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Southern Gems Tour - from $1198 7 Day Tour including Superior & First Class Hotels |
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The Package
Highlights:
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Your Hotels
Superior & first class:
- Davenport Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
- Carlton Hotel, Kinsale (1 night)
- Benners Hotel, Dingle (2 nights)
- Bunratty Castle Hotel Bunratty (1 night)
Tour Includes:
- Airport transfers at start and end of tour
- Sightseeing by luxury coach
- Professional Irish tour director
- 6 nights in hotels listed above
- Full breakfasts daily except on day 1 (B)
- 5 dinners (D) including:
- Dinner and traditional entertainment at Taylor's Three Rock Pub
- Knappogue Castle Medieval Banquet
- 3 table d'hote dinners - Welcome get-together drink
- Tour of Dublin with a local guide
- Walking tour of Kinsale
- Horse-drawn jaunting car ride in Killarney
- Dublin open-top bus tour with complimentary visit and a drink at Guinness Storehouse or Old Jameson Distillery
- Visits and admissions to Dublin Castle, National Stud & Japanese Gardens, House of Waterford Crystal, Muckross House & Gardens, Blasket Experience, Gallarus Oratory, Foynes Flying Boat Museum and Cliffs of Moher
- Deluxe carry-on backpack, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
- All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person
Itinerary
Day 1
Day 1 - Dublin Castle & City TourArrive in Dublin Airport and take a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later than 12:00 noon, transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm join your group and a local guide for an introductory look around central Dublin. See fashionable shopping areas around Grafton and Nassau Streets, view Dublin's famous elegant Georgian squares and pause at the evocative figures at the Famine Memorial. Tour Dublin Castle's State Apartments where major events from Irish history and modern politics take place in the gracious chambers. In the evening meet your tour director over a welcome drink to discuss your trip and he will help you choose a restaurant to dine independently.
Day 2
Day 2 - National Stud & Taylor's Three Rock PubHead out of Dublin to Kildare for a tour of the Irish National Stud. Horseracing is a passion for the Irish and you will see some of the finest stallions and learn about breeding. Walk through the charming Japanese Gardens, created to portray life from birth to death. Spend your afternoon on an independent open-top bus tour around Dublin's main attractions. You may stay on the bus or get on and off wherever you wish. Visit either Guinness or Jameson and relax with a drink at the end of the tour. In the evening drive to Taylor's Three Rock Pub for dinner and a lively show with traditional Irish music, story-telling and step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 3
Day 3 - Waterford Crystal & Kinsale WalkTravel south to the ancient port of Waterford. At the House of Waterford Crystal watch glass blowing and cutting by master craftspeople and see a huge display of elegant tableware and magnificent trophies. Drive along the south coast through Cork to Kinsale, a delightful old fishing town on a deep inlet, which is ideal for sailing. The town is also famous for old Georgian houses and charming restaurants serving gourmet food. Join a local guide for a short walk around Kinsale and learn about its importance in trading and history in medieval times. Drive across the hilly countryside to your elegant resort hotel where you will have time to relax before dinner. (B, D)
Day 4
Day 4 - Jaunting Car & KillarneyDrive via Macroom and the mountainous scenery of County Kerry to the pretty town of Kenmare with its brightly-painted houses. Head up to Moll's Gap and drive along part of the Ring of Kerry route for splendid views of the mountains and Killarney's famous three lakes. Just outside Killarney tour the elegant 19th century mansion of Muckross House with a guide to tell you about influential owners and visitors before driving by jaunting car through the peaceful Killarney National Park and into Killarney. Continue by coach along the Dingle Peninsula, enjoying views of heathery mountains, sandy beaches and rocky headlands. Check in to your hotel in Dingle, a lively and attractive town where you may like to take a walk around and explore some of the many pubs. (B, D)
Day 5
Day 5 - Dingle Peninsula & Gallarus Oratory
Today discover the glorious Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies, “Ryan's Daughter??? and “Far & Away”, which showed a lot of the wonderful scenery. Drive to Slea Head at the westernmost tip and tour the Blasket Experience in Dunquin overlooking the Blasket Islands. See displays on the rugged lifestyle of the islands which were inhabited until 1953 and learn about the literary works by many poets and writers in the Irish language. Visit Gallarus Oratory, which is an excellent example of an early Christian church. This tiny building was erected in the 6th century using corbel vaulting and without any mortar and it is watertight to this day. Travel up to the Conor Pass for sweeping views of the peninsula before returning to Dingle. (B, D)
Day 6
Day 6 - Cliffs of Moher & Knappogue Banquet
Visit the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, which recalls early days of flying during the 1930's and early 1940's. See displays of memorabilia from that era and walk through a reconstructed Pan Am Clipper. Travel through Limerick on the way to Bunratty and check in to your hotel near the Bunratty Folk Park and Durty Nelly's Pub. At 2:30 pm depart for the Cliffs of Moher, a dramatic wall of rock that plunges to the Atlantic Ocean. In the evening drive a few miles to 15th century Knappogue Castle for a fun medieval-style banquet with entertainment by the lords and ladies of the castle - a great way to end your tour. (B, D)
The Hotels
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