Duration: 24 Days
The drawbridges are down. The silver is polished. The tea is brewing. One lump or two? How about five?! Showing you the sweet sights of five captivating countries over 24 days, our most in-depth tour of Britain and Ireland truly pours on the charm. Royals and writers, artists and architects, real-life warriors and fictional spies — you’ll walk in the footsteps of them all throughout the legendary cities, seaside villages, and quaint countryside hamlets of England, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Coast to coast, castle to castle, and pub to pub, you’ll drink in the classic landmarks and landscapes, the famous rivers and ruins, the breathtaking islands and Highlands, and the celebrated stories behind them all. From Abbey Road to Penny Lane and Stonehenge to Clava Cairns, this is the rock star of all Britain and Ireland holidays.
Traveller Notes
We’ve packed everything you need for the perfect holiday, from hand-selected hotels and dining to the friendly expertise of Globus Tour Directors and Local Guides (with headsets to hear every word), to seamless transportation between destinations and VIP access to the world’s most iconic sites! Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi. Irish Sea ferry; Isle of Skye ferry.
Please note: Itinerary is based on 2024, and is subject to change. Full details will be confirmed in 2024.
Welcome to London!
Uniformed Globus Hosts will be waiting to welcome you. Free time this afternoon.
The Royal Treatment LONDON Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes sights of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, Prime Minister's Downing Street residence, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, and a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT HISTORIC SITES See the legendary landmarks of England's historic capital city. Walk where voices have rung out for centuries in Parliament Square and where chimes rise high above you with the ringing of Big Ben's quarter bells. See Westminster Abbey, where royal coronations, weddings, and funerals have made history.
Prehistoric Finds & Pub Food
LONDON Meet your Tour Director and travel companions at 8 am and drive to Stonehenge.
STONEHENGE Visit the prehistoric monument.
ILMINSTER Lunch at a local pub.
PLYMOUTH [LF] Cruise on Plymouth Sound, one of the world's great natural harbours. See the Mayflower Steps in The Barbican. (B,L) 221 mi / 356 km
LOCAL FAVOURITE
EPIC RIDE Cruise the deep natural inlet of Plymouth Sound, the harbour from where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail on the Mayflower bound for the New World in 1620. The wealth of history to be found in The Sound includes Sir Francis Drake's expeditions, Napoleon's imprisonment in 1815, and Charles Darwin's 1831 embarkation on the HMS Beagle - to name a few!
Legends of Land & Sea
PLYMOUTH Scenic drive through the West Country to Poldark's Cornwall with photo stop at St. Michael's Mount. ST. IVES Enjoy free time in the popular seaside resort.
PLYMOUTH Free time this evening. (B) 161 mi / 255 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
EPIC RIDE Breathtaking views of Cornwall, including the setting of Winston Graham's 'Poldark' saga of Cornish life in the 18th century, will leave you breathless on a scenic drive through the stunning West Country.
Timeless Kings & Thermal Springs
GLASTONBURY Visit the city of King Arthur and the legend of the Holy Grail.
BATH Visit the excavations of the Roman Baths followed by free time. (B) 167 mi / 267 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURAL GEMS The traditions of one ancient Roman ritual are in full flow in Bath. Amid the remarkable Roman and Georgian architecture and the best-preserved Roman Baths of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, a good spa day is never hard to find in one of the "Best Spa Towns in Europe." The city of Bath sits above geothermal springs that bubble up from the limestone below. Bath also turns up the heat with some of Britain's grandest Georgian buildings, a mecca for elite 18th-century society.
Strait to Ireland
NEWPORT Drive through South Wales to Fishguard and take a ferry to Rosslare. (B,D) 183 mi / 294 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
EPIC RIDE St. George's Channel connects the British territory of Wales in the east and the south-eastern part of Ireland in the west. It is named in honour of St. George, England's patron saint, who had travelled to England by sea from the Byzantine Empire and approached the British Isles from this channel.
Fine Crystal & The Gift of Gab
WATERFORD Take a guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal.
