12 Day Irish Odyssey

Authentic Local Experiences:

Explore the picturesque little church at Ballintubber Abbey; located on an old pilgrim road, it’s been in continuous use for 800 years!
Visit a pub once owned by Páidí Ó Sé, an Irish sporting great, and the family pub of the late John B. Keane, one of Ireland’s finest playwrights.
Relax as you take in a special step-dancing display at the Cabra Castle Hotel.

Dining Experiences:

11 hot breakfasts (B), 1 lunch (L) and 9 dinners (D) including Taylors Three Rock Pub with a live show, Páidí Ó Sé’s Pub in Ventry with a talk on Gaelic sports, and the Walled City Brewery Restaurant in Derry.

This tour is run by CIE tours.

Irish Odyssey 12 Days / 11 Nights / 19 Meals

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

Day 1 Dublin City Tour & Kilmainham Gaol

• view Trinity College, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and the GPO. Tour Kilmainham Gaol, built in 1796, and hear stories of Ireland’s revolutionary leaders. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently.

Day 2 EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum | Taylors Three Rock Pub

• Visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, the world’s only fully digital museum, and discover the story of the 10 million people who have left Ireland over the last 1,500 years – and their impact on the world. Your afternoon is free to explore Dublin. Later, enjoy dinner and entertainment at Taylors Three Rock Pub.

(B, D)

Day 3 Farmhouse Visit | House of Waterford Crystal

• Visit a traditional farmhouse and learn about country life while enjoying tea and scones. At the House of Waterford Crystal, watch skilled artisans cut crystal into sparkling masterpieces. Continue along the coast to Cork city for dinner.

(B, D)

Day 4 Cork | Blarney Castle | Killarney

• Take a brief walking tour of Cork city with a local guide. Perhaps stroll through the English Market, where vendors have been selling local and artisanal foods since 1788. Visit Blarney Castle to climb the winding stairs and kiss its famed stone, or stroll the gardens. Enjoy the scenery as you head to colorful Kenmare. Stop at Moll’s Gap for marvelous views on your way to Killarney.

(B, D)

Day 5 Jaunting Car Ride | Dingle Peninsula | Sheepdog Demonstration

Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle and Kenmare Estate and see Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney’s lakes. Visit Moriarty’s in the Gap of Dunloe. Travel to the scenic Dingle Peninsula for views of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach, and rocky headlands. Enjoy a demonstration of highly-skilled sheepdogs herding sheep at a local farm. Enjoy dinner at Páidí Ó Sé’s pub in Ventry while you hear a fun talk on Gaelic sports.

(B, D)

Day 6 Cliffs of Moher | Galway

• Visit the family pub of the late famed playwright, John B. Keane for some tea and scones. One of Ireland’s most beloved writers, he wrote many works in a room behind the bar. Embark on a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary and drive along the coast of County Clare. Visit the Cliffs of Moher, soaring 700 feet above the Atlantic, and enjoy views of Connemara and the Aran Islands. Proceed on to vibrant Galway and join a local guide for a walking tour of the city’s historic heart.

(B, D)

Day 7 Lough Corrib Cruise (Seasonal) | Kylemore Abbey | Galway

Travel through Connemara for sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. Take a scenic cruise on Lough Corrib and sip some creamy Irish coffee (seasonal). Stop at Kylemore Abbey for a walk through this elegant mansion, set beside a tranquil lake. Return to Galway, where the rest of your day is free for independent sightseeing and dining.

Day 8 Ballintubber Abbey | Belleek Pottery | Derry

Travel north to Claremorris to visit Ballintubber Abbey, known as “the Abbey that refused to die,” Ireland’s only royal abbey, which has been in continuous use for more than 780 years. Visit Belleek Pottery, then follow the Atlantic shore to Donegal town, where you’ll visit Triona Design. Continue on through the majestic Barnesmore Gap to Derry.

(B, D)

Day 9 Giant’s Causeway | Derry Walking Tour | Walled City Brewery

• Explore the Giant’s Causeway, huge hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Back in Derry, join a local guide for a walk around this historic city’s medieval walls; take a walk across the Peace Bridge and complete your tour at the Walled City Brewery Restaurant. Enjoy a flight of the brewery’s craft beers with your dinner.

(B, D)

Day 10 Belfast Tour | Titanic Belfast

Visit the historic city of Belfast, taking a panoramic tour to see grand government buildings, the peace wall, and the docks where the RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Take a walking tour of the city with a local guide to learn an insider’s perspective. Then, the rest of the day will be yours to explore this fascinating city as you wish.

(B)

Day 11 Titanic Belfast | Long Meadow Cider | Farewell Dinner

Visit the magnificent Titanic Belfast, a high-tech attraction that will immerse you in the story of the doomed liner. Next, go to Long Meadow Cider, an award-winning family orchard, for a tour and tasting followed by a picnic lunch. Travel to Kingscourt and enjoy some free time in your luxury castle hotel, built in 1760 and set on 100 acres of gardens and parklands. In the evening, share a farewell dinner with your group.
(B, L, D)

Day 12 Tour Ends in Kingscourt

Your program ends after breakfast.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner