Compare England, Scotland & Ireland by EF College Break (EF Ultimate Break) vs Best of Ireland & Scotland - Classic Group Classic Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1: Overnight flight

Board your overnight flight, bound for Europe.

Day 2: Arrive in Edinburgh + Welcome Mixer

Welcome to Scotland! Meet your Tour Director at the airport upon your arrival. Board your private transfer to your accommodation; the day is yours to explore.

Some free time options:

Stroll the historic Royal Mile and enjoy views of Edinburgh Castle

Taste local dishes (like haggis) in a traditional Scottish pub

Savor Scotch whiskies at a distillery

In the evening, it’s time for your Welcome Mixer. Enjoy appetizers and drinks with fellow travelers.

Day 3: Tour Edinburgh + Free time

Get an in-depth look at Scottish history and modern day life with a guided sightseeing tour of Edinburgh.

Today's Highlights:

View the Scottish Crown Jewels in Edinburgh Castle

Walk the Great Hall and see the armor, swords and medieval decor that line the walls

Visit the Elephant House Cafe, where the first Harry Potter book was written

After your tour, the afternoon is free to explore on your own.

Day 4: The Scottish Highlands

Become one with nature and spend a full day in the Scotland of your imagination.

Today's Highlights:

Relive Braveheart at Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s most historically significant landmarks

Take a leisurely hike through Trossachs National Park, which features the biggest freshwater body in the UK

Enjoy the scenery as you drive through the rolling meadows and mountain ranges of the Scottish countryside

Day 5: Travel to York

Next stop, York. Board your private coach and set off to the medieval, walled city.

Today's Highlights:

Visit Durham and see its impressive castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Use free time to try a traditional pub lunch, or browse Durham Market for unique crafts or local snacks

Arrive in the city of York and spend your evening exploring the twisting streets with your Tour Director

Day 6: Travel to London via Cambridge

It’s time to board your coach and head to regal London. There will be plenty to do upon arrival, but first, stop in the historic college town of Cambridge, birthplace of scientific revelations and beautiful architectural marvels.

Today's Highlights:

Explore Cambridge, alma mater of Stephen Hawking, Sacha Baron Cohen, Charles Darwin and royal siblings William and Harry

Enjoy a pub lunch and pint at your leisure in Eagles Pub, where the discovery of DNA structure was first announced

Arrive in London and walk through famous areas like Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square before enjoying a free evening

Day 7: Tour London

Experience London’s most iconic sites with a local guide for a walking and coach tour of the city.

Today's Highlights:

See Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, all the while hearing about their unique stories from your local guide

Learn how to tell if the Queen is home at Buckingham Palace

Check out the medieval Tower of London juxtaposed against the modern cityscape

Take the rest of the day to return to any of these sites or find some favorites of your own.

DAY 8

Free day in London + Secret London: Walking Tour

The world is your Oyster Card! Your metro pass is included, so enjoy a full free day to explore London.

Free Time Suggestions

"I'm a what??": Take a selfie at Platform 9 ¾ in St. Pancras Station, or check out Leadenhall Market, Millennium Bridge and numerous other Harry Potter filming locations.

Boleyn Alley: Marvel at the Crown Jewels, see what was once the Royal Menagerie and learn about the darker history that took place in the Tower of London

Don't Look Down: Test your fear of heights at the Tower Bridge glass walkway.

Excursion:

Secret London: Walking Tour Extra Cost

Explore hidden London on an exciting, behind-the-scenes look at the city’s wild street art and eclectic neighborhoods. These streets have seen it all, from humble immigrant roots to the terror of Jack the Ripper. Today, they are home to actors, celebrity chefs, rock stars and murals from rebel artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey. Are they modern art? Insightful political statements? Or mere graffiti? You decide. After seeing it all, you’ll head to a hand-picked chippy for a delicious meal of fish and chips, just like a proper Londoner.

Day 9: Travel to Liverpool

Board your private coach to Liverpool, home of the Beatles, Liverpool Football Club and waterfront nightlife. En route, make a stop in William Shakespeare’s hometown for lunch.

Today's Highlights:

Make your way to Liverpool via private coach

Have lunch in Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare

Arrive in Liverpool and explore the area with your Tour Director

See the The Cavern Club, where the Beatles played their first gigs

Day 10: Travel to Dublin

Travel to Dublin via Holyhead. Upon arrival, you’ll have a free evening to explore the city, experience Dublin’s famous nightlife or call it a night.

