Irish Highlights

Tread in the footsteps of James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, through the lyrical streets of Dublin - your launch pad to a memorable encounter with Ireland's iconic highlights. This morning is yours to soak up the charming atmosphere of the quirky capital, before meeting a Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour with views of Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral and the stately Georgian Squares. Indulge in a little Irish craic this evening, joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a traditional Irish pub experience that will kickstart your holiday in style.

We journey to Galway, the City of Tribes, where we'll see its stone cathedral on the banks of the Corrib and spend some free time exploring its colourful façades. Irish traditions and heritage are explored during a fascinating visit to Bunratty Castle and its Folk Park, a living museum that reveals insights into life in Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. Be sure to drop into Mac's for a pint, meet the Bean an Tí and see if you can spot a fairy. Then travel to Limerick, our home for the night. Spend the rest of the evening at leisure enjoying the world-renowned hospitality of the Irish.

This morning view the 13th century King John's Castle overlooking the Shannon, St. Mary's Cathedral and the Treaty Stone during your orientation in Limerick. Our first stop is the spectacular sheer Cliffs of Moher where we will learn about their history during a visit to the 'Atlantic Edge' exhibition. After a picturesque coastal drive through the villages of Lahinch and Kilrush, we take the ferry across the Shannon estuary. Our home for the next two nights is the colourful little town of Killarney.

Circle the spectacular Ring of Kerry - its emerald green hills, centuries-old stone villages and vivid blue seascapes provide a breathtaking backdrop for our leisurely drive around this beautiful coastline that has inspired writers and poets for centuries. We'll see Daniel O'Connell's Cahirciveen, the fishing village of Waterville, Molls Gap and the Black Valley, renowned for being the last place in Ireland without electricity and telephone networks.

Cross the rugged Kerry Mountains and travel to Blarney Castle and kiss the stone that bears its name in pursuit of acquiring the 'gift of the gab'. En route to Waterford, we stop in the historic seaport town of Youghal, once home to Sir Walter Raleigh. This evening we dine in our hotel.

Enjoy a Cultural Insight into the centuries-old tradition of crafting fine glass at the House of Waterford Crystal where we'll watch the talented master craftsmen in their workshop creating exquisite pieces. Our next stop is in the town of New Ross where we'll see the monument to John F. Kennedy who travelled to his ancestral family hometown in 1963. We'll visit the three-masted famine ship Dunbrody and gain a Cultural Insight into the tragic plight of the Irish emigrants who fled the potato famine during the 1800s. Continuing through County Wexford and the lush countryside of County Wicklow, we journey to Dublin stopping en route at Glenealy Farmhouse for a Farewell Be My Guest dinner with the charming Fulvio family.

For now, it's time to say a fond slán abhaile to your fellow travellers as you close the curtain on an unforgettable journey through the Emerald Isle. Airport transfers are available. Conditions apply.