CELTIC CELEBRATION
SCOTLAND & IRELAND
25 July - 21 August 2025
Join us for a 25-day tour of Scotland and Ireland to celebrate the Celtic culture, history, colour and music of these two great lands. This is a chance to walk where our ancestors walked, and travel with music, fun, vibrancy and friendship from our great hosts: Bonnie, Karl and Marian.
$22,800 per person twin share
Single Room Supplement Add $7650
Initial Deposit On Booking $3000
Second Deposit Due: 17 January 2024 $4000
Final Balance Due: 7 April 2025
Days
25 Days
Highlights
Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Scottish dance and bagpipes, Riverdance, concerts from our artists, castles, vibrant cities and towns, great scenery, Irish pubs with music
Group Size
35 Travellers
Meals
All Breakfasts
7 Lunches
14 Dinners
Mobility
Moderate Tour
MAP GUIDE:
1. GLASGOW (3 nights)
2. FORT WILLIAM (2 nights)
3. INVERNESS (3 nights)
4. EDINBURGH (3 nights)
5. DUBLIN (3 nights)
6. GALWAY (3 nights)
7. ENNIS (2 nights)
8. KILLARNEY (3 nights)
9. WATERFORD (2 nights)
SPECIAL FEATURES
• We embrace our roots and ancestry and discover the proud history and beauty of Scotland and Ireland on our 25-day tour of these two countries.
• We enjoy numerous musical experiences presented by local musicians and Bonnie, Karl and Marian, including Edinburgh Military Tattoo, private concerts, pub music visits and shows, cruise with show, Taste of Scotland show, Riverdance and medieval show at Bunratty Castle.
• Every Scottish castle, loch and glen has a legend surrounding it and we take you on an exceptional journey through Scotland and captivate you with those stories.
• Discover the real Ireland, an irresistible Ireland, with glorious countryside of green, green, green and low stone walls, rugged coastlines, majestic castles, quirky pubs and the friendliest people!
• We immerse ourselves in Scotland’s and Ireland’s fabled history and nature. We are proud to claim our Celtic heritage and the ancestors who, with courage, travelled across the world to a brave new land but never lost their pride and their fervour of all things Celtic. Now we have the chance to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors!
• Numerous special flavours including guided tours, visits to castles, loch cruises, famous battle sites of Scotland, whiskey distilleries, churches, Royal Britannia, mill and farm shops, Viking world, Waterford Crystal, Book of Kells, scenic drives.
• With the fantastic team of Bonaventure Allan-Moetaua, Karl Perigo and Marian Burns, we experience the music, the culture, the history, fun and the zest for life. We simply feel like we have come home!
TRIP ITINERARY
Experience the Exceptional:
FRIDAY 25 JULY 2025
Today we fly to Glasgow via Dubai to celebrate our Celtic roots and enjoy the music and culture of these two great countries.
SATURDAY 26 JULY 2025 (D) GLASGOW
Voco Grand Central Hotel (3 nights)
Glasgow is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands. It is famous for its Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture and its prosperous history in the 18th–20th century due to trade and shipbuilding.
Highlights Include:
• Today we arrive in Glasgow to begin our adventure with check in, a light dinner and an early night.
SUNDAY 27 JULY 2025 (B, D) GLASGOW TOUR
Highlights Include:
• City tour of the great architecture, including Glasgow Cathedral, the oldest house in Glasgow, the Italian Centre, the lighthouse, and Buchanan St.
• Welcome dinner and music provided by Bonnie, Marian and Karl.
MONDAY 28 JULY 2025 (B, L) GLASGOW TOUR
Highlights Include:
• Visit Robbie Burns’ house, museum, and birthplace and several sites of relevance to the poet in and around the area.
• Lunch at the Robbie Burns Cafe, before setting off to Kelvin Grove Art Gallery, a favourite location for Antiques Roadshow.
TUESDAY 29 JULY 2025 (B, L, D) GLASGOW - FORT WILLIAM
Glenspean Lodge Hotel (2 nights)
Fort William is a town in the western Scottish Highlands, on the shores of Loch Linnhe. It’s known as a gateway to Ben Nevis, the U.K.’s highest peak, and Glen Nevis valley, home to Steall Falls. It is also the home of the Cameron Clan!
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Highlights Include:
• It’s off to the Highlands to Fort William this morning with a stop at Tarbet for a cruise on beautiful Loch Lomond, followed by lunch.
• Spend some time shopping in Fort William and visit the West Highland Museum.
• Dinner at our hotel this evening.
WEDNESDAY 30 JULY 2025 (B, L, D) FORT WILLIAM
Highlights Include:
• Cable car ride up Aonach Mor Mountain for view of Ben Nevis with lunch at the top.