Today's Highlights:

Drive to Holyhead and take a ferry across the Irish Sea to Dublin, Ireland

Arrive in Dublin and explore the area with your Tour Director

See the highlights like Grafton Street and the Temple Bar District, the hotspots for entertainment and nightlife

Day 11: Tour Dublin

See Dublin’s major highlights and historical sites on a walking and bus tour with a local guide.

Today's Highlights:

Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland

Drive through Phoenix Park

Pour your perfect pint in the Guinness Storehouse (and get a certificate upon completion to prove your mastery)

Enjoy your brew while overlooking the Dublin skyline from Gravity Bar at the top of the Storehouse

Day 12: Excursion to Belfast + Free day in Dublin

Enjoy a full free day to explore Dublin on your own or take an excursion to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to visit the Titanic Museum and learn about the Troubles.

If you choose a free day, some options include:

Visit the Trinity College Library and see the most famous ancient Irish manuscript, the Book of Kells

Tour Kilmainham Gaol and learn about the enormous prison that housed political prisoners during the Irish Revolution

Immerse yourself in the pub culture in the Temple Bar District; grab a pint and chat up a local

Excursion:

Explore Belfast: The Titanic & The Troubles  Extra Cost

Add another country to your list of places visited with a day trip up to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Today, the city is must-visit gem known for its fascinating history and friendly locals, but that wasn’t always the case. A local guide will tell you all about the Troubles—a violent conflict that raged throughout the city until 1998. You’ll visit the Titanic Belfast Museum, a new six-story interactive museum quickly gaining accolades worldwide for its unforgettable presentation of the ill-fated voyage. The museum is adjacent to the drydock where the ship was built. After the museum, you will have time to explore the city.

Day 13: Travel to Galway

Next stop: Galway! But first, stop at the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most visited natural attractions.

Today's Highlights:

Board your private coach en route to Galway

Experience the natural beauty of the famous Cliffs of Moher

Arrive in Galway and take an introductory walk with your Tour Director

Explore the city on your own with a free evening in Galway

Day 14: Explore the Aran Islands + Farewell Dinner

Board a ferry in Galway for a full day on the Aran Islands. Visit the Dun Aengus Ruins (an ancient fortress built upon a plunging precipice), and bask in the charm of the Irish countryside.

Today's Highlights:

Watch as Galway disappears behind you on the 45-minute ferry ride to the Aran Islands

Rent a bike and explore the green, Irish countryside

Explore the ancient and mysterious Dun Aengus Ruins and decide for yourself how they came to be

Return from your adventure in the evening and get ready for your Farewell Dinner. Enjoy a final meal together before departing for home tomorrow morning.

Day 15: Fly Home

It's time to say your goodbyes. Head to the airport for your flight back home.

Or ------Stay ahead or stay behind

Extending your trip for a few extra days before or after your tour is easy, and you can add anywhere from between one and 90 days. We'll book your flights per your specifications if you'll handle the hotels, local activities and ground transportation during the extra portion of your stay.

Day 1: Welcome to Dublin

On arrival at Dublin airport, your airport transfer service leaves for your hotel at 08:30, 11:00 and 13:00. Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a warm and friendly Welcome Dinner, an opportunity to get to know each other over a meal with wine.

Day 2: In Dublin’s Fair City

An orientation with your Travel Director will take you past the Custom House and travel along the River Liffey. See the Guinness Brewery, Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Enjoy entrance to the 9th century Book of Kells and a walk through the cobbled courtyards of Trinity College accompanied by a Local Expert, gaining their insight into modern life and the establishment's impressive history.

Day 3: Kildare and Cork

Witness life behind the scenes of the National Stud Farm, where many legendary racehorses are bred. Then see the finest Japanese gardens in Europe, where the symbolism of life the gardens portray, trace the journey of a soul, designed by master horticulturists, Tassa and Minoru Eida. Continue on to Cork, Ireland's second most populous city, built on the River Lee. Travel along Grand Parade to see Cork's City Hall and Opera House.

