Hello family and friends!
I am writing this approximately 24 days before takeoff. As you know, I will be journeying to the United Kingdom and Ireland shortly. This first blog will be a layout of my itinerary and what I hope this blog will look like during my trip. That being said, let's do this!
Itinerary: August 1 - August 18
I will be traveling from Minneapolis International Airport to Heathrow International Airport in London. This overnight flight has no layovers and hopefully we'll be arriving at 7:30am local time.
Day 2: Arrival in London
Arriving in London, we'll have some free time to explore and gain our bearings. This evening, we'll be enjoying a welcome drink with our tour director, David.
Day 3: Sightseeing Tour of London
This morning we'll be taking a guided tour of London’s regal landmarks with a local expert leading the way. The afternoon will be free time wherein Megan and I hope to catch a show at the Globe Theatre!
Day 4: Stonehenge & Oxford
We'll be rising and shining early this morning in order to take a bus out to Stonehenge! On the way back we'll be detouring to Oxford where we'll explore some of the university.
Day 5: Train to Edinburgh
We'll be traveling via train from King's Cross station in London to the capitol city of Scotland, Edinburgh, where we will be meeting up with any members of our group who did not opt in for the London Excursion.
Day 6: Sightseeing Tour of Edinburgh
This morning we'll take a guided tour of Edinburgh including the Georgian New Town and the Royal Mile, two UNESCO World Heritage sites. The afternoon will be free for us to explore the city.
Day 7: Transfer to the Scottish Highlands
We'll be hopping on a bus and heading up to the Scottish Highlands today, stopping by Inveraray Castle.
Day 8: Sightseeing Tour of Western Highlands
Today we'll be touring the small city of Oban (including their Whiskey distillery) and learning about some of the area's history.
Day 9: On to Glasgow
The morning will hold a tour of Glasgow with a local guide. We'll also be visiting the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Day 10: Voyage to Belfast
This morning, we'll be hopping on a ferry to cross the Irish Sea in order to get to Northern Ireland. We'll have a bit of free time in the city for the afternoon.
Day 11: Sightseeing Tour of Belfast
This morning we'll see Belfast with a local guide including the Titanic Belfast Museum. For the afternoon, we'll be journeying to the Giant's Causeway.
Day 12: Travel to Galway
We'll be traveling to Galway today. Along the way we'll be experiencing some of the modern local life by visiting a local farm. Once we arrive in Galway, we'll take a guided tour of the city with a local guide.
Day 13: Kylemore Abbey & Connemara National Park
This morning will be a bit of free time, but this afternoon we'll be traveling to Kylemore Abbey and Connemara National Park.
Day 14: Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle
We'll travel through the Irish countryside to County Kerry today, taking time to view spectacular scenery en route.
Day 15: Dingle Peninsula & Killarney National Park
Today we'll make our way along the dramatically rugged terrain of the Dingle Peninsula.
Day 16: Travel to Dublin
We'll make our way to Dublin this morning, stopping to explore Blarney Castle along the way.
Day 17: Sightseeing Tour of Dublin
In our final full day of our trip, we'll take a locally guided tour of Dublin including Trinity College. In the afternoon, we'll make a small trip out to Glendalough, a ruined abbey surrounded by mountainous terrain.
Day 18: Departure
Today will be another travel day. Unlike before, we'll have a layover in Amsterdam before making our way back to Minnesota.
What I hope this blog will look like during travel.
I am hoping to update this blog with short journal style entries. There will be quite a bit of travel time, so provided my phone battery holds out, I'm hoping to update often. I'll also be including some pictures to go with each entry, so stay tuned!
