Day 1: Dublin Tour & Merry Ploughboy Pub
If you are starting the tour today go to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall where staff will arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later than noon, you will transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm at your hotel join a local guide who will show you around central 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-collared doorways. Stop at Dublin Castle to take 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 drive to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for a great dinner of Irish specialties, which is followed by a show of traditional Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (D)
Day 2: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and travel through the centre of Ireland, which has many mixed farms. Stop to view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel, which rises 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. Afterwards you may like to take a stroll through the compact town centre and explore one of 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 it is a thriving bird sanctuary. Stop to walk around Sneem, where brightly-painted houses are grouped around a central green. Stop at Moll's Gap for a view over the Three Lakes of Killarney with the town in the distance. Visit the charming Muckross Gardens, set on the shores of Muckross Lake and with many mature trees and plants. 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 links, one of Ireland's most famous, and through the marketing town of Ennis to Bunratty. Check in to Bunratty Castle Hotel, which is located very close to Bunratty Castle and FolkPark. 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 Airport or Dublin Stay
This morning, take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport where the tour concludes at 10:30 am OR if you wish your tour to finish in Dublin, drive past the outskirts of Limerick and through the midland region of Ireland to Kildare. Here visit the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens to learn about horse breeding and see some of the valuable animals. Then tour the lovely Japanese Gardens, considered the best in Europe. They were laid out in 1908 in classical Japanese manner and represent the “Life of Man” through the selection and placement of trees, shrubs and rocks. Continue to Dublin Airport where your tour finishes at 1700h.
Breakfast (B) Dinner (D)