Northern Ireland & Dublin

Discover Belfast, the birthplace of Titanic; the Giant’s Causeway and the Antrim Coast; the delightful Hillsborough Castle – Northern Ireland’s Royal Residence – and the capital city of Dublin.

Sunday 28th July – Sunday 4th August 2024

Tour Price £1,211.00
Single supplement: £246.00

o Seven nights dinner, bed and breakfast
o Three course menu
o Full Irish breakfast
o All coach travel
o All ferry crossings
o Admission to the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Experience
o Two and a half hour guided tour of Belfast
o Hillsborough Castle guided tour
o Admission to Mount Stewart House and Gardens
o Escorted throughout

DAY I Today we head north for our overnight stop in Dumfries with stops en route.

DAY 2 We depart the hotel after breakfast and make our way to the ferry crossing from Cairnryan to Belfast in Northern Ireland. On arrival, we continue to Belfast and the Stormont Hotel – our home for the next five nights.

DAY 3 Today we head along the Antrim Coast Road, which has been rated one of the top five road trips worldwide, with its delightful views across the Glens of Antrim and down to the Irish Sea.We continue to the mystical Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose distinctive volcanic columns are 60 million years old. A regular shuttle bus escorts visitors from the visitor centre down to the shore where you can explore this dramatic landscape.

DAY 4 Enjoy a guided tour of Belfast this morning. Discover the many highlights including Ulster Museum, Botanical Gardens, HMS Caroline, the Albert Memorial (and leaning!) clock, the Blue Fish, the Opera House and many more, not forgetting all the shops and cafes. In the afternoon we have included a visit to Titanic Belfast, the impressive museum designed in the shape of a ship’s hull and dedicated to this maritime legend in the city of her birth. Located in the heart of Belfast, on the slipways where RMS Titanic was built, inside this iconic building, visitors will re-live the entire Titanic story from her birth in Belfast to the fateful maiden voyage and her eventual discovery on the seabed.

DAY 5 There’s a treat in store today with a rare visit to the King’s personal and ceremonial home in Northern Ireland – Hillsborough Castle.After your guided tour through this stunning Georgian mansion, including the majestic throne room, tea and scones will be served. There will be time to explore the grounds, which are delightful, before exploring the village of Hillsborough with its Georgian architecture and Visitor Centre with an original courtroom exhibit.

DAY 6 Today we enjoy the special scenery of the Ards Peninsula with winding roads, small fields and white cottages.We visit Mount Stewart House & Gardens, one of Northern Ireland’s most magnificent country homes, surrounded by splendid gardens with fine topiary and stone statues.We then continue south to Portaferry, a little fishing village at the tip of the peninsula, and then go across by ferry and on to Downpatrick, with its visitor centre which reflects on the life and times of the Irish Saint, St Patrick.

DAY 7 We bid farewell to our hotel and depart after breakfast making our way to Dublin City, where you will have time to explore the Capital city noted for its architecture, literature and heritage before heading to our overnight hotel.

DAY 8 Enjoy your early morning return sailing from Dublin port to Holyhead (including breakfast on board) before returning home.