2020 Irish Classic - 13 Days/12 Nights

2020 Irish Classic - 13 Days / 12 Nights / 21 Meals

Day 1: Dublin Castle & Dublin Walking Tour
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Take a panoramic tour of Dublin, seeing such sights as elegant Georgian townhouses, St Stephen's Green and the River Liffey. Visit Dublin Castle, the seat of power and government in Ireland for many centuries. Take a guided tour through the castle and see the State Apartments, used today for official functions and presidential inaugurations. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently.

Day 2: St. Patrick’s Grave & Crumlin Road Gaol
Visit Down Cathedral where St. Patrick’s historical burial site is marked by a huge boulder. Immerse yourself in his work, life, and times in the nearby St. Patrick Centre. Explore Crumlin Road Gaol and see what prison life was like through the ages. Head to central Belfast for some time to relax before dinner at your hotel.
(B, D)

Day 3: Titanic Belfast & Walking Tour
Tour central Belfast to see Victorian buildings, the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square, and the shipyards where RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Visit Titanic Belfast to learn about the ill-fated liner, which was built in the city. In the afternoon, join a local guide for a walking tour of Belfast before spending time on your own.
(B)

Day 4: Giant’s Causeway & Derry Walk
Drive north along the Nine Glens of Antrim for views of mountains, valleys, and coastline. This scenic region is one of the locations for “Game of Thrones.” Stop for photos at the ruins of Dunluce Castle. Explore the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity 60 million years ago. In Derry join a local guide for a short walking tour around the defensive walls that encircle the compact old city.
(B, D)

Day 5: Donegal & Westport
Travel through the rugged countryside of Donegal, renowned for heathery hills, sheep and the many tweeds made from their wool. Drive around Donegal Bay and through Counties Sligo and Mayo. Take a walking tour of historic Westport with a local guide, before dinner in your hotel this evening.
(B, D)

Day 6: Sheep Herding & Westport House
Enjoy views of the pilgrimage mountain of Croagh Patrick and stop in the beautiful town of Leenane. Head to a local farm to watch skilled dogs herd sheep. View Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord. Enjoy a drink before taking a guided tour of Westport House, an 18th-century home complete with its original contents including portraits, furniture, silver, and porcelain. Have dinner in Westport this evening.
(B,D)

Day 7: Galway & Cliffs of Moher
Travel to Galway for some free time to explore the city. Head out to visit the majestic Cliffs of Moher, which soar 700 feet above the Atlantic. Enjoy an evening at a medieval-style banquet in an authentic Irish castle.
(B, D)

Day 8: Dingle Peninsula & John B. Keane's Pub
Travel the outskirts of Limerick and along the River Shannon into County Kerry. In LIstowell, sample tea and scones in the family pub of the late, famed playwright J. B. Keane. Journey along the Dingle Peninsula to Slea Head for glorious scenic views of hills and coastline. Stop in Dingle for refreshment or a look around before heading to Killarney.
(B, D)

Day 9: Jaunting Car Ride & Killarney
Enjoy a scenic traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle and the Kenmare Estate. Travel along part of the Ring of Kerry to view spectacular mountain scenery at Moll’s Gap and at Ladies View stopping off in Kenmare for lunch and free time. Return to Killarney where the evening is free for independent dining and perhaps a visit to a local pub with live music.
(B, L)

Day 10: Blarney Castle & Waterford
Visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence” or stroll the lovely gardens. Travel on to Dungarvan to enjoy an Irish coffee and traditional music at the Marine Bar. Continue to Waterford where a local guide will lead a stroll around the historic old port city.
(B, D)

Day 11: Waterford & Dunbrody Famine Ship
Witness the creation of crystal masterpieces at the House of Waterford Crystal. In New Ross explore the Dunbrody Famine Ship, which transported people to North America during the 1840’s famine. Enjoy dinner and a show at Taylors Three Rock.
(B, D)

Day 12: Independent Dublin Sightseeing
Enjoy your day in Dublin independently, on the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour. Use your voucher to visit your choice of one of Dublin’s top attractions: Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or GPO Witness History. In the evening, dine at one of the many restaurants or pubs that Dun Laoghaire has to offer.
(B)

Day 13: Tour Ends In Dublin
Your program ends after breakfast.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

All components of this tour (hotels, visits and attractions) for 2020 itineraries are subject to change until finalized in September 2019.

Authentic Local Experiences:

• Visit the iconic John B Keane’s Pub in the heart of Listowel. See where he penned some of his most famous works sitting by a blazing fire in a room behind the bar.
• View the majestic Cliffs of Moher, the famous sea cliffs that stretch 7 miles along the Atlantic
• Explore 1,500 years of history on a guided walking tour of Derry; the peace process has brought a thriving arts scene to Ireland’s only completely walled city.

Trip Highlights:

• Blarney Castle

  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

  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.
• Crumlin Road Gaol

  Crumlin Road Gaol

  HMP Belfast, also known as Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the only Victorian era prison remaining in Northern Ireland since 1996. It is affectionately known as the Crum.
• Down Cathedral

  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.
• Dunbrody Famine Ship

  Dunbrody Famine 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

  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.
• Titanic Belfast

  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

  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.

Dining Experiences:

• 12 breakfasts (B), 1 lunch(L) and 8 dinners (D) including a medieval-style banquet in a castle, and Taylors Three Rock traditional Irish dinner and show.

Hotels:

• IE-DUB-HYA | Dublin (1)
• NI-ANT-HBE | Belfast (2)
• NI-DER-CIT | Derry (1)
• IE-MAY-WES | Westport (2)
• IE-CLA-BCAl | Bunratty (1)
• IE-KER-KPL | Killarney (2)
• IE-WAT-GRH | Waterford (1)
• IE-DUB-RMA , Dun Laoghaire | Dublin (2)