Castles and Manors
Experience Overview
This grand Ireland trip is fit for royalty, including stays in the homes of Irish nobility. You’ll travel to Kildare and learn all about the racehorses of Ireland, visit the Ring of Kerry and watch how delicate crystal is carved in Connemara.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 7 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
Be My Guest
- Westport: Enjoy a traditional High Tea with your hosts, the Hughes family, in the drawing room of their historic home, Westport House. Savor traditional banoffee and Baileys flavors while delighting in stories about the house's history and tales of the Pirate Queen.
Dive Into Culture
- Connemara: Visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory and witness master craftsmen bring these intricate crystal designs to life.
- Kildare: Admire Ireland's finest thoroughbreds at the Irish National Stud Farm.
Iconic Experience
- Dublin: A Local Specialist will show you Dublin's elegant Georgian squares, O'Connell Street and the Custom House.
- Galway: Explore the historic heart of Galway. See landmarks such as the Spanish Arch and the cathedral, or perhaps admire the distinctive Claddagh rings.
- Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden: Visit the turreted Neo-Gothic Kylemore Abbey. This monastery was founded in 1920 for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I.
- Lahinch: Help preserve the Cliffs of Moher for generations to come and learn about its extraordinary geology, history and the species that find sanctuary in its nooks and crannies.
- Ring of Kerry: Admire Ireland's enduring scenic beauty on one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
- Torc Waterfall: Visit the Torc Waterfall with a Local Specialist.
- Cashel: View the ruins of the Rock of Cashel with a Local Specialist.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Connemara: Oscar Wilde described Connemara as “wild mountainous country. . . in every way magnificent.” Experience this region for yourself on a visit to DK Connemara Oysters. This family run farm leads the way in sustainability, biodiversity and packaging for farming and advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production. The experience also promotes sustainable food experiences, small scale farmer interactions or responsible consumption.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Dublin, Killarney National Park and Cashel
- Discover Killarney and Galway
- Visit Kylemore Abbey, Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel in Cashel and the Irish National Stud near Kildare
- View Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park
- See Dublin's Georgian Squares and Galway Cathedral
- Scenic Drive of the Ring of Kerry and through Connemara
Stays With Stories
- Killarney: Combining old-fashioned hospitality with the luxury of a modern 4-star hotel, this family-owned hotel invites you to kick back, relax and be spoiled.
Trafalgar Difference
- Cong: Overnight on the shores of Lough Corrib in the elegant country quarters of the Lodge at Ashford Castle.
- Clifden: Romance and royalty are guaranteed on your overnight stay at historic Abbeyglen, along the famous Sky Road overlooking Clifden Bay and the spectacular Twelve Bens.
Trip Details
Product Code: 19321
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 240.275A
Starts: Dublin, Ireland
Finishes: Dublin, Ireland
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Ferry across the Shannon estuary
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $4,483 ($560 /day)
Itinerary
Set your watch to the lively pace of Ireland's capital city – the springboard for your in-depth journey through the lush landscapes and enduring allure of Ireland. Your exploration of Dublin with a Local Specialist will see you view St. Patrick's Cathedral and Georgian Squares. Spend some time at leisure exploring Dublin's pretty streets before joining your travel companions and Travel Director for dinner celebrating traditional Irish flavors.
Accommodation: Clayton Ballsbridge
Meals: Dinner
The first stop today is Europe's 'City of the Tribes', where you will have an opportunity to see Galway Cathedral and stroll through Eyre Square. Overnight at one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories on the shores of Lough Corrib. Feel like lords and ladies as you relax in the elegant country quarters of The Lodge at Ashford Castle, celebrating the heritage and hospitality of Ireland.
Accommodation: The Lodge at Ashford Castle
Meals: Breakfast
Leaving the elegant estate of Ashford Castle behind, your journey takes you to Westport House where you'll Connect With Locals and indulge in a memorable Be My Guest experience with tales of the Pirate Queen, and enjoy Banoffee and Baileys flavors in the Drawing Room of this stately 18th-century home. Your home for the next two nights is one of Trafalgar's Stays With Stories - the spectacular Abbeyglen Castle.
Accommodation: Abbeyglen Castle
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive through the 'savage beauty' of Connemara, as described by Oscar Wilde who was inspired by the region's craggy mountains, shimmering lakes and endless shades of green. Visit Kylemore Abbey, a magnificent castellated structure built as a family home and now inhabited by a group of Benedictine nuns. Venture into the secret nooks and crannies of its extensive walled Victorian garden. Later, stop for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at an oyster farm before returning to your castle accommodation for a delicious dinner.
Accommodation: Abbeyglen Castle
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning, visit the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory, where you'll Dive Into Culture and witness first-hand how their famous crystal designs are made. Picture yourself living in 1520 alongside the Dunguaire Castle when you later pass through the charming seaport village of Kinvara. Next up is an experience you’ll remember for years to come as you watch the UNESCO-listed Cliffs of Moher plunge dramatically into the Atlantic waters below. Beyond the endless views you’ll have an opportunity to visit the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience which really brings this natural phenomenon to life in an interactive way, leaving you with a deep understanding of this special place. Your home for the next two nights is one of Trafalgar's Stays With Stories experience.
Accommodation: Randles
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a slow start to your morning, joining a Local Specialist for a leisurely guided walk at Torc Waterfall, strolling over wooded paths and lakeshore trails. Embark on an epic drive next, exploring the enduring beauty of the Ring of Kerry whose enchanting coastal landscapes have inspired writers and poets for centuries.
Accommodation: Randles
Meals: Breakfast
Discover the legacy of St. Patrick when you visit the imposing Rock of Cashel, once the traditional seat of the kings of Munster. View its ecclesiastical ruins with a Local Specialist then traverse scenic landscapes to Kildare. Here you’ll Dive Into Culture and learn about Ireland's thoroughbred industry at the Irish National Stud. You'll have a rare opportunity to see the foaling unit, museum and of course the magnificent stallions that continue to make racing history. Later today, return to the Irish capital where you’ll inject a bit of the craic into dinner with your new friends.
Accommodation: Radisson Blu St Helens Dublin
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Say a fond farewell to your newfound friends and Dublin today. You will be transferred to the airport, where your journey through the 'Emerald Isle' comes to an end.
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
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