An affiliate of Travel Planners International Travel Consultant - Kitty Wahlberg - 5154 Hickory Wood Drive Naples, FL 34119 - Telephone - 239-353-9223 - Fax - 239-304-5407 email: kitty@windingroadstravel.com |
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Your Day-by-Day Itinerary Day 1 - Sun: Depart Ft. Myers for Dublin Board your aircraft for an overnight trip across the Atlantic. Enjoy inflight entertainment and meals. Day 2 - Mon: Dublin Touring & Distillery Land at Dublin Airport early this morning. After customs formalities and luggage reclamation, head to the CIE Tours desk in the Arrivals Hall to arrange a group transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon take an orientation drive around Dublin to see the principal buildings and main shopping streets. End your brief tour at the Old Jameson Distillery to learn about distillation processes and sample some whiskey. You are free this evening to sample some of Dublin's great pubs such as the Brazen Head, Doheny & Nesbitts, the Bailey or the lively scene at Kitty O'Shea's Pub right in your hotel! Day 3 - Tue: Guinness & Abbey Tavern Tour Kilmainham Gaol, now a museum, to learn about political prisoners, especially from the 1916 Rising, detained here because of their efforts to shape Ireland's history. Rejoin your coach to take a look around the spacious Phoenix Park, home to Ireland's President and the U.S. Ambassador. Return to the city center to visit the Guinness Storehouse. Here see how this famous brewery was established and how the popular black brew is created. Finish your tour at the rooftop bar where you can enjoy a creamy pint. In the afternoon explore some pubs or shops on your own and in the evening drive to Howth, a fishing village where the 200-year-old Abbey Tavern is located. After a dinner of Irish specialties, sit back and enjoy the lively singing while you sip an Irish coffee or Guinness. (B, D) Day 4 - Wed: Rock of Cashel & Cobh Depart Dublin to travel through the Irish countryside and stop in Horse & Jockey where you can buy a great pub lunch. Visit the Rock of Cashel, a magnificent limestone outcrop with church ruins dating back to the 12th century. Just outside Cork visit the Cobh Heritage Centre, where many emigrants left Ireland to create a new life in the United States. See displays that feature sailing ships and luxury liners that left from here. Enjoy some time to look around Cobh before driving to Kinsale to check into your hotel. After dinner, check out the pub scene - The Spaniard, Hole-in-the-Wall, Mad Monk and Seanachai are great favorites. (B, D) Day 5 - Thu: Kinsale & Blarney Castle Today explore Kinsale with a local guide on a short walking tour around this delightful town. Kinsale is a historic port town from where many Irish clan leaders fled to Continental Europe. See the many churches, Desmond Castle and Market House, all dating from medieval times and admire the Georgian homes with colorful gardens. Finish your walk at the Kinsale Brewing Company with a tour and a tasting! In the afternoon drive north to visit Blarney Castle, just a few miles outside Cork city. Here you can climb to the ramparts to kiss the well-known "Stone of Eloquence." Also head to the Blarney Woollen Mills - there's a pub hiding in the shopping complex! Return to Kinsale for time to inspect the pubs you didn't reach last night. (B, D) Day 6 - Fri: Clonakilty & Killarney Today take a drive along the heavily indented coastline of Cork, popular for sports and vacations. Pass through delightful towns such as Timoleague and Rosscarbery and stop in Clonakilty. Continue along the coast through Skibbereen and Bantry. Don't be surprised when you see palm trees as the warming effect of the Gulf Stream permits their growth! Cross the Caha Mountains to Kenmare and stop for a walk around this attractive town. Lots of cozy bars offer excellent "pub grub." Continue your journey through Moll's Gap and Ladies' View for great vistas of Killarney's lakes and mountains all around. Arrive in Killarney in time to relax before dinner and afterwards take a stroll through town to sample hostelries such as The Laurels, Murphy's, Buckley's or Kiely's. (B, D) Day 7 - Sat: Dingle Peninsula Discover another scenic region of County Kerry. The Dingle Peninsula came to prominence when "Ryan's Daughter" was filmed there, revealing pristine beaches, hills and villages. Stop in the town of Dingle to explore a little and enjoy a pub lunch before heading to the westernmost tip. Visit the Blasket Centre in Dunquin overlooking the Blasket Islands which lie a few miles offshore. See displays on the rugged life of the islanders who lived there until 1953 and learn about the literary works by many poets and writers in the Irish language. Return via Dingle to Killarney in time to browse around the town and, before or after dinner, check out some of the pubs where live music of all types is played. (B, D) Day 8 - Sun: Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Ceili Leaving Killarney travel via Tralee and Listowel to Tarbert where you take the ferry across the wide mouth of the River Shannon. Drive via Lahinch to view the Cliffs of Moher. The impressive wall of rock rises to a height of almost 700 feet above the churning Atlantic Ocean and stretches for five miles along the coast. See part of the Burren Country on the way to Bunratty. The afternoon is free to explore the Bunratty Folk Park with Mac's Pub or head to the famous Durty Nelly's Pub. Live it up for your last night of the trip at Bunratty Ceili. A hearty home-style dinner is served in the "Barn" and is followed by spirited Irish folk entertainment with plenty of song and dance. (B, D) Day 9 - Mon: Shannon Airport This morning take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport to arrive by 9:30 am for return flights to the United States. For questions, call Kitty of Winding Roads Travel at 239-353-9223
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