2021 Southern Gems - 7 Days/6 Nights

Day 1: Dublin Panoramic Tour | Dublin Castle
Your tour begins 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Experience a panoramic tour of the city, then visit Dublin Castle for a guided tour. Learn how the castle was the seat of power in Ireland for many centuries, and see the State Apartments, used today for official ceremonies and Presidential inaugurations. Enjoy a Welcome drink with your group before enjoying an evening free to dine as you wish

Day 2: Dublin Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour| Taylors Three Rock
Tour 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 the GPO Museum. Join your group in the evening for a dinner of Irish specialties and a lively show at Taylors Three Rock Pub
(B, D)

Day 3: Blarney Castle | Kinsale Walking Tour
Travel to Blarney Castle; climb the winding staircase to kiss the famous stone or enjoy the gardens. Go to Kinsale, a picturesque old fishing town now known for art galleries and gourmet food. Join a local guide for a fascinating walk around its historic streets, once besieged by the Spanish Armada, before dinner in your hotel
(B, D)

Day 4: Killarney | Dingle
Savor your morning in Kinsale; stroll along the scenic harbor or relax at your hotel before heading west. Stop in the bustling and friendly town of Killarney, where you will have free time to explore. Next visit Moriarty's at the Gap of Dunloe, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner. Continue on to Dingle, where you will dine in your hotel
(B, D)

Day 5: Slea Head | Blasket Centre| Murphy's Ice Cream | Dingle
Set out on the Slea Head Loop one of Ireland's most beautiful drives, through scenic ocean and mountain vistas. Visit the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn about the Blasket Islands, visible off the coast. Abandoned in 1954, they were once a lively outpost of traditional culture and language. Return to Dingle and visit Murphy's Ice Cream; taste their distinctive flavors like Irish Orange Marmalade, Brown Bread or Dingle Gin. Take the rest of the day to wander and dine as you wish in this quaint seaside village
(B)

Day 6: Cliffs of Moher | Medieval Castle Banquet
Visit the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum, which recalls how a small village became one of the world's greatest hubs for air travel in the 1930's and 1940's. 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: Tour Ends in Shannon
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

Authentic Local Experiences:

• Hear the colorful story of Kinsale as a local guide leads you through medieval streets of this picturesque port town.
• Savor the distinctive, handmade flavors of Murphy's Ice Cream, made with milk from local Kerry cows, in the charming town of Dingle

Dining Experiences:

• 6 breakfasts (B), and 4 dinners (D) 

Trip Highlights:

• Irish Night in Dublin

  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,
• Blarney Castle
  
  

  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.

• Blasket Centre
  
  

  Dingle Peninsula & Cruise

  The Dingle Peninsula stretches 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland's south-west coast and is dominated by the Slieve Mish Mountains and Mount Brandon, Ireland's second highest peak. The steep sea-cliffs and sandy beaches provide spectacular views.

• Cliffs of Moher
• Dublin Castle
• Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum
• Kinsale
• Dingle Peninsula/Slea Head Loop Drive
• Medieval Castle Banquet
  
  

  Jaunting car ride in Killarney

  Drive through part of the extensive Killarney National Park at a leisurely pace to enjoy wonderful lake and mountain views and stop for photos. All the while your driver entertains you with local folklore and history of the area.

Hotels - 6 Nights:

• The Gibson Hotel   | Dublin (2 nights)
• Actons Hotel    | Kinsale (1 night)
• Dingle Skellig Hotel    |   Dingle  (2 nights)
• Oakwood Hotel    | Shannon (1 night)