9 Day Irish Interlude Tour
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival & Ennis Walk
Land at Shannon Airport and transfer to the charming marketing
town of Ennis. Complimentary transfers are available between 7:00 am and 12:00
noon. If your flight arrives later than 12:00 noon, transfer to the hotel at
your own expense. At 2:00 pm join a local guide for a walking tour around the
main points of interest. Meet your fellow travelers and tour director over a
welcome drink before dinner in your hotel. (D)
Day 2 : Cliffs of Moher & Galway
Travel to the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, a five-mile
wall of limestone rising above the foaming Atlantic breakers. See the rounded
limestone hills of the Burren and the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a huge stone monument
marking a Neolithic burial place. Stop in the attractive village of Ballyvaughan
and continue to Galway for a panoramic tour of the city's main attractions
before checking in to your hotel. (B, D)
Day 3 : Connemara & Catamaran Cruise
Today explore Connemara, a scenic region of misty hills and
shimmering lakes. At Leenane embark on a catamaran cruise through Killary
Harbour, Ireland's only fjord. See steep hills where ridges of potato fields,
reminders of the 1840's Famine, are still visible and see mussel and salmon
farms. Stop for photos at the Kylemore Abbey Visitor Centre and drive to Cong
for a short walking tour around movie locations used in the 1952 production of
“The Quiet Man.” Visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, which specializes
in intricate designs in colored crystal. (B, D)
Day 4 : Museum of Country Life & Belleek
Outside Castlebar tour the Museum of Country Life to see
collections of domestic goods, used when most people lived by farming. Stop at
Knock Shrine to see the church where locals saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary
in 1879. Cross into County Sligo and stop at the grave of W. B. Yeats before
continuing to the Belleek Pottery Factory to watch skilled craftspeople create
delicate china. Continue your journey past the hazy Blue Stack Mountains to
Stranorlar. (B, D)
Day 5 : Glenveagh Castle & Donegal
Travel into the heart of Donegal to Glenveagh National Park
where Captain Adair evicted 225 tenants to build Glenveagh Castle in 1870. Learn
about the history of the mansion, owners and guests as you tour the rooms and
walk around the extensive gardens filled with exotic plants. Then experience the
glorious natural beauty of the Grand Atlantic Drive, which winds through
Downings and Rosapenna and around the coastline. Return to Stranorlar in time
for dinner. (B, D)
Day 6 : Derry & Giant's Causeway
In Derry join a local guide for a walking tour to see medieval
city walls, the Diamond and St. Columb's Cathedral. Drive along the north coast,
pausing for photos at Dunluce Castle. Explore the Giant's Causeway, enormous
hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago.
Experience wonderful scenery along the coastal “Nine Glens of Antrim” route.
Drive into Belfast to your hotel where you will have free time before dinner.
(B, D)
Day 7 : Belfast & Merry Ploughboy Pub
Tour central Belfast with a local guide to see Victorian
buildings, the Harland & Wolff shipyards where the Titanic was built and
visit Titanic Belfast to learn abouth the famous liner. Visit Down Cathedral to
see the reputed burial place of St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. Also visit
the St. Patrick Centre to learn about his life and times. Travel to Dublin and
check in to your centrally-located hotel. Head to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for
dinner, which is followed by a show of traditional music and step-dancing. (B,
D)
Day 8 : Dublin Tour & Book of Kells
Tour Dublin city center to see elegant Georgian squares with
colorful doorways; pass the peaceful St. Stephen's Green and the bustling
shopping areas around Nassau Street; cross the River Liffey to O'Connell Street
and view the General Post Office where the 1916 Rebellion started. Walk through
the campus of Trinity College to view the 8th century manuscript of the Book of
Kells. The afternoon is free for you to use independent vouchers for an open-top
bus tour all around central Dublin and a visit to either Guinness or Jameson.
(B)
Day 9 : Tour Ends Dublin Airport
Taxi transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive in good
time to check in for your departing flight. (B)
B: Breakfast; D: Dinner