Taste of Ireland (Winter)

Day 1: DUBLIN ARRIVAL & CITY SIGHTSEEING Enjoy your day with an independent Dublin open-top bus tour (valid for 48 hours) and a visit to one of Dublin's top attractions -- Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC Ireland or the General Post Office Museum. This bustling city has plenty of museums, shops, and parks you may also enjoy visiting. In the evening you are free to dine at one of the many restaurants and pubs that Dublin has to offer. Day 2: DUBLIN & MERRY PLOUGHBOY PUB Spend a free morning in Dublin for further independent sightseeing with the included vouchers. Meet your guide at 2:00 PM in the hotel lobby and set off on an orientation tour of Dublin city center. Highlights include the main thoroughfares of O'Connell Street and Nassau Street, the shopping streets and lovely public parks. Take a guided tour through parts of Dublin Castle, which was the seat of power and government for many centuries and today plays a leading role in European Union activities. In the evening, enjoy a welcome drink with your group before heading to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for a great dinner of Irish specialties and a lively show with popular Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (D) Day 3: BLARNEY CASTLE & KILLARNEY Relax and enjoy the picturesque midlands of Ireland, with its many mixed farms. Stop for photos of the stately ruins on the Rock of Cashel, rising high above the surrounding plain. Get a taste of farm life at Robert Power Dualla House for Sheepdogs with a sheepdog demonstration. Visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous "Stone of Eloquence" or explore the tranquil gardens. Treat yourself to quality Irish made goods at Blarney Woollen Mills. Continue into County Kerry to the charming town of Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes with Ireland's highest mountains, forming a backdrop. (B, D) Day 4: RING OF KERRY & SKELLIG EXPERIENCE Discover the natural beauty of the Emerald Isle on Ireland's most popular scenic drive, the Ring of Kerry, with plenty of photo stops along the way. After a casual lunch in a cozy restaurant continue your scenic drive. Cross the bridge to Valentia Island to visit the Skellig Experience, which explains the life of early Christian hermits on Skellig Michael, a rocky offshore island, and was featured in the "Star Wars VII" movie. Pause for a stroll around Sneem, with its brightly-painted houses and again at Moll's Gap for panoramic views of Ireland's highest mountains and deep valleys. Enjoy the evening in Killarney for dinner on your own and perhaps a visit to one of the town's many lively pubs. (B, L) Day 5: CLIFFS OF MOHER & BUNRATTY CASTLE HOTEL Take in the spectacular beauty of the Cliffs of Moher - soaring 700 feet above the Atlantic surf. See magical vistas, overlooking the shimmering Atlantic Ocean along with Ireland's Western coastline. Embark on a memorable ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary. Drive past Lahinch Golf Course, one of Ireland's most famous on your way to Bunratty. You'll stay at Bunratty Castle Hotel, a short stroll to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. In the evening enjoy dinner at Durty Nelly's, one of Ireland's landmark pubs. (B, D) Day 6: GALWAY AND DUBLIN Explore Galway city before heading out along the famous Galway Bay to Spiddal where the locals still speak the Irish language. Travel across the rugged boglands of Connemara to Moycullen to visit the Connemara Marble Factory. Quarried in Connemara, the soft green shades of the marble echoes the colors of the countryside from which it is cut. See how it is made into many decorative items. Enjoy tea and scones before traveling across the country to Dublin. This evening you are free to spend the final night of your tour exploring the pubs in the lively Temple Bar area or experience one of Dublin's fine restaurants. (B) Day 7: DEPART FROM DUBLIN Your program ends after breakfast today. (B)