Scenic Ireland

Day 1

ARRIVE IN SHANNON, IRELAND–LIMERICK Céad mile fáilte—a hundred-thousand welcomes! This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 2

LIMERICK–CLIFFS OF MOHER–GALWAY–CLIFDEN Seacliff Rocks & Sheep Flocks CLIFFS OF MOHER Visit the 668-foot-high cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean.
RATHBAUN Visit Rathbaun Farm to [LF] try your hand at scone baking to enjoy with coffee and learn about sheep herding on this Irish farm.
GALWAY Free time.
(B,D)
144 mi / 230 km

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES Someone’s in the kitchen in Rathbaun Farm, just outside of Galway. You can don an apron and whip up your own delicious home-made scones, served with fresh preserves and whipped cream. Learn about the long-time tradition of sheep farming in this beautiful Irish landscape.

Day 3

CLIFDEN–KYLEMORE–WESTPORT–SLIGO Abbey Roads & Irish Roses KYLEMORE Visit the Benedictine abbey and gardens.
WESTPORT Free time. (B,D)
116 mi / 190 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURE & TRADITION Nestled between the woodlands and lakeshore near Galway City, Kylemore Abbey is home to the Benedictine Sisters who have been in residence since 1920 in a life of prayer, work, and community. The history of this stunning abbey reaches back to the 1800s as the estate of Irish patriot Mitchell Henry. Visit the abbey where handmade chocolates, wild Irish honey, and traditional fuchsia pottery are sold. Stroll the lovely grounds of Ireland’s largest walled garden in the heart of the Connemara countryside.

Day 4

SLIGO–DERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND–GIANT’S CAUSEWAY–BELFAST Giant Steps in Northern Ireland DERRY Walk on the city walls with a Local Guide.
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY See more than 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed millions of years ago. (B)
203 mi / 328 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Follow in the legendary footsteps of giants at the foot of the cliffs along the coast of Northern Ireland, where 40,000 massive black basalt columns jut out of the sea. Hear the legendary myth of two battling giants that caused the magnificent geological wonder of Giant’s Causeway, which actually evolved through volcanic activity 50–60 million years ago.

Day 5

BELFAST A Grand Ship & Great Sights BELFAST On the “Living History” tour with a Local Guide see City Hall, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower, Queen’s University, and the Parliament Buildings at Stormont. Visit the Titanic Belfast Experience, followed by free time this afternoon. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT Explore the fascinating Titanic Belfast Experience for an in-depth look at the history and mystery of the legendary ocean liner. See artifacts and amazing accounts of Belfast’s boom in shipping and those who built her. Learn about the courage and loss of all involved on a fateful night in April 1912. Get an immersive look at the launch, sinking, and final resting place of the doomed ship, with myths and reality revealed.

Day 6

BELFAST–CARLINGFORD, IRELAND–DUBLIN Belfast’s Big House BELFAST Guided tour of Hillsborough Castle followed by morning coffee.
CARLINGFORD Stop at a village on the Cooley Peninsula. (B)
121 mi / 200 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ART & ARCHITECTURE Hillsborough Castle is called the “grandest house in County Down” with an equally grand history of royal and political residents. Today, the Irish “big house” near Belfast is the official home of Northern Ireland’s secretary of state and of the Royal Family when they visit.

Day 7

DUBLIN Ireland’s Capital City DUBLIN Take a morning orientation drive to see O’Connell Street, Georgian squares, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Trinity College. Free time. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CITY SIGHTS “In Dublin’s fair city where girls are so pretty,” you’ll also find great personality and charm. The charisma of Dubliners and the bounty of pubs here is matched only by the gorgeous Georgian Squares, 12th-century St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and legendary library of Trinity College.

Day 8

DUBLIN–KILKENNY–WATERFORD Castle Dreams & Coffee with Cream KILKENNY See one of Ireland’s most cosmopolitan yet quaint towns with medieval cobblestones. Visit Kilkenny Castle and gardens.
WATERFORD Take a guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal. [LF] Enjoy an Irish coffee demonstration after dinner. (B,D)
132 mi / 213 km

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES It’s crystal clear why we get a warm feeling in Waterford with traditional Irish Coffee – as much a warm welcome as it was for stranded travelers in 1943. It was a wintry night in Limerick when Foynes Port chef Joe Sheridan concocted this soothing elixir of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and whipped cream to make their cancelled flight a little more palatable. Raise a toddy glass of Caife Gaelach with a hearty “slainte!”

Day 9

WATERFORD–BLARNEY–KINSALE Irish Storytelling WATERFORD Take a city walk with a Local Guide.
BLARNEY Visit the village and Blarney Castle known for its magical Kissing Stone. (B,D)
105 mi / 171 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Cut the blarney and hear the history of how telling tales is forever linked to the 15th-century castle and the village below in Blarney. One of the last estate villages that remain standing in Ireland, the village was built by an 18th-century landlord to house the castle workers there. It’s true!

Day 10

KINSALE–GARINISH ISLAND–KILLARNEY Heaven on Earth GARINISH ISLAND [LF] Private boat crossing followed by a walk of the island.
RING OF KERRY Panoramic drive around part of Ireland’s spectacular southwestern peninsula. (B)
100 mi / 158 km

LOCAL FAVORITE
PICTURE PERFECT In the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Southwest Ireland’s Bantry Bay lies a place called heaven by frequent visitor, George Bernard Shaw. Stepping off your private boat onto the slip here, you’ll soon discover why this lush garden island and home to the historic Bryce house has enamored generations of visitors, including mystery author Agatha Christie. Explore this horticultural heaven with a walk through one of the most renowned gardens in Europe.

Day 11

KILLARNEY. EXCURSION TO DINGLE PENINSULA Rugged Good Looks DINGLE PENINSULA Visit the Blasket Islands Centre and stop in Dingle.
KILLARNEY Free time this evening. (B,D)
107 mi / 172 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES Irish history comes alive on the Dingle Peninsula with a view beyond the breathtaking shores of the Wild Atlantic Way, where Irish families once lived off the land and sea on the Blasket Islands. The Blasket Islands Centre on the peninsula’s edge tells the story of these hearty people and their stories that live on in the prolific Irish literature of the 1800s islanders. Today, the town of Dingle is a vibrant spot and mecca for curious characters, artists, and artisans.

Day 12

KILLARNEY–ADARE–LIMERICK Irish Eyes & Cheeky Rhymes KILLARNEY Enjoy free time this morning.
ADARE Stop at the quaint village to see its thatched cottages.
LIMERICK Free time. (B)
68 mi / 110 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PHOTO OPS There once was a town called Adare, with charm that was beyond compare... Adare’s charming thatched-roof cottages create visual poetry in County Limerick, some say the prettiest village in Ireland.

Day 13

LIMERICK Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)