BLARNEY Visit the village renowned for its magical Kissing Stone.
KINSALE Free time. (B,D) 105 mi / 168 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Cut the blarney and hear the history of how telling tales is forever linked to the 15th-century castle and the village below in Blarney. One of the last estate villages that remain standing in Ireland, Blarney was built by an 18th-century landlord to house the castle workers there. It's true!
Beauties in Counties Kerry & Clare
RING OF KERRY Panoramic drive around part of Ireland's southwestern peninsula.
KILLARNEY Free time this afternoon. (B) 154 mi / 247 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS Explore the emerald tapestries of green fields and ocean views that make other coastlines green with envy. The Ring of Kerry begins and ends in Killarney, taking you on a trip along the southwest coast of Ireland. Discover a paradise of panoramic cliffs, lush landscapes, and breathtaking beaches of the Iveragh Peninsula.
Traditional Dishes & Ditties
KILLARNEY Free time before [LF] pub dinner with traditional Irish music. (B,D)
LOCAL FAVOURITE
LOCAL TASTES Join the locals of Killarney for an Irish dinner of traditional and modern dishes with festive Gaelic tunes in the heart of this historic Irish town.
Irish Eyes & Cheeky Rhymes
DINGLE PENINSULA Visit the Blasket Islands Centre.
ADARE Stop at the quaint village to see its thatched cottages.
LIMERICK Free time. (B) 160 mi / 257 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PHOTO OPS There once was a town called Adare, with charm that was beyond compare... Adare's charming thatched-roof cottages create visual poetry, earning this village in County Limerick, some say the prettiest village in Ireland.
Notes Above High Sea
CLIFFS OF MOHER Visit the 668-foot-high cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean.
GALWAY Free time.
SLIGO Free time this evening. (B,D) 167 mi / 270 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PICTURE PERFECT Feast your eyes on a stunning spectacle of sea and sky on the Cliffs of Moher on the Wild Atlantic Way. Try to resist the inspiration that has moved artists, poets, and scientists throughout the ages as you stand on the edge of 320 million years of geologic perfection on the rugged coastline of County Clare.
Derry Girls & Daring Giants
DERRY Visit the second-largest city in Northern Ireland.
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY See more than 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed millions of years ago. (B,D) 227 mi / 352 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Follow in the legendary footsteps of giants at the foot of the cliffs along the coast of Northern Ireland, where 40,000 massive black basalt columns jut out of the sea. Hear the legendary myth of two battling giants that caused the magnificent geological wonder of Giant's Causeway, which actually evolved through volcanic activity 50-60 million years ago.
An Unsinkable Legend
BELFAST Orientation drive includes City Hall, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower, and Queen's University. Visit the Titanic Belfast Experience.
CARLINGFORD Stop in the charming village on the Cooley Peninsula. (B) 128 mi / 206 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT Explore the fascinating Titanic Belfast Experience for an in-depth look at the history and mystery of the legendary ocean liner. See artifacts and amazing accounts of Belfast's boom in shipping and those who built her. Learn about the courage and loss of all involved on a fateful night in April 1912. Get an immersive look at the launch, sinking, and final resting place of the doomed ship, with myths and reality revealed.
Ireland's Capital City
DUBLIN Orientation drive to see O'Connell Street, Georgian squares, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Trinity College. Free time. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CITY SIGHTS "In Dublin's fair city where girls are so pretty," you'll also find great personality and charm. The charisma of Dubliners and the bounty of pubs here is matched only by the gorgeous Georgian Squares, 12th-century St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the legendary library of Trinity College.
Welsh Word Challenge
DUBLIN Board a ferry to cross the North Channel.
NORTH WALES Photo stop at tongue-twisting town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. Take a scenic drive through North Wales to Liverpool.
LIVERPOOL Free time this evening. (B) 126 mi / 203 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT PHOTO OP The village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll may be impossible to pronounce, but its English translation is no walk in the park, meaning "St. Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave." Nevertheless, this small Welsh town with the big name is a quaint coastal spot in North Wales.
