Ireland Up Close!
10 days September 19 - 28, 2010
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Full Itinerary:
Sunday, September 19 - CHICAGO O’HARE TO DUBLIN
Depart Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport aboard Aer Lingus, the Irish Airline, for an overnight flight across the Atlantic. Enjoy in-flight entertainment and meal service as you travel to start your vacation.
Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin
Monday, September 20 – DUBLIN ARRIVAL, CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL & JAMESON'S DISTILLERY
After your morning arrival at the Dublin Airport, complete customs and immigration formalities. Then your CIE Tours driver/guide will welcome you to Ireland and escort you and your luggage to the motorcoach. Enjoy a driving tour around Dublin to see many prominent sites and learn about the city's rich, colorful history. Visit Christchurch Cathedral, the centerpiece of the city's Viking heritage. First built in 1038, it has been rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries to become a magnificent stonework structure with graceful pointed arches. Wander through the majestic interior and the underground medieval crypts with beautiful displays. Following your visit, check into your city centre hotel to rest and refresh yourself. Then join your group for a tour of Dublin's Old Jameson Distillery to learn about one of Ireland's foremost products - Irish whiskey. Afterwards, you may wish to explore Dublin's compact city centre, including the lively Temple Bar area, bordered by the River Liffey. Choose among many fine restaurants including Oliver St. John Gogarty's Traditional Irish Restaurant & Pub, featuring a reasonably priced menu including traditional Irish dishes and live music from 2 p.m to 2 a.m. every day.
DINNER: ON YOUR OWN OVERNIGHT & BREAKFAST: DAVENPORT HOTEL, DUBLIN www.ocallaghanhotels.com
Oliver St. John Gogarty's Traditional Irish Restaurant & Pub, Temple Bar, Dublin
Tuesday, September 21 - NATIONAL STUD FARM, JAPANESE GARDENS & TITANIC TRAIL
This morning, head south through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains to the Irish National Stud Farm in County Kildare, the epicenter of Ireland's horse breeding industry. Tour these prototype facilities to see the ideal horse farm conditions where some of Ireland's most famous horses have been bred and raised. Walk through teh adjacent serene Japanese Gardens, which are considered amoung the finest in Europe. Afterwards, continue on to the port of Cobh. A major emigration departure point, Cobh was the last port of call of the fated ocean liner "Titanic" in 1912. Take a short walking tour around this inviting town and the dockside with a local historian to see places relating to the Titanic's last scheduled stop. Then drive south to the picturesque seaport of Kinsale to check into your hotel, overlooking the harbor. Following dinner in your hotel, enjoy lively Traditional Irish music in the nearby friendly pubs.
DINNER, OVERNIGHT AND BREAKFAST: TRIDENT HOTEL, KINSALE www.tridenthotel.com
Blarney Castle, Co. Cork
Wednesday, September 22 - KINSALE & BLARNEY CASTLE
Begin the day with an informative tour of Kinsale by a local guide to learn the immense importance this strategically located port played in Irish history with the Battle of Kinsale in 1601. Then travel to Blarney Castle, where you may wish to climb the steps to kiss the Blarney Stone, fabled to give the "gift of eloquence". Built around 1446 by the MacCarthy's, the castle ruins are surrounded by peaceful gardens. Browse through Blarney Woollen Mills, which has an excellent selection of quality Irish goods of all types, including Belleek China, Aran sweaters, Waterford crystal, and Irish music. Return to Kinsale to explore this quaint town at leisure before joining your group for dinner in your hotel.
DINNER, OVERNIGHT AND BREAKFAST: TRIDENT HOTEL, KINSALE
Kinsale shops
Thursday, September 23 - WEST COUNTY CORK SCENIC DRIVE
Today enjoy breathtaking scenery with a drive "off the beaten path" through the wild & wonderful landscapes of West County Cork. Learn about the fascinating & brilliant Michael Collins, a national hero of the early 1900's who tragically died in this area at the age of 31, having played a key role in Ireland's successful fight for independence from nearly 800 years of British rule. Travel through the Pass of Keimaneigh and gorgeous Gougane Barra Forest Park, over the mountains and on to the charming small towns of Glengarriff and Kenmare, favored by "The Travel Channel's" Rick Steves. Continue through the stunning scenery of a portion of the "Ring of Kerry" as you continue on to Killarney to check into your hotel. Killarney has been a favorite entertainment destination for tourist and Irish alike for over 250 years. After dinner in your town centre hotel with your group, experience the music and friendliness of Killarney's inviting pubs.
