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Grand Tour of Ireland

Days : 12 | Nights : 11

Dublin
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Tour Overview

Ireland the "Emerald Isle," is a beautiful European country with plenty of tourist attractions. It offers infinitely varied and abundant tourist attractions and many thrilling activities for the holidaymakers and honeymoon couples. The magnificent Cliffs of Moher is a prime attraction in this country. It is the most-visited natural wonder in Ireland.  Take time to explore the most scenic route, the Ring of Kerry if you are the region of Kerry. En-route, you will be able to enjoy the mind-blowing views of the Atlantic Ocean. Besides, you can enjoy the beauty of many islands, sweeping mountains and several picturesque villages.

Ireland is a stunning country blessed with many national parks. In fact, it is an ideal place for people who love outdoors. Connemara is one of the national parks in the country famous for its wild countryside and the native Connemara Ponies. Plan a trip to Donegal also as it is home to the renowned Donegal Castle. Travelers to Ireland are interested to visit the Belfast as it was the birthplace of the famous ship, Titanic.  Another interesting tourist attraction in this country is the Palladian-style estate, Castletown House. Visit this place in order to enjoy a river walk and explore the stunning 18th - century parklands, a temple and the ruins of a bathhouse.

Itinerary


Day 01: Arrival Ireland

Arrive at Dublin Airport. Transfer to your Dublin hotel under own arrangements. You are free to explore the city at your leisure this afternoon. Your hotel will be within walking distance of the city centre. Overnight at Dublin.

Day 02: Ireland’s Midlands, Blarney Castle & Kerry

Breakfast at the hotel. Today meet with your coach & English speaking driver/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 for shopping at Blarney Woollen Mills. The presence of the 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 at hotel.

Day 03: Rings of Kerry

Breakfast at the hotel. 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 - mountains, peat bogs, lakes & 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. Next arrive in the sea town of Waterville. Continue to Sneem Village, famous for its brightly coloured houses. Next today enjoy transportation of a different kind! A pony and trap (also known as a Jaunting Car) helps you discover areas of Killarney National Park that you might not otherwise visit. Relax aboard a jaunting car as your Jarvey [driver] takes you through the magnificent scenery of the National Park. Today enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants or pubs in Killarney town. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04: Burren & Cliffs of Moher

Breakfast at the hotel. 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 which rise from the Atlantic Ocean. On a clear day, you can admire the Aran Islands & Connemara Mountains. Enjoy a tour of the Burren Region. The Burren is a high plateau of porous limestone situated in Northern Clare. The limestone is bare with no trees growing here or land covering the stone. But the Burren is not as deserted as we believe: the cracks allow different types of flowers to grow all year round. The rocks hide many caves such as the Ailwee Caves.

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

Guests are invited to enjoy an unforgettable evening & take a true step back in time to Medieval Ireland. Overnight at hotel.          

Day 05: Galway city and cruise

Breakfast at the hotel. 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.

Day 06: Connemara

Breakfast at the hotel. Today travel through the beautiful Connemara Region filled with lakes, rivers, bogs & mountains. Enjoy some time at leisure in Connemara National Park. 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. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07: Sligo, Carrowmore to Donegal

Breakfast at the hotel. Today travel to Donegal via County Sligo. See the beautiful scenery which was an inspiration for W.B. Yeats, who is buried at Drumcliffe Churchyard, under loaf-shaped Benbulben Mountain. Visit Carrowmore Cemetery which has over 60 stone circles & passage tombs, making it one of the largest Stone Age cemeteries in Europe & is the oldest megalithic cemetery in Ireland. Each tomb is numbered so as to facilitate visitors. The central tomb has been restored to enable visitors to explore the interior of a court tomb & see how it was when it was built over 5,000 years ago. It is a must see for those interested in Archaeology. Continue towards Sligo via Belleek. Here you will visit the Belleek Pottery Factory & see first hand how this world renowned pottery is created. The factory tour allows visitors to see the pottery being removed from its moulds, being fired & decorated by the Belleek artists. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08: Donegal To Belfast Via Derry

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning depart Donegal for Derry. Upon arrival meet with your English speaking guide & enjoy a walking tour of the Walled City of Derry. Founded in the 6th century by St. Columba, Derry is the 2nd largest city & port of Northern Ireland. In 1613 the city was selected as a major plantation project, organized by the London livery companies. It was in this year that the walls of Derry were built to protect the town from the Gaelic chieftains in Donegal. This afternoon travel along the Antrim coast to Belfast, visiting the Giants Causeway en route. The Causeway was formed more than 60 million years ago when red-hot lava erupted onto the surface of the earth & was cooled by the sea to form the columns which make up the Giants Causeway. Legend tells a different story however that Finn Mac Cumhaill built the causeway over the sea to Scotland in order to fight his arch enemy, Fingal, who had started his own path. The two had never met before & when Finn heard the heavy footsteps of Fingal he turned back. Helped by his wife, Finn dressed up as a baby & when Fingal arrived & saw Finn, Fingal assumed the baby’s father would be much bigger. This scared him & he went running home, destroying the causeway behind him. Continue to Belfast and check into your hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 09: Belfast & The Titanic Experience

