Country Roads of Ireland - Premium

Dining Summary

• 5 Dinner (D)
• 11 Breakfast (B)

Choice Highlights

Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Killarney: Explore the scenery of Killarney National Park on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys.
• Killarney: Join a gentle hike with a nature guide in Killarney National Park and admire stunning mountains, lakes, woods and waterfalls. Stroll along the lake shore and past the impressive 15th Century Ross Castle and the famous Muckross Estate, a charming 19th Century mansion and grounds. Alternatively, enjoy a memorable ride on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys.

Additional Included Highlights

• Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
• Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
• We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
• Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
• If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with us, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Authentic Dining

• Dublin: Join your Travel Director for a warm and friendly dinner, an opportunity to get to know each other over a meal.
• Ballygally: The Irish call it 'craic' - the warm feeling resulting from the confluence of music, drink, good food, laughter, and conversation. And after circumnavigating the Emerald Isle, there's bound to be a fair share of craic at your grand finale Celebration Dinner. Sláinte!

Brendan Choice

• Killarney: Explore the scenery of Killarney National Park on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys.
• Killarney: Join a gentle hike with a nature guide in Killarney National Park and admire stunning mountains, lakes, woods and waterfalls. Stroll along the lake shore and past the impressive 15th Century Ross Castle and the famous Muckross Estate, a charming 19th Century mansion and grounds. Alternatively, enjoy a memorable ride on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys.

Brendan Experiences

• Dublin: A stunning combination of cobblestone walkways, emerald-green lawns and 18th-century architectural gems, Trinity College is one of Europe’s elite universities and counts poet Oscar Wilde among its alumni. Tour the enchanting college campus with a Local Expert and discover insights into its impressive history. Enjoy access to view the famous Book of Kells, an exquisite manuscript of the four gospels of the Christian New Testament, renowned for the intricacy, detail and majesty of the illustrations.
• Kildare: Horse racing is key part of Irish culture; and you'll get a rare peek into it over your visit to the Irish National Stud. Set in Kildare at the breeding ground of champions and the birthplace of legends, explore the foaling unit, museum and the stallions that continue to make racing history. As the only stud farm in Ireland open to the public, learn the insights of horse-racing at a site whose former visitors include queens and presidents.
• Kilkenny: Visit Kilkenny Castle with a Local Expert. On a guided tour, learn the history of this magnificent castle and that of the powerful family that came to call it home for so many centuries. Amble through the Picture Gallery, library, drawing room, nursery and bedrooms decorated in 1830s splendor as well as the rolling parkland formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and man-made lake.
• Londonderry: There's no better way to experience sightseeing than with one of Northern Ireland's best storytellers, Ronan, as he takes you on a tour inside the city walls. See the Gothic Guildhall and the Georgian houses of Shipquay Street.

Iconic Experience

• Blarney: It is said that those who kiss the Blarney Stone, the famous stone of eloquence, are bestowed with the power to persuade, flatter and coax. Take your turn at giving it a peck knowing that the stone was sourced from 330-million-year-old limestone.
• Cliffs of Moher: Towering cliffs and the dramatic sea, the Cliffs of Moher has inspired countless travelers. Visit the Exhibition Center and look out over the Wild Atlantic Way from these majestic cliffs that rise over 700 feet high. Gain insights from your Travel Director into the cliffs’ geology, history and the species that find sanctuary in its nooks and crannies.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

• Killarney: Meet passionate restaurant owners John and Freda at their beautiful guesthouse in Killarney, where you'll hear more about their farm-to-table concept, while enjoying a delicious meal made from fresh ingredients sourced within a five mile radius. John and Freda have a policy that all food is sourced locally from farms and the coach of the Emerald Isle. On the farm they also grow and harvest all their own fruit and veg. They educate their visitors about sustainable consumption and the benefits of eating fresh homegrown produce. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production.
• Giant's Causeway: Visit the legendary Giant's Causeway, site of wonders. At the visitor center, learn about the efforts to protect biodiversity and ecosystems, participating in habitat restoration. The National Trust charity has been undertaking replanting activities in Innisfree Farm, adjacent to the Causeway. By sowing a field of Herbal Ley seed mixes containing up to 17 different species, they have prioritized biodiversity and quality food production leaving a low carbon footprint. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land

Top Rated Highlights

• Dublin: See Custom House and travel along the River Liffey. See the Guinness Storehouse, Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral.
• Cahir: See one of the largest castles in Ireland dating back to the 13th century.
• Cork: Your Travel Director will show you the Grand Parade and South Mall, along with City Hall and the Opera House.
• Ring of Kerry: Admire Ireland's enduring scenic beauty on one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
• Killarney: Enjoy hearing of the history of Killarney during your city orientation.
• Dingle Peninsula: Enjoy a scenic drive to Slea Head past the sandstone mountains.
• Galway: Fascinating stories and interesting locals take center stage on your orientation of the historic heart of Galway. Visit the Lynch Memorial Window. Then make your way to the Church of St. Nicholas - the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use, Spanish Arch and Eyre Square.
• Ballygally: Explore this seaside town with your Travel Director.
• Carrickfergus: See the immense Castle as your drive around it.
• Belfast: Meet Hilda, a true Belfast local, having lived in the same house her entire life. During your panoramic tour, hear about the history of the city and learn why Hilda is proud of its progress and current prosperity. You'll also see the City Hall, Queen's University, Parliament Building at Stormont and murals in different locations indicating political sentiments of local residents.

Well-being

• Enjoy the comfort of the luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
• Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.