Irish Odyssey

Your tour departs at 2:00 PM from your Dublin hotel. Take a panoramic tour of the city's highlights and view Trinity College, St Patrick's Cathedral, and the GPO. Tour Kilmainham Gaol, built in 1796, and hear stories of Ireland's revolutionary leaders. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dining independently.

Visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, the world's only fully digital museum, and discover the story of the 10 million people who have left Ireland over the last 1,500 years - and their impact on the world. Your afternoon is free to explore Dublin. Later, enjoy dinner and entertainment at Taylors Three Rock Pub. (B, D)

Visit a traditional farmhouse and learn about country life while enjoying tea and scones. At the House of Waterford Crystal, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner, watch skilled artisans cut crystal into sparkling masterpieces. Continue along the coast to Cork city for dinner. (B)

Take a brief walking tour of Cork city with a local guide. Perhaps stroll through the English Market, where vendors have been selling local and artisanal foods since 1788. Visit Blarney Castle to climb the winding stairs and kiss its famed stone, or stroll the gardens. Enjoy the scenery as you head to colorful Kenmare. Stop at Moll's Gap for marvelous views on your way to Killarney. (B, D)

Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle and Kenmare Estate and see Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney's lakes. Visit Moriarty's, a CIE Tours preferred shopping partner, in the Gap of Dunloe. Travel to the scenic Dingle Peninsula for views of heathery mountains, sandy stretches of beach, and rocky headlands. Enjoy a demonstration of highly-skilled sheepdogs herding sheep at a local farm. Enjoy dinner at Páidí Ó Sé's pub in Ventry while you hear a fun talk on Gaelic sports. (B)

Visit the family pub of the late famed playwright, John B. Keane for some tea and scones. One of Ireland's most beloved writers, he wrote many works in a room behind the bar. Embark on a ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary and drive along the coast of County Clare. Visit the Cliffs of Moher, soaring 700 feet above the Atlantic, and enjoy views of Connemara and the Aran Islands. Proceed on to vibrant Galway and join a local guide for a walking tour of the city's historic heart. (B, D)

Travel through Connemara for sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. Take a scenic cruise on Lough Corrib and sip some creamy Irish coffee (seasonal). Stop at Kylemore Abbey for a walk through this elegant mansion, set beside a tranquil lake. Return to Galway, where the rest of your day is free for independent sightseeing and dining. (B)

Travel north to Claremorris to visit Ballintubber Abbey, known as “the Abbey that refused to die,” Ireland's only royal abbey, which has been in continuous use for more than 780 years. Visit Belleek Pottery, then follow the Atlantic shore to Donegal town, where you'll visit CIE Tours preferred shopping partner Triona Design. Continue on through the majestic Barnesmore Gap to Derry. (B, D)

Explore the Giant's Causeway, huge hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. Back in Derry, join a local guide for a walk around this historic city's medieval walls; take a walk across the Peace Bridge and complete your tour at the Walled City Brewery Restaurant. In a CIE Tours Exclusive, you'll enjoy a drink with your dinner and a flight of 4 of the brewery's beers to taste. (B, D)

Visit the historic city of Belfast, taking a panoramic tour to see grand government buildings, the peace wall, and the docks where the RMS Titanic was built in 1912. Visit the magnificent Titanic Belfast, a high-tech attraction that will immerse you in the story of the doomed liner. The rest of the day is free to explore as you wish (B)

Visit Long Meadow Cider, an award-winning family business, for a tour and tasting, and then have a cup of tea or coffee with some fresh apple tart. Continue on to The Glyde Inn for lunch. Travel to Kingscourt in the afternoon and enjoy some free time in your luxury castle hotel, built in 1760 and set on 100 acres of gardens and parklands. In the evening, share a farewell dinner with your group. (B, D)

Your program ends after breakfast. (B) B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner>