14 Day Jewels of
Ireland Tour Itinerary
Day 1 : Dublin Castle & City Tour
Start your tour at Dublin Airport with a group
transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives
later, transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm tour Dublin with a
local guide to see elegant Georgian squares, Trinity College, St. Stephen's
Green, the Famine Memorial and O'Connell Street. Visit the State Apartments of
Dublin Castle, which contain magnificently-furnished chambers. Back at your
hotel enjoy a welcome drink with your tour director and discuss your itinerary.
Day 2 : National Stud & Taylor's Three Rock
In Kildare visit the Irish National Stud to see
many lovely horses and learn about breeding and racing. Also walk through the
charming Japanese Gardens, laid out over 100 years ago to represent life from
the cradle to the grave. Return to Dublin where the afternoon is free for an
independent open-top bus tour and a visit to Guinness or Jameson. Head to
Taylor's Three Rock Pub for dinner with traditional music, songs and
step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 3 : Waterford Crystal & Kinsale Walk
Travel south to the ancient port of Waterford. At
the House of Waterford Crystal watch skilled craftspeople blow and cut crystal
to create elegant tableware and special trophies. Drive through Cork to Kinsale,
a delightful old fishing town, which is now renowned for sailing and gourmet
food. Join a local guide for a short walk around Kinsale's historic streets and
then drive a few miles to your elegant resort hotel. (B, D)
Day 4 : Muckross House & Killarney
Drive to Kenmare and along part of the Ring of
Kerry for splendid views. Take a guided tour around stately 19th century
Muckross House and travel through the peaceful Killarney National Park into
Killarney by jaunting car. Continue your journey along the Dingle Peninsula,
enjoying views of heathery mountains, sandy beaches and rocky headlands. Check
in to your hotel in Dingle, a lively and attractive town. (B, D)
Day 5 : Dingle Peninsula & Gallarus Oratory
Today discover the glorious Dingle Peninsula,
made famous by two movies, “Ryan's Daughter” and ??Far & Away.” Drive to
Slea Head at the westernmost tip and tour the Blasket Experience to learn about
the Blasket Islands. Visit Gallarus Oratory, a small church dating from the 6th
to 9th centuries, which has remained watertight through the centuries. Travel up
to the Conor Pass for sweeping views before returning to Dingle. (B, D)
Day 6 : Cliffs of Moher & Knappogue Banquet
Visit the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, which
recalls early days of flying during the 1930's and early 1940's. Travel to
Bunratty and check in to your hotel near Bunratty Folk Park and Durty Nelly's
Pub. At 2:30 pm depart for the Cliffs of Moher, a dramatic wall of rock that
plunges to the Atlantic Ocean. Drive a few miles to 15th century Knappogue
Castle for a fun medieval-style banquet with entertainment by the lords and
ladies of the castle. (B, D)
Day 7 : Burren Display Centre & Galway
In Kilfenora visit the Burren Display Centre to
learn about the Burren, an area of rounded limestone hills with a rich
archeological past. Then view the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a Neolithic burial place
dating to 4,000 BC consisting of huge boulders. Take a look around the village
of Ballyvaughan and drive around Galway Bay to your hotel overlooking Galway Bay
and the Burren. (B, D)
Day 8 : “Quiet Man” Walking Tour & Catamaran Cruise
Drive to Cong for a guided walk around the
village where “The Quiet Man” movie was made in 1952. Drive through the lovely
scenery of Connemara to embark on a short cruise of Killary Harbour. Enjoy an
Irish coffee as you view traces of pre-Famine potato “lazy beds.” Make a brief
stop at Kylemore Abbey Visitor Centre before heading to Clifden, a delightful
market town, and then return to Galway. (B, D)
Day 9 : Belleek China & Donegal
Castle
Drive north into County Mayo to visit
the pilgrimage town of Knock and in County Sligo view W. B. Yeats' Grave. Tour
the Belleek Pottery Factory, founded in the mid-19th century, to see
craftspeople create the renowned fine china. Drive to Donegal town for a tour of
Donegal Castle, built by the O'Donnell chieftain in the 15th century. Check in
to your nearby hotel. (B, D)
Day 10 : Slieve League Cliffs
& Donegal
Drive along the coast
of Donegal to view Slieve League sea cliffs, the highest in Europe reaching
1,972 feet. The cliffs drop straight down to the wild Atlantic waves creating
marvelous views. Enjoy coffee or tea with home-baked scones before driving
through Glengesh Pass to Ardara to visit Triona Design for demonstrations of
spinning and knitting. Stop in Donegal town for free time before returning to
your hotel. (B, D)
Day 11 : Derry Walk & Giant's Causeway
Take a walking tour with a local guide to see
Derry's medieval walls, the Diamond and St. Columb's Cathedral. Pause for photos
at Dunluce Castle before visiting the Giant's Causeway, enormous hexagonal
columns formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Continue along
the scenic coastal drive of the “Nine Glens of Antrim” to your stylish hotel in
Belfast, close to the waterfront and city attractions. (B, D)
Day 12: Titanic Belfast & Cabra Castle
Tour Belfast to see Victorian buildings and the
shipyards where RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Visit the newly-opened Titanic
Belfast to learn about this famous liner through state-of-the-art displays
before taking an afternoon drive south past the Mourne Mountains to Kingscourt
to your lovely castle hotel, built in 1760. Arrive in time to enjoy the
facilities, including a 9-hole golf course. After dinner, youthful dancers will
display intricate Irish step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 13 : Battle of the Boyne Centre & Leisure Time in Dublin
Outside Drogheda visit the Battle of the Boyne
Centre to learn about the 1690 conflict between King William III and his
father-in-law, King James II. Then travel into Dublin, to your hotel located on
Dublin Bay to the south of the city. The balance of the day is free so you may
take an open-top bus tour and visit Guinness or Jameson, if you did not use your
vouchers at the start of your tour. (B)
Day 14 : Tour Ends Dublin Airport
Group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to
arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon to check in for your flight home. (B)
B: Breakfast; D: Dinner