by country
Ireland The Specials
DAY 1
Dublin
Arrival at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.
DAY 2
Dublin
The tour starts with a visit to the largest church in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Continue to Oscar Wilde’s Trinity College and the Old library. Explore the original manuscript of the Book of Kells, created by Celtic Monks. Have a walk around Dublin's Georgian square, 18th-century architectural mix. Admire Dublin Castle that represents some of the oldest surviving architecture in the city. Continue to the President’s Residence.
DAY 3
Dublin - Kilkenny 130km/1h30min - Waterford
Departure to Kilkenny, Ireland's most beautiful historic city, a perfect hub for arts and culture. Continue to Waterford, famous for its crystal ware and intriguing medieval history. Visit the House of Waterford crystal and factory of crystal glassware.
DAY 4
Waterford - Blarney 130km/2h - Cobh - Cork
Drive to Blarney and visit Blarney Castle, an old ruin where you will find the Blarney stone, a famous kissing stone that supposedly gives the gift of eloquence to all those who kiss it. Continue to Cobh to visit the Cobh Heritage Centre with its permanent exhibitions of Irish history. Explore the life in Ireland through the 18th and 19th centuries. See the Titanic Memorial. Cobh was the last port of call of the Titanic, and many who died were Irish people. Departure to Cork.
DAY 5
Cork - Garinish Island 160km/3h - Kenmare 70km/1h30min Ring of Kerry - Killarney
Explore the Garinish island known all around the world as an island garden of rare beauty. Enjoy the trees and shrubs. Drive to Kenmare. Enjoy magnificent views that make up the Ring of Kerry. Admire the Lakes of Killarney, a renowned scenic attraction. Enjoy the tranquility. Departure to Killarney.
DAY 6
Killarney - Blasket Islands 100km/1h30min - Killarney
Explore the Blasket Islands, alternately sparkling like jewels in the blue ocean and disappearing under dark clouds a moment later. Visit the scattered village of Dunquin and the Blasket Island Centre. The building is impressive, with exhibits lining a long corridor that leads to an observatory overlooking the island’s abandoned village. Remarkably, this tiny, isolated island abode produced an outpouring of music and writing. Return to Killarney.
DAY 7
Killarney – Adare 90km/1h30min - Limerick
Enjoy jaunting on an old traditional horse and cart through the demesne, Ross Castle and Muckross house. Drive to Adare, famous for its pretty thatched cottages and then continue to Limerick. See St. John's Cathedral with the tallest spire in Ireland at an amazing 94m, and the Treaty Stone on Thomond bridge.
DAY 8
Limerick - Cliffs of Moher 80km/1h30min – Galway 80km/1h30min - Ardrahan - Moycullen – Clifden 70km/1h
Explore the picturesque Cliffs of Moher. Enjoy the beautiful panorama of the Atlantic Ocean. Drive to Galway, "The City of the Tribes". Stroll around Eyre Square and feel the atmosphere, the culture and the people of this wonderful place. Continue to Ardrahan and Rathbaun farm. Explore its thatched cottage home, turf fire, stonewalls and an array of animals. Hand feed the new lambs. Drive to Moycullen. See the factory and showrooms of Connemara Marble, one of Ireland's most original products. Departure to Clifden.
DAY 9
Clifden – Knock 100km/1h30min – Drumcliff 80km/1h - Bundoran
Drive to Kylemore Abbey. Enjoy the dramatic landscape and the iconic image of the castle reflected in the lake, history and at one stage being a girl’s boarding school has made it famous around the world. Continue on to Knock. Knock Shrine is a major international pilgrimage site where Catholics believe an apparition of the Virgin Mary occurred. Travel to Drumcliff. See the grave of the native poet W.B. Yeats. Departure to Bundoran.
DAY 10
Donegal
A day dedicated to wild and beautiful Donegal. With soaring sea cliffs that plummet 300 meters, deserted white sandy beaches, jaw-dropping landscapes, excellent seafood and quiet cozy pubs, Donegal forces you to sit back, slow down and admire the view. Visit Belleek Pottery, home to the world famous Belleek Fine Parian china.
DAY 11
Bundoran - Derry 70km/1h - Giant’s Causeway 230km/3h – Belfast 80km/1h30min
Continue to Derry. Enjoy an excellent tour around the city and its 17th Century walls. Travel to Dunluce Castle, a now-ruined medieval castle, located on the edge of a basalt outcrop. Be impressed by the strangeness of Giant’s causeway. Explore this geological freak, caused by volcanic eruptions, and cooling lava. Continue to Belfast, where the Titanic was built.
DAY 12
Belfast - Knowth 130km/1h30min – Dublin 50km/1h
The tour continues to Bru na Boinne, a World Heritage Site, the largest and one of the most important prehistoric megalithic sites in Europe. Explore Knowth, a Neolithic passage grave and the largest ancient monument there. Return to Dublin.
DAY 13
Dublin
Transfer to the airport.