Accomodation with private bath&shower for 10 nights - Superior & first class hotels in Dublin, Westport, Clifden and Killarney; town and country homes in Donegal
10 full Irish breakfasts (B)
9 dinners (D) including, traditional Irish evening with dinner and entertainment at the Abbey Tavern, restaurant dinner with live music in Donegal, pub dinner with live music in Clifden, 1 homestyle dinner, 5 table d'hote dinners
Welcome get-together drink
Tour of Dublin with a local guide
Minibus excursion to Slieve League sea cliffs
Handweaving demonstration with tea & scones at Triona Design
Day tour to Achill Island
Catamaran cruise of Killary Fjord
Day tour to Inis Mor, largest of the Aran Islands
Walking tour of Ennis with a local guide
Ferry ride across the River Shannon
Horse-drawn jaunting car ride in Killarney
Tea and scones at a sheep farm
Visits and admissions to Dublin Castle, Ulster American Folk Park, Belleek Pottery Factory, W. B. Yeats' Grave, Museum of Country Life, Dun Aengus Fort, Aran Heritage Centre, Ennis Friary and Muckross Gardens
All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
Booking
To book this tour or request more details please use the enquiry form below or Call Us Toll Free on 1800 255 9302.
Bed & Breakfast
Superior & First Class Hotels / B&Bs - 12 Day Coach Tour
This 12 day tour takes in the best of Kerry, the West and North West of the rugged Irish coastline. It gives the unique opportunity to visit some of Ireland's off coast islands.
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Dublin
Take an overnight flight across the Atlantic and relax as you start your vacation.
Day 2: Dublin Castle & City Tour
Arrive in Dublin Airport, complete immigration formalities and pick up your luggage. Go to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall to arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later, you will need to transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm join your group and a local guide for an introductory look around central Dublin. View the many elegant Georgian townhouses, public buildings and fashionable shopping areas. Visit Dublin Castle for a guided tour around the elegant Georgian State Apartments. Back at your hotel meet with your guide and fellow travelers for a welcome drink and discuss your itinerary.
Day 3: Ulster American Folk Park Donegal
Travel north through Monaghan and Tyrone to visit the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh. See many cottages including the boyhood home of Thomas Mellon, who emigrated to Pittsburgh in 1818 and later founded the Mellon Bank. The Park traces the story of Ulster emigrants by showing how they lived in the "Old Country" and sailed across the Atlantic to settle in the "New World" in Colonial times. Drive into the hilly region of County Donegal to Donegal town. Meet your Irish homeowners as you check in for your home stay and sit down to dinner with your hosts. (B, D)
Day 4: Slieve League Cliffs & Donegal Tweed
Drive to the fishing port of Killybegs and on to Teelin to view Slieve League sea cliffs, which drop straight down to the wild Atlantic waves below. The highest point reaches 1,972 feet making them the highest in Europe. Continue west to Glencolumbcille and Malinbeg and through the majestic Glengesh Pass to Ardara to visit Triona Design. Donegal is renowned for wool production and here you will see demonstrations of spinning, weaving and knitting and enjoy tea with scones. Enjoy free time in Donegal town and in the evening head to a cozy restaurant for dinner followed by some traditional live music. (B, D)
Day 5: Belleek & Museum of Country Life
Journey south visit the Belleek Pottery Factory to see how the craftspeople mold, shape and decorate clay, creating the world-famous fine china. Drive around Donegal Bay and stop to view the grave of the Nobel-winning writer, W. B. Yeats, before continuing through Counties Sligo and Mayo. Visit the Museum of Country Life in Castlebar to see collections of domestic goods, once used as part of daily life from 1850 to 1950. Exhibits and a movie explain how people used to live throughout the country. A short drive takes you to Westport to your hotel, which is located in the center of this interesting town. (B, D)
Day 6: Achill Island & Deserted Famine Village
