyrood in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat and the new Scottish Parliament building. Later, we join our Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Farewell Dinner. (B,FD)

DAY 15 | DEPART EDINBURGH

For now it’s time to say a fond farewell to Scotland and our newfound friends, at the end of an unforgettable Celtic sojourn. Find out more about your free airport transfer at brendanvacations.com/transfers. (B)