Members save more on over 100,000 hotels worldwide
Unlock member discounts
Unlock exclusive discounts and inclusions
Members only pricing
Bonus hand-picked inclusions
Best of Ireland & Scotland - Premium - 01 Apr 2027 to 23 Sep 2027
Operated by Trafalgar
Tripcode: 4B935M27
Overview
Destination:
Ireland,
Northern Ireland,
United Kingdom,
Duration:14 days
Type:Group tour (max 45)
Travel Period
April 2027 - September 2027
Your 14-day journey begins in Dublin, where Trinity College’s stone courtyards lead you into the hush of the Old Library and the ninth-century Book of Kells, its painted pages filled with intricate knotwork. In Scotland, you’ll travel between Glencoe’s steep mountain walls and may catch sight of Ben Nevis before cruising Loch Ness, watching the dark water for its most famous resident. At a Highland distillery, you’ll taste a dram of whisky and hear how smugglers once kept it beyond the reach of the excise men. Edinburgh completes your journey along the Royal Mile, from Scotland’s Crown Jewels inside Edinburgh Castle to the Scottish Parliament.
Highlights:
Standard inclusions
- 7 Dinner (D)
- 13 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Afternoon Tea (AT)
- Air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with a local specialty representing the destination.
- Complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi where available
Itinerary
Expand all 
Collapse all
Collapse allBegin Your Journey in Dublin
You'll arrive in Dublin with amber light glowing behind etched pub windows, brass gleaming at the bar and the notes of a fiddle or bodhrán perhaps slipping through an open door. At your hotel, you have time to pause before joining your Travel Director for dinner. Around the table, you learn the names behind the new faces and meet the people who will travel beside you through Ireland and Scotland.
Discover Dublin from Liffey to Trinity
With your Local Specialist, you'll follow the Liffey beside the quay, watching broken reflections ripple below the Custom House’s green dome and carved stone. You'll pass the Guinness Storehouse and the medieval walls of Christchurch Cathedral before seeing St Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1191, where cool stone, dark oak and carved memorials line the soaring nave. At Trinity College, you'll wander between stately façades in courtyards that have welcomed scholars since 1592. You'll enter the Long Room, where the faint scent of timber hangs beneath dark galleries, marble busts and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Therein lies the 9th-century Book of Kells, with its sparkling jewel-bright pigments, tiny figures and intricate knotwork painted across vellum by Celtic monks more than a thousand years ago.
Journey from Kildare Gardens to Cork
At the Irish National Stud, you'll move behind the scenes of the stud farm, with the scent of hay and clipped grass in the air as the soft thud of hooves sounds from the yards. You'll learn how some of Ireland’s finest racehorses begin their lives before following the winding paths of the Japanese Gardens. Designed by Tassa and Minoru Eida, the gardens portray the journey of a soul beneath arching branches, past lawns clipped smooth as velvet and along paths that curve between shadow and light. Continuing south, you'll reach Cork, Ireland’s second most populous city, where the River Lee divides around the centre in two broad channels. Along Grand Parade, you'll pass City Hall and Cork Opera House while stone façades and open sky shimmer across the water.
Travel from Blarney Castle to Dingle
Blarney Castle is where your choice experience begins as you may climb the medieval tower’s tight spiral stair, grazing rough stone with your fingertips before leaning back to kiss the Blarney Stone and test its legendary promise of the ‘gift of the gab’. Or follow the Wishing Steps to the Witch’s Kitchen beneath ancient yews, with curious rock formations and themed gardens waiting across the estate. In Killarney, you’ll settle into a traditional jaunting car, swaying with the carriage as it rolls from town into Killarney National Park. Your day ends at your hotel in Dingle, a fishing town beside a sheltered natural harbour, with a cool sea breeze wafting through the harbour and the Atlantic stretching beyond the peninsula.
