Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge (officially called the Wellington Bridge) earned its nickname from the halfpenny toll charged to cross the river. Uncover the histories of this and other Irish landmarks on a panoramic tour of the Emerald Isle. Visit the cafes and castles of Dublin, explore the verdant fields of County Kerry and witness the famous Kylemore Abbey amid the hills of Connemara on this comprehensive Ireland tour.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Dublin aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Dublin

Welcome to the Emerald Isle! A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or begin acquainting yourself with Dublin. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Dublin

A local guide leads your comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city. Drive past the River Liffey to Phoenix Park. The largest enclosed public park in Europe, Phoenix Park’s grounds include the Áras an Uachtaráin (Presidential Residence). Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, founded by Ireland’s patron saint in A.D. 450, and then visit Trinity College, where you might wish to view the illuminated Book of Kells in the university’s library.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College

Day 4 - Dublin

Discover Dublin at your own pace today. Choose to stroll through St. Stephen’s Green or explore the Writers’ Museum. Alternatively, join an optional excursion into the countryside of Wicklow to visit Powerscourt, where you can walk through Ireland’s most beautiful formal gardens, and Glendalough, a romantic glen where St. Kevin founded Ireland’s most important monastery in the 6th century. Tonight, attend an optional Traditional Irish Evening.
Included meals: breakfast

$79 CAD

Powerscourt & Glendalough County Wicklow is home to some of the wildest and most spectacular scenery in Ireland, as well as two of the country’s most important historic sites. Your first stop is at the picturesque village of Enniskerry, where you’ll visit Powerscourt, an elegant country mansion with the finest formal gardens in the country. Later, continue on to Glendalough, which became famous throughout Europe as a center of Christian learning before it was sacked by Viking crusaders in the 10th century. You’ll also see St. Kevin’s Cross, the remains of the 6th-century cathedral and the remarkable Round Tower, thought to have been used by the monks as a place of refuge.

$119 CAD

Traditional Irish Evening Enjoy this special evening of Irish food, music and live entertainment. Dinner will be served first, giving you a taste of traditional Irish dishes. You’ll then be treated to a live show of Irish music and dance. Join in the fun as you enjoy a merry and memorable night. Please note: The specific venue and day of the week for this optional may change due to availability.

Day 5 - Waterford

Leaving Dublin this morning, travel a short distance southwest to County Kildare. Visit the National Stud Farm, where world-class race horses are bred and trained. Visit the stables, where you are likely to glimpse the thoroughbreds being exercised or groomed. Continue to Kilkenny, Ireland’s best-preserved medieval town. Tour the imposing 12th-century Kilkenny Castle, built on a beautiful site overlooking the River Nore. Arrive later in Waterford for an included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: National Stud Farm, Kilkenny Castle

Day 6 - Waterford

Your Tour Director leads an informal tour of Waterford, followed by a visit to the Waterford Museum of Treasures where you’ll learn about the exquisite world-famous Waterford crystal. Then journey to the Rock of Cashel, an outcrop of limestone dominating the surrounding Tipperary Plain. On this rock stand the ruins of the ancient seat of the kings of Munster. You might wish to climb St. Patrick’s Rock to explore St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a perfectly preserved round tower, and Cormac’s Chapel, with its intriguing Celtic carvings. Return to Waterford for the night.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Waterford Museum of Treasures, Rock of Cashel

Day 7 - County Kerry

Stop in the fishing village of Cobh, which in centuries past often served as a launch site for ships bound for North America. Here, you’ll visit the Queenstown Story Museum, whose exhibits tell the story of Irish emigration during the past 150 years. Then travel through Cork, Ireland’s second-largest city. Next, visit Blarney Castle. This 15th-century fortress is known above all else for the legendary Blarney Stone, said to grant magical powers of eloquence to those who kiss it—a feat you can attempt by climbing the steep staircase to the top of the parapet and leaning out of the battlements. Spend the night in County Kerry, where dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Queenstown Story Museum, Blarney Castle

Day 8 - County Kerry

Today’s included excursion takes you around the Ring of Kerry, a 112-mile coastal route that covers some of Ireland’s most spectacular scenery. Pass the pristine Lakes of Killarney and gaze across Dingle Bay to Dingle Peninsula. This afternoon, enjoy unsurpassable views of the Skellig Islands. Then continue to the picturesque village of Sneem, the “Knot in the Ring,” where brightly painted cottages surround the cozy market green. Stop also in Killarney, where you’ll have some free time to explore its wealth of shops and facilities.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 9 - Galway

Continuing north to County Clare, visit Bunratty Castle and tour Bunratty Folk Park, which imaginatively re-creates Irish life at the turn of the century. Then take a stroll through the scenic town of Adaire. End up in Galway. For 400 years, Galway was an independent city-state. As recently as the 19th century, local citizens were still in the habit of setting their clocks 40 minutes behind Dublin time! Tonight, enjoy a “royal” evening out at our optional Medieval Castle Banquet Dinner (seasonal).
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

$125 CAD

Castle Banquet Dinner Enjoy a feast fit for a king inside Dunguaire Castle, a 17th-century castle overlooking Galway Bay. Sip from a goblet of mead and learn the history of the castle before proceeding up the spiral staircase to the banquet hall, where you’ll enjoy a sumptuous, four-course dinner and an evening of live entertainment, including songs and stories. Please note: This excursion is seasonal from April to October.

Day 10 - Galway

Today you are free to explore the city of Galway on your own, or join an optional excursion to the limestone plateau known as the Burren. The excursion also includes a stop to see the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, which rise up 600 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. Dinner is included this evening.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

$35 CAD

Burren & Cliffs of Moher Journey along the coast to the famous Cliffs of Moher. Whether admired from a safe distance or a the cliffs' edge, the views from these heights will amaze you. Continue on to the Burren, an austere landscape known for its slate-grey rock fields dotted by rare wildflowers. Please note: This excursion is weather dependent, and your views may be impacted by fog.

Day 11 - Sligo

More wonderful scenery awaits as you travel across Connemara National Park, where you’ll visit Kylemore Abbey. Continuing through County Mayo, spend the night in the town of Sligo.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Kylemore Abbey

Day 12 - County Londonderry

Journey through the landscapes immortalized in the poetry of William Butler Yeats. You’ll see the oddly shaped mountain that inspired Under Ben Bulben. You’ll also visit his grave in Drumcliffe churchyard. Crossing briefly into County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, tour the Belleek Pottery Works, where the distinctive basket-style design has been made since 1857. Arrive later in Derry, where a guided tour introduces you to the city. Transfer to your hotel in County Londonderry and enjoy dinner with your group.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Belleek Pottery Works

Day 13 - County Londonderry

Explore County Londonderry on your own today. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to the Antrim Coast to experience one of the most unusual natural formations in the world, the 60-million-year-old Giant’s Causeway, a path of towering basalt columns in the ocean formed by volcanic lava that cooled rapidly over white chalk.
Included meals: breakfast

$29 CAD

Giant's Causeway Pay a visit to the rugged Giant’s Causeway, a series of naturally formed hexagonal basalt columns. The columns, which you can walk on, are 60 million years old and originated as volcanic lava. A colorful local legend says that mythical giant Finn MacCool built the walkway so that he could cross the sea to Scotland!

Day 14 - Dublin

Drive through the rolling countryside of Ulster today en route to Belfast. On your guided tour of Northern Ireland’s capital, you’ll glimpse the copper-domed city hall, the shipbuilding docks where the Titanic was constructed and the recently restored Grand Opera House. Continuing back into the Irish Republic, return for a final night in Dublin.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 15 - Dublin

A Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be provided.)