Scenic Ireland (GI) - 2013

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13 days from Limerick to Limerick


Scenic Ireland
Take in the beautiful scenery of the Killarney National Park
Take in the beautiful scenery of the Killarney National Park
View the Ring of Kerry in southwest Ireland
Giants Causeway
Enjoy the beautiful views along the Ring of Kerry in Ireland
Enjoy the beautiful campus of the renowned Trinity College
Visit the Cliffs of Moher and see some of Ireland’s most spectacular views
Kylemore Abbey, the massive yet graceful castle acquired by Benedictine nuns as a precious heirloom for Ireland
The Ring of Kerry is located in County Kerry, Ireland
Giants Causeway

Vacation Overview

Leave no stone unturned on this journey through Ireland. Start your vacation in Limerick, head to the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, and visit Rathbaun Farm, where you’ll see a farmer shear a sheep and use a sheep dog to move his flock. Stop at the fishing village of Clifden, visit Kylemore Abbey, experience the rugged Atlantic Coast of Donegal, and discover awe-inspiring Giant’s Causeway. Learn about life in Northern Ireland from your Local Guide in Derry and spend the night in Belfast, where you explore the fascinating Titanic Exhibition. In the “Fair City” of Dublin, enjoy an orientation drive that includes O’Connell Street, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and a visit to Trinity College with its Book of Kells. Travel south through the Wicklow Mountains, pausing at Ballyknocken House for our Local Favorite, an entertaining baking demonstration, coffee, and scones. Next up: Kilkenny, the House of Waterford Crystal, Blarney Castle, Cork, and the lush, tropical garden on Garinish Island. Spend two nights in the popular resort town of Killarney with an excursion to the Blasket Island Centre on Dingle Peninsula. Your marvelous vacation ends back in Limerick.


LIMERICK
Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite Traditional Irish Night

CLIFFS OF MOHER
Savor the spectacular views

RATHBAUN FARM
See the farmer at work and enjoy morning coffee in the farmhouse

GALWAY
Orientation

CONNEMARA
Visit a marble workshop

KYLEMORE
Visit the Benedictine abbey

WESTPORT
Visit this heritage town

KNOCK

Visit the religious site

DRUMCLIFF
Visit W.B. Yeats’ grave

DONEGAL

BELLEEK
Guided tour of the pottery factory

DERRY
Guided walking tour

COUNTY ANTRIM
Take pictures of Dunluce Castle, visit Giant’s Causeway

BELFAST
Orientation tour, visit the Titanic Exhibition, Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite receive a Titanic souvenir

BOYNE VALLEY
Guided tour of the Bronze Age passage-grave at Knowth

DUBLIN
Orientation drive, visit Trinity College

BALLYKNOCKEN HOUSE
Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite Cooking demonstration and morning coffee and scones

KILKENNY
Explore this pretty county town

WATERFORD
Guided tour of the House of Waterford Crystal; guided walking tour

BLARNEY
Visit the famous castle and Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite kiss the Blarney Stone

GLENGARRIFF
Private boat to Garinish Island

RING OF KERRY
Take pictures of the Lakes of Killarney

DINGLE PENINSULA
Visit the Blasket Islands Centre and the town of Dingle

ADARE
Admire the thatched cottages


DAY 1Arrive in Shannon, Ireland–Limerick

Céad míle fáilte! A hundred-thousand welcomes! After checking into your hotel, free time to relax and perhaps enjoy the hotel’s leisure amenities or explore the city. This evening, a special Irish welcome: enjoy a Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite Traditional Irish Night, a fun ceili in the setting of a village barn with dinner, wine, and entertainment all included. (Dinner)

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DAY 2Limerick–Cliffs of Moher–Galway–Clifden

Drive to the CLIFFS OF MOHER, rising 668 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, and savor the breathtaking panorama of the Clare coast. Next, a special treat: at RATHBAUN FARM, watch the farmer shear a sheep and maneuver a flock with the help of a sheep dog, then enjoy your morning coffee. On to Galway, a popular seaside destination and a buzzing cosmopolitan center with cobblestone streets, colorful shops, and a busy café and bar culture. Call at the Joyce family’s MARBLE WORKSHOP before spending the night at Clifden, a small fishing town in the far west. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Cliffs of Moher Visit the Cliffs of Moher and see some of Ireland’s most spectacular views Cliffs of Moher 
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DAY 3Clifden–Knock–Drumcliff–Bundoran

Visit KYLEMORE ABBEY this morning, the massive castle acquired by Benedictine nuns, and see the restored house, church, and gardens. Pause at Westport before continuing on to Knock, a village that attracts pilgrims from all over the world. On the way to the resort of Bundoran, stop at Drumcliff on Sligo Bay to visit the grave of native son and poet W.B. Yeats. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Kylemore Abbey, the massive yet graceful castle acquired by Benedictine nuns as a precious heirloom for Ireland 
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DAY 4Bundoran. Donegal Excursion

Enjoy the attraction of this remote part of Ireland for a day dedicated to wild and beautiful county Donegal. Visit the ancient town of the same name, founded by the Danish Vikings and home of the O’Donnell Clan. Later, call on the BELLEEK POTTERY factory, renowned for its exquisite cream-colored Parian china. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 5Bundoran–Derry, Northern Ireland–Giant's Causeway–Belfast

