Day 1, Oct 2
Depart Little Rock Airport for Dublin, Ireland
Day 2, Oct 3 - Dublin City Tour
Following arrival at Dublin Airport, you will be met by your tour director and escorted to your awaiting motorcoach for a fascinating tour of the city of Dublin. Dublin was founded as a Viking settlement and home to the Irish Parliament since the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. On your tour you will see the Georgian Squares with their 18th Century houses, the Phoenix Park (the largest town park in Europe), statue-filled O’Connell Street, and the fashionable Grafton Street. You will visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, an architectural and historical site which has been at the heart of Dublin’s history for over 800 years. No visit to Dublin would be complete without a visit to the Guinness Brewery founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness. Here you will enjoy a guided tour which concludes with a leisurely pint of Guinness in the 360-degree rooftop bar while enjoying some spectacular views of Dublin City. This afternoon you will check into your hotel for an overnight stay and enjoy a welcome dinner in the hotel restaurant. Overnight: Dublin (B, D)
Day 3, Oct 4 - National Stud Farm / Rock of Cashel / Killarney
This morning you bid farewell to Dublin and travel south to County Kildare, the center of Ireland’s horse breeding industry where you will enjoy a guided tour of the Irish National Stud Farm. Since it bred its first winner, Minoru, in 1909, the stud farm at Tully has continued to produce many famous racehorses. Also on the grounds of the Stud Farm are the Japanese Gardens renowned for their symbolism of “The Life of Man” and the St. Fiacre Commemorative Garden. From here you continue to Cashel for a guided tour of the amazing Rock of Cashel. This was the seat of the Kings of Munster from 370 – 1101 and has early associations with St. Patrick. The group of medieval buildings includes a 12th-century Round Tower, a 13th-century Gothic Cathedral, and a 15th-century High Cross and Romanesque Chapel. You continue to Killarney, one of Ireland’s most popular towns, and check into your hotel for a two-night stay. This evening you will enjoy dinner in your hotel. Overnight: Killarney (B, D)
Day 4, Oct 5 - The Dingle Peninsula / Dingle Sheep Farm / Celtic Steps Show
This morning you embark on a tour of the unspoiled beauty of the Dingle Peninsula, once cited as the most beautiful place on earth by National Geographic. You will stop at the Brian de Stai Studio which specializes in Celtic jewelry, handcrafted, and engraved with ancient Celtic symbols and the letters of the ogham alphabet, an ancient Irish form of writing. As you continue around Slea Head, you will have breathtaking views of the Atlantic coastline and see some beehive huts (early monastic settlements) dating back over a thousand years. After free time in Dingle for lunch, we will visit the Dingle Sheep Farm for a peek into the daily workings of a sheep farm to see the border collie dogs at work rounding up the sheep. The tour continues to take us to the most westerly point of Ireland where you can view the Blasket Islands. You will also see the locations for such films as Ryan’s Daughter, Far and Away which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, and the more recently filmed Star Wars – The Last Jedi. Following free time for dinner in Killarney, you will enjoy The Celtic Steps show, a magical journey of music and dance through Ireland’s colorful past bringing together popular Irish dance with the best of traditional Irish music. Overnight Killarney (B)
Day 5, Oct 6 - Kenmare / West Cork / Wild Atlantic Way / Kinsale
Today we travel to Kenmare via a 20-mile stretch of the Ring of Kerry. After passing through Kenmare, one of Ireland’s few planned towns, we continue over the Caha Pass to West Cork. West Cork is home to many little ports, bays, inlets, and harbors and offers spectacular panoramic views. We continue along the Wild Atlantic Way to Kinsale, a historic fishing town on the southern coastline of Country Cork. Kinsale is known as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland and has many interesting shops and pubs scattered along the cobblestone streets. This evening we will enjoy dinner at our hotel overlooking Kinsale Harbor. Overnight: Kinsale (B, D)
Day 6, Oct 7 - Queenstown Story / Blarney Castle
This morning you travel to Cobh, one of the main points of emigration during the great famine. Here you will visit “The Queenstown Story” which portrays the hardship of life on board the ships as they sailed to the “New World”. Annie Moore, the first ever emigrant to be processed on Ellis Island (when it officially opened on 1st January 1892) also left from Cobh with her two brothers. Cobh was also the last port of call for the Titanic. You then continue to Blarney where you will have an opportunity to visit Blarney Castle and kiss the famous Blarney Stone which is said to bestow the gift of eloquence on all those who dare. On returning to Kinsale, you will have some free time to enjoy Kinsale. Overnight: Kinsale (B)
Day 7, Oct 8 - Cliffs of Moher / Dromoland Castle
After breakfast, we travel the coastal road through Limerick to the majestic Cliffs of Moher standing over 702 feet tall at their highest point. O’Brien’s Tower stands near the highest point and has served as a viewing point for visitors for hundreds of years. Following some free time to view the cliffs, your tour continues to the luxurious Dromoland Castle for an overnight stay. The castle built in the 16th century was once the royal seat of the O’Brien clan. It was refurbished and transformed into a luxury hotel in 1962 and retains priceless reminders such as splendid woodcarvings, stone statuaries and fine antique furnishings of the castle’s historic past. Dromoland Castle was also featured in the Hallmark Christmas movie released in 2021, Christmas at Castle Hart. This evening you will enjoy a private dinner in the castle’s elegant Terrace Room. Overnight: Dromoland Castle (B, D)
Day 8, Oct 9 - Connemara / Kylemore Abbey
After an incredibly delicious breakfast served in the castle’s restaurant, we depart Dromoland Castle and travel to Galway where you will begin your tour of Connemara. The landscape of Connemara is made up of mountains, lakelands, and boglands. Because of its wild and rugged beauty, it has been the location for many films, “The Quiet Man” with John Wayne and Maureen O Hara and in more recent times “The Field” starring Richard Harris. The scenery is magical and is a paradise for artists and photographers alike. You will visit Kylemore Abbey, built in 1866 and from 1920 to 2008 was home to the Benedictine Nuns. You can also visit the Abbey’s Victorian Walled Garden which is completely enclosed by a brick and limestone wall and the beautiful Gothic Church built by Mitchell Henry in memory of his wife who died four years after the castle was constructed. You then continue to Galway City where you will check into your hotel for an overnight stay and enjoy dinner in your hotel. Overnight: Galway (B, D)
Day 9, Oct 10 - Dublin / Book of Kells
We begin our journey through the rolling pastures of the Irish midlands back towards Dublin. We will visit Trinity College and explore the Long Room which houses 200,000 of Trinity College’s oldest books and is considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful libraries. We will also see the world’s most famous medieval manuscript, the Book of Kells. This 9th-century Latin manuscript of the four Gospels is written on vellum (prepared calfskin) and is one of Ireland’s greatest cultural treasures. We end the day with free time in Dublin before checking into our hotel and enjoying a farewell dinner with our group. Overnight: Dublin. (B, D)
Day 10, Oct 11
Depart Dublin for Little Rock airport
(B) Breakfast (D) Dinner
