Duration: 13 Days
No rabbit’s foot, horseshoe, or four-leaf clover can bring the good fortune that awaits on this grand and mostly undiscovered holiday to Ireland. On our most in-depth tour of this rolling green paradise, you’ll experience the luck of the Irish at every scenic turn. Making a full loop around the Emerald Isle—including Northern Ireland—you’ll see the cliffs, castles, and thatched-roof countryside Eire is known for as well as its coastal ports, medieval villages, and soulful cities. Visit the Titanic Belfast Experience where the ill-fated ship was built, and soak in the atmosphere in the lively pubs of Dublin where Irish history is still the topic du jour. Your stroke of luck continues as you stop to bake scones at a quaint Irish farm, take a private boat to beautiful Garinish Island, and meet the legendary crystal makers in Waterford. The fun that awaits is crystal clear.
Traveller Notes
We’ve packed everything you need for the perfect holiday, from hand-selected hotels and dining to the friendly expertise of Globus Tour Directors and Local Guides (with headsets to hear every word), to seamless transportation between destinations and VIP access to the world’s most iconic sites! Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi.
Please note: Itinerary is based on 2024, and is subject to change. Full details will be confirmed in 2024.
Cead mile failte-a hundred-thousand welcomes!
This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Seacliff Rocks & Sheep Flocks
CLIFFS OF MOHER Visit the 668-foot-high cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean.
RATHBAUN Visit Rathbaun Farm to [LF] try your hand at scone baking to enjoy with coffee and learn about sheep herding on this Irish farm.
GALWAY Free time.
(B,D) 144 mi / 230 km
LOCAL FAVOURITE
LOCAL TASTES Someone's in the kitchen in Rathbaun Farm, just outside of Galway. You can don an apron and whip up your own delicious home-made scones, served with fresh preserves and whipped cream. Learn about the long-time tradition of sheep farming in this beautiful Irish landscape.
Abbey Roads & Irish Roses
KYLEMORE Visit the Benedictine abbey and gardens.
WESTPORT Free time. (B,D) 116 mi / 190 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURE & TRADITION Nestled between the woodlands and lakeshore near Galway City, Kylemore Abbey is home to the Benedictine Sisters who have been in residence since 1920 in a life of prayer, work, and community. The history of this stunning abbey reaches back to the 1800s as the estate of Irish patriot Mitchell Henry. Visit the abbey where handmade chocolates, wild Irish honey, and traditional fuchsia pottery are sold. Stroll the lovely grounds of Ireland's largest walled garden in the heart of the Connemara countryside.
Ancient Walls and Giant Steps in Northern Ireland
DERRY [LF] Walk on the city walls with a Local Guide.
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY See more than 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed millions of years ago. (B) 203 mi / 328 km
LOCAL FAVOURITE
HISTORIC SPOT Derry is known as the only remaining completely walled medieval city in Ireland and one of the best-preserved walled cities in Europe. Walk around the 17th-century fortification masterpiece with 7 gates and 24 cannons while also discovering a city full of history, heritage and culture.
A Grand Ship & Great Sights
BELFAST On the "Living History" tour with a Local Guide see City Hall, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower, Queen's University, and the Parliament Buildings at Stormont. Visit the Titanic Belfast Experience, followed by free time this afternoon. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT Explore the fascinating Titanic Belfast Experience for an in-depth look at the history and mystery of the legendary ocean liner. See artifacts and amazing accounts of Belfast's boom in shipping and those who built her. Learn about the courage and loss of all involved on a fateful night in April 1912. Get an immersive look at the launch, sinking, and final resting place of the doomed ship, with myths and reality revealed.
Belfast's Big House
BELFAST Guided tour of Hillsborough Castle.
CARLINGFORD Stop at a village on the Cooley Peninsula. (B) 121 mi / 200 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ART & ARCHITECTURE Hillsborough Castle is called the "grandest house in County Down" with an equally grand history of royal and political residents. Today, the Irish "big house" near Belfast is the official home of Northern Ireland's secretary of state and of the Royal Family when they visit.
Ireland's Capital City DUBLIN Take a morning orientation drive to see O'Connell Street, Georgian squares, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Trinity College. Free time. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT CITY SIGHTS "In Dublin's fair city where girls are so pretty," you'll also find great personality and charm. The charisma of Dubliners and the bounty of pubs here is matched only by the gorgeous Georgian Squares, 12th-century St. Patrick's Cathedral, and legendary library of Trinity College.
Medieval History and Crystal Making Mystery
KILKENNY See one of Ireland's most cosmopolitan yet quaint towns with medieval cobblestones. Visit Kilkenny Castle and gardens.
WATERFORD Take a guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal. (B,D) 132 mi / 213 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE 'There once were two cats from Kilkenny. Each thought there was one cat too many.' Find out why people from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'cats' while visiting the medieval town also known as 'Marble City' and its 12th century castle.
Irish Storytelling
WATERFORD Take a city walk with a Local Guide.
BLARNEY Visit the village and Blarney Castle known for its magical Kissing Stone. (B,D) 105 mi / 171 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Cut the blarney and hear the history of how telling tales is forever linked to the 15th-century castle and the village below in Blarney. One of the last estate villages that remain standing in Ireland, the village was built by an 18th-century landlord to house the castle workers there. It's true!
Heaven on Earth
GARINISH ISLAND [LF] Private boat crossing followed by a walk of the island.
RING OF KERRY Panoramic drive around part of Ireland's spectacular southwestern peninsula. (B) 100 mi / 158 km
LOCAL FAVOURITE
PICTURE PERFECT In the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Southwest Ireland's Bantry Bay lies a place called heaven by frequent visitor, George Bernard Shaw. Stepping off your private boat onto the slip here, you'll soon discover why this lush garden island and home to the historic Bryce house has enamored generations of visitors, including mystery author Agatha Christie. Explore this horticultural heaven with a walk through one of the most renowned gardens in Europe.
Rugged Good Looks
DINGLE PENINSULA Visit the Blasket Islands Centre and stop in Dingle.
KILLARNEY Free time this evening. (B,D) 107 mi / 172 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES Irish history comes alive on the Dingle Peninsula with a view beyond the breathtaking shores of the Wild Atlantic Way, where Irish families once lived off the land and sea on the Blasket Islands. The Blasket Islands Centre on the peninsula's edge tells the story of these hearty people and their stories that live on in the prolific Irish literature of the 1800s islanders. Today, the town of Dingle is a vibrant spot and mecca for curious characters, artists, and artisans.
Irish Eyes & Cheeky Rhymes
KILLARNEY Enjoy free time this morning.
ADARE Stop at the quaint village to see its thatched cottages.
LIMERICK Free time. (B) 68 mi / 110 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PHOTO OPS There once was a town called Adare, with charm that was beyond compare... Adare's charming thatched-roof cottages create visual poetry in County Limerick, some say the prettiest village in Ireland.
Safe travels until we meet again!
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
