group travel packages europe - Enchanting Ireland

11 Days from $2,189 USD

plus [government taxes and fees]

The landscapes of Ireland inspired mythical legends of Celtic fairies and heaven-like lands of the eternal youth. After 11 days of traveling through Ireland’s patchwork pastures, ancient ruins and wild coastlines, you’ll understand why.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Dublin

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Dublin aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Dublin

Welcome to the Emerald Isle! A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and escorts you to your hotel. If you took our pre-tour extension to London, join the rest of your tour today. The rest of the day is free for you to begin exploring Dublin. At tonight’s included dinner, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Dublin

A local guide leads a sightseeing tour of the city. Drive to Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed public park in Europe. Its grounds include the Arás an Uachtaráin (Presidential Residence). Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, founded by Ireland’s patron saint in A.D. 450, and then visit Trinity College, where you can view the illuminated Book of Kells in the university’s library. This afternoon, opt to visit Malahide Castle and the Talbot Botanic Gardens.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: St. Patrick’s Cathedral,
Trinity College

$59 USD

Malahide Castle Set on 250 acres of park land in the pretty seaside town of Malahide, Malahide Castle was both a fortress and the private residence of the Talbot family for nearly 800 years.

Day 4 - Dublin

Discover Dublin at your own pace today. You might choose to quaff the perfect pint at the Guinness Storehouse, stroll through St. Stephen’s Green or explore the Writers’ Museum. Alternatively, join an optional excursion passing through the Wicklow Mountains to visit Powerscourt House. Here you can walk through Ireland’s most beautiful formal gardens, and Glendalough, a romantic glen where St. Kevin founded Ireland’s most important monastery in the 6th century. Attend an optional Traditional Irish Evening tonight.
Included meals: breakfast

$79 USD

Powerscourt & Glendalough Your first stop is at the picturesque village of Enniskerry, where you’ll visit Powerscourt Demesne, an elegant country mansion with the finest formal gardens in the country. Then continue on to Glendalough, which became famous throughout Europe as a center of Christian learning before it was sacked by Vikings crusaders in the tenth century.

$119 USD

Traditional Irish Evening Enjoy this special evening of Irish food, music and live entertainment. Dinner will be served first, giving you a taste of traditional Irish dishes. You’ll then be treated to a live show of Irish music and dance. Join in the fun as you enjoy a merry and memorable night. Please note: The specific venue and day of the week for this optional may change due to availability.

Day 5 - County Cork

Leaving Dublin this morning, travel a short distance southwest to County Kildare. Stop at the National Stud Farm, where world-class race horses are bred and trained. Visit the stables, where you are likely to glimpse the thoroughbreds. Continue to County Tipperary where you’ll visit the iconic Rock of Cashel. The commanding stone buildings date back to the 12th and 13th centuries and offer a glimpse into Ireland’s past. Admire St. Patrick’s Cathedral and other well-preserved religious ruins. Later arrive in County Cork, Ireland’s largest county.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: National Stud Farm, Rock of Cashel and St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Day 6 - County Kerry

This morning, visit Blarney Castle. This 15th-century fortress is known above all else for the legendary Blarney Stone, said to grant magical powers of eloquence to those who kiss it—which you can attempt by climbing the steep staircase to the top of the parapet and leaning out of the battlements. Stop in the fishing village of Cobh, which in centuries past often served as a launch site for ships bound for North America. Here you’ll visit the Queenstown Story Museum, whose exhibits tell the story of Irish emigration during the past 150 years. Your Tour Director will introduce you to the city of Cork before continuing on to County Kerry, where dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Blarney Castle, Queenstown Story Museum

Day 7 - County Kerry

Today’s included excursion takes you around the Ring of Kerry, a 112-mile coastal route that covers some of Ireland’s most spectacular scenery. Pass the pristine Lakes of Killarney and gaze across Dingle Bay to Dingle Peninsula. This afternoon, enjoy picturesque views of the Skellig Islands. Then continue to the picturesque village of Sneem, the “Knot in the Ring,” where brightly painted cottages surround the cozy market green. You’ll also stop in Killarney, where you’ll have some free time to explore its quaint shops and galleries.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 8 - Galway

En route to Galway, stop for a visit at 13th-century Bunratty Castle. Then motor on to Galway, Ireland’s third-largest city. For 400 years Galway was an independent city-state—as recently as the 19th century, local citizens were still in the habit of setting their clocks 40 minutes behind Dublin time. Tonight, dine at our optional Castle Banquet dinner (seasonal).
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Bunratty Castle

$119 USD

Castle Banquet Dinner Dine like a royal inside Dunguaire Castle, a 17th-century castle overlooking Galway Bay. Sip on a goblet of mead and learn the history of the castle before proceeding up the spiral staircase to the banquet hall, where you’ll enjoy a sumptuous, four-course dinner and an evening of Irish entertainment. Please note: This excursion is seasonal from April to October.

Day 9 - Galway

With another free day in Galway, you might choose to explore the city’s cultural highlights or cross the River Corrib to see University College. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to the Aran Islands (weather permitting), a rugged region of traditional Irish culture that has remained largely unchanged in recent centuries.
Included meals: breakfast

$99 USD

Aran Islands Ferry west across Galway Bay for a guided tour of Inis Moor. As one of three remote Aran Islands, Inis Moor has remained essentially unchanged over the past centuries, preserving ancient Irish culture. The rugged way of life that endures here has inspired many literary works, including J.M. Synge’s play, Riders to the Sea Please note: This excursion is weather dependent. Weather conditions may also result in a rough transfer.

Day 10 - Limerick

Depart Galway and travel through the limestone plateau known as the Burren. Stop to see the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, which rise 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Later, transfer to Limerick. Overlooked by Woodcock Hill immediately to the north, and the Silvermine Mountains to the east, the city is spread along both banks of the Shannon River. Here, you’ll enjoy an included Farewell Dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 11 - Limerick

A Go Ahead representative accompanies you on the motorcoach transfer to Shannon, where you’ll check in at the airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be provided.)

Extend Your Stay

Add 2 nights in Belfast for only $299 USD (Single room: add $60 USD)

The city of Belfast was once the largest in Ireland, the home of Irish linen and the most productive shipyard in the world, a place whose hills inspired Jonathan Swift to write Gulliver's Travels. Come discover the charming Victorian architecture of the cultural heart of Northern Ireland.

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