Emerald Isle

2012 Season
Departs From: Dublin

From 1,296EUR

Length:  10 days from Dublin to Dublin, or 11 days incl. travel

Overview

Enjoy an incredible journey through Ireland�s bustling cities and lush countryside. Begin in Dublin with an overnight and guided sightseeing that includes O�Connell Street, St. Patrick�s Cathedral, and Trinity College. Heading west, stop in Kildare at the Irish National Stud, then north to Longford�s Strokestown House for a tour of the mansion and to learn about the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s. Then travel to the pilgrimage village of Knock. Drive along the beautiful coastline, visiting Kylemore Abbey and a marble workshop. Spend two nights in the port city of Galway, featuring an included excursion to the Aran Islands and a genuine Irish farm experience. The Cliffs of Moher, Limerick, Killarney, the scenic Ring of Kerry, Blarney, the House of Waterford Crystal, and St. Kevin�s center of Irish Christianity at Glendalough are all on your agenda before returning to Dublin.

Duration:  10 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
01 June, 2012	10 June, 2012
08 June, 2012	17 June, 2012
15 June, 2012	24 June, 2012
29 June, 2012	08 July, 2012
06 July, 2012	15 July, 2012
13 July, 2012	22 July, 2012
20 July, 2012	29 July, 2012
27 July, 2012	05 August, 2012
03 August, 2012	12 August, 2012
10 August, 2012	19 August, 2012
24 August, 2012	02 September, 2012
14 September, 2012	23 September, 2012
14 September, 2012	23 September, 2012
21 September, 2012	30 September, 2012
28 September, 2012	07 October, 2012
05 October, 2012	14 October, 2012

City Highlights

Dublin
Welcome dinner; orientation drive

Kildare
Guided tour of the Irish National Stud

Strokestown House
Guided tour of the house and Famine Museum, and visit the gardens

Knock
Visit the religious site

Kylemore
Visit the Benedictine abbey

Connemara
Visit a marble workshop

Galway
Orientation

Aran Islands
Ferry to and from Inishmore, hear a presentation on life on the island by a local historian, take a minibus tour with a driver-guide, visit Dun Aengus

Rathbaun Farm
See the farmer at work, bake your own scones, and enjoy morning coffee in the farmhouse

Kilfenora
Visit The Burren Centre

Cliffs of Moher
Savor the spectacular views

Limerick
Orientation drive, visit King John�s Castle

Adare
Admire the thatched cottages

Ring of Kerry
Scenic peninsula drive

Killarney
Horse-drawn jaunting car ride

Blarney
Visit the famous village

Waterford
Guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal

Avoca
Guided tour of the handweaving mill

Glendalough
Guided tour of St. Kevin�s center of Irish Christianity

Note:

Due to the adventurous style of the Aran Islands excursion we recommend you bring suitable outdoor wear and comfortable shoes.

Day 1   Arrive in Dublin, Ireland. Check into your hotel. At 3 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for an afternoon orientation drive through statue-lined O�Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and past St. Patrick�s Cathedral and Oscar Wilde�s Trinity College. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 2   Dublin�Kildare�Strokestown�Knock�Claremorris. Horse-racing country this morning. Drive across the Curragh to the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare, whose thoroughbreds command respect on the racecourses of the world. Then, north to Longford for a visit to STROKESTOWN HOUSE for a guided tour of the restored 1740s mansion, a stroll through its fine gardens, and at the Famine Museum, an insight into the circumstances of the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s. Stop in Knock, a village that attracts pilgrims from all over the world since townsfolk saw apparitions, before arriving in Claremorris, in the heart of beautiful County Mayo, for your overnight stay. (B,D)

Day 3   Claremorris�Kylemore�Galway. Via Westport, head for the unspoiled region of Connemara, an area known for its hardy breed of ponies. Visit KYLEMORE ABBEY, a massive yet graceful castle acquired by Benedictine nuns as a precious heirloom for Ireland. At Moycullen, visit the Joyce family at their MARBLE WORKSHOP before arriving in the port city of Galway. Tonight�s recommendation: an optional evening at Dunguaire Castle, where the intimate banquet has an enlightening literary theme. (B)

Day 4   Galway. Excursion to the Aran Islands. At Rossaveal, board a comfortable, modern FERRY for the 45-minute crossing to Kilronan on Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands and where Gaelic is the first language of the islanders. Your fascinating day continues with a presentation on life on Inishmore by an island historian. After a lunch break, board a minibus to enjoy your driver/Local Guide�s commentary on a tour of the island, ending with a visit to clifftop DUN AENGUS, one of the most spectacular and dramatic prehistoric stone forts in Europe. Back in Kilronan, board your ferry back to the mainland. There are plenty of dining options in Galway this evening. (B)

Day 5   Galway�Kilfenora�Cliffs of Moher�Limerick. A real Irish farm experience at RATHBAUN FARM this morning. Try your hand at scone making, and learn from the farmer about sheep shearing and dog whistling. Afterwards, enjoy coffee and your scones fresh from the oven. Take the scenic route across the desolate limestone plateau known as The Burren, and stop for photos of prehistoric Poulnabrone Dolmen. At Kilfenora, take in THE BURREN CENTRE and learn about the time when this area lay beneath a warm tropical sea. In the nearby churchyard of the ancient cathedral, see the greatest concentration of high crosses in Ireland. At the CLIFFS OF MOHER, rising 668 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, savor the breathtaking panorama of the Clare coast. Tonight�s optional excursion is to a traditional Irish night, a fun ceili of song and dance in the setting of a village barn at Bunratty. (B)

Day 6   Limerick�Adare�Killarney. On this morning�s Limerick city tour, view the Treaty Stone and St. Mary�s Cathedral, and visit KING JOHN�S CASTLE in the medieval heritage precinct. South now via quaint Adare with its thatched cottages to the popular resort of Killarney, your destination for the next two nights. Later, maybe an entertaining optional evening in Tralee with dinner followed by tickets for Siamsa Tire National Folk Theatre. (B)

Day 7   Killarney. Ring of Kerry Excursion. Join the famed RING OF KERRY for a 100-mile panoramic drive around the island�s southwestern tip. Plenty to focus your camera on here: sparkling seascapes, mountains dotted with brightly colored farmhouses, winding lanes bordered with subtropical vegetation, and the breathtaking panorama of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View. Back in Killarney, a special treat: a fun-filled horse-drawn JAUNTING CAR RIDE through the national park with glorious vistas of the Lakes of Killarney and ancient Ross Castle. (B,D)

Day 8   Killarney�Blarney�Waterford. Across the Kerry Mountains, drive into County Cork for a visit to Blarney, renowned for its castle and magical Kissing Stone. Time for lunch, to walk up to the castle, and to shop for traditional Irish handicrafts. In the afternoon, proceed via Cork, Youghal, and Dungarvan to Waterford, a stronghold founded by the Danish Vikings in 853. Here, enjoy a visit to the HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL. (B,D)

Day 9   Waterford�Avoca�Glendalough�Dublin. Today�s agenda: Enniscorthy, site of the final battle of the Great Rebellion of 1798; Ireland�s oldest HANDWEAVING MILL at Avoca; and GLENDALOUGH, the early Christian monastic site founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. See the engaging audiovisual Ireland of the Monasteries, then let your Local Guide show you the remains of this ecclesiastical settlement. Back in Dublin tonight, why not join your traveling companions for a fitting farewell to Ireland: an optional cabaret evening with dinner and entertainment. (B)

Day 10   Dublin. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Meals:  Full Irish breakfast (B); 4 three-course dinners (D) with choice of menus, including a welcome dinner in Dublin

Hotel Information:  DUBLIN Hilton City (SF), CLAREMORRIS McWilliam Park (F), GALWAY Radisson Blu (SF), LIMERICK Strand (SF), KILLARNEY Killarney Towers (SF), WATERFORD Tower (F), DUBLIN Hilton Kilmainham (SF)


Terms and Conditions

Note: Flights are NOT included with the Tour and unless otherwise stated above transfers are also NOT included.

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