Dingle Peninsula: Cliffs, Islands and History
Surf flashes white below the cliffs as you follow the Slea Head route around the Dingle Peninsula after a Relaxed Start, while the Blasket Islands lie beyond the headlands. Across Corca Dhuibhne, you pass ancient beehive huts and early Christian sites as wind combs the grass and the Atlantic breaks against the headlands below. Later, you may join an Optional Experience in falconry, raising a gloved arm as a bird of prey returns to you. Join another Optional Experience at Dingle’s oldest public house, where you'll taste a local tipple and listen as musicians play and stories travel from one teller to the next.
Clare to Galway: Cliffs and Legends
From the ferry deck, you watch County Clare grow nearer across the Shannon Estuary, the engine’s low thrum beneath you. Beyond the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre, you'll follow the paved path and look down 214 metres of sheer rock to the sea, and an unbroken horizon. You'll cross Galway’s medieval centre to the Lynch Memorial, where a Gothic window and carved skull and crossbones mark one of the city’s most haunting legends. In St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, filtered light falls across the nave as you hear how Christopher Columbus is reputed to have prayed here before sailing west. Beside the water, you'll pass beneath the weathered Spanish Arch as the Corrib pours towards Galway Bay. You'll finish in Eyre Square, where green lawns soften the city’s old façades in the park dedicated to John F Kennedy.
Explore Sligo Before Crossing North
Connemara stretches ahead in rust-coloured peatland, pale granite and dark loughs, with the Twelve Bens rising beyond the water. You'll travel north through this wild landscape before reaching Sligo, where the River Garavogue rushes through the town, murmuring beneath the bridges, while the lakes and mountains of Yeats Country recall the places that stirred W.B. Yeats’s imagination. During your free time, choose a table for lunch or follow the river through the centre at your own pace. Later, you'll cross into Northern Ireland and continue to Londonderry. Over dinner, you'll taste ingredients from the north-west’s surrounding fields, rivers and coast as the first evening in the city unfolds.
Walk Londonderry’s Walls and Giant’s Causeway
Ronan leads you onto Londonderry’s 17th-century walls, where weathered cannon barrels overlook the rooftops and his tales of siege, survival and divided loyalties follow you around the ramparts. Shipquay Street slopes between Georgian townhouses towards the Guildhall, where red sandstone, pointed arches and panes of stained glass overlook the square. On the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway, you'll move among more than 40,000 basalt columns, their hexagonal tops packed together like a vast black mosaic as white water bursts through the narrow gaps. The Antrim Coast then carries you towards Ballygally Bay, where you look out from your hotel across the long curve of shore and open sea.
Cross to Scotland and Visit Craufurdland
Across the Irish Sea, the ferry carries you towards Scotland, its pale wake unspooling behind you along a passage used for centuries by traders, migrants and families. On a clear day, you may pick out Ailsa Craig beyond the rail, a solitary volcanic island whose granite has been cut for curling stones since the 19th century. The 29th Laird and Lady greet you before guiding you through Craufurdland Castle. Then you'll sit down for afternoon tea, tasting small sandwiches and slices of cake inside the castle. You’ll reach Glasgow, once loud with hammering from the Clyde shipyards and still distinguished by Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s strong geometry, spare interiors and stylised roses.
Highland Scotland: Glencoe, Ben Nevis and Nessie
Loch Lomond opens beside you in dark water and wooded banks as you follow the Bonnie Banks into the Highlands. The road winds beneath Glencoe’s steep ridges, where you hear how 38 members of Clan MacDonald were killed in 1692 after welcoming government soldiers into their homes. Standing before the Commando Memorial, you may, if weather permits, catch a glimpse of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, piercing the horizon. You'll trace the Great Glen north to Loch Ness and board a cruise across its ink-dark water. The hull hums beneath you as forested shores and historic landmarks pass by, while tales of unexplained sightings tempt you to search the loch for Scotland’s most famous monster.
