Deluxe & Superior First Class Hotels - 12 Day Coach Tour
A comfortably paced tour with mostly two night stops in deluxe & superior first class hotels permits you to discover many treasures of Ireland. See magnificent scenery from the rugged hills of Donegal to the shimmering Lakes of Killarney. Enjoy the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, feast at a 15th century castle banquet and enjoy a traditional Irish evening at a pub in Dublin.
Day 1: Shannon
Arrival & Ennis Walking Tour
Once you have landed at Shannon Airport a transfer to Ennis is avilable between 7:00 am
and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later than 12:00 noon, you will need to arrange your own transport to the hotel.
In your hotel lobbey meet at 2:00 pm with a local guide where you will embark on a walking tour
around the main points of interest. Enjoy a welcome drink before dinner in your hotel. (D)
Day 2: Cliffs of
Moher & Galway
On the second day of the tour you will travel to the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher. Following this you will see the beautiful features of the Burren and the Poulnabrone Dolmen, which is a large Neolithic burial place.
You will have the chance to stop in the attractive village of
Ballyvaughan before continuing to Moycullen. Continue to Galway for a tour of the area before heading to
dinner in your hotel. (B, D)
Day 3: Connemara
& Catamaran Cruise
Today you will have the chance to explore the Connemara area. This is a very scenic region with breat taking hill views and lakes to see. At Leenane you will be taken on a catamaran cruise through Killary Harbour which is
Ireland’s only fjord. Next you will be given a taste of what Ireland was like around the time of the Great Famine in the 1840's, where the ridges of potato fields are still visible.
A stop at Kylemore Abbey Visitor Centre will take place before a drive to Cong for a short walking
tour around the movie set locations used in the 1952 production of “The Quiet Man."
Visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, which specialises in coloured crystal before dinner. (B, D)
Day 4: Country life
& Belleek China
Located just outside Castlebar, a tour of the Museum of Country Life is a must. See
the collections of domestic goods used when most people lived by farming. Take some time out at Knock Shrine where you will find the church that became famous in 1879 after locals saw an apparition of the Virgin
Mary.
Later on day 4 you will cross into County Sligo and visit the grave of famous Irish writer W. B. Yeats before
continuing to the Belleek Pottery Factory where you can watch skilled craftspeople make beautiful china pieces. Your journey will continue pass through the Blue Stack Mountains before reaching
Stranorlar. (B, D)
Day 5: Glenveagh
Castle & Grand Atlantic Drive
On the fifth day, travel into the heart of Donegal to Glenveagh National Park
where Captain Adair cruelly evicted 225 tenants from their homes to build Glenveagh Castle in 1870. Tour the building and learn all about who lived there and how they lived.
You will then experience the beautiful Grand Atlantic Drive, which winds through
Downings and Rosapenna and around the coastline. Enjoy dinner this evening in Stranorlar. (B, D)
Day 6: Giant’s
Causeway & Nine Glens of Antrim
In Derry join a local guide for a walking tour to see
medieval city walls, the Diamond and St. Columb’s Cathedral. Drive along the
north coast, pausing for photos at Dunluce Castle. Explore the Giant's Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity over 60
million years ago. Experience wonderful scenery along the coastal “Nine Glens of Antrim” route. Drive into Belfast to your city centre hotel where you will
have free time before dinner. (B, D)
Day 7: Belfast &
Dublin Pub Evening
Today you will be able to tour central Belfast with a local guide where you will find plenty of Victorian
buildings along the way. Visit where the Titanic was built at the Harland & Wolff shipyards before passing through the areas of Shankill and the Falls Road.
Later you will travel to Down where you will visit Down Cathedral and see the reputed burial
place of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. You will also have time to stop and visit the St. Patrick Centre.
Here you will learn about his life.
Travel back to Dublin and check in to your hotel before dinner. Following dinner, enjoy a traditional Irish show of music and step-dancing.
(B, D)
Day 8: Dublin Tour
& Book of Kells
Take a tour of Dublin city centre where you will see elegant Georgian squares with
colourful doorways. Pass through St. Stephen's Green before hitting the bustling
shopping areas around Nassau Street. You will then cross the River Liffey to O'Connell Street where you will find the General Post Office, this is where the 1916 Rebellion famously started. Take your time as you walk
through Trinity College campus before viewing the historic Book of Kells.
Your afternoon consists of free time. You have a voucher for an open top bus tour around Dublin which you may use along with a trip to visit either Guinness or
Jameson. (B)
Day 9: Farmhouse Tea
& Blarney Castle
On day 9 drive south and stop off at the Rock of Cashel where its
medieval ruins are plain for all to see. You will then visit a nearby sheep farm where you will be able to sample fresh home-baked scones
with tea as you hear about country life.
Continue your journey south to Blarney where you could climb
Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone. You can shop at the Blarney
Woollen Mills where you will find great Irish produce or take some time out to explore the village green.
Continue to Killarney, which is famous for its beautiful views and check in to your hotel before enjoying dinner later in the evening. (B, D)
Day 10: Jaunting Car
Ride & Ring of Kerry Tour
Today you will be invited to travel to Ross Castle by traditional horse-drawn jaunting car. On your way you will be able to view Killarney’s largest lake, Lough Leane before heading off on the Ring
of Kerry. The ring is over 100 miles long and you are sure to enjoy breath taking views.
You will also be able to visit the Skellig Experience where you will learn about early Christian monks who once lived on the
islands. Drive through
Waterville before viewing the colourful village of Sneem. A stop at Moll’s Gap to view
the Three Lakes of Killarney, is the final port of call before returning to Killarney for dinner that evening. (B, D)
Day 11: Irish coffee
at Foynes & Bunratty Banquet
Following a
late breakfast, drive to Foynes where you learn about the early days of air travel at the
Flying Boat Museum. This is also the where the Irish coffee orginated so watch a demonstration
before tasting one for yourself.
Next you will drive to Bunratty. Why not spend some free time in Durty Nelly’s Pub
or the Bunratty Folk Park before heading to the Great Hall at Bunratty Castle for a medieval-style banquet. (B, D)
Day 12: Return from
Shannon
A transfer to Shannon Airport will be arranged to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. (B)
B=Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
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