12 Day England, Scotland & Ireland
This tour is categorised as 4 out of 5
Packed itinerary with maximum exploration: Embark on a whirlwind sightseeing tour with minimal downtime. This tour maximises your exploration, keeping you on the move and ticking off must-see locations. A good fitness level and mobility are required to keep pace with this action-packed adventure!
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
A combination of 3 or 4 star quality properties. Stays are comfortable, clean and offering a comfortable overnight stay for the budget concious travel who seeks value for money.
Hotel stars are based on local ratings provided and the expected standard may differ depending on the destination. Hotels listed within the itinerary are indicative of the typical hotel we intend to use for that package but is subject to change.
✓ Ferry from Scotland to Northern Ireland
✓ Port transfers
✓ 11 nights in quality 3-4 stars accommodation
✓ Daily breakfast, 2 dinners
✓ Fully escorted with expert, professional guide
✓ Incredible sightseeing as per the itinerary, including Urquhart Castle in Loch Ness, Ireland’s jaw-dropping Cliffs of Moher, Powerscourt Gardens and the monastic ruins of Clonmacnoise
✓ Dedicated, comfortable coach transportation
✓ 24/7 customer service and your own Dedicated Support Agent
✓ Click HERE to view the flight-inclusive version of this package
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to England!
Enjoy free time until your welcome meeting. You can find information about the meeting place and time on the information boards at hotel reception.
London calling! Get to know this grand city on a guided tour. We’ll see Westminster and the Houses of Parliament, the mighty River Thames and celebrated city icon, the Tower of London. At Buckingham Palace, you may see the famous Changing of the Guard (depending on season).
You’ll have the afternoon free.
In the evening, we’ll meet in Piccadilly to walk to Leicester Square, buzzing Chinatown and Soho to soak up the atmosphere – the hustle and bustle of central London. You’ll find no shortage of dinner options around here.
We’ll return to the hotel from Piccadilly.
We’ll head out of London and see one of the most impressive and best preserved castles in the United Kingdom, the Queen’s favourite residence. Enjoy the English countryside as we travel to the historic town of Windsor, admiring the Tudor, Georgian and Victorian architectural styles. We’ll visit famous Eton College – founded in the 15th century for poor children but today, one of the most exclusive and traditional, the school of choice for two notable English princes. We’ll see the castle from the outside. It’s always been the residence of the English Crown and is intimately connected with the history of this country. On days when Her Majesty holds official receptions, some areas are closed to the public.
It’s time to journey through the English countryside, with its rolling hills and idyllic landscapes. We’ll leave London and head for northern England.
Our first stop is Cambridge, surely the most famous university town in the world, to admire its beautiful residential colleges. There are 31 of these colleges at Cambridge University, with the first founded in the 13th century. The town of Cambridge claims to have one of the highest concentrations of preserved historic buildings in the country.
After lunch, we’ll continue to York where you’ll have free time to stroll the lively medieval streets and admire its cathedral, York Minster, one of the largest medieval Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe. The well-preserved Roman walls are the longest circuit of medieval city walls in England – and boast wonderful city views – at four kilometres long.
Continuing north to Durham, you can explore this charming medieval town with a wonderful cathedral right in front of the castle, jointly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient Norman castle was built to protect English borders in the late 11th century and has enjoyed a long history of continuous use.
Today, we’ll head for Scotland. On the way we’ll stop in Alnwick, a sweet town with lovely gardens and a large medieval castle seen in the Harry Potter films.
Then we’ll cross into glorious Scotland, arriving in the capital at noon. Welcome to Scotland!
Edinburgh’s monumental historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising the medieval Old Town and neoclassical New Town. Treasured icon Edinburgh Castle, Scotland’s most popular paid tourist attraction, overlooks the city’s steep streets and parks. Edinburgh is where JK Rowling famously penned the first Harry Potter novel – fans will be charmed by the sight of George Heriot’s School, said to be the inspiration for Hogwarts.
We’ll take a sightseeing tour with a local guide.
More stunning landscapes of the Scottish Highlands await. We’ll stop for a coffee and stroll in the charming village of Pitlochry, before reaching Inverness in the north, a city close to the mysterious Loch Ness.