This morning travel around Clew Bay to reach Achill Island, joined to the mainland by bridge. Follow the Atlantic Drive to capture wonderful, wild views of steep mountains and stretches of golden beaches. Near Slievemore see the Deserted Village, the remains of 100 cottages abandoned in the 1840's Famine. Return to Westport in good time to take a look around the town on your own. The estate town was laid out in 1780 and has many fine Georgian houses and a tree-lined mall. After dinner in your hotel you may like to explore some of the lively pubs, including Matt Malloy's Pub, of Chieftains fame. (B, D)
Day 7: Connemara & Catamaran Cruise Drive past the pilgrimage mountain of Croaghpatrick and the spectacular coastal route via Louisburg to Leenane at the head of the narrow inlet of Killary Harbour. Take a short catamaran cruise to see unspoiled mountain areas. You can see traces of pre-Famine fields on the hilly slopes and also thriving salmon and mussel farming. Travel into Connemara, one of Ireland's wonderful scenic regions with misty hills and open countryside. Drive through the Inagh Valley on the way to Clifden, known as the "Capital of Connemara." Check into your hotel in the heart of the town. Dinner this evening is served in the Station House Pub offering a cozy atmosphere and some local music. (B, D)
Day 8: Aran Islands & Dun Aengus
Take a short ferry ride from Rossaveal to Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. These rocky islands are renowned for the hardy islanders who maintained traditional fishing and farming methods and where the popular intricately-patterned fishermen's sweaters originated. The Irish language is still spoken widely. Take a minibus ride to Dun Aengus, a huge pre-historic fortress perched on sheer cliffs, which fall away to the Atlantic below. In Kilronan, the main town, visit the Aran Heritage Centre to learn about unique local customs. Return by ferry to the mainland and your hotel in Clifden in good time for dinner in the hotel restaurant. (B, D)
Day 9: Ennis Friary & Walking Tour
Drive through another part of Connemara on the way to Galway City to take a look at the main points of interest, including the Spanish Arch and Galway Cathedral. Spend some time exploring on your own before driving south to Ennis, the main marketing town for County Clare. Take a short walk with a guide through Ennis Friary and the narrow streets to learn about local history. Take a 20-minute ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary to County Kerry. Stop in Listowel, birthplace of J. B. Keane, a popular playwright, before driving to Killarney. Check into your hotel, located overlooking Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney's famous lakes. (B, D)
Day 10: Jaunting Car Ride & Moll's Gap
Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle for a view of Killarney's lakes and mountains. Drive to the delightful town of Kenmare where taditional buildings are gaily painted and enhanced with flowers and then up trough Moll's Gap, a wonderful vantage point, and stop to view the mountains. Travel along part of the Ring of Kerry route to enjoy the best of the scenery. Stop at Ladies' View and take a walk around the photogenic Muckross Gardens, laid out along the lakeshore in the 19th century. Admire wonderful mature trees and shrubs from all around the globe before returning to Killarney. (B, D)
Day 11: Sheep Farm Visit & Abbey Tavern
Leave Killarney's lovely mountains and drive north through rich dairying country of Counties Cork and Tipperary, known as the "Golden Vale." Stop near Cashel to visit a sheep farm for tea and home-made scones and see a demonstration of sheepdog skills. Stop for photos at the Rock of Cashel, a stately limestone outcrop topped with medieval ruins. Continue into the metropolitan area of Dublin to your hotel on the north side of the city. A short drive will take you to the fishing village of Howth for a fun evening with a traditional dinner and rousing Irish music at the Abbey Tavern. (B, D)
Day 12: Return Home from Dublin
Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 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)
B=Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
Bewleys Hotel Ballsbridge, Dublin (1 night)
Bed & Breakfast Homes, Donegal (2 nights)
Mill Times Hotel (Formerly Westport Inn Hotel), Westport (2 nights)
All tours are based on two people sharing one room. Guests who wish to have a single room will pay an additional single room supplement. For details on the single room supplement that applies to this tour please check with your Ireland guide.
