Wed, Oct 20

UNITED STATES TO GLASGOW

Depart your hometown and take an overnight flight across the Atlantic. Enjoy in-flight entertainment and meal service as you travel to start your vacation. 

Thu, Oct 21

GLASGOW ARRIVAL & SIGHTSEEING

Land in Glasgow and after you disembark, pass through customs and immigration checks at the airport.  Your CIE Tours guide will meet you in the Arrivals Hall, welcome you to Scotland and assist in transferring to your motorcoach. Take a tour to see the highlights of Glasgow where many fine Victorian buildings are made with local red sandstone.  Drive around George Square, filled with statues of Sir Walter Scott, Queen Victoria and other influential people.  See the Victorian City Chambers, opened in 1888 by Queen Victoria.  Pass Glasgow Cathedral, a splendid 12^th century Gothic building dedicated to St. Mungo, the patron saint of the city. Drive north along the shores of the celebrated Loch Lomond to enjoy the magnificent scenery.  Stop in the delightful village of Luss with its stone cottages and tidy gardens. Continue to the town of Oban. After checking into your hotel, enjoy some leisure time before joining your fellow travelers for dinner in the hotel restaurant.

DINNER & OVERNIGHT: CALEDONIAN HOTEL, OBAN

Fri, Oct 22

ISLES OF MULL & IONA

Today take a ferry ride from Oban to the Isle of Mull, which is one of the most beautiful of the Hebrides.  After a scenic drive across the mountains of Mull take another short ferry ride to the peaceful Isle of Iona, the burial place of many Scottish kings, including Macbeth.  Visit the Iona Abbey, a place of pilgrimage where St. Columba founded Scotland’s first Christian settlement in the 6th century.  Then enjoy some free time to explore on your own before returning to Oban by coach and ferry. Tonight dine with your group in the hotel restaurant.

DINNER & OVERNIGHT: CALEDONIAN HOTEL, OBAN

Sat, Oct 23

Oban distillery & Stirling Castle

After breakfast this morning visit the Oban Distillery, one of the few distilleries to be built, in 1794, prior to the actual town. The distillery only has two pot stills, making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a 'West Highland' flavor that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands. Then depart Oban and journey southeast through the scenic countryside to the historic town of Stirling where you will visit Stirling Castle. Captured from the English in 1297 by William Wallace and again in 1314 by Robert the Bruce, Stirling Castle has featured largely throughout Scottish history. At one time it was a royal residence and Mary, Queen of Scots, spent some years here. Continue your travels into Edinburgh, capital of Scotland, and check into your hotel.  Enjoy the balance of the afternoon and evening at leisure for independent activities and dining.

OVERNIGHT: ROXBURGHE HOTEL, EDINBURGH

Sun, Oct 24

EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING

After breakfast this morning, meet your city guide and take a tour of Scotland's capital city. Start your sightseeing with a drive through the heart of the city along Princes Street, famous for its shops on one side and gardens on the other. See the 18th century New Town with its broad streets, spacious squares and elegant town houses.  Then drive along the Royal Mile and view the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Stop for a guided tour of the imposing Edinburgh Castle, perched high above the city on volcanic rock.  The afternoon and evening are spent at leisure for you to browse, shop, sightsee and dine independently. 

OVERNIGHT: ROXBURGHE HOTEL, EDINBURGH

Mon, Oct 25

Larne Ferry & Drive to Dublin

Depart Edinburgh early this morning and drive south through part of the Southern Uplands and along the coastline. At Stranraer take a ferry ride across the narrow channel between Scotland and Ireland to Larne, just outside Belfast. Drive south to Dublin and check into your hotel where the balance of the afternoon and evening are at leisure for independent activities and dining.

OVERNIGHT: DAVENPORT HOTEL, DUBLIN  

Tue, Oct 26

DUBLIN HIGHLIGHTS

This morning enjoy a city sightseeing tour of Dublin, an elegant and artistic city with spacious Georgian squares. Stop to tour St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is almost as old as the city itself and famous for its connections with the brilliantly eccentric Dean Jonathan Swift.  Next visit the Guinness Storehouse to see exhibits on how this world famous stout was first created and why it is so popular today.  Finish your visit in the roof-top bar, Gravity, overlooking the city center where you can sample a draft Guinness and enjoy the view of the city.  The afternoon and evening are free for independent activities, sightseeing, shopping, dining, pubs and much more.

OVERNIGHT: DAVENPORT HOTEL, DUBLIN 

Wed, Oct 27

IRISH NATIONAL STUD & KILKENNY 

This morning depart Dublin and drive to Kildare which is in the heart of Ireland's horse country.  A visit to the Irish National Stud will show you the history and current trends of horse-breeding in Ireland.  See some of the magnificent horses and learn about horse-breeding.  Then take a walk around the Japanese Gardens which were established in 1908 and represent the "Life of Man" from cradle to grave in the traditional Japanese style of gardening.  Also see the charming St. Fiachra’s Garden with water features and beehive huts. After your visit, drive south through pleasant farmland to the marketing town of Carlow and on to Kilkenny. Take a guided tour around Kilkenny Castle, home of the Butlers, Earls and Dukes of Ormonde.  The castle was first built in 1192 and added to over the centuries.  Restored to 1830’s splendor, it houses wonderful paintings and furniture.  Check into your hotel with time to relax or explore before tonight’s dinner.

DINNER & OVERNIGHT: RIVERCOURT HOTEL, KILKENNY

Thu, Oct 28

ROCK OF CASHEL & BUNRATTY

Depart Kilkenny and travel west to visit the Rock of Cashel, which was the seat of the early Kings of Munster.  See many of the impressive ecclesiastical buildings including Cormac's Chapel, built around 1130, and view the surrounding countryside from the high outcrop on which the buildings are gathered.  Continue west to the village of Bunratty. After checking into your hotel, you are at leisure to relax or explore some of the attractions near your hotel-choose from Bunratty Folk Park, Bunratty Village Mills and Durty Nelly’s Pub.

This evening head to the Bunratty Corn Barn, which is the setting for a traditional ceili, an evening of music, song and dancing. After a home-style meal of Irish stew, soda bread and apple pie with cream, the entertainment that follows is a reminder of how farming communities created their own entertainment before the advent of cinema, radio and television.

OVERNIGHT:  BUNRATTY CASTLE HOTEL, BUNRATTY

Fri, Oct 29

RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES

Sadly, today your Irish vacation has come to its final day.  Transfer to Shannon Airport in good time to check in for your flight.   You may do some last minute shopping at the duty free stores.  Then clear U.S. Immigration before boarding your aircraft and flying across the Atlantic Ocean back to the United States.