Discover Inverness and Taste Highland Whisky
Beside the River Ness, you’ll take in Inverness before travelling to Culloden Moor, where heather covers the exposed ground and clan stones sit low against the sky. Inside the Visitor Centre, you'll examine artefacts from both armies before the immersive battle theatre surrounds you with the sound and fury of the Jacobites’ final charge. Back in Inverness, you follow the warm scent of malt to the gleam of copper stills at Uile-bheist. During this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, you’ll taste a wee dram, feeling its heat linger on your tongue as tales of whisky smugglers and Highland legends accompany the distillery’s craft.
St Andrews and Beyond: Scotland’s Eastern Shores
Amid the Grampians, you’ll pass Blair Castle’s white turrets between the trees before crossing the Tay towards St Andrews. The Old Course stretches beside the North Sea, its velvet-green links cut by deep bunkers and centuries of play. During your free time, wander through the university’s sandstone courts where William and Catherine first met, or head to West Sands, where the beach runs wide beneath the open sky. You’ll cross the Forth Road Bridge high above the water and continue to Edinburgh, where you may join an Optional Experience featuring peppery haggis, ceilidh music and dancing. On selected departures, massed pipes and drums roll across the castle esplanade during The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, with Edinburgh Castle lit above you.
Climb the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle
As you move along Princes Street, you'll pass between two Edinburghs: the New Town’s pale stone, broad avenues and measured crescents, and the Old Town rising opposite in dark towers, steep closes and chimneyed roofs. With your Local Specialist, you'll take in the Scott Monument’s black Gothic spire before tracing the ordered elegance of the 18th-century New Town. The streets tighten as you enter the Old Town, passing the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch’s official Scottish residence, before climbing the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. Inside, the immense iron barrel of Mons Meg rests against the fortress stone, while the Honours of Scotland gleam in the Crown Room, gold and enamel catching the light. The afternoon is yours to browse the shops or follow one of Edinburgh’s narrow wynds. Later, you’ll join your fellow travellers for dinner and wine, tasting modern Scottish cooking.
Bid Farewell to Ireland and Scotland
After breakfast, your 14-day journey through Ireland and Scotland comes to an end, with transfers to Edinburgh Airport.
Dates
Select a date or submit general enquiry
Operator
Trafalgar
The best of the world unlocked for you. Imagine unmissable experiences you’ve always dreamed of, getting to know the locals and having everything taken care of every step of the way. Here's what you'll experience: Must-sees to local secrets: Visiting bucket list sites are a highlight of travelling, however, travelling on your own can make them hard work. Don’t queue with other sightseers for hours, with Trafalgar our experts unlock doors – think exclusive access to the Vatican out of hours or a tour of Versailles and its grounds with an expert. This, coupled with the intimate glimpses and hidden gems our local specialists show you, are the life-changing experiences that make you feel like an insider, not a tourist. One-of-a-kind experiences: Thanks to our global network you’ll unlock local access to communities and people around the world. Our 100+ Be My Guest experiences are a signature Trafalgar exclusive, where you will enjoy the hospitality of locals as you are welcomed into their homes to hear their stories and learn about their cultures. In every destination, you’ll also enjoy unique “Stays with stories” accommodation: more than just a place to rest your head, they are part of the heritage and fabric of the communities you visit. Responsible travel at heart: When you choose Trafalgar, you are choosing to make your travels a force for good and support our goal to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®. We recognise our responsibility to ensure we make a positive impact on the planet we call home, the people we visit, and the rich wildlife we find. We ensure that the impacts of our business and your travels are positive in two ways: through our TreadRight Foundation, and our 5-year sustainability strategy How We Tread Right.
Important Information
*Terms and conditions
Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.
For more information, please see Terms of Use
Book now
Need help?
Price from
$10,295
$9,884
*
Member price from
$9,884*
per person twin share
13 nights
Check departuresCan't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch with our friendly Travel Consultants.
Call 1800 850 888Speak to one of our friendly consultants, available during business hours.
Mon to Fri · 9am - 5pm AEST
Speak to an expert in-store
Prefer to plan in person? Make an appointment at our Travel Store to speak with one of our experts
fb1c0b01b1be7615d3999c719be538d2
150143
Tour
© 2026 Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) All rights reserved.