More living museum than city, traces of Dublin’s past are on display at every turn. Discover the city’s medieval castles and cathedrals, one of the oldest universities in Europe, Trinity College, and perhaps enjoy a sip of Ireland’s famous brew, Guinness. Tour the city and have a traditional Irish meal before embarking National Geographic Resolution in the late afternoon. Settle into life on board as we set sail for Iona.

Sail through the Sea of the Hebrides to the isle of Iona, the site of Scotland’s first Christian settlement. Venture into an ancient nunnery and a 13th-century abbey and explore St. Oran’s Chapel with its royal burial grounds, where Celtic high crosses mark the graves of generations of Scottish kings. In the afternoon, continue to Staffa, famed for its geometric basalt columns and deep-sea caves. Conditions permitting, zodiac into the awe-inspiring Fingal’s Cave, where Felix Mendelssohn was inspired to write his "Hebrides Overture." Atop the island, look for Atlantic puffins coming to and from their burrows as they search for fish in the surrounding waters.

With its jagged Cuillin Mountains habitually shrouded in mist, the Isle of Skye takes its name from the old Norse sky-a , translated to ‘cloud island.’ From its captivating history and dramatic mountain ranges, we’ll explore this fascinating island from high to low. Step back in time and discover an old Highland village and gain some insight into island life as it would have been a century ago. Visit Talisker Distillery and taste the island’s famed whisky. Stretch your legs on a hike to the Quiraing and photograph the stoic Old Man of Storr on one of Skye’s most iconic hikes. As we set sail for Orkney, be on the look out for white tailed sea eagles, minke whales and dolphins along the coast.

The Vikings held a strategic foothold in the Orkney Islands for hundreds of years, and their Norse heritage is apparent in local legends and traditions that endure today. Explore a treasure trove of Stone Age sites, including the megaliths of the Ring of Brodgar and the 5,000-year-old stone-slab village of Skara Brae. Step inside the medieval St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, which took nearly 300 years to complete.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the mainland, the Shetland Islands exude a languid remoteness that begs to be discovered. Explore Lerwick, a town where Norse and Gaelic cultures intermingle, and see the countryside dotted with Shetland ponies. Then examine Bronze Age ruins at the extraordinary prehistoric settlement of Jarlshof, a UNESCO candidate which is part of "The Crucible of Iron Age Shetland." Later, take in a cacophony of puffins, guillemots, and razorbills as we walk to the lighthouse at Sumburgh Head.

A once bustling seaport town nestled amongst the fjords of southwestern Norway, Bergen has been revitalized as an amazing look back into the medieval times and the Hanseatic League that once dominated this harbor town. The colorful wooden clapboard commercial buildings that line the old wharf are just one of many picturesque backdrops to this historic city. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your flight home.