UK Celtic Loop Itinerary

Transcription

1 UK Celtic Loop Itinerary For accurate departure times, travel times, prices of activities and suggestions on how much extra money you will need please contact Experience the royalty of London, the countryside of England, and the magical city of Edinburgh. Voyage across the Irish Sea to the beauty of the Emerald Isle. Land in the old country of Northern Ireland, venture down the coast enjoy a pint of Guinness in a local Dublin Pub, and then experience the breathtaking views of the clifs of Moher before wandering down the cobblestone streets of Galway. What s Included All ground transport in luxury coach transport (with A/C, DVD, & bathroom) Accommodation with your friends at top rated hostels Breakfast Private New Europe Walking Tours in all cities Exclusive discounts on all other New Europe tours Exclusive discounts on pub crawls Experience Bus2alps Trip Leaders What to bring Passport Student ID Pillow Camera Comfortable shoes Weather appropriate clothing Extra money Currency Pound Euro

2 Detailed Itinerary Day 1 (Thursday) Day 2 (Friday) Fly into any of the London airports located both inside and just outside of the city of London. Check-into hostel is anytime ater 16:00; plan lights accordingly. A Bus2alps guide will meet you in the hostel lobby from the hours of 6 PM to 10 PM. Once settled into your rooms, experience a local pub to familiarize yourself with what the royal city of London has to ofer. Friday morning, we depart on the Sandeman s New London Walking Tour. The tour takes us to the Theater District, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Piccadilly, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, and Oxford Street. Ater the tour, you will then have the opportunity to explore downtown London, go to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, or experience the breathtaking views from the London Eye. On Friday night, you have the option of joining the Sandeman s New London Pub Crawl. You can purchase tickets for this while on the walking tour. Otherwise, your Bus2alps guides will point out some great places to enjoy London s vibrant nightlife. Day 3 (Saturday) On Saturday, we will be venturing to many of the eclectic markets including the Borough Markets, Portobello Markets, Camden Markets, Old Spitaield s Markets, and others. The markets are full of hidden gems and great shopping for everyone. You can grab lunch at any of these markets as there is so many diferent types of foods that London has to ofer. Later, we head over to Abbey Road and stroll along the same street as the Beatles on their famous album cover. As the sun is setting you can make your way over to the Tower of London for the spooky Grim Reaper Tour of London. Day 4 (Sunday) Sunday morning we depart by bus and arrive in the beautiful Edinburgh in the late aternoon. You then have the chance to explore the capital city of Scotland and ind a classic Scottish Pub for dinner.

3 Detailed Itinerary Day 5 (Monday) We will meet in the lobby for our walking tour, which will cover all the main sights of the Old City of Edinburgh. Starting on the famous Royal Mile, we will wander down the windy streets and up the hills to sites of executions, cloned sheep and the birthplace of Harry Potter. You then have the opportunity to explore the cobblestone streets of Edinburgh. Aterwards you are free to participate in a variety of activities. For you Scottish Whiskey lovers, be a part of the Scotch Whiskey Experience Tour. Become a part of the whiskey making process while taking a swirling, bubbling barrel ride through a replica distillery. Along the way, you ll hear the stories behind this magical crat, with expert tour guides and whiskey advisors with you every sip of the way. For the non-whiskey lovers, you can choose to embark to the top of the Edinburgh Castle. Here you can learn about the famous fortress which dominates the Edinburgh s skyline and houses the Scottish crown jewels. We will then meet Monday night for either the New Europe pub crawl which will familiarize us with the beauty of the local Scottish pubs or your Bus2alps guides will point out some great places to grab a pint in Grassmarket Square. Day 6 (Tuesday) We make our way to Holyrood Park and pass the Holyrood Palace along the way. We then hike up to Arthur s seat for the most beautiful view of all of Edinburgh. Aterwards you have the aternoon free to explore the new city side of Edinburgh. When the suns sets on the magical city, grapple with the demons, creepy crawlies and all things uncanny in the land of spinechillingly haunted places on the infamous Edinburgh Ghost tour. Day 7 (Wed) We depart Edinburgh in the morning to drive across the beautiful hills and end at the coast of Scotland to board the ferry. We depart from the Scottish port of Cairnryan and venture across the Irish Sea to the Emerald Isle of Northern Ireland. We arrive in Belfast in the aternoon and head into the city center where you can grab dinner at a classic Irish Pub.

