Magical Ireland

Passengers who purchase flights will depart 1 day before the tour starts and return on the same day as the tour ends.

For flight details, see Before You Depart.

Welcome to Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. This city is deeply rooted in history and culture with a vibrant atmosphere. This afternoon, get familiar with your hotel and neighborhood with an orientation walk before hotel check-in. Join your Tour Director this evening for a welcome dinner and orientation.

Good morning, Dublin! Our guided exploration of this charming city features diverse experiences. First, we’ll enjoy a panoramic tour of Dublin. Our first stop is the magnificent Christchurch Cathedral and its medieval crypt which houses, among other things, Ireland’s first copy of the Magna Carta and a mummified cat and rat (known locally as Tom and Jerry). Visit Trinity College and the Book of Kells.* The rest of the day is at leisure. As Dublin's a walkable city, our Tour Director can direct you to local parks, pubs, and other sights to check out during our free time or consider joining our optional distillery tour of the Guinness Storehouse.

*Towards the end of 2023, the current visitor entrance in the Old Library will be relocated to a new entrance and exit via the new Visitor Centre in the Berkeley Podium which is located adjacent to the Berkeley Library. The new Visitor Centre will improve both accessibility and amenities to exhibition visitors.

Today we head to Belfast. Enjoy a hands-on baking demonstration with breads and sweet treats at a family home in County Down. Upon arrival, you will be offered a warm Irish welcome and a cup of coffee or tea and some homemade sweet treats. The session starts with a traditional Irish Fruit Soda Cake. This is a sweet treat and delicious with lots of homemade Irish butter. While the Fruit Soda Cake is baking in the stove oven, you will make some potato bread, or fadge as it's known in these parts, and Soda Bread. You will take home a bag filled with your handmade products and all of the recipes that we made here in a traditional Northern Irish house. Later, we arrive in historic Belfast. Highlights of your guided tour include the curious “leaning” Albert Memorial Clock, the Opera House, City Hall, Belfast’s legendary pub (Crown Bar), Queens University and the Botanic Gardens. We’ll also see Belfast’s most famous “peace wall,” where murals illustrate the 30-year conflict called The Troubles. Dinner tonight is included at your hotel.

Today we’ll learn more about a catastrophic event that has been captured in film, book, and television at the Titanic Belfast Experience. This must-see attraction uses special effects, full-scale reconstructions, and interactive features to bring the story of the ill-fated Titanic alive in a compelling way—from its sinking to present-day exploration. After our visit, the balance of the day is at leisure.

We enter Game of Thrones territory today as we travel along the remote North Antrim Coast. Our destination: The Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and geological wonder. You’ll learn all about the myths, legends, history and geology of this amazing phenomenon before we continue to the picturesque port town of Derry. We’ll enjoy a guided walking tour of Derry’s highlights and get the chance to stroll along wonderfully preserved medieval walls before dinner together.

Today’s journey takes us into County Sligo, where the contrast of still lakes and rugged uplands inspired Nobel Prize-winning poet W. B. Yeats. County Sligo is also home to the largest, oldest collection of Neolithic stone circles and dolmens, and we’ll stop to see these awesome Stone Age monuments at Carrowmore when it is open (closed Nov-Mar). Alternatively, we’ll visit the world-famous Belleek Pottery, housed in an imposing Victorian building. Our destination tonight is Galway, a harbor known for narrow streets, stone-clad buildings, and traditional pubs with live music. Maybe you’ll hear the popular song “The Galway Girl”! Enjoy an orientation tour of the city with a local guide and this evening we'll enjoy dinner together.

Explore Galway at your leisure or take our recommendation and spend a full day in the breathtaking, utterly romantic Connemara region, where we’ll visit the neo-goth Kylemore Abbey and take a scenic cruise on Killary Fjord. Read more about it under optional tours, and you’ll see why Oscar Wilde called the region “A Savage Beauty.” This evening, return to Galway.

Start the day with a visit to Rathbaun Farm to see a sheepdog herding demonstration and enjoy freshly baked scones. Our travels continue through The Burren, a unique limestone landscape that will make us feel like we've landed on the moon, and along the Wild Atlantic Way to Ireland’s most iconic sight, the majestic Cliffs of Moher. Standing 702 feet above the ground at their highest point, the cliffs boast magnificent views of the Atlantic coast and provide nesting sites for thousands of seabirds. On a clear day, you can see the Aran Islands. Later, we’ll take the Shannon Ferry over to County Kerry and proceed to the lovely town of Killarney. Dinner tonight is included at your hotel.

Killarney is a great base for our expeditions in County Kerry over the next two days. Today we’ll take the Ring of Kerry route, stopping for panoramic views at Molls Gap and Ladies View. We’ll enjoy free time in the picturesque heritage town of Kenmare, which is set on the Ring of Kerry and known for its natural beauty, gourmet dining and interesting craft shops. The afternoon is free to further explore Killarney. You won’t want to miss tonight’s optional Kate Kearney’s Cottage traditional Irish night with dinner.

Today we explore the Dingle Peninsula, quite possibly one of the most breathtaking spots in the world. Here, the Irish language and traditional ways are preserved, and we’ll enjoy a step back in time as we see mountains, beaches, dunes and the fishing village of Dingle. Enjoy some free time in Dingle Town. Our scenic drive continues along the Dingle Peninsula, bewitching us with dramatic beauty and brightly painted cottages. After returning to Killarney in late afternoon, your Tour Director will offer suggestions for a pub or restaurant for your evening meal.

Let’s capture a few castles today! Our first is the 5th-century Blarney Castle. Its famous Blarney stone is believed to bestow the “gift of gab” on those who kiss it. We’ll certainly be chatting up a storm as we continue our day with visits to the Blarney Woolen Mills (where you can purchase one of those gorgeous heritage sweaters!) and Adare, a picture-perfect village with pretty thatched cottages. Enjoy some free time to explore Adare before stopping for the night in Limerick, which may have inspired the humorous verses of the same name. We spend our last evening together in medieval style with a farewell dinner at Bunratty Castle or Knappogue Castle. Featuring a piper in full regalia, grand period ambiance and even goblets of mead, this candlelit feast with wine and entertainment is a fitting conclusion to our magical time in Ireland.

Our tour comes to an end after breakfast this morning. Travelers who purchased our air-inclusive program will transfer to the airport early this morning for our return flight to the U.S., touching down later today.