This Irish Legends tour is 9 days/8 nights
Highlights:
Cliffs of Moher
Aran Islands Excursion
Blarney Castle
Cobh Heritage Centre
Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
Scenic Dingle Peninsula
Dun Aengus Fort
Dunbrody Emigrant Ship
Irish National Stud & Gardens
Malahide Castle
Hotels:
Superior & First Class
Dunboyne Castle Hotel, Meath (1 night)
Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny (2 nights)
Killarney Towers Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
Salthill Hotel, Galway (2 nights)
North Star Hotel, Dublin (1 night)
Tour Includes:
Full daily breakfast (except Day 1)
All on-tour transportation including shuttles and ferries
Six dinners including a Dunboyne Castle Hotel welcome dinner, pub dinner in Dingle,
and a traditional Irish dinner and show at Taylor’s Three Rock
Welcome get-together drink with your group
Free Wi-Fi on coaches so you can stay connected along the way
Documents wallet and backpack to keep you organized
All local taxes, hotel service charges & handling of one suitcase per person
2020 Prices
Mar 6 – Mar 15 – €1605
Apr 10 – Apr 19 – €1765
Apr 24 – May 3 – €1805
May 1 – May 10 – €2205
May 8 – May 17 – €2005
May 15 – May 24 – €2045
May 22 – May 31 – €2045
Jun 5 – Jun 14 – €2165
Jun 12 – Jun 21 – €2125
Jun 19 – Jun 28 – €2525
Jul 10 – Jul 19 – €2165
Jul 17 – Jul 26 – €2165
Jul 24 – Aug 2 – €2565
Aug 4 – Aug 13 – €2085
Aug 7 – Aug 16 – €2165
Aug 11 – Aug 20 – €2565
Aug 14 – Aug 23 – €2125
Aug 21 – Aug 30 – €2125
Aug 28 – Sep 6 – €2525
Sep 1 – Sep 10 – €2125
Sep 8 – Sep 17 – €2085
Sep 11 – Sep 20 – €2085
Sep 25 – Oct 4 – €2325
Oct 2 – Oct 11 – €1845
Oct 16 – Oct 25 – €2125
Single room supplement: €375
| *All rates are per person sharing. Single Supplements apply. |
Irish Legends 9 Days / 8 Nights
Day 1: Dublin Arrival & Malahide Castle
Tour begins 2:00 PM at Dunboyne Castle. Ensure you book an appropriate transfer to Dunboyne Castle as there is no public transportation service there. Head out to visit Malahide Castle, first built in 1185 and filled with medieval artifacts. Enjoy a welcome get-together drink with your group before dinner.
(D)
Day 2: National Stud &Kilkenny Walk
Visit the home of equine royalty, The Irish National Stud, where you’ll see immaculately bred stallions alongside protective mares, frolicking foals and athletic yearlings. Take a walk around the grounds to see St Fiachra’s Garden and the miniature Japanese Gardens. Enjoy a casual lunch at the Kilkenny Design Centre, housed in the former stables of Kilkenny Castle. Take a walking tour with a local guide along the Medieval Mile, the main thoroughfare to see historic streets and buildings. The evening is free for dining on your own.
(B, L)
Day 3: Waterford Crystal & Dunbrody Famine Ship
Witness the creation of crystal masterpieces during your visit to the House of Waterford Crystal. Then join a local guide for a gentle walking tour to hear stories about the Waterford’s long history and some of its colorful characters. Explore more of the town with time for lunch, and head to New Ross to explore the Dunbrody Famine Ship, a replica of the vessel used during the 1840s Famine to transport emigrants to North America.
(B, D)
Day 4: Cobh Heritage Centre & Blarney Castle
Travel south to Cobh, the last port of call of the Titanic and where many places associated with the liner still exist. Visit the Cobh Heritage Centre, which traces the history of emigration over a number of centuries from Ireland to North America. Head to Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone or stroll through the spacious parklands to view Blarney House, stately old trees and colorful borders. Treat yourself to quality Irish good at Blarney Woollen Mills before heading to Killarney.