Songs, Sonnets, and Secret Vows
LIVERPOOL Visit The Beatles Story for a fascinating journey into the life and music of the Fab Four.
LAKE DISTRICT Take a scenic drive.
GRASMERE Visit Wordsworth's beloved village and [LF] sample original Grasmere gingerbread.
GRETNA GREEN See where a Scottish blacksmith performed weddings for eloping young couples. (B,D) 238 mi / 382 km.
LOCAL FAVOURITE
TIMELESS TRADITIONS Sweeten the day with classic gingerbread and hear about Sarah Nelson, a Victorian cook who invented it in 1854.
Spectacular in Scotland
GLASGOW Depart for a drive past Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, and Fort William en route to ferry crossing to the Isle of Skye.
ISLE OF SKYE Visit the Museum of the Isles before driving across the Inner Hebridean island. Return to the mainland.
LOCH NESS Drive the length of the legendary lake en route to Inverness. (B,D) 251 mi / 404 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Survey the shores of famed Loch Ness for the chance to catch a glimpse of its mysterious Nessie. Hear of the folklore and firm believers in the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, which is said to swim in the shimmering waters.
The Bronze Age & Brave Battles
THE HIGHLANDS Visit the Bronze-Age chamber tomb site of Clava Cairns. Visit the Culloden battlefield site and visitor centre. Time in the Highlands capital of Inverness. (B) 30 mi / 48 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT Inverness boasts a rich history of historic sites including Inverness Castle and St Andrew's Cathedral yet today is a lively city with a range of restaurants, bars and shops. Discover the covered Victorian Market where independent traders have been selling their wares since the 19th-century.
Mulligans & Military Music
PITLOCHRY Walk through the Victorian mountain resort.
ST. ANDREWS See the home of golf and famous university town.
EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO Attend the world-renowned Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performance. (Departures July 16 through August 6 only). (B) 202 mi / 326 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ICONIC FOOTSTEPS See the fairways and greens at the birthplace of golf, where legendary players of the Scottish game made history in the university town of St. Andrews.
Crown Jewels & Castle Views
EDINBURGH Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the New Town, and the Old Town, and a visit to Edinburgh Castle to see Scotland's Crown Jewels. Free time. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT Ascend to Castle Rock to explore Edinburgh Castle, one of the most important historical strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, with an 11,000-year history as "the most besieged place in Great Britain." Here, you'll find the royal regalia and Scotland's Crown Jewels.
Castle Heirs & English Fare
KELSO Visit Floors Castle, the largest inhabited castle in Scotland.
YORK See York Minster on a guided walk through of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets called The Shambles. (B) 213 mi / 343 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURAL GEMS The Roxburghe Estate of Floors Castle has been the home of the Innes-Ker family since it was built for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe in 1721. Surrounded by fine Victorian gardens, this historic stately home is known as the gem of the Scottish borders spanning 52,000 acres that are also home to sheep, cattle, and Cheviot lamb.
Mr. & Mrs. Shakespeare
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON See Anne Hathaway's Cottage and visit Shakespeare's Birthplace.
COTSWOLDS Scenic drive followed by [LF] dinner at a local pub. (B,D) 162 mi / 260 km
LOCAL FAVOURITE
LOCAL TASTES Quench your thirst with local ales and ciders while tasting traditional pub fayre prepared following century old recipes. Nothing eases homesickness like hearty cooked food concocted with care and love like grandma used to make. Just like home away from home!
Churchill's Beginnings
WOODSTOCK Visit Blenheim Palace, Sir Winston Churchill's birthplace.
LONDON Free time this afternoon. (B) 98 mi / 159 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS SLEPT HERE Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and enjoys a fascinating history. Built as a gift in 1704 from Queen Anne to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, this massive and magnificent masterpiece of English Baroque architecture is also home to exquisite artwork and gardens.
Safe travels until we meet again!
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
