Insider's Ireland and England

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: Dublin

Arrive in Dublin, meet your ACIS Tour Manager and begin to explore the rich Irish culture of your surroundings.

Day 3: Dublin

Begin today with a guided panoramic sightseeing tour that shows you statue-filled O'Connell Street and Ha'penny Bridge. Explore inside St. Patrick's Cathedral, still the country's largest church, then visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin's Docklands for an engaging and interactive look at the Irish diaspora. During your free afternoon perhaps delve into the city's rich literary past with a visit to the Dublin Writers' Museum. Tonight enjoy an evening of traditional Irish song, dance and food. Sample delicious Irish fare followed by a night of entertainment in which audience participation is encouraged!

Day 4: Dublin

Journey to a farm in the Irish countryside for a chance to be Irish for a day. Experience rural Irish culture and partake in traditional activities such as bodhran drum lessons, sugán rope making, a bog visit and brown bread baking, followed by lunch on the farm. Return to Dublin and contrast the different customs and practices of the country's rural and urban dwellers.

Day 5: Stratford-Upon-Avon

Cross the Irish Sea by ferry and arrive at Holyhead, once the island home of the Druids. After a short drive through North Wales, stop to explore the brooding Conwy Castle, a massive medieval fortification built by King Edward I in the late 1200s. Then travel on to the charming town of Stratford-upon-Avon for the night.

Day 6: Stratford-Upon-Avon

Today explore Stratford-upon-Avon, home of the famous playwright William Shakespeare. Entrance is included to Shakespeare's Birthplace and Holy Trinity Church, where the Bard is buried. Later today you'll participate in a Royal Shakespeare Company workshop, where you'll actively explore how the company interprets the Bard's words and brings them to life. Afterward enjoy a performance by the renowned company. Bravo!

Day 7: London

Get your imagination fired up for today's visit to Oxford, including a tour of Christ Church College, where Lewis Carroll penned Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and also where many memorable scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed (note the Great Hall, the inspiration for Hogwarts Hall). Then journey to Harrow School for a tour. This prestigious British boarding school near London, founded in 1572 under a Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, has a rich history and beautiful architecture that has featured in many films. Learn about the unique educational traditions experienced by its students both past and modern, and cap off your visit with a classic afternoon tea. Afterwards you'll continue into London in time for dinner.

Day 8: London

Begin your day with an up-close look at London's iconic treasures on this morning's guided London by Bike tour, including views of the Big Ben, the Horse Guard Parade, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and more. As you cycle and stop for photos, your guide's commentary will bring the history of what you are seeing to life. After working up an appetite, head to Covent Garden where an English food tasting lunch tells you the history of some of London's most traditional dishes, including toad in the hole and fish and chips, as you dine on them. The rest of the day is yours to perhaps souvenir shop in Covent Garden's lively market. Choose from one of London's ethnic culinary influences with tonight's dinner voucher.

Day 9: London

This morning tour Sir Christopher Wren's massive St. Paul's Cathedral. Then the afternoon is yours to perhaps delve into the vibrant cultural scene of London's South Bank, home to Borough Market, The Golden Hinde and Shakespeare's reconstructed Globe Theatre. Cap off your time abroad with a renowned theater performance in London's famous West End this evening.

Day 10: Departure

Depart for the USA.