Sample Itinerary · Scotland & Ireland

Scotland & Ireland

Edinburgh · Highlands · Belfast · Dublin

Duration
14 Days · 13 Nights
Accommodations
4-Star or Higher
Transport
Private Transfers
Best For
Couples · Families · Multi-Country

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This is a sample itinerary — for inspiration only. Every Juniper trip is designed from scratch around you. Many clients travel a very similar route — if this resonates, book a free consultation and a specialist will build something just like it (or better) specifically for your travel style, dates, and group.

1
Day One

Arrive in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Welcome to Scotland. Your private driver meets you at Edinburgh Airport and transfers you into the capital — a compact, walkable city built on seven hills, where medieval closes open into elegant Georgian squares. Check in, unwind from the flight, and settle into the first evening of a two-week trip that spans two countries.

Edinburgh is the right first stop: it eases you into Celtic travel the way few other cities can. Your specialist has a dinner reservation ready. Tomorrow is the proper first full day.

Private airport transfer
Arrive Edinburgh
Evening at leisure

Overnight: Edinburgh

2
Day Two

Edinburgh City Day — Castle, Royal Mile, Whisky

Edinburgh

A full day in the capital. Edinburgh Castle is the anchor — perched on an extinct volcanic plug at the top of the Royal Mile, it houses the Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. Your specialist has pre-booked the timed entry so you walk in rather than queuing.

From the castle, the Royal Mile drops a mile eastward to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. A private walking guide fills in the centuries in between — the plague-closed lanes, the witch trials, the Enlightenment coffee houses where Hume and Smith argued. Afternoon at leisure: Holyroodhouse, the Scotch Whisky Experience below the castle, or a climb up Calton Hill for the best late-afternoon view of the city.

Edinburgh Castle entry
Royal Mile walking tour
Holyroodhouse or whisky

Overnight: Edinburgh

3
Day Three

Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands

Pitlochry · Inverness

A proper Highland transfer day. Your private driver collects you after breakfast and the A9 runs north through Perthshire — the gateway to the Highlands — climbing into landscape that grows steadily more dramatic as you move further from the Lowlands. Pitlochry is the scheduled stop: a Victorian spa town with two small but serious distilleries (Blair Athol and Edradour) and a salmon ladder at the working hydroelectric dam.

Back on the road, you cross the Drumochter Pass and drop into the Cairngorms, then descend into the Great Glen and Inverness — the capital of the Highlands. Check in for two nights, walk the River Ness, and settle into the closing stretch of the Scottish portion.

Private transfer
Pitlochry stop
Arrive Inverness

Overnight: Inverness

4
Day Four

Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle & Culloden

Loch Ness · Culloden

The Highland heartland. Your driver takes you south along Loch Ness — Britain’s largest body of freshwater by volume — to Urquhart Castle, a commanding 13th-century ruin on a promontory above the loch. A cruise from the Urquhart pier (pre-booked) gives you the view from the water, monster-spotting included.

Afternoon: Culloden Battlefield five miles east of Inverness — the 1746 battle that ended the Jacobite rising and changed Highland culture permanently. The visitor center is genuinely exceptional, and a private step-on guide deepens what the displays leave open. For Outlander fans, Clava Cairns is next door to Culloden and is the Bronze Age stone circle the show drew on. Evening back in Inverness, at leisure.

Loch Ness cruise
Urquhart Castle
Culloden Battlefield

Overnight: Inverness

5
Day Five

Inverness to the Isle of Skye

Eilean Donan · Isle of Skye

One of Scotland’s most visually spectacular drives. Your driver leaves Inverness west along the Great Glen, then cuts toward the west coast. Eilean Donan Castle appears near Kyle of Lochalsh: the small stone castle on a tidal island at the meeting of three sea lochs that has become one of the most photographed buildings in Scotland. Your specialist has pre-booked the interior tour.

The Skye Bridge carries you onto the Isle of Skye itself — the largest of the Inner Hebrides. First impressions form on the drive north to Portree, the island’s main village, where you check in for two nights. Dinner with a view of the harbor is the right end to the day.

Private transfer
Eilean Donan Castle
Arrive Isle of Skye

Overnight: Isle of Skye

6
Day Six

A Full Day on the Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye

The island earns the trip. The three signature landscapes are all within a day’s drive of Portree: the Fairy Pools near Glenbrittle (luminous blue rock pools below the Cuillin ridge), the Old Man of Storr (a 164-foot basalt pinnacle), and the Quiraing (a landslip of cliffs and pinnacles that looks like another planet).

Dunvegan Castle — seat of Clan MacLeod for 800 years and the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland — is the obvious afternoon stop for an hour of clan history and the walled gardens. Your specialist builds the sequence around the light and the weather on the day. Final Scottish dinner in Portree; tomorrow you cross to Ireland.

Fairy Pools · Quiraing · Storr
Dunvegan Castle
Island touring day

Overnight: Isle of Skye

7
Day Seven

Isle of Skye to Belfast

Glasgow → Belfast

The transit day. Your driver leaves Skye back across the bridge and turns south along the Road to the Isles, passing Fort William and through Glencoe — a narrow valley carved by ancient glaciers with a tragic clan history that’s still tangible in the air. By early afternoon you arrive at Glasgow Airport for the short 45-minute flight to Belfast (Loganair or British Airways, multiple daily departures).

You land in Belfast mid-afternoon. A private driver collects you at Belfast International Airport and transfers you into the city. Check in and the evening is yours. Belfast is different from Edinburgh in almost every way — Victorian-industrial rather than medieval-royal, younger, scrappier, genuinely reinvented over the last twenty years. Welcome to Ireland.

Transfer via Glencoe
Glasgow → Belfast flight
Arrive Belfast

Overnight: Belfast

8
Day Eight

Belfast — Titanic Quarter & Culture

Belfast

The centerpiece of the Belfast stay is Titanic Belfast — built on the exact slipway where RMS Titanic was constructed, it’s one of the finest maritime museums in the world. The architecture is extraordinary and the exhibition inside covers the full story of Belfast’s shipbuilding history with genuine depth. Plan at least two hours.

The Ulster Museum, set in the Botanic Gardens, covers 9,000 years of Irish and Northern Irish history in a beautifully curated space — from Neolithic artifacts through the medieval monasteries to the Troubles period. Your afternoon stays flexible; the Cathedral Quarter is excellent for dinner, with a concentration of Victorian pubs and contemporary restaurants that together map Belfast’s cultural evolution.

Titanic Belfast
Ulster Museum
Cathedral Quarter evening

Overnight: Belfast

9
Day Nine

Giant’s Causeway & the Causeway Coast

Causeway Coast

A proper Northern Ireland day. Your private driver runs you north along the Causeway Coastal Route — one of the great drives of the British Isles, with cliffs, castles, and hidden beaches on one side and the Glens of Antrim on the other. The Giant’s Causeway is the main event: 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns formed by an ancient volcanic eruption, and the subject of a good origin myth involving the giant Finn McCool. Your specialist has arranged a pre-booked timed entry that avoids the midday crowds.

Return to Belfast via the Dark Hedges (the Game of Thrones beech-tree avenue) or Dunluce Castle on a clifftop over the Atlantic, depending on your interests. Evening back in Belfast, final dinner in the city before tomorrow’s transfer south.

Private Causeway Coast drive
Giant’s Causeway
Dark Hedges or Dunluce

Overnight: Belfast

10
Day Ten

Belfast to Dublin

Dublin

A short private transfer south across the border into the Republic of Ireland — about two hours by road, no passport control, just a different country. The route runs through Drogheda (well worth a look if you have time — Oliver Cromwell spent 1649 here) and into Dublin along the M1.

Dublin is a compact capital that reveals itself gradually: the Georgian squares, the quays along the River Liffey, the neighborhoods that have completely reinvented themselves over the last decade. Check in, leave your bags, and spend the afternoon at your own pace getting a feel for the city before your three full days here.

