- 7 days / 5 nights / 10 meals or 9 days / 7 nights / 12 meals
- Group transfers on arrival and departureÂ
- Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
- Dublin open-top bus tour & Guinness or Jameson visit (9-day tour only)
- Services of a professional Irish driver/guide
- Superior first class hotels with private bath/shower for 5 or 7 nights
- Full Irish breakfasts daily (B)
- 5 dinners (D) including, Medieval Banquet and entertainment in Bunratty Castle, Farewell dinner at Dunboyne Castle Hotel, 3 table d'hote dinners
- Welcome get-together drink
- Walking tour of Waterford with local guide
- Horse-drawn jaunting car ride in Killarney
- Visits and admissions to Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Muckross Gardens, Blarney Woollen Mills, Cobh Heritage Centre, Waterford Crystal Factory and Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens
- Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
- All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
|
| Superior First Class Hotels - 7 or 9 Day Coach Tour
Experience the scenic Ring of Kerry, Muckross Gardens, Cobh Heritage Centre, Historic Walking Tour of Waterford, Waterford Crystal Factory, Visit the Blarney Woolen Mills, Medieval Kilkenny, National Stud Farm and the Japanese Gardens.
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Shannon
Fly across the Atlantic from your U.S. gateway city, traveling overnight to Ireland .
Day 2: Bunratty Castle Banquet
Land at Shannon Airport and locate the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall for a group transfer to your nearby hotel. Complimentary transfers will be offered from Shannon Airport between 7:00 am and 2:00 pm. If your flight arrives later than 2:00 pm, you must transfer to the hotel at your own expense. This afternoon rest after your journey, take a stroll through Bunratty Folk Park or visit the cozy Durty Nelly's Pub. Join your fellow travelers for a welcome drink before heading to the 15th century Bunratty Castle for a jolly medieval-style dinner where the Lords and Ladies serenade you with favorite songs. (D)
Day 3: Flying Boat Museum & Killarney's Lakes
Drive through Limerick and along by the River Shannon to Foynes to visit the Flying Boat Museum. In the early days of flight this was the landing place for Pan Am Clippers from the United States and Europe. The museum recreates the infancy of aviation with vivid displays. Journey into County Kerry and stop in Listowel. This picturesque town is renowned as the birthplace of J. B. Keane, a popular 20th century playwright. Continue to Killarney and check into your hotel in the center of town. (B, D)
Day 4: Jaunting Car Ride & Moll's Gap
Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle to view Lough Leane, largest of Killarney's lakes. Drive to the delightful town of Kenmare where traditional buildings are gaily painted and enhanced with flowers. At Moll's Gap, a wonderful vantage point, stop to view the mountains. Continue along part of the Ring of Kerry route to enjoy the scenery. Pause at Ladies' View and stop at Muckross Gardens. Take a walk around the charming gardens, laid out along the lakeshore in the 19th century. Admire wonderful mature trees and shrubs, as well as colorful flowers, before returning to Killarney. (B, D)
Day 5: Cobh Heritage & Waterford Chrystal
Drive through the mountains of Kerry and make a brief stop at the Blarney Woollen Mills in the village of Blarney. Next visit Cobh Heritage Centre, located in the old train station through which all emigrants passed when traveling to the United States. Displays show the many hardships that travelers endured. Continue to Waterford to tour the Waterford Crystal Factory and watch how this popular crystal is created. In the showrooms see a wide range of tableware and special trophies. Check into your hotel, once the home of Thomas Francis Meagher, first governor of Montana. After dinner, join a local guide for a stroll around the historic city center. (B, D)
Day 6: Medieval Kilkenny & National Stud
Drive north to Kilkenny and stop to look around the town. In medieval times the town was a prosperous trading center and the narrow streets still follow ancient routes. Travel north to Kildare and visit the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens. As a nation, the Irish are very interested in horses and the Stud will tell you about the valuable breeding industry. The Japanese Gardens symbolize the "Life of Man" through plants and rocks. Then head to the village of Dunboyne, on the outskirts of Dublin. Check into Dunboyne Castle Hotel and relax for a while before enjoying a farewell dinner with your group. (B, D)
Day 7: Head Home or Stay in Dublin
Those on the 7-day tour take a group transfer to Dublin Airport, leaving the hotel at either 6:00, 9:00 or 11:00 am. Clients on the 9-day tour transfer to the Dublin hotel, located in the affluent Ballsbridge area of the city and within easy reach of all downtown attractions. The rest of the day is free - you may use your Dublin city bus tour voucher this afternoon. (B)
Day 8: Explore Dublin City
Use your independent bus tour voucher to discover more of Dublin. The ticket is valid for a 24-hour period. You may stay on the bus for the entire loop of the city's main streets and places of interest or get off at 23 stops near major attractions. Take a tour around the Guinness Storehouse or the Old Jameson Distillery and sample a beverage. (B)
Day 9: Depart for Home
Use your complimentary transfer to arrive in Dublin Airport in ample time to check in for your flight home. (B)
B=Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
- Bunratty Castle Hotel, Bunratty (1 night)
- Killarney Plaza Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
- Granville Hotel, Waterford (1 night)
- Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa, Dunboyne (1 night)
- Bewley's Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin (2 nights - 9-day tour only)
|