Duration
12 Days
From
$5805
Tour Code: INS-Country
Coach Tours
Country Roads of Ireland
The Emerald Isle’s Best: A 12-Day Guided Tour of Ireland & Northern Ireland
Let the luck of the Irish be with you on this 12-day guided tour across Ireland. Start the tour in Dublin, where you get up close to the Book of Kells, an ancient Gospel manuscript filled with mythical beasts and Celtic knots. In Kilkenny, visit the majestic Kilkenny Castle. A chef will share traditional Irish recipes at a farm-to-table feast in Killarney. You’ll see the Ring of Kerry, a mystical, verdant peninsula dotted with seaside villages. Finally, step onto Giant’s Causeway with it’s basalt columns carved onto the coast by volcanic lava, or a giant’s feet, if Irish myth is to be believed.
Locally Sourced Farm-to-Table Meal at 19th Green Killarney
Meet passionate guesthouse owners John and Freda at their beautiful home in Killarney, where you’ll hear more about their farm-to-table concept, while enjoying a delicious meal made from fresh ingredients sourced within a five mile radius.
John and Freda have a policy that all food is sourced locally from farms and the coast of the Emerald Isle. They educate their visitors about sustainable consumption and the benefits of eating fresh homegrown produce.
This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production.
Included in your tour
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Handpicked 4 & 5 star hotels in great locations
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Superior dining in top rated restaurants
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Daily breakfasts & many relaxed morning starts after 9am
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24/7 personal service – knowledgeable Travel Director & expert Driver
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‘Business Class’ style coaches with extended legroom*
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Insider Access, Insightful Encounters and Insight Choice experiences
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Local discovery led by Local Experts
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Porterage, plus tips and gratuities at hotels and restaurants, is included
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 - Welcome to Dublin
Join your Travel Director for a warm and friendly Welcome Dinner, with the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other over a meal with wine.
Included Meals: Dinner
Day 2 - In Dublin’s Fair City
Hotel: Clayton Hotel Burlington Road
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 - A Journey from Dublin to Cork
Continue through Cahir and see its imposing 13th-century castle, featured in the film ‘Excalibur’, on the way to Cork. On arrival, your Travel Director will show you around the compact university city, with its vibrant waterfront and grand Georgian parades.
Hotel: The Kingsley Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 - Across the Mountains to Killarney
Travel to the ruined Blarney Castle and Gardens. Will you hang upside down from the ramparts to kiss the stone and ensure a lifetime of eloquence? Travel across the majestic Derrynasaggart Mountains to the lively town of Killarney. For your Farm-to-Table dining experience, enjoy some Irish home cooking in the kitchen of chef John Sheehan. Join John and Freda, your hosts at the 19th Green Guesthouse, and savor the delicious flavors of fresh local cuisine on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Gather together at a Farm-to-Table dinner, using responsibly sourced ingredients from the local community, and gain personal insight into classic Irish recipes that are loved throughout the world.
Hotel: Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Ring of Kerry Experience
Ring of Kerry Experience
Start your day with Insight Choice. Choose a memorable ride on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys. Alternatively, join a gentle hike with a Local Expert along the lake shore and past the grounds of Ross Castle, admiring the incredible scenery of the National Park.
While there aren’t any mountains to climb, walkers should be fit, have good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen and rain gear. Then explore around the magnificent Ring of Kerry. Here, mountains, valleys, lakes and sea blend into a landscape that is breathtaking beyond words. Journey past lush lakelands and around towering cliffs as you appreciate sweeping sea views. Continue through delightful villages like Sneem and cross the peat bogs of the Black Mountains to Moll’s Gap to admire Queen Victoria’s Ladies View.
The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Maybe take the opportunity to hire a bicycle and enjoy one of the many scenic trails around the lake or through the National Park.
Hotel: Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 - Around the Dingle Peninsula
Depart Killarney and journey to the rugged beauty of the Dingle Peninsula, following the scenic Slea Head Drive. Travel past windswept cliffs, golden beaches and ancient stone dwellings, with views stretching to the remote Blasket Islands. In the afternoon, head north to Tarbert, where you’ll board a ferry to cross the Shannon Estuary to Killimer, a historic crossing point where Ireland’s longest river meets the Atlantic. Keep an eye out for bottlenose dolphins, often seen in these waters. Continue to Ennistymon, a charming market town known for its traditional shopfronts and cascading river falls and settle into your hotel for the evening.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 - The Cliffs of Moher and Galway
Travel to the Visitor Center at the 214 m (702 ft) Cliffs of Moher. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Clare Coast before a delightful drive through the strange, rocky landscape of the Burren to Galway Bay. On arrival, see the Lynch Memorial and Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, where Christopher Columbus reputedly prayed before his voyages to America. See the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square, dedicated to the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
Hotel: Connemara Coast Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Free day Galway or Aran Islands
Spend a day at leisure to relax and enjoy Galway. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to the Aran Islands? A genuine highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way. With their cliffs and spectacular coastal views, the islands are a true Irish experience.
Hotel: Connemara Coast Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Explore Derry/Londonderry
Admire the Blue Stack Mountains of Donegal as you cross into Northern Ireland, bound for the ancient walled city. What better way to experience sightseeing than with one of Northern Ireland’s best storytellers, Ronan, as he takes you on a tour inside the city walls, still topped with cannons. Walk down Shipquay Street, with its elegant Georgian houses, to the Gothic Guildhall.
Hotel: Maldron Hotel Derry
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - Walk in the Giant’s Steps
Hotel: Ballygally Castle Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 - The Antrim Coast to Belfast
Continue around the Antrim Coast, past the huge Norman castle at Carrickfergus, to arrive in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast. Meet your Local Expert for a passionate city tour including views of the City Hall, Queen’s University, the Parliament Building at Stormont and murals in different locations indicating political sentiments of local residents.
Hotel: Titanic Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 - Depart Belfast
For your departure transfer, you’ll first stop at George Best Belfast City Airport before continuing to Belfast International Airport. The journey between the two airports takes approximately 45 minutes.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Dates & Pricing
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