2020 Taste of Ireland (Tour A)- 7 Days/6 Nights

2020 Taste of Ireland (Tour A) - 7 Days, 6 Nights, 10 Meals

Day 1: Arrive Dublin & City Sightseeing
Your tour begins with a day of independent touring in Dublin. Take a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour and enjoy a visit to one of Dublin’s top attractions – Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or GPO Witness History. Dine independently this evening.

Day 2: Dublin & Merry Ploughboy Pub
Enjoy the morning exploring Dublin with the included vouchers. 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.
(B, D)

Day 3: 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 4: 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 5: 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 6: Dublin Extension via Galway
Drive north to Galway for a panoramic tour of the city with some free time on your own to explore. Travel across the country to Dublin. Spend the final night of your tour independently exploring the pubs in the lively Temple Bar area or experiencing one of Dublin’s fine restaurants.
(B)

Day 7: Depart from Dublin
Your tour ends after breakfast today.
(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

• 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

• 6 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
  
  

  Blarney Castle

  Built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, this stronghold has been attracting attention ever since. Millions have flocked to Blarney to kiss the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of the tower, making it one of Ireland’s greatest treasures.

• Cliffs of Moher
  
  

  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.

• Dublin Castle
  
  

  Dublin Castle

  Dublin Castle is the heart of historic Dublin and has been the site of many fortifications. The magnificent State Apartments were built as the residential quarters of the viceregal court. They are now the venue for Ireland’s Presidencies of the European Community, Presidential Inaugurations and State Functions.

• Ring of Kerry
  
  

  Ring of Kerry

  One of Ireland’s most popular circular drives around the Iveragh Peninsula, starting and ending in Killarney. The 100-mile route of ever-changing scenery of mountains and shoreline combined with varying weather conditions ensures splendid views.

• Sheepdog Demonstration
  
  

  Sheepdog Demonstration

  Sheep farming is an important part of country life and watch a farmer with his working dogs control a flock of sheep. See how agile dogs obey various commands to round up sheep, especially useful in mountainous regions.

• Skellig Experience
  
  

  Skellig Experience

  You can experience many aspects of those offshore Skellig islands while remaining on the dry land, in a custom built, stone clad, grass roofed, prize winning building located right on the waterfront beside the Valentia Island bridge at Valentia, County Kerry!

Hotels - 6 Nights

• Clayton Hotel | Ballsbridge (2 nights)
  
  

  Clayton Hotel | Ballsbridge | 4*

  This hotel was once a Masonic School and still retains many striking original features to give it a unique charm. Standard rooms are tastefully decorated and boast a fresh and warm feeling. The Brasserie Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with fresh, seasonal and sustainable produce. Tom’s Bar is a great place to relax with a drink or a snack.

• Killarney Towers Hotel | Killarney (2 nights)
  
  

  Killarney Towers Hotel | Killarney | 4*

  This modern hotel provides guests with 182 rooms that are comfortable and include satellite TV and video facilities. An excellent restaurant serves great Irish breakfasts and carvery dinners while the choice of bars offer live music most nights. Enjoy a strenuous workout or leisurely dip in the pool in the extensive leisure center. Located in the center of Killarney town within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants, pubs and the Killarney National Park. Hotel parking.

• Bunratty Castle Hotel | Bunratty (1 night)
  
  

  Bunratty Castle Hotel | Bunratty | 4*

  This hotel is named for the famous Bunratty Castle, just across the road. Originally a Georgian mansion, the hotel offers the perfect place to relax in a traditional atmosphere and decor. All guest rooms are spacious and equipped with everything for a comfortable stay. The traditional pub is a great place for a drink or casual food. Only 8 miles from Shannon Airport, the hotel is within easy walking distance of Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Durty Nelly's Pub and shops at the Bunratty Village Mills. Hotel parking.

• Academy Plaza Hotel | Dublin (1 night)
  
  

  Academy Plaza Hotel | Dublin | 3*

  A block from the city centre's vibrant O'Connell Street, this relaxed hotel is an 11-minute walk from Trinity College and a 13-minute walk from the Temple Bar nightlife district. Warm rooms feature free WiFi and flat-screen TVs, as well as work desks, laptop safes, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Some rooms add sofas.