Authentic Ireland and Scotland
Dublin, a luxury castle stay, Westport, Cong Connemara, Galway, The Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty, Edinburgh, Oban, the Highlands and Sterling
Optional Post-tour back to Edinburgh for the Military Tattoo
Our group with Tour Director, Sandy Gregory is being scheduled for
July 19 - Aug 1, 2024
Please inquire about pricing
For guests of Che Bella Tours: Irish Ancestry. Are you interested in learning about your Irish roots? Contact us to connect you with our local expert who will trace your Irish ancestors' records to discover more about their life ... and yours!
Dublin, a luxury castle stay, Westport, Cong Connemara, Galway, The Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty, Edinburgh, Oban, the Highlands and Sterling
Optional Post-tour back to Edinburgh for the Military Tattoo
Our group with Tour Director, Sandy Gregory is being scheduled for
July 19 - Aug 1, 2024
Please inquire about pricing
For guests of Che Bella Tours: Irish Ancestry. Are you interested in learning about your Irish roots? Contact us to connect you with our local expert who will trace your Irish ancestors' records to discover more about their life ... and yours!
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Please join Tour Director Sandy Gregory for this wonderful adventure through Ireland, or contact us to help you create your own independent travel experience with our Concierge Travel Services.
Suggested time to travel: June - September |
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Authentic Ireland:
2 nights in Dublin 2 nights at a luxury castle 3 nights Galway 1 night at Bunratty or Limerick Flight to Scotland Authentic Scotland: 3 nights Edinburgh 2 nights Oban 1 night in Pitlochery 1 nights in Stirling |
DAY 1: WELCOME TO DUBLIN. YOUR ADVENTURE BEGINS! |
Welcome to Ireland! Ireland is a mystical, magical place full of folklore and fairy tales, witty humor and engaging music. With 40 shades of green giving way to breathtaking landscapes, it’s easy to fall in love with the Emerald Isle. Most of all it’s the people themselves that I love the most, as they are truly caring and kind to all they meet. Enjoying life is something the Irish treasure and it’s never difficult to find someone willing to share a good story with over a nice cup of tea or a pint of Guinness. Good craic (fun) is what it is called and there will be plenty of it when we visit the truly authentic areas of Ireland.
Your driver will be waiting for you as you exit baggage claim and take you to your hotel. Check-in is usually at 3:00, so the hotel can hold your bags.
3 nights with breakfast.
Included transfer from Dublin airport to Galway
Included Welcome Dinner
Overnight Galway, 2 nights with breakfast
DAY 2. DUBLIN |
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This morning you will enjoy a private tour of Dublin through St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St Stephens Green, Grafton Street, Temple Bar and finish at Trinity College to see the gorgeously illustrated original manuscript of the Book of Kells and the massive Long Hall of the Old library. The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament transcribed by Celtic monks about year 800, when the rest of Europe was in the midst of the Dark Ages. The manuscript takes its name from the Abbey of Kells which was its home for centuries. It is widely regarded as a masterwork of Western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of Insular illumination.
Sandy’s Pub Crawl: Picture settling down for a whiskey or a pint of Guinness in a pub filled with welcoming patrons, with live Irish music setting the scene. With about a thousand pubs in the city, it’s hard to know where to start. But, no worries, I have been to Dublin quite a few times and have done the homework.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Sandy’s Pub Crawl: Picture settling down for a whiskey or a pint of Guinness in a pub filled with welcoming patrons, with live Irish music setting the scene. With about a thousand pubs in the city, it’s hard to know where to start. But, no worries, I have been to Dublin quite a few times and have done the homework.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
DAYS 3 & 4: A LUXURY CASTLE |
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DAY 3. This morning we head to our luxury 5-star castle, but first: a whiskey stop!
Your royal adventure begins when you enter through the grand stone gates of our 5-star castle hotel. Standing sentinel on the shores of Lough Corrib for over 800 years, it was once home to the Guinness family.
Book a spa treatment. Walk the estate grounds. Enjoy the castle before our
Included Dinner.
DAY 4. A day at your leisure. From country classic pastimes such as horse riding, fishing, falconry and clay shooting, to more modern activities such as tennis, golf and cycling, today is your day to enjoy the countryside. Picnics are available.
Your royal adventure begins when you enter through the grand stone gates of our 5-star castle hotel. Standing sentinel on the shores of Lough Corrib for over 800 years, it was once home to the Guinness family.
Book a spa treatment. Walk the estate grounds. Enjoy the castle before our
Included Dinner.
DAY 4. A day at your leisure. From country classic pastimes such as horse riding, fishing, falconry and clay shooting, to more modern activities such as tennis, golf and cycling, today is your day to enjoy the countryside. Picnics are available.
