Best of Ireland

Overview

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA/Overnight Flight

• Depart the USA on your overnight flight for Dublin

Day 2: Dublin

1 night  Ashling Hotel, Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham, O'Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel or similar, Dublin. Dinner

• Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel
• Balance of the day at leisure
• Meet your fellow travelers for an included dinner at your hotel

Full Day Itinerary: Upon arrival in Dublin, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Most flights arrive early in the morning, but your hotel will allow you to safely store your luggage while you explore the city on your own. Today is yours at leisure to discover Dublin independently, or relax at your hotel. This evening, join your fellow travelers for dinner at your hotel.

 

Day 3: Ireland's Midlands, Blarney Castle & Kerry

2 nights Randles Hotel Killarney or similar, Kerry. Breakfast.

• Visit Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone
• Time for shopping at Blarney Woolen Mills

Full Day Itinerary: Today, you will board your touring coach, depart Ireland's capitol and travel to County Kerry. En route, stop in the town of Blarney for a visit to Blarney Castle. Dating from 1446, the castle is a tower house built on solid limestone. At the top of the Tower you will find the legendary Stone of Eloquence (Blarney Stone). Kiss it and you will never again be lost for words.

Enjoy some time for shopping at Blarney Woolen Mills. The existence of the Woolen Mills during the famine shielded Blarney from the worst effects of the great famine, due to its employment of local workers. The success story at the mills continued until a disastrous fire in 1869. By August 1871, the mill was once again operational with a labor force of over 200 and in 1976 Chris Kelleher, himself a mill worker, bought the old mill property. Within a short period of time Chris and his family transformed the mill into what is perhaps the largest quality craft shop in Ireland.

Continue through Ireland's Midlands to your hotel in the Kerry region.

Day 4: Ring of Kerry

Breakfast.

• Tour the Iveragh Peninsula
• Enjoy a jaunting car ride through Killarney National Park

Full Day Itinerary: Today you can enjoy a superb tour of the Iveragh Peninsula, which will give you the opportunity to discover the Ring of Kerry, taking in the spectacular scenery; mountains, peat bogs, lakes and magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean. Leaving Killarney, pass through Killorglin, famous for its Puck Fair and Glenbeigh, where the cliff road affords panoramic views of the Dingle Peninsula and Dingle Bay. Passing through the peat bogs, arrive at the sea town of Waterville. Continue to Sneem Village, famous because of its brightly colored houses. The road continues through the mountains to Moll's Gap and Ladies View with superb views of the famous Lakes of Killarney.

Next, enjoy a ride through Killarney National Park by pony and trap, also known as a jaunting car, to discover areas of the park that you might not otherwise visit by foot. Relax aboard the jaunting car as your jarvey (driver) takes you through the magnificent scenery of Ireland's first National Park.

This evening enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants or pubs in Killarney town.

Day 5: Burren & the Cliffs of Moher

1 night George Hotel or similar, Limerick. Breakfast.

• Take a short ferry ride across the mouth of the river Shannon
• Explore the Cliffs of Moher and the Atlantic Edge Interpretive Center
• Tour the Burren Region

Full Day Itinerary: Travel northwards to Tarbert and take a short boat ride across the mouth of the river Shannon, landing on Clare's shore at Killimer. Travel along the coast to the Cliffs of Moher. The most majestic cliffs in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher rise 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and extend over four miles in length. On a clear day, you can admire the Aran Islands, the Connemara Mountains and the many sea birds that colonize this place to nest in spring. Visit the Atlantic Edge Interpretive Center built into the natural landscape. The center is a huge domed cave that contains various exhibits showcasing the mighty Cliffs of Moher.

Later enjoy a tour of the Burren Region, a strange and unique region in Europe. "Burren" means "large stones", an apt description for this impressive scenery. Often described as lunar, the Burren is a high plateau of porous limestone situated in Northern Clare, between Ballyvaughan and Kilfenora. No trees grow here and no soil covers the stone, but the Burren is not deserted, as different types of flowers grow from the cracks all year round. The Burren Region is also historically rich, with many castles and monastic ruins.

Continue to Limerick and check into your hotel. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure.

Optional Excursion: Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle, $70 Take advantage of an optional Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle on the banks of the Raite River including entertainment, a four-course meal and wine.

Day 6: Galway & Lough Corrib

2 nights Clayton Hotel or similar, Galway. Breakfast & dinner.

• Enjoy an orientation tour of Galway
• Visit Galway Cathedral
• Embark the Corrib Princess and cruise the River Corrib and experience an Irish coffee demonstration

Full Day Itinerary:This morning, travel to Galway, a delightful city of narrow streets, old stone and wooden shopfronts, good restaurants and busy pubs. The city has attracted a bohemian crowd of musicians and artists, whom add much to its character.

