7 Day Irish Heritage Tour 2012

7 Day Irish Heritage Tour 2012

Highlights:

• Bunratty Castle Banquet
• Merry Ploughboy Pub Dinner & Show
• Cliffs of Moher
• Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens
• Foynes Flying Boat Museum & Irish Coffee

Itinerary:
Day 1: Bunratty & Medieval Banquet
Start your tour at Shannon Airport with a group transfer to your hotel, available between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later than 12:00 noon, transfer to the hotel at your own expense. This afternoon you are at leisure to rest after your journey or take a stroll on your own through Bunratty Folk Park, which is located close to your hotel. Join your tour director for a welcome drink before heading to the 15th century Bunratty Castle for a medieval-style dinner and entertainment. (D)
Day 2: Cliffs of Moher & Irish Coffee
Drive west through Ennis and Lahinch to see the Cliffs of Moher, which rise almost 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic surf. Then cross the wide River Shannon Estuary on a short ferry ride to Tarbert and travel along the river shore to Foynes. Visit the Flying Boat Museum, which recalls the early days of air travel, during the 1930's and early 1940's. Irish coffee was first created here to warm frozen, weary travelers and you will learn how to make a perfect one and then drink it. Drive south to Killarney, a world-famous town due to its exquisite location beside lakes and mountains. Check in to your hotel and enjoy free time before dinner. (B, D)
Day 3: Killarney & Ring of Kerry Tour
Embark on Ireland's most popular scenic drive, the Ring of Kerry, for great views of mountains, open Atlantic Ocean, beaches and cliffs. Enjoy plenty of breaks to admire the natural beauty and take photos. Cross to Valencia Island by bridge to visit the Skellig Experience and learn about early Christian monks who lived on the isolated, rocky islands and about the prolific bird life today. Pass through Waterville, where Charlie Chaplin loved to vacation, and the attractive village of Sneem. Stop at Moll's Gap for great mountain vistas and tour 19th century Muckross House to admire elegant antiques and learn about the history of the mansion. Take a walk through the lovely gardens before returning to Killarney. (B, D)
Day 4: Blarney Castle & Cobh Heritage
Depart Killarney and travel through Macroom to visit the famous Blarney Castle where you may climb to the top to kiss the fabled “Stone of Eloquence.” Browse through the Blarney Woollen Mills for quality Irish-made goods. Bypass Cork city as you drive to the port town of Cobh. Visit the Cobh Heritage Centre, which traces the history of emigration from Ireland to new worlds. Learn about travel conditions for the many Irish emigrants on early sailing ships and steam vessels. Follow the coastal route via the town of Youghal to Waterford and check in to your hotel. In the evening take a gentle walk with a local historian who will reveal Waterford's Viking and medieval past. (B, D)
Day 5: Waterford Crystal & Glendalough Monastic Site
This morning tour the House of Waterford Crystal to learn about glass blowing and cutting and see one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Leave Waterford and head north through the delightful scenery of the Wicklow Mountains on the way to Glendalough. Learn about St. Kevin's 6th century monastery in the Glendalough Visitor Centre and walk through the site to see its round tower, church ruins and Celtic crosses. Continue to your next hotel, an elegant Victorian mansion, which overlooks Dublin Bay and Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Dine on Irish specialties at the Merry Ploughboy Pub, followed by a lively show of traditional Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 6: Dublin Tour & Kilmainham Gaol
Relax on a half-day guided tour of Dublin, originally founded by Vikings over 1,000 years ago. See elegant Georgian townhouses and brightly-painted doors and cross the River Liffey to view the wide thoroughfare of O'Connell Street with the General Post Office. Pause to view the gaunt figures at the Famine Memorial before visiting Kilmainham Gaol to see how penal establishments were operated in past centuries. Learn about the leaders of the 1916 Uprising who were imprisoned and shot here, changing Irish history. The afternoon is free so that you may use your independent open-top bus tour and Guinness or Jameson vouchers. Dine on your own this evening. (B)
Day 7: Tour Ends Dublin Airport
Take a group transfer to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon to allow time to check in for your flight home. (B)

Hotels
Deluxe & superior first class:

• Bunratty Castle Hotel, Bunratty (1 night)
• Malton Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
• Granville Hotel, Waterford (1 night)
• Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin (2 nights)

Tour Includes

• Group transfers at start and end of tour
• Sightseeing by luxury coach
• Professional tour director
• 6 nights in hotels listed above
• Full breakfast daily except on day 1 (B)
• 5 dinners (D) including
  - Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
  - Dinner and traditional entertainment at the Merry Ploughboy Pub
  - 3 table d'hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Ferry ride across the River Shannon
• Foynes Flying Boat Museum & an Irish coffee
• Walking tour of Waterford
• Tour of Dublin with a local guide
• Dublin open-top bus tour with a visit and drink at Guinness Storehouse or Old Jameson Distillery
• Visits and admissions to Cliffs of Moher, Skellig Experience, Muckross House & Gardens, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Cobh Heritage Centre, House of Waterford Crystal, Glendalough Visitor Centre and Kilmainham Gaol
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

Dates & Rates:
Tour starts in Shannon on Thursdays, and ends in Dublin Wednesdays
April 12 & 19: $1298
May 3 – September 27: $1568
October 4: $1488
October 18 & 25: $1398
November 8 & 15: $1198

All rates are in US Dollars, per person, based on double occupancy.
Single Supplement: $378

Extend Your Stay:
Day 7: Dromoland Castle Hotel
Drive to the Irish National Stud to see some of Ireland's finest horses and learn about breeding techniques. Also take a walk around the Japanese Gardens, laid out to represent life from the cradle to the grave. Drive across Ireland to the imposing and deluxe Dromoland Castle Hotel. Relax in the elegant surroundings of this wonderful fairytale resort. Then savor a delicious farewell dinner in the oak-paneled dining room - a fitting way to spend the last evening of your Irish tour. (B, D)
Day 8: Tour Ends Shannon Airport
Take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport where your tour concludes at either 7:30 am or 10:30 am to allow time to check in for your flight home. (B)
Dates & Rates:
April 12 & 19: $1665
May 3 – September 27: $2098
October 4 – 25: $1798
November 8 & 15: $1558

Single Supplement: $686