2015 Irish Discovery 7 Days / 6 Nights
Day 1:
Your Irish trip starts at 7:00 pm when you meet your tour director at your Dublin hotel for a welcome drink and discuss your tour. Before that, the balance of the day is free to explore Dublin using your vouchers for an independent open-top bus tour and a visit and a drink at Guinness Storehouse or Old Jameson Distillery. You may stay on the bus for the complete tour as it drives around all the major sights in the city center or get off and on wherever you wish. Dine independently this evening and your tour director will advise you on a suitable restaurant.
Day 2:
This morning tour central Dublin to see Georgian squares with elegant row houses and the famous elaborate doorways, notable public buildings, peaceful parks and lively shopping streets. Right in the heart of the city, visit Trinity College for a guided walking tour of the campus and view the 8th century Book of Kells, a highly-decorated manuscript of the Gospels. The afternoon is at leisure for further sightseeing and shopping. In the evening drive to the Old Jameson Distillery for the Barrelman’s Feast, an evening of music, dance and great food.
(B,D)
Day 3:
Travel south through farming country and stop to view the Rock of Cashel, which rises high above the surrounding plain and has a number of ancient churches and a cathedral dating back centuries. Just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” If you do not wish to climb to the top of the castle, take a walk around the lovely grounds with wonderful trees and colorful borders. Also stop at the Blarney Woollen Mills before driving through Macroom and into County Kerry, where the scenery becomes more mountainous. Check in to your hotel in Killarney and relax before dinner.
(B,D)
Day 4:
Take a jaunting car ride around the Killarney National Park to admire great views of the mountains and listen to tales of local events from your driver. End at the majestic Ross Castle on the shores of Lough Leane. Then discover the scenic Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies – “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Far & Away.” Drive to Slea Head at the western tip of the peninsula for spectacular views. Stop in the town of Dingle to visit the Dingle Brewing Company and sample the local brew. Return to Killarney for some leisure time and dine at the cozy Kate Kearney’s Cottage where the meal is followed by a lively music, song and dance show.
(B,D)
Day 5:
Travel to the River Shannon Estuary to visit Foynes Flying Boat Museum. Learn about flights in the 1930’s and 1940’s when Pan Am Clippers landed on the waters of the estuary. Walk around a reconstructed plane to see how passengers traveled. Stop in Bunratty where you may like to visit the 200-year-old Durty Nelly’s Pub or walk around the Bunratty Folk Park to view Bunratty Castle and a collection of traditional cottages from various parts of Ireland. View the Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that rises 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. In Galway check in to your hotel in the city center and take a brief walking tour with a local guide.
(B,D)
Day 6:
Stop at Rathbaun Farm for tea and scones and see farmyard animals. Watch a demonstration of sheep herding by trained dogs that respond to various whistle commands given by their owner. Visit Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement founded in 545 AD by St. Ciaran, set on a lovely spot on the wide River Shannon. See round towers, elaborate Celtic crosses and church ruins and learn about the importance of monasteries in early Christian Ireland. Continue to your elegant castle hotel, located in Killiney, a suburb on the south side of Dublin. Enjoy a special farewell dinner with your fellow travelers in your hotel.
(B,D)
Day 7:
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner