First Class Hotels - 9 Day Coach Tour
This lively and action-packed tour hardly needs any introduction. We have chosen Dublin, Kinsale, Killarney and Galway as being great bases to enjoy and explore. Pubs are the social centers where entire families come to socialize, play music, dance or discuss events of the day. Each day discover the fun attractions and scenic highlights of Ireland and in the evenings enjoy many special dinners with entertainment in traditional pub settings.
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Dublin
Board your aircraft for an overnight trip across the Atlantic. Enjoy inflight entertainment and meals.
Day 2: Dublin & Guinness
Land at Dublin Airport early this morning. After customs formalities and luggage reclamation, head 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. Passengers arriving later will transfer to the hotel at their own expense. In the afternoon get together with a Dublin guide to tour Dublin Castle 's State Apartments to learn about Ireland's history and see the magnificent chambers where many state events are held. Drive around the spacious Phoenix Park, home to Ireland's President and the U.S. Ambassador. Visit the Guinness Storehouse to see how this famous brewery was established. Finish your tour with a creamy pint at the rooftop bar, Ireland's highest drinking spot. Return to your hotel and meet with your tour group and guide for a welcome drink and discuss your itinerary. Later you may like to explore the lively bar and restaurant scene including traditional pubs such as the Brazen Head, Doheny & Nesbitts or the Bailey!
Day 3: Kilkenny Castle & Medieval City
Depart Dublin to travel
through the Irish countryside where you will see many different types
of farms. Arrive in Kilkenny and take a guided tour of Kilkenny Castle ,
home of the Butlers, Earls and Dukes of Ormonde, who held power over
the region for centuries. The castle was first built in 1192 and
constantly changed until the 19th century. See wonderful paintings and
furniture as you learn about the history of the region. Visit the
Kilkenny Design Workshops, which are housed in the former stables of
the castle. Check into your centrally-located hotel and enjoy free time
browse around the many shops and lively pubs - Kilkenny is a fun place
to explore on your own. (B, D)
Day 4: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Stop for photos at the Rock of
Cashel, a magnificent limestone outcrop high above the surrounding
countryside before continuing south to Blarney , just outside Cork.
Visit Blarney Castle and climb to the ramparts to kiss the well-known
"Stone of Eloquence." Enjoy some time for shopping at the Blarney
Woollen Mills - or spend some time in the pub hidden between the shops!
Travel through County Cork to Macroom and stop for a brief look at the
imposing castle, which was the boyhood home of William Penn. Continue
your drive to Killarney and check into your hotel. After dinner you may
like to conduct your own pub crawl - there are plenty of pubs with live
music near your hotel. (B, D)
Day 5: Ring of Kerry Tour
Explore one of Ireland's most popular scenic areas with Ireland's highest mountains on one side and a varied Atlantic coastline on the other. Stop at the Gap of Dunloe Industries to see the "Essence of Kerry" an audio visual presentation, which will tell you all about the region. As you drive, every turn will reveal new vistas of mountains, cliffs and beaches and there will be plenty of photo stops. Travel through the remote villages of Cahirciveen and Waterville at the western end of the peninsula. Stop in the colorful village of Sneem and pause for a look at the Lakes of Killarney at Moll's Gap. In the evening you may like to explore some of Killarney's many pubs that feature live music. (B, D)
Day 6: Cliffs of Moher & Clifden
Drive north and take a short ferry ride across the River
Shannon Estuary. Visit the Cliffs of Moher for unparalleled views of
the 700-foot-high walls of rock above the Atlantic Ocean. Travel
through the outskirts of Galway and through the magnificent Connemara
region, renowned for its windswept scenery with lakes and mountains.
Arrive in Clifden , the principal town of the region, located on the
western seaboard. Check into your hotel and relax or browse around the
delightful town. This evening dine in the Station House Pub across from
your hotel and enjoy a warm welcome, a cozy atmosphere and some local
music. (B, D)
Day 7: Connemara & Westport
Drive north through the Inagh Valley, in
the heart of Connemara, to see the Twelve Bens. Travel past granite
hills and sparkling lakes on the way to Leenane to embark on a short
cruise of Killary Harbour, a 9-mile fjord (March 29 - October 25
departures). Enjoy views of hills where traces of pre-Famine "lazy
beds" of potato ridges can still be seen. Keep an eye out for seabirds
and pass mussel and salmon farms. Rejoin your coach and drive along the
western seaboard through Louisburg to Westport where you will have some
time to explore some of the traditional pubs in the town center,
including Matt Malloy's Pub (of Chieftains fame). Return to Clifden in
good time for dinner in the hotel restaurant. (B, D)
Day 8: Locke's Distillery & 12th Century Brazen Head Pub
Travel
eastwards today and outside Kilbeggan tour Locke's Distillery. It was
established in 1757 and today it is preserved to show visitors how
whiskey was distilled here. At the end of the tour, sample some whiskey
before traveling to the greater metropolitan area of Dublin . Check into
your hotel once more. Enjoy some leisure time before heading out for a
great evening to end your Irish vacation. The Brazen Head Pub is
Dublin's oldest, dating back to 1198 and is one of Dublin's best live
music venues. Enjoy an evening of "Food, Folk and Fairies" where you'll
learn about life in Ireland in times past through a great program of
song and stories. (B, D)
Day 9: Dublin to U.S.A.
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, CB=Continental Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
- Temple Bar Hotel, Dublin (1 night)
- Ormonde Hotel, Kilkenny (1 night)
- Arbutus Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
- Clifden Station House, Galway (2 nights)
- Temple Bar Hotel, Dublin (1 night)
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