Patrick, Columba and Aidan
Fourteen days from Dublin across Ireland to Clonmacnoise and Downpatrick, over the sea to Iona, through Edinburgh to Lindisfarne and Durham, then York, C.S. Lewis’s Oxford and London.
Ireland from coast to coast, a ferry to Scotland, the holy islands of Iona and Lindisfarne, then south through Durham, York, Stratford and Oxford to three nights in London.
Across Ireland and into Northern Ireland, through Scotland, and south through England to London.
From Belfast to Cairnryan in Scotland, and from Oban by way of Mull to Iona.
One night each in Dublin, Galway, Belfast, Glasgow, Tyndrum, Edinburgh, York, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, then three in London.
Days 2 to 4
The Book of Kells, the Cliffs of Moher, Clonmacnoise and Patrick’s Downpatrick.
Dublin, Galway, Clonmacnoise, Downpatrick
Days 5 to 7
Columba’s Iona, Stirling and Knox’s Edinburgh.
Glasgow, Iona, Stirling, Edinburgh
Days 8 to 10
Aidan’s Lindisfarne, Cuthbert’s Durham, York Minster and Lewis’s Oxford.
Lindisfarne, Durham, York, Stratford, Oxford
Days 11 to 13
Stonehenge and Salisbury on the way, then Westminster Abbey and the Tower.
Salisbury, London
The sites on this fourteen-day route, from Patrick’s Ireland to Aidan’s Lindisfarne.
Fourteen days, day by day. Every group’s version is built around its own dates, its own pace and the places that matter most to its people.
Before you fly. The United Kingdom requires an approved Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for U.S. citizens. Ireland does not require a visa.
Days 1 to 4
Day 1
Our journey begins as we depart the United States for our overnight flight to Dublin.
Day 2
We arrive in Dublin and meet our Christian Expedition tour director. At Trinity College we see the Book of Kells, the Gospels illuminated around the year 800, then St. Patrick’s Cathedral, built beside the well where Patrick is said to have baptized. Welcome dinner at the hotel.
Welcome dinner and overnight in Dublin.
Day 3
We cross Ireland by way of Limerick to the Cliffs of Moher, high above the Atlantic, then follow the coast north to Galway for a short tour of the old town.
Dinner and overnight in Galway.
Day 4
At Clonmacnoise on the Shannon we walk the ruins of a monastery founded in 544, with its high crosses and round tower. Crossing into Northern Ireland, we visit the St. Patrick Centre in Downpatrick and Down Cathedral, with the grave said to be Patrick’s.
Dinner and overnight in Belfast.
Days 5 to 7
Day 5
In Belfast we visit Titanic Belfast on the slipways where the ship was built, then take the ferry across to Cairnryan in Scotland and drive through the Lowlands to Glasgow.
Dinner and overnight in Glasgow.
Day 6
From Oban we cross to the Isle of Mull, then take the short ferry to Iona, where Columba landed from Ireland in 563 and founded the monastery that carried the gospel across Scotland and the north. We visit the abbey, its crosses and its shore. Packed lunch included.
Dinner and overnight in Tyndrum.
Day 7
Through the Trossachs and along Loch Lubnaig to Stirling and the Church of the Holy Rude. In Edinburgh we visit the castle and St. Margaret’s Chapel, then walk down the Royal Mile to St. Giles’, where John Knox preached, John Knox House and Greyfriars Kirk.
Dinner and overnight in Edinburgh.
Days 8 to 10
Day 8
We cross the tidal causeway to Lindisfarne, the Holy Island, where Aidan came from Iona in 635, and walk the priory ruins. After lunch by the coast we visit Durham Cathedral and the tomb of St. Cuthbert, then continue to York. Packed lunch included.
Dinner and overnight in York.
Day 9
A guided visit to York Minster and its Great East Window, a walk on the city walls and through the Shambles, then south through the Peak District past the Ladybower Reservoir to Stratford-upon-Avon.
Dinner and overnight in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Day 10
In Stratford we see Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Holy Trinity Church. In Oxford we walk Addison’s Walk at Magdalen College, where C.S. Lewis talked with Tolkien the night before he came to faith, and see the Eagle and Child, the Martyrs’ Memorial and the University Church of St. Mary.
Dinner and overnight in Oxford.
Days 11 to 14
Day 11
We drive to Stonehenge, then to Salisbury Cathedral and its copy of Magna Carta, and on to London.
Dinner and overnight in London for three nights.
Day 12
Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, then a play at Shakespeare’s Globe in the evening.
Dinner and overnight in London.
Day 13
A morning at the British Museum: the Rosetta Stone and objects from the lands of the Bible. The afternoon is free, and we close with a farewell dinner.
Farewell dinner and overnight in London.
Day 14
We transfer to Heathrow for the flight home.
Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your people.
Every inclusion can be tailored to your group.
Not included unless added to your package: travel insurance, lunches, drinks at dinner, personal expenses, and the cost of meeting any national entry requirements.
Our group leader support team guides you every step of the way, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern, at (877) 234-3002 or groups@christianexpedition.com.
Our 24/7 travel emergency team is there for travelers who are abroad and facing a travel-related emergency, at (877) 234-3002 ext. 9.
Start from this route, slow it down with two nights on Mull or in Edinburgh, or finish with Wesley’s London, and we shape the days, the pace and the sites around your people.
“Our church has absolutely enjoyed every aspect of planning travel with Christian Expedition! Their team makes the process of taking our church to see incredible locations from the Bible easy and stress free!”
Pastor Josh LuechtCalvary Chapel Palm City
“Trey and his team have done a fabulous job organizing, managing and overseeing our trips to Israel and Greece.”
Pastor Jim GallagherSenior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Vero Beach
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays in the United Kingdom or Ireland. The United Kingdom requires an approved Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before you fly, applied for online. Passports should be valid for the whole stay. Passport and entry requirements remain the responsibility of each traveler.
It takes a day: a ferry from Oban to Mull, a drive across the island and a short ferry to Iona. Ferries depend on the weather, and on the rare day they do not run we use the time elsewhere in the Highlands.
Yes. Every expedition is built for one group, on that group’s dates. The fourteen-day route on this page is our standard, and groups often add a second night in Edinburgh or Wesley’s London at the end.
Our coach and driver handle every road. Most days have one or two drives of two to three hours, with stops along the way.
Travel insurance, lunches, drinks at dinner, personal expenses, and the cost of meeting any national entry requirements. Anything not listed as included can be quoted for your group on request.
Tell us about your group and we will be in touch.