Day 1:  Dublin for 2 nights

Meet & greet private transfer from airport to hotel

1 double deluxe room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Brooks****

Brooks is a 4-star designer boutique hotel in Dublin city centre, 5 minutes’ walk from Grafton Street, St Stephen’s Green and Trinity College. The beautiful rooms feature en suite bathrooms.

Francesca’s Restaurant serves a mouth-watering range of innovative Irish and international cuisine. Jasmine Bar is Ireland’s first ‘Great Whiskey Bar of the World’.

Brooks Hotel’s informal café lounge features a piano and the drawing room is a great place to enjoy a coffee or cocktail, with its French oak-panelled walls and enviable library.

The fitness suite features high-tech equipment and also boasts a sauna. There is secure public parking directly opposite the hotel, and guests receive discounted overnight rates.

With an emphasis on personal service and attention to detail, the staff at Brooks Hotel can provide recommendations for local restaurants, shops and attractions.

Brooks Hotel is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. It has been voted one of the 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland in the Bridgestone Guide for the past 3 years.

http://www.brookshotel.ie/

Day 2:

Dublin Historical Walking Tour including Trinity College

Few cities wear history on its sleeve like Dublin does! The Historical Walking Tour has been acclaimed as a must-do tour for any visitor to Dublin and starts at Trinity College main gates. It takes in the grounds of Trinity College, Old Irish Parliament, Dublin Castle, City Hall, the Medieval and Viking quarter centered around Christ Church Cathedral and finishes in the old port of Temple Bar on the banks of the River Liffey.

Your guide has a passion for all aspects of history and will be delighted to discuss anything which might be of interest to you. Dublin combines a medieval city with the most stately of eighteenth century architecture and a thriving contemporary cultural scene. Behind the doorways, at every street corner there are reminders of the characters – revolutionary, literary and others – who imagined the city.
In just 2 hours, this entertaining ‘seminar on the street’ conducted by history graduates of Trinity College Dublin, explores the main features of Irish history – Dublin’s development, the influence of the American and French Revolutions, the Potato Famine 1845 – 1849, the 1916 Rising, the great War and the 1916 rising, the war of Independence, the Northern conflict and Ireland today.

 

Day 3:  Kinsale for 1 night

Private English speaking driver at disposal

• Blarney Castle
• Cobh Heritage Centre
• Cork City
• Old Midleton Whiskey Distillery

Cork City is over 800 years old and is an artistic city home to the Cork Opera House and numerous galleries and theatres. Snug bars hosting impromptu traditional music sessions neighbour chic restaurants serving Atlantic catch and racks of Kerry lamb. Wild and epic landscape pours in every direction across the county from the capital. Plant a smacker on the Blarney Stone and gain the ‘gift of the gab’ to enable you to compete with the sharp wit of the Corkonians.

1 double deluxe room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Perryville House****

Poised in the centre of this medieval fishing port overlooking the marina and the colourful streets.
Perryville House combines the grandeur of the past with the luxuries and convenience of today. A Guest House of great elegance and charm, where an atmosphere of comfort and attention to detail prevails. We do all we can to make you feel very much at home.

If you are travelling within Ireland or coming from abroad and require quality accommodation in Kinsale then Perryville House gives you the perfect balance of luxury, privacy and location. Kinsale, a haven that is crawling with history drawing cognoscente to County Cork, with it’s enticing shops and streetscapes and a reputation as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland. Lovely quiet rooms, large beds and luxurious bathrooms afford you a perfect setting for restful sleep filled good nights and happy mornings. Each room also has satellite tv and private telephone. Breakfast, morning coffee and afternoon tea are served for guests and the discerning management will be delighted to reserve lunch or dinner for you at any of the gourmet restaurants that abound in Kinsale. For the golf enthusiast the Old Head Golf Links is only a 10 minute drive from Perryville House.

http://www.perryvillehouse.com/

 

Day 4 and 5:  Killarney for 2 nights

Private English speaking driver at disposal

Highlights

The Ring of Kerry

Staigue Fort

Killarney National Park

Muckross House & Gardens

Killarney’s Traditional Music Pubs

Kerry is picture perfect, mythical Ireland – craggy cliffs overlooking perfect harbours, sleepy villages crammed with a cast of characters, multi-coloured cottages, sheep-filled traffic jams, tiny taverns filled with amiable locals pounding out wild traditional music. Kerry will stir the blood and lift the soul.

1 double room superior with king size bed, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Muckross Park Hotel*****

The luxurious 5-star Muckross Park Hotel and Spa is located in Killarney’s National Park. It offers elegant air-conditioned rooms, the AA Rosette winner Yew Tree Restaurant, and The Jarvey’s Rest Traditional Irish Pub.

The Spa is available to all residents in the hotel. The award-winning spa includes The Vitality Pool and Thermal Area, which guests can access at a surcharge. A range of treatments are available at a charge. The Spa recently won a World Luxury Award as Best International Spa 2011. The 50 feet Vitality Pool boasts hot tub jets and thermal currents, and is only available to guests over 18.

Deluxe, individually designed rooms have plush furnishings, bespoke furniture and luxurious fabrics. These spacious rooms feature a king-size bed, 24-hour room service, heated towel rail and soft towels, a drinks cooler, and a large en suite bathroom with bath and walk-in shower.

