This custom tour presents a royal journey through Scotland and Ireland, including two nights in a private castle on a private island. Enjoy gourmet dinners in elegant castles, helicopter tours above iconic coastlines, lunch on the Queen’s yacht, and tasting with the distillers. Handcrafted to deliver opulence and exclusive experiences, it’s a tour defined by the details and a chance to see these countries from your very own angles. For further inspiration, consider browsing our other Ireland...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Edinburgh – Arrival, Relaxation and Gala Dinner
Edinburgh is grand from first glance, the castle looking down and the Georgian houses standing proud. It’s a city from another era – the center of Edinburgh anyway – harking back to a time of regal power and glory. Check into a modern five-star hotel and the afternoon is completely free. It’s easy to stroll the area around the Royal Mile without a map; there’s so much to find when you explore the random side streets and see what happens. Bagpipes greet you this evening, a gala dinner complemented by traditional music and dance, the Highland culture of Scotland playing out as you tuck into a multi-course dinner. Think something similar to the Edinburgh Tattoo, just without the military doing the performing.
What's Included:
Day 2
Ballantrae – Rosslyn Chapel and a Castle Dinner
Day 3
Glasgow – Private Whiskey Tasting and Highlights of Glasgow
Day 4
Loch Fyne – Arran Helicopter Tour and Baronial Beauty
Day 5
Stirling – Private Lake Cruise and Castle Grandeur
Day 6
Edinburgh – Scottish Crown Jewels, Lunch on the Queen’s Yacht and Castle Dungeon Dinner
Day 7
Dublin – Learning Falconry and Dublin’s Private Art Collections
Day 8
Country Clare – Helicopter Tour Over Ireland’s Coastline and Another Five-Star Castle
Day 9 - 10
The Azul – A Private Castle on a Private Island
Day 11
Dublin – Superb Aerial and Land Safari Before Dining in the Capital
Day 12
Dublin – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Settle into the luxury of your own castle on a private Irish island, two days that allow you to unwind in absolute peace
- Indulge in fine-dining castle dinners, gourmet affairs in unique Scottish settings
- Discover sublime landscapes from the air with private helicopter tours; the Scottish Highlands to Isle of Arran, the Cliffs of Moher and the Dingle Peninsula
- Have lunch on the Queen’s yacht in Edinburgh and enjoy private whisky tasting with the distillers
- Explore Dublin’s private art collections and gaze upon the Scottish crown jewels
- Sleep in superb five-star accommodation, mostly in converted castles that celebrate the opulence of yesteryear
- Track Da Vinci’s stories in Rosslyn Chapel, learn falconry on castle grounds and sleep in a baronial lakeside manor house
- Take a private cruise over Loch Lomond and drive stunning Irish coastlines
Detailed Description
Glamorous castles stand isolated on Scottish glens, perched on the edge of quiet lochs. Astonishing cliff-lined coastlines play out beneath the propellers as you explore them by private helicopter. Gourmet multi-course dinners are served in converted castle dungeons and stately rooms. Whisky distillers invite you for private tastings, opening up rare not for sale bottles. Then there’s a castle on an island kept private just for you, an exclusive place to rest and recline while looking out on the water. Featuring three helicopter tours, countless castles, and a real attention to detail, this 12-day tour creates a VIP experience amid all the Celtic glory and grandeur.
Start in Scotland, a gala dinner in Edinburgh good chance to get your bearings with Scottish music and culture, bagpipes playing as multiple dishes fill the table. Explore an art collection in Maybole and Rosslyn Chapel – of The Da Vinci Code fame – before a gourmet dinner and evening in Glenapp Castle. The day features the whisky tasting plus the highlights of Scotland’s favorite city: Glasgow. From here you fly over the Scottish Highlands and across to the Isle of Arron, a scenic flight that showcases the country’s most iconic landscapes. After exploring the island from the ground you return to the glens and a night in a baronial manor house.
Start the day with a private cruise on Loch Lomond, and then go behind the scenes at Stirling Castle, a place packed with mysteries and medieval tales. You have a free afternoon and evening in Stirling, the beautifully preserved Old Town a treasure chest waiting for you to open at your own pace. Lunch on the Royal Yacht Britannia is followed by a private viewing of the Scottish Crown Jewels and a night of dining in the elegant Dalhousie Castle dungeon. A spot of falconry on the castle’s lawns concludes the Scottish leg of this VIP tour, with a direct flight to Dublin bringing a complete change in atmosphere.
Your five nights in Ireland move at a slow pace. Check out private art collections with an art historian guide in the capital. Shake your head at the scenery on a helicopter tour over the Cliffs of Moher and an Atlantic Ocean coastline that baffles the imagination. Walk beneath antiquated chandeliers as you spend a night in the old castle home of Brian Boru, the only High King of Ireland. Then become your own monarch by following a river to a secret island in Ireland. A private castle awaits, so indulge in the lake-lands for two days of craft gin tasting, afternoon liqueurs, chocolate truffles and 300-degree panoramas. You still have time for an aerial safari over the Dingle Peninsula and a final night back in Dublin.
Starting Price
$15,600 per person (excluding international flights)
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.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.87 stars based on 763 reviews.
We had a great 10-day trip. Zicasso’s travel designer was super-responsive in working through our itinerary and on our trip itself. We traveled to Dublin, Kinsale, Killarney, and Galway. The hotels were all central, close to town and trains. All of the drivers and guides were prompt and on time. I would definitely recommend our agent.
Reviewed By Joanne L.
We were extremely happy with the support we received from Zicasso ’s travel designer in planning our trip to Ireland and Scotland. The recommended trip itinerary allowed us to leverage our shorter time in Ireland and really get to experience a lot of Scotland, where we spent more of the vacation.
We were very happy with the selected hotels and the guides in each country. Transportation was well planned and went smoothly.
Reviewed By Nancy B.
I was completely satisfied with the Zicasso travel company. Our agent did a great job of planning our itinerary, including all the places we requested and selecting excellent hotels and outings. Everything went smoothly and I had a wonderful experience.
Reviewed By Elinor G.
Zicasso's travel planners were great to work with, giving us great flexibility in tailoring our tour exactly the way we wanted it. They offered us good options for the activities we were interested in (sheep farm, falconry experience), fitting them within our schedule.
The schedule worked very well for us, striking the right balance between checking all the places we wanted to see and activities we wanted to experience, and giving us just the right amount of relaxation time in between. We brought back wonderful memories from our trip!
Reviewed By Arvind M.
We had a great trip to Ireland! I appreciated how Zicasso's travel company helped plan the trip, listening to where I thought we wanted to go and making suggestions to create the trip plan. All of the guides and drivers did well and we enjoyed getting to know them.
Even though the weather did not cooperate for several days, we enjoyed seeing other sights. We also enjoyed all of the hotels we stayed at. Overall, the travel company did an excellent job and we would use them again!
Reviewed By Mildred H.
Our trip was well-crafted and included a wide array of experiences. The guides Zicasso's travel company provided and the accommodations were first-rate and memorable. We were very pleased with a trip that included many memories.
Reviewed By Doug D.
