Grand Highlights of Ireland and Scotland

Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highland, United Kingdom

What to expect on this itinerary

Ireland and Scotland are proudly different countries of sublime landscapes and ongoing tradition. Handcrafted to celebrate the best of both, this private 16-day tour takes in all the famous experiences – like Dublin, Giant’s Causeway, Highland dancing, Loch Ness and Edinburgh – plus all those secrets and cultural memoirs found in between. Click here to learn more about Ireland and Scotland tours on Zicasso.

Countries Visited

Ireland, Scotland

Places Visited

Dublin, Kildare, Waterford, Blarney, Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Waterville, Donegal, Londonderry, Belfast, Glasgow, Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, Edinburgh

Suggested Duration

16 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Dublin – A Lively Welcome in Atmospheric Dublin

Dublin is quick to carry you off on Ireland’s atmospheric blanket. Get to know locals though a bit of craic (banter and conversation) outside a pub, quaint streets painted green, colorful performers all along Grafton Street. Then go inside Temple Bar for a pint of the black stuff (Guinness) as the locals ask your name and welcome you in a gregarious manner that only the Irish seem to know how to do. Ireland has an atmosphere that quickly makes visitors feel at home. There’s something ineffable in the air that you won’t forget and something so distinctly Irish you can’t put your finger on. And this is just the first night. You have another week to explore the nuance of this lively atmosphere.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Day 2

Dublin – Highlights of Dublin Before Whimsical Cabaret and Storytelling

Day 3

Waterford – Horse Racing History, Crystal Crafters and Folk Fun

Day 4

Killarney – Kissing the Blarney Stone and Pony and Trap Ride Through Bourn-Vincent

Day 5

Killarney – The Legendary Ring of Kerry

Day 6

Galway – Thatched Cottages and a Vibrant Cathedral City

Day 7

Londonderry – 17th-Century Walls and Murals of Battle

Day 8

Belfast – An Extravagant Coastline and Side Streets of Belfast

Day 9

Glasgow – Relaxed Time in Contrasting Cities

Day 10

Glasgow – Embracing Tradition and Scottish Culture

Day 11

Skye – So Many Tales in Beautiful Rural Scotland

Day 12

Skye – Exploring the Rugged Beauty of Iconic Island

Day 13

Scottish Highlands – A Famous Monster and Old Farming Heritage

Day 14

Edinburgh – Landscapes From a Dream

Day 15

Edinburgh – Best of Edinburgh and Scottish Show With Dinner

Day 16

Edinburgh – Discovering Rosslyn Chapel and Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Compare vibrant traditions that have survived to this day; like folk singing and storytelling in Ireland then Highland dancing and bagpipes in Scotland
  • Discover Europe’s extravagant rural roads, like Ireland’s Ring of Kerry and a journey through the Scottish Highlands
  • Compare the capitals, two nights in each of Edinburgh and Dublin packed with local surprises
  • Contrast the gritty, culture-imbued cities of Belfast and Glasgow
  • Embrace the beauty and serenity of the water; travel the North Coast past Giant’s Causeway and navigate the famous Scottish lochs (lakes)
  • Explore tales of battle, the modern murals of Londonderry a very different story to Scotland’s medieval battlefields
  • Spend a day on the Isle of Skye, away from it all with the wind through your hair
  • Beautiful vestiges from the past are all over these two countries: like thatched cottages in Adare, Rosslyn Chapel (made famous by The Da Vinci Code), Galway Cathedral and the Blarney Stone
  • Cross the green landscapes of Ireland then find purple beneath the peaks in Scotland

Detailed Description

For such small countries, Ireland and Scotland really know how to diversify the visitor experience. Bagpipe music and Highland dancing; whimsical Irish cabaret and traditional seanchaithe (storytellers). Experience the staggering Atlantic Ocean coastline and the serenity of Scottish lochs. Visit Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh, four cities with completely different identities. Then pay a visit to thatched villages, war murals, the Blarney Stone, the Isle of Skye, then Rosslyn Chapel of The Da Vinci Code and Knights Templar fame. These are countries made for touring, where every day brings you to somewhere and something new. Every moment you spend, there’s the ubiquitous sense of local culture. In the 21st-century, it’s refreshing to explore countries so true to their roots and styles.

