The Game Plan...

Day 1 - Dublin
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 escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to begin exploring Dublin. At tonight’s included dinner, meet your fellow travelers.


Day 3 - Dublin

A local guide leads a sightseeing tour of the city. Drive to Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed public park in Europe. Its grounds include the Arás 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. This afternoon, opt to visit Malahide Castle and the Talbot Botanic Gardens.


Malahide Castle
Set on 250 acres of park land in the pretty seaside town of Malahide, Malahide Castle was both a fortress and the private residence of the Talbot family for nearly 800 years.


Day 4 - Dublin

Discover Dublin at your own pace today. You might choose to quaff the perfect pint at the Guinness Storehouse, stroll through St. Stephen’s Green or explore the Writers’ Museum. Alternatively, join an optional excursion into the countryside of Wicklow to visit Powerscourt House, 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.


Irish Cabaret Night
Enjoy this special evening of traditional Irish food, music and live entertainment.


Day 5 - County Cork

Leaving Dublin this morning, travel a short distance southwest to County Kildare. Stop at 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 County Tipperary where you’ll visit the iconic Rock of Cashel. The commanding stone buildings date back to the 12th and 13th centuries and offer a glimpse into Ireland’s past. Admire St. Patrick’s Cathedral and other well-preserved religious ruins. Later arrive in County Cork, Ireland’s largest county.


Day 6 - County Kerry

This morning, 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—which you can attempt by climbing the steep staircase to the top of the parapet and leaning out of the battlements. 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. Your Tour Director will introduce you to the city of Cork before continuing on to County Kerry, where dinner is included tonight.



Day 7 - 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 picturesque 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. You’ll also stop in Killarney, where you’ll have some free time to explore its quaint shops and galleries.


Day 8 - Galway

En route to Galway, stop for a visit at 13th-century Bunratty Castle. Then motor on to Galway, Ireland’s third-largest city. 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.
Castle Banquet Dinner

Dine like royalty when you enjoy a four-course meal followed by an evening of Irish entertainment inside the Dungaire Castle.


Day 9 - Galway

With another free day in Galway, you might choose to explore the city’s cultural highlights or cross the River Corrib to see University College. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to the Aran Islands (weather permitting), a rugged region of traditional Irish culture that has remained largely unchanged in recent centuries.

Aran Islands
Ferry west across Galway Bay for a guided tour of Inis Moor. As one of three remote Aran Islands, Inis Moor has remained essentially unchanged over the past centuries, preserving ancient Irish culture.


Day 10 - Limerick

Depart Galway and travel through the limestone plateau known as the Burren. Stop to see the spectacular\Cliffs of Moher, which rise 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Later, transfer to Limerick. Overlooked by Woodcock Hill immediately to the north, and the Silvermine Mountains to the east, the city is spread along both banks of the Shannon River. Here, you’ll enjoy an included Farewell Dinner.


Day 11 - Galway

A Go Ahead representative accompanies you on the motorcoach transfer to Shannon, where you’ll check in at the airport for your return flight home.

Home, Sweet Home :)