DAY 5: WESTPORT |
You will begin your day today with a visit Strokestown Park House, Gardens & National Famine Museum. There, you will discover the intimate and intriguing links between dramatically different Irish lives. The National Famine Museum brings compelling stories from the Great Irish Famine with a highly interactive museum that brings to life dramatic local and national stories from this tragic period in Ireland’s past.
The Strokestown Park’s Palladian mansion reflects the authentic details of life in the Irish country house in centuries past. The atmosphere of faded grandeur, and its original collections of art, curios and everyday objects, set across grand rooms and servants’ quarters, offer you vivid insights into what life was like for everyone, above and below stairs.
Cong is a small village famous for its 12th century abbey, the lavish gold and silver processional Cross of Cong from 1123, the magnificent Ashford Castle, the village’s links with Oscar Wilde and, most popularly, its association with the John Wayne classic movie, The Quiet Man.
We'll arrive this afternoon in Westport, a charming town in County Mayo. WIth stone bridges, and tree-lined riverfront street, it’s a picture-perfect Georgian city center. Between the town centre and waterfront is Westport House, a grand country estate set in large gardens. Westport is an excellent spot if you want to listen to traditional tunes in a cozy pub.
Westport is considered the foodie capital of Ireland, this evening we will embark on an included evening foodie tour. We'll ramble through the streets and alleyways of the charming town and sample delicacies from the finest shops, cafes and restaurants in the country, including scones, boxties, top tarts, local beer and hand-crafted ice cream.
1 night in Westport with breakfast.
The Strokestown Park’s Palladian mansion reflects the authentic details of life in the Irish country house in centuries past. The atmosphere of faded grandeur, and its original collections of art, curios and everyday objects, set across grand rooms and servants’ quarters, offer you vivid insights into what life was like for everyone, above and below stairs.
Cong is a small village famous for its 12th century abbey, the lavish gold and silver processional Cross of Cong from 1123, the magnificent Ashford Castle, the village’s links with Oscar Wilde and, most popularly, its association with the John Wayne classic movie, The Quiet Man.
We'll arrive this afternoon in Westport, a charming town in County Mayo. WIth stone bridges, and tree-lined riverfront street, it’s a picture-perfect Georgian city center. Between the town centre and waterfront is Westport House, a grand country estate set in large gardens. Westport is an excellent spot if you want to listen to traditional tunes in a cozy pub.
Westport is considered the foodie capital of Ireland, this evening we will embark on an included evening foodie tour. We'll ramble through the streets and alleyways of the charming town and sample delicacies from the finest shops, cafes and restaurants in the country, including scones, boxties, top tarts, local beer and hand-crafted ice cream.
1 night in Westport with breakfast.
DAY 6: THE CONNEMARA DRIVE |
Today we’ll step back in time and relive the old way of life in Ireland through the Connemara heartland and learn about the time-honored Irish traditions and customs that are still preserved in Gaelic-speaking Connemara today.
We’ll then travel off road, along the twisting “Famine Road” to a quintessential small Connemara farm of stone-walled fields to see Tom and his dogs shepherd sheep overlooking the stunning Killary harbor. Quiet. Peaceful. Authentic.
We’re then off to Kylemore Abbey, a majestic Benedictine abbey on the banks of Lake Kylemore. Steeped in history, the abbey is said to have been built as a romantic gift in the late 1800s, and later served as a refuge for Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium during World War I. You will have plenty of time to enjoy the Victorian walled garden and enjoy lunch.
Overnight in Galway, 2 nights with breakfast.
Tonight: Enjoy an eventful included dinner and theater experience which combines Irish music, dancing and singing for a great evening of fun and laughter.
We’ll then travel off road, along the twisting “Famine Road” to a quintessential small Connemara farm of stone-walled fields to see Tom and his dogs shepherd sheep overlooking the stunning Killary harbor. Quiet. Peaceful. Authentic.
We’re then off to Kylemore Abbey, a majestic Benedictine abbey on the banks of Lake Kylemore. Steeped in history, the abbey is said to have been built as a romantic gift in the late 1800s, and later served as a refuge for Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium during World War I. You will have plenty of time to enjoy the Victorian walled garden and enjoy lunch.
Overnight in Galway, 2 nights with breakfast.
Tonight: Enjoy an eventful included dinner and theater experience which combines Irish music, dancing and singing for a great evening of fun and laughter.
DAY 7: GALWAY |
Our included morning tour will begin at St. Nicholas Church, the largest medieval church still used as a place of worship in Ireland. We're then on to Lynch's Castle, a gothic limestone castle, currently in use as a bank, but originally owned by one of the fourteen families that were prominent during the city’s early modern period and earned Galway its nickname of “the City of Tribes, and finish at the Old Galway, the Latin Quarter.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy in Galway.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy in Galway.
DAY 8: THE CLIFFS OF MOHER AND MEDIEVAL BANQUET |
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This morning you are off to see the majestic Cliffs of Moher. Rising 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, these limestone cliffs stretch out over five miles along the coastline. The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s top Visitor attractions and are a designated UNESCO Geo Park.
