Thursday 19th September – Sunday 29th September 2024
Arriving in Ireland today, your private guide will meet you at Dublin airport, and after some short introductions, you will begin your journey into the countryside. Travelling through Ireland’s hidden heartlands, you’ll dive right into the wonder of ancient Ireland with a stop at the Rock of Cashel, an immaculately preserved cathedral overlooking the sweeping landscape below. After lunch, it’s a 2-hour drive to Kenmare, a quaint village located along the Ring of Kerry. Between river and mountain lies Sheen Falls Lodge, a luxury hideaway on Kenmare Bay. Tonight, your guide will join you for a welcome dinner at its award-winning restaurant.
Overnight: Kenmare | Sheen Falls Lodge
Room Type: x1 Estate Room
Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner
In the southwest of County Kerry is an expanse of rugged, mountainous country that sweeps down to the world-famous Lakes of Killarney. Here, stretching across 10,000 hectares, lies Killarney National Park, with its unforgettable combination of mountains, lakes, woodland and waterfalls. You’ll take a private tour of the famed Killarney Lakes with Dux, your Kerryman skipper who has been sailing these lakes since he was a child with his family. You’ll enjoy the panoramic backdrop of the Macgillycuddy Reek mountains as you travel by traditional wooden boat. Explore the stunning mountainside waterfall, a perfect place to stretch your legs and enjoy an incredible photo opportunity before visiting an iconic manor house, Muckross House and Gardens.
Overnight: Kenmare | Sheen Falls Lodge
Room Type: x1 Estate Room
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Leaving Killarney this morning you’ll make our way northwards to County Clare and Ireland’s famed Cliffs of Moher. Standing at over 700 ft high, these cliffs are home to a plethora of sea birds nesting from early spring onwards. You have the opportunity to admire the stunning views from the viewing points and visitors centre before your guide takes you to Dromoland Castle, welcoming guests since the 16th century and ancestral home of the O’Briens of Dromoland, whose lineage dates back 1,000 years to Brian Boru, one of the last High Kings of Ireland. This afternoon you’ll get up close and personal with mesmerising falcons, hawks and owls in the castle grounds.
Overnight: Newmarket On Fergus | Dromoland Castle Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
The Burren’s rocky alien landscape is said to be the inspiration for Middle Earth in JRR Tolkien’s world-famous Lord of the Rings trilogy – as you explore this region today you’ll see why! Today you will pay a visit to a charming, locally-owned goat farm for an immersive tour and tasting. Meet and feed the tribe, visit the milking parlour, and learn about the history of goat farming in Ireland and the traditional methods used to care for them and produce award-winning goat cheese. You’ll witness the cheese-making process firsthand and enjoy a tasting of their full range of Irish cheeses, right there on the farm! Afterwards, you’ll visit Poulnabrone Dolmen, dating back over 5,000 years, this Neolithic portal tomb is one of the most iconic and well-preserved megalithic monuments in Ireland.
Overnight: Newmarket On Fergus | Dromoland Castle Hotel
Room Type: x1 Deluxe Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
This morning, it’s time to check out and say goodbye to the west coast of Ireland. Your guide will drop you to your hotel in Dublin city centre and you will say farewell. This afternoon, we have booked a guided tour of Trinity College Dublin for you. Set on 46 acres of leafy squares, cobblestone walkways and historic buildings, Trinity is Ireland’s Oldest University and home to The Book of Kells – an ancient manuscript revered for its exquisite illustrations and profound religious significance. Your guided tour will take you around the campus, discovering some of the secrets and famous pupils who graced its halls and quads. This evening, there are a host of award-winning restaurants to choose from just a short walk from your hotel.
Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury Hotel
Room Type: x1 Westbury King
Meals Included: Breakfast
Head out this morning to enjoy a walking tour with a local private guide through this vibrant capital city, with its mix of 1,000 years of architecture from the mediaeval to the Georgian to the modern. See the Georgian-style Merrion Square, lush St. Stephen’s Green and Fitzwilliam Square, as well as O’Connell Street, the site of the ‘1916 Uprising’ that led to Ireland’s independence in 1922. Your guide is also a historian who will bring the city to life with colourful tales of life in the city in times gone by. After lunch, you’ll visit 14 Henrietta Street, a social history museum of Dublin life, connecting the history of urban life over 300 years to the stories of the people who called this place home.
Overnight: Dublin | The Westbury Hotel
Room Type: x1 Westbury King
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning, a private chauffeur will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and take you to Dublin airport in time for your flight to the capital of Scotland.
On arrival at Edinburgh airport you will be met by a private transfer and whisked into the heart of the city and your boutique accommodation base for the next 4 nights.
The rest of the day is free to explore the city or simply relax at the hotel after your travel day.
Overnight: Edinburgh | The Balmoral Hotel
Room Type: Deluxe Old Town View Room as a twin
Meals Included: None
Your expert city guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel this morning and you will set out to explore the city. From the cobblestone streets of the Old Town to the meandering river that runs through Dean Village, your guide will bring the city alive with tales of days gone by, why there is an Old and New town and show you some of the gems only known to the locals that are hidden in plain sight.
This afternoon, you will head to the quiet waters of Leith where you will take a tour of the floating palace that was once a favourite residence of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. See the rooms where the Royal Family used to relax and play games while this incredible feat of engineering sailed around the world. Get an insight into what life was like on board and maybe even enjoy a cup of tea and a scone in the cafe on the top deck.
Overnight: Edinburgh | The Balmoral Hotel
Room Type: Deluxe Old Town View Room as a twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Your private driver will collect you from your hotel this morning and you will head across the famous Firth of Forth to the Kingdom of Fife.
Here, you will meet an acclaimed chef who has a passion for seasonal food sourced locally, and there is nowhere more abundant with incredible local produce than the wonderful little villages around the Fife coastline. Meet some of the local producers and hear about some of their genuine food stories behind their brands as you collect some tasty treats to enjoy later on. Back in the kitchen, learn some new skills to create some tantalising dishes that will tingle your tastebuds and leave you wanting more.
After a fantastic day getting under the skin of the area and meeting the locals, your driver will take you back to the hotel where you can either relax after your day or head out into the city to enjoy dinner at one of the many eateries that this city is famous for.
Overnight: Edinburgh | The Balmoral Hotel
Room Type: Deluxe Old Town View Room as a twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
For your final day in Scotland, you will head out of the city with an expert guide to delve into the depth of some of Scotland’s past.
Stirling Castle is one of the most important castles in Scottish history, being the childhood home of Mary Queen or Scots and being added to multiple times during various monarch’s reigns to show how powerful and important they were. With your guide, delve into history of this incredible place, taking a walk through the hallowed hallways as you follow in the footsteps of Royalty.
Later on, you can visit the Wallace Monument or Bannockburn, where you can learn more about the battles that changed the course of Scottish history and the famous defeat of the English by Robert the Bruce.
Return to your hotel in the late afternoon for your final night on Scottish soil.
Overnight: Edinburgh | The Balmoral Hotel
Room Type: Deluxe Old Town View Room as a twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
A private transfer will collect you from your accommodation and take you to the airport to make your onward connections. Waving farewell for now but taking with you special memories and wonderful stories of your explorations.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Please see our booking terms here.
Thursday 19th September – Sunday 29th September 2024