Essence of Britain & Ireland - 10 day/9 night tour



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Overview
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Itinerary
Tour begins 2:00 PM, London hotel. Head out on a panoramic drive around central London to see many famous landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. In the evening enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dinner. (D)
Head to Salisbury Plain to view the prehistoric circle of vast monoliths at Stonehenge. Continue to Bath to tour the Roman Baths and Pump Room, first built by the Romans 2,000 years ago. In Cardiff, enjoy a Welsh evening of local specialties and traditional entertainment. (B, D)
After a panoramic tour of Cardiff visit Cardiff Castle, developed in Roman times and transformed into an elaborate Gothic style residence in the 19th century. Journey through the gentle, green countryside to the west coast. At Pembroke Dock embark on an afternoon ferry crossing to Rosslare and on to Waterford. (B, D)
Start the day with a walking tour of historic Waterford. Witness the creation of crystal masterpieces at the House of Waterford Crystal. At Jerpoint Park enjoy a sheep herding demonstration and sample scones with tea. Stop briefly in Kilkenny before heading to Dublin. Dine at the lively Merry Ploughboy Pub with an entertaining show. (B, D)
Tour Dublin city to see elegant Georgian squares with brightly-painted doorways and the General Post Office where the 1916 Rebellion started. Visit Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Ireland’s national cemetery, which is a who’s who of modern Irish history. The afternoon and evening are free to use your vouchers for an independent open-top bus tour and a visit to one attraction. (B)
Head to Belfast where you’ll enjoy a panoramic tour to see Victorian buildings, the Harland & Wolff shipyards where the Titanic was built and the Falls Road and Shankill residential areas. Take a ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan. Travel through gentle pasturelands to the central belt of Scotland. Stop en route for dinner before continuing to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. (B, D)
Take a drive around central Edinburgh to see the main points of interest, including the 200-year-old “New Town” with elegant Georgian houses and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Walk along part of the Royal Mile where medieval houses are clustered closely together. Tour t...
Travel through the charming Borders region with many quaint towns, manor houses and abbeys. Stop in Jedburgh to see the picturesque ruins of Jedburgh Abbey. Continue to York for a walking tour to appreciate narrow streets where the medieval houses almost touch across ...
In Stratford-upon-Avon visit Shakespeare’s birthplace to see an exhibition about his life and work. Walk through the furnished house where he was born and take a look around the town with its many black-and-white buildings. Drive through the Cotswolds to London for an independent evening. (B)
Your tour ends after breakfast. (B) B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner >
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with CIE Tours.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

CIE Tours Reviews & Ratings
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We used CIE for an amazing tour of Ireland. The food and the locals were amazing. Here is my issue: we were told that another CIE tour from Scotland would be joinin...
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I waited 20 years for my dream trip to Scotland and Ireland and splurged $7000 on this tour. The second half of touring Ireland was great, the first portion in Scotl...
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME/MONEY WITH CIE!
I gave this return 1 star only because that’s the lowest possible option, otherwise they would receive 0 stars!!! I had a trip planned for September of 2021 to Icela...
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