Irish Adventure Tour – 8 Days

 

This Irish Adventure escorted coach tour of Ireland includes 8 days/7 nights

Highlights:
Blarney Castle
Cliffs of Moher
Cobh Heritage Centre
Dunbrody Emigrant Ship
Giant’s Causeway
Knock Shrine
Skellig Experience
Titanic Belfast

Hotels:
Superior & First Class
Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane, Dublin (1 night)
Dooley’s Hotel, Waterford (1 night)
International Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
Ardilaun Hotel, Galway (1 night)
Everglades Hotel, Derry (1 night)
Croke Park Hotel, Dublin (1 or 2 nights)

Tour Includes:
Full daily breakfast (except Day 1)
All on-tour transportation including shuttles and ferries
Five dinners including a traditional Irish dinner and show at Glyde Inn.
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

Irish Adventure – 8 Days / 7 Nights

Day 1: Dublin Tour & Book of Kells
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Set out on an introductory tour of central Dublin. Highlights include 18th century Georgian houses with brightly-painted doors, tranquil parks and the wide O’Connell Street. Take a guided walking tour through the campus of Trinity College to view the illuminated manuscript of the Book of Kells. In the evening, enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently in one of Dublin’s many restaurants or lively pubs.

Day 2: 6th Century Glendalough & Dunbrody Famine Ship
Enjoy the delightful scenery of the Wicklow Mountains on the way to Glendalough, one of Ireland’s most beautiful destinations. Explore the remains of one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland, founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. Walk through the deep valley to view the picturesque ruins of a round tower, churches, and Celtic crosses. Continue to New Ross to the Dunbrody Famine Ship, a reconstructed 19th century vessel showing the harsh sailing conditions for emigrants on the way to North America. Relax as you continue to Waterford. After dinner, take a gentle stroll around the narrow streets of the historic city with a local guide.
(B, D)

Day 3: Waterford Crystal & Blarney Castle
Witness the creation of crystal masterpieces during your visit to the House of Waterford Crystal. Travel to Cobh, the last port of call of the Titanic. A walking tour will reveal many of the places that still remain over a century since travelers embarked on that fateful voyage. Visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence” or explore the tranquil gardens. Treat yourself to quality Irish made goods at Blarney Woollen Mills. Journey west through rugged countryside and settle in to your centrally located hotel in Killarney.
(B, D)

Day 4: Ring of Kerry Drive & Skellig Experience
Discover the natural beauty of the Emerald Isle on Ireland’s most popular scenic drive, the Ring of Kerry, with plenty of photo stops along the way. Cross the bridge to Valentia Island to visit the Skellig Experience, which explains the life of early Christian hermits on Skellig Michael, a rocky offshore island that was featured in the film “Star Wars VII.” After lunch, stroll around Sneem and stop at Moll’s Gap for its panoramic views. Enjoy the evening in Killarney for dinner on your own and perhaps a visit to one of the town’s many lively pubs.
(B, L)

Day 5: Cliffs of Moher & Galway
Embark on a memorable ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary. Travel along the coast of County Clare to view the Cliffs of Moher, which soar almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic swells. Walk along the top of the cliffs to O’Brien’s Tower for great views of Galway Bay and the Aran Islands. Head to Galway to join a local guide for a brief stroll through the twisting streets of the old city before spending some time on your own.
(B, D)

Day 6: Sheepdogs & Derry’s Medieval Walls
Stop in the pilgrimage town of Knock, one of the world’s leading shrines. Visit the church where villagers saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1879. Immerse yourself in Irish farm life during a visit to an authentic working farm and watch trained sheepdogs round up mountain sheep. Head to Donegal town for some free time in this charming town. On arrival in Derry meet a local guide to discover the history of this ancient city which retains its medieval fortification walls dating from 1613.
(B, D)

Day 7: Giant’s Causeway & Glyde Inn
Explore the northern coastline, stopping for photos at the sprawling ruins of Dunluce Castle. Visit the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Visit Titanic Belfast and learn about the ill-fated ship through state-of-the-art displays. See the docks where this famous liner was built just over a century ago. Stop at the Glyde Inn for a farewell dinner with Irish specialties and entertaining traditional Irish songs and music.
(B, D)

Day 8: Tour Ends in Dublin
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

 

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Knock Shrine

Knock Shrine is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site and National Shrine in the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, where observers stated that there was an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Skellig Experience

You can experience many aspects of those offshore Skellig islands while remaining on the dry land, in a custom built, stone clad, grass roofed, prize winning building located right on the waterfront beside the Valentia Island bridge at Valentia, County Kerry!

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.