11-Nights Country Roads of Ireland - End Dublin, Classic Group

11 nights from: $4,185

Country Roads Of Ireland - End Dublin, Classic Group
Let the luck of the Irish be with you on this 12-day guided tour across Ireland. Start the tour in Dublin, where you get up close to the Book of Kells, an ancient Gospel manuscript filled with mythical beasts and Celtic knots. In Kilkenny, visit the majestic Kilkenny Castle. A chef will share traditional Irish recipes at a farm-to-table feast in Killarney. You'll see the Ring of Kerry, a mystical, verdant peninsula dotted with seaside villages. Finally, step onto Giant's Causeway with it's basalt columns carved onto the coast by volcanic lava, or a giant's feet, if Irish myth is to be believed.

Dining Summary

• 5 Dinner (D)
• 11 Breakfast (B)

• Dublin: Join your Travel Director for a warm and friendly dinner, an opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers.
• Ballygally: The Irish call it 'craic' - the warm feeling resulting from the confluence of music, drink, good food, laughter, and conversation. And after circumnavigating the Emerald Isle, there's bound to be a fair share of craic at your grand finale Celebration Dinner. Sláinte!

• Dublin: A stunning combination of cobblestone walkways, emerald-green lawns and 18th-century architectural gems, Trinity College is one of Europe’s elite universities and counts poet Oscar Wilde among its alumni. See the enchanting college campus and discover insights into its impressive history. Enjoy access to view the famous Book of Kells, an exquisite manuscript of the four gospels of the Christian New Testament, renowned for the intricacy, detail and majesty of the illustrations.
• Kildare: Horse racing is key part of Irish culture; and you'll gain a rare insight into it on your visit to the Irish National Stud. Set in Kildare at the breeding ground of champions and the birthplace of legends, explore the foaling unit, museum and the stallions that continue to make racing history. As the only stud farm in Ireland open to the public, learn the insights of horse-racing at a site whose former visitors include queens and presidents. 
• Kilkenny: Visit Kilkenny Castle to learn the history of this magnificent castle and that of the powerful Ormonde family that came to call it home for so many centuries. Amble through the Picture Gallery, library, drawing room, nursery and bedrooms decorated in 1830s splendor as well as the rolling parkland formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and man-made lake.
• Blarney: It is said that those who kiss the Blarney Stone, the famous stone of eloquence, are bestowed with the power to persuade, flatter and coax. Take your turn at giving it a peck knowing that the stone was sourced from 330-million-year-old limestone.
• Derry/Londonderry: There's no better way to experience sightseeing than with one of Northern Ireland's best storytellers, Ronan, as he takes you on a tour inside the city walls. See the Gothic Guildhall and the Georgian houses of Shipquay Street.

• Dublin: With a Local Expert leading the way, discover Custom House and travel along the River Liffey. You’ll stop by at the Guinness Storehouse, Christchurch Cathedral and even St. Patrick's Cathedral. 
• Cahir: See one of the largest castles in Ireland dating back to the 13th century.
• Cork: Ireland's second city - "Rebel Cork" dates back to the 7th century. Your Travel Director will show you the Grand Parade and South Mall, along with City Hall and the Opera House on an insightful orientation tour encompassing the development of the religious settlement of St. Finbarr, to Viking raiding and settlement, to the creation of the Norman city and Merchant Princes. 
• Ring of Kerry: Venture into a world of towering cliffs, lush lakelands, beaches, fields dotted with sheep, rocky coastline, remote villages and historical sites, as you journey the magical Ring of Kerry. This 111-mile circular route is the best place to admire Ireland's scenic beauty and truly one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
• Killarney: Take a gentle orientation through Killarney as your Travel Director brings the town’s history to life. Streets lined with shopfronts, church spires and the curve of the surrounding mountains help you place the stories being shared.
• Dingle Peninsula: Follow the Slea Head route, a dramatic coastal drive around the Dingle Peninsula, where sheer cliffs, secluded beaches, and ancient ruins reflect centuries of settlement. Pass prehistoric ring forts, beehive huts and Ogham stones, evidence of early Gaelic communities. Offshore, see the Blasket Islands, once home to a resilient Irish-speaking population who, facing isolation and hardship, relocated to the mainland in 1953. 
• Shannon: Cross the Shannon Estuary by ferry, passing sites linked to smuggling and 19th-century emigration.
• Cliffs of Moher: Towering cliffs and the dramatic sea, the Cliffs of Moher has inspired countless travelers. Visit the Exhibition Center and look out over the Wild Atlantic Way from these majestic cliffs that rise over 700 feet high. Gain insights from your Travel Director into the cliffs’ geology, history and the species that find sanctuary in its nooks and crannies.
• Galway: Fascinating stories and interesting locals take center stage on your orientation of the historic heart of Galway. Visit the Lynch Memorial Window. Then make your way to the Church of St. Nicholas - the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use, Spanish Arch and Eyre Square.    
• Giant's Causeway: Visit Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. Walk across thousands of interlocking basalt columns, shaped by nature and renowned for their striking geometric appearance.
• Ballygally: Take a gentle orientation walk through Ball
  See more packages & deals for Ireland

Ballycastle Travel Agents