2020 Jewels of Ireland - 14 Days/13 Nights

2020 Jewels of Ireland 14 Days / 13 Nights / 24 Meals

Day 1: Dublin Panoramic Tour & Dublin?Castle
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Experience a panoramic tour of the capital city of Dublin. Then take a guided tour of Dublin Castle, the seat of power and government for many centuries, and see the State Apartments. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently this evening.

Day 2: Independent Tour of Dublin & Taylors Three Rock Pub
Enjoy touring Dublin independently, on a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour. Plus choose a visit to one of Dublin’s top attractions — Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or GPO Witness History. Enjoy a dinner of Irish specialties and a lively show.
(B, D)

Day 3: Kinsale Walk & Free Time
Head south to Kinsale, a picturesque old fishing town now renowned for sailing, art galleries, and gourmet food. Join a local guide for a short walk around Kinsale’s historic streets. Then take some time to explore Kinsale on your own before returning to your hotel for dinner.
(B, D)

Day 4: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Travel to Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence” or walk through the gardens. Travel to Killarney for some free time and a horse-drawn jaunting car ride through Killarney National Park to view Ross Castle and Kenmare Estate. Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.
(B, D)

Day 5: Scenic Dingle Peninsula & Blasket Centre
Explore Slea Head to view the heathery mountains, sandy beaches, and green landscapes of the Dingle Peninsula. Visit the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn about the offshore Blasket Islands. Enjoy some free time in Dingle. Visit the South Pole Inn and sip a creamy Irish coffee while hearing about the daring exploits of Antarctic explorer Tom Crean, who left his explorer days behind to open the pub. Continue on to Killarney for a free evening and independent dining.
(B)

Day 6: Cliffs of Moher & Medieval Castle Banquet
Visit the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, which recalls air travel in the 1930s and 1940s. Drive to the magnificent Cliffs of Moher, soaring 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. In the evening, head to a castle for a medieval-style banquet with traditional songs and stories.
(B, D)

Day 7: Sheepdog Trials & Galway
Travel through the rounded limestone hills of the Burren to Caherconnell and watch skilled dogs round up sheep. Stop in a charming Burren village to explore independently. Head to Galway for a guided walking tour around the central attractions – the narrow streets, the medieval city walls, and Lynch’s Castle. Enjoy free time to explore before dinner.
(B, D)

Day 8: Connemara Catamaran Cruise & Kylemore Abbey
Drive through Connemara to Leenane for a catamaran cruise (seasonal only) of Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord. Travel on to see Kylemore Abbey and enjoy lunch in this majestic setting. Spend a free evening in Galway.
(B, L)

Day 9: Belleek Pottery & Donegal Castle
Travel north through County Mayo. Stop in County Fermanagh and visit Belleek Pottery to see craftspeople create their renowned fine china. Visit Donegal Castle, built by the O'Donnell chieftains in the 15th century and restored in the 1990s after falling into ruin for centuries. Have dinner in your hotel this evening.
(B, D)

Day 10: Slieve League Cliffs & Triona Design Demonstration
Enjoy a coastal drive to view the Slieve League, Europe’s highest sea cliffs. Continue on to visit Triona Design for demonstrations of spinning, weaving, and knitting. Enjoy some free time to explore before returning to the hotel for dinner.
(B, D)

Day 11: Derry Walk & Giant's Causeway
Meet with a local guide for a walking tour to see Derry’s medieval walls, the Diamond, and St. Columb’s Cathedral. Explore the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Travel along the scenic Nine Glens of Antrim before heading to Belfast.
(B, D)

Day 12: Titanic Belfast & Hillsborough Castle
Tour Belfast and see a city filled with grand Victorian buildings. Visit Titanic Belfast and discover the city’s rich maritime history including the shipyards where the RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Visit Hillsborough Castle, the residence of the Secretary of State of Northern Ireland. Drive to Kingscourt to Cabra Castle Hotel, built in 1760, and enjoy free time there. After dinner, experience a lively step-dancing display.
(B, D)

Day 13: Neolithic Tombs & Farewell Dinner
Visit Brú na Bóinne to learn about the 5,000-year-old burial tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, with a visit to one of the tombs. Enjoy a free afternoon before having a farewell dinner at your hotel.
(B, D)

Day 14: Tour Ends in Dublin
Your tour 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 Beleek Pottery to discover how the distinctive fine china, beloved by collectors worldwide, has been made since 1857.
• Stroll the street of historic Kinsale, a picturesque harbor town that is a haven for foodies and art lovers.

Dining Experiences:

• 13 breakfasts (B), 1 lunch (L) and 10 dinners (D) including Taylors Three Rock and a medieval castle banquet.

Trip Highlights:

• Blasket Centre

  Blasket Centre

  The Blasket Centre on the mainland in Dún Chaoin on the tip of the Dingle Peninsula is a fascinating heritage centre/museum honouring the unique community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until their evacuation in 1953. The Blasket Centre tells the story of island life, subsistence fishing and farming,
• Brú na Bóinne

  Brú na Bóinne

  This attraction interprets the 5,000-year-old Neolithic tombs of Newgrange or Knowth. The extensive exhibition includes a full scale replica of the chamber at Newgrange as well as a full model of one of the smaller tombs at Knowth.
• Kylemore Abbey
• Donegal Castle

  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.
• 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.
• Slieve League Cliffs

  Slieve League Cliffs

  These are the highest sea cliffs in Europe where an almost sheer drop of 2,000 feet separates the Atlantic Ocean from the highest point of the cliffs. Enjoy amazing views of relatively unknown and unspoiled nature.
• Belleek Pottery
• 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.
• Hillsborough Castle

Hotels:

• IE-DUB-GHD | Dublin (2)
• IE-COR-ACT | Kinsale (1)
• IE-KER-CAH | Killarney (2)
• IE-CLA-OAR | Shannon (1)
• IE-GAL-GBA | Galway (2)
• IE-DON-MPA | Donegal (2)
• NI-BEL-JIH | Belfast (1)
• IE-CAV-CCA | Kingscourt (1)
• IE-MEA-KHG | Trim, Co. Meath (1)