After lunch here, we’ll visit Urquhart Castle (entrance included), one of the country’s largest castles and once upon a time, one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland. Situated on the banks of Loch Ness, this fabled, vast freshwater loch is home to notorious Scottish legend, the Loch Ness Monster. Fancy hunting for Nessie? From here we’ll take a boat trip on the dark waters of the lake.
Then, we’ll pass through Fort Augustus, with its dramatic lock gate system stepping down to Loch Ness, and Fort William, the tourist centre at the foot of iconic Ben Nevis, the highest summit in the United Kingdom.
Hopefully you’ll catch a glimpse of snow as we return south through the high plateaus, before visiting Loch Lomond, one of the most popular lakes in Scotland.
We’ll arrive in Glasgow at the end of the day, with time for a short stroll around the city centre. The largest city in Scotland, cosmopolitan Glasgow manages to retain its quintessential Scottish charm. Its name is Gaelic for ‘dear green place’.
We’ll leave Glasgow and head towards southern Scotland, boarding a ferry in Cairnryan for our journey to Northern Ireland.
We’ll arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital city, and spend a few hours here before passing through Eire on our way to Dublin.
Welcome to Ireland! Known for its friendly folk, art and culture, cozy pubs and Irish charm, the vibrant city of Dublin boasts a thousand years of history. We’ll arrive at the end of the day.
We’ll start the day with a sightseeing tour of Ireland’s capital city.
Enjoy a stroll along the banks of the River Liffey, visiting parks and the charm and atmosphere of the lively downtown streets. We’ll take a walk around Trinity College (depending on sunlight, this visit may take place the afternoon before, when we arrive in Dublin).
The afternoon is free for you to explore Dublin.
Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest university, founded in 1492. It’s one of the most prestigious in Europe, attended by many well-known cultural and scientific personalities. We will visit its magnificent 18th-century library, an architectural delight. The Long Room is 64 metres long and made completely of oak. We’ll also find the illuminated manuscripts – dating back to the seventh century – and the Book of Kells, also known as The Cathach of St. Columba. A stroll around the campus is a chance to admire the architecture and soak up the student atmosphere. Afterwards, visit famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This splendid Gothic 13th-century masterpiece is built around a well where St. Patrick is said to have baptised converted pagans around AD 450.
We’ll bid farewell to Dublin this morning and visit nearby Powerscourt. These 18th-century gardens are considered the most beautiful in Ireland and we’ll admire its fountains, Japanese gardens and the pet cemetery.
Then, we’ll travel to Kilkenny, with time for lunch and a stroll around the narrow, winding streets of this historic town.
Further south, we’ll stop to visit the impressive Rock of Cashel (entrance included), also known as St Patrick’s Rock, an ancient royal site of the kings of Munster and medieval fortress. The oldest surviving building is the 12th-century round tower. The Rock of Cashel is the most visited heritage site in Ireland and the views from here are wonderful.
We’ll arrive in Cork mid-afternoon, just in time for a stroll in the heart of the city before dinner.
We’ll head for Kinsale this morning, with a stop at Charles Fort to admire the great ocean views by the 17th-century fortress. We’ll enjoy time in the historic centre of Kinsale, a beautiful fishing town known for its historic streetscape and brightly-hued shopfronts.
Then, we’re off to Killarney, a tourist town in the heart of Ireland. We’ll have lunch, walk around, and take a romantic horse and carriage tour of Killarney National Park. This will take us to 15th-century Ross Castle, with wonderful views by the lake. Here we’ll take a short cruise on Lough Leane, spotting heritage attractions like the monastic ruins of Innisfallen Island.
We’ll continue onto Adare, a very pretty village that’s home to to well-preserved 19th-century thatched-roof cottages and the ruins of the old abbey. It’s a designated heritage town.
Mid-afternoon we’ll arrive in Limerick, one of Ireland’s oldest cities. Enjoy some time to stroll around the centre. You can visit King John’s Castle, walk along the river, see St. Mary’s Cathedral – the oldest building in Limerick – or indulge in a spot of shopping.
Relive the Ireland of old with a visit to the folk park in Bunratty today, where you can see typical old cottages and markets in a rural setting. There are more than 30 buildings representing Irish village life in the 19th century. The adjoining 15th-century Bunratty Castle was restored to its former medieval splendour in the 1950s.
We’ll take in the beautiful karst landscapes of the Burren region, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We’ll journey to Caherconnell to visit the Poulnabrone dolmen, an iconic archaeological monument. Sitting on a high limestone plateau, this portal tomb dates back to the Neolithic period.
