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PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY

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Discover England & Ireland in 14 days— see the best of both countries on this beautifully guided journey. You'll enjoy private-guided walking tours of Dublin, Bath, Liverpool and London. In Ireland, enjoy Gaelic tunes in the music filled bars of Dingle and gourmet dinners at hand-picked restaurants. Tour the Slea Head Drive along the Dingle Peninsula, lean into the wind on the very edge of Europe at the Cliffs of Moher and visit the Aran Islands. In England, explore London, visit ancient Stonehenge, experience Jane Austen's Bath, and discover some of the best stories & insights of the “Fab 4” on a privately led Beatles tour of Liverpool. Discover England & Ireland on this 14-day private tour!​

 

Day 1) London: Kensington Palace 

This morning, arrive at London Heathrow Airport where you’ll be greeted by your driver. Continue to your hotel in the heart of London’s West End and within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus and many other top London attractions. This afternoon, you’ll walk partly through Hyde Park and pass the Royal Albert Hall on the way to visit Kensington Palace, a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. The State Rooms are open to the public and you’ll be able to explore the birthplace of Queen Victoria and the home to young royals for over 300 years. Walk in the footsteps of royalty in Victoria’s re-imagined childhood rooms and the magnificent King’s and Queen’s State Apartments. 

 

Day 2) London: Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s & Tower of London 

Today, enjoy a private guided tour of London. Visit Westminster Abbey—a place touched by the lives of kings, queens, statesmen, soldiers, poets, priests, heroes and villains since 960AD. Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the resting place of more than 3,000 great Britons. Along your way, you’ll take in some other famous sights such as Hyde Park Corner, Buckingham Palace and Parliament Square. Next, continue your journey to St. Paul’s Cathedral and then to the Tower of London, where your guide will make recommendations for lunch nearby. Afterwards, visit the Tower of London, home to the Crown Jewels, and enjoy a cruise along the Thames admiring the best views of Tower Bridge and London’s skyline.

 

Day 3) Windsor Castle & Hampton Court 

Today, depart for a whole-day private guided tour of Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. First, visit Windsor Castle, the largest occupied castle in the world and the resting place of Queen Elizabeth II. You’ll explore the interiors of this famous palace, setting of some recent Royal weddings. Continue to Hampton Court for lunch opposite the Palace. In the afternoon, visit Hampton Court where, through a private-guided tour, you’ll experience the public dramas and private lives of Henry VIII, his wives, and children in the world of the Tudor court. Discover the spectacular baroque palace built for William III and Mary II and explore Hampton Court Palace’s outdoor spaces and magnificent gardens. 

 

Day 4) Stonehenge & Bath

Today, depart London for Stonehenge and Bath. You’ll begin with a visit to Stonehenge—a World Heritage Site and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe—where you will walk in the footsteps of your Neolithic ancestors. You’ll then continue your journey to Bath along a scenic route which will include a stop to admire the Westbury White Horse, a hill figure on the escarpment of Salisbury Plain said to commemorate King Alfred’s victory of a battle with the Vikings in 878. In Bath, enjoy a private-guided walking tour led by your private guide. Explore the places which inspired the novels of Jane Austen including Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Tour the incredibly preserved Roman Baths and the splendid Georgian Royal Crescent. Check-in to your hotel in the heart Bath for an overnight stay.

 

Day 5) Cotswolds: Dyrham Park & Lacock

This morning, depart Bath for Dyrham Park, a baroque English country house in an ancient deer park, and the beautiful village of Lacock, the setting for the delightful series Cranford and the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey and Harry Potter. Lacock is an unspoiled National Trust village on the edge of the Cotswolds and appears as if it is trapped in time and where many movies and TV series have been filmed. Continue your journey to the beautiful rolling countryside of the Cotswolds where you’ll arrive for a two-night stay in Stow-on-the-Wold, an attractive Cotswold village with a mixture of quaint shops, tea rooms, local pubs and restaurants, all set amongst period houses and picturesque honey-colored Cotswold stone cottages. 

 

Day 6) Cotswolds: Sudeley Castle & Chasleton House

This morning, visit Sudeley Castle, a 15th-century country house where Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Elizabeth 1, amongst others, all have connections. The centerpiece is the Queens Garden, so named because four of England’s queens—Anne Boleyn, Katherine Parr, Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I—all admired the hundreds of varieties of roses found here. Continue to Chastleton House, a fine unaltered Jacobean manor house with gardens laid out the same way for 400 years, also setting of the costume drama Wolf Hall. This afternoon, a full afternoon English tea will be waiting for you at a local treasure, an award-winning restaurant with spectacular views across the peaceful Cotswold valleys.   

