Jewels of Ireland

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Departure Date

October 01, 2024

Overview

What's included?

  • Full daily breakfast and many meals*
  • An evening of Irish entertainment  
  • Transportation (Buses, shuttles & ferries)
  • Welcome drinks with your group
  • Free Wi-Fi on luxury coaches
  • All entrance fees to attractions
  • Comprehensive travel itinerary

*Breakfast is not included on Day 1

Our welcome gift to you

  • A travel backpack
  • Travel adapter
  • Rain poncho
  • Luggage strap and tags
  • Documents wallet

Highlights

Explore hidden gems on the Emerald Isle

Enjoy the splendor of every corner on this leisurely Ireland tour of the essential—and the unexpected.

Trip details

Tour start: Dublin

Tour end: Dublin

13 Days

12 Nights

23 Meals

Your tour departs from your Dublin hotel at 2:00 PM. Experience a panoramic tour of the city, then visit Dublin Castle for a guided tour. Learn how the castle was the seat of power in Ireland for many centuries, and see the State Apartments, used today for official ceremonies and presidential inaugurations. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before enjoying an evening free to dine as you wish.

Tour Dublin independently, on a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour. Plus choose a visit to one of Dublin's top attractions - Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or GPO Museum. Join your group in the evening for a dinner of Irish specialties and a lively show at Taylors Three Rock Pub. (B, D)

Travel to Blarney Castle; climb the winding staircase to kiss its famous stone or enjoy the gardens. Go to Kinsale, a picturesque old fishing town now known for art galleries and gourmet food. Join a local guide for a fascinating walk around its historic streets, once besieged by the Spanish Armada, before dinner in your hotel. (B, D)

Enjoy free time to discover the bustling, friendly town of Killarney. Next, visit Moriarty's in the Gap of Dunloe, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner. Continue on to Dingle, where you will dine at your hotel. (B, D)

Set out on the Slea Head Loop, one of Ireland's most beautiful drives, through scenic ocean and mountain vistas. Visit the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn about the Blasket Islands, visible off the coast. Abandoned in 1954, they were once a lively outpost of traditional culture and language. Return to Dingle and visit Murphy's Ice Cream; taste their distinctive flavors like Irish Orange Marmalade, Brown Bread, and Dingle Gin. Take the rest of the day to wander and dine as you wish in this quaint seaside village. (B)

Visit the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, which recalls air travel in the 1930s and 1940s. Drive to the magnificent Cliffs of Moher, soaring 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. In the evening, head to a castle for a medieval-style banquet with traditional songs and stories. (B, D)

Travel through the rounded limestone hills of the Burren to Caherconnell and watch skilled dogs round up sheep. Stop in a charming Burren village to explore independently. Continue on to lively Galway for a walking tour with a local guide - check out the medieval history evident in the city walls, the narrow streetscape, and Lynch's Castle. Explore the charming shops and perhaps listen to some street musicians before dinner at your hotel. (B, D)

Drive through Connemara to Leenane for a catamaran cruise (seasonal) of Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fjord. Travel on to see Kylemore Abbey, a beautiful castle in a lakeside setting. Enjoy an evening free to explore vibrant, artistic Galway city. (B)

Travel north through County Mayo. Stop in County Fermanagh and visit Belleek Pottery to see craftspeople create their renowned fine china. Visit Donegal Castle, built by the O'Donnell chieftains in the 15th century and restored in the 1990s after falling into ruin for centuries. Enjoy free time in Donegal town before dinner at your hotel this evening. (B, D)

Enjoy a coastal drive to view Slieve League, Europe's highest sea cliffs. Continue on to CIE Tours preferred shopping partner, Triona Design Donegal Tweed Centre in Ardara; see demonstrations of spinning, weaving and knitting. Enjoy free time to explore before returning to the hotel for dinner. (B, D)

Meet with a local guide for a walking tour to see Derry's medieval walls, the Diamond, and St. Columb's Cathedral. Explore the Giant's Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Travel along the scenic Nine Glens of Antrim before arriving in Belfast. Dine this evening at the Cultra Inn at the Culloden Estate & Spa. (B, D)

Enjoy a leisurely morning at your luxury hotel and then depart for Belfast, where a panoramic tour will show you its grand Victorian buildings and introduce you to its maritime history. Visit Titanic Belfast to explore the story of the doomed ocean liner, built in the local shipyards in 1912. Continue on to Dublin where the evening is free to do as you wish. (B)

Your tour ends after breakfast. (B)