Northern
Gems 9 Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Wed:
Ennis Arrival & Cliffs of Moher
Land at
Shannon
Airport and locate the CIE
Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall for a group transfer to 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. Ennis is the
main market town of County Clare and your hotel is in the centre of
the town. At 2:30 pm depart for the Cliffs of Moher, a dramatic wall of rock
that plunges to the Atlantic Ocean. Return to
Ennis and for a welcome drink to discuss your tour with your guide and fellow
travellers. Then enjoy dinner with some informal entertainment in your hotel.
(D)
Day 2 - Thu:
Poulnabrone Dolmen & Connemara Crystal
In Kilfenora
visit the Burren Display Centre to learn about the Burren, an area of rounded
limestone hills. Then drive through the weathered hills, which contain ancient
monuments, especially dolmens. View the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a Neolithic burial
place dating to 4,000 BC. Stop for a look around the village of Ballyvaughan. In Moycullen visit the
Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory to see a skilled glass cutter at work and learn
about the symbolism of the Celtic motifs. Drive into Galway to your central
hotel overlooking Galway Bay. (B, D)
Day 3 - Fri:
"Quiet Man" Walking Tour & Catamaran Cruise
Drive to the
village of
Cong where "The Quiet Man"
movie was made in 1952. A guided walk will show you places featured in the
production. Drive through Connemara for
sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. Embark on a short cruise
of Killary
Harbour, a 9-mile fjord.
Enjoy an Irish coffee as you view hills where traces of pre-Famine "lazy beds"
of potato ridges can still be seen. Keep an eye out for seabirds as you
pass mussel and salmon farms. Make a brief
stop at Kylemore Abbey Visitor Centre before heading to Clifden, a delightful
market town set between the Twelve Bens and sandy bays before returning to
Galway. (B, D)
Day 4 - Sat:
Museum of Country Life & Belleek China
Outside
Castlebar visit the Museum of Country
Life. View collections of domestic goods, used in
everyday living from 1850 to 1950. Exhibits and a movie explain how country
people lived by farming. Make a brief stop in the pilgrimage town of Knock and view W. B. Yeats' Grave, situated near the
distinctive outline of Ben Bulben mountain in County Sligo. Continue to Belleek for a tour of
the Belleek Pottery Factory, founded in the mid-19th century to
create employment. Drive to Donegal town for your next overnight stop. (B,
D)
Day 5 - Sun:
Slieve League Cliffs & Donegal
Drive to the
fishing port of Killybegs and on to Teelin 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
marvellous views. Enjoy coffee or tea with home-baked scones before driving
through the majestic Glengesh Pass to Ardara. Visit Triona Design to see
demonstrations of spinning, weaving and knitting. Return to Donegal town for
free time before returning to your nearby hotel. (B, D)
Day 6 - Mon:
Derry Walk & Giant's Causeway
Travel
to Derry for a walking tour with
a local guide to see the medieval city walls, the Diamond and St. Columb's
Cathedral. Pause for photos at the ruins of Dunluce Castle before visiting 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." Drive to your
centrally-located hotel in Belfast. You will have time to take a walk or
you may like to visit the ornate Victorian bar, Crown Liquor Saloon, just across
the street. (B, D)
Day 7 - Tue:
Belfast &
St. Patrick's Burial Site
Tour
Belfast with a
local guide to see Victorian buildings, the Harland & Wolff shipyards where
the Titanic was built and the Falls Road and Shankill residential areas. Drive
south via the town of Newry and pass the gentle slopes of the Mourne Mountains to Kingscourt
to your castle hotel, built in 1760. Arrive mid-afternoon so that you will have
time to enjoy the facilities and ambience of your lovely hotel. You may like to
play the 9-hole golf course. After dinner in the Court Restaurant, enjoy
youthful dancers display intricate
Irish step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 8 - Wed: Battle of the Boyne Centre
& River Liffey
Drive to
Drogheda to visit the Battle of the Boyne Centre. Learn about the
1690 conflict between King William III and his father-in-law, King James II, for
dominance over the British throne and religious power in Ireland. Then
travel into Dublin and check in to your hotel overlooking
the River Liffey. The balance of the day at leisure so you may use your vouchers
for an independent open-top bus tour with a visit to either Guinness or Jameson
and a complimentary drink. (B)
Day 9 - Thu:
Depart from Dublin
Airport
Your hotel
offers a shuttle service to Dublin Airport every two hours starting at 7:20
am. So choose a suitable transfer time to arrive at the airport to check in for
your flight. If you need an earlier transfer, your tour escort will arrange one
for you. Then you'll have an opportunity to shop at the duty-free stores before
boarding your aircraft for the journey home. (B)
Breakfast (
B) Dinner (D)