Irish Highlights
Experience Overview
A roundtrip from Dublin featuring all the Ireland highlights including Waterford Crystal, your newfound 'gift of the gab' at Blarney Castle and the irresistible Ring of Kerry. You’ll also learn about the devastating Irish famine and peer over the edge at the Cliffs of Moher.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 3 Dinner (D)
- 6 Breakfast (B)
Be My Guest
- Wicklow: Enjoy traditional Irish fare with an Italian twist served up at Glenealy House near Dublin with your host Catherine Fulvio, one of Ireland’s top culinary stars, with her family on hand to share their story.
Dive into Culture
- Waterford: Learn how crystal is crafted at the House of Waterford Crystal during a workshop tour.
- New Ross: Explore the tragic history of Ireland's famine emigration with a Local Specialist at the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience, a replica of one of the original ships used in the 1800s.
Iconic Experience
- Dublin:
- Galway: Explore the historic heart of Galway. See landmarks such as the Spanish Arch and the cathedral, or perhaps admire the distinctive Claddagh rings.
- 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.
- 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.
- New Ross: Visit the port town of New Ross. On the quayside, perhaps see the Dunbrody replica famine ship and statue of John F. Kennedy.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Lahinch: Gain a deeper understanding of the Cliffs of Moher on a guided walk with a Local Specialist in conservation. Learn how wildflowers support rare bird species like the red-billed chough and explore the cultural ties between the land and local communities. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Dublin with a Local Specialist
- Discover Galway, Limerick and Waterford
- Visit Bunratty Folk Park, the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney to kiss the stone and gain the 'gift of the gab', the Crystal Showroom at Waterford and the famine ship in New Ross
- View St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin and King John's Castle in Limerick
- See the Cathedral of Galway and St. Mary's Cathedral in Limerick
- Scenic Cruise across the Shannon Estuary
- Scenic Drive of the Ring of Kerry
Top Rated Highlights
- Ring of Kerry: Admire Ireland's enduring scenic beauty on one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
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)
- Ferry across the Shannon estuary
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Trip Details
Product Code: 34656
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Brendan Vacations (CA)
Supplier Code: 13.75A
Starts: Dublin, Ireland
Finishes: Dublin, Ireland
Duration: 7 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $2,675 ($382 /day)
Itinerary
Tread in the footsteps of James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, through the lyrical streets of Dublin – your launch pad to a memorable encounter with Ireland's iconic highlights. After a leisurely morning, meet a Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour with views of Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral and the stately Georgian Squares. Indulge in a little Irish craic this evening, joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner.
Accommodation: Clayton Ballsbridge, Hampton by Hilton Dublin City Center
Meals: Dinner
Journey to Galway, the 'City of Tribes', where you'll see its stone cathedral on the banks of the Corrib and spend some free time exploring its stone façades.
Accommodation: Maldron Hotel Oranmore Galway
Meals: Breakfast
Depart Limerick and journey to the mighty UNESCO-listed Cliffs of Moher along Ireland’s iconic Wild Atlantic Way. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with your Local Specialist and discover why this windswept coastline has stirred the imagination for centuries. You’ll visit the interactive visitor center to explore how the cliffs formed over 300 million years, revealing layers of ancient seabed now home to puffins and peregrine falcons. Weather permitting, take in views stretching across Galway Bay to the Aran Islands. It’s a moment that connects land, sea and sky in a way only nature can. Continue your journey with a scenic drive to the ferry point, crossing the tranquil waters of the Shannon Estuary. Then on to the colorful town of Killarney, your base for the next two nights.
Accommodation: International, Killarney, Hotel Killarney
Meals: Breakfast
Circle the spectacular Ring of Kerry – its emerald green hills, centuries-old stone villages and vivid blue seascapes provide a soul-stirring backdrop. See Daniel O'Connell's Cahirciveen, Moll's Gap and the Black Valley, renowned for being the last place in Ireland to get electricity and telephone networks. Consider joining an Optional Experience to Muckross House and its beautiful gardens. With a backdrop of oak-clad mountains, enjoy taking in the towering azaleas and rhododendrons, alongside the shores of the lake. The 19th-century house contains some wonderful examples of furniture and paintings, including a portrait of King James VI, for whom Shakespeare wrote Macbeth.
Accommodation: International, Killarney, Hotel Killarney
Meals: Breakfast
Cross the rugged Kerry Mountains and travel to Blarney Castle to kiss the stone and acquire the 'gift of the gab'. In the afternoon, arrive Waterford, where you can immerse yourself in the vibrant culture with an optional folk experience, enjoying traditional Irish music and warm hospitality. You'll then return to the hotel for a delightful group dinner.
Accommodation: The Fitzwilton Hotel Waterford
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Dive Into Culture and witness the centuries-old tradition of crafting fine glass at the House of Waterford Crystal. Here you will watch the talented master crafters in their workshop creating exquisite pieces. Your next stop is in the town of New Ross, where you'll see the monument to John F. Kennedy who traveled to his ancestral family hometown in 1963. You'll visit the three-masted famine ship Dunbrody and Dive Into Culture yet again, gaining insights into the tragic plight of the Irish emigrants who fled the potato famine during the 1800s. Continuing through County Wexford and the lush countryside of County Wicklow, for a stop at Glenealy Farmhouse to meet the Fulvio family over dinner at your Be My Guest experience before continuing to Dublin.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
For now, it’s time to say a fond slán abhaile to your fellow travelers as you close the curtain on an unforgettable journey through the 'Emerald Isle'.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Brendan Vacations (CA)
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Amelia - Traveled, January 2025
Jill and Dave were excellent!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/13/2025
Nicola Jan - Traveled, January 2025
Amazing! Definitely recommend this tour& will be doing more.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/13/2025
Anita - Traveled, January 2025
This tour was spectacular! The outstanding knowledge of the guide, Lillian, was interesting and wonderful. The hotels were perfect and all activities were well worth it. Our bus driver was professional and did a great job. I made friends and memories!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/12/2025
Delores - Traveled, August 2024
Great tour, exceptional tour guide and driver! Tour guide provided in-depth and comprehensive information about Ireland and its history, injecting, amusing, anecdotes, and humor in her dialogue. The supplemental experiences were exceptional as well, they provided a personal and close-up look at Ireland’s citizens and habits. During this vacation, I used another very well known travel tour company who did not provide the connection to the country that my tour guide in Ireland had accomplished. Accommodations were excellent and I would not hesitate to use Trafalgar as a tour company again.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/19/2024
Christine - Traveled, August 2024
The best and so much fun.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/28/2024
Raffaella - Traveled, August 2024
Nice travel, good organization.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/02/2024
Brian Michael - Traveled, September 2024
Very informative narrative of the History of Ireland.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/16/2024
Ian - Traveled, September 2024
An excellent tour of Southern Ireland with a very good and professional guide greatly enjoyed by myself and my wife - highly recommended.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/07/2024
William - Traveled, September 2024
Travel Director and Driver were excellent. The coordination of logistics was superb. The only negative is the schedule didn’t allow sufficient “free time” at some stops, particularly in Gulway.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/07/2024
Naida Elizabeth - Traveled, October 2024
Great experiences, quality hotels and outstanding tour guide and driver.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/20/2024
Download 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.
