Travel with Your Own Driver
Enjoy a Tailored Commentary
All Hotels Prebooked
Lunch and Dine Independently
Superior First Class
Clontarf Castle Hotel
Dublin (1 night)
Mill Park Hotel
Donegal (2 nights)
Hotel Meyrick
Galway (2 nights)
Killarney Avenue Hotel
Killarney (2 nights)
Herbert Park Hotel
Dublin (2 night)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
Tour Includes:
• Chauffeur-drive vehicle – a sedan for 2 people, multi-person vehicle (MPV) for 4 people and a minibus for up to 9 people
• Pick up and drop off at any international airport in Ireland, Britain or other domestic location by arrangement
• Comprehensive insurance, gasoline, tolls and parking
• Services of a professional driver/guide
• Prebooked stays for 8 nights in hotels listed below
• Full breakfast daily except on day 1
• Driver’s accommodation, meals & expenses
• Dublin open-top bus tour and a visit to one of these prime attractions, Guinness Storehouse, General Post Office Museum, Epic Ireland or Teeling Whiskey Distillery
• Get Ready! Get Set! Go! – information book with basic travel facts
• Ireland Step by Step – 128-page guide with maps and suggested itineraries (one per room)
• Ireland at a Glimpse – discount book with 50{856db5ad55989c6728329a5ed56aa98e76436a06de8668b36d8fac3dc056e256} vouchers for almost 100 attractions
• Deluxe carry-on backpack, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
• Concierge services of a dedicated CIE Tours’ travel expert to coordinate planning your tour
Day 1: Dublin Arrival & Touring
Clontarf Castle, Ireland
Your Irish vacation starts at Dublin Airport. Your hotel is the luxurious Clontarf Castle, which traces its origins to 1172. It is a short ride from the airport and is situated a few miles to the north of Dublin city center in an upmarket suburb. Today you may like to take a tour of central Dublin to see elegant Georgian squares, public buildings, and monuments. Suggested visits – Glasnevin Museum.
(B)
Day 2: Dublin to Donegal
Donegal Castle
This morning drive north away from the city and through the heartland of Ireland. Travel on to Donegal town and check in to your hotel, which is located a few miles outside the town. Suggested visits – Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh, Donegal Castle.
(B)
Day 3: County Donegal
Slieve League Cliffs
Today you may choose to head to the fishing port of Killybegs and on to Teelin to reach a point where you can get the best views of the Slieve League sea cliffs. These cliffs reach heights of 1,972 feet making them the highest in Europe. Enjoy breathtaking vistas as they drop to the wild Atlantic waves below. If you wish, continue out along the coast to Malinbeg for more awesome scenery and then head inland through the majestic Glengesh Pass for views of mountains and valleys. As Donegal is renowned for its tweed and knitting industries, you may like to visit a woolen mill to shop.
(B)
Day 4: Donegal to Galway
Galway City Port
Drive south through the counties of Sligo and Mayo where so many visitors trace their Irish roots. Continue to the charming city of Galway and enjoy a stroll around areas made famous in song and story. Suggested visits – Belleek Pottery Factory, Lissadell House.
(B)
Day 5: Connemara Region
Connemara, Ireland
Today you may like to explore scenic Connemara to admire how constantly changing cloud formations give granite hills, sparkling lakes, and peat bogs an added dimension. This region is sparsely populated as the poor land does not support farming but is home to many sheep. You will see tracts of bogland where people cut and harvest peat for home heating. Suggested visits – Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, Dan O’Hara’s Homestead. Return to Galway.
(B)
Day 6: Galway to Killarney
Killarney, Ireland
Travel around Galway Bay where you could stop to view the Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that plunges to the Atlantic Ocean. The cliffs stretch along the coast for five miles and reach heights of almost 700 feet. You could walk to O’Brien’s Tower, located on the highest point, for views of the Aran Islands and Galway Bay. Drive through Limerick and along the River Shannon Estuary. Arrive in Killarney and check into your hotel. Suggested visits Bunratty Woolen Mills, Foynes Flying Boat Museum.
(B)
Day 7: Beautiful County Kerry
The Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Take a drive around the Ring of Kerry, possibly Ireland’s most famous and popular scenic drive. You will see how every bend in 100 miles of road reveals breathtaking views as you travel between the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Ireland’s highest mountains, and the heavily indented coastline. Back in Killarney enjoy free time for independent activities and discover some of the excellent restaurants and fun pubs. Suggested visits – Skellig Experience.
(B)
Day 8: Killarney to Dublin
County Cork, Ireland
Drive through the mountains into the rich farming country of County Cork. You may like make a stop and shop for Irish-made goods at the Blarney Woollen Mills before traveling north. Pause for photos at the stately Rock of Cashel, a limestone outcrop with picturesque ruins and continue to your hotel in Dublin. Suggested visits – Blarney Castle.
(B)
Day 9: Dublin Sightseeing
Temple Bar, Ireland
Today you may elect to stay in Dublin city center to browse around the principal sights and do some shopping. Or take a short ride through the Wicklow Mountains to the lovely valley of Glendalough. You driver/guide will assist you in planning a wonderful end to your vacation. Suggested visits – Guinness Storehouse, General Post Office Museum.
(B)
Day 10: Depart Dublin for Home
Your program ends after breakfast.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
