Great Britain & Ireland

Company : Contiki
Countries: Ireland / United Kingdom
Duration: 2 weeks to 3 weeks
Approx Costs: 1000 to 1250 £ Pound (UK)

This trip is a whirlwind of sightseeing, history & culture as you hit the highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland.

Practice your Liverpudlian accent in the home of rock & roll's original Fab Four - The Beatles! Stroll Edinburgh's Royal Mile, then grab some binoculars to search for the Loch Ness monster. Add in drinking Guinness, kissing the Blarney Stone, castles, cathedrals & you've got an one awesome experience!

Itinerary

1 LONDON TO LIVERPOOL
Meet up with your fellow travellers and Trip Manager and jump on the coach for a look at London’s iconic buildings and UNESCO World Heritage sites in our included tour. Head out of the big city today, we're off to Liverpool! This place is famous for its football team, accents & it's most famous ex-residents, The Beatles.

2 LIVERPOOL TO YORK
Spend more time exploring Liverpool this morning. Then, back on the coach, take in the wild countryside as we head to York. It’s soaked in history and English traditions.

3 YORK TO LAKE DISTRICT
Back on the coach, we wind our way through the jaw-droppingly beautiful Lake District. The area has a reputation as England’s most scenic region and you’ll soon understand why. Filled with 16 major lakes, high peaks and cute, stone-built settlements, this region is all about picture-perfect countryside.

4 LAKE DISTRICT TO EDINBURGH
Northbound, we’ll drop by the 2000-year-old Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman Empire’s most impressive engineering feat, before traveling on through the English countryside. Afterwards, we farewell England and cross the border into Scotland, where we visit the small village and romantic hot spot of Gretna Green, famous for holding runaway marriages. Later, we pull into the buzzing city of Edinburgh. Home to loads of festivals, cutting-edge Edinburgh serves up a fun, creative mix of ancient and modern.

5 EDINBURGH
With a free day, decide how you want to shape your Edinburgh experience and explore this living time-line.

6 EDINBURGH TO SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
Stop by St. Andrews, Scotland’s oldest university town and the “home of golf” where you’ll see the famous course of the same name that is used in major international tournaments. Then roll on through the Scottish Highlands, packed with wild mountain scenery, rugged green hills and the tales of old clans. Next up is the stuff of legends – a cruise on the gorgeous & world-famous Loch Ness.

7 SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS TO WEST HIGHLANDS
This morning, we continue on past tiny villages, emerald green moors, lakes and seaside cliffs that the West Highlands are so famous for. On the stunning Isle of Skye, we visit the seaside town of Portree, known for its brightly coloured houses and charming fishing port. Your Trip Manager will tell you the stories and legends connected too this remote inner Herbridean Island and fill you in on how people live in this dramatic environment. Later, we pass Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, as we continue through the remote West Highlands.

8 WEST HIGHLANDS TO GLASGOW
We make our way to Glasgow this morning.

9 GLASGOW TO DUBLIN
Ferry across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland and travel through County Meath and Boyne Valley - former seat of power for ancient kings and the site of one of Ireland’s most bloody battles. Continue on to dynamic, down-to-earth Dublin. This bustling student town has a whole lot of heart and loads of things to do.

10 DUBLIN TO LONDONDERRY
We slide by Belfast, former hotspot of the Troubles (political conflict in Ireland) and learn about the city’s difficult past. Our Local Guide will introduce Belfast’s iconic political murals and Victorian buildings, while telling you the story behind the city’s history.

11 LONDONDERRY TO GALWAY
Your Trip Manager will show you the city’s famous 17th century walls. They’ve got a rep for a reason – standing at 8m high and 9m long, no enemy has ever succeeded in getting through them. Explore more of Londonderry with our Local Guide in a fascinating optional tour around the historic city. Learn about epic battles of the past before taking a step back in time with the People’s Gallery in Bogside. Cruise on to the traditional town of Galway. Loaded with Irish soul and packed with lively pubs, Galway gives you a chance to experience the typically Irish.

12 GALWAY
Get out there and discover this quintessential Irish town where Gaelic is still spoken on the streets. You also have the option to jump on a ferry and cruise out to the stunning Aran Islands for a day away from it all. With rugged cliffs, wild flowers and pounding seas, the Aran Islands are all about natural beauty.

13 GALWAY TO CORK
Continue on, past the vertical Cliffs of Moher, through the moors and woodlands. See the medieval Blarney Castle, where you can kiss the magical Blarney Stone if you’re keen – your Trip Manager will fill you in on the legend. Later, we pull into colourful Cork, set on the banks of the River Lee. Make the most of your free time and enjoy some shopping.

14 CORK TO KILKENNY
Visit portside Cobh and its Heritage Centre, and get the background on the Titanic and her last port of call. Also find out about how 2.5 million people left Ireland from this spot during the famine. En route for Kilkenny, you’ll see the Rock of Cashel. The former seat of power to the region’s kings is now a striking green hill topped with ancient ruins. Afterwards, discover Kilkenny’s medieval charm and its signature sites, Kilkenny Castle and St. Canice’s Cathedral.

15 KILKENNY TO DUBLIN
Back into buzzing Dublin, you’ve got time to explore more of this charismatic capital. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Guinness Storehouse and get the low down on Ireland’s national drink.

16 DUBLIN TO LONDON
Ferry back across the Irish Sea to Wales. Travel past the unspoilt and rock-strewn Snowdonia National Park and show off your pronunciation skills when we pass by the town with the longest name in the UK, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. Then it’s back to London where the tour ends, so make sure you get your new friends’ email addresses.