Depending on the mode of transport you choose, there are many places to see and experience in the United Kingdom and Ireland. If you drive, remember it’s on the left hand side of the road and you will need an international driving permit. Train services are generally good and well connected, and combined with busses on some routes you will be able to reach a lot of places. Flying isn’t really required within the UK as much of what you’ll want to see is along the way, but if you are pressed for time then flying between larger cities like London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Cardiff might help with your planning, but you will need to watch luggage size if you choose the budget airlines and also need to allow time to arrive at airports for security checks.

 

Once you’ve navigated your transport choices, you are ready to explore the castles, seek out dragons, enjoy the craic and find your own tartan. This is a suggestion for an itinerary if you have never been to the UK and Ireland and have three to four weeks to explore. It can also be broken up into country/regional sections if that suits your timing or travel list better, and of course places are able to be swapped out for others depending on your interests. As a starter itinerary it fits the bill in visiting a lot of places, but if you prefer a more relaxing pace then you can adjust as necessary...or get in contact for a bespoke UK & Ireland itinerary. This itinerary is also written with driving in mind, but you could modify it to take public transport (trains, busses) or even take the train from London to York and then hire a car from there, but be aware of any extra costs associated with dropping a car off in a different place to where it was hired.

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London – 3 days/4 nights

• 3 full days if you are wanting to see just a little of the city, otherwise as long as you can spare for the chance to do day trips and further explore museums, corners of the city and find your way around.

York - 1 night

• 3hrs on the train or 4hrs to drive out of London

Edinburgh - 2 days/3 nights

• stop in St Andrews on the way to Aviemore

• there are whisky distilleries on the Whisky Trail road from St Andrews, starting in Pitlochry, all the way through the Highlands so allow time to visit if you are interested in tasting or purchasing

Aviemore - 1 night

• the Highlands are spectacular and the scenery jaw-droppingly awesome, so plan to stop along the way for photos or just general gazing in awe

Inverness - 2 nights 

• this allows time to drive to Loch Ness, do more of the Whisky Trail and to visit small Highland towns as day trips as well as map a route that suits next destination

Isle of Skye - 1-2nights

• take the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to the island and just before the bridge plan for a photo stop at one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, Eilean Donan. It adds an extra 30 minutes to your journey to go there and then back around to continue to Skye Bridge but it is well worth it.

Glasgow – 2 nights

• take the ferry from Isle of Skye at Armadale to Mallaig on the mainland then continue driving to Glasgow via Fort William, Glencoe (through "Skyfall" scenery) and along the western shore of Loch Lomond before reaching Glasgow

• departing Glasgow, take the ferry from Stranraer to Belfast (book ferry time well ahead and allow an additional hour for traffic out of Glasgow)

Belfast - 2 nights

• a tour of the city with a black cab driver (Paddy Campbell's Famous Black Cab Tours is one of the best tours) will let you explore the sights and history of Belfast in a unique and interesting way

• from Belfast, drive north to the Giant's Causeway and spend and hour or two exploring, the continue to Derry

Derry - 1 night

• officially the city is Londonderry, but if you want to make friends with the locals then refer to it as Derry

• on the way to Galway you could do a detour to Omagh if it is of interest (pretty town) or Sligo as a stop halfway

Galway - 2 nights

• explore the city and the Connemara area

• drive through Co. Clare and stop at the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren before taking the ferry from Kilrush over the Shannon, through Co. Limerick and on to Dingle.

Dingle - 2 nights

• explore the western peninsula from here, it's amazing

• drive the Ring of Kerry and stop at Blarney Castle on the way to Cork

Cork - 1 night

• a quick stop at Cobh (last point of sailing for the Titanic, museum and heritage centre worth visiting if that interests you) otherwise have a lunch stop in Waterford if you're interested in the city and crystal, then stop at the Rock of Cashel before continuing on to Kilkenny; it's a full day but you see a lot 

Kilkenny - 1 night

• visit the small castle there and wander the compact town centre with plenty of pubs

Dublin - 3 nights

• on the way to Dublin you could take a detour to Kildare to visit the Irish National Horse Stud & Gardens

• traffic in the centre of Dublin is a nightmare, better to park the car once you've arrived – book ahead through your hotel – and walk or bus your way around

Ferry to Holyhead - book ahead and allow time to reach the port to check in before sailing

Snowdonia region - 2 nights

• look at staying somewhere like Caenarfon, Conwy or Llandudno so you can explore the castles and national park

• don't forget to pay a visit to the town with the longest name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (or Llanfairp-g as it's shortened to!)

Liverpool – 2 nights

• can stop in Chester on the way to Liverpool

Lakes District – 2-3nights

• larger towns to stay in are Ambleside, Windermere or Keswick but also look at some of the pubs with rooms up in the surrounding hills and villages

Shrewsbury – 2 nights

• or continue to Worcester or Stratford-upon-Avon if you prefer

Bath - 1-2 nights

• Stonehenge on the way from Bath to London or as a day trip from Bath – book ahead for entrance time and try not to visit on a weekend or school holidays as can get very busy

London – 3 nights of time or 2 nights (1 full day) to reorganise and rest before departure

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Variations

There are almost endless combinations to explore the UK and Ireland, it does depend on your time and interests, but using the above as a base you could:

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• Finish your travels in Dublin and fly out from there, or if you have a return out of London then fly Dublin to London and either stay a few more nights or fly home

• Combine England, Scotland and Wales by travelling from Glasgow to Liverpool instead of Northern Ireland

• Combine Ireland, Northern Ireland & Scotland

• Focus just on England & Wales