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning enjoy a guided tour of Belfast City. This is an excellent way to discover Belfast City & will take in the leaning Albert Memorial Clock Tower (Ireland’s answer to the leaning Tower of Pisa) & the Opera House, as well as passing City Hall, the Crown Bar (dating from 1885), Queens University & the Botanic Gardens. You will also visit the Harland & Wolfe Shipyard, where the Titanic was built & launched in 1912. A visit to the Shankill & Falls road will be of interest as it will give the visitor an indication of how life was in Belfast during the troubles. Visit the Titanic Experience Belfast. Located in the heart of Belfast, the Titanic Belfast 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 to coincide with the centenary, the self guided tour begins upon entering the buildings giant atrium where visitors are surrounded by the four “ship’s hull” shaped wings which house the Titanic Experience. You will uncover the true story of the Titanic from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900’s through her construction & launch, to her famous maiden voyage & subsequent place in history through nine large galleries full of interactive exhibitions. Highlights include views of the slipways where the Titanic was launched & the voyage to the bottom of the sea in the unique Ocean Exploration Centre. Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure in Belfast City. Overnight at hotel.

Day 10: Strangford Lough & Castletown House

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning enjoy a tour of the Ards Peninsula. Located in County Down, it separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel on Ireland’s northeast coast. Next take the ferry from Portaferry to Strangford continue to Kildare and visit Castletown House, Ireland’s largest and earliest Palladian style house, and was built between 1722 and 1729 for William Conolly, speaker of the Irish House of Commons and the wealthiest commoner in Ireland. The façade was almost certainly designed by the Italian architect, Alessandro Galilei, while the Irish architect Sir Edward Lovett Pearce added the wings. Continue on to Dublin. Visit this lively pub in Rathfarnham, 30 minutes from the city centre, for an excellent night of music and dance. A ballad group will regale visitors with ballads both happy and sad and will (after a few pints) have visitors singing along with them. The music is interrupted for a short while to enjoy the best of Irish Dancing, guaranteed to get feet tapping. Visitors will leave with fond memories of a memorable night in a Dublin Pub. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Dublin’s Fair City

After breakfast, enjoy an orientation tour of the city with your English speaking guide. The North side of the river offers striking monuments such as the GPO (General Post Office) on the city’s main thoroughfare O’Connell Street or the Custom House along the quays, as well as Europe’s largest public park, the Phoenix Park. 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 colourful doors along with Grafton Street and its quality shops. This part of the city is also home to the house of Bram Stoker, Trinity College & the Medieval District. Visit Trinity College, Irelands oldest University, founded in 1592 by Elisabeth 1st. Visit the ancient library, containing over 20,000 manuscripts & is home to the 9th century Book of Kells. Last stop today will be a visit to Christchurch Cathedral. King Sitric Silkenbeard, the 1st Christian Viking King of Dublin, built the city’s first church on this site in 1038.The current building was built in 1172 by the Anglo-Norman Richard de Clare (Strongbow). Similar to St Patrick’s Cathedral, it is adorned with funeral monuments, including the reputed tomb of Strongbow. Unlike St. Patrick’s however, Christchurch posses a crypt which stretches nearly its entire length & much of the Cathedrals memorabilia is displayed here. Attached to the Cathedral is Dublinia an excellent exhibition of medieval Dublin. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure. In Ireland, Gaelic Games, music, dance and our language lie at the heart of who we are and what it is to be Irish. Our games, music & dance are truly unique. They are exciting & engaging, & they will not simply interest visitors but will wow them. At Experience Gaelic Games visitors are offered the opportunity to engage with the truly fantastic side of Irish Culture & everyday life. The two main Gaelic games are Gaelic Football & Hurling and are both organised by the G.A.A (Gaelic Athletic Association). They are two of the most popular sports in Ireland today, with boys & girls across all age groups from Under 8 to 18, as well as men & women of all ages, enjoying & playing these games. At Experience Gaelic Games you have the chance to learn more about, & then play, the unique Irish games of Hurling, Gaelic Football & Handball. Overnight at hotel.

Day 12: Departure

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

INCLUSIONS/EXCLUSIONS

Days : 12 | Nights : 11


Inclusions


  • Transportation
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
  • Accommodation
  • Government Tax & Service Charge
  • Daily Breakfast

Exclusions


  •     Airfare & airport taxes    
  •     Visa charges    
  •     Insurance    
  •     Any optional tours    
  •     Laundary    

Attractions

  • Guinness Storehouse
  • Ring of Kerry
  • Dingle Peninsula
  • Temple Bar
  • Blarney Castle
  • Dublin Castle
  • Rock of Cashel
  • Bunratty Castle
  • Kylemore Abbey
  • Phoenix Park
  • Newgrange
  • St Stephen's Green
  • Powerscourt Estate
  • Kilmainham Gaol
  • Skellig Islands
  • Skellig Michael
  • Connemara National Park
  • Ashford Castle
  • Christ Church Cathedral
  • St Patrick's Cathedral
  • Muckross House
  • Killarney National Park
  • Ross Castle
  • Malahide Castle
  • River Boyne
  • Beara Peninsula
  • Jameson Distillery Bow St.
  • Spire of Dublin
  • National Gallery of Ireland
  • Inisheer
  • Brú na Bóinne
  • Ha'penny Bridge
  • Dublinia
  • National Museum of Ireland
  • O'Brien's Tower
  • Torc Waterfall
  • Hill of Tara
  • Valentia Island
  • Glenveagh
  • Clonmacnoise
  • Dunguaire Castle
  • Chester Beatty Library
  • Croagh Patrick
  • Dublin Zoo
  • King John's Castle
  • Dún Aonghasa
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