Romantic Island 2009

Tour Itinerary

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Day 1 - Dublin Arrival & Old Jameson Distillery

Arrive at Dublin Airport and proceed through immigration and pick up your baggage. Go to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall and personnel will arrange a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you will need to transfer to the hotel at your own expense. Your hotel, an elegant Victorian mansion, overlooks Dublin Bay and Dun Laoghaire Harbour. At 2:00 pm your tour director will introduce you to Dublin’s River Liffey, O’Connell Street, tranquil St. Stephen’s Green, the seat of government at Leinster House and other public buildings. See some of the elegant Georgian houses for which the city is famous. Then tour the Old Jameson Distillery, where you can see the many steps needed to create Irish whiskey and sample some. Join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink and your tour director will advise you on restaurants to dine independently.

Day 2 - Strokestown Park House & Galway

Leave Dublin and journey across the rolling pastures of Ireland’s heartland to visit Strokestown Park House in County Leitrim. There are three parts to see – the 18th century mansion with its original furnishings; the four-acre walled garden, restored to look as it would have during the heyday of the estate; and the Famine Museum, which uses a combination of original documents and images to explain the circumstances of the 1840’s Great Irish Famine. Drive to Galway and view the main sights of the city before checking into your deluxe, Victorian-era hotel, located in the city centre. Enjoy some free time to browse around on your own before dining in your hotel. Galway has many pedestrianised streets and lots of fun specialty shops and pubs. (B, D)

Day 3 - Clifden & Kylemore Abbey

Today tour Connemara and admire sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. You will see sheep grazing freely and tracts of bogland where people hand-cut peat for home heating. Stop in Spiddal where you may hear locals chatting in the Irish language. Continue to Clifden for another stop in this delightful market town set between the Twelve Bens and sandy bays. Visit Kylemore Abbey, a 19th century neo-Gothic mansion, which is now a prestigious girls’ school. Tour the exquisite chapel and reception rooms and stroll by the peaceful lake shore. Drive via Maam Cross, in the heart of Connemara and back to your hotel in Galway in ample time for dinner. (B, D)

Day 4 - Cliffs of Moher & Killarney’s Jaunting Car

Drive south around Galway Bay to see the Cliffs of Moher, which rise almost 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic surf. Then cross the wide River Shannon Estuary on a short ferry ride to Tarbert and travel through Listowel and Castleisland to Killarney. This little town is world-famous due to its exquisite location beside lakes and mountains. Check in to your deluxe hotel, dating from the 1840’s and offering all modern facilities. Head out to view some of the scenery. Take a horse-drawn jaunting car ride through the grounds of the Killarney National Park to Ross Castle, an old keep set on the shores of the Lower Lake with views of the mountains on the other shore. (B, D)

Day 5 - Ring of Kerry & Muckross Gardens

Embark on Ireland’s most popular scenic drive - the Ring of Kerry. This circular tour will reveal constantly-changing vistas of mountains, open Atlantic Ocean, beaches and cliffs. Stop near the Gap of Dunloe to view the “Essence of Kerry” audio-visual show to learn about the region’s flora and fauna. Drive through the remote towns of Cahirciveen and Waterville and return through the colourful village of Sneem. Enjoy plenty of breaks to admire the natural beauty all along the way. Pause at Moll’s Gap for views and photos and stop at Muckross Gardens. Take a walk through these lovely old gardens to see mature trees, colourful shrubs and flowers. Return to Killarney for some free time before dinner. (B, D)

Day 6 - Blarney & Titanic Walk

Leaving Killarney, head to the Blarney Woollen Mills where you can find excellent Irish-made merchandise. You will have time to walk around the village green or, if you feel energetic, you may like to climb Blarney Castle on your own to kiss the “Stone of Eloquence.” Drive through the outskirts of Cork to the harbour town of Cobh, the last port of call for the Titanic. Take a walk around this picturesque waterside town and the dockside with a local historian to see places relating to the Titanic’s last stop. Travel east through the coastal towns of Youghal and Dungarvan and on to Waterford. Visit the Waterford Crystal Factory to see the cutting and polishing of this fine product and also the excellent display of trophies and stemware in the showrooms before heading to your hotel, an 18th century mansion. (B, D)

Day 7 - Glendalough & Abbey Tavern

This morning travel north to discover the lovely scenery of the Wicklow Mountains. Visit Glendalough, a 6th century monastic site founded by St. Kevin. Learn about life in early Christian Ireland in the Visitor Centre and walk through the ruins of the many churches and a round tower set in a deep valley in the mountains. Drive to Dublin and check a city-centre hotel. In the evening drive to the Abbey Tavern for dinner and a lively show with traditional Irish music, story-telling and step-dancing. (B, D)

Day 8 - Homeward bound

Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. After check-in, you’ll have time to shop at the duty-free shops before boarding your flight for the journey home. (B)

Your Tour Includes

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• Group transfers on arrival and departure
• Sightseeing by luxury coach throughout
• Services of a professional Irish driver/guide
• Deluxe & superior first class hotels with private bath/shower for 7 nights
• Full Irish breakfast daily (B)
• 6 dinners (D) including
  • Dinner and traditional Irish entertainment at the Abbey Tavern
  • 5 table d’hote dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Tour of Dublin with your tour director
• Whiskey tasting and tour of Old Jameson Distillery
• Ferry ride across the River Shannon
• Horse-drawn jaunting car ride in Killarney
• "Titanic" walking tour of Cobh
• Visits and admissions to Strokestown Park House & Famine Museum, Kylemore Abbey, Cliffs of Moher, Essence of Kerry AV show, Muckross Gardens, Blarney Woollen Mills, Waterford Crystal Factory and Glendalough Monastic Site
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

Your Hotels

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Stay at the following (or similar):

• Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin (1 night)
• Meyrick Hotel, Galway (2 nights)
• The Malton Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
• Faithlegg House Hotel, Waterford (1 night)
• Quality Hotel, Dublin (1 night)

Departure Dates & Selling Price for 2009 season

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Single Room Supplement € 299.00. All Rates in euro.