Upon arrival enjoy an orientation tour of the city. Start at the Galway Cathedral, built between 1958 and 1965 on the site of the old city jail. One of the largest and most impressive buildings in the city, its architecture draws on many influences. The dome and pillars reflect a Renaissance style, and other features, including the rose windows and mosaics, echo the broad tradition of Christian art. The cathedral dome, at a height of 145 feet, is a prominent landmark on the city skyline. The exterior design may not be to everybody's taste, while the interior, with its high curved arches and central dome, has a simple but solid elegance.

Later, embark the Corrib Princess and cruise the majestic River Corrib. The journey offers wonderful views of the historic monuments and scenery, which make this one of the most spectacular waterways in Ireland. While you cruise along, enjoy an Irish coffee demonstration sampling this classic beverage and freshly made scones.

Continue to your hotel and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure. Later this evening enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Day 7: Connemara & Kylemore Abbey

Breakfast.

• Visit Connemara National Park
• Explore Kylemore Abbey

Full Day Itinerary: Today, travel through the beautiful Connemara Region. Connemara is a land of lakes and rivers, bogs and mountains. In this area of small villages Gaelic is still the spoken language and little has changed since the beginning of time. It is without a doubt the wildest and the most romantic part of Ireland. Connemara is a vast peninsula bordered by the arid and rocky coastline of Galway Bay in the south, a land characteristic for its stone walls and thatched cottages. On its northern shore the land is harsher and more secret, with spectacular views of the ocean, the fjord of Killary Harbour, as well as the steep mountains overlooking numerous lakes and large bog areas.

Enjoy some leisure time in the Connemara National Park, which encompasses 11 square miles from Letterfrack in the west to the peaks of the Twelve Bens Mountains. Stop at the visitors' center and learn about the park's unique landscape and wildlife.

Next visit Kylemore Abbey in the Kylemore Pass in Connemara. Mitchell Henry built the House in 1868, after having spent his honeymoon in the area. The architecture is best described as neo-gothic and the house still displays all the characteristics of that period. One of Kylemore Abbey's most famous features is its miniature cathedral, built in 1870 and known locally as the Gothic church. Today, the Abbey is home to the Irish order of Benedictine nuns. They bought the house in 1920, having fled their convent in war-torn Belgium in 1914.

Day 8: Sligo, Carrowmore, & Donegal

1 night Jackson's Hotel or similar, Donegal. Breakfast & dinner.

• Visit Carrowmore Cemetery, the oldest Megalithic cemetery in Ireland
• Stop at the Belleek Pottery factory

Full Day Itinerary: Today, travel to Donegal via County Sligo. County Sligo's beautiful scenery was an inspiration for the Irish poet William Butler Yeats, who is buried at Drumcliffe Churchyard under loaf-shaped Benbulben Mountain. The lakes of Sligo, with their still waters and wooded islands are truly spectacular and form a striking contrast to the county's rugged uplands.

Visit Carrowmore Cemetery, the oldest Megalithic cemetery in Ireland, said to have had over 100 tombs, of which 60 still exist today. Each tomb is numbered and the central tomb has been restored, which enables visitors to see what the interior of a court tomb looked like when it was built over 5,000 years ago. Enjoy an in depth tour of this very ancient site, a must for visitors interested in archaeology.

En route to Donegal, stop at the Belleek Pottery factory. Belleek Pottery has been producing high quality Parian china since it was established in 1857. Visitors are invited to tour the factory and see first-hand how this world-renowned pottery is created. The visit commences with a short audio-visual demonstration, followed by a tour of the factory to see the pottery being removed from its molds, fired, and decorated by the artisans. The visit concludes at the factory's gift shop where visitors will have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs. Continue to Donegal for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Derry & Belfast

2 nights Europa Hotel, Belfast. Breakfast.

• Enjoy a walking tour of Derry (or Londonderry)
• Visit Giant's Causeway

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, depart Donegal for Derry (or Londonderry), the second largest city and port of Northern Ireland. Upon arrival, enjoy a walking tour of the walled city founded in the 6th century by St. Columba. Selected as a major plantation project in 1613, and organized by the London Livery companies, it acquired the prefix London. In the same year, the walls of Derry were built to protect the town from the Gaelic chieftains in Donegal. A walk on the walls is a must on any visit to Derry as they are among the best-preserved fortifications in Europe. They are nearly 30 feet thick in some areas and rise to a height of 25 feet. Today, these walls separate two communities, the Bogside, a Catholic ghetto with its famous murals, and the Waterside, a Protestant enclave.

This afternoon, travel along the Antrim coast to Belfast visiting the Giant's Causeway en route. The Causeway was formed more than 60 million years ago when red-hot lava erupted onto the surface of the earth. It was quickly cooled by the sea, which crystallized and formed it into the 40,000 basalt polygonal columns that today form the Giant's Causeway. Legend tells a different story as to how this unique place was built by the mythical giant Finn McCool. Continue to Belfast.