• Whisky tasting at Ben Nevis Distillery plus a tour and talk about whisky.
• Dinner at our hotel this evening with a chance to hear some music from our great artists.
THURSDAY 31 JULY 2025 (B, D) FORT WILLIAM - LOCH NESS - INVERNESS
Inverness Palace Hotel (3 nights)
Inverness is a city on Scotland’s northeast coast, where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth. It’s the largest city and the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands. Its Old Town features 19th-century Inverness Cathedral, the mostly 18th-century Old High Church and an indoor Victorian Market selling food, clothing and crafts.
Highlights Include:
• Drive to Inverness through the highlands, stopping to view the Commando Memorial and Fort Augustus with free time for lunch.
• Cruise on Loch Ness to see what we can spot from the boat using sonar, visit the Loch Ness Visitor’s Centre plus enjoy great views of the Urquhart Castle ruins.
• Dinner at the hotel on arrival this evening.
FRIDAY 1 AUGUST 2025 (B, D) INVERNESS TOURING
Highlights Include:
• Walking tour of the old town of Inverness including the Victorian markets, the cathedral and Inverness Castle, with free time for lunch.
• Visit to Cawdor Castle, said to be the setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
• Dinner at the hotel this evening with a little concert after dinner from our artists.
SATURDAY 2 AUGUST 2025 (B, L, D)
FORT GEORGE AND CULLODEN
Highlights Include:
• Visit to the Culloden Moor Visitor Centre, museum and tour of Culloden Battlefield. It is one of the most important battles which was a total and bloody defeat for the Jacobites, ending more than half a century of Jacobite conflict.
• Drive to Fort George which was built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden (1746) as a secure base for King George II’s army.
• Dinner at the hotel this evening.
SUNDAY 3 AUGUST 2025 (B) INVERNESS - EDINBURGH
Intercontinental The George, Edinburgh (3 nights)
Edinburgh is Scotland’s compact, hilly capital. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers.
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Highlights Include:
• It’s off to Edinburgh today but not before we enjoy a wonderful day exploring.
• First stop is the Highland Folk Museum for a chance to wander and get a cup of tea. We step back in time and experience life in the Highlands from 1700s to the 1950s with over 35 historical buildings. This is a chance to imagine how your ancestors might have lived.
• Then we stop at the House of Bruar for lunch (own cost) and shopping. This is a wonderful shopping complex, with a food hall, country gifts, clothes, art, antiques. The list goes on…………
• Next stop is Scone Castle, the Crowning Place of Scottish Kings and the original home of the Stone of Scone. We learn about the history of this great place.
• Check into our hotel with time for your own dinner this evening.
MONDAY 4 AUGUST 2025 (B) EDINBURGH
Highlights Include:
• Walking tour of the old town, Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle.
• The spectacle of the Edinburgh Tattoo, one of the most iconic shows in the world and we see it from excellent seats!
TUESDAY 5 AUGUST 2025 (B, D) EDINBURGH
Highlights Include:
• Visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, dubbed the most popular attraction in all Scotland.
• Free time to wander on your own and take in the atmosphere of this gorgeous city with its history, bustling streets and buskers.
• Dinner and show Taste of Scotland, what a great way to finish our time in Scotland, highland dancing, bagpipes, haggis, the lot!
WEDNESDAY 6 AUGUST 2025 (B) EDINBURGH - DUBLIN
Highlights Include:
• Today we are off to Ireland on our direct flight, arriving in Dublin mid afternoon.
• Dublin, capital of the Republic of Ireland, is on Ireland’s east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. Its historic buildings include Dublin Castle, dating to the 13th century, and imposing St Patrick’s Cathedral.
• Own dinner tonight, and on arrival if you are not too tired you might like to try out one of the local pubs for dinner and some music.
THURSDAY 7 AUGUST 2025 (B, WHISKEY TASTING, D)
DUBLIN SIGHTSEEING
Highlights Include:
• Morning tour of Dublin including Dublinia, Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College and Book of Kells.
• A visit to the famous Jameson Distillery for a tour and whiskey tasting.
• The Church Restaurant for dinner and live music from an Irish band. It feels like we are in Ireland.
FRIDAY 8 AUGUST 2025 (B) FREE DAY AND RIVERDANCE
Highlights Include:
• Free time to wander the streets of Dublin, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy some time off.
• Tonight, a highlight of the trip, experiencing the show Riverdance (subject to final programming).
SATURDAY 9 AUGUST 2025 (B, L, D) DUBLIN - GALWAY
GALWAY (3 nights) - Park House Hotel
Galway City is unique among Irish cities because of the strength of its Irish language, music, song and dancing tradition.
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Highlights Include:
• Today we drive from Dublin to Galway, stopping at Athlone for a Viking cruise. We step back in time 1200 years and learn about Vikings, the River Shannon and local fauna and flora before lunch in a local cafe.
