Irish
Adventure 8 day Itinerary
Day 1:
Dublin Tour
& Book of Kells
Arrive at
Dublin
Airport and proceed through
immigration and pick up your baggage. Go to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals
Hall where personnel will arrange a group transfer to your hotel, located near
Trinity
College, between 7:00 am
and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you will need to transfer to the
hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm join a local guide for a half-day guided
tour of Dublin
to see elegant Georgian squares with colourful doorways, O'Connell Street and
the evocative statues of the Famine Memorial. Visit Trinity College's campus and the Old Library to
view the illuminated manuscript of the Book of Kells. Back at your hotel, enjoy
a welcome drink and a briefing on your tour. You are free to dine independently
this evening.
Day 2:
6th Century Glendalough & Waterford
Walk
This morning
leave Dublin to see the delightful scenery of the
Wicklow
Mountains on the way to
Glendalough. Learn about St. Kevin's 6th century monastery in the
Glendalough Visitor Centre and walk through the site to see its round tower,
church ruins and Celtic crosses. Continue your drive south to Dunbrody where a
walk through a reconstructed Famine Ship will demonstrate the harsh conditions
that emigrants endured during the 19th century. Drive to Waterford and check in to
your city centre hotel. Before dinner take a brief walking tour around the
narrow streets of the historic city centre with a local guide. (B,
D)
Day 3:
Titanic Walk & Blarney
Travel along
the south coast via Dungarvan to the port town of Cobh, the last scheduled stop of the Titanic. A
walking tour will reveal many of the places associated with emigrants as they
left Ireland to head to the
United
States. Drive through the outskirts of
Cork city to get
to the Blarney Woollen Mills, which stocks an excellent range of Irish goods all
under one roof. While Blarney Castle is not included in your tour, you
will have time to kiss the "Stone of Eloquence" on your own. Then journey west
through rugged countryside to Killarney, widely celebrated for its setting
overlooking lakes and mountains. Settle in to your centrally-located hotel or
walk around the town. (B, D)
Day 4: Ring
of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Enjoy the
highlights of Ireland's natural scenery on the Ring
of Kerry route. The road winds between the Macgillycuddy's Reeks Mountains on one side and the Atlantic
coastline on the other. Start by viewing the Essence of Kerry audio visual show
at the Gap of Dunloe and then drive through Killorglin and Cahirciveen to cross
by bridge to Valencia Island. Visit the Skellig Experience to
learn about the rocky islands off the end of the peninsula where monks lived in
early Christian times. Today the islands form a protected bird sanctuary. Stop
in the colourful village of Sneem and also at Moll's Gap to view the
Three Lakes of Killarney. Enjoy some free time in Killarney before dining in
your hotel. (B, D)
Day 5: Flying Boat
Museum & Cliffs of Moher
Drive north
through Listowel to Foynes to visit the Flying Boat Museum, which recalls the
early days of air travel, during the 1930's and early 1940's, when Pan Am
Clippers from the United States and Europe landed here. Travel through the
outskirts of Limerick and have a look around Bunratty Village before heading to
the coast of County Clare. View the Cliffs of Moher rising to
heights of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells and walk along the
top of the cliffs to O'Brien's Tower for great views. Drive through the Burren
and around the shores of Galway Bay. Take a short orientation tour around
central Galway before checking in to your
hotel. (B, D)
Day 6: Yeats' Grave
& Derry Walk
Head north to visit the
pilgrimage town of Knock, one of
the world's leading shrines. See the church where villagers saw a vision of the
Virgin Mary in 1879. Travel through County Sligo and stop to view W. B. Yeats' grave in Drumcliffe
Churchyard, in the shadow of Ben Bulben mountain. Follow the shoreline of
Donegal Bay to Donegal town and past the lovely Blue Stack
Mountains to Derry. On arrival in Derry take a brief drive around the city, including the
Bogside area, before meeting a local guide for a walking tour of the medieval
walls, which date from 1613 AD and encircle the old city centre. (B,
D)
Day 7: Giant's Causeway
& Abbey Tavern
Today explore the north
coastline, stopping for photos at the sprawling ruins of Dunluce Castle. Visit the Giant's Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed by
volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Continue south to experience
wonderful views of mountains, valleys and bays along the "Nine Glens of Antrim."
Take a drive around Belfast to see Victorian buildings, the Harland
& Wolff shipyards where the Titanic was built, and the Falls Road and
Shankill residential areas. Continue south to check in to another hotel in
Dublin. This
evening drive to the popular Abbey Tavern for a hearty dinner and an evening of
entertaining traditional Irish songs and step-dancing. (B,
D)
Day 8: Depart
for Home or Extra Day in Dublin
For clients
booked on our 8-day tour, complimentary group transfers are provided to
Dublin
Airport to arrive at 6:00
am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon.
