Scenic Ireland

Cead mile failte-a hundred-thousand welcomes!

This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Seacliff Rocks & Sheep Flocks

CLIFFS OF MOHER: Visit the 668-foot-high cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean.

RATHBAUN: Visit Rathbaun Farm to try your hand at scone baking to enjoy with coffee and learn about sheep herding on this Irish farm.

GALWAY: Free time. (B/D) 161 mi / 259 km

LOCAL FAVOURITE - LOCAL TASTES: Someone's in the kitchen in Rathbaun Farm, just outside of Galway. You can don an apron and whip up your own delicious home-made scones, served with fresh preserves and whipped cream. Learn about the long-time tradition of sheep farming in this beautiful Irish landscape.

Abbey Roads & Irish Roses

KYLEMORE: Visit the Benedictine abbey and gardens.

WESTPORT: Free time. (B/D) 104 mi / 167 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - CULTURE & TRADITION: Nestled between the woodlands and lakeshore near Galway City, Kylemore Abbey is home to the Benedictine Sisters who have been in residence since 1920 in a life of prayer, work, and community. The history of this stunning abbey reaches back to the 1800s as the estate of Irish patriot Mitchell Henry. Visit the abbey where handmade chocolates, wild Irish honey, and traditional fuchsia pottery are sold. Stroll the lovely grounds of Ireland's largest walled garden in the heart of the Connemara countryside.

Ancient Walls and Giant Steps in Northern Ireland

DERRY : Walk on the city walls with a Local Guide.

GIANT'S CAUSEWAY: See more than 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed millions of years ago. (B) 203 mi / 328 km

LOCAL FAVOURITE - HISTORIC SPOT: Derry is known as the only remaining completely walled medieval city in Ireland and one of the best-preserved walled cities in Europe. Walk around the 17th-century fortification masterpiece with 7 gates and 24 cannons while also discovering a city full of history, heritage and culture.

A Grand Ship & Great Sights

BELFAST: On the "Living History" tour with a Local Guide see City Hall, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower, Queen's University, and the Parliament Buildings at Stormont. Visit the Titanic Belfast Experience, followed by free time this afternoon. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - HISTORIC SPOT: Explore the fascinating Titanic Belfast Experience for an in-depth look at the history and mystery of the legendary ocean liner. See artifacts and amazing accounts of Belfast's boom in shipping and those who built her. Learn about the courage and loss of all involved on a fateful night in April 1912. Get an immersive look at the launch, sinking, and final resting place of the doomed ship, with myths and reality revealed.

Belfast's Big House

BELFAST: Guided tour of Hillsborough Castle.

CARLINGFORD: Stop at a village on the Cooley Peninsula. (B) 121 mi / 200 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - ART & ARCHITECTURE: Hillsborough Castle is called the "grandest house in County Down" with an equally grand history of royal and political residents. Today, the Irish "big house" near Belfast is the official home of Northern Ireland's secretary of state and of the Royal Family when they visit.

Ireland's Capital City

DUBLIN: Take a morning orientation drive to see O'Connell Street, Georgian squares, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Trinity College. Free time. (B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - CITY SIGHTS: "In Dublin's fair city where girls are so pretty," you'll also find great personality and charm. The charisma of Dubliners and the bounty of pubs here is matched only by the gorgeous Georgian Squares, 12th-century St. Patrick's Cathedral, and legendary library of Trinity College.

Medieval History and Crystal Making Mystery

KILKENNY: See one of Ireland's most cosmopolitan yet quaint towns with medieval cobblestones.

WATERFORD: Take a guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal. (B/D) 119 mi / 191 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - LEGENDS & LORE ': There once were two cats from Kilkenny. Each thought there was one cat too many.' Find out why people from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'cats' while visiting the medieval town also known as 'Marble City'.

Irish Storytelling

WATERFORD: Take a city walk with a Local Guide.

BLARNEY: Visit the village and Blarney Castle known for its magical Kissing Stone. (B/D) 105 mi / 171 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - LEGENDS & LORE: Cut the blarney and hear the history of how telling tales is forever linked to the 15th-century castle and the village below in Blarney. One of the last estate villages that remain standing in Ireland, the village was built by an 18th-century landlord to house the castle workers there. It's true!

Heaven on Earth

GARINISH ISLAND: Private boat crossing followed by a walk of the island.

RING OF KERRY: Panoramic drive around part of Ireland's spectacular southwestern peninsula. (B) 100 mi / 158 km

LOCAL FAVOURITE - PICTURE PERFECT: In the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Southwest Ireland's Bantry Bay lies a place called heaven by frequent visitor, George Bernard Shaw. Stepping off your private boat onto the slip here, you'll soon discover why this lush garden island and home to the historic Bryce house has enamored generations of visitors, including mystery author Agatha Christie. Explore this horticultural heaven with a walk through one of the most renowned gardens in Europe.

Rugged Good Looks

DINGLE PENINSULA: Visit the Blasket Islands Centre and stop in Dingle.

KILLARNEY: Free time this evening. (B/D) 107 mi / 172 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - LEGENDARY LIVES: Irish history comes alive on the Dingle Peninsula with a view beyond the breathtaking shores of the Wild Atlantic Way, where Irish families once lived off the land and sea on the Blasket Islands. The Blasket Islands Centre on the peninsula's edge tells the story of these hearty people and their stories that live on in the prolific Irish literature of the 1800s islanders. Today, the town of Dingle is a vibrant spot and mecca for curious characters, artists, and artisans.

Irish Eyes & Cheeky Rhymes

KILLARNEY: Visit Muckross House.

ADARE: Stop at the quaint village to see its thatched cottages.

LIMERICK: Free time. (B) 68 mi / 110 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT - PHOTO OPS: There once was a town called Adare, with charm that was beyond compare... Adare's charming thatched-roof cottages create visual poetry in County Limerick, some say the prettiest village in Ireland.

Safe travels until we meet again!

Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)