Private transfer
Arrive Dublin
Afternoon at leisure

Overnight: Dublin

11
Day Eleven

Dublin — Trinity College, Book of Kells, Guinness

Dublin

The first full Dublin day. Trinity College’s Old Library is the morning’s centerpiece — the 18th-century Long Room and the Book of Kells, a 9th-century illuminated gospel book that is genuinely one of the most beautiful surviving objects from medieval Europe. Your specialist has pre-booked the timed entry to avoid the queue.

Afternoon: the Guinness Storehouse, which is a better experience than the tourist-obligation reputation suggests. The exhibition on the brewery’s history is well done, and the Gravity Bar at the top has the best panoramic view of the city. Dinner somewhere excellent in the city center, then a proper pub somewhere in the Temple Bar area or ideally slightly off it, where traditional music starts without announcement.

Trinity · Book of Kells
Guinness Storehouse
Traditional pub evening

Overnight: Dublin

12
Day Twelve

Dublin — History & Liffey

Dublin

A second Dublin day that widens the frame. Kilmainham Gaol is the morning’s history stop — a former prison that held leaders of every Irish rebellion from 1798 through the 1916 Rising, the latter of which ended here with firing-squad executions that genuinely changed Irish history. The guided tour is included in admission and is unsparingly well-done.

Afternoon: Christchurch Cathedral (Dublin’s oldest church, with a spectacular Norman crypt), followed by a River Liffey cruise that re-frames the city from the water — Dublin is essentially a river city and the quays make the most sense seen from the Liffey itself. Evening: a proper Dublin food tour through the markets and independent restaurants, or dinner somewhere special on a quieter street.

Kilmainham Gaol
Christchurch Cathedral
River Liffey cruise

Overnight: Dublin

13
Day Thirteen

Dublin & Wicklow — Powerscourt, Glendalough

Wicklow Mountains

A day trip into County Wicklow — the Garden of Ireland — just south of Dublin. Powerscourt Estate is the morning’s set-piece: 18th-century Palladian house with 47 acres of formal gardens that have been named among the world’s finest, including the Japanese Garden, the Pepperpot Tower, and the highest waterfall in Ireland (a short drive from the main estate).

Afternoon continues to Glendalough, an early medieval monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and set in a dramatic glacial valley with two lakes. The round tower, the ruined cathedral, and the cemetery are OPW-managed and freely accessible; the visitor center puts it all in context. Return to Dublin by early evening for the closing dinner of the trip.

Wicklow day trip
Powerscourt Estate
Glendalough monastic site

Overnight: Dublin

14
Day Fourteen

Depart for Home

Dublin Airport

A final Irish breakfast, then your private driver collects you for the transfer to Dublin Airport. Two weeks, two countries, one continuous trip — most clients leave already planning the next Celtic journey. Your Juniper specialist remains reachable throughout departure day, and your in-app itinerary stays accessible for any last-minute questions. Safe travels home.

Private airport transfer
App support throughout

Love this itinerary? Make it yours.

This is a sample luxury custom route — a starting point, not a fixed package. Many clients travel something very close to this, customized for their travel style, group, and dates. Book a free consultation and a specialist will build from here.

Accommodations
Boutique hotels, charming B&Bs, or historic castle stays — chosen based on your preferences and travel style.
Transportation
Private driver-guide, self-drive rental, or a mix of both — all transfers confirmed before you travel.
Experiences
Pre-arranged tours and activities built around your interests — entrance tickets sorted, no queuing.

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Activities on this itinerary

Your specialist pre-arranges the right luxury experiences based on your interests and travel style. These are the custom experience types available on this route — specific choices are made with you, not for you.

Edinburgh Castle Pre-Booked EntryEdinburgh · HES

Royal Mile Walking TourEdinburgh Old Town

Loch Ness Cruise & Urquhart CastleInverness · Highlands

Culloden BattlefieldInverness · NTS

Eilean Donan CastleWest Highlands

Isle of Skye Touring DayFairy Pools · Quiraing · Old Man of Storr

Titanic BelfastBelfast · Titanic Quarter

Giant’s CausewayCauseway Coast · UNESCO

Trinity College & Book of KellsDublin · Pre-booked entry

Guinness StorehouseDublin · Gravity Bar

Kilmainham GaolDublin · OPW · guided tour

Powerscourt Estate & GlendaloughWicklow day trip

Activities are selected and pre-booked with your specialist based on your interests — not all activities are included in every trip version. Availability varies by season.

The people who will design your Scotland & Ireland trip

You work directly with a specialist who knows both Scotland and Ireland deeply — not a call center or booking agent. Every consultation is with someone who has been there, stayed in those castles, and built this specific combined-country itinerary from genuine firsthand experience in both countries.

Scotland · Ireland · UK · Iceland

Taryn Harrison

Juniper Tours’ most tenured specialist with 25 years of experience designing Scotland and Ireland itineraries. CMSC certified and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Taryn knows which castle hotel has the best breakfast, which Speyside distillery runs the best private tour, and which booking needs to be made six months out or it won’t happen.

25 Yrs
CMSC
Celtic Specialist

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Scotland · Ireland · UK

Audrey Gabrys

Having lived across six countries, Audrey brings a genuinely international perspective to every itinerary. She specializes in Scotland’s Highlands and islands — the remote, the dramatic, the deeply local — and designs Italy and Ireland itineraries with the same off-the-beaten-track instinct.

Highland Expert
6 Countries
Off-the-beaten-track

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About this itinerary

How do I travel between Scotland and Ireland on this itinerary?


The sample itinerary uses a short 45-minute flight between Glasgow and Belfast on Day 7, which is the most efficient option and available multiple times daily on Loganair and British Airways. Alternative: the Cairnryan-to-Belfast ferry (Stena Line or P&O) is a 2-hour sea crossing that suits travelers who prefer not to fly or want a slower transit. Your specialist books the option that fits your group and timing best — flight is the default for the 14-day compression.

Is 14 days long enough for both Scotland and Ireland?


14 days is the minimum for a meaningful Scotland + Ireland combined trip — six nights Scotland, six nights Ireland, one transit day, and one departure day. The sample itinerary focuses on highlights: Edinburgh + Highlands + Isle of Skye in Scotland, Belfast + Giant’s Causeway + Dublin + Wicklow in Ireland. Clients who want more depth typically extend to 17-21 days to add Galway and the west coast of Ireland, or Speyside whisky country in Scotland. Your specialist advises based on your total available time.

Which country should I start in?


Our sample route runs Scotland first, then Ireland — the reasoning is that Scotland’s Highlands and Isle of Skye are more demanding days (driving, weather, outdoor exploration) and are best done at the energetic start of the trip, while Dublin’s cultural richness and the gentler Wicklow countryside make a natural, unhurried closing stretch. Reversed itineraries (Ireland first, Scotland second) work equally well — particularly for travelers arriving from North America who have a direct Dublin flight.

Can this trip be done as a honeymoon?


Yes — Scotland and Ireland are both exceptional honeymoon destinations, and the combined itinerary is a common Juniper request for couples who want variety and depth. Romantic upgrades integrate naturally: castle-hotel nights (Inverlochy, Glenapp, Ashford Castle, Dromoland Castle), private chauffeur service on specific days, spa access at the Old Course Hotel or Dromoland Castle, and private access or after-hours visits at key landmarks. Your specialist shapes the week around the dinners, views, and unscheduled moments that make a honeymoon rather than a sightseeing list.

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“We just got back from a tour in Ireland and Scotland put together by Taryn Harrison. From the moment we landed at Dublin to the time we left, we experienced a truly memorable vacation. She scheduled unbelievable accommodations, side tours, free time for exploration and amazing food experiences. Each of the 6 of us will have these memories forever.”

James L.  ·  Scotland & Ireland Combined Tour  ·  Verified Google Review

Build your luxury custom Scotland trip with one of our top travel specialists.

30 minutes, completely free. Walk away with a clear picture of what your luxury custom Scotland trip could look like — dates, route, 4 and 5-star accommodations, and all.

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