DINNER, OVERNIGHT AND BREAKFAST: KILLARNEY TOWERS HOTEL, KILLARNEY www.killarneytowers.com
Early morning in Killarney
Friday, September 24 - MUCKROSS HOUSE & KILLARNEY
This morning visit the nearby Muckross House, a spendid 20 room Victorian Mansion built in 1843, to glimpse the lifestyle of the wealthy landowners in the 19th century. View the elaborate architecture, decorated with locally-made period furniture and needlework as well as imported treasures. Stroll through the well-manicured gardens, famous worldwide for their collections of azaleas and rhododendron. Return to Killarney town for an afternoon at leisure. You may choose to browse the many small inviting shops, explore the adjacent Killarney National Park, visit awesome St. Mary's Cathedral, or take a horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle. Horse-back riding stables are just outside of town, and excellent golf is available at the famed Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, nearby. Arrangements for golf or horse-back riding can be made by your tour guide the night before. Following dinner in your hotel with your fellow travelers, you may wish to immerse yourself in the music & laughter this popular town has to offer in its many cozy pubs.
DINNER, OVERNIGHT AND BREAKFAST: KILLARNEY TOWERS HOTEL, KILLARNEY
Cliffs of Moher
Saturday, September 25 - KERRY LITERARY CENTRE, THE BURREN, AND THE CLIFFS OF MOHER
Depart Killarney and head north to the small town of Listowel for a visit into the Seanchai - Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre. In times of old, the wandering seanchai or "storyteller" was a welcomed guest in Irish homes, bringing news and entertainment on long, dark nights. From this heritage has sprung a rich literary legacy of national and internationally acclaimed writers and poets. The Kerry Center features five of these literary giants whose writings are filled with an abundance of rich characters, humor, romance and tragedy drawn from the towns and villages of County Kerry. Afterwards, sit back and enjoy a short ferry ride across the peaceful River Shannon. Then view the dramatic and majestic Cliffs of Moher, a five mile rocky wall that plunges 700 feet straight down to the foaming Atlantic Ocean below. Travel through the Burren, a unique region of limestone formations with its own distinct flora & fauna thriving in the sheltered crevices. Drive around Galway Bay to reach your hotel, where a delicious dinner awaits your group.
DINNER, OVERNIGHT AND BREAKFAST: ARDILUAN HOTEL, GALWAY www.theardilaunhotel.ie
Killary Harbor Catamaran
Sunday, September 26 - CONNEMARA SCENIC DRIVE, KILLARY HARBOR CRUISE, AND "TRAD ON THE PROM" ENTERTAINMENT
Today explore another of Ireland's famous scenic regions - Connemara. Here the constantly changing cloud formations give hills, lakes and peat bogs an added dimension. Admire sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes as you travel to Killary Harbor, Ireland's only natural fjord, cut by the glaciers in the Ice Age of long ago. Enjoy a catamaran cruise through the harbor to see unspoiled mountain areas, traces of pre-Famine potato fields on the hilly slopes, and thriving salmon and mussel farming. Return to Galway for some free time to explore the city. Visit Galway's Medieval Quarter and hub of the city, Eyre Square. Following dinner in your hotel, enjoy "Trad on the Prom", an electrifying performance of contemporary & Traditional Irish music, song & dance.
DINNER, OVERNIGHT AND BREAKFAST: ARDILAUN HOTEL, GALWAY
Relaxing inside Cabra Castle
Monday, September 27 - CLONMACNOISE & CABRA CASTLE
Head east from Galway to Clonmacnoise, one of Ireland's most significant ancient monuments. Clonmacnoise was a monastery founded by St. Ciaran in 545 A.D. and became one of Europe's great centers of learning for nearly 1,000 years. At its prime, it was more than a monastery or university - it was a virtual city superbly situated on the banks of the serene River Shannon at the main crossroads of early Ireland. Following your visit, continue east to reach Cabra Castle, your hotel for the night. Enjoy exploring the warm and inviting nooks and crannies of this castle, built in 1760 amidst nearly 100 acres of beautifully manicured gardens, parklands, and its own nine hole golf course.
DINNER, OVERNIGHT AND BREAKFAST: CABRA CASTLE, KINGSCOURT www.cabracastle.com
Cabra Castle
Tuesday, September 28 - RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES
All too soon, your vacation in Ireland has come to an end. Transfer this morning to the Dublin Airport in plenty of time to check in for your flight, clear security, and claim your VAT refund. You may wish to do some last minute shopping at the many duty free stores. Then clear U.S. Immigration before boarding your aircraft, and fly west across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States.
Rainbow over Connemara