Enroute, you will experience the Burren. The Burren area is a giant field of limestone slabs that almost look like a moonscape. Below they are full of caves hollowed out by millions of years of running water. Although is looks bleak, it actually has an astonishing array of plant life.
Tonight: Included Medieval Dinner and show at the Castle
Overnight at the castle hotel or nearby Limerick, 1 nights with breakfast
Enroute, you will experience the Burren. The Burren area is a giant field of limestone slabs that almost look like a moonscape. Below they are full of caves hollowed out by millions of years of running water. Although is looks bleak, it actually has an astonishing array of plant life.
Tonight: Included Medieval Dinner and show at the Castle
Overnight at the castle hotel or nearby Limerick, 1 nights with breakfast
DAY 9. GROUP FLIGHT TO SCOTLAND |
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SCOTLAND
Our Authentic Ireland and Scotland Tour continues on with an included group flight to Edinburgh. The adventure continues!
If you are using this itinerary to create your own custom tour, think about continuing on in Ireland through Dingle and Killarney before flying home from Shannon airport.
Our Authentic Ireland and Scotland Tour continues on with an included group flight to Edinburgh. The adventure continues!
If you are using this itinerary to create your own custom tour, think about continuing on in Ireland through Dingle and Killarney before flying home from Shannon airport.
THE DINGLE PENINSULA AND KILLARNEY |
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Continue your adventure along the Wild Atlantic Way with a Ferry across to the Shannon Estuary, a spectacular and unspoiled area of remarkable beauty, where the Serene Shannon flows into the wild waters of the Mighty Atlantic. Along the drive, you will find yourself passing through a string of delightful towns and pretty villages. This is a place full of stories and storytellers and perhaps ones you won’t have heard of before – such as life farming the Estuary Islands, or harvesting reeds for thatch, the tragic tale of Colleen Bawn, the story of punt guns along the Shannon and how St. Senan of Scattery Island defeated the serpent. And that’s just to name a few!
You will finish your day in Dingle, a delightful seaside town.
2 nights in Dingle.
The Dingle Peninsula.
The Dingle Peninsula stretches out 30 miles from the county Kerry coast. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, with spectacular coastal views, jagged mountains, cozy villages, sparkling lakes, and lush green sheep fields. Stone Age/Bronze Age/Iron Age? Dunbeg Fort is an Iron Age fortification and is regarded as one of the best preserved in Ireland. Your drive will included admissions to the Fahan Beehive Huts, the igloo-shaped stone homes of monks who fled the chaos of Europe during the Dark Ages, and the Gallarus Oratory is an early medieval church.
You will certainly enjoy a stop at the Burren Perfumery, a small, family-run company that makes cosmetics and perfumes inspired by the Burren landscape. Everything is made on site, by hand, in small batches.
You will finish your day in Dingle, a delightful seaside town.
2 nights in Dingle.
The Dingle Peninsula.
The Dingle Peninsula stretches out 30 miles from the county Kerry coast. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, with spectacular coastal views, jagged mountains, cozy villages, sparkling lakes, and lush green sheep fields. Stone Age/Bronze Age/Iron Age? Dunbeg Fort is an Iron Age fortification and is regarded as one of the best preserved in Ireland. Your drive will included admissions to the Fahan Beehive Huts, the igloo-shaped stone homes of monks who fled the chaos of Europe during the Dark Ages, and the Gallarus Oratory is an early medieval church.
You will certainly enjoy a stop at the Burren Perfumery, a small, family-run company that makes cosmetics and perfumes inspired by the Burren landscape. Everything is made on site, by hand, in small batches.
KILLARNEY |
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head to Killarney to walk along the narrow lanes of the town and stumble upon new adventures. Many restaurants and craft shops are hidden down these lanes and it is well worth the effort to explore.
During the day, you can enjoy a jaunting cart tour of Killarney, including St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney National Park, Ross Castle and the lake. You can finish at Muckross House. The house stands close to the shores of Muckross Lake, one of Killarney’s three lakes, Muckross House was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the water-colorist Mary Balfour Herbert. During the 1850s, the Herberts undertook extensive garden works in preparation for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861.
Overnight in Killarney 1 night with breakfast.
During the day, you can enjoy a jaunting cart tour of Killarney, including St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney National Park, Ross Castle and the lake. You can finish at Muckross House. The house stands close to the shores of Muckross Lake, one of Killarney’s three lakes, Muckross House was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the water-colorist Mary Balfour Herbert. During the 1850s, the Herberts undertook extensive garden works in preparation for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861.
Overnight in Killarney 1 night with breakfast.
Click here for our suggested eight day Scotland itinerary to a a luxury Scottish Castle, Falconry, Stirling Castle and Edinburgh, with optional VIP dinner and seating at the Military Tattoo.