4 Detailed Itinerary Day 8 (Thursday) Day 9 (Friday) Day 10 (Sat) Day 11 (Sunday) Thursday morning, we will be enriched about the hardships of the past that overtook Northern Ireland and take a tour of the city center of Belfast. We end the tour at the Titanic museum where you can get a glimpse of the past in how this massive ship was built. We will then depart late aternoon and travel along ields of four leaf clovers to the city of Dublin. Once settled into the accommodation, the group will head out to experience the luck of the Irish and enjoy a drink at one of Dublin s oldest pubs. Ater breakfast on Friday morning, we take a private tour of the city with Sandeman s New Dublin Walking Tours. Our 2 hour tour will cover Dublin s Castle, Medieval Walls, Viking remains, famous churches, Ha Penny Bridge and other highlights. The tour ends at at a traditional Irish Pub, O Neil s, where you ll have the chance to enjoy some of the most delicious Irish food Dublin has to ofer. From there we ll head to the Guinness Storehouse where we will take a tour of the brewery (included) and have a pint at the Gravity Bar, overlooking the city. Friday night is the time to enjoy a few pints with the Irish locals during the New Europe bar crawl. On Saturday, we take a day trip across the country to the Clifs of Moher and Galway. Take in Ireland s breathtaking landscape as we cross the iconic rolling green hills to the west coast. Situated in the County Clare on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the Clifs of Moher are not to be missed (entry to clifs included). Ater the clifs, we ll continue on to the City of Galway. You are then free to explore the local shops, pubs and experience traditional music. We return to Dublin for Saturday night where you will have one last chance to sing and dance at a traditional Irish pub or check out the clubs. Sunday we depart Dublin. Please contact us if you choose to stay an additional night (additional charges will apply). Most lights from Dublin depart in the mid-aternoon and evening. Check out from our accommodation is at 10:00 and luggage storage is available through the hostel.

5 Where we stay* London: St. Christopher s Hammersmith Within a minutes walk of the Hammersmith Underground stop, this modest hostel above a bar is 0.6 miles from Lyric Hammersmith and 2.3 miles from Kensington Park Gardens. Continental breakfast is complimentary. WiFi is also free in common areas, and towels are included for female guests. There s a restaurant, bar and nightclub on-site. Coin-operated lockers are available. Hostelworld overall rating: 7.8 Address: 28 Hammersmith Broadway, London W6 7AB Phone Number: Edinburgh: St. Christopher s Edinburgh St Christopher s Edinburgh is very highly rated here on Hostelworld for its location, and no wonder - it s just of the Royal Mile and across the road from Waverly Train station, making it ideal for those coming to Edinburgh by train from London and elsewhere in Scotland and Northern England. This hostel has friendly staf and bright, clean rooms with under-bed lockers; there s also a popular bar underneath with discounts for residents on food and drink. Hostelworld overall rating: 8.2 Address: Above Belushis Bar, 9-13 Market Street, Edinburgh, Scotland Phone Number: Belfast: Vagabonds Belfast s top rated hostel as voted for by Hostelworld. com users. Ideally located in the heart of the buzzing Queens Quarter, just minutes walk from the city center, popular bars, restaurants and main tourist attractions such as the Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens. Vagabonds operates in a beautifully renovated, listed building; they are Belfast s most recent hostel to a city oozing with character and personality Hostelworld overall rating: 9.4 Location: 9 University Rd, Belfast, County Antrim BT7 1NA, United Kingdom Phone Number: *Accommodations are subject to change due to availability and group size.

6 Where We Stay Dublin: Generator Hostel Dublin Generator is brand new and located right on Smithield Square in central Dublin, next door to the Old Jameson Distillery and within walking distance of the famous Temple Bar. Generator ofers state of the art facilities, modern rooms and fun atmosphere to come home to ater exploring the city of Dublin. Dublin: Four Courts If you re interested in historical Dublin, Four Courts Hostel is a good place from which to start; We like their large movie room with couches in the basement, described by one Hostelworld user as having loads of communal space to relax and unwind. Our visitors have said their staf are funny and friendly and wonderful and so helpful ; they host free BBQs, pub crawls and walking tours so you can explore Dublin and meet other travellers as well. bus2alps.com Hostelworld overall rating: 8.6 Location: Smithield Square, Dublin 7, Dublin, Ireland Phone Number: Hostelworld overall rating: 8.4 Address:15/17 Merchants Quay, Christchurch (Adjacent to Temple Bar), Dublin Phone Number: Optional Activities Grim Reaper Tour (London): Discover how traitors and criminals were punished, why the Ripper was never caught, and what life was really like for people living in the East End. In a city so full of light and beauty, this walk will show us the darkness waiting behind every corner. London Eye (London): Take a spin on the world s largest ferriswheel Scottish Whiskey Experience Tour (Edinburgh): Become a part of the whiskey making process while taking a swirling, bubbling barrel ride through a replica distillery. Along the way, you ll hear the stories behind this magical crat, with expert tour guides and whiskey advisors with you every sip of the way. The Real Mary King s Close Tour (Edinburgh): Beneath the City Chambers on the Royal Mile lies Edinburgh s deepest secret, a passage of hidden streets where people lived, worked and died between the 17th and the 19th centuries. Titanic Museum (Belfast): Get a glimpse of the amazing history of the Titanic including real stories vs. myths and information on how this massive ship was built. Pub Crawls (every city)