Country Roads of Ireland - End Dublin, Classic Group, Winter

Country Roads of Ireland - End Dublin, Classic Group, Winter

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Country Roads of Ireland - End Dublin, Classic Group, Winter

12 Days Starting and ending in Dublin

Visiting: Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Cork, Blarney Castle, Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula Fishing and Hunting, Adare, Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden, Drumcliff, Londonderry, Giant's Causeway, Ballygalley, Antrim Coast Road Memorial, Belfast

Tour operator:

Insight Vacations

Tour code:

W909A117

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

20 - 40

Physical rating:

Low

Age range:

5-99

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Vegans, Advise specific requests

Tour operated in:
English
Interests:

Cultural, History

Activities:

Sightseeing, Walking

This tour is no longer available

Tour Overview

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, try your hand at hurling, a 3,000-year-old sport, in a private lesson with a professional. 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.

Highlights

  • Let the luck of the Irish be with you on this 12-day guided tour across Ireland. In Dublin, get up close to the Book of Kells, an ancient Gospel manuscript filled with mythical beasts and Celtic knots.

  • In Kilkenny, try your hand at hurling, a 3,000-year-old sport, in a private lesson with a professional. 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.

  • 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.

Places You'll See

Cliffs Of Moher

Itinerary

Expand All
Day 1 : Welcome To Dublin
Location: Dublin
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Trinity City Dublin. Clayton Burlington Road Dublin
Meals Included: Dinner

On arrival at Dublin airport, transfers leave for your hotel at 08:30, 11:00 and 13:00. Join your Travel Director at 18:00 for a warm and friendly Welcome Dinner, with the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other over a meal with wine.

Day 2 : In Dublin’S Fair City Relaxed Start
Location: Dublin
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Trinity City Dublin. Clayton Burlington Road Dublin
Meals Included: Breakfast

Become acquainted with Dublin’s elegant squares during an orientation of the city. Discover Custom House, Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Enjoy entrance to the 9th century Book of Kells and a walk through the cobbled courtyards of Trinity College accompanied by a Local Expert, who will share their insights into modern life and the establishment’s impressive history. The afternoon is free to explore.

Day 3 : A Journey From Dublin To Cork
Location: Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Cork
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Maldron South Mall Cork City
Meals Included: Breakfast

Travel to the medieval city of Kilkenny, home of the world's fastest field game. The ancient Celtic sport of Hurling is over 3,000 years old and Ireland's national sport. Meet an experienced player who will share his passion as you test your skill during a lesson. 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.

Day 4 : Across The Mountains To Killarney Relaxed Start
Location: Blarney Castle, Killarney
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Killarney Plaza and Spa
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Travel to the ruined Blarney Castle. Will you hang upside down from the ramparts to kiss the stone and ensure a lifetime of eloquence? Or enjoy a sensory walk in the extensive and varied estate gardens. Travel across the majestic Derrynasaggart Mountains to the peaceful town of Killarney. For your Farm-to-Table dining experience, enjoy some Irish home cooking in the kitchens of chef John Sheehan. Join John and Freda, your hosts at the 19th Green Guesthouse, and savour the delicious flavours 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.

Day 5 : Ring Of Kerry Experience Relaxed Start
Location: Ring of Kerry, Killarney
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Killarney Plaza and Spa
Meals Included: Breakfast

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. 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.

Day 6 : Around The Dingle Peninsula
Location: Dingle Peninsula Fishing and Hunting, Adare
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Fitzgeralds Woodlands House & Spa Limerick
Meals Included: Breakfast

In the morning, take to the wide skies, peaceful towns and coastal scenery of the Dingle Peninsula - the setting for the film Ryan’s Daughter. Drive to dramatic Slea Head at the peninsula’s far end, then continue through the picturesque thatched village of Adare and pass Limerick, famous for rhymes, before reaching your hotel.

Day 7 : The Cliffs Of Moher And Galway
Ethan
Location: Cliffs of Moher, Galway
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Harbour Galway
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Journey to the Visitor Centre at the 700-foot 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 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 US President, John F. Kennedy.

Day 8 : Free Day Galway Or Kylemore Abbey Relaxed Start
Location: Galway, Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Harbour Galway
Meals Included: Breakfast

Spend a day at leisure to relax and enjoy Galway. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to Kylemore Abbey, fo unded for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I?

Day 9 : Londonderry
Location: Drumcliff, Londonderry
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Maldron Derry Londonderry
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Continue on to County Sligo, stopping at a peaceful churchyard in Drumcliffe to visit the final resting place of Ireland's famous poet, William Butler Yeats. Admire the Blue Stack Mountains of Donegal as you cross into Northern Ireland, bound for the ancient walled city of 'Derry.'

Day 10 : Walk In The Giant’S Steps On The Way To Ballygally Relaxed Start
Location: Giant's Causeway, Ballygalley
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Ballygally Castle
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

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 steep Shipquay Street, with its elegant Georgian houses, to the Gothic Guildhall. Journey to the iconic Giant's Causeway for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Learn how the National Trust is enabling farming and biodiversity to work together, supporting both wildlife and quality food production. Next, prepare yourself for miles of breathtaking beauty as you travel along the road clinging to the Antrim Coast. Continue onto your hotel, overlooking Ballygally Bay. For those who are brave enough, perhaps check out The Ghost Room, in one of the castle’s turrets? In the evening, please join us for a finale Celebration Dinner, where old-fashioned hospitality is blended with good food and wine for an experience that delights the senses.

Day 11 : The Antrim Coast To Belfast Relaxed Start
Location: Antrim Coast Road Memorial, Belfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Europa Belfast
Meals Included: Breakfast

Continue around the Antrim Coast, past the huge Norman castle at Carrickfergus, to arrive in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast. Meet Hilda, 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.

Day 12 : Depart Dublin
Location: Dublin
Meals Included: Breakfast

An early departure transfer will arrive at Dublin airport at 08:00.

What's Included

  • Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.

  • Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.

  • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.

  • Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.

  • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).

  • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.

  • Accommodation

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Meals

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Airport Transfers at Destination

    If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

What's Not Included

Check out our Q&As

  • Is free Wi-Fi available in the accommodation used?

    Yes

  • Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?

    Yes

  • Is the tour coach air conditioned?

    Yes

  • Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?

    Yes, as detailed in the itinerary

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

  • Are flights included in this tour?

    No

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What is the fitness level required to do this tour?

    Low

  • Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?

    Yes

  • What is the maximum group size?

    40 people on a Classic Tour

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    Yes, ages 5 years & over

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    We regret that no refunds can be made for absences from a tour, including experiences such as missed meals or sightseeing.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Since 1978.

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Insight Vacations is a founding member of the TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative created by the brands within The Travel Corporation (TTC) almost 15 years ago to ensure our impact through tourism is positive. Our ethos to #MakeTravelMatter guides our decision-making at every level of our business.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    You have two options as a solo traveller. Either choose to be matched with a same sex partner for a room share - at no extra cost. Or choose a room of your own with a reduced or even free private room upgrade on select tours.

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies

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Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Insight Vacations requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of insight vacations charges.

    Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.

    At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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