A rich string of Northern Ireland attractions awaits you today. In Derry, walk the city walls in the company of a Local Guide. After lunch, pass Dunluce Castle before visiting awe-inspiring GIANT’S CAUSEWAY. Arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland’s seat of government, and visit the fascinating TITANIC EXHIBITION. Learn all about the building of the largest passenger steam ship, its maiden voyage, and the tragic night of April 14, 1912. As a reminder of this unique experience, take home your Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite TITANIC SOUVENIR. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Giants Causeway Giants Causeway Giants Causeway Giants Causeway 
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DAY 6Belfast–Knowth, Ireland–Dublin

This morning, your Tour Director will show you Belfast’s most famous landmarks before you drive in the lee of the Mountains of Mourne back into the Irish Republic. At Bru na Boinne (Palace of the Boyne), one of the world’s most important archaeological landscapes, visit KNOWTH, where your guide explains the fascinating passage-grave dating from the Bronze Age. For a first taste of the Irish capital, join an optional cabaret evening with dinner and entertainment. (Breakfast)

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DAY 7Dublin

An orientation drive in the “Fair City” includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Then, a highlight visit to Oscar Wilde’s TRINITY COLLEGE, famous for the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells and the magnificent Old Library. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight, maybe take in an optional dinner outing to the Guinness Storehouse. (Breakfast)

Enjoy the beautiful campus of the renowned Trinity College 
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DAY 8Dublin–Kilkenny–Waterford

Vistas of the Wicklow Mountains unfold as you head for a special visit to BALLYKNOCKEN HOUSE, a typical Irish family-run farm guesthouse. Your host will present an entertaining Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite BAKING DEMONSTRATION, and then serve coffee and scones fresh from the oven. Travel on to the pretty county town of Kilkenny, and then to Waterford for a guided tour of the HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL. Before dinner you may want to join an optional excursion to a local pub. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 9Waterford–Blarney–Cork

The first of the day’s highlights is an entertaining walk through Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, in the company of a Local Guide. Then, visit BLARNEY CASTLE, renowned for its magical Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite KISSING STONE. Overnight in Cork, Ireland’s second-largest city. An optional suggestion would be a visit to Cobh’s Queenstown Story, which tells of the transatlantic liner route between Liverpool and North America and last port of call for the Titanic. (Breakfast)

Enjoy the historic architecture of downtown Liverpool Blarney Castle and the Stone of Eloquence Flags along the windy streets of Liverpool 
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DAY 10Cork–Garnish Island–Killarney

This morning, board a private boat for the short crossing to GARINISH ISLAND, whose warm waters attract colonies of seals. Follow the winding paths between the strong-scented flowering trees and shrubs of this lush tropical island garden. Then, head over the mountains into County Kerry. At Kenmare, join part of the RING OF KERRY and stop for spectacular photos of the Lakes of Killarney from Ladies View before arriving in the popular resort of Killarney. Tonight, an entertaining optional evening in Tralee with dinner and tickets for Siamsa Tire National Folk Theatre. (Breakfast)

The Ring of Kerry is located in County Kerry, Ireland Enjoy the beautiful views along the Ring of Kerry in Ireland Take in the beautiful scenery of the Killarney National Park View the Ring of Kerry in southwest Ireland 
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DAY 11Killarney. Dingle Excursion

Panoramic views on Dingle Peninsula on the way to the BLASKET ISLANDS CENTRE. Learn about the way of life and unique literary achievements on the string of remote offshore islands evacuated by the last inhabitants in 1953. Visit Dingle, then return to Killarney. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Take in the beautiful scenery of the Killarney National Park 
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DAY 12Killarney–Adare–Limerick

A final morning at leisure in Killarney with time for an optional excursion by horse-drawn jaunting car. In the afternoon, drive via quaint Adare, renowned for its pretty thatched cottages, to Limerick. A suggestion for a very special night out: attend an optional banquet at Bunratty Castle. (Breakfast)

Take in the beautiful scenery of the Killarney National Park 
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DAY 13Limerick

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)

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Transportation

Motorcoach with free Wi-Fi; private boat to Garinish Island


LIMERICK Strand (SF)
CLIFDEN Station House (F)
BUNDORAN Great Northern (F)
BELFAST Radisson Blu (SF)
DUBLIN Hilton Kilmainham (SF)
WATERFORD Granville (F)
CORK Clarion (SF)
KILLARNEY Killarney Avenue (SF)
LIMERICK Clarion (SF)

Full Irish breakfast; 7 three-course dinners with choice of menus, including a welcome ceili dinner with wine

Four Ways Globus Eliminates the Hassles

VIP Access
Skip the lines and get special treatment at the must-see attractions.

Perfect Hotels
We’ve done the work to find just the right hotels in just the right locations.

Tour Directors
Take your heads out of the guidebook and let expert guides make every destination fascinating.

Transportation
Leave the navigating to us – and just sit back and enjoy the ride.




UNESCO World Heritage Sites


The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on the Scenic Ireland:

  • Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast
  • Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne