Tour Director - Joey Edwards

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The tour will start and end in Dublin. You should arrive into Dublin Airport by noon on April 17th. You can depart at any time from Dublin Airport on April 28th.​

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NOTE: The UK and Northern Ireland will be rolling out the ETA in January of 2025. An ETA is an ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ or a digital permission to travel. Anyone traveling to these locations will need to acquire an ETA. The cost of an ETA is 10 euros and lasts for two years, or until the individual's passport expires if it expires before the two years is up. You can find the application at the following link. US Citizens can apply for the ETA starting on November 24th, 2024.

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Day 1 - Overnight at Iveagh Garden Hotel or similar, Dublin - D

Welcome to Dublin! Upon arrival at Dublin International Airport, you'll be met by your driver and transferred to our hotel. In the afternoon, we'll meet up as a group to enjoy a panoramic tour of Dublin city, the capital of Ireland. We'll discover how Dublin was developed around the River Liffey, which crosses through the city. Highlights of the tour include the Georgian Quarter with its magnificent architecture, O’Connell Street with its historic central General Post Office - site of the Easter Rising of 1916, and the medieval area of both St Patrick’s and Christchurch Cathedral. After our introduction to Dublin, we'll enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant and toast to fun times ahead.

 

Day 2 - Overnight at Iveagh Garden Hotel or similar, Dublin - B, L

Today will begin with a tour of Trinity College, created by royal charter in 1592. We'll learn of its history and life at the college. Next we'll visit the Book of Kells exhibit and see this important text with its gorgeous works of art.  We'll end our tour with a walk through the Old Library. The main chamber of the Old Library is the Long Room; at nearly 65 metres in length, it is normally filled with 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books and is one of the most impressive libraries in the world. Next we'll life like Dubliners and enjoy lunch at a local pub. Then it's on to the Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Opening its doors in 2015, it's the first new distillery in Dublin for over 125 years. Teeling has won over 20 awards, including "Best Visit in Ireland" and Sustainable Distillery of the Year." Our visit will include a guided tour of the facilities and a tasting of their whiskey.

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Day 3 - Overnight at The Harrison or similar, Belfast - B

After checking out and loading our luggage, it's time to leave Dublin. We'll begin our day with a visit to Loughcrew Cairns, one of Ireland's best kept secrets with a complex of passage tombs dating back 5500 years. Inside this passage tomb you will marvel at the artwork carved into the stones thousands of years ago by Neolithic farmers. Legend has it that the monuments were created when a giant hag, striding across the land, dropped her cargo of large stones from her apron. We'll have time to grab lunch on your own before moving on to Long Meadow Farm. Owned for generations by the McKeever family, they have perfect growing the perfect apples for cider, vinegar and more. We'll get to experience the cider-making process from start to finish and, of course, taste some of their delicious cider. We'll also get to enjoy granny's traditional skillet soda bread. It'll sure to be a fun afternoon on the farm. Next we'll drive to Belfast, check into our hotel and you will have the rest of the evening free to explore Belfast on your own. 

 

Day 4 - Overnight at The Harrison or similar, Belfast - B, D

Did you reaize that the Titanic was built in Belfast? Well, it was! Today we'll enjoy a self-guided tour of the Titanic Belfast Experience, a dramatic, innovative and exciting presentation of the real story of Titanic. Extending over nine galleries, this state-of-the-art exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the life of Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to her famous maiden voyage and subsequent place in history. After our visit and time to grab lunch on your own, we'll learn about another part of Dublin's history, The Troubles. We'll visit both the nationalist republican Falls Road area with its spectacular murals on the world famous International Wall and the unionist loyalist Shankill road, as well as the mural marking the historic hunger strike of 1981 which is dominated by the character and persona of Bobby Sands. Each leg of the tour will be guided by a former political prisoner from the area. This tour allows the visitor to see the British/Irish conflict from several perspectives, learning about everyday life in both communities. In the evening we'll enjoy dinner as a group at a local restaurant.

 

Day 5 - Overnight at Brown Trout Inn or similar,  co. Londonderry - B

Today we'll travel into the past as we visit Carrickfergus Castle. Built by the Anglo-Normans over 800 years ago, the castle has long been the centre of a power struggle for those wanting to control the important port nearby. Besieged by the Scots, English, Irish and French at various points throughout its history, it has racked up over 750 years of continuous military occupation until 1928, when it was transferred from the War Department to the Ministry of Finance for preservation as an ancient monument. After our visit and time for lunch on your own, we'll get outside as we walk along the Gobbins Path. This path is a guided walking tour along a rugged coastal cliff path, a spectacular location where you can truly escape and experience nature at its most elemental. We'll cross narrow bridges through tunnels and rugged staircases carved into the cliffs and marvel at tales of local smugglers. The fresh sea air is sure to be a perfect end to our day. 

