7 days Introduction to Ireland
This guided Ireland tour is an ideal introduction to the Emerald Isle for first-time visitors who have limited time. You’ll experience some of Ireland’s most magnificent scenery, as well as its most famous towns. You’ll start and end in Dublin, with overnight stays in Ennis, Killarney, and Waterford. Highlights of this tour include the 668-foot Cliffs of Moher on Ireland’s west coast, where you’ll savor the breathtaking views of these rugged cliffs dropping into the ocean, and the Ring of Kerry, a 100-mile panoramic drive through rugged and magnificent landscapes. Words cannot capture the magnificence of these natural beauties; you must witness them in person!
| Day | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Dublin, Ireland | Céad míle fáilte—a hundred-thousand welcomes! Check into your hotel. At 3 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for an afternoon orientation drive through statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and past St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Oscar Wilde’s Trinity College. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner with wine at your hotel. Dinner. |
| 2 | Dublin–Kildare–Cashel–Limerick–Ennis | Horse-racing country awaits this morning. Drive across the Curragh to visit the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare, whose fine thoroughbreds command respect on the racecourses of the world. Lots more to see: the Rock of Cashel, where St. Patrick preached; Tipperary, made famous in a wartime marching song; and Limerick, where an orientation drive acquaints you with St. Mary’s Cathedral, King John’s Castle, and the stone where the Treaty of Limerick was signed in 1691. Tonight’s suggestion for a very special night out: attend an optional medieval banquet at an historic castle. Breakfast. |
| 3 | Ennis. West Coast Excursion | Your day excursion along Ireland’s spectacular Atlantic coastline begins with a drive to the 668-foot CLIFFS OF MOHER, where you savor the breathtaking panorama of the Clare coast. A scenic route across the limestone plateau of The Burren takes you to Galway, a popular seaside destination and a buzzing cosmopolitan center with colorful shops and a busy café and bar culture. This afternoon, a special treat at RATHBAUN FARM: try your hand at scone making, and learn from the farmer about sheep shearing and herding. Afterwards, enjoy Globus Local Favorite COFFEE and your SCONES, fresh from the oven. Breakfast. |
| 4 | Ennis–Ring of Kerry–Killarney | After a short drive via Clonderlaw Bay to Killimer, cross the Shannon estuary by FERRY. Continue on to Killorglin on Dingle Bay to join the spectacular RING OF KERRY for a 100-mile panoramic drive around the island’s southwestern tip. Take your photos of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View, then spend the night in the popular resort of Killarney. Before dinner at your hotel, why not take a horse-drawn jaunting car ride along the national park to Ross Castle? Breakfast, Dinner. |
| 5 | Killarney–Blarney–Waterford | Across the Kerry Mountains and through County Cork to Blarney, renowned for its magical Kissing Stone. Time for lunch, to walk up to the castle, and to shop for traditional Irish handicrafts. In the afternoon, proceed via Cork to Waterford, a stronghold founded by the Danish Vikings, and look forward to a guided tour of the HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL. After dinner this evening, enjoy a Globus Local Favorite IRISH COFFEE DEMONSTRATION. Breakfast, Dinner. |
| 6 | Waterford–Avoca–Glendalough–Dublin | An exciting agenda today: Enniscorthy, site of the final battle of the Great Rebellion of 1798; Ireland’s oldest HANDWEAVING MILL at Avoca, where you watch the WEAVERS at work; the Wicklow Mountains; and GLENDALOUGH, the early Christian monastic site founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. See the engaging audiovisual Ireland of the Monasteries, then let your Local Guide show you the remains of this ecclesiastical settlement. Back in Dublin tonight, a fitting farewell to Ireland would be an optional cabaret evening with dinner, followed by dance, song, and laughter. Breakfast. |
| 7 | Dublin | Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Breakfast. |