Majestic North

 

This Majestic North West tour travels through Ireland’s best kept secret – Northern Ireland.

Spend your honeymoon in Ireland. Stay in an Irish Castle. Make the most out of your trip and travel Ireland!

From the Giant’s Causeway to Belfast City’s four diverse quarters, you will be won over by all that Northern Ireland has to offer. You’ll walk along the columns of the extraordinary Giant’s Causeway; visit Northern Ireland’s great Cities; and even discover the ancient secrets of Newgrange. Stopping off in picturesque villages along your route and taking a break to see the natural splendors of this region, you’ll meet friendly locals with strong traditional links.Finish in Dublin  where you can visit the infamous Book of Kells and of course the Guinness Storehouse  – Irelands no 1 attraction !  You will have two days there at your leisure to explore all the city has to offer .

 Overnight Locations:

Night 1 : Belfast
Night 2 : Derry
Night 3 : Sligo
Night 4 & 5 : Galway
Night 6 & 7 : Dublin

Antrim Coast

 

Not looking for a bus tour Ireland/holiday to Ireland? Check out Let’s go Travel and Limerick Travel for options to other destinations!

 

Low Season B&Bs 3 * Hotel 4* Hotel
Bed & Breakfast for 7 nights and Rental of an Economy Manual car €456 pps €664 pps €820 pps
High Season B&BS 3* Hotel 4*Hotel
Bed & Breakfast for 7 nights and Rental of an Economy Manual car €604 pps €741 pps €1,031 pps

Tour package Includes :

  • Economy Manual vehicle eg., Ford Fiesta  with unlimited mileage based on a minimum of 2 people travelling together     Inclusive of : Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), theft protection (TP), government tax (VAT) and Location Service Charge.(Upgrade rates for larger or automatic transmissions are available on request)
  • Full breakfast daily except on day one
  • All local taxes and hotel service charges
  • Confirmation documents for each of your accommodations including driving directions
    • All rates above are per adult sharing, child and single supplements apply
    • Low Season includes: Jan  – April  and Oct  – Dec ( Excludes St Patrick’s Day and Christmas )
    • High Season includes: May – September  , St Patrick’s day and Christmas Holidays

If you arrive into Dublin airport, collect your car there and travel to Belfast to begin your tour .This is a journey time of about 1.5 hours. Depending on your flight time, you may want to stop on your way to Belfast as you will be passing through some of the most history laden areas of Ireland. Amongst the sightseeing opportunities today will be the megalithic tombs at Newgrange, the Hill of Tara and Trim Castle. There is also the beautiful scenic route that takes you along the coast of County Down and the Mountains of Mourne. One of the great wonders of the ancient world, Newgrange is older than Stonehenge, Mycenae or even the Pyramids of Egypt. Foremost among the passage-tombs of Europe, Newgrange has long evoked the wonder of archaeologists and laymen alike. The magnificent entrance slab – ‘one of the most famous stones in the entire repertory of megalithic art’ – is especially satisfying, the confidently executed spiral and lozenge motifs still crisply defined after 5,000 years. Not far from here is Trim Castle. The castle, on the shores of the Boyne, has an area of 30,000 m². It is the remains of the largest Norman castle in Europe, and Ireland’s largest castle. Just north of here lies The Hill of Tara. Located near the River Boyne, this ancient contains a number of ancient monuments, and, according to tradition, was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland.
On to Belfast, this robust northern metropolis now has a population of nearly half a million people. The world’s largest dry dock is here, testament to the building of the Titanic here. Take one of the cities famed Black Cab Tours and let your experienced, impartial and friendly driver acquaint you with the history & culture of Belfast. Tours include The Titanic and Cathedral Quarter and other areas of the city including visiting some of the famous murals that represent both sides of the political divide. In the evening why not join Pub Walking Tours of Belfast you will visit six of Belfast’s most historic pubs, led by a local “pub expert” guide. Visits include Kelly’s Cellars, McHugh’s, The Morning Star, White’s Tavern, The Blackthorn, Duke of York and more. The tour departs from Flannigan’s, upstairs at the Crown Bar, Great Victoria Street.
Alternatively if you arrive into Belfast you can collect your car and start your tour of this fascinating city !