• Private dinner and cruise on the Corrib Princess where our musicians join with theirs for a great Irish jamming session!
SUNDAY 10 AUGUST 2025 (B) GALWAY TOURING
Highlights Include:
• Guided city tour of Galway with free time in the afternoon to wander around this vibrant fabulous city.
MONDAY 11 AUGUST 2025 (B) KYLEMORE ABBEY
Highlights Include:
• A visit to Kylemore Abbey, a mansion located on the lake and surrounded by incredible landscape gardens.
• Free afternoon in Galway to shop, wander and explore on your own.
• Let’s find an Irish pub tonight and enjoy a jam session with our artists and the locals.
TUESDAY 12 AUGUST 2025 (B, L) CLIFFS OF MOHER - ENNIS
Old Ground Hotel, Ennis (2 nights)
Ennis is a cute gateway town on the Shannon Estuary Way, a spectacular and unspoiled loop drive around Ireland’s deepest watercourse.
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Highlights Include:
• Visit to the fabulous Cliffs of Moher. Looming over County Clare’s west coast, the cliffs are 214 metres high at their highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean.
• Lunch at the Shamrock Inn Hotel.
• Travel onwards to Ennis to check in with free time to enjoy your own dinner.
WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2025 (B, D) BUNRATTY
Highlights Include:
• Free morning to wander this charming village, famous for its antique shops.
• Mid afternoon we are off to Bunratty Castle with time to explore the wonderful historic Irish village.
• Medieval feast, show and tour of Bunratty Castle.
THURSDAY 14 AUGUST 2025 (B)
ENNIS - ADARE - DINGLE - KILLARNEY
The Ross Hotel, Killarney (3 nights)
Killarney is renowned for its natural beauty and has been a favourite tourist destination since the 18th century. Today, the Jaunting Cars still carry visitors around the scenic highlights and the picturesque laneways are as bright and colourful as ever, but the bustling streets are now lined with independent craft shops, small galleries, traditional pubs and fine restaurants.
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Highlights Include:
• Visit to Adare Village with its Tudor-style thatch-roof cottages, an 1840s limestone courthouse and the ruins of three important church centres.
• Stop off in Dingle, the cutest seaside village with free time for lunch and a wander by the harbour.
• Free evening and time to check out the Irish pubs and the music scene, joining in with the locals.
FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 2025 (B, D) KILLARNEY
Highlights Include:
• City Highlights Tour including Muckross House, one of Ireland’s popular attractions.
• To Ross Castle for a photostop, situated on the edge of Lough Leane, in Killarney National Park, County Kerry.
• Dinner at Kate Kearney’s Cottage - a fun night with traditional music and perhaps some joining in by our artists too.
SATURDAY 16 AUGUST 2025 (B) KILLARNEY
Highlights Include:
• Free time to explore, shop, maybe purchase some beautiful Killarney linen or other Irish fineries.
• Free time to enjoy your own dinner.
SUNDAY 17 AUGUST 2025 (B, D)
KILLARNEY - BLARNEY - WATERFORD
Faithlegg Hotel, Waterford (2 nights)
Waterford is a tourist-friendly city that has rich culture and history, beautiful scenery, great food and drink, warm hospitality, and joyful festivals.
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Highlights Include:
• Visit Blarney Castle which was built nearly six hundred years ago. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney. This might have something to do with the Blarney Stone and the legend that kissing it will give you the ‘gift of the gab!’
• Free time for lunch and a look at the fabulous Woollen Mills shops.
• Dinner is included at the hotel on arrival.
MONDAY 18 AUGUST 2025 (B, D) WATERFORD
Highlights Include:
• Visit and tour of the famous Waterford Crystal Factory which has been in production on this site for over 200 years.
• Free time for lunch and a wander in Waterford.
• Final night gala at the hotel in a private room with our fabulous artists.
TUESDAY 19 AUGUST 2025 (B, L) TRAVEL TO AIRPORT VIA GLENDALOUGH AND POWERSCOURT
Highlights Include:
• Visit to Glendalough Tower, the most famous of all the landmarks in County Wicklow, which was built almost 1,000 years ago by the monks of St Kevin’s Monastery.
• Visit Powerscourt House and Gardens. Named 3rd Best Garden in the world by National Geographic, we immerse ourselves in 47 acres of carefully curated and maintained gardens.
• With so many wondrous features to explore and the stunning Powerscourt House listed as one of the top 10 globally (Lonely Planet), there is something to take everyone’s breath away.
• We lunch here in this lovely place before we allow plenty of time to get to the airport for our flight home.
