Itinerary

This tour starts at 4:00PM in Dublin. Please assure that your flight arrives before 1:00PM.

Day 1: Cead mile failte! After a private transfer from the airport and checking into our boutique hotel in the center of Dublin, our Irish adventure will start with an introductory double decker bus tour through the city of Dublin, as we get an overview of the city's main sights: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College, Dublin Castle and Kilmainham Goal. We'll stop to visit the Guinness Storehouse, where we'll explore exhibits covering over 250 years of creative history, and end the tour in the Gravity Bar with a pint of Guinness and a great view of Dublin. In the evening, we'll enjoy a leisurely welcome dinner, we'll have a chance to get to know other travelers as we participate in the evening of Irish storytelling and music.
Meals: B, D

Day 2: On our first full day in Ireland, we'll explore the cultural riches of Dublin. We'll start with a historical walking tour of Trinity College, one of the oldest centers of learning. The Trinity Old Library is home to the world-renowned 9th century Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript with improbably intricate and colorful medieval artwork. We'll continue with a tour of the Old Parliament House, Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral. There will be some free time in the afternoon to explore the lively Temple Bar area or shop the Cow's Lane designer boutiques, and in the evening, we'll enjoy the Irish dancing performance by Celtic Dawn, a dynamic production of traditional song and dance.
Meals: B, D

Day 3: After a full Irish breakfast, we'll venture outside of the city into the green, peaceful Valley of the Boyne and visit the ancient burial mounds of Newgrange and Knowth, the sacred prehistoric site devoted to a Sun God ritual, and one of the archeological wonders of western Europe, dating to 3200 B.C. We'll return to Dublin in the afternoon, and after some rest and an early dinner, we'll set out for the quintessential Irish experience: a traditional musical pub crawl. We'll visit three very different pubs, each one of them a cultural monument to Irish music and a shrine to Irish spirit and craic.
Meals: B, D

Day 4: Today, we'll travel south from Dublin. As we traverse through the mesmerizing County Wicklow, known as "the Garden of Ireland" and the imposing Wicklow Mountains, we'll stop to tour the Powerscourt House and Gardens, a magnificent Palladian country estate. Afterwards, we'll continue to Glendalough, an isolated 5th century monastery founded by St. Kevin. The historical significance of this monastic site competes with its sheer beauty and its setting around two dark lakes, surrounded by brooding forests and shrouded by mists.
Meals: B, D

Day 5: In the morning, we'll leave Dublin and travel towards the west coast, through the legendary Irish countryside lit by shafts of sunlight and frequent rainbows and dotted with ruined castles, prehistoric monuments and lovingly restored manor houses. We'll stop at the Rock of Cashel, the most historic and evocative sight in Ireland, once the seat of the ancient Munster kings, where St. Patrick baptized King Aengus in year 450AD. In the afternoon, we'll arrive at our Dunloe Castle Hotel overlooking the translucent lakes of Killarney and the Gap of Dunloe. The evening will be free to enjoy the stylish amenities of the hotel, before a gourmet Irish dinner.
Meals: B, D

Day 6: We'll spend the full day exploring the Killarney National Park, with its magnificent scenery, bathed in light and in shimmering mists. We'll visit the Victorian Muckross House and Gardens set against the iridescent, mysterious backdrop, then we'll explore the park by a horse drawn jarvey, by boat and on foot, and when we tire of the sights, we'll retreat to our hotel to enjoy the spa or the complimentary horse riding, take a stroll in the gardens, relax on the terrace overlooking the mountains or in the lively pub, before a leisurely dinner at the intimate hotel's restaurant.

Meals: B, D

 

Day 7: Today's adventure features the breathtaking coastal scenery of County Kerry. The area is not only the most visually spectacular in Ireland, but also shrouded in myth and legends, rich in history and literature and with a very distinct personality. In the morning, we'll drive along the Ring of Kerry, across its mountains and past dramatic beaches, extensive prehistoric ruins with ring forts, beehive huts and stone crosses. We'll visit several small, Gaelic speaking villages that have developed their own character. In the evening, we'll enjoy another memorable Irish dinner in the town of Killarney, followed by a traditional music session at one of Killarney's pubs.
Meals: B, D

 

Day 8: On the way to County Clare today, we'll stop at a quaint, storybook village of Askeaton, then continue to Bunratty Manor Hotel, our home for the next two nights. In the afternoon, we'll explore the Bunratty Castle and Bunratty Folk Park, and we'll end the day with an authentic Irish meal and entertainment at the Bunratty Castle medieval banquet.

Meals: B, D

Day 9: Today, we'll explore the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher that stand 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. On the way back, we'll drive through the Burren region with its numerous Stone Age burial monuments and Iron Age ring forts, and we'll stop to see stone dolmens, ring forts, churches, crannogs, monasteries and holly wells. In the evening, we'll celebrate the spirit of Ireland with a farewell dinner at Ireland's most renowned seafood restaurant.
Meals: B, D

 

Day 10: Sadly, we'll have to say good-bye to Ireland today, although we'll be left with beautiful memories of our time here. After breakfast, there will be two private transfers to Shannon airport, according to your flight departure times.
Meals: B

 

The tour ends in Shannon after breakfast on Day 10.

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