Day 2 – Derry

This morning drive to the Antrim coast where you must visit Giants Causeway, Causeway Head, near Bushmill’s. This unique natural rock formation extending for three miles along the coast is often called the 8th wonder of the world. It is a one-of-a-kind site, the Giants Causeway is not duplicated anywhere else in Ireland. Start the tour by looking at the exhibits and 25-minute audio-visual in the visitor centre, then step outside and explore the rocks for yourself.
Ireland is famous for it’s whiskey and we strongly recommend a visit the Bushmills Distillery, as the oldest distillery of its kind in the world, officially licensed in 1608. Visitors take a walk-through tour of the plant to view the whole process, essentially unchanged over the centuries. The tour ends in the “Potstill Bar,” a pub-style “tasting room” where guests are invited to sample the results

Day 3 -Sligo

This morning before you leave Derry city why not take a Derry City Walking Tour where you can see one of Europe’s finest walled cities. During the guided tour, you will stroll along its 17th century walls with views of the original gates, and bastions plus St. Columb’s Cathedral, Guildhall, Tower Museum, and much more.
This afternoon drive to Donegal town where we recommend a trip on the Island Waterbus Cruises. They leave from the Pier, Off Quay Street. You will cruise along Donegal Bay on board the “Harp of Erne,” the 64-passenger glass-enclosed waterbus gives you a chance to see Donegal’s countryside from a different perspective. The 75 minute-tour passes Donegal Abbey and other shoreline landmarks, as well as Murvagh Golf Course, the Old Coastguard Station, a seal colony, and scenic views of the Blue Stack Mountains.
Travel southwards to Sligo and visit Drumcliffe. At the Visitor Centre you can learn about the diverse heritage of this area. Set at the foot of the flat-topped mountain Benbulben, Drumcliffe is best known as the final resting place of the poet William Butler Yeats, but it is also the site of one of the most important battles of Irish history, and a place of pilgrimage.

Day 4 – Galway

This morning why not visit Ballycastle Ceide Fields- this has been called the world’s most extensive Stone Age site. Discovered less than 20 years ago, it is also one of Ireland’s most significant archaeological finds- a 5,000-year-old farm unearthed in a blanket of bog. The view from the nearby Cliffs of Ceide is spectacularly breath taking. Then it’s onward to Westport. A visit to Westport House is recommended or if your feeling a little energetic, you could try a walk up Croagh Patrick, Mayo’s famous landmark overlooking, Clew Bay and towering to 2510ft! Then it’s onward through the rugged, unspoilt region of Connemara. The majestic lakes and dramatic mountains lead you to Killary Harbour,Ireland’s only Fjord.
A visit to Kylemore Abbey is also recommended. Set among the lush, Connemara Mountains overlooking Lake Corrib, it was built in 1868 by Mitchell Henry, a surgeon and financier, as a gift for his wife. It is a classical mansion set in an area of unsurpassed beauty.
Travel to Galway city, the ‘City of the Tribes’ is also known as Ireland’s Cultural and festival capital. With its street entertainers and traditional pubs with great music, Galway and in particular, the Quays area of the city centre will enthral you particularly in the evening time and enjoy the music in the Quays area.

Day 5– Galway

Today you have the choice to have a leisurely day in Galway city and visit Galway largest medieval parish church, the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra which dates back to 1320. Christopher Columbus reputedly worshipped in this church in 1477. Also nearby are Galway Cathedral, the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square.
Alternatively you can take a trip to the Aran Islands .Located in the heart of Galway Bay, the Aran Islands offer visitors a glimpse into a way of life that has long since disappeared from most of the country. The Islands’ raw beauty and charm leaves visitors longing to return again and again. You can get a ferry from Rossaveal village which is about 23km from Galway city to the Aran Islands.

