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Galway – Hotel in Eyre Square
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Killarney – Fossa
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Dublin – Ballsbridge
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London – Blackfriars
Overnight flight from Minneapolis to Shannon Airport on the Westside of Ireland. Dinner and light breakfast are served on the plane.
Day 2) Sunday, Sept. 22: CLIFFS OF MOHER & BURREN & GALWAY
After arriving in the morning at Shannon Airport we’re greeted by our Irish bus driver and guide Willi. We load our luggage and drive through the scenic County Clare. The highlight of the journey will be the “Cliffs of Moher”. These cliffs provide a dramatic panorama plunging over 600 feet to the sea and extending five miles. Next comes – quite as a contrast – the “Burren” – a vast area comprised of limestone eroded into moonscape patterns. Later this afternoon we arrive at Galway where we stay for two nights. After checking into the hotel enjoy a stroll through the historic city center of Galway with its St. Nicholas Church, Lynch Castle, Salmon Weir Bridge, Spanish Arch, Kirwan’s Lane and Eyre Square. Enjoy tonight’s welcome dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. B, D
Day 3) Monday, Sept. 23: GALWAY & CONNEMARA & KYLEMORE ABBEY
After a good Irish buffet breakfast we are off’ for the Connemara Region, which is known for its spectacular mountain and coastal scenery along with its gleaming rivers and lakes. We drive along the Galway Bay through charming villages and visit the impressive Kylemore Abbey, home of the Benedictine Community of Nuns since World War I. We’ll enjoy a stroll through the colorful Victorian Walled Garden, the Abbey’s ornate reception rooms and the beautiful Neo-Gothic Church – a “Cathedral in Miniature”. There will be also time for a light lunch before we return to Galway in the early afternoon. Enjoy the balance of the day in Galway and tonight’s dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants and Pubs. B
Day 4) Tuesday, Sept. 24: BUNRATTY CASTLE & ADARE & KILLARNEY
This morning we leave Galway and travel south for the beautiful County Kerry. Along the way we stop for a visit of the famous Bunnratty Castle & Folk Park, an open air museum proving an example of life in the nineteenth century Ireland. Afterwards we continue to the charming village of Adare with its lovely restored Cottages. Enjoy a walk through the village and a break for lunch before we continue to the Killarney area, the most visited part of Ireland. We see the town of Killarney, considered as the gateway to the “Ring of Kerry”, and also known for its large number of Pubs. We stay for two nights at the family-run “Loch Lein Country House”, a true haven of Irish hospitality with a great view over Killarney’s famous Lower Lake & National Park. Enjoy tonight’s dinner at our Country House. B, D
Day 5) Wednesday, Sept. 25: RING OF KERRY & IRISH EVENING
After a traditional Irish breakfast we enjoy a drive along the famous “Ring of Kerry”, a 100 mile long panoramic road and a wonderland of natural beauty with views of rolling hills, high mountains, island-jewelled lakes, green glens and rocky cliffs. Before returning to our Country House in the late afternoon another highlight is waiting for you, Muckross House & Gardens, dating back to 1843. Tonight enjoy a special “Irish Evening” at a local Pub, a dinner with traditional music and folk dancing. B, D
Day 6) Thursday, Sept. 26: BLARNEY & ROCK OF CASHEL & DUBLIN
This morning we leave the Killarney National Park area and travel to County Cork. The brave ones may visit – on optional basis – the Blarney Castle & Stone. Legend promises the “Gift of Gab” to those who kiss the Blarney Stone. Nearby shops offer some of the largest collections of Waterford Crystals and Belleek China and typical Irish Souvenirs. At the town of Midleton we visit the “Jameson Whiskey Distillery”. A guided tour through the distillery gives us an insight about the production of Whiskey and its different tastes. There will also be time to shop and time for a light lunch at the distillery. Along the way to Dublin we stop at the “Rock of Cashel”, one of the most spectacular attractions of Ireland. The Rock was already fortified by the Kings of Munster in the fourth century. The Golden Age of Cashel was in the high middle-ages when the Cathedral & Cormac Chapel was built in Romanesque style. Later this afternoon we arrive in Dublin, the capitol of Ireland. We check into our hotel for a pleasant two nights’ stay and enjoy dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. B, D
Day 7) Friday, Sept. 27: DUBLIN
This morning we enjoy a city tour of Dublin. We see the most important sites of this city: Trinity College with its “Long Room” & the “Book of Kells”, St. Stephen’s Green, City Hall, Grafton Street, O’ Connell & Ha’penny Bridge, Temple Bar District, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, City Hall and the Dublin Castle. Enjoy some free time for shopping and browsing. In the afternoon we can visit – on optional basis – the famous Guinness Brewery, founded by Arthur Guinness in 1759. Tonight, many of the restaurants and Pubs in Dublin’s pulsating Temple Bar are waiting for you. B
Day 8) Saturday, Sept. 28: DUBLIN & FLIGHT TO LONDON & RIVER CRUISE
After a relaxing buffet breakfast we drive to the international airport of Dublin and check-in for our flight to London. Upon arrival at London’s airport Heathrow we board our bus and get the first impressions of this exciting city. We check into our hotel for a pleasant 4 nights’ stay. Later on we enjoy a “Cruise on the River Thames” followed by a welcome dinner of London at a local restaurant. B, D
Day 9) Sunday, Sept. 29: LONDON & BUCKINGHAM PALACE
We start the day with our daily included buffet breakfast. Then we’re off’ for a visit of the famous “Buckingham Palace”, the residence of the Queen & Royal Family of England. The Palace, built in the eighteenth century consists of 600 rooms. Afterwards we enjoy a tour of London by bus, including all the important sites: Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge. Enjoy the balance of the day for your own activities as well as dinner in a local restaurant. B
Day 10) Monday, Sept. 30: A FULL DAY IN LONDON
Day 11) Tuesday, Oct. 1: LONDON & FAREWELL DINNER