Impactful Travel: Icons Of Ireland

Dublin brings new sights, foods and traditions with every step. Meet your airport transfer and get right to the action in this modern, multi-cultural city that embraces its past and with a good dose of fun. Home to icons of Ireland Trinity College and the Book of Kells, said to be the world's most famous medieval manuscript, there is plenty for you to explore. Meet your Travel Director this afternoon for a guided orientation tour to view the elegant Georgian Squares and St. Patrick's Cathedral followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

Dive into Ireland's nature exploring Wicklow National Park, Ireland's largest National Park, where your environmentalist guide leads you on a gentle hike. Keep your eyes peeled for rabbits, hares, foxes, goats, badgers, deer, sheep, and otters while your guide unlocks the secrets of flora and fauna and shares how you can protect the surrounding nature. With its wide-open vistas, streams, lakes and wooded valleys, you may recognize the Wicklow Mountains as the site of the battle scenes in the movie Braveheart. These mountains also house a community called Glendalough, one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland, still a place of a spiritual significance. The afternoon is yours to feel the energy of Dublin buzzing with cafes, shops and the occasional street musician belting out a tune.

Castles, festivals, medieval charm and other icons of Ireland, Kilkenny is also home to Ireland's national sport and the world's fastest field game of hurling. Get active meeting an experienced hurling player to learn about and try this 3,000-year-old Celtic sport and proud legacy of Ireland's heritage. First, James, a former professional player, shows off his skills. Then give it a try yourself going onto the pitch and taking a shot at the goalposts -- scoring like the Kilkenny Cats. End your day winding through county Kilkenny to Killarney on the Wild Atlantic Way. Here in the lush green at the edge of Killarney National Park, why not spend your evening exploring the park.

Kick off your day in Killarney driving the scenic Ring of Kerry rich with the natural beauty of Ireland's mountains, lakes and lush green countryside. See Daniel O'Connell's Cahirciveen, the fishing village of Waterville, Moll's Gap and the remote Black Valley before arriving at Atlantic Irish Seaweed to meet husband and wife John and Kerryann for a fascinating seaweed walk and Make Travel Matter® Experience. As they guide you along the beach and coastal paths you'll learn about seaweed's nutritional values and the importance of seaweed to protect the coastline. Continue your exploration of the land visiting Muckross House, a working farm taking you back to the Ireland of old. Set against oak-clad mountains, towering azaleas and rhododendrons along the lakeshore, this mansion house is sure to impress. Learn the local secrets of how to churn butter and hear Irish stories from a local storyteller. A traditional Irish leg of Kerry Lamb Stew is served in the Quilles Farmhouse against the backdrop of the lakes of Killarney for this Be My Guest experience.

Galway, live music pubs in evening. Free time.

Wave goodbye to Galway this morning as you take the ferry across Galway Bay to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands where a quieter lifestyle invites you to slow down and take it all in. In this ancient landscape, a Local Expert will guide you across white sand beaches and alongside rock formations as you keep an eye out for the resident seals and sheep. Your scenic excursion comes with plenty of history as you unlock the secrets of the island from the island men themselves as they guide you to the 3,200-year-old fort of Dun Aonghasa, the site of the seven churches. Before heading back by ferry, stroll through the island villages embracing the natural beauty of Ireland.

The real Ireland springs to life on a visit to Cnoc Suain house, a hillside settlement in a conservation area in Connemara. Meet your hosts and co-founders of the home, the husband-and-wife team of natural scientist Charlie Troy and local native Gaelic speaker and musician Dearbhaill Standún. They'll give you a tour of the house showing off the traditional way of living, history of emigration and life of Connemara that led to emigration – complete with a demonstration on how to make Irish soda bread. Continue your exploration of this wild region on a visit to DK Connemara Oysters. On this Make Travel Matter® Experience, taste the unique flavors of the region's oysters, bred in pure water that runs off the limestone hills of the Connemara National Park and learn about the farm's sustainability initiatives. Cap off the day with your Stay with Stories at the five-star Ashford Castle, where your arrival is marked with a lone piper escorting you to the drawbridge before your Celebration Dinner of the icons of Ireland at the Castle's Lodge.

After a memorable week on the Emerald Isle, it's time to say goodbye to your fellow travelers before your transfer to Dublin in the early afternoon.