Day 4: Blarney Castle and Killarney Relaxed Start

Visit the ruined 15th century Blarney Castle, home of the famous Stone of Eloquence - once kissed, never forgotten! Or enjoy a sensory walk in the extensive and varied estate gardens. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

Day 5: Ring of Kerry Experience Relaxed Start

Explore Killarney with Insight Choice. Choose a memorable ride on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys. Alternatively, join a gentle hike with a Local Expert along the lake shore and past the grounds of Ross Castle, admiring the incredible scenery of the National Park. While there aren't any mountains to climb, walkers should be fit, have good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen and rain gear. Tour the superb seascapes, towering cliffs and spectacular mountains of the Ring of Kerry. Journey past lush lakelands and through delightful villages like Sneem. Cross the peat bogs of the Black Mountains to Moll's Gap and admire Queen Victoria's Ladies View. Upon returning in the mid-afternoon, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 6: The Cliffs of Moher

Begin the day with a short ferry ride across the Shannon estuary. Enjoy magnificent views of the Clare coast, as you journey to the Visitors' Centre at the 700-foot Cliffs of Moher. Continue to Galway and take in the scenery from your hotel, which is spectacularly set overlooking Galway Bay.

Day 7: Glorious Galway to Sligo Bay Relaxed Start

Join your Travel Director in Galway to see the infamous Lynch Memorial and the Church of St. Nicholas, where Christopher Columbus reputedly prayed before his discovery of America. Also see the aged Spanish Arch and Eyre Square, dedicated to the late US President, John F. Kennedy. Tour the wild Connemara region, a scenic wonderland of rivers, lakes and silent hills. Drive along the scenic shores of Sligo Bay.

Day 8: Walk in the Giant’s Steps

The day begins in Drumcliffe, with a visit to the final resting place of Ireland's famous poet, William Butler Yeats. Cross into Northern Ireland to visit Londonderry. What better way to experience sightseeing than with one of Northern Ireland's best storytellers, Ronan, as he walks with you inside the city walls, still topped with cannons. Walk down steep Shipquay Street, with its elegant Georgian houses, to the Gothic Guildhall. Journey to the iconic Giant's Causeway for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. This geological masterpiece was created by the cooling of lava which burst through the earth's crust millions of years ago. Learn how the National Trust is enabling farming and biodiversity to work together, supporting both wildlife and quality food production. Next, take a spectacular drive along the Antrim Coast to your hotel, overlooking the sea at the head of Ballygally Bay.

Day 9: High Tea at Ardgowan Estate Relaxed Start

Cross the Irish Sea by ferry and journey to Ardgowan. Sir Ludovic Shaw Stewart welcomes you to his family castle, set on a 10,000-acre coastal estate. Explore the history of the area and learn the Shaw Stewart family's conservation efforts to protect the land on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, followed by delightful traditional Scottish tea and scones. Continue to Glasgow where your Travel Director will show you the city's grand public buildings, including George Square and St. Mungo's Cathedral.

Day 10: Glencoe and Loch Ness

A scenic drive takes you along the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. Absorb the dramatic landscape of Glencoe, still echoing with the cries of massacred clansmen. Pause at the Commando Memorial for a view of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis before reaching the Great Glen. Continue on to Loch Ness and embark on a cruise to soak up the scenery, historic monuments and intriguing tales of Nessie in the heart of Scotland's great glen.

Day 11: A Highlands Experience Relaxed Start

In the morning, see the sights of Inverness, before travelling to the Culloden Moor Visitor Centre, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite army was finally defeated. Then have a 'wee dram' during a visit to a local distillery, hear stories of the whisky smugglers as you delve into the fascinating world of the single malt.

Day 12: St. Andrews and Edinburgh

A scenic drive takes you through the Grampian Mountains past the Duke of Atholl's Blair Castle. Drive down and cross the Tay to visit St. Andrews. As you arrive, pass the Old Course, the home of golf since its invention in the 15th century. Enjoy free time to explore. Why not wander to St. Andrews University where the love story of Kate Middleton and Prince William began? Alternately, stroll to West Sands Beach where the famous 'Chariots of Fire' scene was filmed. Continue across the majestic Forth Road Bridge to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. In the evening, select departures attend The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Day 13: Scotland’s Capital of Culture

In the morning, join a Local Expert to see the highlights of the city. Drive along Princes Street to the ornate Scott Memorial, then see the 18th century New Town with its neoclassical Georgian facades. In the Old Town see the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the Queen. Venture up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle, home of Mons Meg, the Stone of Destiny and Scotland’s Crown Jewels, the Honours of Scotland. In the afternoon, you are at leisure to continue exploring as you wish, or perhaps go shopping. Join your friends at the stylish Grazing by Mark Greenaway, located in the heart of Edinburgh's West End. Your grand finale Celebration Dinner is a mouthwatering meal of modern Scottish cuisine with a Parisian twist, and is of course served with wine.

Day 14: Farewell Edinburgh

Your journey comes to an end after breakfast with transfers arriving at Edinburgh airport at 06:15 and 09:00.