10-Nights The Scots Irish Tour from $4,145

CIE Tours

OFFER ID 1542501

This fast-paced Scotland and Ireland tour focuses on their rich history, with plenty of castle tours and museums to help bring the past to life. It's the perfect trip for those interested in exploring Scottish and Irish heritage.?

Authentic Local Experiences:

CIE Tours Exclusive

Hear traditional Irish music at Crosskeys Inn in Antrim, Ireland's oldest thatched pub. This stone cottage, with its turf fires, was built in 1654.

Authentic Experiences

August 3 - 19 departures will have reserved seats for the spectacular, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. All other departures will have a special storytelling and whisky-tasting evening at the Scotch Whisky Experience.
Discover underground life at Arigna Mining Experience - with a former miner as your guide

Trip Highlights:

Arigna Mining Experience
Cliffs of Moher
Medieval Castle Banquet
Crosskeys Inn Irish Night - CIE Tours Exclusive
Edinburgh Castle
Scotch Whisky Experience
Giant's Causeway
Glenveagh Castle & National Park
Isle of Skye
Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier
Stirling Castle
Titanic Belfast
Lough Key Forest Park
Ards Peninsula

Dining Experiences:

10 Breakfasts (B) and 9 Dinners (Tattoo departures have 8 dinners) (D)

Hotels:

Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club | near Edinburgh (2)
Golf View Hotel | Inverness or Muthu Newton Hotel | Nairn (1)
DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro | Dunblane (1)
Europa Hotel | Belfast (2)
Station House Hotel | Letterkenny (1)
Kilronan Castle Hotel | Ballyfarnon (2)
Temple Gate Hotel | Ennis (1)

10 nights from $4,145 per person

Valid for new bookings deposited April 1, 2025 – April 30, 2025 for travel from June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026

*Promotion may not be combinable with any other offers, promotions, or discounts, and is subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply.

Valid for new bookings deposited Now – December 31, 2025 for travel Now – December 31, 2026.

*Amenity is combinable with all other offers, promotions, or discounts, and is subject to availability and airline booking guidelines. Other restrictions may apply.

Itinerary

Click here for Full Itinerary Details

Itinerary Details

CIE Tours: The Scots Irish Tour

Day 1: Edinburgh & Scotch Whisky Experience*
Hotel: Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club

Day 2: Edinburgh Panoramic Tour, Edinburgh Castle & Independent Sightseeing
See the highlights of central Edinburgh including the bustling Princes Street and the 200-year-old Georgian “New Town.” Walk along part of the Royal Mile and visit Edinburgh Castle to see the Scottish Crown Jewels. The remainder of the day is free to relax or explore. Dine independently this evening. (The August 3 – 19 departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade.)

Hotel: Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club
Meals: (B)

Day 3: Chocolate Tasting, Blair Castle & Highlands
Travel through the scenic countryside of Perthshire to visit Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier for a tasting of award-winning chocolates with an expert chocolatier. All the chocolates are made on-site with sustainable ingredients, including local heather honey and berries, and fresh cream from local herds of Scottish Friesians. In Pitlochry, explore and have lunch independently. Next, visit Blair Castle; this citadel, with its romantic turrets and towers, dates back to the 13th century. Continue through majestic Highland scenery to Nairn.

Hotel: Golf View Hotel Nairn
Meals: (B, D)

Day 4: Loch Ness, Isle of Skye & Armadale Castle
Travel alongside Loch Ness, passing the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle. Cross to the Isle of Skye by bridge and visit Armadale Castle, returning by ferry. Take the “Road to the Isles” past lochs, lush woodlands, and heather-covered moors of the majestic Highlands, stopping for photos around scenic Glencoe. Continue through The Trossachs to your hotel in Dunblane.

Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro
Meals: (B, D)

Day 5: Stirling Castle & Ferry to Belfast
Tour Stirling Castle, perched on volcanic rock above the town, and explore the richness of this 16th-century palace that was once home to Mary, Queen of Scots. Drive on through southwestern Scotland to Cairnryan and board the ferry to Belfast, where you’ll dine at your hotel this evening.

Hotel: Europa Hotel
Meals: (B, D)

Day 6: Ards Peninsula, Titanic Belfast & Crosskeys Inn
Discover the Ulster-Scots history and heritage of the scenic Ards Peninsula on a drive with a local guide. This area was where Scottish colonizers landed in the 1600s; some of their descendants would move to America and become known as the “Scots-Irish”. Then visit Titanic Belfast to delve into the history of the doomed ocean liner. Explore Belfast as you wish in the afternoon. Visit Crosskeys Inn for dinner and entertainment, a CIE Tours exclusive.

