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Day 1: City Touring & Book of Kells
Arrive at Dublin Airport in the morning, pass through immigration and collect your luggage. Head to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall to arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later than noon, you will transfer to the hotel at your own expense. Your hotel is located in Ballsbridge on the south side of the city. At 2:00 pm tour the city centre with a local guide to see elegant Georgian squares, public buildings, charming parks and monuments such as the Famine Memorial. Visit Trinity College’s Old Library where the priceless 8th century Book of Kells is housed. Learn about early Christian techniques of creating manuscripts and view the intricate book itself. Enjoy a welcome drink with your fellow travellers and talk about your trip.
Day 2: Malahide Castle & Merry Ploughboy Pub
Take the coastal route to Malahide Castle, which was owned and inhabited by the Talbot family from 1185 until 1973. Visit the main chambers, rich with furnishings and portraits to learn about the long history of the castle. Next take a guided tour around the National Botanic Gardens founded in 1790. The devastating potato blight virus was first recorded here on August 20, 1845. See wonderful Victorian glasshouses and many different types of gardens. The afternoon is at leisure and in the evening head to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for Irish cuisine and a lively session of traditional songs. (B,D)
Day 3: Megalithic Tombs & Donegal
This morning discover visit the Boyne Valley Visitor Centre to learn about the passage burial tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, both of which are over 5,000 years old. Visit one of the tombs to see how primitive people managed to align these buildings precisely with the sun or the moon. Drive through the Lakeland region of County Cavan and along the scenic shores of Lower Lough Erne to your hotel on the outskirts of Donegal town where you will have time to relax or use the extensive leisure facilities before dining with your group. (B,D)
Day 4: Slieve League Cliffs & Donegal
Drive to the fishing port of Killybegs and on to Teelin to view Slieve League sea cliffs, where the highest point reaches 1,972 feet making them the highest in Europe. The cliffs drop straight down to the wild Atlantic waves below and you will see marvellous vistas. Sample home-baked scones with coffee or tea before continuing through the majestic Glengesh Pass. In Ardara visit Triona Design to see demonstrations of spinning, weaving and knitting. Donegal, with its windswept hills where only sheep can thrive, is renowned for wool production. Drive to Donegal town for free time in the town centre before returning to your nearby hotel. (B,D)
Day 5: Belleek & Museum of Country Life
Travel south around Donegal Bay and stop in Belleek to visit the Belleek Pottery Factory to see how the craftspeople mould, shape and decorate clay, creating the world-famous fine china. Pause at Drumcliffe Churchyard to view the grave of W. B. Yeats, the Nobel prizewinning poet, who based many poems on the delightful countryside around Sligo. Continue through County Mayo to Castlebar to visit the Museum of Country Life. See collections of domestic goods, in daily use from 1850 to 1950. Exhibits and a movie explain how Irish people made a living from the soil. Drive to Galway and check in to your hotel. (B,D)
Day 6: Aran Islands & Dun Aengus
Take a short ferry ride from Rossaveal to Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. These rocky islands are renowned for the hardy islanders who maintained traditional fishing and farming methods and where the popular intricately-patterned fishermen’s sweaters originated. The Irish language is still spoken widely. Take a minibus ride to Dun Aengus, a huge pre-historic fortress perched on sheer cliffs, which fall away to the Atlantic below. In Kilronan, the main town, visit the Aran Heritage Centre to learn about unique local customs. Return to the mainland and your hotel for some free time before dining in your hotel once more. (B,D)
Day 7: Cliffs of Moher & Flying Boat Museum
Drive around Galway Bay to view the Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that rises 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Continue to Bunratty for a brief stop to have a drink in Durty Nelly’s or shop at the Bunratty Woollen Mills before travelling through Limerick and along the Shannon Estuary to Foynes to visit the Flying Boat Museum. During the 1930’s and early 1940’s, this was the landing place for Pan Am Clippers from the United States and Europe. The museum’s displays recall the early days of aviation. Arrive in Killarney, check in to your hotel and relax before dinner in your hotel. (B,D)
Day 8: Jaunting Car & Ring of Kerry
Start your day with a leisurely jaunting car ride through the Killarney National Park to Ross Castle for views of Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney’s famous lakes. Then begin the Ring of Kerry drive where every bend in 100 miles of road reveals breathtaking views of mountains and Atlantic Ocean. You will have stops to admire or photograph scenic vistas. 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. At the tip of the peninsula visit the Skellig Experience, which explains the history, flora and fauna on the nearby rocky islands. Return through the attractive village of Sneem and pause at Moll’s Gap for panoramic views of Killarney. Back in Killarney enjoy free time before dinner. (B,D)
Day 9: Blarney & Clontarf Castle Hotel
Leave Killarney and drive via Ballyvourney and Macroom to visit the Blarney Woollen Mills where quality Irish-made products are gathered under one roof. If you wish, you may climb the steps of Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone independently. Drive north to visit the stately Rock of Cashel, a limestone outcrop containing 12th century church ruins. Continue to Dublin once more and check in to Clontarf Castle, a luxurious haven located in a quiet area, yet just a short distance from the city centre. The castle dates back to 1172 and today offers guests all the splendour and charm of a unique and royal experience. Enjoy a special farewell dinner in the hotel’s old-world dining room. (B,D)
Day 10: Homeward bound
Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport 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 stores before boarding your flight for the journey home. (B)
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