Day 10: Belfast

Breakfast.

• Take a panoramic tour of Belfast City
• Visit the Titanic Belfast Experience
• Balance of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, enjoy a panoramic tour of Belfast City to see some of Belfast's greatest landmarks, including the leaning Albert Memorial Clock Tower, Opera House, City Hall, Crown Bar, Queens University, and Botanic Gardens. Also see some of the many murals on the Shankill and Falls Roads for an indication of how life was in Belfast during the "troubles" between the unionists and nationalists.

Visit the new Titanic Belfast Experience located in the heart of the city, which recreates the story of the world's most famous ship in a new iconic, six-floor building right beside the historic site of the original ship's construction. Opened in April 2012 to coincide with the centenary of its launch, the self-guided journey begins upon entering the building's giant atrium, where visitors are surrounded by the four massive walls which house the Titanic Experience. As you journey through the nine large galleries of the interactive exhibition, you will uncover the true story of the Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to her infamous maiden voyage. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in Belfast City for independent exploration.

Day 11: Strangford Lough, Castletown House, & Dublin

4 nights Academy Plaza Hotel,  Ashling Hotel, Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham, O'Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel  or similar, Dublin. Breakfast.

• Enjoy a tour of the Ards Peninsula
• Visit Castletown House

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, enjoy a tour of the Ards Peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland which separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel on Ireland's northeast coast. A number of towns and villages are located on the peninsula, such as the seaside town of Donaghadee, with the surrounding area known as the Ards district. Newtownards, situated inland from the peninsula, is the largest town in the area.

Next, take the ferry from Portaferry to Strangford. Visit Castletown House, Ireland's largest and earliest Palladian style house. The house was built between 1722 and 1729 for William Conolly, speaker of the Irish House of Commons and the wealthiest commoner in Ireland.

Continue to Dublin for overnight.

Optional Excursion: Music & Dinner at a Pub, $65. Take advantage of an optional evening of festive entertainment at a local pub including a 3-course dinner, live music and transportation. (Price excludes beverages.)

Day 12: Dublin

Breakfast.

• Set out on a panoramic tour of Dublin
• View the Book of Kells in the ancient library of Trinity College
• Visit Christ Church Cathedral

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, set out on a panoramic tour to discover the fair city of Dublin. The north side of the River Liffey offers striking monuments such as the General Post Office (GPO) on the city's main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street, the Custom House along the quays, as well as Phoenix Park, one of the largest public parks in Europe. The south side appears more sophisticated with its vast Georgian squares, such as Merrion Square where Oscar Wilde's House can still be found, its colorful doors, along with Grafton Street and its quality shops. Not so far from St. Stephen's Green, in Kildare Street, you can see the house of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula. Visit Trinity College, the oldest University in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I. Within its walls, you will be able to admire Parliament Square and its 18th century edifices. The visit of the ancient library, containing over twenty thousand manuscripts, is often surprising by its splendor. The 9th century Book of Kells, famous for its precious illuminations, is exhibited in these premises as well.

The tour concludes with a visit to Christ Church Cathedral. King Sitric Silkenbeard built Dublin's first wooden church on this site in 1038. The Anglo-Norman Richard de Clare (Strongbow) built the current building in 1172. Ravaged by time, it was almost fully restored towards the end of the 19th century. Christ Church possesses a crypt, which stretches nearly its entire length and much of the Cathedral's memorabilia is displayed here. Attached to the Cathedral is the Synod House, which houses Dublinia, an excellent exhibition of medieval Dublin.

Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure for some personal sightseeing, or some last minute shopping.

Optional Excursion: Gaelic Games Experience, $50. At Experience Gaelic Games, visitors are offered the opportunity to engage with the truly fantastic side of Irish Culture and everyday life. Learn more about, and then play, the unique Irish games of Hurling, Gaelic Football and Handball.

Day 13: Dublin

Breakfast.

• Full day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: After enjoying a leisurely breakfast at your hotel, explore Dublin independently. Make your way to one of its most famous sights and continue exploring the city at your own pace with an included hop-on, hop-off bus tour voucher, visiting a number of Dublin's sightseeing highlights. If by the end of the day touring has left you feeling parched, stop by a traditional Irish pub for a complimentary pint of Guinness, courtesy of Friendly Planet.

Day 14: Dublin

Breakfast.

• Full day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy your final day in Dublin to catch up on any last minute shopping and exploring.

Day 15: Dublin/USA

Breakfast.

• Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the USA

 

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Trip Details

• What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
• Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Please review the visa & entry requirements.
• Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
• Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
• Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
• What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
• What should I know about Ireland? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.
• What should I know about Northern Ireland? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.