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Taste of Ireland 5, 6 & 7 Day Tour
Highlights:
• Merry Ploughboy Dinner & Show
• Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
• Dublin Castle
• Kiss the Blarney Stone
• Ring of Kerry Tour
• Cliffs of Moher
Hotels:
Superior & first class Hotels:
• Burlington Hotel, Dublin (1 night)
• Killarney Towers Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
• Bunratty Castle Hotel, Bunratty (1 night)
Tour Includes:
• Airport transfers at start and end of tour
• Sightseeing by luxury coach
• Professional tour director
• 4 nights in hotels listed above
• Full breakfast daily except on day of arrival (B)
• 4 dinners (D) including
- Merry Ploughboy Pub dinner and traditional show
- Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
- 2 table d’hote dinners in Killarney
• Welcome get-together drink
• Tour of Dublin with a local guide
• Sheepdog trials on Ring of Kerry
• Ferry ride across the River Shannon
• Visits and admissions to Dublin Castle, Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, Skellig Experience and Cliffs of Moher
• Deluxe carry-on backpack, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
5 Day Taste of Ireland Tour Itinerary (Tour A)
Day 1 - Dublin & Merry Ploughboy Pub
Start at Dublin Airport with a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. At 2:00 pm join a local guide for a tour of ancient and modern Dublin. Drive through the main streets to see historic buildings such as Trinity College, where the Book of Kells is housed; the evocative figures of the Famine Memorial; and rows of Georgian houses with gaily-painted doorways. Stop at Dublin Castle for a guided tour through the elegant State Apartments, which are filled with elaborate Waterford Crystal chandeliers and portraits of prominent Irish leaders. Return to your hotel for a get-together with your tour group and a welcome drink. In the evening head to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for a great dinner of Irish specialties and a lively show with popular Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (D)
Day 2 - Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and travel through the midlands of Ireland, which has many mixed farms. Stop for photos of the stately ruins on the Rock of Cashel, rising high above the surrounding plain. Continue your drive south and, just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills where you can find quality Irish-made goods of all types, conveniently displayed under one roof. Drive through Macroom, built around a fine castle, and into County Kerry where the scenery becomes more mountainous. Arrive in Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes with Ireland’s highest mountains, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, forming a backdrop. Check in to your hotel and relax before dinner. After your meal you may like to take a stroll through the compact town and explore Killarney’s famous singing pubs. (B, D)
Day 3 - Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Today embark on Ireland’s most popular scenic drive of 100 miles – the Ring of Kerry. This winding route reveals breathtaking sights of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks as well as coastal views of beaches and cliffs. As you travel along, there will be plenty of stops for photos at the best vantage points. Stop at Kells to meet a local farmer, Brendan Ferris, for a taste of farm life with a sheepdog demonstration of herding flocks and see different breeds of sheep. Drive through the village of Cahirciveen and cross to Valencia Island by bridge. Visit the Skellig Experience to learn about the nearby rocky islands where early Christian monks lived in austere conditions and today they form a thriving bird sanctuary. Stop to walk around Sneem, where brightly-painted houses are grouped around a central green. Pause at Moll’s Gap for a view of the Three Lakes of Killarney with the town in the distance. Return to Killarney and enjoy a fine dinner in your hotel once again. (B, D)
Day 4 - Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle
Leave Killarney and drive north to Tarbert for a 20-minute ferry ride across the wide River Shannon Estuary. Your tour continues along the Clare coast to the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of limestone that reaches to almost 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Drive past Lahinch Golf Course, one of Ireland’s most famous, and through the marketing town of Ennis to Bunratty. Check in to Bunratty Castle Hotel, which is located close to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. In the evening head to Bunratty Castle for a memorable experience in a wonderful setting with good food and entertainment. Take your place in the Great Hall for a medieval-style feast of excellent dishes and plenty of wine. During and after the meal the lords and ladies will serenade you with song and harp music, evocative of the Middle Ages. (B, D)
Day 5 - Shannon Departure
Take a group transfer to arrive at nearby Shannon Airport at either 7:30 am or 10:30 am. If you book an early flight from Shannon Airport, you may need to take a taxi at your own expense. (B)
B: Breakfast; D: Dinner
Please see 2013 departure dates and prices (all prices in USD)
TASTE OF IRELAND TOUR A - 5 DAY 5 days/4 nights/8 meals - 1 nt Dublin, 2 nts Killarney, 1 nt Bunratty Tour starts Dublin on dates below and ends Shannon Mon Feb 11 to Dec 16 Weekly Departures Sat Mar 09 to Oct 26 Weekly Departures Thu Apr 11 to Oct 31 Weekly Departures Land Only Feb 11 to Feb 25 $658 Oct 3 to Oct 14 $938 Mar 4 to 30 $738 Oct 17 to Oct 31 $836 Apr 1 to Apr 29 $836 Nov 4 to Nov 25 $738 May 2 to Sep 30 $1046 Dec 2 to Dec 16 $658 Single room supplement: $238 TASTE OF IRELAND TOUR B 6 DAY 6 days/5 nights/9meals - 1 nt Dublin, 2 nts Killarney, 1 nt Bunratty, 1 nt Dublin Tour starts Dublin on dates below and ends Dublin Mon Feb 11 to Dec 16 Weekly Departures Sat Mar 09 to Oct 26 Weekly Departures Thu Apr 11 to Oct 31 Weekly Departures Feb 11 to Feb 25 $766 Oct 03 to Oct 14 $1,058 Mar 04 to 30 $814 Oct 17 to Oct 31 $928 Apr 01 to Apr 29 $928 Nov 04 to Nov 25 $814 May 02 to Sep 30 $1188 Dec 02 to Dec 16 $766 Single room supplement: $318 TASTE OF IRELAND TOUR C 6 DAY 6 days/5 nights/9 meals - 2 nts Dublin, 2 nts Killarney, 1 nt Bunratty Tour starts Dublin on dates below and ends Shannon Sun Feb 10 to Dec 15 Weekly Departures Fri Mar 08 to Oct 25 Weekly Departures Wed Wed Apr 10 to Oct 30 Weekly Departures Land Only Feb 10 to Feb 24 $798 Oct 2 to Oct 13 $1098 Mar 03 to Mar 31 $868 Oct 16 to Oct 30 $978 Apr 05 to Apr 28 $978 Nov 03 to Nov 24 $866 May 01 to Sep 29 $1218 Dec 1 to Dec 15 $798 Single room supplement: $318 TASTE OF IRELAND TOUR D 7 DAY 7 days/6 nights/10 meals - 2 nts Dublin, 2 nts Killarney, 1 nt Bunratty, 1 nt Dublin Tour starts Dublin on dates below and ends Dublin Sun Feb 10 to Dec 15 Weekly Departures Fri Mar 08 to Oct 25 Weekly Departures Wed Wed Apr 10 to Oct 30 Weekly Departures