Hotel: Europa Hotel
Meals: (B, D)

Day 7: Nine Glens of Antrim, Giant’s Causeway & Derry Walking Tour
Enjoy ocean and mountain scenery as you travel the Nine Glens of Antrim. Discover the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns rising out of the sea, and pause for photos at the Dunluce Castle ruins. In Derry, join a local guide for a walking tour to see how this city, with its painful history, has been transformed into a thriving cultural hub. Proceed on to your hotel in Letterkenny.

Hotel: Station House Hotel - Letterkenny
Meals: (B, D)

Day 8: Glenveagh National Park, Donegal & Kilronan Castle
Visit Glenveagh National Park where Captain Adair built Glenveagh Castle in 1870. Enjoy a guided tour and stroll the extensive gardens. Continue to Donegal town for a visit to CIE Tours preferred shopping partner Triona Design and free time to explore. Travel to luxurious Kilronan Castle with time to relax before dinner in the castle’s fine restaurant.

Hotel: Kilronan Castle
Meals: (B, D)

Day 9: Arigna Mining & Lough Key Forest
Visit the Arigna Mining Experience to discover local history and life as a coal miner in the Arigna Valley. Visit Lough Key Forest Park to explore how humans have shaped the landscape on this old estate over thousands of years. Walk through tunnels used by servants in the 19th century, see the sunken garden, and then walk along with the Tree Canopy Bridge for panoramic views of nature and the shimmering lake. Return to the charming village of Ballyfarnon and relax in your castle hotel before dinner.

Hotel: Kilronan Castle
Meals: (B, D)

Day 10: Galway Walking Tour, Cliffs of Moher & Medieval Castle Banquet
In Galway, a local guide will take you on a walking tour through the narrow streets to see the medieval city walls and Lynch’s Castle. Travel through the Burren and see its limestone hills, often blooming with a vast array of wildflowers. Visit the Cliffs of Moher, soaring high above the Atlantic. This evening, enjoy a medieval-style banquet at a castle.

Hotel: Temple Gate Hotel
Meals: (B, D)

Day 11: Tour ends in Shannon
Your tour ends after breakfast. B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner>

Meals: (B)

Meal Abbreviations: B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner

Featured Destinations

Ennis

Ballyfarnon

Letterkenny

Dunblane

Nairn

Galway

Galway is a city, a county, and an experience to be savoured and remembered. The historic city of the tribes dances to a beat uniquely it's own. There is a certain chemistry and vibrancy to this friendly university city, which many delight in, and few forget. Music, festivals, horse racing, pubs, restaurants, shops, theatres and most of all -Galway people, combine to create this atmospheric medieval city of culture. From this pulsating heart the rest of the county flows.

Galway Bay, immortalised in song, its beauty unchanging. Scenic Gaeltacht areas including the Aran Islands. Connemara, with the picturesque town of Clifden as its capital. Mountains, castles and stone walls, banks of turf, long sandy beaches, clear lakes, joyful leaping streams and flowing rivers. The mighty Shannon, delightful countryside punctuated by pretty villages, traditional pubs.

Photo used with permission
from Joe Desbonnet, www.galway.net

Excursions

Inishmore, Aran Islands - 8 hours Full Day

On the very edge of Europe, is an Island rich in the language, culture and heritage of Ireland, unique in its geology and archaeology and in its long tradition of gentle hospitality. Here is a place to sense the spirit of Gaelic Ireland, to touch the past, but with all the comforts and facilities of the present. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. This is an island of great peace and tranquility, but it is also an island of great fun and activity. A timeless land in an endless sea, weathered monuments on awesome cliffs, great labyrinths of limestone, meandering walls, patchwork fields, quiet beaches and a welcoming island people.

This morning we will depart from Galway and take a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the three islands, the other islands being Inishmaan and Inisheer. The Islands are located off the West Coast of Galway about 18km out from Rossaveal Harbour in Connemara. Inishmore is approx. 13km long, and contains 3,092 ha. with a native population of about 900. Kilronan the chief center and port.
Landing in Kilronan on Inishmore, you are met by your driver in a horse drawn buggy for a guided tour of the Island and visiting one of its more impressive stone forts called Dun Aonghasa. It is semi-circular structure, resting on the edge of a perpendicular cliff rising 100 meters out of the ocean. The fort consists of an inner court 50 meters across surrounded by a wall six meters high and five meters thick at the base.

