Country Roads of Ireland - End Belfast - From £3,925

Europe Ireland
OVERVIEW
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.
EXPERIENCES
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.

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 splendour as well as the rolling parkland formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and man-made lake.
DEPARTURE DATES AND PRICES
Tour
Departs		 Tour
Returns		 Starting From
(price per person)		 Definite Departure
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01/05/2028 12/05/2028 £4,325   Book
08/05/2028 19/05/2028 £4,325   Book
15/05/2028 26/05/2028 £4,325   Book
22/05/2028 02/06/2028 £4,325   Book
29/05/2028 09/06/2028 £4,450   Book
05/06/2028 16/06/2028 £4,450   Book
12/06/2028 23/06/2028 £4,450   Book
19/06/2028 30/06/2028 £4,450   Book
26/06/2028 07/07/2028 £4,125   Book
03/07/2028 14/07/2028 £4,125   Book
10/07/2028 21/07/2028 £4,125   Book
17/07/2028 28/07/2028 £4,125   Book
24/07/2028 04/08/2028 £4,450   Book
31/07/2028 11/08/2028 £4,450   Book
07/08/2028 18/08/2028 £4,450   Book
14/08/2028 25/08/2028 £4,450   Book
21/08/2028 01/09/2028 £4,450   Book
28/08/2028 08/09/2028 £4,450   Book
04/09/2028 15/09/2028 £4,395   Book
11/09/2028 22/09/2028 £4,395   Book
18/09/2028 29/09/2028 £4,395   Book
25/09/2028 06/10/2028 £4,395   Book
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ITINERARY

Join your Travel Director for a warm and friendly dinner, with the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other.

Accompanied by a Local Expert, become acquainted with Dublin’s elegant squares during an orientation of the city. Discover the Custom House, Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Visit Trinity College to see the 9th-century Book of Kells exhibition.

In the morning, visit one of the country’s main racehorse breeding centres, also home to the acclaimed 100 year old Japanese Gardens where you can ‘journey through life’ during a walk through the beautiful surrounds. Travel to the medieval city of Kilkenny to visit the majestic Kilkenny Castle. Learn how the castle was built in 1195 after the Norman Conquest of Ireland and admire its beautifully restored Victorian-era rooms. On arrival, your Travel Director will show you around the compact university city, with its vibrant waterfront and grand Georgian parades.

Travel to the ruined Blarney Castle and Gardens. Will you hang upside down from the ramparts to kiss the stone and ensure a lifetime of eloquence? Travel across the majestic Derrynasaggart Mountains to the lively town of Killarney. For your Farm-to-Table dining experience, enjoy some Irish home cooking in the kitchen of chef John Sheehan. Join John and Freda, your hosts at the 19th Green Guesthouse, and savour the delicious flavours of fresh local cuisine on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Gather together at a Farm-to-Table dinner, using responsibly sourced ingredients from the local community, and gain personal insight into classic Irish recipes that are loved throughout the world.

Start your day with Insight Choice. Choose a memorable ride on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys. Alternatively, join a gentle hike with a Local Expert along the lake shore and past the grounds of Ross Castle, admiring the incredible scenery of the National Park. While there aren't any mountains to climb, walkers should be fit, have good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen and rain gear. Then explore around the magnificent Ring of Kerry. Here, mountains, valleys, lakes and sea blend into a landscape that is breathtaking beyond words. Journey past lush lakelands and around towering cliffs as you appreciate sweeping sea views. Continue through delightful villages like Sneem and cross the peat bogs of the Black Mountains to Moll’s Gap to admire Queen Victoria’s Ladies View. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Maybe take the opportunity to hire a bicycle and enjoy one of the many scenic trails around the lake or through the National Park.

Depart Killarney and journey to the rugged beauty of the Dingle Peninsula, following the scenic Slea Head Drive. Travel past windswept cliffs, golden beaches and ancient stone dwellings, with views stretching to the remote Blasket Islands. In the afternoon, head north to Tarbert, where you’ll board a ferry to cross the Shannon Estuary to Killimer, a historic crossing point where Ireland’s longest river meets the Atlantic. Keep an eye out for bottlenose dolphins, often seen in these waters. Continue to Ennistymon, a charming market town known for its traditional shopfronts and cascading river falls and settle into your hotel for the evening.

Travel to the Visitor Centre at the 214 m (702 ft) Cliffs of Moher. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Clare Coast before a delightful drive through the strange, rocky landscape of the Burren to Galway Bay. On arrival, see the Lynch Memorial and Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, where Christopher Columbus reputedly prayed before his voyages to America. See the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square, dedicated to the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Spend a day at leisure to relax and enjoy Galway. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to the Aran Islands? A genuine highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way. With their cliffs and spectacular coastal views, the islands are a true Irish experience.

Admire the Blue Stack Mountains of Donegal as you cross into Northern Ireland, bound for the ancient walled city. What 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, still topped with cannons. Walk down Shipquay Street, with its elegant Georgian houses, to the Gothic Guildhall.

Visit the iconic Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where thousands of interlocking basalt columns form one of nature’s most extraordinary landscapes. Explore this legendary setting at your own pace before continuing along the scenic Antrim Coast Road, renowned for its dramatic cliffs and coastal views. Arrive in Ballygally and settle into your hotel overlooking the bay. If you're feeling brave, perhaps venture into the Ghost Room hidden within one of the castle’s turrets. Later, gather with your fellow travellers to enjoy an evening of warm hospitality and regional cuisine.

Continue around the Antrim Coast, past the huge Norman castle at Carrickfergus, to arrive in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast. Meet your Local Expert for a passionate city tour including views of the City Hall and murals in different locations indicating political sentiments of local residents.

For your departure transfer, you’ll first stop at George Best Belfast City Airport before continuing to Belfast International Airport. The journey between the two airports takes approximately 45 minutes.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
  • Air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom
  • All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
  • An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
  • Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
  • Complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi where available
  • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with a local specialty representing the destination.
  • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door
ACCOMMODATION
DAY 1: Clayton Burlington Road, Dublin - Meals: Dinner
DAY 2: Clayton Burlington Road, Dublin - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3: The Kingsley, Cork - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4: Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5: Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6: Falls & Spa, Ennistymon - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7: Connemara Coast - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 8: Connemara Coast - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9: Maldron Hotel - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10: Ballygally Castle - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 11: Titanic, Belfast - Meals: Breakfast
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