Day 1: Following your home taxi service we join our luxury tour coach and head North for our overnight stay at the Dryfesdale Country House Hotel in Lockerbie on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis.
Day 2: This morning we head for Cairnryan where we board the ferry to Belfast. Upon arrival we make our way to our hotel for the next 4 nights, the fabulous four-star Stormont Hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
Day 3: After breakfast, we head into Belfast for a guided tour. (Due to driver rest periods, this will be undertaken on a locally provided open-top bus. In the event of bad weather, this may be substituted with an alternative vehicle.)
We will learn about the city’s turbulent past, thriving present, and hopes for the future. Highlights include major landmarks such as City Hall, Queen’s University, and Stormont Castle — seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly — a stunning sight gradually revealed along the rising approach road.
During the tour, you will also see West Belfast’s celebrated Peace Wall, the political murals of the Shankill and Falls Roads, and the ultra-modern developments of the regenerated docks area, crowned by the breathtaking Titanic Quarter.
After lunch, enjoy free time to explore the city at your leisure, or perhaps visit one of its many attractions, such as Crumlin Road Gaol, Titanic Belfast, or the Ulster Transport Museum (admission not included).
Day 4: This morning we enjoy one of the finest coastal drives in Europe — the Antrim Coast Road — with its spectacular scenery centred around the nine Glens of Antrim.
We follow the coast through Cushendall and the National Trust village of Cushendun, continuing to Carnlough before heading inland to Bushmills, where we stop for lunch.
We then continue to the World Heritage-listed Giant’s Causeway. Long associated with the legendary Irish hero Finn McCool, this remarkable formation of closely packed basalt columns rises like stepping stones from the Atlantic to the wild, windswept cliffs above, formed by a volcanic eruption around 60 million years ago.
Your visit includes entry to the Visitor Centre, where you will receive a complimentary audio guide, along with time to explore the interactive exhibits. You may take the short minibus transfer (approx. £1.50 each way, not included) or enjoy a scenic walk of around one mile along the cliff path to the Causeway.
Day 5: A rare treat awaits today with a visit to the King’s official residence in Northern Ireland, Hillsborough Castle. Following a guided tour of this elegant mansion, morning tea and scones will be served, after which there will be time to explore the beautiful gardens and grounds.
This late Georgian mansion, built in the 1770s by Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, was later remodelled in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it serves as a working royal residence when members of the Royal Family visit Northern Ireland and has also been home to the Secretary of State since the 1970s.
Your tour will take you through the elegant State Rooms, including the majestic Throne Room and graceful State Drawing Room. Visitors will learn about the paintings, furnishings, and historical significance of these rooms, which have hosted notable figures such as the Dalai Lama, the Crown Prince of Japan, Princess Diana, Hillary Clinton, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Some rooms have also played a role in key meetings during the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
The 100-acre grounds, developed from the 1760s onwards, offer a mix of ornamental gardens, peaceful woodland, meandering waterways, and manicured lawns. Highlights include the statue of Ossian, Lady Alice’s Temple, the Quaker Burial Ground, and the Ice House.
After your visit, there will be free time to explore Hillsborough town before returning to the hotel.
(Please note: if Hillsborough Castle is unavailable due to a scheduled state occasion, we will endeavour to amend the visit or provide an alternative attraction.)
Day 6: Sadly this morning we leave our hotel and head to Dublin Port where we board our ferry for the return crossing to Holyhead. Upon our arrival we continue to North Wales and our overnight hotel, the Celtic Royal in Caernarfon with time to settle in before our evening meal.
Day 7: This morning we depart our hotel and continue our journey back to Norfolk where our taxi service will be waiting to return you home.
Holiday Information:
6 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Price: £1215pp
Single Supplement: £282 (Main hotel & 2nd overnight will be allocated a twin/double for sole use, 1st overnight may be a true single or a twin/double sole use)
Tour Reference: AWE5450
Deposit Required: £70pp
Balance Due: 10 weeks prior to departure