Best of Ireland
Experience Overview
An in-depth encounter with the Best of Ireland awaits, from spectacular sights like the Cliffs of Moher and Ring of Kerry to the past and present showcased in Dublin, Galway and pretty Adare. You’ll learn all about Irish famine history, former kings and how to embrace the craic.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 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
- New Ross: Explore the tragic history of Ireland's famine emigration at the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience, a replica of one of the original ships used in the 1800s.
- Waterford: Learn how crystal is crafted at the House of Waterford Crystal during a workshop tour.
Iconic Experience
- Dublin: A Local Specialist will show you Dublin's elegant Georgian squares, O'Connell Street and the Custom House.
- 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.
- Limerick: See Limerick's iconic landmarks during an orientation with your Travel Director.
- Bunratty: Visit the impeccably-preserved Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.
- Kylemore: Visit the turreted Neo-Gothic Kylemore Abbey. This monastery was founded in 1920 for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I.
- Knock: In the pilgrimage town of Knock, visit the beautiful Marian Shrine, where the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and John the Evangelist are said to have appeared to the townsfolk in 1879.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Lisdoonvarna: Smoked salmon is one of Ireland’s most famous product. Meet Brigitta at her family ran smokehouse to discover the secrets behind traditional salmon produced organically in the respect of traditions and get a taste of their award winning organic smoked salmon. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Dublin with a Local Specialist
- Discover Waterford, Killarney, Limerick and Galway
- Visit the Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross, the crystal showroom at Waterford, Blarney Castle to kiss the stone and gain the 'gift of the gab', Adare, Bunratty Folk Park, Cliffs of Moher, Connemara and Kylemore Abbey
- View King John's Castle in Limerick and the Marian Shrine in Knock
- See St. Mary's Cathedral in Limerick and Galway Cathedral
- Scenic Drive of the Ring of Kerry
Top Rated Highlights
- Dublin: Embark on an interactive discovery of the 70 million people who claim Irish ancestry at EPIC - The Irish Emigration Museum. Throughout 20 rooms divided per topic, learn about the Irish experience and the timeline of Ireland’s history told through the personal stories of emigrants. The sights and insights range from learning a special Irish dance to reading the letters of past emigrants, to tracing your family name going back generations.
- Adare: Experience a village walk through the main street lined with thatched cottages.
What's 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)
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Trip Details
Product Code: 29557
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Brendan Vacations (CA)
Supplier Code: 54.107B
Starts: Dublin, Ireland
Finishes: Dublin, Ireland
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $4,026 ($403 /day)
Itinerary
Write your own lively tale of legends and iconic landscapes during this epic encounter with Ireland's treasures. Begin your journey in the capital of Dublin, joining a Local Specialist to see the sights. This evening sees you visiting EPIC - The Irish Emigration Museum, for some drinks and canapes.
Accommodation: Clayton Hotel Ballsbridge, Sandymount Hotel Dublin
Journey through the scenic countryside of County Wicklow, 'The Garden of Ireland', and on to New Ross – the ancestral home town of John F. Kennedy. Dive Into Culture and gain insights into the plight of the starving Irish emigrants who boarded the Dunbrody Famine Ship to flee the potato famine. Continue to Waterford. This afternoon, celebrate the centuries-old craft of flint glass creations, as you Dive Into Culture at the House of Waterford Crystal and witness talented master crafters at work. Arrive in Kilkenny where you will stay for the night.
Accommodation: Kilkenny
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today, pursue the 'gift of the gab' at Blarney Castle, where you'll have a chance to kiss the famous stone. Consider joining an Optional Experience for a traditional pony and trap ride through the beautiful Bourn-Vincent National Park. During your journey, your Local Specialist will share fascinating anecdotes about the area and Ireland. Arrive in Killarney for a two-night stay. In the evening perhaps join an optional Gaelic Roots show. Using traditional instruments, Irish dance and time-honored folk songs, this energetic show will have you tapping your feet and singing along in no time.
Accommodation: Hotel Killarney, Killarney Towers Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Ireland's soul-stirring Ring of Kerry takes center stage today as you embark on a scenic drive past its mountains, lakes and lush green countryside – unquestionably one of the most scenic routes in Ireland. See Daniel O'Connell's Cahirciveen, the fishing village of Waterville, Moll's Gap and the Black Valley, whose remoteness saw it become the last area in Ireland to receive electricity.
Accommodation: Hotel Killarney, Killarney Towers Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Continue through the windswept countryside, arriving in Adare, one of the prettiest villages in Ireland. On arrival in Limerick, you will enjoy views of St. Mary's Cathedral, the Treaty Stone and the 13th-century King John's Castle during an orientation tour. Delve into an Ireland of old, as you discover the day-to-day life of the Irish during the 18th and 19th centuries on your included visit to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park this afternoon.
Accommodation: The Inn at Dromoland, Greenhills Hotel Conference and Leisure Center
Meals: Breakfast
The sheer Cliffs of Moher plunge dramatically into the Atlantic Ocean, providing endless ocean views and wonderful photographic opportunities during your experience at this UNESCO-listed highlight along the Wild Atlantic Way. You’ll be enchanted by its irresistible landscapes, but more so the interactive visitor center which will bring the whole experience to life from the perspective of the resident wildlife that find sanctuary here. Stop at a family ran Irish smokehouse for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, to get a close up look at the kiln and smokebox from the owner Brigitta, before tasting their award-winning, organic smoked fish. Later, arrive in Galway with some time at leisure to see its beautiful stone Cathedral or stroll through Eyre Square.
Accommodation: The Connacht Hotel Galway
Meals: Breakfast
Connemara's 'savage beauty' is yours to explore today as you tread in the footsteps of Oscar Wilde who described its 'wild and mountainous splendor' as magnificent. Admire the views on the scenic drive to Kylemore Abbey, now a Benedictine monastery, where you will embark on an included visit to the country's most romantic castle and walk through its exquisite Victorian Walled Garden.
Accommodation: The Connacht Hotel Galway
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your journey takes you to Westport House to 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. Heading north, stop in the pilgrimage town of Knock to view the Marian Shrine where villagers witnessed an apparition of Our Lady in 1879. Arrive in Sligo this evening, your home for the night.
Accommodation: Clayton, Sligo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Continue south to Dublin. Here you’ll enjoy some free time to take a walk down Grafton Street or stroll along the Liffey. This evening, close the chapter on an epic journey through Ireland, joining your fellow travelers for a memorable dinner.
Accommodation: Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
After a hearty Irish breakfast, bid your Travel Director and fellow travelers a fond farewell as your Irish holiday comes to an end.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Brendan Vacations (CA)
In Business Since 1931
Share a personalized trip brochure!
Why Choose Us?
We Work for You
Our goal to make you happy! That means ensuring our travel consultants have the best product knowledge and excellent customer service. A positive customer experience is our #1 goal!
Our Products
We offer an broad selection of travel products, including all-inclusive vacation packages, pre-packaged tours, custom travel itineraries, destination weddings, and luxury vacations.
Escapes Cares
We believe in giving back. When you book with us, you are contributing to tree planting through our partners at Veritree, as well ocean conservation though Oceana Canada.
