2022 Irish Odyssey - 12 Days/11 Nights

Day 1: Dublin City Panoramic Tour | Kilmainham Gaol
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Set out on a panoramic tour of the city's highlights and view Trinity College, St Patrick's Cathedral and the GPO. Tour Kilmainham Gaol, built in 1796, and hear stories of Ireland's revolutionary leaders. 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
Visit a traditional farmhouse and learn about country life while enjoying tea and scones. At the House of Waterford Crystal, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner, watch skilled artisans cut crystal into sparking masterpieces. Continue along the coast to Cork city for dinner
(B, D)

Day 4: Cork Walking Tour | Blarney Castle | Killarney
Take a brief walking tour of Cork City with a local guide. Perhaps stroll through the English Market, where vendors have been selling local and artisanal foods since 1788. Visit Blarney Castle to climb the winding stairs to kiss the famed stone, or stroll the gardens. Enjoy the scenery as you head to colorful Kenmare. Stop at Moll's Gap for marvelous views on your way to Killarney
(B, D)

Day 5: Jaunting Car Ride | Dingle Peninsula | Sheepdog Demonstration
Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle and Kenmare Estate and see Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney's lakes. Visit Moriarty's at the Gap of Dunloe, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner. 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
Visit the family pub of the late famed playwright, John B. Keane for a talk and some tea and scones. One of Ireland's most beloved writers, 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. Proceed to vibrant Galway and join a local guide for a walking tour of the city's historic heart.
(B, D)

Day 7: Lough Corrib Cruise (Seasonal) | Kylemore Abbey | Galway
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 (seasonal). Stop at Kylemore Abbey for a walk through the elegant mansion set beside a tranquil lake. Return to Galway, where the rest of the day is free for independent sightseeing and dining.
(B)

Day 8: Ballintubber Abbey | Belleek Pottery | Derry
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 shore to Donegal town, where you will visit CIE Tours preferred shopping partner Triona Design. Continue on through the majestic Barnesmore Gap to Derry
(B, D)

Day 9: Giant's Causeway | Derry Walking Tour | Walled City Brewery
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. In a CIE Tours Exclusive, you'll enjoy a drink with your dinner and a flight of 4 of the brewery's beers to taste.
(B, D)

Day 10: Belfast City Tour | Titanic Belfast | Cabra Castle
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: Brú Na Bóinne Visitor Centre | Farewell Dinner
Visit the Brú na Boinne Visitor Centre to learn about the 5,000-year-old burial tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, followed by a visit to one of these mysterious marvels. Travel to your hotel in Trim, the setting for some scenes of the movie "Braveheart", and enjoy some free time. 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

Authentic Local Experiences:

• Enjoy a flight of locally brewed craft beers with your dinner at the Walled City Brewery a family owned establishment located in a former army barracks in the heart of  Derry - CIE Tours Exclusive
• Visit two pubs belonging to the families of late Irish luminaries : Páidi  Ó Sé, a great Kerry GAA footballer, and John B Keane, one of Ireland's finest playwrights

Trip Highlights:

• Irish Night in Dublin

  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.
• Ballintubber Abbey

  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.
• Belleek Pottery

  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.
• Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre
• Giant's Causeway

  • 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.
• Kilmainham Gaol

  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.
• Kylemore Abbey

  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.
• Páidi Ó Sé's Pub Dinner

  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
• Walled City Brewery - CIE Tours Exclusive

  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) and 9 dinners (D)

Hotels - 11 Nights:

• Herbert Park Hotel | Dublin (2 nights)
• The River Lee Hotel | Cork (1 night)
• Killarney Plaza Hotel | Killarney (2 nights)
• The Galmont Hotel & Spa | Galway (2 nights)
• City Hotel | Derry (2 nights)
• Cabra Castle Hotel | Kingscourt (1 night)
• Knightsbrook Hotel & Golf Resort | Trim, Co. Meath (1 night)