SACRED IRELAND
JOURNEY WEST TO EAST, TRACING THE FOOTSTEPS OF IRELAND'S DEVOTED AND FAITHFUL.
Ireland's soul-stirring natural beauty provides the perfect backdrop for an engaging encounter with the island's centuries-old religious heritage, revealed in cathedrals, ancient towns and the lush green countryside.
About this trip
What's included,8 NIGHTSAccommodation,12 MEALS,8 breakfasts, 4 dinners (including Be My Guest)
The Trafalgar difference
Go foraging with Oonagh and enjoy the fruits of what you've found at a 'Be My Guest' lunch at the O'Brien's homely Barrtra Seafood restaurant overlooking beautiful Liscannor Bay. (Day 4)
Visit Brigit's Garden and learn about Celtic heritage and mythology amidst the surrounding woodlands and wildflower meadows. Weave your own Brigit's Cross. (Day 2)
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Visit the Glasnevin Cemetery Museum in Dublin, where you'll learn about the cemetery's importance to Irish history and how your visit helps to fund the cemetery's preservation. (Day 8)
LOCAL SPECIALIST
For included sightseeing in Westport, Ballintubber Abbey and Glasnevin Trust.
Sightseeing highlights
ATTEND MASS in Knock
CITY TOUR in Waterford and Dublin
SMALL GROUP SIGHTSEEING of Brigit's Celtic Garden and Ballintubber Abbey
ORIENTATION in Galway and Waterford
VISIT Galway Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, Kylemore Abbey, Croagh's Patrick Visitor Centre, Poulnabrone Dolmen, Blarney Castle, Glendalough Monastic City, Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin
VIEW the Victorian Walled Garden in Galway, the statue of St. Patrick in Westport, the Marian Shrine in Knock, the Cliffs of Moher and the Book of Kells in Dublin
SCENIC DRIVE of the Ring of Kerry
Travel highlights
Daily breakfast and up to half your evening meals
Luxury air-conditioned coach with WiFi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
Optional Experiences and free time
All porterage and restaurant gratuities
Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
Handcrafted Highlights
VIP entry to many sights
Itinerary:
Day 1
Arrive Shannon – Galway
Europe's Capital of Culture extends a warm welcome as you prepare to discover a land where religious beliefs run deep in the hearts and minds of the locals. You'll enjoy an orientation of Galway with your Travel Director before paying a visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, built in the mid-20th century. This evening, you'll join your Travel Director and companions at a Welcome Reception to begin your trip.
Hotel - Maldron Oranmore
Included Meals - Welcome Reception
Day 2
Galway – Westport
'Dive Into Culture' and celebrate nature and the cycle of life when you visit the award-winning Celtic gardens at Brigit's Garden set within woodlands and wildflower meadows in Rosscahill. Join a weaving workshop and create your own Brigit's Cross. Leave your tranquil surrounds behind and continue to Kylemore Abbey, a magnificent castle-like structure built as a family home and transformed into a Benedictine monastery. See its magnificent Victorian Walled Garden before continuing to Westport. En route, we'll stop at Croagh Patrick Visitor Centre to see the statue of St. Patrick at the foot of the 'Holy Mountain'. This evening, we'll dine at our hotel.
Hotel - Westport
Included Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3
Westport – Knock
Meet your 'Local Specialist' this morning for a walking tour during which you'll learn about the town's heritage - from its settlement 5,000 years ago to modern times. Next enjoy a Small Group Sightseeing guided tour of Ballintubber Abbey, the only church in Ireland founded by an Irish king that is still in use. Then continue to the pilgrimage town of Knock to view the Marian Shrine where villagers witnessed an Apparition of Our Lady in 1878. This evening you will have an opportunity to experience Mass at the Parish Church.
Hotel - McWilliam Park
Included Meals - Breakfast
Day 4
Knock – Co. Kerry (2 Nights)
Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way provides a beautiful backdrop for our visit to Poulnabrone Dolmen, one of the country's most iconic archaeological and oldest megalithic monuments. Learn what lies below these mystical stones before a memorable encounter with the Cliffs of Moher, which plunge dramatically into the Atlantic Ocean. We 'Connect With Locals' and join Oonagh to forage for ingredients that will be used to create our 'Be My Guest' lunch at Barrtra Seafood restaurant. Cross the Shannon Estuary next, keeping a keen eye out for dolphins as the Tarbert Ferry makes the brief crossing between Counties Clare and Kerry.
Hotel - The Rose
Included Meals - Breakfast, Be My Guest
Day 5
Ring of Kerry Excursion
Ireland's soul-stirring Ring of Kerry takes centre stage today as we embark on a scenic drive past its mountains, lakes and lush green countryside - unquestionably one of the most scenic routes in Ireland. We'll see Daniel O'Connell's Cahirciveen, the fishing village of Waterville, Moll's Gap and Black Valley, whose remoteness saw it become the last area in Ireland to receive electricity.
Included Meals - Breakfast
Day 6
Co. Kerry – Blarney Castle – Youghal – Waterford
Your first stop today is a memorable visit to Blarney Castle to kiss the stone and acquire the 'gift of the gab'. Now, it's on to the seaport town of Youghal, once home to Sir Walter Raleigh. Later this afternoon, you'll arrive in Waterford, once a thriving Viking settlement and your home for the night.
Hotel - Marina
Included Meals - Breakfast
Day 7
Waterford – Glendalough – Dublin (2 Nights)
We journey to the peaceful 6th-century monastic ruins at Glendalough which survived repeated Norman attacks over the centuries. Arriving in Dublin later today, you'll embark on a sightseeing tour of the Irish capital. Walk the cobbled courtyard of Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, before enjoying a spiritual encounter, as many have for over 1,500 years, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland.
Hotel - Clayton Leopardstown
Included Meals - Breakfast
Day 8
Dublin
Join an informative and poignant tour with a 'Local Specialist' at Glasnevin Trust this morning. Our visit will 'Make a Difference' to its efforts to preserve Irish history and we'll hear stories about some of the country's bravest characters. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Our pilgrimage nearing its end, we join our Travel Director and fellow travellers for a memorable Farewell Dinner.
Included Meals - Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Day 9
Depart Dublin
Say farewell to new friends and take a transfer to the airport for your onward journey.
Included Meals - Breakfast