Spend the first eight nights in Ireland. Dublin is for stories and soaking up the Irish atmosphere. The country’s south delivers folk fun and glorious landscapes. Along the southwestern coast, you find dramatic landscapes and old-world musing. Traverse the west of the country, through a thatched village to Galway, then onwards to the intriguing tales of Donegal and Londonderry. You’re now in Northern Ireland, and you explore one of the world’s finest coastlines – the North Coast with Giant’s Causeway – before a relaxed 24 hours in Belfast. While the pace seems quick and there is a lot to experience, Ireland’s compact size means you don’t spend that long on the road. The car rides are part of the fun when the landscapes are so improbably green.

Fly across the water to two nights in Glasgow, a city that’s great to compare with Belfast. Then set off into the rural lands that make Scotland so inviting: lochs (lakes), ruined castles, medieval war stories, ragged mountain tops then a ferry to the windswept Isle of Skye. Back on mainland Scotland, you become immersed in the Highlands, traveling through vast open landscapes and onwards to your final two nights in Edinburgh. Along the way, there’s a mythical monster, bagpipes and dancing, farming heritage and all those little secrets that make Scotland such a unique place to travel. Two weeks after exploring Dublin, you’re making sense of the travel memoirs, having to use photos to piece the journey together. Learn more about how the luxury Ireland and Scotland tour companies we work with can personalize the vacation of your dreams.

Starting Price

$9,200 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 711 reviews

Kenneth (.
Scotland Tour Review: 8 Nights

There was great planning by Zicasso's travel company, with just the right amount of activity, without exhausting us. And great accommodations.

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Kevin M.
England, Scotland Travel Review: London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Walking Tours, Countryside, 1 Week

Zicasso's travel agency was easy to work with and helped customize our plans to meet the needs of our family.

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Patrick M.
Scotland Travel Review: Family Heritage, 6 Nights

My wife and I had a great experience with Zicasso's travel specialist (who coordinated the initial logistics) and especially with our tour guide (who was an 11/10 and exceeded our expectations on our tour). They customized our trip before we arrived and then our guide was responsive to "on-the-fly" changes once we were in-country. I hope I can refer more people to them.

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Shelly P.
Scotland, England Trip Review: Wimbledon, Museum, 8 Nights

Zicasso's travel company was professional, thorough, and very attentive to my needs and interests. It was also clear the guides and drivers partnering with the agency in the UK had great respect for the travel company.

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Leah S.
Ireland, Scotland, England Family Trip Review: Edinburgh, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Cliffs of Moher, History, Castle, Local Cuisine, Scenery, Art, 21 Days

Zicasso's trip planner worked with my family for the better part of a year planning our big family trip. She provided exceptional service and planned every detail of our trip. We have a large family, with lots of moving parts. There were many changes in the itinerary along the way and she rolled with all the many changes. She was always polite, courteous, and graceful in her many interactions with our family.

She listened carefully during our initial conversations to help us plan the best trip possible. Being a large family, with multiple generations, she really created the best possible experience, taking in everyone's wishes. Working with her was very relieving, knowing she was taking care of all the details.

Our family's trip took us from the States to Ireland, Scotland, and England. We traveled on planes, trains, ferry, and drove a car. Our trip planner arranged every detail meticulously. We stayed in lovely, quaint, boutique hotels, ate the most wonderful foods, saw the amazing sights, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites across all three countries. From the Cliffs of Moher to the Culloden Moor Memorial to Stonehenge to castles grand and desolate; from beautiful cathedrals to old abbey ruins; from little country pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants; and even spending a couple days in an actual 17th-century castle, every minute was amazing! Truly amazing!

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Kristen K.
Ireland Travel Review: Belfast, Dublin, Dingle, Giant's Causeway, Nature, Scenery, Music, Culture, 7 Nights

We really loved our trip to Ireland! Our Zicasso travel agent was there to meet us right at the airport and really took care of us the whole trip. We could not have asked for a better driver/travel guide. We loved the incredible scenery, the wonderful people throughout our trip, the history, and the music in the pubs at night! Ireland is really a magical place and we had a great time on our visit. Thank you!

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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