Irish Heritage Tour 7 day
Itinerary
Day 1 - Sat: Bunratty & Medieval
Banquet
Land at Shannon Airport, pass through immigration and
pick up your luggage. Locate the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall where our
staff will arrange a group transfer to your nearby hotel. 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. This afternoon
you are at leisure to rest after your journey or take a stroll on your own
through Bunratty Folk Park, which is located close to your hotel. Join your
fellow travellers for a welcome drink before heading to the 15th century
Bunratty Castle for a medieval-style dinner and entertainment.
(D)
Day 2 - Sun: Cliffs of Moher & Irish
Coffee
Drive west through Ennis and Lahinch to see the Cliffs of
Moher, which rise almost 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic surf. Then cross
the wide River Shannon Estuary on a short ferry ride to Tarbert and travel along
the river shore to Foynes. Visit the Flying Boat Museum, which recalls the early
days of air travel, during the 1930's and early 1940's. Irish coffee was first
created here to warm frozen, weary travellers and you will learn how to make a
perfect one and then drink it. Drive south to Killarney, a world-famous town due
to its exquisite location beside lakes and mountains. Check in to your hotel in
the town centre and enjoy free time before dinner. (B, D)
Day
3 - Mon: Killarney & Ring of Kerry Tour
Embark on Ireland's
most popular scenic drive - the Ring of Kerry. This circular tour will reveal
constantly-changing vistas of mountains, open Atlantic Ocean, beaches and
cliffs. As you travel, enjoy plenty of breaks to admire the natural beauty. Stop
at Kells to meet a local farmer, Brendan Ferris, for a taste of farm life with a
sheepdog demonstration of herding flocks and see different breeds of sheep.
Cross to Valencia Island by bridge to visit the Skellig Experience. Learn about
early Christian monks who created a community on the rocky offshore islands and
about the prolific bird life today. Continue your drive to Waterville, where
Charlie Chaplin loved to vacation, and the colourful village of Sneem. Stop at
Moll's Gap to view the Three Lakes of Killarney with mountains all around before
returning to Killarney. (B, D)
Day 4 - Tue: Blarney & Cobh
Heritage Centre
Depart Killarney and travel through Macroom to
Blarney. Stop at the Blarney Woollen Mills for quality Irish-made goods. If you
feel energetic you may climb the steps of Blarney Castle to kiss the fabled
"Stone of Eloquence" on your own. Bypass Cork city as you drive to the port town
of Cobh. Visit the Cobh Heritage Centre, which traces the history of emigration
from Ireland. Learn about travel conditions for the many Irish emigrants on
early sailing ships and steam vessels. Follow the coastal route via the town of
Youghal to Waterford for dinner and an overnight stay. This evening take a
gentle walk with a local historian who will reveal Waterford's Viking and
medieval past. (B, D)
Day 5 - Wed: National Stud & Merry
Ploughboy Pub
Travel north to Kilkenny with its intriguing
medieval streets and buildings. Stop for a stroll through the narrow streets and
view the massive castle from its rose gardens. Continue to the National Stud to
see some of Ireland's finest horses and learn about breeding techniques. Also
take a walk around the Japanese Gardens, laid out to represent life from the
cradle to the grave. Drive to your next hotel, an elegant Victorian mansion,
which overlooks Dublin Bay and Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Dine on Irish specialties
at the Merry Ploughboy Pub, followed by a lively show of traditional Irish songs
and intricate step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 6 - Thu: Dublin Tour
& Kilmainham Gaol
Relax on a half-day guided tour of
Dublin, originally founded by Vikings over 1,000 years ago. See elegant Georgian
townhouses and colourful doors and cross the River Liffey to view the wide
thoroughfare of O'Connell Street with the General Post Office where the 1916
Rebellion started. Pause to view the gaunt figures at the Famine Memorial before
visiting Kilmainham Gaol to see how penal establishments were operated in past
centuries. Learn about the leaders of the 1916 Uprising who were imprisoned and
shot here, changing Irish history. The afternoon is free so that you may use
your independent open-top bus tour and Guinness or Jameson vouchers. Dine on
your own this evening. (B)
Day 7 - Fri: Return Home from
Dublin
Complimentary group transfers to Dublin Airport are
provided 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 shops before boarding your flight for the
journey home. (B)
Breakfast (B) Dinner (D)