UNFORGETTABLE IRELAND

Arrive at Dublin Airport. Transfer to your Dublin hotel under your own arrangements. You are free to explore the city at your leisure this afternoon. Your hotel will be within walking distance of the city center. Overnight: Dublin (Dinner, bed & breakfast)

DAY 2 – BLARNEY CASTLE & KERRY

Today meet with your driver & English-speaking guide & depart Ireland’s Capital traveling to County Kerry. En route, stop in the town of Blarney to visit Blarney Castle. Here you will find the legendary Stone of Eloquence. Kiss it & you’ll never again be lost for words.

Enjoy some time shopping at Blarney Woollen Mills. The presence of Woollen Mills during the famine shielded Blarney from the worst effects of the famine, due to its employment of local workers. In 1976 Chris Kelleher, himself a mill worker, bought the old mill property. Within a short period of time, Chris & his family transformed the mill into what is perhaps the largest quality craft shop in Ireland.

Overnight: Kerry (Bed & breakfast)

DAY 3 – RING OF KERRY

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 spectacular scenery such as mountains, peat, bogs, lakes, and magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean. Leaving Killarney pass through Killorglin, famous for its Puck Fair, then to Glenbeigh where the cliff road affords panoramic views of the Dingle Peninsula & Dingle Bay. Passing through the peat bogs one arrives at the sea town of Waterville. Continue to Sneem Village, famous for its brightly colored houses, before arriving back in Killarney.

Along the Ring of Kerry stop at a local farm for a sheepdog demonstration. Your visit starts with an overview of the different breeds of sheep, followed by an introduction to the farmer’s most important tools, his border collies. Next, you will see a superb demonstration of sheep herding as the farmer with his dogs demonstrate how, by working together, he can take a flock of sheep from the mountaintop to the sheep pen close to the farmyard.

OPTIONAL: Jaunting Car Ride in Killarney National Park – 

Enjoy transportation of a different kind! A pony and trap (also known as a Jaunting Car) help you discover areas of Killarney National Park that you might not otherwise visit. Today enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants or pubs in Killarney town.

Overnight: Kerry (Bed & breakfast)

DAY 4 – BURREN & CLIFFS OF MOHER

Travel northwards to Tarbert & take a short boat ride across the mouth of the River Shannon to land on Clare’s shore at Killimer. Travel along the coast to the Cliffs of Moher, the most majestic cliffs in Ireland that rise from the Atlantic Ocean & extend for over 7km. On a clear day, you can admire the Aran Islands & Connemara Mountains.

Enjoy a tour of the Burren Region. The Burren is a strange & unique region in Europe; it is a high plateau of porous limestone situated in Northern Clare. OPTIONAL: Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle – 

Bunratty Castle was built in the 15th century by the Earl of Thomond and stands on the banks of the Raite River in County Clare. The Earl was known for his generosity and his lavish entertainment and banquets. The entertainment today is provided by the superb Bunratty Singers & is a fitting compliment to the lively mead reception, a four-course meal, and of course good wine. Overnight: Limerick (Bed & breakfast)

DAY 5 – GALWAY CITY & CRUISE

This morning travel to Galway City & get oriented with this beautiful place which has attracted many musicians & artists. Visit Galway Cathedral, one of the largest & most impressive buildings in Galway built between 1958 & 1965.

Next enjoy a cruise along Lough Corrib including scones & an Irish coffee. This journey on the Corrib Princess takes passengers along the majestic Lough Corrib and onto the lake. Visitors will see unsurpassed views of the historic monuments & natural amenities that make this one of the most spectacular waterways in Ireland.  Overnight: Galway (Dinner, bed & breakfast)

DAY 6 – CONNEMARA

Today travel through the beautiful Connemara Region filled with lakes, rivers, bogs & mountains. Visit Kylemore Abbey, built in 1868 by Mitchell Henry, and see its most famous feature the miniature Cathedral. It has been home to the Irish order of Benedictine nuns since 1920. Next, you will visit a bodhrán maker (traditional Irish drum). Roundstone Music and Crafts are located in a former Franciscan monastery in Roundstone, in the heart of Connemara. It is here that you will find the workshop of Malachy Kearns, better known as Malachy Bodhrán, who is famous for the manufacture of bodhráns, the oldest instruments that accompany traditional Irish music. Malachy makes bodhráns for the world-famous Riverdance troupe and he is currently the only full-time bodhrán maker in Ireland.

Overnight: Galway (Bed & breakfast)

DAY 7 – DUBLIN’S FAIR CITY

Depart Galway for Dublin today. On arrival, you will first explore the north side of the city which offers striking monuments such as the GPO (General Post Office) on O’Connell Street & Phoenix Park, the largest public park in Europe. The city’s south side appears more sophisticated with its vast Georgian squares & is home to Trinity College, Dublin Castle & two Anglican Cathedrals.

Visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. This is a state-of-the-art interactive experience located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 Custom House Quarter building in Dublin’s Docklands, the original departure points for so many of Ireland’s emigrants. OPTIONAL: Evening Entertainment at Taylor’s Three Rock or similar –  Visit this lively pub in Rathfarnham for an excellent night of music and dance. Overnight: Dublin (Bed & breakfast)

DAY 8 – FAREWELL

After a final Irish breakfast, transfer to Dublin Airport for your departure flight home under your own arrangements.

• Blarney Castle
• Kerry Sheepdog Demonstration
• Cliffs of Moher
• Lough Corrib Cruise
• Bodhran Maker in Connemara
• Kylemore Abbey
• EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
• Optional: Jaunting Car Ride, Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle, Traditional Irish night with dinner in Dublin
• 7 nights’ accommodation at 3/4-star hotels with full Irish Breakfast each morning
• Dinner at hotels on days 1 & 5
• Visits/Experiences: Blarney Castle, Sheepdog Demonstration, Shannon Car Ferry, Cliffs of Moher, Galway Cathedral, Lough Corrib Cruise with scones and Irish coffee, Kylemore Abbey, Roundstone Music & Crafts, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
• Modern motor coach with driver included as per itinerary
• English-speaking guide included as per itinerary

• Porterage x 1 piece of luggage pp in/out of hotels