7 Day Irish Discover Tour 2012

7 Day Irish Discovery Tour 2012

Highlights:

• Abbey Tavern Traditional Dinner/Show
• Trinity College's Book of Kells
• Blarney Castle
• Dingle Peninsula Tour
• Cliffs of Moher
• Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
• Clontarf Castle Hotel Overnight Stay

Itinerary:
Day 1: Dublin Arrival & Welcome
Your tour starts at Dublin Airport with a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, transfer to the hotel at your own expense. The balance of the day is free. At 7:00 pm meet your tour director for a welcome drink and discuss your tour. Your tour director will be able to suggest suitable places for dinner.
Day 2: Dublin Tour & Abbey Tavern
This morning tour Dublin to see Georgian squares with elegant row houses, public buildings, colorful parks and lively shopping streets. Enter Trinity College to view the 8th century illuminated gospel manuscript of the Book of Kells. The afternoon is at leisure for further sightseeing and shopping. In the evening drive to the Abbey Tavern for a traditional Irish dinner and musical entertainment. (B,D)
Day 3: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Travel south through farming country and stop to view the Rock of Cashel, which rises high above the surrounding plain. Just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills before driving through Macroom and into County Kerry, where the scenery becomes more mountainous. Check in to your hotel in Killarney and relax before dinner. (B, D)
Day 4: Dingle Peninsula Tour & Blasket Experience
Today discover the scenic Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies - “Ryan's Daughter” and “Far & Away.” Pause in Dingle before continuing to the western tip of the peninsula. Tour the Blasket Centre in Dunquin to learn about the Blasket Islands, inhabited until 1953 by hardy farming and fishing families. Return to Killarney for free time. (B, D)
Day 5: Flying Boat Museum & Cliffs of Moher
Travel to the River Shannon Estuary to visit Foynes Flying Boat Museum. Learn about the early days of flight as this was the landing place for Pam Am Clippers. Stop in Bunratty for a look around Durty Nelly's Pub or the Bunratty Folk Park. Head to the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that rises 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Continue to Galway for a panoramic drive and check in to your hotel, which overlooks Galway Bay. (B, D)
Day 6: Clonmacnoise Monastery & Clontarf Castle
Drive to the center of the country to visit Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement founded in 545 AD by St. Ciaran. See round towers, elaborate Celtic crosses and church ruins picturesquely set on the banks of the River Shannon. Continue your drive to your elegant hotel, just outside Dublin. Relax for a while before joining in a farewell dinner with your group. Savor great food followed by some local entertainment. (B, D)
Day 7: Depart for Home
Group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free stores before the journey home. (B)
Your Hotels
Superior First Class:

• Croke Park Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
• Brehon Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
• Meyrick Hotel, Galway (1 night)
• Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin (1 night)

Tour includes:
• Group transfers at start and end of tour
• Sightseeing by luxury coach
• Professional tour director
• 6 nights in hotels listed below
• Full breakfast daily except on day 1 (B)
• 5 dinners (D) including:
  - Traditional Irish evening with dinner/show at the Abbey Tavern
  - Farewell dinner at Clontarf Castle Hotel
  - 3 table d'hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Sightseeing tour of Dublin
• Visits and admissions to Book of Kells at Trinity College, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Blasket Centre, Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Cliffs of Moher and Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

Dates & Rates:
Tour leaves Dublin Fridays, and returns to Dublin Thursdays.
April 20: $1198
May 4: $1328
May 18 – September 28: $1478
October 5 - 19: $1328
October 26 & Nov 2: $1198

All rates in US Dollars, per person, based on double occupancy
Single Supplement: $398