There may be a chance to see how sheepdogs, an important part of farming culture, work in these parts.
Afterwards, we’ll visit the spectacular Cliffs of Moher on the rugged Atlantic coast. It’s hard to comprehend the sheer majesty of these dramatic 350-million-year-old sea cliffs until you visit. Thousands of seabirds, including puffins, call this home. Those who wish can walk to O’Brien’s Tower, the highest point of the cliffs (entrance included).
We’ll continue through Burren National Park to admire the landscapes, before arriving in the quintessentially Irish city of Galway.
This morning we’ll leave for Cong, a small island village located in a magnificent lake area. It’s known as the setting for the classic John Wayne film The Quiet Man. We’ll visit the ruins of the Royal Abbey and walk around Ashford Castle, a gorgeous medieval castle that has been turned into a hotel.
We’ll then travel to Clonmacnoise, and after lunch visit the peaceful, sixth-century monastic ruins.
We’ll then head back to Dublin, arriving in the late afternoon. The evening is free for you to see more of the city at your own pace.
Enjoy one last delicious breakfast this morning, before your adventure comes to an end.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this extraordinary journey.
To enhance your journey, we are offering guests the following optional sightseeing experiences (bookable and payable on tour only, in the local currency):
Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability and prices may vary as you will be paying in local currency. We appreciate your understanding.
Refundable deposit within 28 days of purchase:
For cancellations made within 28 days of paying the deposit on any tour, your deposit can be refunded in full or can be transferred to a new booking should you decide to change to another package or destination. Please note this change of mind guarantee does not apply for bookings made within 90 days of departure, after which time our standard 48 hour cooling off period applies. After this time, your booking becomes non-refundable.
All cancellation or change requests must be advised in writing to our Customer Service Team at support@inspiringvacations.
Refund times will vary and the timeframe of which will be advised at the time of cancellation. Any refund of deposit will be issued back to the original form of payment.
Any bookings made prior to 13 March 2020 must abide by the original payment term conditions.
Transferrable second installment up until 90 days before scheduled departure:
Following the second installment payment and up until 90 days before your departure only, should you wish to postpone your travel or transfer to another package, we can provide you with a credit note of the current balance paid on your booking, to be used to rebook within 18 months of the credit being issued.
Any change request must be advised in writing to our Customer Service Team at support@inspiringvacations.
Any bookings made prior to 13 March 2020 must abide by the original payment term conditions.
Please refer to our full Terms and Conditions for more details
Deposit & Payments
Booking Process
You can enhance your holiday by arriving or departing before or after the tour, or booking a tour extension. On this tour you can choose from the following options:
Pre and post-tour accommodation
Arrival and departure airport shuttle transfers
Please note, the transfers are not private and you may be grouped with other Inspiring Vacations customers.
Please specify in the 'Special Request' field when making your purchase your preferred travel arrangements and if you would like our team to book additional nights' accommodation and/or airport transfers. The additional cost for these land arrangements will be added to your final payment invoice and are subject to availability. Alternatively, you may purchase 1 pre or post-night accommodation at time of booking.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a “4”:
4 – Lively Tour: This is considered a lively-paced tour. While there is some free time scheduled either in the morning or afternoon, there are many full days of sightseeing with minimal rest and some early starts. You will be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. While tipping is not customary, it's of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many destinations.
You may also consider tipping your tour leader and driver for outstanding service throughout your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however, any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $1133 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.
Visa & Passport information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of your return.
A visa is not required for New Zealand passport holders for travel to England, Ireland and Scotland, for travel less than 90 days.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://safetravel.govt.nz/ for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation, including e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
2 to Maximum 72 people (average 40)
Trip Style - Group Tour
Unparalleled value for money is the name of the game. These tours tick all the boxes with loads of inclusions: sightseeing highlights, quality accommodation, transfers, private transportation, breakfasts and some meals. You will be travelling with up to 40 Inspiring Vacations guests (up to 72 if 2 coaches) and the tour will be escorted by an expert, local tour leader.
Children
Children must be 5 years old or over and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Length
The total length of the tour in days includes time spent inflight and is subject to change, depending on the flight schedule. Please refer to the day-by-day itinerary for the time spent in your destination(s).
Australia
United States
Canada
India