Breakfast
(B) Dinner (D)
Irish
Adventure 8 day Itinerary
Day 1:
Dublin Tour
& Book of Kells
Arrive at
Dublin
Airport and proceed through
immigration and pick up your baggage. Go to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals
Hall where personnel will arrange a group transfer to your hotel, located near
Trinity
College, between 7:00 am
and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you will need to transfer to the
hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm join a local guide for a half-day guided
tour of Dublin
to see elegant Georgian squares with colourful doorways, O'Connell Street and
the evocative statues of the Famine Memorial. Visit Trinity College's campus and the Old Library to
view the illuminated manuscript of the Book of Kells. Back at your hotel, enjoy
a welcome drink and a briefing on your tour. You are free to dine independently
this evening.
Day 2:
6th Century Glendalough & Waterford
Walk
This morning
leave Dublin to see the delightful scenery of the
Wicklow
Mountains on the way to
Glendalough. Learn about St. Kevin's 6th century monastery in the
Glendalough Visitor Centre and walk through the site to see its round tower,
church ruins and Celtic crosses. Continue your drive south to Dunbrody where a
walk through a reconstructed Famine Ship will demonstrate the harsh conditions
that emigrants endured during the 19th century. Drive to Waterford and check in to
your city centre hotel. Before dinner take a brief walking tour around the
narrow streets of the historic city centre with a local guide. (B,
D)
Day 3:
Titanic Walk & Blarney
Travel along
the south coast via Dungarvan to the port town of Cobh, the last scheduled stop of the Titanic. A
walking tour will reveal many of the places associated with emigrants as they
left Ireland to head to the
United
States. Drive through the outskirts of
Cork city to get
to the Blarney Woollen Mills, which stocks an excellent range of Irish goods all
under one roof. While Blarney Castle is not included in your tour, you
will have time to kiss the "Stone of Eloquence" on your own. Then journey west
through rugged countryside to Killarney, widely celebrated for its setting
overlooking lakes and mountains. Settle in to your centrally-located hotel or
walk around the town. (B, D)
Day 4: Ring
of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Enjoy the
highlights of Ireland's natural scenery on the Ring
of Kerry route. The road winds between the Macgillycuddy's Reeks Mountains on one side and the Atlantic
coastline on the other. Start by viewing the Essence of Kerry audio visual show
at the Gap of Dunloe and then drive through Killorglin and Cahirciveen to cross
by bridge to Valencia Island. Visit the Skellig Experience to
learn about the rocky islands off the end of the peninsula where monks lived in
early Christian times. Today the islands form a protected bird sanctuary. Stop
in the colourful village of Sneem and also at Moll's Gap to view the
Three Lakes of Killarney. Enjoy some free time in Killarney before dining in
your hotel. (B, D)
Day 5: Flying Boat
Museum & Cliffs of Moher
Drive north
through Listowel to Foynes to visit the Flying Boat Museum, which recalls the
early days of air travel, during the 1930's and early 1940's, when Pan Am
Clippers from the United States and Europe landed here. Travel through the
outskirts of Limerick and have a look around Bunratty Village before heading to
the coast of County Clare. View the Cliffs of Moher rising to
heights of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells and walk along the
top of the cliffs to O'Brien's Tower for great views. Drive through the Burren
and around the shores of Galway Bay. Take a short orientation tour around
central Galway before checking in to your
hotel. (B, D)
Day 6: Yeats' Grave
& Derry Walk
Head north to visit the
pilgrimage town of Knock, one of
the world's leading shrines. See the church where villagers saw a vision of the
Virgin Mary in 1879. Travel through County Sligo and stop to view W. B. Yeats' grave in Drumcliffe
Churchyard, in the shadow of Ben Bulben mountain. Follow the shoreline of
Donegal Bay to Donegal town and past the lovely Blue Stack
Mountains to Derry. On arrival in Derry take a brief drive around the city, including the
Bogside area, before meeting a local guide for a walking tour of the medieval
walls, which date from 1613 AD and encircle the old city centre. (B,
D)
Day 7: Giant's Causeway
& Abbey Tavern
Today explore the north
coastline, stopping for photos at the sprawling ruins of Dunluce Castle. Visit the Giant's Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed by
volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Continue south to experience
wonderful views of mountains, valleys and bays along the "Nine Glens of Antrim."
Take a drive around Belfast to see Victorian buildings, the Harland
& Wolff shipyards where the Titanic was built, and the Falls Road and
Shankill residential areas. Continue south to check in to another hotel in
Dublin. This
evening drive to the popular Abbey Tavern for a hearty dinner and an evening of
entertaining traditional Irish songs and step-dancing. (B,
D)
Day 8: Depart
for Home or Extra Day in Dublin
For clients
booked on our 8-day tour, complimentary group transfers are provided to
Dublin
Airport to arrive at 6:00
am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon.
Breakfast
(B) Dinner (D)