Country Roads Of Ireland

On arrival at Dublin airport, transfers leave for your hotel. Join your travel director for a warm and friendly welcome dinner, with the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other over a meal with wine.

Accompanied by a local expert, become acquainted with Dublin's elegant squares during an orientation of the city. Discover Custom House, Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Enjoy entrance to the 9th century Book of Kells and a walk through the cobbled courtyards of Trinity College.

In the morning, visit one of the country's main racehorse breeding centers. Continue to the acclaimed 100 year old Japanese Gardens where you can "journey through life" during a walk through the beautiful surrounds. Travel to the medieval city of Kilkenny to visit the majestic Kilkenny Castle. Continue through Cahir and see its imposing 13th-century castle, featured in the film "Excalibur," on the way to Cork. On arrival, your travel director will show you around the compact university city, with its vibrant waterfront and grand Georgian parades.

Travel to the ruined Blarney Castle. Will you hang upside down from the ramparts to kiss the stone and ensure a lifetime of eloquence? Or enjoy a sensory walk in the extensive and varied estate gardens. Travel across the majestic Derrynasaggart Mountains to the lively town of Killarney. For your farm-to-table dining experience, enjoy some Irish home cooking in the kitchens of chef John Sheehan. Join John and Freda, your hosts at the 19th Green Guesthouse, and savor the delicious flavors of fresh local cuisine on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Gather together at a farm-to-table dinner, using responsibly sourced ingredients from the local community, and gain personal insight into classic Irish recipes that are loved throughout the world.

Choose a memorable ride on a horse-drawn jaunting car with the local jarveys. Alternatively, join a gentle hike with a local expert along the lake shore and past the grounds of Ross Castle, admiring the incredible scenery of the National Park. While there aren't any mountains to climb, walkers should be fit, have good walking shoes or boots, sunscreen and rain gear. Explore around the magnificent Ring of Kerry. Here, mountains, valleys, lakes and sea blend into a landscape that is breathtaking beyond words. Journey past lush lakelands and around towering cliffs as you appreciate sweeping sea views. Continue through delightful villages like Sneem and cross the peat bogs of the Black Mountains to Moll's Gap to admire Queen Victoria's Ladies View. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Maybe take the opportunity to hire a bicycle and enjoy one of the many scenic trails around the lake or through the National Park.

Continue driving with views of wide skies, peaceful towns and coastal scenery of the Dingle Peninsula — the setting for the film Ryan's Daughter. Drive to dramatic Slea Head at the peninsula's far end, before reaching your hotel on the shores of Dingle Peninsula. With the evening at leisure, perhaps treat yourself to a relaxing experience at the hotel's spa. Offering holistic and therapeutic treatments, the Peninsula Spa is the perfect place to unwind after a busy day of exploring the coast.

Journey to the Visitor Center at the 700-foot Cliffs of Moher. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Clare Coast before a delightful drive through the strange, rocky landscape of the Burren to Galway Bay. On arrival, see the Lynch Memorial and Church of St. Nicholas, where Christopher Columbus reputedly prayed before his voyages to America. See the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square, dedicated to the late US President, John F. Kennedy.

Spend a day at leisure to relax and enjoy Galway. Perhaps join an optional experience to the Aran Islands. A genuine highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way. With their cliffs and spectacular coastal views, the islands are a true Irish experience.

Admire the Blue Stack Mountains of Donegal as you cross into Northern Ireland, bound for the ancient walled city of "Derry." What better way to experience sightseeing than with one of Northern Ireland's best storytellers, Ronan, as he takes you on a tour inside the city walls, still topped with cannons. Walk down steep Shipquay Street, with its elegant Georgian houses, to the Gothic Guildhall.

Journey to the iconic Giant's Causeway for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Learn how the National Trust is enabling farming and biodiversity to work together, supporting both wildlife and quality food production. Next, prepare yourself for miles of breathtaking beauty as you travel along the road clinging to the Antrim Coast. Continue onto your hotel, overlooking Ballygally Bay. For those who are brave enough, perhaps check out The Ghost Room, in one of the castle's turrets. In the evening, please join us for a finale celebration dinner, where old-fashioned hospitality is blended with good food and wine for an experience that delights the senses.

Continue around the Antrim Coast, past the huge Norman castle at Carrickfergus, to arrive in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast. Meet your local expert for a passionate city tour including views of the City Hall, Queen's University, the Parliament Building at Stormont and murals in different locations indicating political sentiments of local residents.

Departure transfers arrive at Belfast George Best City Airport and Belfast International Airport. An additional transfer will arrive at Dublin airport.