Day 6 – Dublin

Today the leave Galway and journey east towards the capital city.
En route to Dublin, a trip to the “Brú na Bóinne” visitor centre is a must. At this site by the river Boyne, lies one of the world’s most important archaeological landscapes. Built over 5000 years ago, the passage tombs found on this site were used as both settlements and ritual centres by the highly evolved society, which had settled across Western Europe by the 4th millennium BC.
Upon arrival into Dublin drop the car back to the rental company. Everything in the city is easily accessible on foot or you can take a hop on hop off bus tour of Dublin. The ticket is valid for 48 hours thus allowing you to experience the culture history and beauty that is Dublin.

Day 7 – Dublin

Continue your sightseeing in Dublin today visiting the many historical and modern attractions that this cosmopolitan city has to offer. Other attractions include Christchurch Cathedral which was founded in the year 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen, the James Joyce Centre & the Dublin Writers Museum. Of course, you may wish to take time out to shop in Grafton Street or any one of a number of narrow and quaint streets that the café strewn city centre has to offer. A must see is a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, where you will receive your personal introduction to the world’s most famous creamy stout and an exciting re-telling of the Guinness story. See Dublin from the glass-domed Gravity Bar, perched high above the city.
This evening, why not spend some time in the Temple Bar area. This small area boasts a dazzling choice of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops to suit all tastes and pockets, all within easy walking distance of Temple Bar’s many cultural centres and galleries. Its narrow cobbled streets are pedestrianised and are ideally suited to a leisurely stroll through the quarter. There is also the opportunity to experience an evening’s entertainment at any one of a number of excellent traditional Irish shows.

Overnight in Dublin and depart on day 8

 

Giants Causeway Giants Causeway 2
The Giant’s Causeway is Northern Ireland’s most famous landmark and has been an official Unesco World Heritage Site since 1986. Formed between 50 and 60 million years ago, the ’causeway’ takes its name from the legends of Finn MacCool and draws people from far and wide to this corner of north Antrim. Whether you are just researching about Ireland or planning an Ireland vacation, The Giants Causeway is a must see! The north Antrim coastline in renowned for its scenic beauty and the Giant’s Causeway is its unique jewel in the crown, known to the Irish as the 8th Wonder of the World. A jagged promontory of neatly packed columns of hexagonal basalt rocks created some 6 million years ago by a flow of basaltic lava. As the lava cooled it formed these distinctive hexagonal shapes just as the bottom of a dried riverbed would crack into shapes

 

 

Belfast Exhibition Belfast Titanic
The newly-opened Titanic Belfast is a “must see” visit in any tour of Belfast and Northern Ireland. It is located in the heart of Belfast, right beside the historic site of this world-famous ship’s construction. Housed in an iconic, 6-floor building, this state-of-the-art visitor experience tells the story of the Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to her famous maiden voyage and tragic end. The adventure begins the moment you walk through the door and into the building’s giant atrium surrounded by the four ‘ship’s hull’ shaped wings which house the Titanic Experience. As you journey through the nine large galleries of this state-of-the-art interactive exhibition, you will uncover the true story of the Titanic.

 

Guinness Storehouse

Guinness Storehouse  
Located in the heart of the St James’s Gate Brewery, which has been home to the black stuff since 1759, Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s Number One Visitor Attraction and you simply cannot leave Dublin without having paid a visit. The massive seven-storey building, a former Guinness fermentation plant, has been remodeled into the shape of a giant pint of Guinness. A visit will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about this world famous beer from how Guinness is made to the ancient craft of Guinness barrel making in the Cooperage. The highlight for many visitors is the Gravity Bar. Here visitors receive a complimentary pint of Guinness and can relax and enjoy the breathtaking 360-degree views across Dublin City.