Experience Ireland and the Scottish
Highlands
EF Customized Tour
June 22-July 1, 2015
DAY 1
Board your overnight flight to Glasgow, Scotland!
DAY 2
Arrive in Glasgow and
Transfer to Fort William via Glencoe and Loch Lomond (time permitting)
Visit Glencoe, site of
the notorious 1692 massacre of the MacDonald clan. Here, the fusion of natural
beauty and historical preservation offer some of the most magnificent views in
Scotland. Continue past the ‘‘Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’’ to Fort
William, second largest settlement in the Highlands.
Overnight in Fort
William
DAY 3
Ride the Jacobite
Steam Train
Enjoy this full day
excursion in Harry Potter-style train carriages. You will pass by Loch Morar,
the deepest freshwater loch in Britain, as well as Loch Nevis, the deepest
seawater loch in Europe! Your route also includes the Glenfinnan viaduct, made
famous in the Harry Potter films. After a stop to stretch your legs at
Glennfinnan station you will continue through Arisaig to Mallaig, where you will
have approximately an hour and a half to explore and enjoy lunch on your own
before returning to Fort William.
Overnight in Fort
William
DAY 4
Transfer to Cairnyan,
Scotland for Ferry to Belfast, Northern Ireland
View some of Scotland’s
most beautiful scenery in the Western Highlands as you travel south from Fort
William to board a ferry in Cairnyan that will take you to the capital of
Northern Ireland, Belfast.
Visit Titanic Belfast
The newly opened Titanic
Belfast is a must-visit in any tour of Northern Ireland. It is located in the
heart of Belfast, on the slipways where RMS Titanic was built, and offers over
nine galleries including special effects, dark rides, full-scale
reconstructions and innovative interactive features to explore the Titanic
story in a fresh and insightful way. The museum traces the lifespan of the RMS
Titanic from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her
construction and launch, and finally to her infamous maiden voyage and
catastrophic demise.
Overnight in
Belfast
DAY 5
Excursion to the
Carrick-a-Rede Bridge
Take a walk on the
exhilarating rope bridge to Carrick-a-Rede Island and enjoy a truly cliff-top
experience. This 30-metre deep and 20-metre wide chasm is traversed by a rope
bridge traditionally erected by salmon fishermen. Visitors bold enough to cross
to the rocky island are rewarded with fantastic views.
Visit Giant’s
Causeway
Journey to Ireland’s
northernmost point to view the amazing Giant’s Causeway. This fascinating
geological phenomenon comprises thousands of 55-million-year-old hexagonal
basalt columns that form a honeycomb pathway into the sea. Explore rock
formations including the Wishing Chair, the Punchbowl, and the Giant’s Granny, and
learn the legend of Finn MacCool, the Irish giant said to have built the
columns so that his true love could cross the water from Scotland. Near here,
the Spanish Armada’s flagship Girona sank in 1588.
Visit Dunluce Castle
Rebuilt during the
Anglo-Norman period on a much older fort site, Dunluce Castle is a magnificent
site to behold. Crowning a rocky outcrop and joined to the mainland by an
arched walkway, the castle looks out to sea and underneath lies the 'Mermaid's
Cave'. Close by is the ancient church
ruins of St. Cuthbert's named after a Northumbrian monk and the (possible)
burial site of sailors and noblemen from the Spanish Armada. On a clear day you
can look over an expanse of ocean from here to Donegal and round to Islay, a
view which has remained unchanged for centuries. It was within this view that
the tragedy of the emigrant ship, the Exmouth, took place in April, 1857. Bound
for Quebec, she spent almost three days in horrendous sea conditions before
finally breaking up on rocks off Islay with the loss of 240 lives.
Overnight in
Belfast
Day 6
Transfer to Galway
via a Visit to Ulster-American Folk Park
Travel to Galway via the
Ulster-American Folk Park, an outdoor museum that tells the story of Irish
emigration to America. Costumed guides representing Irish villagers welcome you
into their replicated 19th-century homes and businesses, including a weaver’s
cottage, a meeting house, a post office, and a blacksmith’s forge. Continuing
the story of their emigration, you’ll be able to enter the Brig Union, a reconstruction of the 19th-century ship on which many
of them sailed to the U.S. (a journey of three weeks in cramped and often
perilous quarters). Disembark from the ship onto American Street for a glimpse
at the New World they found when they arrived.
Arrive in Galway
Today Galway is the
cultural and artistic capital of the west of Ireland-as well as one of the best
places to hear traditional music. Originally known as a center for fishing, the
industry still plays a part in everyday life here.
Overnight in Galway
Day 7
Visit the Cliffs of
Moher
Enjoy an excursion to
the Cliffs of Moher, which tower an imperious 750 feet above the Atlantic. This
region is considered to have some of the most haunting and stunning beauty in a
country filled with natural wonders.
Visit The Burren and
Visitor Centre
From the Gaelic An Boireann, meaning ‘a stony place’,
The Burren is a sweeping rock-strewn landscape rich in historical and
archaeological sites. Ancient megalithic tombs, ring forts and rock formations
are strewn across rolling hills of stone and grass. Take a moment to marvel at
the natural beauty as you continue on your journey. As you drive through the
Burren, stop to admire the Corcomroe
Abbey and admired the detailed stone carvings as you imagine the abbey in
its former glory.
Overnight in Galway
DAY 8
Transfer to Dublin
via the Kildare National Stud Farm
Today, visit one of
Ireland’s most famous places when you stop to see the Kildare National Stud
Farm. You will see where Ireland has bred some of the world’s best race horses.
Walk around the 958-acre grounds and see the steeds being groomed and
exercised. Also here are the Japanese
Gardens, considered the most renowned in Europe; the natural beauty of St.
Fiachra’s monastic garden; and the Horse Museum.
Visit Glendalough
Travel to scenic
Glendalough. Located at the center of County Wicklow, this pastoral valley
offers bewitching views of Ireland’s topographical splendor, including lakes,
forest and waterfalls. Glendalough also contains the country’s best-preserved
ruins of early monastic settlements.
Arrive in Dublin
Arrive in literary
Dublin, one-time home of James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and
W. B. Yeats! Dublin is also the setting for Joyce’s Ulysses, one of the 20th century’s greatest literary works. In
recent years Dublin has also developed as one of Europe’s busiest entertainment
centers.
Overnight in Dublin
DAY 9
Guided Sightseeing of
Dublin
Begin your tour of the
Irish capital by viewing some of Dublin’s celebrated Georgian squares. From
here you will visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral
to see the beautiful interior. You will then head past the Post Office, site of the 1916 rebellion, before continuing along
the banks of the River Liffey. Continue your visit in Phoenix Park which houses the residence of the President of
Ireland. Your tour of Dublin concludes with a visit to the city’s renowned Trinity College, established by Queen
Elizabeth I in 1592. Here you will view the illuminated 8th century Book of Kells, written by Irish monks
and found buried in the ground in 1007.
Visit the Guinness
Storehouse
Founded in 1759, it is
one of the world’s largest breweries. You will see how the dark brown stout is
made and, of course, taste a glass as well!
Visit Dublin Castle
Journey back to the 13th
century, as you visit Dublin Castle. Originally the center of British control,
it was taken over in 1922 by the new Irish Republic. Today it offers some of
the oldest architecture in the city.
Overnight in Dublin
DAY 10
Transfer to the
Airport for Your Return Flight
Your tour director assists with your transfer to the
airport, where you’ll check in for your return flight home.