The Jarvey’s Rest Traditional Irish Pub has beamed ceilings, open fires and regular live Irish music. Cocktails are served in the chic Monks lounge with its deep leather couches and wood panelled walls.

http://www.muckrosspark.com/

Day 6:  Dromoland Castle for 1 night

Private English speaking driver at disposal

Cliffs of Moher

The Burren

From her regal Cliffs of Moher defiantly challenging the awesome Atlantic to her exceptional Burren smothering the very Earth, Clare is a beguiling beauty. Explore the Ailwee caves which burrow for endless miles into her very heart, feast like a King at Bunratty Castle or discover the source of Irish traditional music and unearth the terrific essence of Clare.

1 double deluxe room, breakfast & taxes included at Dromoland Castle*****

Dromoland Castle is, quite simply, one of Ireland’s finest castle hotels. Dromoland offers guests the experience of living like a king, surrounded by luxury, beauty and exceptional service. Dromoland Castle is one of the few estates tracing its history to native Gaelic Irish families of royal heritage.

http://www.dromoland.ie

Day 7:  Edinburgh for 4 nights

Private transfer from castle to Shannon airport

Aer Lingus flight from Shannon airport to Edinburgh

Departure at 10:55 am, arrival at 12:25 pm

Meet & greet private transfer from airport to hotel

1 executive double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Nira Caledonia****

This magnificent Georgian townhouse boasts sumptuous rooms, each with a 42-inch plasma TV, DVD player, and slate bathroom. Amongst the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s New Town, it is 2,625 feet from Princes Street.

Individually designed with unique furnishings, the rooms at Nira Caledonia feature luxury goose feather beds and goose down pillows. Some offer large, floor-to-ceiling windows, a private garden, or a relaxing spa bath.

The restaurant serves fresh cuisine with Scottish, and often organic, ingredients. The bar provides a range of over 25 Scotch whiskies.

http://niracaledonia.com/en/

Day 8:

Secrets of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle (group tour)

Duration of tour: 2 hours 15 mins

The best way to explore Edinburgh is to follow your feet. Where the buses can’t take you, and the guide books don’t show you is where our real stories can be found , the closes, wynds, courtyards and homes of Old Edinburgh. We’ll paint a vivid picture of our colourful past and people – see the secrets and tell the tales – the culture, crime and politics of Scotland’s capital. An experience shared by Mercat historians. Fascinating and Revealing.

Includes:  A unique tour around the sites, stories and secrets of the Old Town and into Edinburgh Castle. Entrance to Edinburgh Castle included.

Day 9:

Full day guided tour to Loch Ness, Glen Coe & The Highlands (small group tour)

Duration of tour: 12 hours

Board your mini-coach and get ready for a day of adventure. As you head towards the Highlands you’ll see the amazing Forth Railway Bridge. Then try some delicious home baking in the beautiful Highland town of Pitlochry. Through the spectacular Cairngorms…Enjoy the stunning scenery as you travel through the spectacular and unique wilderness of the Cairngorms National Park. Lunch at Loch Ness…or take a cruise… Loch Ness is famous all over the world for its beauty and mystery. We stop here for lunch and you’ll have time for some delicious food and a thrilling ‘monster spotting’ boat cruise on the waters of the loch with views to Urquhart Castle. (Please note the cruise is optional and is not included in the price of the tour.) Relive the massacre of Glen Coe: Glen Coe is broodingly beautiful and steeped in history. As you stand at the mouth of the glen, you’ll feel the past come to life as our guide tells you about the terrible massacre of the MacDonald Clan. Salute William Wallace and head home.The route takes you driving past the beautiful city of Stirling and its stunning castle and you will be able to learn more about the exploits of William Wallace that were dramatised in the film Braveheart.

Includes:  Transportation by luxury minicoach with professional guide.

Day 10:

St Andrews and the Fishing Villages of Fife   (small group tour)

Duration of tour: 8 hours 30 mins

Depart Edinburgh at 09:30h and travel north to South Queensferry. From Queensferry we drive up and onto the Forth Road Bridge, this giving you a great view across the eighth wonder of the world – the Forth Rail Bridge. It is a true testament to Scottish engineering. Once over the bridge we enter the Kingdom of Fife. This is so called due to the unique geography of the area. We pass upper Largo and then into Crail. After a short stop in Crail, it is onto the medieval town of St Andrews. St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and the home to the oldest university in Scotland. St Andrews is also most famously known as the home of golf, where you will have 3 hours to explore. From St Andrews we cross the Lomond hills past Loch Leven and then it’s straight back to Edinburgh.

Includes:  Transport by top of the range Mercedes minibus, professional Rabbie’s driver guide, Rabbies discount card which entitles you to money off at selected restaurants, shopping and tourist attractions.

Day 11:  London for 6 nights

Take a taxi from the hotel to the train station

1st class train from Edinburgh to London

Departure at 9:30 am, arrival at 1:49  pm

Take a taxi from the hotel to the train station

Hotel on own

Day 12:

1st class train from London to Bath

Departure at 9 am, arrival at 10:28 am

Private guide at disposal for 2 hour for private walking tour

All the main sights of the beautiful World Heritage City of Bath. An excellent introduction to visitors who are in Bath for the first time. History, Architecture, and people of Bath, past and present. Walk includes Jane Austen’s Bath, life in Georgian times, film locations, houses of famous residents.
Your visit includes the Pump Room, Abbey, Sally Lunn’s house, Thermae Bath Spa, Theatre Royal, Queen’s Square, Royal Crescent, The Circus, Assembly Rooms, Pulteney Bridge, Great Pulteney Street, River Avon, Bath Rugby Ground and more.

1st class train from Bath to London

Departure at 4:13 pm, arrival at 5:38 pm