2020 Irish Odyssey - 12 Days/11 Nights

2020 IRISH ODYSSEY 12 DAYS / 11 NIGHTS / 21 MEALS

Day 1: Dublin Tour & Kilmainham Gaol
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Set out on a tour of highlights of the city and view Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the General Post Office, and tour Kilmainham Gaol where many of Ireland’s leaders were imprisoned during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently.

Day 2: EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum & Taylors Three Rock Pub
Visit EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum, the world's only fully digital museum, and discover the story of the 10 million people who have left Ireland over the last 1,500 years –and their impact on the world. Your afternoon is free to explore Dublin. Later, enjoy dinner and entertainment at Taylors Three Rock Pub.
(B, D)

Day 3: Farmhouse Visit & House of Waterford Crystal
Travel through Kildare to visit a traditional farmhouse and learn about country living while enjoying tea and scones. At the House of Waterford Crystal, watch experienced craftspeople blow glass and cut crystal. Continue along the south coast to Cork for dinner.
(B, D)

Day 4: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Start your day with a local guide on a brief walking tour of Cork and the English Market. Visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence” or stroll through the lovely gardens. Enjoy the scenery in Counties Cork and Kerry as you head to the colorful town of Kenmare. Stop at Moll’s Gap for great views of part of the Ring of Kerry.
(B, D)

Day 5: Jaunting Car Ride & Dingle Peninsula
Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle and Kenmare Estate and see Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney’s lakes. Travel to the scenic Dingle Peninsula for views of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach, and rocky headlands. Enjoy a demonstration of highly-skilled sheepdogs herding sheep at a local farm. Stop at Slea Head to admire the views and take photos. Enjoy dinner at Páidí Ó Sé’s pub in Ventry while you hear a fun talk on Gaelic sports.
(B, D)

Day 6: Cliffs of Moher & Galway
Sample tea and scones in a pub in Listowel once owned by famed playwright, J. B. Keane – he wrote many of his works in a room behind the bar. Embark on a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary and drive along the coast of County Clare. View the famous Cliffs of Moher, which soar 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Walk to O’Brien’s Tower for views of Connemara and the Aran Islands. Join a local guide for a walking tour of Galway.
(B, D)

Day 7: Connemara & Corrib Cruise
Travel through Connemara for sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. Take a scenic cruise on Lough Corrib and sip some creamy Irish coffee. Stop at Kylemore Abbey for a walk through the elegant mansion set beside a tranquil lake. Enjoy a casual lunch before returning to Galway, where the rest of the day is free for independent sightseeing and dining.
(B, L)

Day 8: Ballintubber Abbey & Belleek Pottery
Travel north to Claremorris to visit Ballintubber Abbey, known as “the Abbey that refused to die,” Ireland's only royal Abbey, which has been in continuous use for more than 780 years. Visit Belleek Pottery, then follow the Atlantic shoreline of Donegal Bay to the town of Donegal for some free time. Continue your drive through the majestic Barnesmore Gap to Derry.
(B, D)

Day 9: Giant's Causeway & Derry Walk
Explore the Giant’s Causeway, huge hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Back in Derry, join a local guide for a walk around this historic city’s medieval walls; take a walk across the Peace Bridge and complete your tour at the Walled City Brewery Restaurant. You'll enjoy a drink with your dinner and a flight of 4 of the brewery's beers to taste - plus you'll get a bottle of CIE Tours' signature beer to take away.
(B, D)

Day 10: Titanic Belfast & Cabra Castle Stay
Head to Belfast for a panoramic city tour followed by a visit to Titanic Belfast. Travel to Kingscourt and your castle hotel, built in 1760. Arrive mid-afternoon to enjoy this lovely property. After dinner in the Court Restaurant, enjoy a display of Irish step-dancing.
(B, D)

Day 11: Megalithic Tombs & Farewell Dinner
Visit the Brú na Boinne Visitor Centre to learn about the 5,000-year-old burial tomb of Newgrange. See how primitive people managed to align huge boulders precisely. Enjoy some free time on your own. In the evening, share a farewell dinner with your group.
(B, D)

Day 12: Tour Ends in Trim
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:

• Explore the picturesque little church at Ballintubber Abbey; located on an old pilgrim road, it’s been in continuous use for 800 years!
• Visit a pub once owned by Páidí Ó Sé, an Irish sporting great, and the family pub of the late John B. Keane, one of Ireland’s finest playwrights.
• Relax as you take in a special step-dancing display at the Cabra Castle Hotel.

Trip Highlights:

• Ballintubber Abbey

  Ballintubber Abbey

  Ballintubber Abbey and its environs exude an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that accommodates and integrates into its setting a range of human activity and interests- spiritual, historical, educational. These include retreats, tours, weddings, concerts, liturgical celebrations, Tóchar walks, guided tours and time for quite reflection and prayer.
• Belleek Pottery

  Belleek Pottery

  Established in 1857 Belleek Pottery was established to provide employment in the area by making household fixtures. Later the company started production of place settings and ornamental pieces in fine Parian china and you can see production from clay to finish on a factory tour.
• Brú na Boinne Visitor Center

  Brú na Boinne Visitor Cente

  Brú na Bóinne or Boyne Valley Visitor Centre interprets the Neolithic monuments of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. 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.
• Cliffs of Moher

  • Brú na Boinne Visitor Center 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.
• 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.
• Kilmainham Gaol

  Kilmainham Gaol

  Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. It closed its doors in 1924. Today the building symbolises the tradition of militant and constitutional nationalism from the rebellion of 1798 to the Irish Civil War of 1922-23. Leaders of the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848,1867 and 1916 were detained and in some cases executed here.
• Kylemore Abbey

  Kylemore Abbey

  This Abbey is home to an order of Benedictine Nuns. See the fairy tale castle and Abbey set in an area of great natural beauty in Connemara. Visit the restored rooms of the Abbey and learn about its history and tales of tragedy and romance.
• 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.

Dining Experiences:

• 11 hot breakfasts (B), 1 lunch (L) and 9 dinners (D) including Taylors Three Rock Pub with a live show, Páidí Ó Sé’s Pub in Ventry with a talk on Gaelic sports, and the Walled City Brewery Restaurant.

Hotels:

• IE-DUB-HPA | Dublin (2 nights)
• IE-COR-JUR | Cork (1 night)
• IE-KER-KPL | Killarney (2 nights)
• IE-GAL-RSA | Galway (2 nights)
• NI-DER-CIT | Derry (2 nights)
• IE-CAV-CCA | Kingscourt (1 night)
• IE-MEA-KHG | Trim, Co. Meath (1 night)