Highlights of Ireland Itinerary
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Day 1
Today you arrive in Dublin and you can take a public bus or taxi to the city centre. Alternatively we can arrange a private transfer. Overnight in your hotel in Dublin.
Day 2
Full Irish Breakfast at hotel. You will then take a city tour of our wonderful capital city. You are provided with tickets for the hop-on hop off tour of Dublin. This fun and friendly 90 minute tour is complete with live commentary. Stops along the tour route include: Trinity College, The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol and the Old Jameson Distillery. After lunch, you will enjoy some free time. Overnight in your Hotel in Dublin.
Day 3
Full Irish Breakfast at hotel. Today you will go to the Dublin Tourism Office and take part in a full day tour of the Wicklow Mountains, Valleys & Lakes. This tour will take the scenic route out of Dublin through the Wicklow Gap and the Blessington Lakes, including a photo stop enroute. The tour continues to the pretty village of Avoca, with time to enjoy the Avoca Handweavers and its craft shop, reputed to be the oldest weaving mill in Ireland. Then onto the highlight of the tour, Glendalough, “glen of the two lakes” a truly spellbinding place, home to the impressive 10th century round tower. Return to Dublin in the late afternoon.
Day 4
After your breakfast in your hotel you will pick up your rental car in Dublin and drive to Galway. (Total journey: approx. 3.5 hours). Known for its festivals, music and bars, Galway is a vibrant, fun loving city. Galway is the capital of the Gaelic West and it’s the only city in the country where you might possibly hear Irish spoken. Park your car and then take a stroll around Galway city. This is one of Ireland’s most fun cities. There are great pubs and cafes dotted along the narrow streets. Quaint art galleries and ornate churches are also to be found. Overnight in your hotel in Galway.
Day 5
Today you will leave Galway by car and travel through the Burren: a limestone plateau occupying an area of over one hundred square miles in North Clare. It is an area of scenic attractions where the clear light, reflected from the stone-grey hills, seems to radiate an air of timelessness, which is made more realistic by the presence of the many prehistoric remains that dot the fields and the valleys beneath. Here the unfolding layers of limestone form terraces on the slopes of the hills – a limestone desert but with a quick-changing landscape. Afterwards you will drive to the Cliffs of Moher, 700 foot cliffs towering over the Atlantic Ocean. From the cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South. Return to your Hotel. Overnight in your hotel in Galway.
Day 6
Full Irish Breakfast at your hotel. Drive through Connemara – one of the most romantic areas in Ireland and Gaelic is still spoken in some parts. Drive through the town of Clifden, which houses a number of craft stores. Then enjoy the rugged scenery of Connemara, the barren landscape and lakes dispersed through the country side. Return to Galway.
Day 7
Drive back to Dublin and leave your rental car at the airport. Bid farewell to the Emerald Isle.