(B, D)
Day 5: Killarney & Dingle Peninsula
Spend the morning at leisure in Killarney, a little town with an ideal location beside Ireland’s highest mountains. Discover the glorious Dingle Peninsula as you drive along the south shore to admire views of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach, and rocky headlands. Stop at the South Pole Inn for an Irish coffee and learn about Tom Crean, an early explorer who braved the South Pole. Browse around the town of Dingle and enjoy a pub dinner before returning to Killarney.
(B, D)
Day 6: Cliffs of Moher & Galway Panoramic Tour
Embark on a memorable ferry ride across the wide River Shannon Estuary. View the Cliffs of Moher, soaring 700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells. Walk along the top of the cliffs where on a clear day you can see great views of Galway Bay and the Aran Islands. Immerse yourself in farm life and watch a farmer demonstrate how his trained dogs herd mountain sheep. Head to Galway for a panoramic city tour.
(B, D)
Day 7: Aran Islands Excursion & Prehistoric Dun Aengus Fort
Set out across the Galway Bay for Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. These rocky islands are renowned for the hardy islanders who maintain traditional fishing and farming methods. Head to Dun Aengus, a huge prehistoric fortress perched on sheer cliffs, which fall away to the Atlantic Ocean below. Explore Kilronan, the main town, enjoy a casual lunch and meet a local storyteller who will regale you with stories of island life, before returning by ferry.
(B, L)
Day 8: Clonmacnoise Monastic Site & Abbey Tavern
Visit Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement founded in 545 AD and set on the banks of the River Shannon. Marvel at elaborate high Celtic crosses decorated with biblical scenes, walk around the many church ruins and two round towers. Head to nearby Athlone and stop at Sean’s Bar. This pub has a documented history going right back to 900 AD. During renovations in 1970, ancient walls and old coins dating back centuries were discovered. In the evening, head to Dublin’s Abbey Tavern for an Irish dinner and lively show.
(B, D)
Day 9: Tour Ends in Dublin
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
Cliffs of Moher 
One of Ireland’s top visitor attractions, the cliffs are 700 feet high and extend for 5 miles over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly on a headland and one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay and Connemara. The cliffs are home to major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds.
Aran Islands Excursion 
Take a ferry ride to Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran Islands located in Galway Bay. There are about 1100 people living on the island, mainly known for its intricate hand-knit sweaters. See the stone fortress of Dun Aengus, resting on the edge of a perpendicular cliff rising 100 metres out of the ocean and Kilronan, the main village on the island.
Blarney Castle 
Built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, this stronghold has been attracting attention ever since. Millions have flocked to Blarney to kiss the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of the tower, making it one of Ireland’s greatest treasures.
Cobh Heritage Centre 
From 1848 to 1950 over 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland – over 2.5 million departed from Cobh, making it the single most important port of emigration. See ”coffin ships” as well as other vessels, including the Titanic, that stopped in Cobh.
Clonmacnoise Monastic Site 
This great monastery was founded in 548 by St Ciaran and was a great centre of learning in medieval times. Many manuscripts were written there. Today see three high crosses and the ruins of a cathedral, seven churches and two round towers set on a mound beside the River Shannon.
Dingle Peninsula 
The Dingle Peninsula stretches 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland’s south-west coast and is dominated by the Slieve Mish Mountains and Mount Brandon, Ireland’s second highest peak. The steep sea-cliffs and sandy beaches provide spectacular views.
Dun Aengus Fort 
Dún Aonghasa is the most famous of several prehistoric hill forts on the Aran Islands of County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It lies on Inishmore, at the edge of a 100 meter high cliff.
Dunbrody Emigrant Ship 
The present ship is a reconstruction of the Dunbrody, built in Quebec in 1845. The original was a 458 tonne three-masted barque, designed to carry cargo but adapted to carry passengers desperate to escape harrowing conditions during the Famine years.
Irish National Stud and Gardens 
Established in 1946, the Irish National Stud promotes the development of Irish bloodstock and is the only Irish stud farm open to the public where visitors can see some of Ireland’s finest thoroughbreds. The Japanese Gardens were created in the early 20th century and symbolize the ’Life of Man’ while St. Fiachra’s was created to celebrate the Millennium with a strong focus on rock and water.
Malahide Castle 
Malahide Castle, parts of which date to the 12th century, lies, with over 260 acres of remaining estate parkland, close to the village of Malahide, nine miles north of Dublin in Ireland.