 

Day 6 - Overnight at Brown Trout Inn or similar,  co. Londonderry - B, L

Today we'll get back outside as we experience the beauty of The Giant's Causeway Coast. We'll visit the causeway in a different way as we enjoy a local walking tour. We'll hear this area's history from our local guides, listen to their stories and experience the Giant’s Causeway with people who have a real connection and established links to the area. You'll have plenty of opportunity for questions and photographs. Our next stop will be Glenshane Family Farm where we will experience a real Irish sheep farm as we learn about the sheep, try our hand at commanding a sheepdog, enjoy a demonstration and see how they are trained. Next we'll see how to sheer a sheep and how their wool is made into fabrics. We'll also get to enjoy a fireside lunch at the farm.

 

Day 7 - Overnight at Brown Trout Inn or similar,  co. Londonderry - B, L

Today will be a special day as we walk in the footsteps of Irish migrants as they escape the horrors of the Great Hunger and make their way to the new world. We'll let local tour guide Cathy O’Neill tell us their story on this gentle hike up the Carntogher Mountain and along the Old Coach Road from Belfast to Derry. This 6k walk will take us through countryside almost unchanged since famine times and reward us with stunning views of Lough Neagh, the Sperrins and the Mourne. We'll end our time at Friel's Pub, a 5th generation traditional pub. In the 1840s, Dr Mooney set up a Soup Kitchen here during the Great Famine. We'll learn about the Soup kitchen, taste nettle famine soup and see the original famine pot. After our visit, we'll enjoy a 2-course lunch at Friel's.

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Day 8 - Overnight at Tara Hotel or similar, Killybegs - B

Today we will make our way to the NW coast and County Donegal. We'll make a stop in the beautiful city of Derry.  Officially the only completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples in Europe, the walls now form a walkway around Derry’s inner city and offer a unique promenade to check out the layout of the original town. You'll have free time to explore Derry on your own, perhaps walk the 1-mile wall, visit the Peace Bridge, learn of the history of Bloody Sunday or visit the Museum of Free Derry.  There are a number of options in Derry so you're sure to enjoy your time here. 

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Day 9 - Overnight at Tara Hotel or similar, Killybegs - B, L

Today will begin with a visit to Glencolumbkille Folk Village. This thatched-roof replica of a rural village in Ireland’s most north westerly county offers a glimpse into daily life as it was in past centuries. The Folk Village Museum is a cluster of several small cottages, called a‘clachan’, perched on a hillside overlooking the sandy curve of Glen Bay Beach in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) of South West Donegal. Designed, built and maintained by the local people, the Folk Village is one of Ireland's best living-history museums. Next it's on to Slieve League (or Sliabh Liag). Among the highest Sea Cliffs in Europe and one of the Wild Atlantic Way’s best hidden gems, these cliffs are almost three times the height of the infamous Cliffs of Moher. We'll discover this untouched natural landscape as we walk the path above the cliffs and visit the visitor center where we'll enjoy lunch as a group. Our last stop of the day is the Triona Donegal Tweed Center. Nestled in the picturesque town of Ardara, co. Donegal, we will experience the history and craft that has gone into Donegal tweed for generations. The building that now houses the visitor centre is locally known as The Mart and once housed over 60 weavers from the local area, including Dennis Mulhern who currently runs the centre and is a 5th generation weaver. We will learn the history of this famous brand and have the chance to purchase a piece (or two) to take with you.

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Day 10 - Overnight at Tara Hotel or similar, Killybegs - B, D

Today we'll slow down a bit and spend the day enjoying the fishing village of Killybegs. We'll start with a walking tour and learn the history of this quaint seaside town. We'll also take a cruise along the coast, seeing the Slieve League Cliffs from the water. In the evening we'll meetup for dinner at a local restaurant. OPTIONAL: are you interested in going deep sea fishing? Let us know and we can set it up for you for an additional cost.

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Day 11 - Overnight at Iveagh Garden Hotel or similar, Dublin - B, D

As we make our way back to Dublin, we'll start with a stop at Belleek Pottery Ltd. Here original and unique pieces are made using traditional methods passed down from generation to generation. Established in 1857, Belleek Pottery holds a very special place in the cultural and commercial heritage of County Fermanagh. At the Visitor Center we'll discover the secrets that have made Belleek Pottery one of the most enduring success stories of Irish craftmanship. Our next stop is Boatyard Distillery. Situated on the banks of Lough Erne and dating from 1890, Boatyard is Fermanagh’s first legal distillery. We'll enjoy a tour of the facilities, learning of the process they use to make their whiskey and, of course, get to taste some for ourselves. After arriving back in Dublin and checking into our hotel, we'll have a bit of free time before we meet back up for our Farewell Dinner. Here we'll toast to new friends, memories made and the beautiful country of Ireland. After all - "An té a bhíónn siúlach, bíonn scéalach" - (He who travels has stories to tell).

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Day 12 - B

Unfortunately it's time to say goodbye to Ireland. After breakfast, you'll be transferred to the Dublin airport in time for your flight home.

 

Note: The itinerary is descriptive, not definitive and is subject to change. In particular our actual itinerary will depend on the ferry and flight schedules, which vary from year to year. There also may be modifications due to weather and availability of local activities and guides.