2012 - 9 Day Irish Welcome Tour
Please call NACTA at 1-866-NACTA 44 (1-866-622-2244) and be sure to tell them A Lit'le Irish Too sent you
Day:1
Bunratty & Medieval Banquet Start your Irish trip at Shannon Airport with a hotel transfer, available between 7
Day:2
Cliffs of Moher & Killarney Drive to the coast to view the dramatic Cliffs of Moher, which rise to almost 700 feet above the wild Atlantic breakers and stretch along the coast for five miles. Then head south for a short ferry ride across the River Shannon. Stop in the charming village of Listowel for a stroll around before continuing through mountainous countryside to Killarney. Take a look around this bustling, compact town before checking in to your home and meeting your Irish hosts. In the evening drive to Kate Kearney's Cottage for dinner and traditional Irish entertainment with popular songs, dances and a lot of laughs. (B, D)
Day:3
Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience Admire breathtaking vistas of mountains, cliffs and beaches on Ireland's most popular drive - the 100-mile Ring of Kerry. Enjoy the variety of scenery as you travel to the westernmost part of the peninsula, passing Killorglin and Cahirciveen. Cross by bridge to Valencia Island to visit the Skellig Experience, which explains how early monks lived in austere conditions on the rocky offshore islands. Today the islands form a haven for seabirds. Take a brief walk around the picturesque village of Sneem and pause at Moll's Gap for stunning views of the Lakes of Killarney. Return to Killarney for a home-style dinner with your host family. (B, D)
Day:4
Day:5
Day:6
Dublin Tour & Kilmainham Gaol Take a half-day guided tour of Dublin, founded by Vikings over 1,000 years ago. See elegant Georgian squares with townhouses and their famous brightly-painted doors; view the lush vegetation of St. Stephen's Green and the stark figures of the Famine Memorial on the banks of the River Liffey. Finally visit Kilmainham Gaol to see how penal establishments were operated in past centuries. Learn about the leaders of the 1916 Uprising who were imprisoned and shot here, changing Irish history. The balance of the day is at leisure and you may use your voucher for an independent open-top bus tour with a visit to Guinness or Jameson included. (B)
Day:7
Clonmacnoise Monastic Site Leave Dublin and journey across the rolling pastures of Ireland's heartland to visit Clonmacnoise. This monastic settlement was founded in 545 AD by St. Ciaran and is set on the banks of the tranquil River Shannon. Visit Rathbaun Farm to see traditional farming methods as well as lots of cute farmyard animals roaming freely. Sample home-baked scones with tea or coffee before driving to Galway. (B, D)
Day:8
Connemara & Galway Bay Travel alongside the famous Galway Bay to catch glimpses of the Aran Islands. Continue into the lovely scenery of Connemara with its granite hills and little lakes. Enjoy lunch at the traditional Eddie's Pub in Clonbur and take a walking tour through Cong to see places associated with ?The Quiet Man? movie which was made in the village in 1952. Return to Galway in time to look around the city and dine independently this evening. (B, L)
Day:9
Tour Ends Shannon Airport Transfer from Galway to Shannon Airport, where your tour ends at 10
B: Breakfast; D: Dinner; L: Lunch
>
A Lit'le Irish, Too
Copyright ©2013, A Lit'le Irish, Too.
