2026 Jewels of Ireland - 13 Days/12 Nights
Day 1: Dublin City Tour & Dublin Castle
Your tour departs from your hotel at 2:00 PM on a panoramic tour of the city and visit to 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. 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 Pub
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, Jameson Distillery Bow St. Experience, or 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 its famous stone or enjoy the gardens. Go to Kinsale, a picturesque old fishing town 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 at your hotel. (B, D)
Day 4: Killarney & Dingle
Enjoy free time to discover the bustling, friendly town of Killarney. Next, visit Moriarty’s in the Gap of Dunloe, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner. Continue on to Dingle, where you will dine at your hotel. (B, D)
Day 5: Slea Head Loop, 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, and Dingle Gin. Take the rest of the day to wander and dine as you wish in this quaint seaside town. (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, visit a castle for a medieval-style banquet with traditional songs and stories. (B, D)
Day 7: Sheepdog Demonstration & 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. Continue on to lively Galway for a walking tour with a local guide – check out the medieval history evident in the city walls, the narrow streetscape, and Lynch’s Castle. Explore the charming shops and listen to street musicians before dinner at your hotel. (B, D)
Day 8: Killary Harbour Catamaran Cruise & Kylemore Abbey
Drive through Connemara to Leenane for a catamaran cruise (seasonal) of Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord. Travel on to see Kylemore Abbey, a beautiful castle in a lakeside setting. Enjoy an evening free to explore vibrant, artistic Galway city. (B)
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. Enjoy free time in Donegal town before dinner at your hotel. (B, D)
Day 10: Slieve League Cliffs & Triona Design Demonstration
Enjoy a coastal drive to view Slieve League, Europe’s highest sea cliffs. Continue on to CIE Tours preferred shopping partner, Triona Design, in Ardara; see demonstrations of spinning, weaving and knitting. Enjoy free time to explore and dine independently this evening. (B)
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 arriving in Belfast. Dine this evening at the Cultra Inn at the Culloden Estate & Spa. (B, D)
Day 12: Titanic Belfast & Dublin
Enjoy a leisurely morning at your luxury hotel, then depart for Belfast, where a panoramic tour will show you its grand Victorian buildings and introduce you to its maritime history. Visit Titanic Belfast to explore the story of the doomed ocean liner, built in the local shipyards in 1912. Continue on to Dublin where the evening is free to do as you wish. (B)
Day 13: Tour Ends in Dublin
Your tour ends after breakfast. (B)
Authentic Local Experiences:
- Visit Belleek Pottery and discover how the distinctive fine china, beloved by collectors worldwide, has been made since 1857.
- Stroll the streets of historic Kinsale with a local guide. This picturesque harbor town is a haven for foodies and art lovers.
- Irish Night in Dublin
- Blasket Centre
- Kylemore Abbey
- Medieval Castle Banquet
- Donegal Castle
- Giant's Causeway
- Slieve League Cliffs
- Titanic Belfast
- Belleek Pottery
- Dingle Peninsula Drive/Slea Head Loop
- 12 Breakfasts (B) and 7 Dinners (D)
- The Gibson Hotel | Dublin (2)
- Kinsale Hotel & Spa | Kinsale (1)
- Dingle Skellig Hotel | Dingle (2)
- Oakwood Hotel | Shannon (1)
- Galway Bay Hotel | Salthill (2)
- Abbey Hotel | Donegal (2)
- 5* Culloden Estate & Spa | Belfast(1)
- Croke Park Hotel | Dublin (1)