Discover, Plan & Go!

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Dublin

Welcome aboard your overnight flight to Dublin. Relax with inflight meal service and entertainment.

Day 2: Dublin Castle & Sightseeing

Arrive at Dublin Airport in the morning, pass through immigration and collect your luggage. Head to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall to arrange a group transfer between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later than noon, you will transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm take a sightseeing tour around central Dublin to see public buildings, Georgian squares and streets as well as busy shopping streets. Visit Dublin Castle to see the richly decorated State Apartments, which feature prominently in Ireland's history. Return to your hotel where the evening is free - your guide will assist you in choosing a restaurant.

Day 3: Prehistoric Tomb & Belleek China

Travel north from Dublin to the Boyne Valley. Stop at the Boyne Valley Visitor Centre to learn about the nearby passage burial tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, both of which are over 5,000 years old. Visit one of the tombs to see how people using primitive tools and knowledge managed to align these buildings precisely with the sun or the moon. Drive north via Enniskillen and along the picturesque shores of Lower Lough Erne to Belleek. Stop to visit Belleek Pottery Factory to see how the craftspeople mold, shape and decorate clay, creating the world-famous fine china. A short drive will take you to your hotel on the outskirts of Donegal town. Enjoy a welcome drink to get to know your fellow travelers before dinner. (B, D)

Day 4: Glencolumbcille & Donegal Views

Donegal, with its windswept hills where only sheep can thrive, is renowned for wool production. Drive to the fishing port of Killybegs and continue west through wonderful mountain and coastal scenery to Glencolumbcille. Travel through the majestic Glengesh Pass to Ardara to visit Triona Designs. See demonstrations of spinning, weaving and knitting and enjoy tea with scones. Feast your eyes with more scenery as you drive to Ballybofey and through Barnesmore Gap to Donegal town. Visit Donegal Castle, built by the O'Donnell chieftain in the 15th century. The castle was expanded in the 17th century and today is furnished throughout. Enjoy some free time in the town center before returning to your nearby hotel. (B, D)

Day 5: W.B. Yeats' Grave & Ballintubber Abbey

Travel south around Donegal Bay and stop at Drumcliffe Churchyard to view the grave of W. B. Yeats, the Nobel prizewinning poet, who based many poems on the delightful countryside around Sligo. Continue through County Mayo and stop briefly to see Knock Shrine. Visit Ballintubber Abbey, known as "the Abbey that refused to die." It has been used continuously for worship since its foundation in 1216, even though burned down by Cromwell in 1653. In 441 St. Patrick had founded a church on the same site. Drive to Galway, the capital of the west of Ireland. Check into your hotel, which overlooks Galway Bay, the Aran Islands and the Burren. (B, D)

Day 6: Clifden & Connemara

Tour Connemara to admire sweeping views of hills and sparkling lakes. Drive along the shores of Galway Bay and through Maam Cross and Recess and stop in Clifden, a charming town on the western seaboard and considered to be the capital of the region. Continue to the charming village of Cong, which was the location of the 1952 movie, "The Quiet Man." A local guide will escort you around places associated with the production and see memorabilia in the Quiet Man Cottage. In Moycullen visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, where skilled craftsmen hand-cut fine crystal with Celtic motifs. Drive to Galway to look around the city center, before returning to your hotel on Galway Bay. (B, D)

Day 7: Cliffs of Moher & Kate Kearney's Cottage

Drive around Galway Bay and through the Burren, a unique region of limestone hills renowned for its flora and prehistoric stone monuments. Stop to view the majestic Cliffs of Moher, a rocky wall that rises nearly 700 feet above the foaming Atlantic Ocean. Take a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary to the mountainous countryside of Kerry and to Killarney. The afternoon is at leisure so that you can stroll around the compact town or even take a jaunting car ride to Ross Castle. In the evening drive to the Gap of Dunloe to Kate Kearney's Cottage, a cozy venue for dinner and some fun Irish entertainment. (B, D)

Day 8: Ring of Kerry Tour

Enjoy the Ring of Kerry drive where every bend in 100 miles of road reveals breathtaking views of mountains and Atlantic Ocean. Depart Killarney and travel through Killorglin and Cahirciveen. All along the route you will have opportunities to get out of the coach to admire or photograph scenic vistas. Return through the attractive village of Sneem and pause at Moll's Gap for a panoramic view of the three lakes of Killarney. Take a guided tour of 19th century Muckross House, an elegant mansion set on the shores of Muckross Lake. (B, D)

Day 9: Blarney & Clontarf Castle Hotel

Leave Killarney and drive via Ballyvourney and Macroom to Blarney. Climb the steps of Blarney Castle to kiss the "Stone of Eloquence." Then drive north through pleasant dairy farmlands of Cork. Pause at the Rock of Cashel for photos before continuing to Dublin once more. Check into Clontarf Castle, a luxurious haven located in a quiet area yet just a short distance from the city center. The castle dates back to 1172 and is steeped in Irish history. Today it offers guests all the splendor and charm of a unique and royal experience. Enjoy a special farewell dinner in the hotel's old-world dining room. (B, D)

Day 10: Return to U.S.

Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am and 12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free stores before U.S. Immigration pre-clearance and boarding your flight for the journey home. (B)