This Northern Welcome Escorted Coach Tour of is 9 days/8 Nights
Highlights: 
Belleek China
Donegal Castle
Down Cathedral
Giant’s Causeway
Glasnevin Museum
Titanic Belfast
Westport House
Hotels:
Superior & First Class
Cabra Castle Hotel, Kingscourt (1 night)
Europa Hotel, Belfast (1 night)
Maldron Hotel Derry , Derry (2 nights)
Clew Bay Hotel, Westport (2 nights)
Talbot Hotel Sillorgan, Dublin (2 nights)
Tour Includes:
Full daily breakfast (except Day 1)
All on-tour transportation including shuttles and ferries
Six dinners including a Cabra Castle welcome dinner, dinner at the Walled City Brewery Restaurant,
and a traditional dinner and show at Merry Ploughboy Pub.
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
Pricing
Sat Mar 9, 2019 Sun Mar 17, 2019 €1570
Sat Apr 13, 2019 Sun Apr 21, 2019 €1680
Sat Apr 27, 2019 Sun May 5, 2019 €2020
Sat May 11, 2019 Sun May 19, 2019 €1705
Sat May 25, 2019 Sun Jun 2, 2019 €1740
Sat Jun 8, 2019 Sun Jun 16, 2019 €1795
Sat Jun 15, 2019 Sun Jun 23, 2019 €2130
Sat Jun 29, 2019 Sun Jul 7, 2019 €1795
Sat Jul 6, 2019 Sun Jul 14, 2019 €2130
Sat Jul 27, 2019 Sun Aug 4, 2019 €2130
Sat Aug 10, 2019 Sun Aug 18, 2019 €1795
Sat Aug 17, 2019 Sun Aug 25, 2019 €1795
Sat Aug 24, 2019 Sun Sep 1, 2019 €1795
Sat Sep 7, 2019 Sun Sep 15, 2019 €2095
Sat Sep 14, 2019 Sun Sep 22, 2019 €1795
Sat Sep 28, 2019 Sun Oct 6, 2019 €1755
Sat Oct 5, 2019 Sun Oct 13, 2019 €1720
Sat Oct 19, 2019 Sun Oct 27, 2019 €1870
Tour Itinerary
*All Prices are per person sharing. Single Supplements apply.
Northern Welcome 9 Days / 8 Nights
Day 1: Dublin Arrival & Cabra Castle Hotel
Your tour begins at 3:00 PM at the Cabra Castle Hotel for afternoon tea. The hotel is 50 miles from Dublin Airport, so be sure you have made appropriate transfer arrangements. The hotel is set on spacious grounds with a 9-hole golf course. In the evening enjoy a welcome drink and dine in the hotel restaurant.
(D)
Day 2: St. Patrick’s Country & Titanic Belfast
Admire the gentle slopes of the Mourne Mountains and peaceful coastline as you travel north to Down Cathedral. Tour the ancient cathedral and view the historical burial place of St Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, marked by a huge boulder. Drive to Belfast to join a local guide for a tour of central Belfast to see prominent buildings, political murals and the docks where the RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Visit the magnificent Titanic Belfast, a state-of-the-art attraction that will immerse you in the story of this iconic liner.
(B, D)
Day 3: Turf Cutting & Giant’s Causeway
Drive north along the Nine Glens of Antrim, one of Ireland’s popular scenic routes to discover lovely views of mountains, valleys, and coastline. This area is where many scenes from the “Game of Thrones” series were filmed. Visit The Causeway Coast Discovery Centre for tea with scones and a turf-cutting demonstration. Stop for photos at the sprawling ruins of Dunluce Castle. Visit the natural wonder that is Giant’s Causeway, hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Continue to Derry where you’ll have time to explore or relax before dinner.
(B, D)
Day 4: Inishowen Peninsula & Derry’s Walls
Travel around the Inishowen Peninsula, a 100-mile scenic route. Drive alongside Lough Foyle, to Banba’s Crown on Malin Head, the most northerly point of the Irish mainland, to admire stunning seascapes. Enjoy tea and scones with your fellow travelers at the Seaview Tavern before continuing towards Buncrana for a stop at the Amazing Grace viewing point, where John Newton was inspired to write the well-known hymn in 1772. Upon returning to Derry, join a local guide for a short walk around Derry’s medieval city walls that completely encircle the old city center. Learn about the development of the settlement throughout the centuries. Complete your tour at the Walled City Brewery Restaurant for dinner.
(B, D)
Day 5: Donegal & Belleek Pottery
Travel through rugged countryside with magnificent scenery to Donegal town where you will have some leisure time to explore independently. Visit Belleek Pottery, founded in the 19th century to bring employment to the area. See how craftspeople shape and decorate raw material to create the worldfamous fine china. At a local farm, watch as a farmer works with skilled dogs to herd sheep. In Westport, a local guide will escort you on a gentle walk through this historic and planned town center before dinner.
(B, D)
Day 6: Westport House & Achill Island Tour
Take a tour around the stately Westport House, which overlooks the ocean and contains a wealth of interesting portraits, furniture, silver, and porcelain. Travel around Clew Bay, which is reputed to have 365 islands, to access Achill Island by bridge. Follow the Atlantic Drive to capture wonderful views of steeply sloped mountains plunging into the shimmering Atlantic Ocean. Near Slievemore see the Deserted Village and stop in Keel for a casual lunch. Return to Westport where the evening is free for independent exploration and dining.
(B, L)
Day 7: Galway & Tullamore Dew
Enjoy a gentle walking tour with a local guide around central Galway to see Eyre Square, Galway Cathedral, and the Spanish Arch. On Shop Street view the medieval Lynch’s Castle that gave the English language a new word. Then browse on your own through narrow streets that are closed to traffic. Travel through the center of Ireland to visit Tullamore Dew distillery to see whiskey production and savor a tasting at the end of the tour. Head to Dublin for dinner and a lively traditional Irish show at the Merry Ploughboy Pub.
(B, D)
Day 8: Glasnevin Cemetery Museum
Take a morning guided tour of Dublin to see elegant Georgian townhouses with brightly painted doors and the wide thoroughfare of O’Connell Street. Tour Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Ireland’s national necropolis, a who’s who of modern Irish history. Spend afternoon on an independent open-top bus tour and a visit to one of Dublin’s top attractions – Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC Ireland, or the General Post Office Museum.
(B)
Day 9: Tour Ends in Dublin
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
Tour Highlights
Belleek China 
Established in 1857 Belleek Pottery was established to provide employment in the area by making household fixtures. Later the company started production of place settings and ornamental pieces in fine Parian china and you can see production from clay to finish on a factory tour.
Donegal Castle 
Built by the O’Donnell chieftain in the 15th century, beside the River Eske, the Castle has extensive 17th century additions by Sir Basil Brooke. The Castle is furnished throughout and includes Persian rugs and French tapestries. Information panels chronicle the history of the Castle owners from the O’Donnell chieftains to the Brooke family.
Down Cathedral 
This has been a religious site since around 750 A.D. The site has been used by Augustinian and Benedictine monks, attacked several times by Vikings, was the burial place of St Patrick and is now a Church of Ireland Cathedral.
Giant’s Causeway 
The Giant’s Causeway, renowned for its hexagonal basalt columns, was created from a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. It is Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ireland’s most popular visitor attractions. It is steeped in myth and legend, especially about the mighty giant, Finn McCool.
Glasnevin Museum 
This is the world’s first cemetery museum. A guided tour gives a valuable insight into this unique Victorian burial place and into the final resting place of the men and women who have helped shape Ireland’s past and present.
Titanic Belfast 
Opened in April 2012 to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of this iconic ship, this new visitor experience tells the story of the Titanic from conception and construction right through the maiden voyage and tragic ending.
Westport House 
This stately mansion was designed by Richard Cassels in 1731. Today visitors can see 30 elegant rooms filled with family portraits and priceless furnishings, silver and porcelain. The house is enhanced with lovely gardens overlooking Clew Bay.
