Your Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Depart for Shannon
Take an overnight flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland.

Day 2: Shannon & Leisure Time
Arrive in Shannon Airport and go to the CIE Tours desk to arrange a hotel transfer between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later you will need to transfer at your own expense. Check into your hotel near Bunratty Castle and enjoy some free time to relax or explore the Bunratty Folk Park and Bunratty Castle on your own. You are at leisure to dine independently this evening, either in your hotel or there are a number of fine eating places within easy walking distance, including the famous Bunratty Medieval Banquet.

Day 3: Bunratty Village & Cliffs of Moher
Enjoy a free morning before meeting your driver/guide and group at 12:30 in your hotel lobby. Travel north from Killarney and through Limerick to the village of Bunratty. Stop for a look around on your own - shop, visit Durty Nelly's Pub or tour the Bunratty Folk Park. Head to the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, an impressive wall of rock that rises 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Continue through the hilly Burren region and around Galway Bay to Galway. See the main places of interest and browse around the city center, full of specialty shops, cafes and pubs. Then check in to your hotel, which overlooks Galway Bay. (B, D)

Day 4: Clifden & Kylemore Abbey
Tour Connemara and admire sweeping views of misty mountains and shimmering lakes. Stop in Spiddal where you may hear locals chatting in the Irish language. Continue to Clifden, a 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. In Moycullen watch skilled craftsmen cutting fine crystal at the Connemara Celtic Crystal Factory. (B, D)

Day 5: Knock Shrine & Derry Walk
Head north to the village of Knock, a popular place of pilgrimage, and through County Sligo to view W. B. Yeats' grave in Drumcliffe Churchyard. Follow the shoreline of Donegal Bay to Donegal town and stop in the center to take a look around before continuing your drive through the majestic Donegal countryside to Derry. Take a guided walking tour around the ancient city, which will include the Guildhall, St. Columb's Cathedral, the Diamond and 16th century city walls. (B, D)

Day 6: Giant's Causeway & Ulster American Folk Park
This morning explore the Giant's Causeway, huge hexagonal columns formed over 60 million years ago. The oversized rocks have given rise to many legends. Drive past the Sperrin Mountains to visit the Ulster American Folk Park. See many cottages including the boyhood home of Thomas Mellon, who emigrated to Pittsburgh in 1818 and founded the Mellon Bank. The Park traces the story of Ulster emigrants and shows rural lifestyles in both Ireland and Colonial America. Travel south to Kingscourt to your castle hotel, built in 1760. (B, D)

Day 7: Megalithic Tombs & Cabra Castle Stay
This morning discover the Boyne Valley. Stop at the Boyne Valley Visitor Centre to learn about the passage burial tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, both of which are over 5,000 years old. Visit one of the tombs to see how primitive people managed to align these buildings precisely with the sun or the moon. Return to your hotel where the afternoon is free so that you can play the 9-hole golf course, enjoy the extensive parkland setting or just relax in the hotel. After a farewell dinner in the Court Restaurant, enjoy some informal entertainment. (B, D)

Day 8 - Wed: Dublin Stay
Transfer to your hotel in the center of Dublin, facing the River Liffey and close to the Custom House. The rest of the day is free for independent activities. There are plenty of activities for you and you are within easy walking distance of many of the most popular sights. (B)

Day 9 - Thu: Explore Dublin City
Use your independent bus tour voucher to discover Dublin. You may stay on the bus for the entire loop or get off at 23 stops near major attractions. Take a prepaid tour to Guinness Storehouse or the Old Jameson Distillery and sample a beverage. (B)

Day 10 - Fri: Return to the U.S.
Transfer to Dublin Airport in ample time to check in for your flight home. (B)


B=Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner