2020 Taste of Ireland (Tour C) 5 Days / 4 Nights / 8 MEALS
Day 1: Dublin & Merry Ploughboy Pub
Your city tour starts at 2:00 PM from the hotel lobby with a local guide for a panoramic tour of ancient and modern Dublin.
Drive through the main streets to see historic buildings such as Trinity College, rows of Georgian houses with colorfully painted doorways and
the new buildings around the Financial Centre beside the River Liffey. Take a guided tour through parts of Dublin Castle, which was the seat of
power and government for many centuries and today plays a leading role in European Union activities. Return to your hotel for a welcome drink
with your group. In the evening, head to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for a dinner of Irish specialties and a lively show with popular Irish songs and
intricate step-dancing.
(D)
Day 2: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and travel through the midlands of Ireland, which has many farms. Stop for photos of the stately ruins of
the Rock of Cashel, rising high above the surrounding plain. Continue your drive south and, just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle
to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Drive through Macroom, built around a fine old castle, and into County Kerry where the scenery becomes
more mountainous. Arrive in Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes with Ireland’s highest mountains, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, forming a backdrop.
Check in to your hotel and relax before dinner.
(B, D)
Day 3: Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Embark on Ireland’s most popular 100-mile scenic drive – the Ring of Kerry. This winding route reveals breathtaking views of
Macgillycuddy’s Reeks as well as the scenic coast of beaches and cliffs. There will be plenty of stops for photos at the best vantage points. After
a casual lunch in a cozy restaurant, you’ll continue your scenic drive to Valentia Island where you’ll visit the Skellig Experience. Learn about the
island ofSkellig Michael where early Christian monks lived in austere conditions and how it was used as one of the locations for the film “Star Wars
VII.” Pause for a stroll around Sneem, with its brightly painted houses, and at Moll’s Gap for panoramic views of Ireland’s highest mountains and deep
valleys. Get a taste of farm life with a demonstration of a sheepdog herding flocks, a shearing demonstration (seasonal), and see different breeds of
sheep. Return to Killarney and enjoy a free evening for independent dining or exploring the many pubs in the town.
(B, L)
Day 4: Cliffs of Moher & Medieval Castle Banquet
Leave Killarney and drive north to Tarbert for a 20-minute ferry ride across the wide River Shannon Estuary. Your tour continues
along the coast of County Clare to the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of sandstone that reaches almost 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Drive
past Lahinch Golf Course, one of Ireland’s most famous, to Bunratty. Check into Bunratty Castle Hotel, which is near Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.
In the evening, head out for a medieval-style feast of excellent traditional dishes and wine. During and after the meal the lords and ladies will
serenade you with songs and harp music evocative of the Middle Ages. (Please note that January departures may offer a different dining
experience.)
(B, D)
Day 5: Tour Ends in Shannon
Your tour ends after breakfast today.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
Authentic Local Experiences
- Visit a farm in the beautiful mountains of County Kerry and watch border collies hard at work as they round up sheep.
- Tour the magnificent State Apartments of Dublin Castle – once the living quarters of the viceregal court, the Apartments today are the venue for presidential inaugurations and other State ceremonies.
Dining Experiences
- 4 breakfasts (B),1 lunch (L) and 3 dinners (D)including a night at the Merry Ploughboy Pub for dinner and a traditional show, and a medieval castle banquet
- 4 daily breakfasts (B),1 lunch (L) and 3 dinners (D) including a night at the Merry Ploughboy Pub for dinner and a traditional show, and a medieval castle banquet
Trip Highlights
- Blarney Castle
- Cliffs of Moher
- Dublin Castle
- Ring of Kerry
- Sheepdog Demonstration
- Skellig Experience
