IRISH DISCOVERY 7 Day Itinerary
Day
1 - Fri: Dublin Arrival
Arrive
at Dublin
Airport. After customs
formalities and luggage reclamation, head to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals
Hall to arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon.
Passengers arriving later will transfer to the hotel at their own. Check into
your hotel, located on the north side of the city. The evening is free for
independent dining and hotel personnel or your tour escort will assist in
finding an appealing restaurant.
Day
2 - Sat: Book of Kells & Shindig Evening
This
morning tour Dublin city centre in the company of a local
guide to see public buildings, delightful gardens and lively shopping streets.
View elegant Georgian squares lined with townhouses boasting collared doors.
Enter Trinity
College to view the 8th
century illuminated gospel manuscript of the Book of Kells in the Old Library.
The afternoon is at leisure when you may take an open-top bus tour with a
Guinness or Jameson visit. In the evening attend a "Shindig" at the Old Jameson
Distillery. See whiskey-making processes before dining on Irish specialties,
followed by a festive entertainment program. (B, D)
Day
3 - Sun: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart
Dublin and view the green countryside as you
travel through the centre of Ireland, which has many mixed farms.
Stop to view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel, which rises high
above the surrounding plain. Continue your drive south and just a few miles
outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous "Stone of
Eloquence." Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills before driving through Macroom
and into County
Kerry, where the scenery
becomes more mountainous. Check into your hotel in Killarney and relax before
dinner. (B, D)
Day
4 - Mon: Dingle
Peninsula & Blasket
Experience
Today
discover the scenic Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies -
"Ryan's Daughter" and "Far & Away." Drive along the south shore and stop to
admire views of heathery mountains and the sandy stretches of Inch Beach. Pause in Dingle before continuing
to the western tip of the peninsula. Tour the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn
about the Blasket Islands, inhabited until 1953 by hardy families who eked out a
living by farming and fishing. Return to Killarney and enjoy free time to relax
or take a walk. After dinner in your hotel you may like to visit some of the
cosy pubs featuring live music. (B, D)
Day 5 - Tue: Flying Boat Museum & Cliffs of Moher
Travel
north to Foynes on the River Shannon Estuary to learn about the early days of
flight at the Flying Boat
Museum. This was the
landing place for Pam Am Clippers from the United
States and Europe. Drive
to the village of Bunratty and look around Durty Nelly's Pub or the
Bunratty
Folk Park. Head to the coast to view the Cliffs
of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that rises 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Continue to Galway for a panoramic drive
before checking in to your hotel, which overlooks Galway Bay. (B, D)
Day
6 - Wed: 6th Century Clonmacnoise & Dunboyne
Castle
Leave
Galway and drive to the centre of the country
to visit Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement founded in 545 AD by St. Ciaran.
See round towers, elaborately decorated Celtic crosses and the ruins of many
churches picturesquely set on the banks of the tranquil River Shannon. Continue
your drive eastward to your elegant hotel, just outside Dublin. Enjoy the
facilities and relax for a while before joining in a farewell dinner with your
group. Savour great food followed by some local entertainment. (B,
D)
Day
7 - Thu: Depart Dublin for Home
Complimentary
group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or
12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free stores
before the journey home. (B)