Irish Experience
Day 1 - Depart USA Overnight flight to Dublin.
Day 2 - Arrive Dublin On your arrival at Dublin Airport you are transferred to your hotel. After check-in we head off on an included sightseeing tour that includes a visit of Trinity College to see the ancient Book of Kells and sees St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park. In the evening, we enjoy a Welcome dinner and drink with our travelling companions and Tour Director. (Welcome Dinner)
Day 3 - Dublin — Belfast This morning, our drive takes us to the Boyne Valley (site of the famous battle) and via Newgrange with its series of burial chambers across the border into Ulster. We will enjoy views of Carlingford Lough before a scenic drive through the Mountains of Mourne on our way to Downpatrick. Later we continue on to Belfast. (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 4 - Belfast — Bushmills — Giant's Causeway — Londonderry/Derry (2 nights) Our morning sightseeing tour shows us the City Hall, Queen's University and Stormont Castle. We continue our journey to the beautiful Antrim Coast road and on past the scenic Glens of Antrim to Ballycastle. From here we will travel to Bushmills where we will visit the oldest whiskey distillery in the world. Next we stop to visit the Giant's Causeway, huge basalt columns rising from the sea before we make our way to our hotel. Tonight enjoy dinner in a local restarant. (Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)
Day 5 - Londonderry/Derry sightseeing & at leisure After breakfast this morning our walking tour with a local guide takes us along city walls, some of the best preserved in Europe. Then we make our way to the 17th century St. Columb's Cathedral with its tower. From here we continue on to the quay where Irish emigrants sailed to the New World. Free time later to perhaps take an excursion to the Inishowen Peninsula. (Full Breakfast)
Day 6 - Londonderry/Derry — Castlebar (Co. Mayo) This morning our journey takes us via Strabane and Omagh, stopping to visit the Ulster-American Folk Park en route to Lough Erne in Ireland's Lake District. We will also stop at Belleek in county Fermanagh to visit the famous pottery. Next we will continue our drive through Yeats country to our hotel at Castlebar in County Mayo for dinner and our overnight stay. (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 7 - Castlebar (Co. Mayo) — Connemara — Galway Bay Today we travel through Yeats country to the lakes and mountains of Connemara. Later, we'll see Kylemore Abbey before driving along the shores of Lough Corrib to Galway. Here we will enjoy an orientation tour of the city and beautiful views of Galway Bay before arriving at our hotel. (Full Breakfast)
Day 8 - Galway Bay — Killarney (2 nights) This morning our drive takes us south via Ennis to Limerick on the mighty River Shannon. On our arrival an orientation tour shows us St. Mary's Cathedral, King John's Castle and the Treaty Stone. From here we continue via Adare, the prettiest village in Ireland, with its thatched cottages en route to Killarney, and its wonderful lakes, for the next two nights. (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 9 - Ring of Kerry Excursion Today spectacular scenery awaits us on our drive around the 'Ring of Kerry'. Plunging cliffs, lush lakeland, granite mountains, and a jagged coastline are all part of this photographers' delight. See Dingle Bay, the South Kerry Mountains and Ladies View before we return to Killarney for the night. (Full Breakfast)
Day 10 - Killarney — Blarney — Waterford Today we drive into County Cork stopping to visit Blarney Castle so that we can kiss the Stone and acquire the 'gift of the gab'! Then we pass through Cork on our way to the fishing village of Youghal where MobyDick was filmed and along the scenic coast to reach the Waterford Crystal Factory for an included visit. to Here we will earn how this sparkling crystal is created. (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 11 - Waterford — Dublin Our first stop is at Kilkenny — the medieval city dominated by its Norman Castle and Cathedral. From here we continue our journey to the Irish National Stud Farm located outside Kildare where we will enjoy a walking tour to see some of the finest stallions in the world. We will also have time to visit the Japanese garden. Then on to Dublin, here there's time on your own perhaps to do some last-minute souvenir shopping or explore further. This evening, why not join your fellow travelling companions at an Irish cabaret" (Full Breakfast)
Day 12 - Dublin - USA Time to bid farewell as we transfer you to Dublin Airport (Full Breakfast)
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