- 12 days/10 nights/16 meals or 13 days / 11 nights / 17 meals
IN LONDON:
- Accommodation at Thistle Grosvenor Hotel with private bath/shower for 3 nights
- 3 continental breakfasts (CB)
- Independent coach transfers to & from hotel
- Theater pass for selected shows
- Voucher for open-top bus tour
- "London for Less" - discounts on attractions and restaurants
IN IRELAND:
- Group transfers on arrival and departure
- Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
- Dublin open-top bus tour & Guinness or Jameson visit (13-day tour)
- Services of a professional Irish tour director
- Superior first class hotels with private bath/shower for 7 or 8 nights
- Full Irish breakfast daily (B)
- 6 dinners (D) including, Dinner & traditional Irish entertainment in Dublin at the Abbey Tavern, 5 Table d'hote dinners
- Welcome get-together drink
- Tour of Dublin with your tour director
- Ferry ride across the River Shannon
- Horse-drawn jaunting car ride in Killarney
- "Titanic" walking tour of Cobh
- Visits and admissions to Book of Kells at Trinity College, Stokestown Park House & Famine Museum, Kylemore Abbey, Cliffs of Moher, Essence of Kerry AV show, Muckross Gardens, Blarney Woollen Mills, Waterford Crystal Factory and Glendalough Monastic Site
- Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
- All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
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Superior First Class Hotels – 12 or 13 Day Coach Tour
This 12 or 13 day tour is a great mix of city and country. From the sophisticated cities of London and Dublin to the historical cities of Galway and Waterford. The spectacular Cliffs of Moher, the wilds of the Ring of Kerry the humble hush over Kylemore Abbey and the ruggedness of Connemara.
Day 1: Depart U.S. for London
Depart U.S. on your overnight flight to London. Relax with meal and entertainment services.
Day 2: London Arrival
Welcome to London! After immigration and baggage claim, take an independent coach transfer to your hotel. Coaches operate frequently beteween Heathrow Airport and your hotel, located near Victoria Station and Buckingham Palace. It is within easy reach of the shops of Knightsbridge, including the famous Harrods, and also the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
Days 2, 3 & 4: London
You may schedule your time as you wish for these three days. London has many attractions to choose from whatever your interests - history, art, theater, sports, shopping - it's all waiting for you. Take a sightseeing tour by double-decker bus to see the main attractions and find your way around the city (voucher is valid for 24-hour period). Use the included theater pass to choose from a selection of exciting shows in the West End, London's theater area. Your "London for Less" pass offers discounts on a variety of attractions and eateries in central London. (CB)
Day 5: Dublin Flight & Tour
Transfer to Heathrow Airport this morning to check in for your flight to Dublin which takes just over one hour. (London to Dublin flight is not included in land only price - please ensure that you have an airline ticket for this segment.) Arrive in Dublin Airport and go to the CIE Tours desk in the International Arrivals Hall where personnel will arrange a group transfer to your hotel before 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you will need to transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm your tour director will introduce you to Dublin's River Liffey, the wide O'Connel Street, tranquil St. Stephen's Green, the seat of government at Leinster House and other public buildings. See some of the elegant Georgian houses for which the city is famous. Visit Trinity College's Old Library to view the early illuminated manuscript of the Book of Kells and learn about its creation. Join your fellow travelers for a welcome drink and your tour director will advise you on restaurants to dine independently. (CB)
Day 6: Clonmacnoise & Galway
Leave Dublin and journey across the rolling pastures of Ireland's heartland to visit Strokestown Park House in County Roscommon. There are three parts to see - the 18th century mansion with its original furnishings; the four-acre walled garden, restored to look as it would have during the heyday of the estate; and the Famine Museum, which uses a combination of original documents and images to explain the circumstances of the 1840's Irish Famine. Drive to Galway and view the main sights of the city before checking into your deluxe, Victorian-era hotel, located in the center. Enjoy some free time to browse around on your own before dining in your hotel. Galway has many pedestrianized streets and lots of fun specialty stores and pubs. (B, D)
Day 7: Clifden & Kylemore Abbey
Today tour Connemara and admire sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. You will see sheep grazing freely and tracts of bogland where people hand-cut peat for home heating. Stop in Spiddal where you may hear locals chatting in the Irish language. Continue to Clifden for another stop in this delightful market town set between the Twelve Bens and sandy bays. Visit Kylemore Abbey, a 19th century neo-Gothic mansion, which is now a prestigious girls' school. Tour the exquisite chapel and reception rooms and stroll by the peaceful lake shore. Drive via Maam Cross, in the heart of Connemara and back to your hotel in Galway in ample time for dinner. (B, D)
Day 8: Cliffs of Moher & Killarney's Jaunting Car
Drive south around Galway Bay to see the Cliffs of Moher, which rise almost 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic surf. Then cross the wide River Shannon Estuary on a short ferry ride to Tarbert and travel through Listowel and Castleisland to Killarney. This little town is world-famous due to its exquisite location beside lakes and mountains. Check in to your deluxe hotel, dating from the 1840's and offering all modern facilities. Head out to view some of the scenery. Take a horse-drawn jaunting car ride through the Killarney National Park to Ross Castle, an old keep set on the shores of the Lower Lake with views of the mountains on the other shore. (B, D)
Day 9: Ring of Kerry & Muckross Gardens
Embark on Ireland's most popular scenic drive - the Ring of Kerry. This circular tour will reveal constantly-changing vistas of mountains, open Atlantic Ocean, beaches and cliffs. Stop near of Gap of Dunloe to view the Essence of Kerry audio-visual show to learn about the region's flora and fauna. Drive through the remote towns of Cahirciveen and Waterville and return through the colorful village of Sneem. Enjoy plenty of breaks to admire the natural beauty all along the way. At Moll's Gap for views and photos and stop at Muckross Gardens. Take a walk through these lovely old gardens to see mature trees, colorful shrubs and flowers. Return to Killarney for some free time before dinner. (B, D)
Day 10: Blarney & Titanic Walk
Leaving Killarney, head to the Blarney Woollen Mills where you can find excellent Irish-made merchandise. You will have time to walk around th village green or, if you feel energetic, you may like to climb Blarney Castle on your own to kiss the famous "Stone of Eloquence." Drive through the outskirts of Cork to the harbor town of Cobh, the last port of call for the Titanic. Take a walk around this picturesque waterside town and the dockside with a local historian to see places relating to Titanic's last stop. Travel east through the coastal towns of Youghal and Dungarvan and on to Waterford. Visit the Waterford Crystal Factory to see the cutting and polishing of this fine product and also the excellent display of trophies and stemware in the showrooms before heading to your hotel, an 18th century mansion. (B, D)
Day 11: Glendalough & Abbey Tavern
This morning travle north to discover the lovely scenery of the Wicklow Mountains. Visit Glendalough, a 6th century monastic site founded by St. Kevin. Learn about life in early Christian Ireland in the Visitor Centre and walk through the ruins of the many churches and a round tower set in a deep valley in the mountains. Drive to Dublin and check into your hotel. In the evening drive to the Abbey Tavern for dinner and a lively show with traditional Irish music, story-telling and step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 12: Depart for Home or Extra Day in Dublin
For those booked on our 12-day tour, 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. If you have booked our 13-day tour, spend an additional night in Dublin with an independent Dublin open-top bus tour pass (valid for 24 hours), a visit to Guinness or Jameson and a taxi transfer to Dublin Airport on the final day. (B)
B=Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast, D=Dinner
Hotels on this tour
- Thistle Grosvenor Hotel, London (3 nights)
- Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin (1 night)
- Hotel Meyrick, Galway (2 nights) (Hotel Westport, Westport for Jul 24 departure)
- The Malton Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
- Faithlegg House Hotel, Dun Laoghaire (1 or 2 nights)
- Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin (1 or 2 nights)
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