WEDNESDAY 20 AUGUST 2025 IN FLIGHT
THURSDAY 21 AUGUST 2025
Arrive home today filled with the joy of discovering our Celtic roots, enjoying music and lots of laughs!
PLACES WE STAY
SCOTLAND
Voco Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow (3 nights)
is a landmark 19th-century hotel in Glasgow city centre, with contemporary guest rooms & iconic champagne bar in a prime spot attached to Glasgow Central.
Glenspean Lodge Hotel, Fort William (2 nights)
Majestically situated in the Scottish Highlands, within 5 acres of gardens and woodland, Glenspean Lodge has been a famous landmark in an area of outstanding natural beauty since the 1800’s.
Best Western Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa, Inverness (3 nights)
is a 4-star hotel, located on the banks of Inverness opposite Inverness Castle. It is just a few minutes’ walk to the town centre.
Intercontinental The George Hotel, Edinburgh (3 nights)
Inspired by Scotland’s heritage, the 5-star hotel has been welcoming hotel guests since 1881. At its heart are five listed Georgian townhouses, built in 1775 as homes for its most illustrious citizens.
IRELAND
Brooks Hotel, Dublin (3 nights)
offers 4-star luxury accommodation in the heart of Dublin, ideally located to visit Temple Bar and Trinity College.
Park House Hotel, Galway (3 nights)
is an upscale hotel in a grand Victorian-style stone building situated in the heart of Galway.
Old Ground Hotel, Ennis (2 nights)
is situated in an 18th century restored manor house and is considered the best hotel in County Clare.
Ross Hotel, Killarney (3 nights)
is a 4-star family owned boutique hotel, situated in the heart of Killarney, a perfect location for enjoying the park, shops and pubs with local music.
Faithlegg Hotel, near Waterford (2 nights)
Set in a stunning woodland location with fabulous views over the Suir estuary in County Waterford, the hotel has a beautifully restored 18th Century mansion at its heart.
This Trip Includes:
• Economy Airfares Emirates Auckland - Dubai - Glasgow // Dublin - Dubai - Auckland including all taxes plus local flight Edinburgh to Dublin.
• 25-day grand tour of Scotland and Ireland to retrace and acknowledge our Celtic roots and heritage!
• All accommodation at historic or quirky hotels, in beautiful settings: Glasgow (3 nights), Fort William (2 nights), Inverness (3 nights), Edinburgh (3 nights), Dublin (3 nights), Galway (3 nights), Ennis (2 nights), Killarney (3 nights), Waterford (2 nights).
• Numerous musical experiences including private concerts from Bonnie, Karl and Marian, some with local musicians, Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Taste of Scotland show, Riverdance, cruise and concert from the locals, Kate Kearney dinner and concert, visits to pubs with music, Bunratty Medieval show.
• Historic experiences including tours to Fort George, site of the Battle of Culloden, Robbie Burns’ birthplace and grave, Cawdor Castle, said to be the setting of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Scone Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Trinity College and Book of Kells, Dublinia, Viking experience, Powerscourt, Glendalough Tower, Muckross House, Royal Britannia, Kylemore Abbey, Bunratty Castle and Blarney Castle.
• Numerous guided tours and experiences including whiskey tasting in Scotland and Ireland, House of Bruar visit, historic open air village museums in both Scotland and Ireland, tours in Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, Galway and Killarney, Waterford Crystal Factory tour and visits to smaller towns including Fort Augustus, Fort William, Adare and Dingle.
• Glorious scenic experiences including Loch Lomond cruise, Loch Ness boat tour, Ben Nevis, drive through the Highlands, River Shannon cruise, Cliffs of Moher, Galway Bay, enjoying the beauty of Scotland and Ireland.
• All breakfasts, 7 lunches and 14 dinners, many with music, and whiskey tastings plus all tours, tips, taxes, porterage.
• Hosted by Bonaventure Allan-Moetaua, Karl Perigo and Marian Burns.
Important Information
• All itinerary details are subject to change, but changes will be replaced with a comparable or better option.
• Initial & Second deposits are fully refundable up until final balance due date, minus an administration fee of up to $500 plus any non-recoverable costs.
• All monies are non-refundable at final balance due date. This becomes an insurance claim.
• Bank transfer payments incur no surcharge. Credit card payments incur surcharge of 1.5%.
• Travellers need to be independently mobile and fit to travel.
• Bookings will only be accepted with initial deposit & booking form.
• All travellers must obtain comprehensive travel insurance for international travel and insurance for domestic travel is recommended.
• Please refer to our terms and conditions on booking form.
Mobility - Moderate Tour
This trip has a little more walking than an easy tour. It is a moderate tour for one of the following reasons - you may need to walk with ease for up to one hour at a slow pace or be able to climb stairs or be able to get on and off boats, trains and buses. This trip will not suit those on walkers and a moderate level of mobility is required.