 

Day 7) Liverpool

This morning, depart the Cotswolds for Liverpool. After an opportunity for lunch, discover some of the best stories & insights of the “Fab 4” on a privately Beatles tour of Liverpool. Some of your tour highlights include the childhood homes of your four favorite lads as well as some of the iconic places they frequented or sang about. Experience Penny Lane (including a photo stop at the famous sign and drive-past the barber, St. Barnabas Church and more), Strawberry Field (including a stop for refreshments and photos) and Eleanor Rigby’s grave… Arrive at your hotel for an overnight stay. Tonight, dinner is at the Cavern Club Restaurant (reserved but not included), and depending on what’s on, enjoy some live music at the Cavern Club Lounge.

 

Day 8) Dublin

Depart for Liverpool Airport where you’ll board your flight to Dublin. Transfer to your hotel in central Dublin for an overnight stay. This afternoon, enjoy a private-guided walking tour of Dublin, learning about its often-calamitous history, from the days of Viking raids to the hard centuries of British occupation to its remarkable literary legacy to the modern city of today. You’ll visit the stunning Old Library, Trinity College, for an illuminating look at the remarkable Book of Kells, a gospel book, containing the four accounts of Christ’s life that form the New Testament of the Bible. It is one of the few precious survivals of an influential tradition of book production that flourished in the Irish Church in the eighth and ninth centuries. You will then have some free time to explore Dublin on your own. 

 

Day 9) Rock of Cashel & Kenmare

Depart Dublin for one of Ireland’s most historic and evocative sights: The Rock of Cashel. St. Patrick himself was here more than 1,500 years ago and, ever since, the Rock has been the spiritual heart of Ireland. Next, continue to quaint Kenmare, with its rows of vividly painted shop fronts and a go-for-a-stroll atmosphere, for a one-night stay in this the quintessentially Irish town, known for its culinary specialties. Dinner tonight is reserved at a local gourmet restaurant.

 

Day 10) Killarney National Park

Today, experience the spectacular wild scenery of Killarney National Park. View Molls Gap, Ladies View and Torc Waterfall, and visit the evocative Ross Castle and the beautiful Muckross House & Gardens, all set against stunning beauty. Enjoy a jaunting car ride (horse carriage ride) in the beautiful National Park. Continue your journey to the pastel-painted, quintessentially Irish harbor town of Dingle for a two-night stay. Dingle is a lively Gaeltacht town of seafaring heritage where instrumental music and song have a long tradition. You will arrive in time to explore this colorful town and enjoy dinner, your guide will provide recommendations. 

 

Day 11) Hawk Walk & Dingle Peninsula

Today, discover the Dingle Peninsula along the Slea Head Drive, one of the most scenic routes in Ireland which will include a Hawk Walk, an incredible experience. You will learn how to hold a hawk as they fly between all of you along the beach. You will visit the Blasket Island Heritage Center, with stunning views of the wild Atlantic coast and islands. The Blasket Centre is a fascinating museum, honoring the unique community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until their evacuation in 1953. You will experience incredible coastal views, and if time permits, visit a sheep farm for a sheep dog demonstration. Tonight, explore more of Dingle’s delights for which your driver will make recommendations.

 

Day 12) Conor Pass & Wild Atlantic Way

This morning, you’ll drive across Ireland’s highest mountain pass, the Conor Pass. You’ll follow the Wild Atlantic Way north, cross the Shannon estuary by ferry, and head to the sensational Cliffs of Moher, where you will find yourself leaning into the wind on the very edge of Europe, more than 600 feet above the waters of the North Atlantic. Next, arrive at the your hotel, your base for the next two nights. The hotel is strikingly situated with magnificent views of the Atlantic and the Aran Islands. Tonight, enjoy a gourmet dinner at the hotel.

 

Day 13) Aran Island of Inis Oírr & Cliffs of Moher 

Today, you’ll board a ferry at Doolin Harbor bound for the stark beauty of Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. On arrival, enjoy a pony and trap (cart) tour of the island. On your return to the mainland, admire the Cliffs of Moher in the most spectacular way, from the sea. This afternoon, explore the intriguing rocky landscape of the Burren and its hardy prehistoric residents, including the Poulnabrone Dolmen—also called the ‘Hole of Sorrow’—the most iconic of Ireland’s megalithic structures. This evening, prior to dinner, take a private-guided tour of the hotel’s medieval Castle by the hotel’s owner.

 

Day 14) Shannon or Dublin Airport
Transfer by private car to Shannon or Dublin Airport for your return flight. 

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