Scotland and Ireland

Your tour departs from your hotel at 2:30 PM. Set out on a panoramic tour of Edinburgh, discovering the medieval townhouses along the Royal Mile in the heart of the Old Town and the Georgian mansions of the 200-year-old New Town. Return to your city-center hotel for a welcome drink with your group, then enjoy an evening free to explore and dine as you wish.

Visit the Port of Leith Distillery, a new distillery in Scotland’s historic center of trade in wines and spirits. Discover how this modern distillery approaches sustainability in ingredients and production methods. Next, explore Edinburgh Castle, once a royal fortress and today home to the Scottish Crown Jewels. The rest of your day is free to stroll the city and dine as you wish. (August 9 and 23 departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade).

Travel to Culzean Castle, a grand, centuries-old castle that includes an apartment given to General Eisenhower as a gesture of thanks for America’s support in World War II. Tour the beautifully furnished castle and have lunch there before departing for Cairnryan for the ferry to Belfast. Enjoy dinner at your hotel in Belfast this evening.

Travel along part of the Nine Glens of Antrim, a scenic region with lovely views of mountains, valleys, and coastline. Discover the Giant’s Causeway, a natural wonder formed over 60 million years ago by cooling lava that has given rise to many legends. Savor lunch with your group in Ireland’s oldest thatched roof pub, the Crosskeys Inn – a CIE Tours exclusive.

Visit Titanic Belfast to explore the story of the doomed ocean liner, built in the local shipyards in 1912. Tour the stately Hillsborough Castle, the home of the King when he visits Northern Ireland. Travel on to Dublin for an Irish night at Taylors Three Rock, where you’ll be entertained by a lively show during dinner.

See Dublin’s grand Georgian buildings and squares, the River Liffey and historic O’Connell Street on a panoramic tour. Visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, an award-winning, high-tech museum that chronicles the journeys made by Irish emigrants around the globe and details the stories of the new lives made by the Irish abroad. Your afternoon and evening are free to explore as you wish.

Flight home to Pittsburgh