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Scotland & Ireland

8 days in Dublin, Belfast, and Edinburgh

Optional 2 day extension

View of Edinburgh castle in Scotland.
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OVERVIEW

Journey through the rugged beauty, layered histories, and storybook streets that connect these northern nations

From Dublin’s Georgian squares and Belfast’s murals to the castles and glens of Scotland, students explore how geography, Celtic and Gaelic heritage, and national identity have uniquely shaped these neighboring lands. In Ireland, they uncover stories of emigration and creativity. In Northern Ireland, they learn how a city’s complex past paved the way for peace and progress. Then, traveling further north to Edinburgh’s storybook streets, students see how shared roots and enduring traditions have grown into distinct voices that continue to shape life today.

Scotland and Ireland route map

What you’ll do

Explore a sample itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Ireland

Board your international flight to Dublin

Day 2: Dublin

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Take a walking tour of Dublin. With your Tour Director you will see:

  • Grafton Street

  • Temple Bar district

Day 3: Dublin

Take a guided tour of Dublin. With your expert local guide you will see:

  • Georgian squares

  • O'Connell Street

  • St. Stephen's Green

  • Phoenix Park

Visit St. Patrick's Cathedral

Visit EPIC, the interactive museum of Irish Emigration

Explore Dublin on your own

Day 4: Dublin • Belfast

Travel to Belfast

Take a guided tour of Belfast. With your expert local guide you will see:

  • Lower Falls

  • Shankill Road

  • Murals

Visit Titanic Belfast

Day 5: Belfast • Cairnryan • Alloway • Edinburgh region

Travel by ferry to Cairnryan

Travel to Edinburgh

Day 6: Edinburgh region

Take a guided tour of Edinburgh

Visit Edinburgh Castle

Take a walking tour of Edinburgh

Add this in-depth experience
Specters of Scotland

Specters of Scotland

A city that can inspire Robert Louis Stevenson—an Edinburgh native—to create the monstrous Mr. Hyde has to have a deep and dark past. On your ghost tour, experience the twisted, demented, and downright terrifying side of Edinburgh. See bricked over passages and caged crypts, then try to sleep wondering: who are they keeping out… or what are they keeping in? 

Day 7: Edinburgh region

Travel to Stirling

See the William Wallace Monument

Visit Stirling Castle

Enjoy a sheep dog demonstration (seasonal)

See the Trossachs and Loch Katrine

Travel to Edinburgh

Day 8: Depart for home

Board your flight home from Edinburgh

What makes this tour special?

Relax and take in the natural beauty of Loch Katrine and the surrounding Trossachs National Park

Relax and take in the natural beauty of Loch Katrine and the surrounding Trossachs National Park

Explore Northern Ireland's complex history on a guided tour of Belfast, a city shaped by resilience and reconciliation

Explore Northern Ireland's complex history on a guided tour of Belfast, a city shaped by resilience and reconciliation

Learn about Ireland's history, emigration, and global impact through interactive exhibits at the award-winning EPIC Museum

Learn about Ireland's history, emigration, and global impact through interactive exhibits at the award-winning EPIC Museum

All of our tours are powered by our proven EF Method

Learn more

Your experience includes

Airfare & transportation
Hotels
Regional-style meals
Guided sightseeing
Entrances
Full-time Tour Director
Expert Local Guides
Personalized Learning Support
Continuous Support
Worldwide Presence

Travelers save when you lead this tour before October 1, 2027

See 2027 pricing

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Payment plan options

Pay over time interest-free or pay all at once

Fundraising

Every traveler receives a no-fee donation page

Global Citizen Scholarship

Every year EF awards $100,000 to student travelers

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Frequently asked questions

Let’s unpack that

We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours. They’ll walk you through this itinerary (along with other tours in our portfolio that match your curriculum or catch your eye), explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.

Once you decide to lead a tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.

You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:

  • Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group

  • Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)

  • Support you 24/7 as your right hand

  • Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination

  • Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to

  • Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine

Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.

All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.
 
Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.

EF has set the standard for travel-based learning for over 60 years. Not only do our educational tours amplify the lessons you’re already exploring in your classroom, but they also help build more empathy, open-mindedness, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.
 
Our educational philosophy, the EF Method, is built into every itinerary, so your students are immersed in a continuous journey of engaging, hands-on learning in real-world situations from the moment they step off the plane.

Yes! Plan to explore each destination primarily on foot, so be sure to pack your comfiest sneakers. You’ll have time to rest on the bus while traveling between cities and activities. If any travelers need accommodations, just let your EF Travel Team know in advance.

Every hotel your group stays in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different from what students are familiar with. For example, some hotels may not have an elevator. Rooms will have multiple single beds or shared double beds, and every room will have a private bathroom.

You’ll receive more detailed meal information closer to your tour, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

  • Daily breakfast is served continental-style at your hotel.

  • Most tours include daily group dinners, which take place at local restaurants (or your hotel) and feature a mix of familiar favorites and local dishes from a set menu.

  • Lunches are usually not included, but this varies by itinerary. If lunch isn’t included, this is the perfect opportunity for students to explore local markets and discover their new favorite food.

Travelers will share allergy or dietary information with EF after signing up, and we’ll help make the necessary accommodations.

We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.

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