Visit the Aran Islands Interpretative Centre which highlights the unique history, spirit and landscapes of the Aran Islands. The center details the geology, history and present lifestyle of the islands. See how the legendary currachs, those open-topped, often tar-coated, boats that skim over the waves, are made. Also on display are details of the fish species off the islands and how the islanders have long used seaweed to create patches of soil that could be cultivated for crops, in between the dry stone walls that crisscross the islands and divide its tiny fields. The islands' other craft traditions, including weaving of the famous Aran sweaters, are also documented.

Duration: 8 hours

Included:
Enjoy a pub lunch on Inishmore

Departing the island by ferry you return to Galway City.
Note: it is also possible to fly to Inishmore.

Pricing: Please inquire

Edinburgh

Dominated by the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, this picturesque city offers shopping on Princes Street, the grandeur of the Royal Mile, St. Giles Cathedral and historic Palace of Holyrood House, where Queen Mary lived and many Scottish kings were wed. Or venture across the moors to marvel at the scenic Highlands.

Excursions

Edinburgh: Royal Edinburgh - 8 hours

With Scotland's most famous castle dominating the city, Edinburgh provides a fantastic introduction to this magical country. This morning you will receive a warm welcome by your local guide as you disembark your cruise for your full day sightseeing tour (8 hours) by private vehicle.

You will first head up to Edinburgh Castle, where you will see the 'Honours of Scotland', or the Scottish Crown Jewels, and have the opportunity to admire striking views across the city. Drive along the Royal Mile to the imposing Holyrood Palace*, the Queen's Official Residence in Scotland.

Continue the Royal theme this afternoon, with a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia. Built in Scotland, and now permanently moored here, this famous ship hosted many official voyages during her working life. Your guide will bring the Royal Yacht Britannia’s intriguing history to life prior to the short transfer back to your cruise ship.

*You will tour the staterooms of the palace if no member of the Royal Family is staying here at the time.

Highlights:

Privately guided tour of Edinburgh Castle
Visit Holyrood Palace (Subject to Royal Visit)
Discover the history of the Royal Yacht Britannia

Tour Duration: 8 Hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning/ Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

Private transport by BMW 7 Series or similar for 1 or 2 passengers or Viano (6 passenger seats) or similar for 3, 4, or 5 passengers or Sprinter for 6 passengers.
Expert local guide for stated sightseeing 8 hours in Edinburgh
Entrance fees to all sights and museums
All taxes

Exclusions:

All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
Gratuities
Supplement for public holidays
Anything not specifically mentioned in the “Inclusions” list above.

Edinburgh: Introducing Edinburgh - 4 hours

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

05/25/2025 - 06/04/2025

from $4,195 per person

05/27/2025 - 06/06/2025

from $4,195 per person

06/01/2025 - 06/11/2025

from $4,295 per person

06/03/2025 - 06/13/2025

from $4,295 per person

06/22/2025 - 07/02/2025

from $4,295 per person

06/29/2025 - 07/09/2025

from $4,295 per person

07/08/2025 - 07/18/2025

from $4,295 per person

07/20/2025 - 07/30/2025

from $4,295 per person

08/12/2025 - 08/22/2025

from $4,645 per person

08/17/2025 - 08/27/2025

from $4,645 per person

08/19/2025 - 08/29/2025

from $4,645 per person

08/26/2025 - 09/05/2025

from $4,295 per person

08/31/2025 - 09/10/2025

from $4,295 per person

09/07/2025 - 09/17/2025

from $4,295 per person

09/14/2025 - 09/24/2025

from $4,295 per person

09/21/2025 - 10/01/2025

from $4,295 per person

09/30/2025 - 10/10/2025

from $4,295 per person

10/05/2025 - 10/15/2025

from $4,145 per person

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

from $4,145 per person

Length

10 Nights

Air City

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Vacation Rating

Deluxe

Remarks

Prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy, subject to availability and change without notice. Taxes additional. Single supplement available. Surcharges may apply. Internal and international airfare not included. All pricing and accommodations are subject to availability. Full terms and conditions apply. Rates may vary by date of travel; please inquire for the best prices for your preferred travel dates. Itinerary and map subject to change. Prices subject to availability and changes without notice. Some restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1542501

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